Thousands of silver armors rustled in unison, moving like an impenetrable iron fortress. Thousands of swords pointed towards the sky, ready to slash through anything that stood in their path.
In the midst of the formation was a magnificent white carriage, adorned with gold and lavish ornaments, pulled by four majestic horses armored in steel. Four knights flanked it from the outside, guarding the royal carriage from any potential danger.
Another knight stood guard inside. His helmet rested on his lap, revealing the figure of an old man with a thick, slightly graying beard. Before him sat a sweet little girl wrapped in a white robe, her blonde hair reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window. Her diamond-blue eyes seemed to shine even brighter under the sunlight.
"Aren't you hot, Miss Marie?" asked Ades.
"No. Besides, I'm... photosynthesizing," replied Marie, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the warmth.
Ades sighed and brought a piece of paper closer to him. "Okay... where was I?" His eyes scanned the text line by line. "Ah, as I said before, our mission this time is to eradicate the demons hiding in Ertama Village. It's reported that this demon is ranked as a Marquis, has a large body, and can control fire. It's estimated that around two hundred low-ranking demons follow him. The knights there were wiped out completely, and all the villagers have disappeared. Report complete."
Ades lowered his report paper and looked at Marie, who was gazing out the window.
"Were there any survivors?" Marie asked in a low tone.
"Only one, the one who reported this incident. And he is currently receiving treatment, no need to worry."
Suddenly, a knocking sound was heard from outside the carriage. One of the cavalrymen was seen approaching, opening his helmet.
Ades asked, "What is it?"
The cavalryman replied, "Ertama Village is visible ahead, Captain."
"Understood, tell everyone to prepare."
The soldier saluted and moved away from the carriage. Ades returned his gaze to Marie.
"Prepare yourself, Miss Marie. There is a group of disgusting creatures we must eradicate."
Not long after, the first line had reached Ertama Village, followed by the others. The village appeared in a pitiful state. Its gate was destroyed, as was the wooden wall surrounding it. It looked as if a giant had broken through. There were many marks of claws, bites, and carvings on the wooden walls, adorned with bloodstains. It was as if a bloody battle had taken place here... or perhaps a massacre.
The troops moved deeper into the village. The sound of thousands of steel plates rustling filled the empty space. The houses around had conditions almost similar to the wall that protected the village.
A noble demon capable of commanding over 200 Low-Ranking Demons was a deadly threat. Fortunately, Ades, as the leader of this assault, had brought more than 500 troops to fight them, plus Marie, who possessed magic that could support the entire army, was here. Defeat was certainly not an option.
Ades had ordered the troops to search for the hiding demons. Small squads had been ordered to search every corner of the village. There were no signs of life in Ertama Village; not even a single corpse was found, only eerie silence.
Evening had arrived, and there were still no results. The scouting parties returned to camp empty-handed.
Ades was currently sitting in one of the uninhabited houses to receive reports from his subordinates. One by one, the squads returned. Six squad leaders stood before Ades, and the empty space on the left felt noisier than the hissing wind: the seventh squad had not returned.
"Wait, where is the seventh squad?" Ades narrowed his eyes.
The soldiers looked at each other.
Ades had deployed 7 squads to search the entire village, but only 6 people stood before him now. No one knew where the 7th squad was. Ades wondered what had happened to them. Could it be...
"Perhaps they were attacked by the demons." Marie's voice, standing not far away, made the soldiers shiver.
Marie continued, "We haven't encountered a single demon today. I think they are hiding somewhere. Maybe waiting for us to split up for the search and kidnapping one squad to weaken us gradually because they are outnumbered."
Ades stroked his beard. "That makes sense. After all, they are led by a noble demon. Tch, this one is clever."
"There is one place we haven't checked yet, the center of the village, where the seventh squad disappeared. Perhaps the demons are hiding there."
Ades nodded in agreement while stroking his beard. "That's true, and right now they probably want us to go there." Ades stood up from his seat. "Then let's grant their wish and show them our strength. Soldiers, prepare the troops, we will raid these vile creatures," he said firmly.
The soldiers hurriedly left the house.
Ades looked gloomily at the helmet in his hand and then put it on.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
Marie replied calmly, "Don't worry, God is on our side."
Once again, in the silence of the night, thousands of sounds of scraping steel armor from the soldiers rustled. All moved in unison towards one place: the center of the village. Moonlight gleamed on their steel plates. Their eyes were as sharp as the weapons they held. They moved as one, seemingly unstoppable.
They arrived at a wide field, surrounded by stone houses like walls blocking escape. In the center, several full set armors were tied to poles. They looked damaged, torn like paper in several places, adorned with bloodstains.
Before they could recover from that sight, figures of vile creatures emerged from the shadows of narrow alleys. All were equipped with claws, fangs, and an intensely sharp intent to kill. At the peak of it all, a humanoid creature was walking leisurely amidst the horde of monsters. It walked with legs bent backward, ending in black claws. Four horns protruded from its head; two straight up while the others curved from its temples. Its horizontal eyes reflected prey, but the way the horde parted to give it space made it seem quite the opposite.
'A satyr.' Ades stared grimly towards it.
That was probably Ades's target for eradication this time. It didn't look dangerous, but Ades was not easily fooled. Every sense in his body had been trained thanks to years of experience slaughtering Demons. Not many things had made him tremble in his life. And he knew that his enemy was strong, so strong that his hand trembled slightly.
"Ah, so you accepted my invitation. Thank you for coming to my place, O knights," said the Satyr cheerfully.
"Don't speak to me, you vile creature. I will kill you..." Ades raised his sword, his eyes as sharp as its tip.
"Ah, so you're the type who gets straight to the point, huh? Okay, I prefer that too."
Ades drew his sword horizontally. Golden energy appeared, enveloping his entire body like golden armor. Ades was like a star in the midst of the dark night.
Seeing the inevitable fight, Marie, standing behind, carried out her duty as support. She stretched both her hands forward, and golden energy appeared in her palms. Similar to Ades's, but brighter, more radiant, and stronger.
A golden circle appeared in front of her palms, with intricate writings inside it. It grew larger until it was the size of an adult, then it flew past Ades.
Then a miracle occurred. The golden energy surrounding Ades like armor grew stronger, blazing like a fierce fire ready to burn any vile creature.
It was Marie's Bless. Marie was not the type to fight with a sword or magic; instead, she was a supporter. Her ability could grant a power boost to her target. Those who received her enhancement would gain physical, stamina, mental, and many other improvements. Her enhancement wasn't limited to living beings. The sword Ades held also became sharper and harder. Furthermore, the energy enveloping Ades was not ordinary energy, but holy energy – the most effective weapon against demons.
Marie then provided similar enhancements to the soldiers. With that, victory became even more certain.
However, it seemed Ades wasn't the only one who grew stronger. The surrounding area suddenly felt hotter and hotter. It was as if the cold night had turned into scorching heat.
And the source of all this heat was right in front of them.
***
The sun seemed to emit a golden light, ready to disappear into the night. A loud cry filled the emptiness of the world. In front of the door of an old, seemingly dilapidated church, wrapped in pristine, unblemished white cloth, a baby cried its heart out.
The door opened, revealing the figure of a wrinkled old nun. Her dim eyes widened as she looked down.
"Oh my Lord, how could you be here? Where are your parents?"
Gently, the nun lifted the baby from the floor, turning right and left looking for anyone who might have left it. But there was no one, as if this child had been abandoned without a second glance.
The baby kept crying, but the nun gently stroked its cheek, trying to calm it down.
The nun's eyes noticed a piece of paper tucked within the cloth wrapping the baby.
"How adorable you are, but it seems your mother did not love you. But don't worry, Marie, God is most merciful."
Years had passed since the incident at the church door. The little crying baby was now 7 years old. She had grown into a very beautiful girl, her blonde hair shimmering under the sunlight and her blue eyes sparkling like the most beautiful gems.
Marie grew up happily surrounded by children her age. Her days were spent eating, sleeping, and playing. Everyone loved her, and Marie loved everyone. At that time, life was like a fairy tale.
Until one day, a horde of giant demons attacked the village where she lived. They mercilessly killed every human in sight. Be it children, pregnant women, or the elderly. Nothing could stop the slaughter. The village guardian knights were also rendered helpless by their massive numbers.
Hysterical screams echoed in the air, the sky turned red, and black smoke hung in the air like giant pillars. Corpses and blood lay on the ground, carrying the smell of iron and blood.
At a tender age, Marie witnessed the cruel massacre carried out by the demons. Her small self was enveloped in a fear that petrified her. She couldn't even cry; after all, who would help her? The figure who had raised her, whom she could consider a mother, lay lifeless before her.
"Marie!!! Snap out of it!!" A voice approached her, followed by the whistle of a sword and something falling to the ground with a groan.
"Get away from here! I know losing someone you love is hard. She sacrificed herself for you, so you must live on!"
Marie just stared at the ground; all she saw were his iron boots. "Where to? There's nowhere to go, Ades."
Hearing that, Ades just sighed. "I am a knight, my duty is to protect the citizens of Eden. Even if I can only save you, I will do everything I can. Didn't she once tell you to keep hoping in God?" Ades clenched his fist tightly and spoke firmly. "Don't despair, and keep hoping for a miracle!"
Then, a tremor shook the place where Marie sat. Ades's eyes widened, seeing the emergence of an ugly green giant heading their way.
"We're dead," Marie said softly.
Hearing that, Ades put his iron helmet back on. "No, you will survive. Get away from here, quickly."
Marie clutched her skirt tightly. She didn't want to die; she was too afraid. Every tremor in the ground made her more frightened. How would Ades face that terrifying creature?
'Keep hoping for a miracle!' Ades's words echoed in her head. Her mother had said the same thing. Keep hoping. She sacrificed her life hoping Marie would be safe; Ades was sacrificing his life hoping she would be safe. She had to survive, or their hopes would be in vain.
'Oh God, please help your servants.'
Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her chest. Marie clutched her chest, trying to understand what was happening. It wasn't a feeling she recognized; her body didn't feel pain. Yet, it was as if something had awakened in her soul, bringing a warm energy.
The energy then flowed through every vein. The warmth turned into a burning sensation from within. The pain was so intense it made her collapse to the ground.
She watched Ades fighting the giant. For her sake.
She couldn't die here. Marie tried to fight the pain inside her. But it only grew stronger. It was as if something was growing in her soul, taking root deep within her. Under that heat, her body felt as if it was being reforged.
Knowledge she didn't know forced its way into her brain. The pain wasn't like before, but her brain buzzed loudly.
While fighting the giant, Ades was suddenly distracted by a massive energy he felt behind him. He reflexively turned around – a dangerous move during a fight. But the giant also seemed mesmerized by the source of the light.
There, Marie stood weakly, as if a gust of wind could knock her back to the ground. Even so, her gaze seemed deadly. The giant trembled under the bright light of the energy enveloping Marie. Meanwhile, Ades looked amazed.
'She has awakened.'