Nightmares (2)

"What a poor child," Sorin muttered under his breath as he eyed the couple following after their child. Still, situations like these were common among families; it didn't matter if they were nobility or not—abuse does not discriminate.

In the past, Sorin would have done everything he could to save the child from his family, perhaps giving him a better chance at life.

Sorin does not hold any grudges against children; they were special as they were the result of human cultivation—an empty slate, devoid of any great sin.

It was rather interesting to find that a mere child could see faint traces of demonic energy around him. A sign that the child carries a holy stigma.

Neve was an exception; her mana was enormous and inhuman. Sorin knew that she could easily see it.

"Saint Sorin?"

Ophelia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, as he turned his head to face the Saintess. Her complexion looked much better now after she had rested.

"I'm okay, I was just surprised by that boy. I didn't get to heal him." The tone of concern was genuine in his voice.

"Ah, I believe he's the son of Count Jean." Ophelia said to him, watching as the couple faded away from their sight. The Saintess was well-versed in high society since it was expected as she was their family's sole heiress.

"Is he sick? It's worrying me." Sorin asked.

Ophelia tilted her head ever so slightly. "Hm, not that I know of."

'CLANG'

Before they could continue their conversation, a sudden loud noise broke through the crowd. Sorin whipped his head around to find a group of high-ranking knights rushing towards him, the crowd of believers parting a way for them.

Sorin could sense the panic and fear from everyone; even Ophelia looked surprised. The knights looked exhausted based on the grime and scratches on their armor. A few of them looked heavily injured too.

He masked his expression, clutching his chest as a sign of distress. "Did something happen?" he asked in an alarmed tone.

One of the knights knelt before Sorin, struggling to catch his breath. His eyes filled with fear and urgency as he announced, "Y-Your Holiness, high-ranking demons have attacked near the capital's border. The hunters require your help."

Sorin's expression was unreadable. For a second, his breath was caught at the back of his throat.

Another event that didn't happen in his past life. His actions were already branching out to a different path, stirring him away from the memory he was used to.

Still, who was brave enough to attack the capital in broad daylight? In an event where people gathered with the saint. High-ranking demons were smart and cunning; this attack might be a facade for something else.

Sorin pushed back his thoughts for a moment before turning to Ophelia with a feigned display of determination. "Saintess, please gather the guards and mages. I can cast a defensive barrier to protect everyone within the vicinity."

The Saintess' lips trembled, but she nodded her head, knowing the capabilities of the saint.

"Can you heal some of the injured knights, Saintess?" Sorin asked her.

"Yes, I'll try my best," she responded in a resolute tone, already rushing to fulfill Sorin's command.

"Those who can fight, evacuate the citizens." He ordered the knight in front of him. "I'll be entering the battlefield."

Sorin closed his eyes and steadied his breath, ignoring the bitter emotions brewing inside his mind. He had to maintain his facade without risking any suspicion.

He watched as the city guards and mages hurried to protect the city. Sorin gave a trembling child among the crowd a warm smile before stepping into the center of the city square.

In an elegant motion, Sorin raised his hands, and a golden barrier materialized around the square, ensuring the safety of innocent people—a testament to his divine powers.

[Sacred Aegis]

He spotted Felix approaching him from the crowd, his twin daggers already prepared. His smile twisted for a second when he locked eyes with the other man.

Sorin tilted his head, placing a finger on his lips. "What a terrible thing."

***

Sorin's cloak billowed in the wind, and the scenery around him changed from the stark architecture of the empire. The air felt heavy as he stood at the edge of the battlefield.

The trees around were burnt by magic, and there were hunters clashing with demonic beasts; the sound of metal clashing rang inside his ears.

The look of relief on their faces when they saw Sorin was recognizable, but before he could say anything, a hunter screamed, "Your Holiness, behind you!"

Sorin whipped his head to find the high-ranking demon already standing behind him. The demon's hands were covered with blood as he tried to grab Sorin's neck.

Sorin barely managed to dodge the demon, distancing himself from the demon.

"Oho~ the esteemed Saint of the Eden Empire has finally graced us with his holy presence," the demon sneered as he licked the blood off his fingers.

Sorin's eyebrow twitched; this demon knew nothing of respect. Even the weakest demon could easily find Sorin's connection with their master.

His purple eyes narrowed as he assessed the demon before him, a perfect humanoid form except for his sharp nails and pure black eyes.

During the cataclysm, there were thousands of them, and Sorin did everything to protect the empire from their wrath.

"Oh~ Holy Saint, how does it feel to see people you promised to protect being ripped to shreds in front of you?" The demon asked him.

Sorin's eyes widened at the question, his heart hammered in his chest. Before he could realize it, Sorin lunged for the demon, grabbing the creature by his neck.

"What ridiculous drivel," he whispered to the demon, his lips curling into a smile. "Why would I care about those pests?"

His promise to humanity felt like a distant memory, drowned out by his hatred.

In an instant, the demon's expression fell as Sorin let go of him. The demon staggered, holding his neck in surprise. Sorin hid his expression as he turned to the hunters. "How are the others doing?" he asked.

One of the hunters responded as he cut off the head of the demonic beast. "There were other high-ranking demons, but Lord Kieran was holding them back."

Ah, so that explained the burnt trees and ash around the perimeter.

"It's far enough, isn't it?" Sorin asked.

"W-what?"

"I'm asking if he's far enough from us."

"Y-yes, your Holiness."

Sorin nodded his head as he stepped closer to the demon who stood frozen meters from him; realization seemed to have dawned on his face.

He trembled as red tears dripped from his black soulless eyes. "T-The vessel of-" he gasped out, but Sorin placed a finger on his lips to warn the demon.

He walked in front of the demon, slowly grabbing him by his cheeks, forcing the demon to lock eyes with him as he whispered, "Now, now, let's keep quiet, shall we?"

"I-I'm sorry..." the demon gulped.

Sorin smiled warmly, tapping the demon on his shoulder. "I know."

Then an arrow pierced through his shoulders, directly to the demon's heart. A loud screech filled Sorin's ears before the dull sound of flesh being cut replaced it.

The high-ranking demon's headless body fell down. The consecrated metal of the arrow still pierced through his flesh.

Sorin looked up to find a hunter, panting in exhaustion after he had severed the demon's head. "Good work," he praised.

"Your Holiness, we apologize for the wound." he bowed frantically.

Sorin gave him a smile. "Ah, it's fine. I could easily heal it; besides, it was necessary to kill that demon." he reassured the hunter.

He gave the demon's corpse one final look; that foolish creature deserved his death. "Where's Sir Kieran?" he asked the hunter.

"At the edge of the forest."

Sorin nodded his head as he healed the meddlesome wound on his shoulders, the red soaked through his clothes. "I suppose I'll have to help him." he whispered mostly to himself.

When he reached the edge, his smile could only widen at the sight. There were five high-ranking demons surrounded by a barrage of blazing fire. The heat was smoldering that even the trees from afar caught on fire.

Kieran stood in the middle, his staff glowing a bright red as he fought against the demons. Sorin could see the burnt ashes of the demonic beasts on the ground.

"Kieran!" he called out.

Kieran was truly a strong person, fighting against so many demons on his own. Sorin could leave him be, and he knew that this man could survive.

The red-haired man whipped his head to Sorin, his eyes shone with relief as he fought back the demon that tried to pounce on him.

"Your sword?" he huffed out.

Sorin used his ability to heal Kieran, pushing away the demons with his divine magic. "Don't have it." he responded sheepishly.

Kieran blinked in disbelief but couldn't say anything more as he continued to dodge the demons' relentless attacks. They were already pouncing towards the pair in a blood-crazed frenzy.

Through the chaos of flames, Sorin locked eyes with one of the demons. Kieran didn't notice the slight movement of the saint's lips—

They were being pushed back farther and farther away until Kieran and Sorin were met with the edge of the cliff. The ominous drop below only revealed sharp trees and rocks.

"Can you still hold?" Sorin asked Kieran in a concerned tone. He bit back the poisonous sarcasm that threatened to escape his lips.

Sweat glistened on Kieran's forehead as he continued to exhaust his mana; Sorin couldn't help but watch in twisted amusement.

His 'friend' grinned at him, that bright, righteous smile that Sorin remembered too well. "W-who do you think I am?"

It would be so easy to end Kieran's life, but that would be... boring. Sorin needed him to suffer, to watch everything he cared for crumble right in front of his eyes.

So, he would continue to act as a kind saint.

The demons were so amusing, they indeed followed Sorin's order with no hesitation. The moment Sorin allowed his barrier to break was the right time—

The high-ranking demons flocked around him, teeth bared, but Sorin could trace the fear in their eyes. He took a step back, looking down the height behind him.

Then he stepped back, the demons following him. Sorin needed to talk to them, after all.

What he didn't expect was Kieran's horrified expression as he fell—

The mage screamed his name. "Sorin!"

Then without a single moment of hesitation, Kieran jumped down with him.

Sorin's plan was entirely ruined.