Caesar kicked off the ground and backed up, returning to his armored force before the trolls were capable of encircling him. Both forces then warily observed the other, neither side rashly moving.
Suddenly, an intense heat assaulted both forces, causing them to jerk their heads in that direction. A large, orangish ball of flame was descending upon the troll forces attempting to break down the gates.
It was, at the very least, ten times the size of the sun that the clan heads used against Caesar. It was a powerful force that even he wouldn't be capable of blocking. However, contrary to his expectations, Zul'thar didn't appear to be worried in the least.
Bewildered, Caesar directed his line of sight directly below the massive ball of fire. There stood an average-looking middle-aged man. He possessed a calm and kind-hearted smile as he raised his hands. A bright, yellow light suddenly escaped from his body and formed a large barrier around him and the trolls.
Caesar was quite familiar with this form of magic. It was the same kind that Richard, the hero that attacked his kingdom, used. However, the holy magic that the middle-aged man employed appeared to be more vibrant and more powerful.
Boom! The sun descended upon the yellow barrier. The intense heat and collision fluttered the clothes and hair of all those present. Even the carts full of food were pushed back a few meters. Caesar raised his hand, shielded his eyes from the intense wind. He observed the middle-aged man who was still comfortably standing in his barrier.
"We are the shields that protect humanity. As such, our defensive capabilities cannot be broken by mere dark-race magic," the middle-aged man whispered, to which Caesar deciphered from reading his lips.
The sun soon expended its energy, and the yellow barrier stood, still pristine as ever. Immediately, the trolls started cheering in delight while the fox-kin, including Musashi, frowned warily. Caesar surveyed the surroundings coldly and glanced back to notice that Ebisu had finally destroyed the carts full of supplies.
The light, the shield that protected the troll army, became a beacon of hope for them. As such, their earlier confidence and pride were regained, and the military stationed in front of his, starting charging forward.
The fox-kin behind Caesar shook their heads with a wry smile, "we had no chance after all…" one of them whispered. However, Caesar's eyes gleamed more than usual. His clothes started to abnormally flutter, and his presence became much more ominous than usual.
"This is a trump card that I have hidden for quite a while because I believe that a dagger when hidden is in its strongest form," Caesar whispered, and a black mist started to permeate out of his body. It instinctively brought dread to the nearby trolls, and sweat seemed to drip from their bodies.
If the light was a bastion for living creatures, Caesar's authority was the opposite. It could be considered the epitome of evil, all that it entailed was death and corrosion. Caesar's scythe seemed to shake with excitement as Caesar's authority wrapped around it.
The middle-aged man who was comfortably sitting in his barrier suddenly jerked his head in Caesar's direction. Fear, shock, and other strange emotions flashed across his face while looking at the black mist.
"D-DO NOT LET THAT TOUCH THE BARRIER" he roared the top of his lungs while pointing at Caesar, the ordinarily calm man was now panic-stricken and could only rely on the mass of troops to defend him.
Caesar couldn't even hear his words as he entered into a peculiar form, as if he couldn't even control his own body, it moved at its own discretion. The black mist, which he could barely use in the past, seemed to overflow from his body as he rushed towards the small army of trolls in front of him.
The scythe in his hands, as if dancing, started to reap the heads of the shocked trolls one by one, while his authority withered the others. Once again, the fire in the nearby fox-kins' hearts was rekindled, and in contrast, the trolls felt dread.
However, Caesar knew this was only temporary. He could not maintain his authority for large amounts of time. Therefore, Musashi would need to pull out a miracle as well if they wanted to buy more time.
Seeing this, Musashi's chains started to float in the air as he jumped down from the wall, the eighty other cloaked figures following behind him. As such, another fierce battle soon took place at the front gates, and the troll king was finally forced to show himself.
*******
In a nearby tree, a young man who was holding a bluish ball observed the scene coldly. Inside the ball was a reflection of a cloaked man who was laughing, "so the church was helping the trolls too? I suppose they wanted the legendary nine-tailed fox bloodline as well," the man roared with laughter while witnessing the scene.
"What do we do, master? Should we go and capture Renee, who is currently evacuating with the citizens?" the young man asked, the shadow of a tree cloaking his face and expression.
"Hmm, that man with white hair, he is very dangerous… possibly an ancient race as well, a powerful one at that. To possess so much power at such a young age, I want him" the man said sinisterly while licking his lips."
"I don't believe we can catch that man. He is untamable" the young man hesitated a moment before replying.
"Unfortunately, you’re right, Thus, utilize a dozen or so of my assassins and capture Renee. I want her to arrive at my tower by night-time," the man said with an exasperated sigh, and his image seemed to disconnect from the blue ball.
"Yes, sir," the young man replied; however, his words fell on deaf ears as he jumped down from the tree and headed north, his face and expression were finally revealed. He was someone familiar to Caesar, and more so to Renee. Someone who Caesar had thought was working for the trolls, but he was a clever triple-agent.
Charlie…
"Forgive me, Renee. But, I won't allow my mother to go back!" he whispered and set off.
CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE
Caesar, who was currently enveloped in a black mist, continued to slaughter the trolls in front of him. He had no idea that Charlie and a mysterious figure were plotting against him. However, he wouldn't have let Renee evacuate in the first place if he didn't put enough precautions in place.
As such, he fought without worry, and the soldiers behind him slowly joined in the battle as well. Although they were fearful of the strange, black energy that surrounded Caesar, they were still willing to fight with him. The armored troops thrust their spears forward and started to push back the panic-stricken trolls easily.
Bolts of arrows frequently flashed across their heads and pierced the nearby trolls' heads. Not to mention Ebisu and Soka, who were currently leading their forces to strike the sides of the small troll army that they were now engaged with.
Seeing that they were finally gaining some momentum, Caesar pushed even harder. He wanted to produce as much damage as he possibly could before their inevitable retreat. He was fully aware of the fact that although they seemed to be in a strong position, it was only temporary. The sheer number of enemies would slowly start to overwhelm them.
Soon, Caesar's forces pushed through the enemy battalion and charged towards the main forces of the trolls. The other troll chieftains, noticing this fact, met them with force twice as large. While the troll king was currently engaged in close-quarters combat with Musashi.
The middle-aged man who was capable of using light magic put his barrier down and helped the troll king fight with Musashi, while the hordes of trolls attacked Musashi's close friends and friendly combatants.
Soon, heavy casualties appeared on both of the bloody fronts. Although much more trolls died then fox-kin, a considerable amount of fox-kin still perished. Caesar's armored guard was almost wholly annihilated, and nearly half of Musashi's friends had fallen.
Unfortunately, Musashi, who was the strongest fighter present, was being held down by both the human and the troll king. He was breathing heavily, and a large amount of sweat trickled down his now shirtless body.
He masterfully utilized his silver chain to both attack and defend, but to no av
ail, he could not penetrate the middle-aged man's defense, and Zul'thar's nonstop onslaught wouldn't let him rest.
Caesar, who was closely observing Musashi's battle situation, frowned. He glanced behind his back and couldn't help but grind his teeth angrily after seeing the vast amount of dead bodies and overflowing blood.
"Ebisu, take over for a few moments… If I don't make it back in under ten minutes, retreat," Caesar ordered, and the black mist that permeated from his body congealed into a condensed ball atop his hand.
"Yes, sir!" Ebisu replied solemnly and bared witness to Caesar's departing back. He bounced on top of the many enemy heads and moved towards Musashi. Many allies and enemies alike noticed his figure. However, neither side could stop his intense momentum.
Caesar's silver hair flowed like a river, and his eyes radiated a deep crimson as he approached Zul'thar and Musashi. The condensed ball of his authority gave off an ominous presence and frightened all of those he moved passed.
Musashi's bout with the two temporarily halted as the middle-aged man warily turned his head towards Caesar. He raised his right hand, and a sword made out of light appeared, he then took off his white glove, and a burning cross tattoo presented itself.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.; Amen," he whispered, and a blinding light suddenly shot out from his body. He grasped the sword of fire and slowly approached Caesar with seemingly overwhelming power.
His eyes radiated a dim, yellow light, and his aura pressured all of those nearby, even Musashi. However, the blinding light that constrained the others only fueled Caesar's rage. He felt as though a power within him wanted to destroy the middle-aged man utterly.
As such, his speed increased even further, and the congealed ball of his authority coiled around his long, and dark scythe. It was a battle between two completely opposite forces, and Caesar couldn't help but feel funny, a similar circumstance occurred back at Rahvin kingdom. Perhaps, it was fate that he would have conflicts with the church.
Caesar, wielding his scythe, soon appeared in front of the middle-aged man and heaved it downward diagonally, to which the man replied by swinging his sword upward. A huge and loud collision resounded throughout the battlefield and momentarily halted all of the battles.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The man spoke while maintaining a calm expression as he and Caesar met with a flurry of blows.
"You spout bold words for someone helping an evil race such as the trolls… do you just simply watch as they rape and murder innocent children and women?" Caesar asked with disdain as he utilized his Ice and Authority to battle the man. He didn't care if he overworked his body, nor did he care if his mana reserves ran out. Victory was a must; his body and soul compelled him to win.
"They merely rape and murder women of the dark-races, such is treatment worthy of them. As long as they do not touch man, they are not to be considered sinners" The middle-aged man replied calmly and sped up his attacks.
His words caused Caesar to burst out in a fit of laughter, "you know, it's funny, a child belonging to the church once preached similar nonsense, but in the end, he lost everything for his idiocy. You cannot contain me, nor those of the dark-races," Caesar replied vehemently and also sped up his attacks.
Both blades, one dark, and one light, collided maybe hundreds, no, thousands of times. The loud ringing sound grabbed the attention of nearly all of the troops, enemies, and allies alike.
"As a paladin of the order, I shall execute such an evil being as prominent as you before you grow into something much more dangerous. Remember my name well, Vermin, I, Alexander, Will not let filth such as you creep upon the land" Alexander roared with his blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
"It’s comedic to me that humans would ever think of themselves to be in such high prestige, as a world under human rule, means a world that is fated to be destroyed under their hands," Caesar replied and generated the last bit of his power into one final attack.
He raised his scythe overhead, and a ball of black energy slowly started to grow bigger and bigger, while Alexander did the exact same. The ground quaked, and a large amount of wind swirled around both of them.
Musashi, who was at the side, finally recollected himself from his earlier shock and began focusing on Zul'thar. He was quite surprised at Caesar's use of black energy. He would never have thought that he would've been in possession of something so powerful.
Once the black ball of energy was at least a few meters in circumference, Caesar slashed down and met Alexander's charged up attack.
Boom! A large vortex formed between Caesar and Alexander, both the light and darkness started to wrap around each other and battle as if the energy forces were alive. The strands of mana intertwined with each other, and soon, the light began to be absorbed within Caesar's authority.
As if the light met its natural nemesis, it started to erode and get pushed back by Caesar. Similar to how he defeated Richard, he pushed his scythe down more and more, to which Alexander began to sweat profusely.
"H-how? How is it possible that the power gifted to me by the lord is failing?" the muttered out incoherently and attempted to recite a few more prayers to obtain more mana.
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, Rule and guide. Amen," he whispered, but to no avail, he was still being pushed back. The light magic that he prided was undoubtfully losing.
"Your praying is in vain," Caesar whispered curtly, like a devils whisper, and finally, his scythe swung downward and cracked the sword made out of light. Like a scene taken out of a painting, Caesar's scythe halved Alexanders body.
Time seemed to stop as the blood spouted from his halved body, and Caesar couldn't hold back his instincts as he moved his mouth forward. He drank a mouthful of blood, and a menacing smile formed on his lips.
"RETREAT!" he roared with blood still dripping from his mouth. He then raised his head to look at Musashi in the eyes.
*****
At another part of the dark continent, inside of a spacious tent, resided Renee, who was currently sitting on a bed with her violet hair resting on her shoulders. Her bright yellow eyes were staring incredulously at the dozen or so people that barged into her tent.
"Why are all of you here? Not only did that man, who is supposed to be my husband, force me to this place, he even forced all of you folks to stay here with me?" she huffed angrily while pointing at Joe, Tiberius, Magni, the kobold head, Edward, and even Leo.
"Heh, sorry, madam, I promised him that I'd protect you at any costs, even if it meant going berserk," Joe replied with a wry smile while scratching the back of his head.
"Hmph, is he okay with so many men sleeping in the same quarters with me?" She asked indignantly and crossed her legs, behind her, two cute children stared at the group of weirdos.
Tiberius, the furbolg leader, scratched his furry chin with his enormous claws, "Although I don't quite like the man, he suggested that I, and the remnants of my clan, evacuate with the citizens. The very least I could do is protect his wife," he replied solemnly and rested his broad back on the edges of the tent.
Renee wanted to retort, but she simply shook her head and laid down on the bed with Symphony and Seraph… "do whatever you want, but I doubt there will be anyone attacking us," she said softly before drifting off to sleep.
Once she was fast asleep, Tiberius looked toward Joe, "what did you mean by 'go berserk' earlier" he asked with a tilt of his oversized head.
Joe chuckled dryly, "consider it my trump card for when things get messy… you'll know when it happens, just take Renee and leave if I go berserk," Joe replied while rubbing his beard and massaging his right shoulder.
"Very well," Tiberius replied strangely and sat down on the ground.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Caesar's loud roar broke the
fox-kin out of their stupor, and they hesitated for a few moments before retreating. The large carts full of food were set aflame, and the many the trolls didn't even have time to chase after the fox-kin warriors.
The Ceros creatures were frightened by the flames and Caesar's dark energy; as such, most of them scurried away back into the forest, while others were calmed down by a few tamers. The trolls attempted to chase the fox-kin armies. However, they unable to do so as Zul'thar was still in the midst of battle.
After Alexander broke off, Musashi had a much easier time attacking, and managed to push Zul'thar to the edge. Alas, his efforts were in vain because of the many troll commanders that joined the fray. His old friends were unable to help because they were tied down, and Caesar was nearly exhausted after utilizing his authority as much as he did.
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