Chapter 4.5: A Question Of Faith

Never in my life did I think I would be standing against my brother, holy blade in hand, attempting to spill his blood. And yet, here I was doing just that. It felt wrong, but lately so much felt that way. I do not know when things started to take this turn, but somewhere along the way, we all became the devils we sought to destroy. I braced for another attack, as my fellow Crusader unleashed a flurry of blows with his twin holy swords. Though I desperately did not want to attack one I fought so many battles with, my body was too honed to combat. The next moves were automatic, as I used my pauldron to bounce off the attack, followed up with an overhead slice from my greatsword, Honor-Bound. Though it seemed that I had some level of control, as my slice was more superficial than lethal.

"Orrthas, please stand down, It's over. The duel is done, we don't have to do this." I said, trying to reason with my dear friend.

"Tyrus, my dear foolish brother, as long as you side with the Empire, then I will not stop." Orrthas said solemnly.

"But why?! You are an honored member of the Emperor's royal guard! We fought countless battles together, all in the name of the light!"

"Don't you pull that on me! You know better than anyone how much I respected Arthur! How much I still treasure the light!"

"Then why turn against us? Why go against everything you stood for?!"

Orrthas began to laugh, a laugh of a man who has lost something dear to him. "Turn against something I stood for? My dear, foolish brother. Don't you see, we all turned against what we stood for ages ago!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on Tyrus, you of all people should know what I am referring to, with your code and all."

"Orrthas..."

He sighed, as blood dripped from his chest. His wound was quickly healing, however he remained exhausted. "No, I can't hold this against you. Arthur kept you from going specifically because of your code." Orrthas managed to get to his feet. "My last mission, the one where we were sent into the New Belt, did not go as we expected."

"What happened? I tried to view the reports, but everything was classified. They even kept me from speaking to other members of the Royal Guard."

"Yes, I was well aware of that. Which is why I suspect you came here of your own accord."

"When Arthur spoke of your treachery, I could not believe it. So despite his orders, I came here to see the claims for myself."

"Yes, that's one of the many things I admire about you. Always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, now's your chance. I suspect those explosions we are hearing are the Alliance working to stop Nefestus from destroying this world."

"I knew this would come, hence why I told the men not to go all out. We don't need more blood on our hands."

"Orrthas, tell me what happened."

"Alright brother, I will. We were originally sent to the New Belt to check out possible human settlements. As you know, planets in the New Belt are an attempt to create an official third faction, outside the Empire and Alliance. They have a simple desire, to distance themselves from magic all together, along with anything that derives from it."

"Just like the dragons..."

"Exactly. We all thought it weird that such a strong force was sent on a recon mission, however the truth was soon revealed. As soon as we touched boots on the planet, we were told to scorch earth, to leave none alive. When we questioned the order, we were told that these people were heretics."

"Despite them being neutral, and not a part of the church..."

"Exactly. We followed orders, as we didn't have much information at the time. By the time we had finished, we had committed a genocide on a massive scale."

"But... why? Why kill those that did nothing wrong?!"

"The same reason we started war with the dragons. To keep the war going..."

"Orrthas, you're not saying what I think you are saying..."

"I am. And I suspect you feel the same. This war has gone on far too long. Both sides have had chances to push their way into enemy territory, and haven't. They even made a damn treaty about the areas of planets they fought on, just to ensure that those planets are worth fighting for. Why?"

"I.... I don't know. But I have asked that myself."

"I have tried to look for the answers, however the powers at large are keeping the true intention close to their chest."

"So what? Openly defy the Empire, just to die a traitor's death?! Come on Orrthas, you are smarter than that! How can you find the answers by dying?!"

"That's just it. I will never be able to find the answers. None under the thumb of the Empire can, except for you."

"I see... So that's why you did all this. As both an act of aggression, but also to win me over to your side."

"Yes. You are Arthur's justice, the freely moving sword that judges all, the church included. If you were to move against them, you would not be sharing my fate."

"What if I decide not to? What if I desire to remain true to the Empire?"

"That is your choice. My goal was only to open your eyes, and allow for you to see more. However, I do have three requests."

"And what would those be?"

"The one who assisted me in getting you here, desires to speak to you himself. Unlike me, he will be able to tell you more about the intentions behind the war. He did not trust me enough to disclose that information, as I am just a tool."

"Who is this man?"

"I do not know. He kept his identity a secret, as we spoke through a chain of messengers. However, I do know that you will encounter him. Which brings me to my second request. There is a young woman on her way here now. We had to pull many strings to get her here, even going so far as to kidnap an Alliance dignitary's son. I need you to follow her, to watch over her, to act as her shield. I do not know why, but she is key to all of this."

"And I can assume this man I must meet will clarify the importance of this woman?"

"Yes. I do not know much myself. You could claim that I myself am just a messenger."

"Well, you succeeded. I will carry out your first two requests, as they do not conflict with my code."

Orrthas smiled. "Thank you brother."

"What of your third request?"

"Unlike the others, this one is much more selfish. It required that I must die. If I do not, I will cause massive suffering to those that live here. As such, I have resigned myself to that fate. However, I wish to die by the blade of a worthy warrior. It is what I am owed for all my time served."

"Orrthas... I don't thin..."

"You must. I have committed many evils in my life, most of which I did blindly. My vision is finally clear, and I am horrified at what I have become. We once took pride in our oaths, to bring justice across the universe, and protect the innocent. But somewhere along the way, our religion and our faith took two seperate paths. If one follows the teachings of one path, they will be dishonoring the other. And while I could continue faithfully serving the empire, I would be betraying not only my faith, but the very code we swore to uphold. So Tyrus, I demand that you punish me, for I have become a devil against life. As such, you are honor bound to slay me."

I closed my eyes, and felt a deep pain in my chest. I understood where he was coming from. If I were in his position, I would probably request the same. "Alright Orrthas, I will do as you request." I lifted honor-bound, and pointed the tip straight at him. "I, Lord Tyrus William the third, hereby condemn you for your sins. For the act of slaughtering innocents, along with many other crimes against life, I hereby sentence you to death."

Orrthas clutched his swords, the exhaustion he seemingly felt now washed away. The once defeated man, now had an ounce of life restored. "Thank you brother." He said, as he lunged forward. I did not bother attempting to block, instead pushing forward with tremendous strength. As the twin holy blades collided with my gauntlet, a long cling rang throughout the air. Orrthas' blades went flying out of his hands, and clattered against the floor. I could see him smile, as memories of our past duels probably played inside his head. Without words needed to be spoken, I understood the look on his face. Keeping true to my word, I raised my sword, and brought it down with the same furry that I would against any other sinner. Orrthas' head rolled onto the floor, as his body collapsed.

Though I felt incredible pain for having slain my brother, it was comforting that he went out on his own terms. Something that many cannot say. I brought myself down to my knee, and closed my eyes. No matter who, no matter their faith, all those that I fight in an honorable dule are due words of respect. "Orrthas, though you saw yourself a sinner, I do not see you as such. You were but a mere tool, used by those that hold true evil in their hearts. No, I see you as a hero, who put his own life on the line in an attempt to correct the wrongs of others. For that brother, I respect you. I hope that wherever you find yourself, you are able to get the rest that you deserve. Until we meet again, I wish you well." I opened my eyes, as I felt a single tear inch its way down my cheek.

However, it was not the time for mourning, as something felt wrong. As a Crusader, we are highly attuned to both magic and Aura, as such we are able to sense it like sound or smell. I was well aware of the battle around us, as surges of magic and Aura were aplenty. However, something else was there, no more like something wasn't there. Between all the Arc, Aura, and magic, there was a small gap in it all, a seemingly empty space that moved very quickly. Though I couldn't be entirely sure, It seemed to make a human-shaped hole in the area. Regardless, it seemed to be heading straight towards me, so I would be receiving my answer soon enough. I raised my sword, bracing myself for a fight.

Through the door, a small woman came running in. She was holding an axe that was dripping with blood, which also stained her blue jacket. It was clear she was some form of warrior, most likely an assassin, judging by the knives and other such tools she carried. However, though I noticed all of that, I couldn't help but focus on her face. Though bruised and scarred, she had a gentle and kind face. She had vivid scarlet eyes that glittered like a jewel. And despite being stained by dust and blood, it was obvious her hair was white as now. I felt a surge of memories overcome me, as I looked on at the woman, completely stunned.

"Lady.... Rena?"