1. The Frenzied Paladins — "O Light, Guide Me"
As the rampaging shamans shook the battlefield,the paladins, too, began to show strange signs.
At first, it seemed like a mere heightening of faith.But soon, their behavior turned extreme.
They charged recklessly into enemy lines,shouting the name of their god.
"Wherever the will of God leads, I shall follow!""The light of the sun surrounds us—there is no reason to retreat!""The light shall burn all to ash!"
Then, divine power exploded from their bodies.But this was no ordinary holy energy.
This was madness—born when faith spirals into extremity.
They no longer discerned right from wrong.They swung their sacred swords at everything before them,enemy and ally alike.
The other paladins stood at a distance, watching.But unlike how they reacted to the shamans' frenzy,they did not attempt to stop their own.
"That is the true will of God," one of them said.
They believed it was divine providence.
But in Damien's eyes,it looked like blind, unthinking madness—not divine will.
2. Damien's Intervention — "You Speak of God?"
One frenzied paladin raised his sword against the shamans,and with a burst of radiant power,several were hurled violently backward.
But in that moment—
Damien's sword struck forth, blocking the paladin's blade.
Clang!
Holy light clashed against arcane force,sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
The frenzied paladin glared at Damien with wild, bloodshot eyes.
"Outsider! Do you dare obstruct the will of God?!"
Damien's expression hardened.With a swift motion, he struck again—and the paladin, unable to react in time, dropped to one knee.
Collapsed, he groaned in pain.
Still, the surrounding paladins merely watched.
One of them muttered:
"He only followed God's will."
Damien narrowed his eyes and replied coldly:
"That was God's will?""A blade that spares no friend or foe?""A warrior devoid of reason?""You dare defile your own god with this madness."
They showed no outward reaction.But among them—one paladin finally spoke.
3. Divine Mediation — Questioning the Will of God
He lowered his shield,brought his hands together,and gathered his divine power.
"O Light, still this chaos."
A sacred radiance poured down from the sky,blanketing the frenzied shamans below.
Divine Mediation.
A force so holy it suppressed all magic.
The shamans' madness began to subside.Their eyes dimmed.One by one, they dropped to their knees, regaining consciousness.
But then—a voice rang out, filled with fury.
"You dare interfere with your comrades?!"
The paladin who had invoked the mediationwas quickly surrounded by the order's leadership, their faces twisted in rage.
"You have defied the will of God!"
He closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Then quietly,he spoke.
"…Is that truly so?"
The other paladins stiffened.
"We follow the will of God," one insisted.
But the man did not waver.
"And was that truly His will?"
"Did God bestow His light so we could cast aside reason and descend into madness?"
He turned to look at Damien.
"The outsider speaks truth."
His words rippled through the battlefield—among shamans and paladins alike.
"If our faith leads only to destroying our own,is that truly the path our god desires?"
In that instant,the air of the battlefield changed.
And for the first time—hesitation began to show among the paladins.
4. A New Fracture — The Cracks Within
After that day,a deep fracture began to form within the Paladin Order.
The one who had invoked the sacred mediationnow faced the threat of expulsion.
But one by one,others began to stand by his side.
The Paladin Order was no longer whole.It carried within it a fracture—deeper than ever before.
5. The Battle's End — But Not the War
The frenzied had been quelled.But the battle was far from over.
The Order and the Shamans—their beliefs were simply too different.Conflict could reignite at any time.
But one thing mattered most today:
"What is the will of God?"
That single questionbegan to unravel the certainty of faith.
Damien quietly sheathed his swordand looked toward the distant sunrise.
This war… had only just begun.
***
Chapter : Kaio's Urgent Visit — Meeting Damien
1. The Life of the Strong — An Unavoidable Fate
Life for the strongwas never entirely peaceful.
The same might be said for the weak—but the strong drew attention wherever they went,and faced challenges at every turn.
Damien and his companions had come here for one reason only:to live in peace.
After the rebellion led by Edwin,they no longer wished to bear the name of the powerful.
But fate would not release them.
Regardless of their intentions,they were once again entangled in the destiny of the strong.
2. An Urgent Arrival — Kaio's Warning
Bang!
The door slammed open.
Morning sunlight spilled into the roomas a man burst in, breathless.
It was Kaio.
As soon as he saw Damien's group,he tried to catch his breath and spoke hastily.
"Damien, it's bad."
Damien calmly looked at him.There was only one reason Kaio would come in such a rush.
"The kingdom thinks all of this is because of you."
The air in the room instantly grew heavy.
Ian let out a short laugh.
"What did we even do?"
Lean crossed his arms with a sigh.
"Well… it's not wrong, technically.""Since we arrived, the paladins followed,then came the rifts, the frenzies—we might as well have brought a war."
Cain leaned against the window,gazing outside, and murmured low.
"…Still, this feels like a stretch."
No one said it directly,but the conclusion was clear.
They would have to leave.
3. Why They Must Leave — The Fate of the Noticed
Damien closed his eyes.He already knew.
They could no longer stay.
They were outsiders here,and whether they intended it or not,their presence was affecting the land.
Good or bad,the existence of the strong creates new balances.
And when those balances tip,people look for someone to blame.
This time, that someone was them.
"So the kingdom's going to cast us out?"
Ian asked, arms still crossed.
Kaio shook his head.
"Nothing official yet.But the atmosphere's turning.Many believe you've brought danger to the kingdom."
"…Makes sense."
Damien responded quietly.
This wasn't new.
The strong are rarely welcomed anywhere.Such was their fate.
4. Kaio's Apology — They Must Go
Kaio hesitated briefly,then spoke with a solemn face.
"…I don't speak for this land.""But still—"
He bowed his head.
"I'm sorry."
Damien simply looked at him.Ian, Lean, and Cain remained silent.
Then Kaio raised his head again,his voice firm.
"I'll secure your escape route."
"…You're really going to side with us?"
Ian asked.
Kaio gave a faint smile and shook his head.
"I just don't want to see you punished for something unjust."
He turned to Damien, his tone serious.
"I don't want to see you clash with Solistium.So let me help you leave quietly."
Damien took in his words.
Nothing good would come from staying.They'd already clashed with the paladins.The rift had been exposed.And the kingdom's politics were twisting.
He gave a small nod.
"Understood."
That was their answer.
5. Preparing to Leave — The Final Moment
Damien's group packed quickly.They had never been ones to carry much.
Swords, daggers, bows, spellbooks.Just enough for travelers to survive.
They had always been ready to move.
Kaio helped them until the very end.And moments after they departed—
Bang!
The door flew open again.
Soldiers of the kingdom stormed into the room.
But there was no one there.
Far off, Kaio watched their figures disappear into the distance.He sighed softly,and whispered to himself:
"…Leaving was the right choice."
That,was how Damien survivedas one of the strong.
***
Chapter : The Road Out — and Those Who Block It
The dawn over Solistium was still cloaked in darkness.But the air was taut, filled with the tension of something imminent.
As Damian and his companions neared the outer wall, their steps grew more cautious.They were almost there.It was time to leave this city behind and forge a new path forward.
But then—
"You go no further."
A line of soldiers blocked the gate.They weren't the usual guards.These were seasoned warriors — elite soldiers, ready for battle.
They had been expecting them.Their escape had been foreseen.
1. Soldiers at the Gate – The Conflict Within
The soldiers stood in formation.Shields in front, spears poised just behind.A living wall, tense but silent.
There was no overt hostility.And yet, no intent to let them pass either.
The commanding officer stepped forward.
"If you leave, it will endanger the kingdom."
Damian looked him in the eye.One glance was enough.This man was conflicted — torn between duty and conscience.
'He doesn't want to fight us… but he can't defy orders either.'
The soldiers were hesitant.The weight of their oaths pulled against the question of what was truly right.They could fight.But they knew — this was not an enemy they could easily overcome.
And so, conflict was inevitable.
2. Kane's Strategy – The Hunter's Instinct
Kane scanned the area.Every angle. Every elevation. Every blind spot.
Within seconds, he had a plan.
"We don't need to break through them head-on."
His eyes shifted to the upper wall.The soldiers were focused on the gate.The battlements above were less guarded.
"Our enemy isn't the soldiers.Our goal is to get out of the city."
He raised his bow, already calculating the next move.
"Ian."
She met his gaze.No words were needed.She vanished into the shadows.
3. Ian's Infiltration – The One Who Moves in Shadow
Ian slipped silently through the dark,hugging the walls and avoiding the torchlight.
Their line was tight in front — but the rear?Vulnerable.
A dagger glinted in her hand.The first soldier never saw her coming.
Whip. Thud.
Unconscious.
Then the second.
But—
"Something's wrong!"
One of the men sensed the disturbance.His shout snapped the line to full alert.
Ian immediately retreated, signaling the others.
4. Kane's Arrows – Precision Unleashed
Kane didn't hesitate.
"Let's go."
He loosed three arrows in a flash.
Thup! Thup! Thup!
Each one struck its mark —wrist, wrist, wrist.Shields clattered to the ground.The wall had cracked.
That was all they needed.
5. Damian's Breakthrough – Shattering the Balance
Damian drew his sword.The soldiers tensed instinctively.
But he didn't strike.
Instead—he slammed his blade down.
BOOOOM!
The ground split open with a shockwave,sending soldiers stumbling backward.
Their formation broke.And through that chaos, Damian's group surged forward.
6. Above the Wall – An Unseen Threat
But then—reflected in the light—gleamed the armor of the Paladins.
They hadn't moved.Not yet.But their presence alone was suffocating.
They were letting the soldiers fight first.Watching. Judging.
"They're applying pressure without lifting a finger,"Kane muttered."Trying to weigh us down — psychologically."
They wouldn't fight here.Not yet.
7. Through the Gate – The Final Moment
But it was already too late.
Ian and Kane struck decisively,clearing a path.
"Now!"
Damian's group dashed through.Shouts erupted behind them—but they didn't look back.
As the gate began to close—they were already outside.
But this wasn't over.
"The Paladins will come next," Damian said quietly.
They had escaped.But now, the real chase would begin.
Next time—their pursuers wouldn't be soldiers.
They would face the knights themselves.