In The Wake of Madness

◇ Lancell's POV ◇

The fear of death can change a person. Just by knowing the fact that your time in the world becomes limited, you gain enlightenment, without fail. Of course, it depends whether you recognize that enlightenment or pretend to not realize it.

However, what happens when an entire nation experiences the terror of certain death, and changes along with it. The answer, is right behind me...

Rows and rows of soldiers and warriors stood behind me, as they each held respective weapons. Most of them didn't have any armour, but that didn't matter. They know first-hand that even if they wore armour, it would only slow them down.

"""Haah! Haah! Haah!"""

In every swing of their sword, they roared, as if trying to intimidate death itself. They slash with full intent of murder, as they imaged the one who had killed their loved ones.

This was the real effect caused by the Great Shift. No one was innocent anymore. They had seen bloodshed already, and those who lacked the courage to fight were already wiped out. Just surviving takes tremendous willpower. Much more to try and live.

The Wave was already coming in two days, and everyone was desperate. Either to live, or to die.

It was nothing less than madness. It drove them to fight, and it forced people to change. This was war.

Welcome to my world...

◇◇◇

CLAAANG!!

The sound of steel clashing resounded as I exchanged blows with Arthur.

CLAAANG!! CLAAANG!!

The scene and sound repeated itself as we continued to strike at each other while trying to predict each other's movements.

CLAAANG!!

Again.

CLAAANG!!

And again

CLAAANG!!

And again...

CLAAANG!! CLAAANG!! CLAAANG!! CLAAANG!!

And again, and again, and again...all over again until we were tired.

Of course, we didn't used mana. We only needed to refresh our instincts, and mana was unnecessary expenses if we fought seriously.

"Hey," she called out. "How are they?"

CLAAANG!!

I parried another one of her blows as I sent one of my own. She twisted her body, and used Excalibur as shield.

CLAAANG!!

The force from my attack pushed her back two meters as she slid along the ground.

"They're mad." I answered. "And it's perfect."

"I see." She muttered as she dashed and swung her blade with her signature wild swing, and activated a One-chant Spellblade. "Holy Slash!"

CLAAANG!!

I stood ground as I blocked her attack. I could also have dodged it, but I didn't want to take one of her follow up punches. Those hurts like hell.

Blown back by at least 7 meters, I landed on the ground as I dispersed my momentum. "Hey!" I yelled. "Spellblades aren't allowed!"

"Ah." She uttered. It seems she forgot.

I sighed. "Never mind." I then dematerialized Arkenvalle. "Let's stop right here."

"Yeah," she acknowledged. "I can't focus too."

I smiled wryly. Well, we could hardly be blamed as the wave was coming in two days. I even doubt I'd get any sleep tonight.

I sighed once again. My blood was boiling in tension, and I could even feel my bloodlust threatening to leak. Yet despite all this...

'I feel warm...'

I was a lost cause. The war was actually giving me comfort. But I welcome it. There was no reason to deny it. At the current turbulent times, conflict is the only thing the world didn't lack. And there was no reason to not get any comfort from it.

"Any plans?" Arthur suddenly asked from behind me. I turned towards her, and saw her take off her sweat-drenched butler coat, which revealed her tank top innerwear. How nostalgic, this habit.

"Not really." I answered.

"So you too, huh?" she said. "Everyone's desperate, yet we've got nothing to do."

I shrugged. "Well, it's not like we wanted this." I said. "There's nothing we can do that fight."

My words earned her silence. She then started to approach me. She paced until we were a few meter apart, and observed my features for a while.

"Hm?" I hummed inquiringly. "Anything wrong?"

"No," she gently shook her head. "I just felt you're a bit different since last week." She added, still gazing at my as if probing.

I inwardly tensed at her words. Did she find out about Arkenvalle? I hope not.

("Don't worry, Lancelot.") Arkenvalle's voice suddenly rang within my head.

("Valle?")

("She doesn't know.") She reassured. I relaxed at her words as I suppressed a near instinctive sigh.

("I see. Thanks.")

I gave Arthur a wry smile and asked. "A bit different? Maybe I really did change."

She frowned. "As expected, did my words bother you that much?" she asked. "If that's the case, then I'm sorry."

"You're apologizing?"

"Yeah. I admit it was too much." She confessed as she turned her head away.

"I see." I uttered, and then silence took over. I then turned to the exit and walked. "I wanna take a rest for a while. I'm going on ahead." I said, waving without turning back.

Arthur didn't answer, for strange reasons, but maybe she was just thinking. Knowing her, she'll get over it quick. She doesn't like having problems after all.

And so, I left the training yard as I went back inside the castle.

◇◇◇

Two days later...

The entire city was tense. It was the time for the Wave to arrive, and everyone was dressed appropriately for the occasion.

The people who used to be common folks, were now valiant soldiers trying to waste their life for this battle with nothing to gain other than surviving. Each one of them was imparted with Guidance Tomes, so they were as strong as they could be.

However...

'It might be too late for them.' I thought with pity.

They were mad. Each one of them. They all leaked out bloodlust as they held their blades and hammers and bows and staves. They were a lost cause now too. Perhaps they would survive this battle, but they wouldn't be the same people.

"It's almost time." I muttered.

As I was not a part of the Kingdom, I was given freedom in this battle. All I had to do was report where I intended to go, and I was free to wreck havoc. And now, standing behind me was Carlos, who was shaking as I planned to drag him around during the entirety of the battle.

"Y-You know, Am' not good with smackin' things righ'?" He said nervously.

"Of course," I answered. "So I'm gonna show you how."

"Bitches!" he cursed. "Am' not intres'ted!"

I just smiled at him without caring for his stand on the matter. I then faced forward, and asked him. "You think Arthur's gonna be alright?"

"F'your worried, lemme check. Will do a good job."

"No."

"Oh come o—"

Carlos wanted to plead for his freedom, bit was interrupted by the sudden rumbling of the earth.

I suddenly felt my body get lighter in anticipation, and held Arkenvalle.

The sound of horns blared at the entire battlefield, and that was the trigger.

It was war.