6 hours later
Issei was in bed. Even though his mind was filled with restless thoughts, his body still needed to rest, so he slept, though it was far from restful.
"Uhhh, what is that light..." Issei grumbled as he threw a pillow over his face, only for Ddraig to yell at him, causing him to almost jump out of his bed.
"GET UP!"
"Come on, Ddriag. Warn me next time you do that!" Issei yelled back, but Ddraig replied in a stern tone.
"We have arrived at our destination, Issei. "
Hearing this, Issei bolted from his room, went to the ship's deck, and saw that Sairorg and Regulus were already on deck. The vessel slowly moved towards the docking area.
What Issei saw was a massive floating mass of rock the size of a large island, with a large portion of the land covered in the remains of fortifications made from blackened stone. At the island's centrepiece was a gigantic castle made from the same stone as the fortifications.
What the hell Is this?" Issei stated as he scanned the fortifications for opponents, but to his surprise, the place was empty.
These are the remains of a long-lost kingdom, lost to time; this is just a fragment of a once mighty people.
Why come here? Issei Thought. The area was in a poor state, with what would likely be centuries of neglect, ruining what would make such a location dangerous, as the fortifications were showing their wear and tear, with the towers now piles of rubble, with walls filled with holes and collapsed areas.
It may be that such a location as this would be unassuming; it is a ruin, and nothing of value can come from it in this state, but perhaps its terrible conditions would blind people to the idea of
The group left the vessel, and the boat instantly returned to its Hankerchief form, returning to Saiarog's hand before entering his left pocket. The group cautiously walk the pathway into the fortification that leads to the castle; all the while, all that is present are ruined buildings. Every profession needed for such a settlement was present, from baker's ovens to the windmills needed to produce flour. A blacksmith shop was also present, with the remains of its mighty forge being nothing more than a pile of burned bricks, with a once prized anvil now a pile of rusted iron.
What happened to this place." Issei sighed,
We may never know, but it was likely a sad end." Sairaorg said softly, noticing a pile of disarticulated bones covered in browning moss.
20 minutes later, the group saw the remains of the castle's gates, only for a large burst of fire to explode in front of them, dividing the group. Issei was alone, while Sairorg and Regula were together.
What the hell!" Issei yelled as he transformed into his scale mail form.
Attack them!" a random voice yelled as a wave of warriors and spell casters appeared and charged from the gates, armed with all manner of magical weapons. 10 casters were also standing on the remains of the gate, firing all manner of spells.
The combatants were made of what was left of the skeletal remains of the settlement's former inhabitants. Their crumbling bones were held together by black magical tendrils, which resembled tar in their composition.
The melee-focused constructions were armed with spears, axes and curved swords forged from the very black flesh that constituted their own bodies, while the casters, similar to their melee counterparts, used flesh-forged staffs.
"They just want to soften us up, Issei. This will be a warm-up." Sairaorg cracked his knuckles before standing up and disappearing instantly, speed-blitzing a row of 10 warriors with a flurry of kicks and punches. Issei followed suit, summoning Ascalon, and with the boosted mobility provided by his suit's jet-like thrusters, he cut a swift through the fodder.
"Bring it on bitches!"
As the group fought their way through the low-level warriors, Cao Cao, who sat on the remains of the castle's throne with Heracles and
"Issei has arrived, and he has help from the lord of Bael."
"Why did we not engage them, Cao Cao? This battle would have been over in mere moments if we had just struck them when they arrived!" Heracle's growl turned to a roar, indicating his annoyance at his leader's decision, but Cao Cao chuckled and swiftly raised his spear to Heracle's neck, stopping the mountain of muscle in its tracks.
"With the Grail, this fight will be easy, no matter what they do. I want to fight at their best. This is just a warm-up before I show them what true power is."
The group was silent as they saw the manic look in Cao Cao's eyes,
"Once they enter the courtyard, I want you to intercept Sairaorg and allow Issei to face me...Le Fay, summon more of your constructs.
"I want Issei to be at his best when he faces me in single combat. " Cao Cao said sternly his gaze as start and sharp as a arrow.
"As you wish, Cao Cao," Le Fay said softly, hiding her worry and anger at the plan, as she walked away with Seigfried and Heracles,
Just as they were about to leave the castle, Seigfried voiced his frustrations, knowing he was out of earshot.
This is madness. Our job was to get that Grail and have Cao Cao use it, ending our conflict with Issei and his allies, but Cao Cao has become absorbed by his pride." Seigfried scowled as he spoke.
I understand why Cao Cao is so confident, given that he possesses the Grail, but even absolute power, if wielded incorrectly, can lead even the strongest to defeat." Le Fay added, moving her hands as she began to raise the skeletal remains that surrounded her.
All that matters is that we defeat Sairaorg. Even then, Cao Cao will be too much for him and Issei...however, I agree with the concerns. I have served Cao Cao for many years, and I know he relies on his cunning to ensure his success and his own might. However, now that he has absolute power in his hands, he has thrown away the cunning that got him this power." Heracles stated as the group left the castle and made their way to the courtyard.
As this was going on, Issei and Sairorg cut their way through the ranks of the undead warriors, leaving chunks of bone and black flesh in their wake; Ascalon cut cleanly through their flesh while the force of Sairaorg strikes resulted in their bodies bursting apart, like a grenade. On the other hand, Regulus tore through them with his hands, but unlike his leader, Regulus tore chunks from them with clawed strikes and his teeth. This lasted for 10 minutes before the group arrived at the courtyard, where they were met by familiar faces.
Well, well, it looks like you made it!"
Enough of that shit! Are we here to fight or not?" Issei fired back, pointing Ascalon at his opponents
" Hahahahahahaha, I can't wait to beat you to a pulp," Heracles said, only for Seifried to stand in front of him.
Remember what we were ordered to do." Siegfried explained before turning around to face Issei
£Issei, Cao Cao, wishes to face you in single combat.
"Fuck off! You really think I'm stupid enough to believe that bullshit!" Issei replied, flipping Seigdried off with the middle finger in his armoured form, but Siegfried didn't bite.
"We have been sworn to enforce this decree; you may pass." Le Fay stated
"I don't buy this," Issei grumbled, looking to Sairorg for advice.
If they really wished to attack, they would have done it already." Sairaorg whispered to Issei, his gaze switching between Issei and Cao Cao's allies, watching their body language. Given his extensive years in the royal courts of the Bael family, Sairaorg had become accustomed to noting the subtle tells of a person's body language, a key skill needed to survive the politics of devil society.
Is there a catch?" Sairirog yelled to Seigfried.
"Only Issei may go. You, lord of Bael, shall have to contend with us." Seigfried replied
There was a brief silence, with Issei and Sairorg looking at each other.
"Go, Issei, I can defeat them. Besides, I know you want to take down Cao Cao."
"Are you sure, Sairaorg? "Issei's eyes were filling with worry. He knew how powerful the group was, and even though he knew Sairaorg's power, he wasn't sure it was enough.
"Yes. Since I learned of their existence, I have wanted to test my metal against the Hero Faction. Don't ruin my opportunity." Sairaorg said confidently, with a smile on his face.
"Alright...ill get going, but if you dicks to try and backstab me, I will tear you all new assholes." Issei scowled at Seifgreid, Le Fay and Heracles, who got the brunt of his scowling.
After this, Issei activated his booster jets and flew out of the courtyard, only to encounter more undead minions, who were simply cut down like wheat in a field.
"So, who wants to go first?" Sairaorg threw off his jacket, revealing his chiselled upper body. He still had a dark burgundy shirt on, but it was tightly fitted to his frame and simply enhanced the godlike perfection of his physique. With a few cracks of his neck, the Lord of Bael was ready to face his opponents.
Hey everyone. Sorry for the long delay in producing chapters. Life has been rather hectic, so I will try my best to keep up with this story. hope everyone is doing well and i will see you all in the next chapter