Chapter 79

The spear. Perhaps one of the first weapons created by the first humanoid beings born into this world. The first tool created by the weak to resist against the cruel, monstrous world they lived in. Starting off as a mere stick with a rock, the weapon evolved far beyond those primitive tools. Different metals, designs, all for the sake to grant reach, sharpness, power to the user. Right now, two spears were used in such different ways, one would assume the two fighters were using completely different weapons from each other.

One used the spear like the extension of his own body. Making full use of his race's small build, the Pallum used immense dexterity and agility to confuse his opponent, making the man twice his size hesitate at times, unused to such conditions. However, that very same general had his own skill, swinging his own spear as if it was a large sword, powerful gusts of air smashing away tents as they danced with each other.

The fact that this was an equal fight at all baffled Finn. Yes, he landed more hits, or actually hits at all, cutting away at his opponent. But Romulus kept up. The wounds were too shallow to be considered proper injuries. And while initially startled by his special fighting style, Romulus was starting to adapt. He tilted his head away after Finn stabbed his spear forward after hiding it behind himself by bending it. The Braver almost didn't dodge in time when Romulus smashed his weapon down, cracking the earth beneath them. With some distance between each other, they tuned out the battles of combat at the forest as they slowly circled around each other, their breath slightly heavy. Suddenly, the Rakian army commander laughed with joy before pointing the tip of his spear at him. Finn could see it was essentially made completely out of wood, which was strange. He glanced behind him, looking at the tree that was starting to catch fire during the cries of battle.

"The stories are not worthy of your true skills!"

"You're not too bad yourself," Finn responded with a smirk, tapping the ground with the bottom of his weapon, tilting his head a bit "Guess all that conquering and dealing with your own share with Evilus did some wonders for the Falna."

It was nothing more than idle small talk for the two of them to catch their breath. The Braver knew for a fact that "simple" conquering wasn't enough to gain so much power, the power of what was most likely a level six. And if Evilus was as difficult for other countries as they were for Orario, the rest of the world wouldn't exist right now. Or Evilus could've just overrun Orario with all their forces and then move on to the next kingdom. Before he could ponder about it more, Romulus' smile fell and he shook his head with a deep sigh.

"Ah yes, Evilus." He lowered his head, closing his eyes. "I regret that I was not there to support Orario during the Great Feud. Compared to you, our countries were fine. Alas, when the message arrived we were all at different places and had to deal with our own issues."

Finn bit his lip. Those words were meant to be comforting. But all it did was twist his gut as his thumb twitched. Not because of some misplaced sense of pride, some outrage at the audacious claim that Romulus could help them during that hell. No, it was the sheer confidence, the pure belief that Romulus had that his help would be vital. That it was a fact. It was the sense of confidence, superiority, one would only have after a lifetime of experience. And yet, this man was supposed to be nothing more than a rookie compared to Finn's age. It made no sense. But whatever the reason, he wasn't so foolish to ignore the facts. Whatever the source of this man's ludicrous growth... Romulus Quirinus was strong.

"Well, thanks for the consideration!"

At the last word, Finn burst forward, stabbing his spear into the ground to fling himself over Romulus. The Rakian blinked in surprise before quickly raising his weapon, blocking the downwards axe kick by his opponent. His knees buckled, but the man roared before pushing Finn away. The Pallum landed on his feet, as Romulus pushed forward. Then, their weapons became almost invisible to the eyes of any onlookers foolish enough to stay around. Spear against spear, they clashed over and over again. However, Romulus grimaced as Finn felt a sense of satisfaction. Little by little, magical wood was chipped away. After what felt like eternity, but was only a few seconds, Finn twirled his weapon to increase force and swung upwards. Romulus held his weapon up to defend himself. However, the steel tip, the blade of Finn dug into the wood and cut through. Romulus grunted as a large gash appeared across his body. He barely stepped back in time to avoid deeper damage, but he was still bleeding as Finn flicked the fluids off his weapon.

"You're good. Really good." "But unlike me, you don't have proper dungeon materials and Orario grade blacksmiths."

The wood was of great quality. It'd put certain elven trees to shame. But it didn't mean anything if the one processing that wood wasn't on the same level as someone from the Hephaestus Familia. Still, it was high quality, all things considered. Nevertheless, a weapon made from the dungeon and a weapon made outside of it was a difference between heaven and earth. A difference Romulus acknowledged with a laugh, throwing away the pieces.

"Hahaha, true enough." A glint appeared in his eyes and he raised his arms calmly. "However."

A flash of pain ran through Finn's thumb and his eyes widened.

"The battle only has begun."

The Braver snapped his head away, as fast as he could. Yet the all too familiar burn flared up on his cheek. But he could barely process the cut as he frantically weaved his head as something kept trying to pierce his head. Batting it away with his spear, with way more force than he expected he needed, he realized what he saw weren't some weird beams of light. No, what he saw was even more mindboggling.

A knife hand, or rather a lance hand, managed to cut a bit of his side out of him. He was put on the backfoot by a man unarmed. Or rather, by a man who specialized in unarmed combat to such a degree he couldn't really think of anyone who did what Romulus was doing. Sure, smashing with one's fist was easy, but this was the piercing and cutting power of a proper dungeon weapon!

It was like facing a rain of blows, as Romulus picked up speed, trying to circle around Finn as he was bombarded with such piercing strikes. On the backfoot, the Braver couldn't use his usual agility. Not that it would work by now, Finn realized, as Romulus was long used to it by now. Thus, the cuts he inflicted on Romulus were starting to get outnumbered by his own cuts, deeper than he liked.

At that moment, it was clear. Finn was perhaps the greatest spearman in the world. But Romulus? He was the greatest lance in the world. Nevertheless, the Rakian in his mind had nothing but respect for Finn. After all, not many could handle Nine Lives for such a long time. Still, at this point, it was a question of stamina than anything. Finn realized it himself. Thus, he let out a roar and did something he never did before in this fight.

A wild wide swing. It surprised Romulus, who backed off quickly. But that was all it did. And that was all that was needed. Biting his thumb, he pressed it against his head with a snarl.

"Magic spear, penetrate my forehead offering blood. Hell Finegas!"

His eyes turned red. The next thing Romulus knew was that a palm pressed against his face. With his eyes wide, he couldn't react in time before he was furiously smashed against the ground. Before he could get to his feet, his face deformed by the savage kick from Finn. Flying as he spilled blood, his feet skidded over the ground. He saw the Braver roar and jump after him, no sense of skill left as he threw his spear like a javelin. Knocking it away, Romulus did not expect for the haymaker, cutting his lip once more before actually catching the weapon in mid air. But even with his head spinning, Romulus struck back. Now it was a battle of pure aggression, defense forgotten as they punched and cut the other over and over again. Yet even with such new power, Romulus started to push back again, predicting the wide swings of his opponent.

"Such a boost in power! And yet, you have grown weaker! You lack skill!"

To demonstrate it, he fully avoided the sideways swing by swaying backwards. At the same time, he threw an uppercut, hitting Finn square in the jaw. Lifted to the air, Romulus didn't miss the chance and threw his right arm straight at the target. But yet again, his expectations were surpassed. When their eyes met, Romulus could see clarity in the red eyes. The next moment, Finn wrapped his legs around the arm and roared as he pulled him down. With his hands grabbing the earth, he swung his entire body, going beyond a handstand and threw Romulus towards the tree. In mid air, Romulus could only raise his arms before Finn, having jumped after him, began to rain down with his spear, aiming for the vitals. As gravity took a hold of them, Romulus parried with a scream as Finn stabbed with a scream. Soon enough, the two crashed down, creating dust around them. Sounds seemed to cease before two shadows were flung out, struck by the other with great force. Finn exhaled, popping his shoulder back in place with his spear, bleeding from his forehead. Meanwhile Romulus flexed his fingers before spitting to the side, realizing his left hand has been pierced.

"Who is lacking skill here?"

"Oho? Pushing your rage beyond rage, to tranquility. Excellent!"

Despite their current states. Bleeding. Exhausted. Frustrated. The two leading figures of their respective country could only smile, accepting the other as an equal with great joy. Finn never expected to be pushed this far, to push Hell Finegas to the limits like this when he followed Riveria. And Romulus didn't think that Orario would be at this level already. 'tis truly was the age of gods, if the quality of its warriors was so high!

"Romulus!"

The leader twitched. Looking behind himself, his eyes widened. Ah. Right. They reached the frontline. And it was not looking good for the Rakian Army. His Divine Tree has long shriveled up, ashen by the flames it suffered from. The soldiers were scattered, trying to keep cover behind their shields and the elven trees, but the injuries were many. And then there were the elves, exhausted, but not remotely as injured. Now, seeing Romulus in that state, doubt spread across them. Fear. But it vanished quickly, as they realized one simple fact:

He was still standing.

"You lead us this far, you cannot lose now!"

"Now is not the time to admit defeat!"

"Roma! Roma! Roma!"

Romulus remained silent for a while. Ignoring the weird looks of the elves, of the ones who looked down on his brave soldiers. He ignored the narrowed eyes of the Nine Hell, holding her staff in preparation but not casting a spell yet. He even ignored his opponent, who despite his enraged state was wary. With a chuckle, Romulus brushed his hair back, blood mixing with his hair.

"How shameful. I forgot myself in our duel. But no more."

For an instance, it looked like Romulus grew in size. That was the only warning Finn had before his enemy seemed to vanish for just an instance. He immediately raised his spear, but he spat out, as the hand went through and cracked his ribs. Quickly, he moved with the arm, avoiding getting stabbed through, before kicking Romulus away. Yet the bad feeling he had, that this was only getting worse, wouldn't leave him.

"You are truly talented. An existence that can easily reach the Throne of Heroes in the future." Romulus spread his arms wide open, the pressure of his aura increasing. "But for now, you lack weight! Experience! You do not truly know what it means to shoulder an entire civilization!"

"Riveria!"

Finn only needed to shout her name, fueled by mere instinct, before he rushed forward. At the same time, the Nine Hell didn't miss a beat and started to chant a defensive spell. But she was not the only one who was chanting.

"Development. Expansion. Civilization. The arrogance of those that control all of Creation. All those are of Rome."

A long type spell. Those were the types that could change the battlefield in an instance. Morale among the Rakians exploded as they rushed forward, having full faith in their leader. Finn ignored them all. The cold killer in him told him to take out the soldiers, to put Romulus off his game. But it was discarded quickly. There was no guarantee it would evenfaze him. Not to mention, that spell could still be cast in retribution. No, he needed to stop him. Thus, holding half of his spear, dual fielding the fragments, he jumped at Romulus.

"Now is the time to come forth, from my limbs. Our arms reach all, tear asunder, open the path to all."

Yet to his utter shock, Romulus dodged. Not only that, he hit back, keeping Finn away with the Braver's reach gone now. Concurrent Chanting, a skill reserved for only the most skilled casters. And yet, the definition of a front fighter was using it as if it was second nature, his focus so great that he could fight even Finn at the same time.

"Divine power, radiant power, the power to reach beyond the heavens and even beyond the stars! Our arms cut across everything, to the universe!"

The magic circle grew and grew in power. Suddenly Romulus flew up to the sky, his arms spread out. In this moment, the elves and the Pallum thought they were looking at a god about to use his Arcanum. Finn reared back his arm, about to use his strongest skill, Tir Na Nog, to put his entire being into the throw. However. It was too late.

"Via Shilheim!"

"Per Aspera Ad Astra!"

The shock at the raw divinity he saw delayed his reaction. Thus, the spells were finished before he could do his throw. The shield of protection covered her fellow elves. And yet, despite the mightiest of defenses being erected, the elves could only feel horror at what they saw. The massive circle of light above Romulus' head began to glow up even more. And then, the rain happened. The rain of light, fueled by the soldiers of Rakia supporting their leader, smashing up the forest itself. Riveria lost sight of Finn as he practically vanished under the onslaught before she had to grit her teeth and endure the seemingly infinite mass of projectiles herself. At some point she could literally see nothing as it rained and rained, cracking her shield. Her subjects shievered, hugging each other, crying, screaming. Until finally, the rain stopped. The forest was devastated. There was no sign of Finn. But at least it stopped.

"It's over-"

The first part of Romulus' spell, that is. They saw it. The magic circle, meant to channel and process magical energy. It began to fall.

"Oh gods... !"

Those were the only words they heard before the heavy weight of civilization pressed down on the shield. Like a human stepping on a bug, the already cracked barrier broke, leaving the people defenseless to the spell crashing down on them. Screams of agony sounded through the air, until there was only whimpering and dust.

In the end... the determination to shoulder an entire race, the Braver. The desire to protect one's homeland. The courage to stand next to their closest allies. They all lost to the might of civilization itself.

"A good fight. You are on par with plenty of other warrior kings I know of." Romulus breathed heavily before he moved forward, past a certain body. "Crawl your way back up to reach the apex. I shall be waiting for you."

The Braver coughed, his chest slowly moving. Despite being hit by the full brunt of his spell, Finn Deimne still found a way to survive. He used his surroundings and his own status to avoid, dodge and survive as much as he could, picking up the Rakian shields themselves. Such quick thinking was only to be commended. And that move he was about to execute... Romulus knew it could've killed him. Or at least stopped him. The man let out a chuckle. This new world truly was filled with potential. Still, just like the elves, they were down for the count. The only one somewhat standing, on her last legs however, was the Nine Hell. Shaking his head, Romulus took a deep breath.

It was over.

"Charge!"

The soldiers roared, rushing forward. To the shock of anyone still conscious, they saw that the warriors were faster now. More powerful. Was Romulus' spell also an enchantment?! At this rate, they could only helplessly look on as the soldiers rushed towards the heart of elven culture. Romulus slowly followed them, stumbling a bit while keeping an eye on Riveria as she tried to raise her staff with shaking arms.

"The Royals are within reach! Do not lose momentum! Ro-"

He never got to finish those words. The soldiers came to a sudden stop, as their path was blocked by something creating a wall of dust. As it settled, they saw a line drawn in front of them, drawn twice. But it wasn't that which caught their eyes. It wasn't the golden sword, adorned with beautiful markings, that stopped them. No, what stopped them was the knight who stabbed the blade into the ground, holding onto the grip with an unreadable expression.

"Who in the-"

A low chuckle. They all turned to Romulus who made his way to the front, crossing his arms as he was bleeding.

"Hoh? What brings you here, Radiance?"

Finn and Riveria twitched at the title. The elves gaped as the soldiers tensed up, raising their weapons, only stopped by Romulus raising his hand. They couldn't believe it. But when they took a closer look, when the knight removed their helmet, they saw it. Green eyes. Blonde hair. And the aura of the strong. With Romulus confirming it, they could only stare in disbelief that the strongest of the Empire, one of the guardians of Dragon Valley, was here.

"Enough blood has been shed today, Romulus," Artoria Pendragon stated. The implications were more than enough. Romulus narrowed his eyes, unleashing his own pressure despite his injuries.

"Is this the wish of the Radiance, of the Empire, to force Roma to retreat?"

She was unfazed by it. Instead, she flared up her own. For an instance, it looked like a crimson dragon was looking down on the comparatively dimmering light. Then she shook her head, the pressure gone. A somber smile was on her face as she raised her sword.

"It is the wish of a friend." Her smile fell and she shook her head. "I am merely acting as her sword. Do not force me to unsheathe it upon you."

For a while, tense silence reigned. But eventually, Romulus let out a sigh. Then raising his head, he turned around, away from the forest, as he spread his arms.

"It has been a good campaign! We shall retreat and grant you this victory, oh royal elves!"

Shock and outrage went through the ranks of everyone. Outrage at the pity. Outrage at stopping so close to victory. One of the commanders of Rakia stepped forward, with an objection on his tongue.

"But-"

Romulus pointed behind him, at Artoria with a grim smile.

"I am not willing to sacrifice all of our lives when it can be avoided!" A scoff escaped him, giving the Radiance a displeased look. "If I were but healthy, I would look forward to clashing blades with the Radiance, but alas!"

At least Artoria seemed sorry, as she lowered her head a bit.

"I will make it up to you in our next meeting."

"I sure hope so!" Romulus announced with a boisterous laugh. "We march home! Hold your heads high, for we have made them bleed! We have proven we can get through them once, so we simply have to do it again in the future!"

That seemed to placate the soldiers, if only a little bit. They sent death glares at Artoria, at Finn, at their enemies, before they moved. Some elves tried to go after them, enraged at them getting off scot free. But thankfully, Riveria stopped them, telling them to focus on the injured. Soon enough, emergency tents were set up, treating the most grave injuries. Riveria and Finn got their own tent, giving some privacy as Artoria entered and lowered her head with her helmet under her arm.

"My apologies."

The two Loki veterans shared a confused look. With a tired smile, Finn waved her off.

"You came in the nick of time."

"Yet I will still apologize for insulting your honor by interfering."

The two froze up. Artoria cut to the heart of the matter with the subtlety of a hammer. It was true. They were frustrated at their loss. They were frustrated at being saved. But they were old enough to accept those emotions and internalize them without lashing out at their savior. After all, it was a simple fact: They lost. And who knew what would've happened to them if Romulus took over. He didn't seem like a tyrant, but he couldn't control everyone. Riveria exhaled, before looking at Artoria with suspicious eyes.

"...Were your words true?"

Artoria didn't hesitate to nod, her eyes shining with honesty.

"Aye. This is a personal matter. Of course, if the Royal Elves wish for an alliance with the Empire, they can speak to me." Her mouth twitched, a playful smile all things considered, as she looked at the High Elf. "She truly cares for you specifically, Lady Alf."

"Please call me Riveria." She let out a small giggle. "And I was not aware I had such a fan in Empire territory."

"No fan. A believer," Artoria corrected. She shook her head in exasperation."If only she could be serious like that all the time."

They shared a small laugh before Finn winced at his injuries. Crossing his arms, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"How long will you stay here?"

"As long as you do," she replied calmly. Putting a hand on her chest plate, she nodded at them. "Please allow me to accompany you back to Orario."

The two widened their eyes, surprised at her words.

"There is no need-"

Artoria cut off Riveria's words, a wry smile on her face.

"Call it indulgence. I am interested in what the other mystery of the world has to offer. This is no escort mission."

Finn sighed, before shaking his head.

"Well, not like we could stop you if you followed us."

"You have my thanks." Artoria cleared her throat before rising up. She gave them one last bow. "I shall leave you to rest then."

Thus, the two veterans were left alone, in their silence. They had no idea how long it was. But eventually, Riveria was the first to speak, her eyes glistening as she smiled with conflicted emotions running across her face.

"The world sure is vast... "

"That's what makes it great."

Finn tightened his fists with a deep breath, anger boiling in his heart.

"Next time... Next time will be different."