Rage engulfed Demiurge's heart though he held it in. This human had felt the touch of his lady's lips on his filthy human skin. The man was unworthy of any attention given to him by the Supreme Lady but he dared to ask for something as precious as her blessing. And she gave it to him.
He wasn't sure if the anger was because he was a human or if it was because not even Demiurge was granted such an honor. He wanted nothing more than to rip the human limb from limb and leave his corpse as carrion for the other filthy creatures of the Earth.
"You should hurry, General, the physical manifestation of blessing only lasts 15 minutes. You're wasting your time." The red head calmly stated.
Gazef was still a little awestruck as he readied his men, prepared to go out and accomplish the seemingly impossible task. He looked over the townspeople one last time. "I will give you the chance to flee this town. Move swiftly and quietly through the forest to the next town over."
A small ruckus began as the Forest of Tobb was a dangerous place for villagers. They were not adventurers, neither were they strong enough to deal with the monsters that would undoubtedly come for them.
"Fear not, Sir Momonga and his compatriots will be staying with you while I lead the charge." The general lifted his hand to quiet down the discord.
"But…this is our home. We buried our parents here today." A blonde teenager said. "Is there no way we can stay in our village?"
Gazef looked at the girl. "A village and home are not merely four walls, it is the memories and the lives that live within them. Lives that would be wasted dying for bundles of sticks. After this is done, it is entirely possible that you can come back and rebuild."
Ahna fully agreed, yet the words stuck with her. Chewed at her. What if this were Nazarick…Could she just up and leave only to rebuild it. She might be hypocritical but she didn't think she could leave Nazarick to burn down. Though honestly, there was a difference between her home and their shacks. Theirs would take no time to rebuild but Nazarick would never be built the same if it were to ever be destroyed.
No, too much was made together with her comrades. She would not see it be abandoned. Even if it was just her in its lonely halls.
"This is where we part, my lady." Ahna looked to the man who was bowing slightly to her, clearly it wasn't a full bow but respectful nonetheless. "May the holy light of your Savior shine brightly on me today."
A mirthful smile lit her lips, it was kind of amusing to think of the AntiSavior shining her holy light on him, as an undead or demon. She suspected that he might be less inclined to accept her blessing if he knew what 'god' had granted him favor. "Maybe she shall."
"A goddess…I shall remember to give her thanks should this battle be a victorious one." He smiled at her before moving outside and saddling up. "We ride!" He charged gallantly leading the assault to what could only be described as a suicide run.
She turned her brown eyes to Momonga. "It's such a shame really. A man like that must be worth what 10, maybe even twenty villages? Yet, he would throw his life away for one." She turned gathering mana in her hand to begin a mirror spell. "He would have been an excellent ally. His death might make me a little sad." When she released the spell it morphed into a screen displaying the general's last fight. The village head stared in awe.
"My Lady, wha…why?" He didn't seem to know if he wanted to know how she conjured the picture or why she was letting them see.
"You are the ones receiving his sacrifice, the least you can do is see it through." The injured she healed, the mourners, and her comrades, all of them were transfixed on the image of their newest 'hero'. "Watch him fight for you."
It might have been cruel to show the villagers this man's sacrifice, but she didn't care. If you are going to throw away everything, the least you should be able to do is become a legend. Even if it is just a folk legend. She had not cared about the others dying but there was something about this man. She wasn't sure she could put her finger on it but it was different. Maybe she just liked the way he looked. He was her type.
She watched the man as he charged to the enemy and planned to take them on solo. It was brave and utterly idiotic. And delicious. The longer she watched the more she couldn't take her eyes off him. She could feel her heart race and that empty feeling deepen in her stomach. She wanted…she wasn't sure what she wanted. Only that as he proclaimed his vow she wanted to steal him from the field and capture him in that moment.
Demiurge had kept a close eye on his lady. She had been favoring that particular human very quickly and he wasn't sure what that was about. He would admit readily that he was jealous of the human and he hated feeling envious of such a creature. But over the last couple of minutes he had calmed. He could not be enraged by his lady's decision regardless as to why she chose to take those actions.
She watched the screen almost enraptured by the sight before her, making a deep foreboding feeling settle in his chest. Was this a behavior she was prone to do outside the tomb? He had never seen her act this way before. A quick glance at his lord told him that the lich was also concerned. Her smile was showing more tooth than was strictly necessary and a manic look was entering her eyes. Eyes that were beginning to glow a yellow hue even through the [Ring of Disguise]. "Did you hear him, Demi?"
The words and nickname caught him off guard. However he had no time to celebrate getting this special treatment even though she had said his name in such a breathy voice. She clutched at her chest with a hand and was speaking so softly that the surrounding humans could not hear.
"He's a weak little thing, taking on a small army of angels, outnumbered and out classed. Allies and friends slain in the mud. But he hasn't succumbed to despair." She reached a hand slightly forward as if to carasse the image even though it was too far away. "'I will die a thousand times before I let you kill me.' Ah, that is the epitome of what it means to be human. So pure…I wonder how far he would bend until he breaks." Her outstretched hand clenched into a fist at the last word.
Realization colored the devil's face. He had forgotten that while she was many things a succubus was one of them. He should have recognized what was happening. She just wasn't as fanatic as Albedo. She was so much more sedate until this moment. But even if this was an intoxicating mortal she still favored him.
We, Supreme Beings, would create bodies. Avatars, if you will, and use them to interact with the world.
Her words seemed to drift in his brain, almost as if to give him a reason to object to her current infatuation. Maybe she didn't know what was going on. He knew that no matter what or who she chose that he would support her. But there was nothing wrong with making sure she knew all of the facts. Right? He had hardly had the time to even think that thought when a deep voice belonging to Lord Momonga sounded. "It's time."
Fifteen minutes. That time had been more than gracious enough. Gazef knew he would need to make the most of the time the priestess had given him. He had a plan in place, he would take on this army alone. To save as many of his men as possible but like the brave and loyal men they were, they returned to him.
The blessing was almost as buffing as the kingdom's treasures. Yet it didn't seem to be enough. Even though as the men slew the first wave of summons, more of his men fell than he would have cared for. While he had taken a few of their mages, very few of his men stood, and none were uninjured.
The fifteen minutes were nearly up and without the effects of the [Gauntlets of Endurance] the fatigue from the enhanced skills were draining his stamina and his muscles began to scream in pain. He was slowing down but if he could just take out the leader.
"What are you doing? Summon new angels. Kill him while he is down." The leader whose name he had not heard commanded his men. Spell circles lit up around him with yellow and blue lights. He was forced to dodge the attacking spells instead of going after more summoners.
A clever tactic, too bad it was being used against him. He was buffeted to the side. His sword deflected as best he could from the balls of light. His mind idly wondered if he had bought enough time for the villagers.
The many angels above him began to circle randomly attacking one by one. It was becoming more difficult to block each attack. The fiery hot pain rippled from his back to his stomach. He hit his knees before realizing that the warm sensation that was spreading down his body was his life's blood. His arms shook as he held his face above the ground. Even as panted from the strain he glared up at the leader.
"Finish him. Don't just attack one by one. Take him out with one final attack all together. Leave nothing to chance." The maniacal grin was infuriating as the head of the scripture looked arrogantly down at him.
Anger pulsed through the general. He was not going to die at the hands of these cowards while lying on his back. He was a warrior and he will die on his feet. He gritted his teeth as he used the last of his strength to stand. "Don't you underestimate me. I am this Kingdom's general. I love my country and will protect it. Lose to bastards who try to sully my kingdom. No chance!"
"You will die because of that pride of yours. After all, what can you do? Shall I tell you what will happen when you die? We are going to kill every single villager in this little town. Your sacrifice will have been in vain."
Gazef was sure he was gloating more but he couldn't concentrate. No, he was too amused by that sentence. And as that amusement built a laugh began to trickle out of his mouth. The smile on the blonde leader's face slipped into a displeased look. "Have you lost your mind?"
"I pity you." He grinned, feeling a bit worse for wear but he was secure in his knowledge that they would be in for much worse. He had seen the dead soldiers piled outside the village and so should have this fool. "Try if you would like…you won't live to see the next dawn. I'm sure they will not allow that."
"You certainly have lost your mind. Angels, kill him." Gazef readied for the attack.
It's time. That was the voice of Sir Momonga. But how? The scenery around him disappeared for the briefest of moments before being replaced by walls. He was sure his eyes had not blinked but he was somewhere that was not the battlefield. The people around him were ones he recognized. The villagers and this was the house he had met the strange outsiders in.
"This…This is?" He turned, seeing his soldiers were beside him. "But this is the village store house."
"You are safe to rest, General." His eyes snapped to the side. The voice was that of the priestess. A pure white magic circle was configured in her hand. The orange hair was lit up brightly and the magic made her eyes look almost golden. She stood only a few feet away. "I have set a barrier around this place, no one will be able to get through…Not that Momo will let them." She spoke darkly but smiled brightly. "I will heal you and your soldiers so please rest."
"Where is Sir Momonga?" He couldn't catch sight of the tall black robed mage nor the female clad in black armor.
"He's…taking care of the scum." Ahna had said the words sweetly in a way that sent shivers down the general's back. Gazef quickly pulled out the relic the mage had given him only for it to turn to dust in his hand. So he had always planned to help. "So rest. Everyone is safe."
Everyone is safe. He hadn't failed. The extreme fatigue began to weigh him down. He began to fall and the world went black.
Demiurge frowned as his lady caught the falling warrior. She raised her hand with the magic circle. "[Mass Cure Wounds]" The light touched every inch of the storehouse, healing every scratch and cut leaving the whole village population unscathed. Awe filled each pair of eyes that looked towards her. This is how it should be. She had captured the hearts and loyalties of the villagers with such ease as was her right.
As she gently laid the head warrior down she looked to Demiurge. "Do you think the fight will last long?"
"My lord might seek to draw the fight a little longer than he would need." Of course he would, they have endangered the vow that their lord had made. The only proper punishment for such impudence was death.
"Yes, I'm sure it'll be a blast to watch."
Ahna looked down at the general as he lay unconscious upon the storage room floor. Now that he was asleep she could stare to her heart's content. It's not like she had anything else to do. As soon as Momo began his teleport he also casted anti-spy spells so her mirror spell was destroyed. She could tell the general was significantly stronger than the average person, so she supposed his skills could be used as a baseline for measuring most of the humans here. She wasn't fool hardy enough to believe he was the absolute strongest. So she would have someone keep an eye on him.
Not to mention his face was rather nice to look at up close.
"It seems the battle has drawn to a close, my lady." Demiurge's voice spoke from just behind her. She looked at the devil and had to admit he too was wonderful to look at. What with his dark hair and tanned skin. He also had a very sharp face. Not to mention that she had liked his visage for close to a decade. Geeze how embarrassing.
But now that he was alive, she wasn't sure if she felt strange about her fictional man crush. Still he proved to be a very compassionate man, or at least to the two guild members. Both this unconscious man and Demiurge had a very similar quiet yet bold confidence about them.
Perhaps that was what had her so wound up. That confidence and most certainly that courage. But she doubted she would see this man again.
Without much thought she reached into her inventory and pulled out a ring. Demiurge watched as she quietly placed it in a pouch that graced the human's hip. It wasn't rare nor was it expensive in Yggdrasil but she knew it would save his life one day.
"I supposed it is time to go home. Ready Demiurge?"
Home. Yes, he quite liked that she referred to the tomb that way. A place where she would come back to no matter how far she roamed. "Yes, My Lady."
They left the general in the hands of the village leader, he wasn't their problem so they didn't need to stick around till he woke. Ahna knew it would be best to summon the gate just outside the village and that was where they were headed. She would contact Momonga when they got to the forest just before they left.
Ahna froze in the middle of the village. A distinctly uncomfortable feeling sent shivers up her spine and caused the little hairs on the back of her neck to stand up on end. She could almost feel the sharp eyes on her back.
She snapped her head around looking for the perpetrator but found nothing. None of the villagers were looking in her direction, let alone with the deep penetrating gaze she could feel.
"My lady?" Demiurge called to her but she didn't immediately move her eyes to him. She could still feel that gaze like hot daggers in her skin.
"It's nothing. Let's go." She may have said that but in her heart she knew that it was not nothing.
"Orange hair, brown eyes." A female voice spoke as if she was reading a checklist aloud. "She doesn't fit the checklist at all, Master."
"And yet…She does. Have Reardon keep tabs on her. I want to know every move she makes." There was a heavy silence as greenish yellow eyes kept a heavy visual on the woman, who was being viewed through what one could only describe as a crystal ball. She was looking around warily. "Strange, this is a high tier spell. She shouldn't have noticed it."
Though to be fair everything was strange about these new outsiders. They were only aware of them because they had picked up multiple fourth level spells cast in quick succession in a small area. The people who had appeared were not the ones her master was looking for but the resemblance was uncanny.
"If we have an opportunity?" The rest of the sentence was unspoke. She didn't need to say more.
An evil grin spread across the shadowed face. "Bring her here."