Disclaimer: For the 1,012th time, I don't own RO. The Rune-Midgard I'm using belongs to Tom Valor. The current time is 400 G, the year when a majority of immortals were brought to Midgard. I do own a few of the characters but almost everything belongs to Tom.

(A/N): Alright, this is it! This is Abraxil Sovivor's glory chapter!

Chapter 10: Fear…

A priest bowed deeply before a hooded figure. The other priests behind him followed suit.

"Your Excellency. All is prepared."

Abraxil Sovivor removed his hood, revealing swept back hair.

"Perfect. Those fools will not muster any might any further before my two guests will trample over this paltry city."

The grand high priest started to walk towards the abbey double doors then turned to the lead priest.

"Summon everyone to our safe haven. The khalitzburgs will be more than suffice to guard you while I commence the opening."

………………………………….

"Lord Knight, we are awaiting your orders."

Salendriel turned to see who had spoken to him. Necron and a band of other lord knights assembled in front of him. Among the new ones were Arkyhm Zamarfin and his friends who still had their limbs intact but had to be hospitalized for a day.

"Necron, is everyone needed present?"

The dark-haired lord knight nodded.

"Good. We must go to the aristocracy. That place is prone to many dark things…"

A warp portal opened before Salendriel. He told everyone to get in and they followed. When Necron was about to enter, a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Wait. Necron, should something happen, I want you to warn the others. Just be careful in the fog…"

The dark-haired lord knight muttered his yes and stepped in.

The next thing he knew, he was already in the fog-enshrouded aristocrat district. The blurry figures of the other lord knights were moving around him.

"Everyone stay close. A passing group was spotted nearby and we must investigate as well as escort King Haldivas."

They walked through the fogged streets, only the nearby lanterns and torches giving them a clear visibility. The structures which were housing the aristocrats were locked and the windows were shut. Surely, there must be something going on here.

"Over here, Lord Knight Salendriel."

The figure of King Haldivas was standing beside a lantern post.

"My king, we are all ready to guard you. We can go as you command."

The weak-willed monarch opened a scroll.

"We are here. Just wait for me, I'll be done soon."

Suddenly an eerie sound of a warp portal opening rang through the streets, followed by the continuous drone of spell incantations. All the lord knights drew their weapons and surrounded the king protectively.

"Lord Knight Salendriel, I could see a large object behind that fountain. I couldn't make out what it is!"

Salendriel turned to the object that the younger lord knight told him about. The fog was blurring the figure but he could see that there was a swirling vortex of energy in it, closely similar to that of a warp portal.

"Waygate? It's a waygate!"

As if on cue, flames shot out of the portal in huge columns, clearing the fog in that area. The waygate wasn't clearly revealed but it was certain that it was wider than the buildings around it.

"Very perceptive, soldiers of Glastheim. But I don't think you can evade the inevitable."

The voice came from none other than Abraxil Sovivor. The grand high priest was standing in front of the waygate.

"Y-you! Abraxil, explain this treachery!"

The grand high priest grinned wickedly and turned to Haldivas.

"Your reign is over, my king. The door of fate is opening and I'm the one opening it!"

Salendriel and the other lord knights lined up in front of the grand high priest and readied their weapons. Salendriel raised Khatzbalger.

"You are under arrest, your "Excellency". Your dark schemes and interferences are over."

Abraxil shook his head and raised a hand.

"No…no. It is your glory and pride that will fade away, Salendriel."

The grand high priest's eyes hardened. Black lightning erupted from his hand and flew towards Salendriel who sidestepped the bolt and charged.

"There's no dealing with a man of his rank and power. He plots against us. Slay him for the sake of Glastheim's honor!"

Haldivas ran off to the nearest abandoned merchant stall and cowered behind it while Necron and the other lord knights followed Salendriel.

Abraxil grunted in disgust and uttered a spell. Khatzbalger was swung at him but the sword smashed into an invisible wall. Black lightning crackled on the grand high priest's hands and shot out to Salendriel. The lord knight ducked and staggered backward.

"It's too late. The gate is almost open and you have failed. Give up your futile attacks and I'll make sure you die quickly."

A zweihander cut up the grand high priest's left leg. Abraxil turned to see who the attacker was.

"You're out of your league, boy."

More of the black rays erupted and blew Necron off the ground, sending him flying far from where he was. Abraxil chanted another incantation. A dark cloud covered one of the lord knights and suddenly dissipated, leaving only hollow pile of armor on the ground.

Warp portals appeared around them. Priests dressed in dirty, black robes emerged from them followed by floating corpses in scarlet robes with wooden crosses strapped to their backs. After the priests came out, hordes of dagger-wielding skeletons followed. Even after the flow of undead seemed terrifying enough, a group of khalitzburgs followed them.

"Necron, I told you to warn the others. Go before we get swamped!"

Necron looked at Salendriel then to King Haldivas. Another lord knight approached him.

"Go, Lord Knight."

"Alright, Arkyhm. I promised to your father that you won't die. Don't make me break that promise by falling here…"

Necron turned around and started to make his way towards the district exit but a khalitzburg landed on his path.

'Damn, I knew this old bastard was behind everything…'

Zweihander was slashed from below, ripping the skeletal monster's archaic armor. The lord knight transferred the heavy sword to his left hand.

'I'll follow Champion Osiris this time.'

Necron jumped to the same height as the khalitzburg's head then slammed his gauntleted right fist on its skull. Flames exploded from the metallic arm then ignited the skull, causing the skeletal monster to collapse.

………………………………………

"Kael, wait!"

Kael didn't mind slowing down for Farina. After all, this merchant was no older than seventeen and had just received instructions from the raydric-knight in using an axe.

"It's too risky to have you running around. We're getting swamped by undead so stay inside!"

The merchant tossed a center potion at him before returning to the inn.

Kael mounted his horse and left to rejoin the raydric divisions. After he screeched to a halt in front of his unit, battalions of skeletal warriors positioned before them.

"Raydric Divisions, standby…"

Agranias rode in front of them. The seven other knights of heaven followed him closely behind. Everyone drew their weapons and lined up behind the Knights of Heaven.

'We're badly outnumbered this time. Two divisions along with the Knights of Heaven. I hope they can prevent us from getting killed…'

Kael tightened his grip on his two-handed sword. The Knights of Heaven charged and the raydrics rallied behind them.

"May the divine protection of the Light be upon you…"

A dagger cut up his greave. The raydric-knight raised his sword for a killing strike then brought it down on the soldier skeleton, cleaving its skull in two.

"Glorious soldiers of Glastheim…"

"Archer skeletons to the west. Evade!"

A barrage of arrows brought down several raydric-knights. The knight of heaven called Aelumina armed her enormous bow and continuously fired at the skeletons.

Kael sighed in relief and shifted his attention back to the battle. In the corner of his eye, the raydric-knight saw that the commander of the 7th Raydric division was split to two neat halves by a khalitzburg. Even his horse was sliced in half.

"Raydric division, rally to me! Take down that khalitzburg!"

"Kael, move!"

A rusted sword was brought down on Kael's head but it didn't reach its target. It fell on a lord knight's arm that was raised protectively over the raydric-knight.

'Necron? What is he doing here?'

Necron tightly grasped the khalitzburg's rusted sword and it broke in his hands.

"I'm too late. I have to warn the other defenders about the grand high priest's schemes."

The lord knight threw aside the shattered oridecon remains and ran the opposite direction. Kael raised his sword and grabbed his horse's reins. The steed leapt to the same level as the khalitzburg's neck and the raydric-knight swung his sword on it; the skull flying meters from the neck bone.

Suddenly, the raydric-knight felt severe pain on his side. Several arrows had already embedded deep in the flesh. Blood was slowly trickling down from the wounds.

Kael grabbed a javelin that stuck out of a fallen raydric's chest and hurled it at a nearby wraith. The spear punched through the undead creature's ghastly body and ruined its source of life. The wraith opened its mouth wide and let out an eerie echoing laughter before dissipating in black vapor.

The raydric-knight pulled out the arrows in his side, despite the pain and raised his sword for another charge.

………………………………………..

"Not good…"

Farina stared out of the window and watched the battle outside. The ground was red with blood as well as dismembered parts.

"No use regretting now that all of this is happening…"

The merchant had stayed in a room full of novices who were all frightened. Some of them were shaking uncontrollably. A few were unlucky enough to be poisoned by some undead.

Before Farina could take out a packet of panacea, something appeared in the middle of the room. A warp portal opened and skeletal warriors emerged from it.

………………………………………

Blood spurted from the mouth of a lord knight before he fell on his face, lifeless. Necron stared at his companion's pale form before blocking a skeleton general's dagger with his right arm.

The lord knight pointed his zweihander at its grinning skull and thrust the large sword at it, causing the neck bone to snap and break.

To his disappointment, a wraith emerged from the shadows.

'I've no time for this! Lord Knight Salendriel, what's happening over there?'

The dark-haired lord knight charged and raised his zweihander for a killing strike. The black blade cleaved through a wraith's body easily.

After panting out of exhaustion, he managed to take a glimpse back on the fog-enshrouded waygate from Abraxil. The shadow of a great hulking horned beast carrying an enormous scythe was visible and is drawing nearer every passing moment.