Chapter 2- The Beyond

2- The Beyond

"M'lady!" I could hear Tryste's voice throughout the nothingness. "Lady Omaira!" I could feel his warm, firm hand on my shoulders. He held me tight and shook me hard. I opened my eyes to the scene of twirling skies and muffled noises.

I looked around saw the big crack above the crimson sky. I turned around and saw the chaos in front of me. The muffled noises became clearer now. They all came from the agonizing screams of the people from the capital. The flames licked the zenith of the sky as it burned everything on the ground. The world was becoming into a pandemonium.

Tryste helped me stand and rested my back against a pillar.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

My legs shook, weakened from the smoke and flames earlier. I moved my feet gently stomp them on the ground. I could feel the pain from the burns and splinters, but nonetheless, manageable.

"I can." My voice sounded hoarse, but he nodded.

He unsheathed his blade and told me what was going on. Tryste told me that while I was unconscious, the sky broke and released monstrous creatures. The monsters from the abyss sprung from the fissure in the sky and attacked the city.

"Burn, Percival!" He called out his sword and commanded it to burn the Everwood shackles in my wrists.

"W-what are you doing?!" I looked at him baffled by his actions.

Tryste is a man bound by his honor and duty to the crown and church. Regardless of what he feels, he knows his duty as a knight comes first before everything else.

"I…" He paused and looked at me in the eyes. "We are going to need your strength if we ought to survive this! Will you help?!" He added.

I could've said no at this point. But after protecting a world for more than a few centuries, it became harder for me to say no. I nodded at him and proceeded to ask for the plan.

"You go as you always do." He nodded and pointed the southern side of the capitol.

I immediately healed my wounds and rushed to the southern side near the Merchant district. Enormous flames swirled over the buildings. Screams from anguish citizens filled the air. I immediately followed the cries and was able to find the citizens huddled at the corner of southern gate.

Surrounding the helpless people were grotesquely shaped feral creatures. Their horns popped out in random parts of their bodies. They were the typical demons from the abyss, big, bad and stunk like brimstone and manure.

"Durandal!" I stretched out my hand and summoned my spear. It floated along with me as I ran.

The demons seemed to have never notice my presence, all the better!

"Lux Divina!" I just learned this spell from the Church. Who would've thought the same people who taught me this were also trying to kill me? I am surely a fool for not seeing it. The ball of light glowed in my palm. I threw the ball with such force that it bore a hole into one of the demon's body upon its impact.

The demon immediately disintegrated into thin air. That's when I caught it friend's attention. The demons roared and ran towards me, rabid and angry. The hulking monsters jumped and began attacking me with their razor-sharp claws. Of course, it was an easy attack to dodge, and I could've played with them a little bit more, but I wasn't in the mood for games.

I threw my spear to the first demon who leapt forward. It pierced its chest and threw the creature away. The next two demons join in their attack and tried to bite me on each side, I simply evaded the attack and smashed their heads together until both disintegrated.

"Lux Dolor!" I clapped my hands together before placing them on the ground. A surge of bright light pulsated on the ground and began summoning bright spears skewering the rest of the demons within the area.

I grabbed my weapon after clearing the southern gate and went to the nearest area. The western gate had it worse. As I arrived there, all I saw was a scene of carnage. Most of the people were already dead or eaten by the dark entities.

Using my speed skill, I rushed towards the demons who were too busy devouring the citizens. One by one I slashed them in lightning flash speed, they weren't able to react. The demons looked at me as I stood in front of them, before turning into ash.

I stood in the pile of ashes and blood. Looking at the carnage they have made, I would've mourned for their victims' souls, but I feel no need of it especially after knowing it was mostly the church people along with some of the royal blood devotees. I, however, prayed for their souls. As much as I loathe what they did to me, they could use a prayer or two.

I have already cleared the western part of the capital. It was a simple task for me, however, I could feel something's off. There was a dark and heavy presence still looming in the air. Not far from where I am I saw the sky glowed brightly of golden light.

The ground shook as the golden light faded. It was Tryste's grand magic. I ran towards it and hoped to see the young knight live and well. But it was the opposite of what I saw. I was greeted by a body floating limp on the air. Below was an archdemon lifting Tryste's unconscious body, smiling at the state it was in.

I threw Durandal towards the demon, but the monster simply caught it and threw it back at me. I tried catching my weapon, but it was too fast and too strong to catch. Durandal went pass me and threw me off from its sheer force.

The demon laughed as I rolled helplessly on the ground. Tryste's body was still floating. I tried calling out his name, but he was not responding.

"Lux Divina!" I threw a holy sphere at the creature, but it simply hit it without doing any damage.

"Weeeaakkk." The monster laughed at me. "Do it again."

The demon mockingly told me to do the attack once again. It shouldn't have. If there was one thing it thought, I can't do…I will show it.

I stood up and spat on the ground. It was the first time in such a long time that someone had challenged me to use my full potential. Very well…

"Pyra Ultima!" A beam of fire came crashing down from the heavens and engulfed the demon.

My attack immediately freed Tryste. His body laid down on the smoldering ground, unconscious. I ran up towards him and checked his pulse. Alas, I was far too late. The poor young knight had already died just before I arrived. The twisted monster had contorted his body in agonizing ways, he died from the pain.

I hugged him tightly in my arms as I tried my best to contain my emotions. I closed his eyes and did my best to make him look peaceful as I cradled his dead body. The flames from my spell continued to burn the monster, but I felt something was wrong.

From a distance I could hear the demon clapping inside the flames, amused at the agony that I was experiencing. I took a deep breath and laid him on the ground to finally rest.

I looked around and saw the devastation they have caused. The fine, tall buildings and glass houses that once filled the city gleaming in beauty turned into nothing more than ash and debris. At the far end of the destruction, I saw the stake once again. It remained unscathed regardless of the destruction around it.

There was no point in saving the people here, but I still have a duty to perform. Call me a martyr or a fool mother, however, I keep my promises to the very end.

I raised my hand called out Durandal for the very last time. I could still sense the demonic entity inside the pillar of flames I created for it. It was well and alive. I have no time to spare. I rushed towards the pillar and impaled Durandal in the flames. I could hear the demon scream in agony as I skewered the bastard even further.

"Ectas syn amerouth. Sempas ut etrigoot. Smalivili aramas telepora." I uttered the words loudly for everyone to hear.

I am bringing the demons back to their world. Just as I finished the chant, a strong wind began to suck everything back into the void. I took Durandal from the demon's wounded body and stabbed it on the ground.

The fissure sucked everything in its path, demons, dead humans, and fires included. I held on tight to my spear and holding on for dear life when suddenly, I felt a cold, hard object stabbing my back. I turned around and saw the remaining devotees huddled against each other. The man on the center was a Vicar for the Church of light, and the bastard stabbed me with Tryste's weapon.

"P-per…ci…val…" The thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

My vision became dim, and I could feel myself ascending.

My mother was right. I am a fool.