A warrior clad in exquisitely ornate heavy armor gazed beyond the southern wall, toward the city.
Just moments ago, he had been fighting against the creatures of the Void, but right as the battle ended, a fierce explosion from the center alerted him.
The warrior removed his helmet to see better; at that moment, his long white hair fell like a cascade over his shoulders.
A great explosion right in the center of the city… this can't be anything good.
Michael felt uneasy about the attack he had just faced. Though it justified their deployment in this area, it lacked the strength and cunning with which the creatures usually assaulted the walls of Last Bastion.
The feeling that something was very wrong kept growing inside him.
Michael turned to look at the soldiers of his legion. They were exhausted from the recent battle, so he released his healing aura to relieve them of their physical fatigue. His legion, surprisingly, did not include angelic beings like Ariel's legion, but rather consisted of men devoted to the Sun God.
"One of you in better condition, go to the orders zone and inquire about the current situation and how we are to proceed."
Fervently, several of the men who had been resting immediately rose to their feet, quickly discussing who among them would fulfill the mission given by the angel.
A robed figure then approached Michael. He was small; though not as short as Eithne, standing him beside Ariel made the difference clear. Besides his purple robe, the most striking feature was his face, completely hidden behind a white mask. The mask bore vaguely human features, though indistinct, like a blurred shadow of what a human face should be.
"Michael, I sensed an overwhelming amount of aura shooting out from the eastern wall."
"From the eastern wall? That's where Hernan is."
Oh, heavenly guide…
One of the soldiers approached Michael.
"I shall be the one to deliver your words. Do you have any other orders?"
"Yes, Listener. Find out the current situation and request further orders, and also ask about the state of the eastern wall."
"It shall be done, heavenly guide."
The soldier departed immediately while Arthur observed the exchange.
"I don't understand the point of using those titles among them."
No one could see what Arthur was thinking behind the mask that hid his expressions, but the excessive fanaticism Michael and his legion showed toward the Sun God disgusted him.
He himself had once been a follower of the God of Magic and Knowledge, but that deity was seen as a being of great wisdom, a model to follow—never as a being into whom one poured all faith and life, as was the case with Michael and his men.
It wasn't that he hated Michael or his soldiers, only that someone like him had little affinity for such rampant fanaticism.
I truly miss those days when I didn't have to talk to anyone…
And so they remained for a while. Michael did not speak to Arthur, and since no one spoke to Arthur, he saw no need to say anything beyond the necessary.
But suddenly, the calm was broken when another fierce explosion shook the air. This one, however, came from the eastern wall—where Hernan was.
Arthur finally felt it necessary to speak.
"That explosion was caused by a semi-transcendent. After releasing their power in such a way, they can no longer hide the trace of their aura."
"Semi-transcendent? This is troubling. We'll need to meet with our Lord's pious daughter if we hope to stand a chance."
For a few moments, Michael stood staring into nothing, thinking.
"We're withdrawing. The wall is lost."
Arthur was puzzled by the sudden decision to abandon their post.
"Aren't our orders to stay here and defend the wall?"
Michael gave him a condescending look, like someone forced to explain simple things to a child.
"If a semi-transcendent appeared on the eastern wall, Hernan is most likely dead. In that case, the enemy must already be inside. And there's still that massive explosion from the city center. If we stay here, we'll be useless."
Arthur felt irritated by the expression on Michael's face; it reminded him of those professors at the magical institute who looked down on him just for having a few more years of experience.
But what he says is true… we'll be useless if we stay here.
Arthur kept his irritation contained and asked:
"And what about the report? Didn't you send one of your men to inquire?"
Michael, with a cold voice devoid of emotion, declared:
"Oh, he died less than a minute ago. That's why I'm certain the enemies are already inside."
He spoke loudly so the other soldiers could hear.
Immediately, all the soldiers extended their arms toward where the Sun should be, as if waiting for the grace of its rays to touch them. Their bloodshot eyes glistened as they shouted prayers to the Sun God.
"OH SUN GOD, KEEP OUR BROTHER IN YOUR GRACE! MAY YOUR RAYS PURIFY HIS ROTTING BODY!"
Arthur was shocked at the crowd of fanatics.
The arrival of another group of soldiers finally snapped him out of it: Hernan and Midas's legions, who looked utterly exhausted.
"Commanders, I request to report."
Michael focused his healing aura on the men, allowing them to recover their breath and strength.
"Go ahead, give your report, soldier."
"Ah… thank you, General. We were on the eastern wall, but an enemy general of semi-transcendent rank appeared and completely destroyed it. Commander Hernan stayed behind to buy us time to escape. On our way here we were harassed by beetle-like enemy monsters, but we managed to repel them and reach this point. That concludes my report."
Arthur pondered the soldier's words. If that was the case, Hernan must indeed be dead—a tremendous loss for humanity at this point. But what troubled him far more was Victoria and Orcium, their trump cards kept in reserve. Yet even they had not prevented that explosion at the heart of Last Bastion.
"Very well, with this much larger group we can withdraw safely toward the northern zone of Last Bastion."
Michael began to consider their next move now that the situation was clearer.
"Michael, let's circle through the western zone and try to regroup with Midas, Ariel, and Eithne. Most likely, we'll fall back to defend the northern zone, where Alnis is."
Michael's face twisted when Alnis was mentioned. It was already difficult enough for him to endure her presence during meetings. From the beginning, there had been a silent agreement followed even by Ariel to keep the two of them as far apart as possible. However, now was no time for old grudges.
"Very well, we'll follow that plan. We'll stick close to the wall and head north."
Michael took the lead of the legions while Arthur guarded the rear.
On the way, they encountered no obstacles, something very strange given the situation. Everything was too quiet, even considering the sounds of battle echoing from the city center.
Arthur felt something was wrong with the entire situation.
Midas's and Hernan's legions reported constant attacks… so why haven't we faced a single one this whole time?
Arthur went fully on guard; at last, he sensed something within his magical detection range.
Out of the shadows leapt several bestial figures of diverse forms: werewolves, minotaurs, lion-men.
Arthur unleashed his gravitational magic, halting some of them, but there were too many, and several broke through to clash with the legions.
Finally, Arthur got a clearer look at the enemies assaulting them, and disbelief filled him. The foes were former allies Zorig's legion that he himself had buried.
Of course… they made it into the city. The Void would never leave corpses in peace. But that means Zorig…
The last shadow finally emerged from the darkness. A massive warrior, as tall as Orcium, stepped from between the houses. Parts of his body were missing, replaced by the black aura of the Void.
Feathers covered his entire form, and his head was that of an owl. His long wings were folded but still looked imposing even at rest. He wore a thin black armor that covered most of his body, likely allowing him to take flight. But most striking of all was the enormous two-handed mace he carried, which, combined with his black armor and imposing presence, gave him a terrifying aura.
Arthur immediately unleashed his gravitational powers to suppress him, but to his horror, he realized his friend had not only been resurrected as his enemy, he had returned as a semi-transcendent.
Arthur was not one of the gods' blessed. The difference was overwhelming. His powers didn't affect the fearsome owl-man in the slightest.
The battlefield grew heavy under Zorig's presence. Soldiers faltered. Even Michael's healing aura seemed to dim under that oppressive force.
And for the first time since he had donned the mask, Arthur felt something he had long buried—fear.
Zorig raised his mace, the weapon glowing with corrupted energy, and the ground cracked beneath his feet as he prepared to strike.
Arthur braced himself, but deep down he knew… this battle was one they could not win.