***Somewhere in Cherwoods, during the invasion of the Elvish Expeditionary Force …***
The news of Kuro’s arrival reached the Bck God when he was going around the nearly empty forests of Cherwoods, looking for any survivors he could send to Berondin for training. First came the eagle beastmen flying overhead dropping bombs and nding some elvish soldiers behind the extensive fortifications the Seductress had built, not to defend herself, but to cause as much death and suffering as she could to feed. Then, the second was the distant sounds of the bombardment from the sea, pulverizing whatever was left of the defenses the eagle beastmen bombed earlier.
Watching from his spot, the Bck God’s hope rose. Although he did not involve himself too much in this timeline, that otherworlder, Kuro, did what he promised. And soon, he could join the tter’s forces in fighting against the monster that destroyed his world.
“…”
The warrior deity took out a small locket from his clothes. As he looked at the portrait of that girl he loved, the memories of their time together came rushing back into his mind.
Those days they just y down on the grass, staring at the clouds passing above, imagining people and things…
Those moments where they watched the sea waves come to shore…
And those minutes they spent ughing and telling stories over cups of coffee…
The Bck God could still remember it all, as those smiles and happy times were interspersed by the scenes of suffering and death…his loved ones, the people who supported him…bathing in blood. Their eyes gzed, trying to peer into the skies hoping for salvation. And that monster, in her true, horrific form as a creature from the Void, staring back at him amid the field of crimson…
Thinking of those times caused pain to shoot through his chest as if constricting his heart. Inadvertently, the Bck God’s hand clutched his chest. Even though he was god, he could do nothing but despair. The Seductress even made it worse when she ‘ate’ all his loved ones before him slowly…one by one. She never stopped, even as they begged her to, as if taunting the warrior deity that his divinity was useless. The screams from them filled his ears, and would repy every time he would close his eyes.
His divinity is useless…
“…”
Of course, it is useless! After all, the Bck God is fwed! He can’t even nd the killing blow whenever the Seductress would py those screams and pleas in his mind…
“…”
But this time, the warrior deity had an ace on his sleeve. Kuro’s invasion army, though it greatly deviated from the previous loops he had, finally arrived. And though their forces were much smaller than before because of the city of Elgon’s refusal to join them, the otherworlder was determined to win and was willing to back it with his new inventions…
“!!!”
Now that the time had come for him to confront the monster from the Void one st time, the Bck God’s confidence in this timeline surged. No one’s allowed to fail; the warrior deity would kill the Seductress, or die trying!
----------
***Somewhere along the stretch of the beach, after the enemy counter-attack began…***
The distant sounds of the raging battle were already far behind them when the Lady Hinwe stopped in her tracks. Her escorts, the elves Gmden and Behrien, quickly formed a protective perimeter to guard their saint, as Meanor checked on her.
“What’s the matter, Your Holiness? You need a break?”
The Lady Hinwe gasped for air, as she was not really used to running in the sands and amidst the battle. But shaking her head, she told her maid that it was not her reason.
“We need to leave, Your Holiness,” Meanor pleaded. “We’d only hinder the Lord Kuro if we stayed here! Look, the st boat to leave for the ships was about to sail away.”
“N-No! W-W-We’re running in the wrong direction!” the Elf Saint insisted. “I will go back to help! Just load the wounded there, and get them away from here!”
The elf maid was taken aback by the Lady Hinwe’s order. While she knew that her mistress was more assertive now, she couldn’t believe that the saint also regained her courage. The ‘old’ Lady Hinwe would quickly get herself away from this pce with no second thoughts. This ‘new’ one, however, had the ‘suicidal’ bravery that was known to come from the Lord Kuro.
“Kuro may suffer from occasional confidence issues,” the Elf Saint winked at her. “But that’s how powerful he is; he can even make a coward like me charge headlong into the fight.”
“He’s really something…”
“Indeed, he is! That’s why I love him!”
Nevertheless, their musings were interrupted when one of their soldier escorts pleaded…
“Your Holiness,” it was Gmden. “Please reconsider; we’ve been asked by the Lord Kuro himself to protect you. To lead you away from here!”
“Eh, I’ll just tell him I disobeyed his orders; it’s my fault, throw it all on me,” the Lady Hinwe reassured them. “But I need to, at least, be with the people fighting and dying for my name! I won’t be the cowardly saint everyone used to hate!”
The elf maid and the two soldiers exchanged worried stares, but as they couldn’t dissuade the Elf Saint from backing down on her intentions, Behrien stepped forward.
“Then, in any case, take me with you, Your Holiness!”
“What?” Gmden blurted out, and pulled his friend aside to whisper, “It’s our chance to save ourselves!”
“Well,” the other elf soldier answered. “While it’s certainly scary to die, don’t you think you’d want to grab some battlefield glory to make our trip here worthy? You know, since we’re already here anyway…a story for our grandchildren.”
“I just hope you’re not going to regret it,” the little elf reloaded his rifle, before turning to their saint. “I shall protect you as well, Your Holiness!”
While the Lady Hinwe knew what was in their hearts, she let them join her. After all, the more people they had, the better it would be for them. Chanting a spell for a water golem, the Elf Saint pulled out her sword and returned to the frontlines.
“…”
Meanwhile, with no other options left for her, Meanor could only chuckle and draw her sword. Her mistress was surely a changed elf now…
