So, I am going to have to learn new languages to apologize about the delays. In this case is more the chapter's fault that mine, because this one really didn't wanted to be written. That, and I wanted to end (or almost end) the Dark Tower at least, but the scenes kept growing and now I have more than 20k words and still growing. So, for your sake (and my mental health), I am going to update half of it a chapter 9. Sorry for my slow pace, really. The good news is that the next one is almost done, but that almost can be more than what one could expect. So, yeah. I will update soon but I don't how soon.
About the chapter, is the one we have been anticipating/dreading (myself included), but just part of it, as I said before. I just hope is good enough and you all can enjoy it and wait patiently for the conclusion. And now, to the reviews!
Halo - Glad you like it! Yeah, his stats have had a little trip down the scale, but he is not exactly at begining level. It's a mix of the stats and his frozen muscles, but still his basics are beyond what a human should be. And I don't about the moaming part, but it's an idea XD And everyone want to see a very big NO from our guy. We will see (muajajaja)
Guest(4/14/22) - Thank you! I really like writting their interactions as well. I am growing very fond of Maia, but well, we are reaching that point...
And that's it for now. I have still a lot of reviews pendind of answering, so sorry about that. I will try to answer as soon as I can, promise. And as a little extra, because a friend has asked (forced) me to, I am going to crosspost this story in AO3 (same user name). I don't know when, heavens know I am not good giving dates, but someday XD And now, enjoy the chapter!
As Knight and Maia recovered from their recent battle and basked a little in their win, the sounds of movement and distant fights reached them from several places inside the tower. With that as their signal, both nodded and began to move. However, Knight soon stopped, looking at the unconscious dark elf. After all, she was still alive.
Should... should he change that fact?
Every memory shouted at him with images of why not finishing off an enemy was always a bad idea. However, Knight could not stop thinking that killing an already dawned foe was... wrong, not honorable. Even after all the times he had killed an enemy in battle, after all the times the flashes showed how being honorable had brought him only problems, he knew something like this would leave him with a bad taste.
Deep in thought, he did not notice Maia approaching him until she was at his side, "What's wrong? What are you— Oh." she finally looked at Chloe as well, all the previous enthusiasm replaced by seriousness as she understood what he was thinking, "I... I don't like it either, but she is too dangerous to leave alive. And after all the things she had done, her judgment is clear."
Even after her words, she did not look less disgruntled with what had to be done. Still, Maia unsheathed one of her swords and began to approach the woman. Knight still did not like it, but he understood why it was necessary. With no more words, the redhead raised her sword, ready to pierce Chloe's neck.
Until a hand grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Woah woah, calm your tits, Maia. Maybe we should think about this a little more."
Maia turned to the newcomer with surprise, lowering her sword, "Hicks?"
The lean man grinned, a mix of frustration and genuine humor on his face, "Glad to see you too, especially after you bolted and went after the crazy armor with battering ram tendencies. But you two were able to beat this monster, so I will keep further jabs to myself." he shook his head, "Fuck, I still can't believe she went down so easily."
Maia chuckled, "Yeah, no. I wouldn't say 'easily', especially after everything Knight did to give me a chance." then she turned serious again, "But if you know how strong she is, why did you stop me?"
Hicks sighed, "I know it, yes, but I know as well she is the Dark Queen's right hand and someone she cares about. We could use Chloe to force her to surrender peacefully. Not sure about you, but if there is a chance to end this without fighting a mage that was rumored to keep up with the fucking Goddess Reborn, I will take it."
The redhead hummed, pondering his words. For his part, Knight was still recovering from the scare Hicks had given him. He had been right, the man was even more stealthy than Kyle, he had not noticed his presence until he had appeared at Maia's side. Leaving that aside, what Hicks said made sense. If they could capture Olga Discordia without a battle, his battered body would agree to it.
And not having to kill the dark elf in cold blood was a little extra benefit.
After some seconds of thinking about it, Maia finally nodded, "Ok, I can see that and support the plan. But how do you propose we do that? She is unconscious for now, but I don't think that will last much longer. And no matter how weak she may look, I know she will try to kill us as soon as she wakes up."
Even after her serious tone, Hicks just grinned, "Then it's good I have these with me." he said with a bit of pride as he reached behind him and then showed a set of heavy chains that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Both Maia and Knight blinked with surprise, but only she was able to voice their questions, "Wait, have you had that on you all the time? Why the hell are you carrying that around?"
"Of course not all the time." the man scoffed, "I have just found them, searching a little the rooms while I followed you. Really, I was lucky there were some in one of the rooms your toy went through. I thought I would have time to look and then arrive to see the golem in pieces and you fighting her to avenge it. I didn't expect to find the Dark Tempest defeated and you about to execute her."
The redhead raised an eyebrow, not amused, "Leaving aside that you are underestimating Knight, again, and that he could mop the floor with your face... You were specifically looking for the chains? Why? Capturing her alive was already part of the plan or what?"
For a second, his face remained blank, devoid of any emotion, then he looked a little to the side and smiled, "Let's just say... you never know when you will have to restrain someone."
Judging Maia's expression, it was obvious she wanted to ask more about it, but that changed when the noises of battle began to get louder, signaling there had to be fights close. Without saying another word, Maia and Hicks gave a quick nod to each other and, just with that, it seemed they already knew what to do.
Maia unsheathed her second blade and looked ready to fight anyone that tried to enter the room. Meanwhile, Hicks kneeled at Chloe's side and began to chain her, restraining her movements as much as possible. However, he suddenly stopped, sighed, and reached for a pouch in the back of his trousers, taking out a roll of bandages.
Ah, so that was where he had grabbed the chains from.
Seeing his actions, Maia raised an eyebrow, expression full of contempt, "Really? You want to treat her?"
The man grunted, but did not stop, "I know, I know, but if she dies from blood loss, she won't be a very good hostage, don't you think?"
Maia looked at her side, clearly still bothered by what they had to do, "Fair enough. Just hurry and do it before someone can find us."
Luckily, nothing happened, and Hicks was able to finish without any interruption, "Ok, a little murderous elf ready to deliver." he said as he patted the locked chains.
Maia gave them a look, planning their next move, "Ok, I will go first, then Knight, and you Hicks will cover our back. So, Knight, you will be the one carrying her. Just be careful, even if she is tied up, I wouldn't drop your guard."
He nodded, accepting the responsibility and because he had already decided to not drop his guard until this was over. With that in mind, Knight approached Chloe and grabbed her by the waist, carrying her under his right arm. This way, it would be easier to notice if she woke up, and easier to smash her against a wall if she tried something as well.
After that, the group began to move, going through the holes Knight had made until they reached a corridor. Then, they followed the noises until reaching their first battle between the Kuroinu and the guards of the Dark Tower. However, for the little Knight could see, the men did not seem to need help. They were fighting a group of imps, but it was completely one-sided. After a couple of seconds, the last monster died with a cry of pain as a sword went through his chest.
Even with the relative easiness of the fight, the men cheered loudly with the win, their loud voices joining the ones echoing through the corridors. It was clear they were stomping the tower's defenses, but Knight still thought it was weird. Where were all the powerful monsters that should protect the Dark Queen's bastion? He had only seen imps, as the black fire and the golems were only protecting the barrier.
There was Chloe, of course, and he had to admit she perfectly fit the description of a powerful monster, but still, she was just one. Vault had said this night it was their best chance, but what kind of event would leave such an important place so defenseless?
Or maybe, he was greatly underestimating the importance of the barrier he had brought down.
Ignorant to his musings, Maia and Hicks quickly prompted the group to follow them. They looked at the unconscious form of Chloe with amazement and fear —one of them putting his hands over his groin, for some reason—, but they complied with little delay. The same scene repeated itself several times as they moved through the tower, slowly climbing it.
Knight supposed it was normal, as a throne room would surely not be in the lower floor of an imposing tower. He... was not sure if he had been on one or not. He had memories of fighting inside some kind of palace, but all the rooms had been so sumptuous and there had been so many, that he could not be sure.
Wait. Why had the enemies of said place looked like his armor but in silver instead of black?
Further questions about it would have to wait, as the group reached a pair of big, heavy doors, already opened. And, inside of what obviously was the throne room, Vault, Kin and more men stood at the entrance, facing who could only be Olga Discordia, the Dark Queen.
The dark skin and long ears marked her clearly as a dark elf like Chole, but her ears seemed to be even longer, decorated with several golden earrings. She was wearing strange clothes made of purple pieces, hugging very tightly her well-endowed figure. Jet black hair that reached past her waist and yellow eyes that were looking at Vault and his group as if they were dirt under her shoes.
Beyond that, she was holding a strange… scepter? No wait, he could recognize it. It was a catalyst, an enchanted staff that mages used to focus their magic, similar to the one Sera had carried, but the difference in quality was like the difference between a dagger and Vault's sword. That catalyst was powerful, and if the scorched marks on the floor and the burned bodies were anything to go by, it seemed she had been using it.
Especially because Olga looked extremely tired, even if she was trying to hide it. That, and even if her skin had that dark tint he had seen in Chloe, compared to the dark elf he had fought, the queen looked... pale?
Noticing their arrival, Vault turned to them for a split second, smiling when he realized who Knight was carrying. For her part, Olga did not move, did not take her eyes from Vault and the men around him. Probably to avoid any surprise attack, but Vault suddenly relaxing made her raise an eyebrow.
"Well, as I was saying before, O Dark Queen, it's in your best interest that you surrender now. We can kill you, that's assured, it's just a question of how many of us can you kill in the process. But if you don't cooperate, I am not responsible for what happens to our little guest here." he finished and looked at Knight.
Answering with a little nod, Knight took a step forward. Olga immediately noticed him and what he was carrying, her eyes widened marginally, so little that he was not sure if it had happened or he had imagined. Whatever the case, Knight left Chloe in the ground, maybe not very gently, but at least, he did not just throw her.
The next instant, Hicks was at his side, squatting close to the dark elf's body. Before Knight had time to be surprised again by the man's ability to be stealthy, Hicks took a short sword from his belt and brought its edge to Chloe's neck. Knight could appreciate it was a well-crafted blade, maybe at the level of Maia's dual swords, but that was not important right now. The main point was what said blade could do to the unconscious woman in an instant.
The message was clear.
"Chloe." the Dark Queen whispered with some worry, her impassive tone breaking for the first time since they had arrived, but just for an instant. The next one, she was again the personification of calmness, but now with an extra layer of disgust, "Unhanded her, you brutes. You invaded this tower for me, not for her."
"True." Hicks admitted with a vicious grin, the blade not moving from Chloe's neck, "Doesn't mean we can't expand our plans, though."
"And after all the damage she has done to this country and to our group in particular, we shouldn't dismiss such a chance." Kin continued, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the dark elf with an analytical glance.
"So, as you can see, your highness, " Vault started with a mocking tone, "We should kill the monster now that we can. But, I am feeling generous, so, if you surrender peacefully and don't try anything, we will let her live."
Olga's eyes narrowed with contempt, "You animals. There is no level of barbarity you won't reach to accomplish your desires, is there?"
"That's rich coming from you." Maia answered with the coldest voice Knight had ever heard her use. He understood why, but it was still jarring to hear her speaking like that.
"And should I trust the word of the men invading my home in order to kill me? Should I trust you to not kill her as soon as I have surrendered?" the Dark Queen replied to their offer, ignoring Maia's jab.
"I don't care if you don't trust me." Vault said, now a little more serious, "But I can promise I have no intention to kill her. Surrender, and she will live."
Both sides kept their eyes fixed on each other, maintaining a hard-to-miss battle of wills, but in the end, it was the dark elf the one who averted her eyes first. With a resigned sigh, Olga threw her staff at Vault's feet, the metal colliding against the stone floor with a loud noise. Some of the men flinched, but the Kuroinu's leaders just smiled.
"You win." she declared with a regal voice and solemn expression, yet she could not hide completely her defeated tone, "I, Olga Discordia, surrender to the Seven Shields Alliance."
Her declaration was met with silence for a second, but when the meaning behind her words finally was processed, the room was suddenly filled with the shouts and cheers of the men. The combined noise was deafening, but Knight did not mind. They had good reasons to feel so happy. After all, Maia had explained to him that the Dark Queen was the only leader of her faction, the one controlling the monsters. With her surrender, they had accomplished what no one had been able to do for centuries.
They had ended the war. It was over. For the first time in forever, there would be peace.
Knight could not stop the image that appeared in his mind, showing a little girl and her mother not having to worry anymore. But not only them. Everyone in the little village, everyone he had seen in the capital. All of them would now be free of the fear of being involved in the chaos of war.
And Knight felt proud of being part of the ones who had achieved such a result.
As the men cheered and celebrated their victory, Vault, Hicks, Kin, Maia and Knight were still on guard, observing Olga with their weapons ready. After some seconds of tension, Vault finally gave a little nod and Hicks stood up, removing the threat to Chloe. Seeing that, the Dark Queen visibly relaxed, which seemed to relax the Kuroinu's leaders in turn.
It seemed, even after her surrender, the distrust from both sides had been almost palpable.
Finally deciding that the victory was real, Vault turned to them, a massive grin on his face, "Well, I am pretty sure a lot of people owe me a lot for betting this day would never come."
Maia left out a mix of laugh and barely restrained sob, "We did it. We have won…"
The man nodded with determination and then looked at the group of cheering men, "We really did. And, if you can, Maia, make sure our little former queen doesn't try anything. We have some things to discuss with the men. It will be just a moment."
Maia just nodded, still filled with some disbelief that was turning quickly to euphoria, but her grip on her swords never faltered. For his part, Knight decided to remain with Maia. They had not specifically ordered him to do anything, but he was pretty sure they just believed he would follow the woman like a good little golem, so he took advantage of it. After all, his whole body was starting to remind him he was very hurt. Knight did not want to move more than necessary.
Noticing how the other leaders began to leave, Olga fixed her eyes on Maia and him. If her expression of disgust was anything to go by, it was clear she knew who Maia was. However, when she turned to him, she raised an eyebrow with some curiosity for an instant, but that little gesture soon disappeared, returning her face to a regal expression while looking at Knight with an air of superiority, as if everything around her was not important enough to take notice of it.
"And who are you? A new leader of these beasts? A black dog wearing a black armor? Trying to disguise yourself as a real knight? What a jest. No more than a sad and presumptuous waste of— No, wait."
The vicious face of superiority disappeared and was replaced by an expression of confusion and deep thought, as if she was trying to remember something. She looked at his chest, then at his helmet, and finally, her eyes widened, filled with surprise, wonder and… fear?
"That's not… had to be a copy from the book that… but its core is… no, it can't." the Dark Queen began to mutter. Half of it was incomprehensible for Knight, but what he could hear seemed a bunch of nonsense. Then, she looked again at his chest and uttered an almost inaudible whisper with a strange tone, as if she was reading something aloud, "'O Black Knights, everlasting watchers and loyal shadows of Lord Gwyn'."
Knight froze. What… What did she just say? That name…
Flashes of memories filled his mind. Very confusing flashes of statues, stories and devotion. Then of truth, anger and understanding. Finally, a single image of an enemy, a big man with white hair and white beard, a tarnished crown on his head. But no... it was not a man, it... it should have been a god, a Lord... yet it was just a husk of his former glory. Just... just a bunch of...
Cinders.
Because after uncountable deaths, uncountable fights, his travel had ended in the place filled with ashes and stones, the place where he had scattered those burned remains that should have been a mighty god but were not. Then he... he had touched the sword, and then... Fire. The Fire.
Knight grabbed the side of his helmet with one hand, trying to keep at bay the intense pain these memories had caused. They hurt like the ones his mind did its best to erase after a flash, but in this case, they were not going anywhere. These memories were like a heavy presence inside his head, filled with the weight of duty, sacrifice and... fate?
He could barely understand what was happening in those memories or what they meant, but there was something he did know. The husk of a god, the one made of cinders, had been Lord Gwyn. The same name the Dark Queen had used. Which meant that, somehow, Olga Discordia knew about his past life, about his past world. And she could know something related to him, because Knight had been the one to end said Lord.
Without noticing, Knight focused on the dark elf and took a step towards her. Then another. The woman's eyes widened at his actions, taking a step back on her own, but she was too close to the wall to take another. A part of Knight knew he was scaring her, but right now that was not important. What was important was he had a way to learn things from his past, to quench a thirst for his old world he did not know he had.
After all, he could only remember little pieces of his past life, and basically, all of them were related to fighting and enemies. Actual memories of persons, places or information were scarce, incomprehensible, or directly suppressed by his mind. This was a chance to learn more, a source he could ask questions to. The fact that he could not yet talk was ignored as well, he just took another step, his whole focus in the Dark Queen and what she could know—
"Hey, relax big guy. I am the first who wants to make her pay, but we wanted her alive, remember?" Maia's voice sounded at his side, a hint of concern in her tone.
Knight blinked, the fog of his transitory obsession finally leaving his mind. That was when he realized his whole body was tense, arms a little flexed and fists clenched. Maia was at his right side, hands around his arm and giving him a questioning glance. In front of them, Olga was against the wall, crossed arms and a prideful expression hiding what probably was pure fear, if her trembling hands were anything to go by.
He blinked again. It had not been his intention, but Knight could see how they had thought he was going to attack her. It seemed the realization of what the dark elf's knowledge meant had affected him more than what he could have expected. Forcing his muscles to relax, Knight took a step back, regaining a passive stance. Olga's body relaxed a little as well, but her face did not change in the slightest, as if nothing had happened.
Knight chided himself. Like when he had received the bastard sword, he had acted too impatiently, not really thinking. The dark elf could have answers to his questions or could not, but without the ability to talk, he could not ask them in the first place. He had to stop and wait. After all, they had to bring her to Celestine. There would be time.
With the situation resolved, Maia focused on him with clear intentions to ask why he had acted like that, but the same moment she opened her mouth, Vault's voice interrupted her.
"Did you say 'alive'? You want to capture her, Maia?"
Those words made Maia freeze, mouth still half open. For his part, Knight blinked with confusion. Had she not told them about that? It sounded like the kind of thing she should have explained the first day, considering the original plan of the Kuroinu was to kill her as soon as they could.
Finally, Maia closed her mouth and turned around with an apologetic expression, "Ok, I know that sounds like something important that I should have commented on the first day, but I was not sure how to tell you or how you would take it. And... to tell the truth, I didn't know if I would be able to control myself and not kill her as soon as I saw her. But I can, and even if it sounds absurd, Celestine asked it as a favor, and I think—"
Her rambling was interrupted by Vault's loud laugh. It was loud and strong, the man's right hand hiding his eyes as he used it to support his head. It was not a kind laugh, clearly mocking and almost cruel in a sense, and Knight knew a little about those types of laughs. For some reason, he had a lot of memories of people laughing like that.
"Oh, man." Vault finally said after controlling his laugh, "This is precious."
For her part, Maia was just too surprised by his reaction to properly process the situation, "What?"
The man just shook his head, "Don't worry about it, Maia. I just found it funny. After all, we want her alive too."
She clearly had not expected that, as she looked at him with her face full of confusion, "You... you do?"
Vault just grinned, a strange glint in his eyes, "Oh yes, we really need her, so we were prepared to capture her. Speaking of that, Kin, if you could?"
With a little nod, the mage approached the dark elf with something in his hand. Based in what Knight could see, it was some piece of black cloth with a bright, white gem on its center. It did not seem to be anything more than a strange kind of necklace. However, if the bracelet in his wrist was anything to go by, it could be so much more.
As Kin got closer, Olga looked at him with a hateful glare, "Do not dare to touch me, you filthy hum—"
Before she could end the insult, the mage slammed his hand on Olga's neck, with enough strength to make her choke and stop her words in her throat. While the dark elf coughed and tried to recover from the sudden attack, the gem on the strange necklace shone and, as if it were alive, the piece of cloth moved around Olga's neck, getting fixed there with a sonorous click.
Still coughing, Olga tried to remove the necklace to no avail, "What… what have you done to me?"
Kin grinned, "Just something to make sure you don't try anything. After all, everyone knows the Dark Queen is one of the most powerful mages in history. We needed something to keep you harmless."
For some reason, those words seemed to affect the dark elf, and with widened eyes, she raised her hand and pointed it at Kin, fingers shining with a purplish energy. Knight began to move, ready to help, but before he could take a second step, the necklace's stone turned red and the energy around Olga's hand disappeared, the dark elf crying in pain after it and falling to the ground.
Some of the Kuroinu began to laugh at the dark elf while Kin shook his head, "I wouldn't do that again if I were you. The seal is made to constantly absorb your mana in a painless way, but if you try to gather said mana, even for the least amount imaginable, it will absorb it in a very painful way, as you have been able to experience."
The dark elf was kneeling on the ground, hugging herself while spasms of pain went through her body, and yet, the fierce glare she sent to the mage had no trace of defeat, eyes filled with fury and determination.
"Do your worst, honorless mongrel."
Kin seemed a little surprised to see so much resistance coming from the woman, but Vault just chuckled behind them, "Well, well. It seems that even with her nails broken, the little cat wants to bite you, Kin." a strange, vicious glint appeared in the man's eyes, "We are going to have to teach her that's not what she should use her pretty mouth for, don't you think?"
The commentary caused a chorus of laughs from the men, but Knight frowned a little at the sexual play of words. Even if he could argue that she did not deserve mercy for her sins, treating her like that was clearly not honorable. And it seemed he was not the only one who found it tasteless.
"Vault."
It was just a name, but it was impossible to miss the warning. Maia's serious tone stopped the laughs and made Vault look at her, his face recovering the usual, plain arrogance, "Hey, hey, it was just a joke. No need to get like that, Maia."
"No, that was…" the woman paused and shook her head, "Forget that for now. The problem is all… all this. Why do you want her alive? The original plan was to kill her and not… Fuck, you even have something to seal her magic! What is happening, Vault?"
Maia's expression was tense, trying to understand what was happening, but the man just chuckled, "Please, Maia, don't hurt your little, pretty head worrying about something simple. We just wanted a plan for every situation. Capturing her wasn't a priority, but in case we could, bringing her alive for a public execution sounded like a good idea to show everyone that the war is over, don't you think? Besides, I don't know if you can complain about sudden changes of plans."
"I-I guess." Maia muttered and looked at the side, some red tinting her cheeks, but Knight did not know if it was due to the logic of Vault's words making her look as if she had overreacted, or due to the commentary about her pretty head. Probably both.
"Exactly." resumed Vault, "And we will have time to talk about all that. For now, I think it's finally time to celebrate what we have done and congratulate the one who made it possible. Right, boys?"
In a second, part of the men surrounded Maia and began to try to smack her back and grab her arms while cheering, but she moved and tried to move away, "Woah, woah! What the… you mean me?"
"Don't try to be humble now, Maia. Without your golem, we don't know how this would have ended. And let's not forget how you finally defeated the Dark Tempest. So just accept it." Vault looked at the men, "Now, let's hear some hurrahs for our one and only Queen of Mercenaries. Hurray!"
"Hurray!"
"Hurray!"
"I… well…" she finally sighed and relaxed, "Yeah, yeah, I deserve all the praise. But if one of you tries to cop a feel, be ready to say goodbye to that hand!"
There was some truth behind Maia's threat, but not enough to overcome the easy and proud smile on her face. For his part, Knight smiled a little as well, happy for the recognition Maia was receiving. Of course, part of the merit was his as well, but he knew no one would see it that way except for Maia, and for now, that was enough. After all, he had not joined this mission for the glory.
However, Knight lost his smile when he turned to look at the Dark Queen. Olga was still kneeling on the ground, breathing with some difficulty. It seemed the punishment of the collar was still affecting her. And that… Knight did not know how to feel about it. Because like with Chloe before, it left him with a bad taste.
Treating the woman like this, especially after her surrender, it was not honorable in Knight's eyes.
On the other hand, Olga Discordia was the queen of the monsters, the leader of the hordes that had massacred villages for centuries with no remorse or care if the objectives were men, women or children. Maybe that was just the brutal reality of war, but it was a good base to believe she did not deserve any mercy.
Sadly, even if it was an interesting dilemma, it seemed Knight would not have the time to focus on it.
"Hey! What the hell!? Knock it off!"
Maia's sudden shout made Knight turn to look at her and... he did not understand what he was seeing. In the middle of the previous cheering group, where the men had gathered around Maia to congratulate her, now she stood with Sard behind her, restraining her arms. Before he could really process that part, Hicks approached them, put another set of chains around Maia in an instant and forced her to kneel, taking away her swords when he was done.
What... what was happening?
Sharing his confusion, Maia began to look around, trying to look at everyone in the room, "Ok, I don't know what kind of stupid prank are you all trying to pull off, but you really suck at timing." she sounded calm, but there was a tone of uncertainty in her voice after noticing how they were looking at her.
"Quite the opposite, Maia, I think we wouldn't have had a better timing even with the original plan."
Vault's voice and words were like a strange spell. Maia froze at the mocking tone, while the rest of the men began to grin with what Knight could only describe as evily expectation. For his part, the leader of the Kuroinu was looking at Maia with the same vicious glint in his eyes from before.
But this time, it seemed it was going to stay there.
"Vault, what… what are you talking about?" Maia's voice was devoid of any trace of her usual strength. It sounded almost… fragile.
And hearing said fragileness, the man laughed cruelly, "Oh Maia, you can't imagine the scare you gave us when you suddenly appeared in our camp. How hard was to keep this stupid charade all these days. Especially because half of these bastards don't know how to keep it in their pants! But I can't complain about the outcome. Your golem destroyed the barrier, both of you dealt with the nightmare that the Dark Tempest usually is, and then you barely gave us any problem when it was time to capture Olga and you. Really, I have to thank you for all your help, Maia."
"Capture… me…" she repeated slowly. Maia looked lost, clearly having problems processing what was happening. Not that Knight could blame her.
He was very lost and confused himself, almost as paralyzed as Maia was. His first impulse was to punch Sard and free Maia, but the situation was so bizarre that Knight did not know if maybe he was not understanding something. Maybe… maybe it was some kind of joke he was not getting? It could be that, right?
But if that was the case, it was clear he was not the only one not getting the joke.
"Just… just stop this nonsense and unchain me!" Maia's voice recovered some strength as her face began to show some genuine anger, "I want a real explanation. This is not fucking funny, Vault."
"No, it isn't." Vault agreed, his tone and expression suddenly very serious, "It's not funny that the Dark Queen here decided to declare war on our country. It's not funny that a self-proclaimed 'goddess' decided to use that war to take this land away from its righteous owner. It's not funny that she then changed so many things that, even if we win the war, this country won't be our country anymore. And that's why, because it's not fucking funny, that we are going to fix it with our own hands."
At his words, the men cheered while Maia looked even more confused than before, but it seemed Vault had just started, "In the old times, men were the kings in every aspect of their lives, the lords of every land and every house. But Celestine has changed that. It's her fault that now women don't know their place, it's her fault that almost every position of power is in the hands of a woman, it's her fault that now men have to almost beg to get what should be ours by birthright.
"And in order to fix this, we have captured this tower, we have ended the war that two whores forced on our country. And now that we control the Dark Tower, now that we control Olga's Cursed Anchor, we will use the monsters to begin a new war. A war that will burn and rape this land until we have healed it from its disease, until every and each woman remember her place." he then looked directly a Maia with a smug grin, "And that place is with them on their knees, with our dicks down their throats!"
The men cheered again while Maia remained frozen, a stunned look on her face as she tried to process what Vault had just said. Knight was no better. What was the meaning of this? Was not Vault the hero of this land? Was not Kuroinu a group of men fighting for a better tomorrow? Was not this mission, the mission Knight had joined, the final step to end the war?
Until a moment ago, the answer for all those questions had been 'yes', so then… Then what the hell was happening!?
Every man in the throne room was looking at Maia, Olga and Chloe with lustful eyes, and after Vault's speech, it was clear what they wanted to do with the captured women. They were finally revealing their true nature, their true intentions. They had acted as a close group of brothers in arms, of heroes. They had acted as Maia's friends, while behind those masks they were just a group of villains.
A group of traitors. Of betrayers. Of two-faced bastards!
Knight gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, a burning rage growing inside his chest. No, these men were not heroes, were not the saviors of this land. They were just dogs, beasts who would bite friend and foe in their madness, and Knight felt ashamed of having trusted them, of having helped them. He felt so… so…
Betrayed.
~ A man he had freed. A man covered in armor which seemed to be hugging its wearer. A knight, the ideal he aspired to be.
"Hmm, what business do you have? Our futures are murky. Let's not be too friendly, now." ~
~ A man of God. A man who had taught him. A man who should help the weak and save the helpless.
"Ah, oh, you. Have you seen M'lady? Oh, blast, where might she be, and would she be safe…" ~
More rage invaded Knight's veins. He could barely remember their features, but he could remember the tone in their voices. The promise of betrayal he had failed to notice. The sins they had committed. And he remembered how it had ended in both cases: with him cleaning their blood from his sword.
And this time it would not be different.
While Knight tried to regain control over himself, a new voice joined the conversation, one he did not expect. The Dark Queen herself.
"And humans think I am the real monster." Olga shook her head, her tone still regal and a smile filled with superiority on her face, "And to think you are not only traitorous brutes, but ignorant too as well. It is almost sad. After all, your plan will fail. Only I can force the monsters to obey. If you know about the Cursed Anchor you should know that too."
It sounded like something bad for the man's plan, but Vault did not lose his grin, "You are right, we can't force them to obey. And that's why we convinced them to join us willingly."
That erased the smile from Olga's face, "What."
"You see, O Queen of Monsters, your not so loyal subjects are bored of the limits you force on them. Bored of not being able to rape and eat as much as they desire. So, it was fairly easy to convince them why our cause was better. Really, the only reason they didn't capture you themselves was because we had to wait for tonight's ritual and your link to the Anchor. But now that we have sealed you and your connection," he looked at Kin, "How long until you can break said link?"
The mage grinned, "An hour. Maybe less if I take it seriously."
Olga's eyes widened while her face lost some color, "T-That is not… You… you can not…"
"Oh, you are going to see and feel on your own flesh that yes, I can."
It was clear the dark elf wanted to reply, but it seemed Vault's words had left her speechless. And before she could recover, Maia spoke again, finally processing what was happening.
"This… this is stupid! This can't be true! It… it's just a hallucination… or a joke, right?" she laughed nervously while shaking her head, almost with desperation, until her head dropped, her hair hiding her eyes, "J-just a joke. A stupid joke. So tell me. Tell me it's just a stupid, tasteless joke! ...please."
After her outburst, no one said anything, silence filling the throne room. Then, little by little, the men began to chuckle, to snort, and finally, the silence was broken by loud and cruel laughs. Laughs directed at Maia, who kept looking at the ground, avoiding everyone's eyes.
Still, Knight could see her face, her expression a mix of pain, defeat and disbelief. Yet he could not move. His body was paralyzed with rage and memories. Memories coming from those laughs, those mocking, haunting laughs, taunting him for his ignorance, reminding him of all his mistakes.
~ I am free. Now I can get back to work… Keh heh heh heh… ~
~ …Oh it's you… You rescued M'lady? Well, a pity that is, for it will amount to nothing. For the little madam is not worth her salt without her family name. Keh heh heh heh… ~
~ Oh, hello. I'm considering a change of location… I have a rather pressing matter to attend to up above. That Keeper has served me well, but… Enough with her… Keh heh heh heh… ~
Two faces. Two women. Two corpses. Two times he failed.
One that he had been able to fix.
One that he had lost forever.
Knight clenched his fists until the metal of his armor groaned.
Vault looked at Maia with almost pitiful eyes and began to approach her, "Don't be like that, Maia. Soon, you will see this is the best for everyone, especially for you. After all…" he grabbed her chin and forced her to look directly at his mocking expression, "We are going to share more than one night, you can be sure of that. Not now, as we still have some things to do, and not only with me, because there are a lot of men that want a piece of your body, but from time to time, you will get some of my attention. Isn't that a sweet deal for a maiden in love?"
The cruel laughs returned with a vengeance and… no. That was enough. Enough to accept the truth of what these men were and what Knight had to do now, enough to take a hold of himself. Knight would not let the shock and memories keep him frozen anymore. Vault seemed ready to keep talking, but if they thought he would remain there until he ended his speech, they had another thing coming.
A very furious and murderous thing.
Knight had just taken three steps when the closest man tried to stop him, "Hey, stop there, you stupid armor. We want t— Ahgg!"
Whatever nonsense the man had been about to say died in his throat when Knight grabbed him by said throat and raised him half a meter over the ground. The Kuroinu began to panic, hitting him with his fists and legs, but after Chloe's attacks, it was not more than some love taps.
Knight knew he was choking the man, but he did not care, only worried about reaching and saving Maia. What was more, this one was one of the bastards who had laughed at Maia's fear, had laughed while Vault spitted in her feelings for him. With those memories in the front of his mind, Knight focused on the man, forcing him to fix his watering eyes in the darkness of his helmet, and then, began to increase the pressure. It would be the first but not the last.
"Golem, stop."
The sudden order was said with a voice so controlled and filled with confidence that Knight could not help but look at the one who had said it, filled with disbelief. And of course, it had been no other than Vault, who was now looking at him with a smug smile, as if it was now over. Was he really expecting Knight to stop just because he had ordered it? Was the man that delirious?
And then, Vault gave Maia a side-glance, full of cruel mockery, and Knight realized that yes, that was exactly what he was expecting and he really was that delirious.
Maia, breaking for a second from her spiral of dark feelings, realized it as well, but without knowing the truth of the situation, she panicked with the conclusion she had reached, "Fuck! Knight, don—Agh! Hmmm!"
Before she could finish, a piece of cloth was forced in her mouth and tied behind her head, effectively gagging her. It was fairly harmless, but it still aggravated Knight's anger. Dropping the almost blue man from his hold and ignoring his quick escape, he turned completely to Vault, who was looking at him with that nauseating, smug smile on his face. Knight really wanted to erase said smile by cleaving the man's face in half.
Not noticing Knight's murderous glare, Vault kept talking, "From now on, you no longer obey Maia's orders. You no longer try to protect her nor give a damn about her. You will only obey Kin, Hicks and me. Our words are law, and you will strive to protect us and the Kuroinu. You will not do anything against any of us. You literally will do nothing if we don't order you first. Are we clear?"
At the man's side, Kin nodded every couple of words, as if he was checking all the important points. Behind them, Maia's eyes widened and she began to trash against the chains around her to no avail. For his part, Knight was just astounded at how far a misunderstanding could go... and how incredibly beautiful it was going to be when they finally realized he could not care less about their orders.
Especially if it happened while Knight was tearing their bodies in half.
The surprise had made Knight stop, so for now they still believed he was under their control, and he had to take advantage of it. The question was how to do it. Should he approach them as if he was the golem they thought him to be and kill them by surprise, or should he free Maia first? He had to think this carefully. He could not afford to fail her now.
As the men laughed again and Maia looked even more broken, Knight began to consider his options. With the misunderstanding, he probably could approach Maia without any interference. However, as soon as he tried to free her, they would know Knight was not an obedient golem and attack him. The other option was to attack first, before they could realize what was happening. However, in that case, Maia would still be in chains.
How… how could he do this?
Lost in thoughts, Knight just realized Vault seemed to have been talking to him.
"Really, the plan was to order you to jump from the top of the tower and be done with you, but Hicks says you were able to push Chloe until Maia was able to defeat her. And that's something we could use, especially if we can make more of you." Vault grinned, "So, congratulations, golem, from now on you are one of us, one of the Kuroinu. You can feel proud of that!"
The last sentence provoked a fit of laughs from the men, who seemed to be little more than trained hyenas ready to laugh at his master every word… And, for some reason, that thought was almost enough to give him a flash of memory, but Knight was too busy trying not to jump at the man and kill him to worry about it.
If Vault thought Knight was going to join them, he was going to be greatly surprised.
But that returned him to his problem. How could he do this? The main objective was to save Maia and get her out of this place. Every monster-in-human-skin Knight killed in the process was a bonus, but not a priority. However, he could not see a way to escape without killing all the enemies first. Maia could help him with that, but Knight did not want to force her to fight against her old friends, even after their betrayal. He would have to do it alone.
What weapons he would use, though.
Knight gritted her teeth, feeling the lack of weapons on him. His shield, fully melted in a trapped corridor. His sword, broken and abandoned outside the tower. Without any weapon, fighting would be a lot harder, but not impossible. Besides, many men were armed, he just needed to take one of their swords when the battle started.
If his body lasted enough to do that.
Knight looked down at his chest. It… it was true. After the fire trap, after the stone golems and Chloe, he was at his very limit. Even if his armor could withstand any attack, the flesh under it would yield very soon. It… no, doing it alone was not a good idea. He did not like it, but he would need to free Maia first so she could help him fight.
She could die, then.
Knight closed his eyes. Maia was strong, but she was as disarmed as he was. With no weapon or armor, it would be a lot harder for her and any mistake could… No, he could not allow that. His death was meaningless, temporal, but that did not apply to Maia. He refused to let her die. He would save her. But then how… how he could…
"Well," Vault continued, "I think it's time to test our new toy and show Maia the truth of her situation. Hicks."
Without another word, Hicks took the cloth off Maia's mouth. She needed a second to recover from having been gagged, but as soon as she could, Maia looked directly at Knight and shouted.
"Knight! Don't listen to them, just run! Run and tell everyone about this! You… you are more than just an obedient golem, think for yourself! Please, Knight… Escape!"
Knight looked at her in amazement. She had not asked for help. She had not asked him to fight for her. She… she just wanted him to escape and alert the country of this betrayal. She… she probably had reached the same conclusion that fighting was not an option. And the worst part was that he could probably run away, the Kuroinu so confident in their plan that they were not even surrounding him.
But no, he could not do that. As soon as he escaped, he would lose any chance of helping Maia. And hearing what they wanted to do with her, he could not afford to lose time going and then returning. He could not leave this tower without Maia. But what could he do!? He had pondered the options and nothing worked! The only thing he could do was wait, wait and see what… what…
Something began to throb inside him, inside his very soul.
No. No, no, no, no! Passiveness was not an option! It had been his lack of action, his naïve trust in strangers, whathad brought death to two innocents! Not again, never again. Knight would fight, right here, right now. He would save Maia and redeem himself! He would not wait until it was too late!
Could he win against all these enemies, though?
Yes! He could! He had fought against worse odds. He had won against worse odds. He would fight with his bare hands, he would pummel them with his armor, he would blind them with his own blood. He would carve a path towards victory with his nails and teeth if it was necessary! Reaping away their souls and fueling his body with them!
Could he do that without dying once?
Of course he…! He could…
…
No. He could not.
With the transitory rage leaving his mind, Knight remembered his previous conclusion. His body was at his limit, any frontal attack would result in his death. And like when he had been in the middle of his previous mission, dying was not an option. He did not know where he would wake up, or how much time it would take. Time Maia did not have.
He… he had no choice.
Focusing again on the world around him, Knight saw that everyone was looking at him, waiting. Maia with hope, Vault with confidence. And knowing what he had to do, Knight gritted his teeth and clenched his fists until his arms began to tremble.
The men closest to him gulped, sweat running down their faces, maybe feeling how close Knight was to kill them all with his own fists. Or, more likely, the few he could kill before the rest could overpower him with sheer numbers. However, that was not an option, he could not do that.
He could not resolve this by fighting, he would have to be smart and wait for a chance.
So, gathering all his control and will, Knight relaxed his body, forced his jaw and hands to open, looked directly at Vault, and then nodded slowly to him, accepting his orders.
The man's grin grew even more. Not wanting to see that smug expression in case he lost control again, Knight looked at Maia, who had her eyes fixed on him, an expression of betrayal and disappointment in her face. It was so strong that Knight was forced to look at the ground to avoid those eyes.
Even knowing the truth, it… it hurt more than what he had expected. He… he just needed to wait for a little, wait for the right moment. Then, he would find a way to apologize and explain, to make sure she would never direct that kind of expression at him again.
But Vault just laughed when he saw her face, "Oh, don't be like that, Maia! Your little toy has just… how did you put it? Ah yes, it has just realized who is the better company."
The jab, referencing their talk at the river, when everything had been different, was enough to snap Maia out of her thoughts, "Why? Why are you doing this? You were the Kuroinu, the heroes of this land! Why sacrifice that? Why you… why?"
Even if she had shouted with some strength, Maia's tone was still filled with defeat. She wanted answers, but Knight knew she would like them. After all, it was very simple. The Kuroinu were no heroes.
Proving him right, Vault scoffed, "Heroes? We were just Celestine's attack dogs, something useful. Had we really ended the war, she and the rest of those entitled princesses would have just discarded us like used clothes. No fitting reward, just a thank you and a goodbye. And we couldn't allow that, especially because they would not take advantage when this country is finally free to act."
Vault moved and began to address the whole room again, ready for another speech. Knight frowned, it was clear the bastard loved hearing his own voice, and now, Knight was forced to hear him talk.
"This land had been blessed by the goddess. That's something we have heard a lot, haven't we? It's the stupid words priests and nuns repeat without knowing the meaning. But now we know, now we understand what that blessing means. And only men like us can take full advantage of it.
He turned to look at Maia again, "Have you never wondered why no country tried to help us against Olga? Have you never found it strange that none of the neighboring countries tried to take advantage of our war? At first, it was probably just precaution, waiting to see who would win. But after centuries of this stalemate, the motives changed. No one interfered because everyone wanted to maintain this situation. And the answer to why is simple: they knew they would never win against the Dark Queen's forces… nor against us.
"Our power has reached the point that no other country can hope to withstand our might. They needed the status quo to protect themselves. But now that's over. Before they can react, we will conquer Eostia, and then…" Vault looked around again and Knight could see the palpable hunger in his eyes, "An army of men and monsters like no one can imagine will invade the world. We will conquer them and create the biggest empire this world has ever seen! A Sex Empire!"
The men cheered with outstanding euphoria, anticipating the future, and Maia looked surprised. Knight was not. Vault sounded exactly like a crazy man hungry for power would sound.
"But that's…" Maia shook her head, "If that's what you want, then why? Why all this talk of capturing women!?"
Vault grinned, "Many reasons, really. After all, if we are going to change the world, why not create one that we can fully enjoy? But not only that. Sex is power, Maia. The promise of it is what has already won us half of this war. And it's what keeps the monsters happy and obedient. We need a lot of women for that. But even beyond that, it's necessary for our future plans.
"Even if no country can face us, all together could be a problem. Stretching thin our army and all that. We need time to consolidate, something that can keep them from attacking us. And the answer is the one product our country was famous for before this war, something they have wanted since then, but couldn't buy as easy as before: Sex slaves. The best of the best, especially now with the blessing."
Maia was gaping in disbelief, "That's… that's insane! It can't work, people won't accep—"
"You are clearly overestimating people's morals, Maia. It will work because there will always be men capable and willing of maintaining their new dream land, to make sure it keeps working and it doesn't crumble down. And the other countries are controlled by men, as it should be. Eostia and some other exceptions are the weird ones. Fuck, I am pretty sure that, when they realize what we are offering, they will help us conquer those exceptions!"
Maia finally looked down, and Knight was sure she was pretty close to tearing up, "Then that's it… Betraying your country, betraying everyone, betraying everything we have been fighting for… only for sex and power? Just so you can call yourself king of a fucking demented empire?"
For some reason, those words erased Vault's smug expression, the man turning serious for once, "It's more than just calling myself king. It's reclaiming what it's mine by birthright. I, Vault, as the last descendant of the old royal lineage, will take back the rights of my ancestors. The old and loyal nobles will follow. The ones who miss the old order will follow. And everyone who opposes it, will be guilty of treason and killed. All for the sake of my empire."
Knight felt surprised for the first time since he had accepted the truth of the Kuroinu. Was Vault of royal blood? That could complicate things, as it would mean he had divine blood inside him… or maybe not, he had to remember not all the lands were directly governed by gods, but it was the more common situation, right?
But even then, the man did not have to be telling the truth. If this situation had proven something, it was that these men could lie very well.
Maia seemed to think like him, "That… that's not true… You are not… You never…" Maia trailed off, lacking the strength for even arguing anymore.
But Vault just shook his head, "The truth is always relative, Maia. True or false, right or wrong, all that is decided by the winner. And when we win, when the whole country of Eostia is kneeling before us, when the whole world knows and fear the Sex Empire, when every man who has helped us has his dick wet and well served…" he grinned, knelt at Maia's side and almost whispered to her ear, "Who will care about the truth?"
Maia opened her mouth, trying to reply to Vault's words, but after a little while, she gave up and closed it again, no trace left of fighting in her body. The man looked at this with a satisfied smile and nodded, getting up with renovated energy.
"Well, I think that was enough talk for a while. We still have many things to do before we can enjoy the spoils of this battle." So, Sard, Hicks, take some men and carry our guest to a more proper room while they wait for the show."
The men smiled at that, Sard immediately forcing Maia to stand up and began to guide her towards the exit of the throne room. The lack of any resistance from Maia worried Knight, he just hoped she could recover when they finally escaped. For his part, Hicks did the same with Olga, not bothering to restrain her. It seemed the magical seal was more than enough.
Before Knight could worry about how he was going to follow them, Vault spoke to him, "And Knight, you will be the one to bring Chloe, you have experience doing it and I am sure she would be grateful for it." he added with a sardonic tone, "After that, remain in the cells and make sure none of them can escape. Those are your orders, are we clear?"
He should be thankful, it helped him to keep an eye on Maia and wait for the right moment, but being ordered by that bastard made Knight's blood boil. A strong urge of erasing his smug smile by cleaving his face with his own sword appeared on his mind and was very hard to control. But he could not. Not yet. But soon. Soon, he would show Lautrec and Petrus why betraying his trust and killing innocents would be their last mista—
Knight gritted his teeth, forcing the memories away. He could not afford to lose himself in his memories, not right now. He just had to accept the golden chance and keep his head down.
Using that control, he forced himself to nod at Vault and went to Chloe, grabbing her by the waist like he had done before, and began to follow the group leaving the throne room.
"Wait! Unhanded her, you animals!" Olga suddenly began to shout, even if Hicks did not have any problem in keeping her subdued, "You promised you would leave her alone!"
Vault laughed, "I promised I would not kill her, and believe me, I have no intention of doing that. She will be a good reward for the ogres. Furthermore, I am pretty sure she will learn to enjoy it."
Olga gasped at his words, "You bastard!"
"Yeah, yeah." Hicks pushed her and forced her to keep walking, "Now shut your mouth and keep going."
It seemed the Dark Queen did not think shouting hollow threats was very dignified, as she obeyed and did not talk again, but the intense hate in her eyes could probably burn the whole tower. It looked like she really cared about Chloe.
Looking at the dark elf under his arm, Knight felt a little pity for her. She could be a monster for all that he had heard, but her whole life had changed while she was unconscious, and now she would wake up chained and waiting to be used and raped. He… he was not sure anyone deserved that. Killing her when Maia and he had defeated her would have been more merciful.
As they left, Vault kept talking, "Well, that went well. But a little tiring. Next time we have to explain it, it's your turn Kin. And probably I will be… testing the products while you do that!"
The mage scoffed a little, but the rest of the men laughed again as brainless hyenas. Knight gritted his teeth to avoid crushing Chloe in his rage. Yes, they could laugh now, but it would not last. As soon as had the chance, as soon as Maia was safe, he would return and kill each and every one of them, no matter how many times Knight had to die to accomplish it.
That was his promise.
When the laughs began to die, and just before they left the room, Vault lost the smile for a second and wiped some sweat off his forehead with a little grimace, "And Kin, make sure there isn't some kind of fire trap in this room. Since a while ago it's like we are in the middle of a fucking bonfire."