Chapter 5:A Fight in the Darkness [1]

Raising his sword and taking a step backward toward his army, the "hero" continued.

"I'm not going to repeat myself."

"ADVANCE!"

"DO NOT FALTER! DO NOT BUCKLE! DO NOT YIELD!"

"CHARGE!"

Standing still with the obsidian fragment in my hand, I simply watched, intrigued to see what decision the soldiers would make.

Escape was impossible at this point.

They could either charge into battle now and most likely die. Or wait behind the hero and hope he wins.

On the staircase, one of the many soldiers desperately screamed out.

"Are you telling us to choose between...dying now or later?"

But, before the "hero" could even respond to his soldier's question, the sound of metal scraping against the red carpet's fabric echoed throughout the cathedral.

Dozens of soldiers, making their way down the staircase, sprinted forward, passing the hero and charging toward me.

Their faces...they didn't seem scared.

While their mouths were wide open as they let out bestial screams, their eyes and gazes were filled with determination.

Sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

That was something I could never imagine doing, both here and on Earth.

So, as I watched these soldiers valiantly sprint toward me, I couldn't help but raise my hand and salute.

Unable to manifest any more tentacles, I titled the obsidian fragment in front of me, which resembled a long sword except for the fact that there was no hilt.

And, unlike a longsword with a symmetrical shape and clean edges, the obsidian fragment had random protruding parts and a rough surface. 

As the first soldier reached me and plunged his sword at my chest, I held my obsidian sword horizontal, parrying the strike and deflecting his puny iron sword.

Then, without any hesitation, I drove the glossy black sword forward into the soldier's neck and turned to my right, where three other soldiers stood.

In unison, the three soldiers swung their swords at me, forcing me to duck down and narrowly avoid their swords.

Extending my right foot forward while ducking, I swept it across the floor, knocking the legs of all three soldiers and sending them crashing toward the floor.

As I stood back up, my obsidian door swung horizontally, killing all three of the soldiers before they could even touch the carpet.

Having a second of solace, I panted and looked up, watching as tens of soldiers sprinted at me.

The staircase...it was empty.

But more frighteningly, the "hero" and his divine-blue sword were nowhere to be seen.

Two could play that game.

Staring at the army in front of me, I calmly closed my eyes and took one step forward, instantly feeling a gust of wind brush against my face.

When I reopened my eyes, I immediately found myself in the middle of the charging army, surrounded by soldiers on all sides.

However, most of them were looking ahead with solemn expressions, oblivious to my presence.

Tapping my right foot on the floor, I raised my obsidian sword and muttered.

"It seems my time is going to run out soon."

Swinging my sword forward, I allowed it to fly out of my hands and straight at the soldiers in front of me.

Like an arrow, the obsidian sword sped through the air in a straight line, piercing through every soldier in its way.

As the troops ahead fell like dominos, the sword slowly approached the end of its path, nearing the staircase.

Sighing, I raised my right hand and took another step forward before my presence could be recognized.

As I reappeared in front of the staircase, the cold and rough surface of the obsidian sword stabbed into my palm, sending shockwaves through my body.

However, without skipping a beat, I immediately found myself in a different place and launched my sword backward at another column of soldiers.

And, I did it again...and again...and again.

Until, finally, less than fifty soldiers remained standing on the royal red carpet, surrounded by the bodies of their dead comrades.

Watching another group of soldiers collapse, I smiled and instinctively looked upward, curious to see if any of the darkness covering the ceiling had disappeared.

But...something else immediately caught my eye.

Standing atop the staircase and next to my throne, the "hero" made eye contact with me before immediately leaping off.

As I caught my breath and caught my flying sword next to the staircase, a sudden light-blue flash blinded me.

Raising the obsidian sword to the sky with my eyes closed, I immediately fell backward as something crashed against my weapon.

"Hm?"

As I reopened my eyes, I found myself not falling backward onto the royal-red carpet...but backward into the abyss of darkness between the carpet and pillars.

Was this his strategy?

Scoffing, I blinked, immediately finding myself ten meters up in the air while staring at the "hero" below.

However, I wasn't falling.

In the next second, two blood-red wings emerged from my back, flapping so fast that one couldn't even tell they were moving.

Pointing my onyx black sword at one of the last two remaining groups of soldiers, I felt a sudden bout of drowsiness overcome me.

Then, a small blood-red beam, starting at the tip of my sword, pierced downward through the air.

As the beam hit the red carpet near the group of soldiers, they were flung into the air and into the abyss of darkness next to the carpet.

And, in the next moment, they disappeared.

Without a single scream, noise, or drop of blood, the soldiers vanished.

At the same time, two light-blue wings sprouted out of the "hero's" back and propelled him into the air.

Flapping his wings once, the hero disappeared and reappeared right in front of me, his sword vertically swinging at my head.

Holding the obsidian sword in my right hand, I started it at my left shoulder before immediately sending it upward.

Before the "hero's" sword could touch my head, my obsidian sword had already hit it, knocking it off target.

Seeing his attack failing, the "hero" immediately vanished and reappeared a couple of steps in front of me.

Then, he swung his light-blue sword at the air, and within seconds, three light-blue sword slashes were barreling toward me.