As Asura rested, the bed rumbled underneath his body. The sudden earthquake caused the bed to creak as the metal shook. Asura's fight-or-flight response kicked in immediately, and the ogre jolted upright from his resting position. "Another invasion..." He thought as he whipped his head wildly in a cold sweat. His eyes tried to focus, but his exhausted state made it difficult for him to find the source.

The smell of alcohol and cleaning solutions reminded him he was still in the medical bay. A familiar scent calmed the ogre as the source spoke at the foot of the bed,

"Woah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you... I thought it was funny."

Lydia stood, staring at the ogre as he wiped his eyes with his upper two hands and gripped the bed with his lower pair.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"You and me both."

Lydia sat on the bed alongside Asura. She sighed, and Asura could tell that the Paladin was visibly unhappy. In her hands, golden metal gleamed from the candlelight. It was two pairs of handcuffs. Asura looked up to Lydia's face. She stared down at the pair, jingling in her hands as they rubbed against each other.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Mary doesn't trust you."

"Ha... I think I knew that from the tank shell hitting my forehead earlier."

"She wants to kill you..."

"Many do. She's not the first."

"I'm supposed to bring you to her so she can execute you."

Asura looked at Lydia, who furrowed her brow as she sat conflicted.

"Ah, don't worry about it. She can't."

Lydia looked up to Asura's face, and her hand movements ceased. Uncertainty plagued her voice as she spoke up,

"How do you know? She's an Archknight Asura..."

"And we fought a wounded Jormungandr. I met three Archangels today. I fought a few Paladins as well. I think I'll be okay... Even if I do die. So what? You lived before today without me."

"Asura..."

"You sound like Wain. Getting all sappy with me. Where is Wain?"

Asura looked at his friend's empty bed. The only evidence Wain was ever in the room was the wrinkled bedsheets and the pillow at the foot of the bed. His scent lingered but it was fading as if he had left long ago.

"He's probably arguing with Mary right now."

"I'm assuming she wants me handcuffed and brought now? Shouldn't I be present as my lawyer argues for my case?"

"I'll let you go. I'll tell her that you got away."

"Stop. You'll get in trouble, and so will Wain. I'm not about to fuck ya over."

Asura spat fire onto the ground and stood up. He presented his four arms before Lydia and smiled,

"Come on and do your job, priest scum. Better hold me down, or I'll bite ya."

Lydia hesitated as she raised the cuffs to his wrists.

"How confident are you?"

"On a scale from one to a hundred? Probably a solid two."

"It's not the time for jokes..."

"It's always a time for jokes. Even in the worst situations, it's best to smile, idiot. Now, put 'em on."

The Paladin handcuffed the ogre's arms together. She clasped the metal, staring at them before letting go.

"Even if Mary doesn't kill you... She's going to ship you off to someone who can."

"Well, I doubt the old man will let that happen."

"What?"

"Is Mark his name? That's what you said last time. I like old man still. He's going to use me, and he can't do that if I'm dead. I'm a valuable tool to him. I heard Mary even used the title Captain as if he's respected, so I doubt she would just cross him."

"I hope you're right."

"I always am! They call me Asura, The Wise!"

Lydia laughed at the preposterous title Asura gave himself. Asura smirked, happy that he managed to lift Lydia's mood a little.

"Oh, come on. You don't need to laugh that much at it."

"I don't believe those words have ever come out of anyone's mouth to describe you. More like Asura, The Brave, or Bold."

"Still a sexy title, I'd say."

Lydia shook her head as she grabbed hold of the handcuffs, dragging Asura behind her as she pushed through the tarps. As they pushed through the curtain, Asura could see the room better. It was twice the size of the medical area back at the cathedral. This infirmary had rows and rows of tarped rooms where patients lay. The coughing and groans of the wounded still rang out as he looked down the aisle.

A few patients walked out of their rooms with unfamiliar priests. One had bandages covering a patient's head, and only one brown eye remained unexposed. As Asura stared at the man being walked out, he could tell the man had spent hours grieving. The pain in his eye gave it all away. Some could forget the pain inflicted on them, but no one could ever forget the pain of losing another.

Asura tried to look at the others, but Lydia startled him as she opened the door and asked.

"What did you mean by Jormungandr was wounded?"

Asura ripped his eyes away from the patients and back to Lydia.

"Couldn't you tell?"

"Tell what?"

Asura counted on his fingers a list of reasons why the Apocalypse was unfit for battle, as if it were obvious.

"He was slow. He never manifested tons of mana. He could've summoned more of the illusions, but he managed only to make two. His regeneration was slow for an Apocalypse. He must've fought with something before and lost or got severely wounded."

"Wait-... You're saying he was in bad condition for that fight?"

"The dragon king must've beat his ass before he got summoned. It's why that guy was so pissy about me mentioning her."

Although Lydia wanted to freeze to process the thought of an unwounded Jormungandr, she couldn't. Instead, she was forced to march Asura down the halls. Forced to deliver her friend to his death before her commanding officer. Her heart throbbed with every step.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The air boiled as two waves of holy mana clashed. Each was unwilling to bend to the other's will. Although the two individuals producing the mana were unphased by the storm brewing due to their emotions, any outsider would claim it felt like a sea clashing against a mountain. Another may say it felt like a bear and a lion were locked in a vicious battle.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

The Captain and Mary confronted one another in a grand office. The Captain stood before a grand wooden desk stretching from one end of the room to another. To him, it felt unnecessary as he watched her sort through paperwork on a small segment of the desk, leaving the rest barren. Around him stood massive bookshelves twice his height, containing documents and recordings of the city's history and proceedings.

Behind Mary, four large windows stood from the ceiling to the floor, allowing beautiful rays from the sun to illuminate the room naturally. The Captain couldn't help but stare off at the barren city outside. The buildings were intact, but the once bustling city now only had a countable number of occupants. Priests from The Temple were dispatched to help with repairs, but it would take months before it was back to being fully operational.

"It's good that this room remained untouched."

"Yes. Yes, it is."

The Captain always hated Mary's lavish style, but after she left to become Thomas's disciple, he felt he had no right to state his opinions on the matter. He looked down at Mary, who wrote on a page. Her fingertips turned white from the pressure she put on the pen, and her arm trembled from anger.

"It isn't your fault, Mary."

"Then who's is it, Captain?"

"Mary-"

Mary's neck strained as she shouted,

"I am the Archknight of this city. It is my job to protect Stoliagate and those who reside here. And where was I? Hm? Investigating some mysterious cult activity in a nearby abandoned corpse of a forgotten city! There was nothing there, Captain! NOTHING!"

"You were sent there to do your job. There's nothing you could've done."

"I could've received a message. A warning. A signal. SOMETHING! I could've been here..."

"Jormungandr prevented any message from being sent out. He locked down the city, Mary."

Mary curled her lips and hissed out,

"I should've been told beforehand what was happening."

"We had no clue this was happening even a few hours before."

"Lydia should've-"

"Lydia did her job, Mary. Do not blame her for what happened. You left her in charge. She defended the city against an Apocalypse. She never ran. She stayed and fought against an impossible foe."

"Mark... three hundred thousand people died today... One-third of the city."

Mary sat back in her chair, resting her head against the wood. After a moment, she closed her eyes and opened them again. When she opened them, she found the Captain staring intently into hers. His golden eyes shimmered from the light, radiating with intense determination.

"I contacted The Temple when I heard that Jormungandr was a possibility. If you are to blame someone... Blame them, not your people."

Mary thrust her finger in the Captain's direction.

"Do not criticize The Temple like you usually do! Especially not now. You have been working with a demon. Of all things! You, working alongside the very thing we fight day after day. Those things kill thousands before our eyes. They eat the corpses of our loved ones."

"And yet this one is different. You brand him as a demon, but this one is nothing like the others."

"Not like the others? Not like the other corpse-devouring freaks that slaughter children for sport? They are all the same, Mark! If you keep spouting unreasonable claims, I must agree with The Temple on your exile!"

"Do you honestly believe this is all coincidences or unplanned timing? From the very moment it began, I could tell something was being orchestrated. I told you. I warned you, Mary, this day would come. Where are your watchers? The priests tasked with observing the city for crises? Did they send any alarms throughout the city? No! Their bodies were never found. Rose even claimed she hadn't seen one in a day or so!"

"You-"

"No, Mary! Listen to me. Who gave the order? I asked Lydia, and she didn't. Did you tell them to leave their post?"

Mary opened her mouth to protest but couldn't find an argument.

"How did they know to run before it happened? This cathedral has priests under you, under Lydia, and Rose. Yet, none of them have been found. Where are they, Mary? You're telling me it's unreasonable to criticize the actions of The Temple, yet what can you say to defend this? Must-"

A knock at the door caused the Captain to stop. The two turned to the large wooden doors decorated with gold behind him.

"Come in."

The doors opened, swinging wide without a squeak. Lydia appeared, pulling behind her Asura, who held his hands out because of the cuffs.

"Oh hey, old man. Nice to see you again."

The Captain smiled, and his mana shifted into a warmth. Mary looked towards the Captain, who stood with his hands on his hips. It had been a long time since she had seen the Captain smile in such a way. "Is he proud?" She asked herself as she studied the two of them.

"I see you made it out unscathed. If only the serpent could've knocked some sense into you. I might've thanked him."

"Hah! Me? Respectful? You lost your marble, old fart."

Lydia approached the front of the desk and positioned Asura next to the Captain. She prepared to find a spot to stand but stopped as Mary called out,

"You may leave Lydia."

"But-"

"Now is not the time to argue."

"With all due respect, I will not leave. I know Wain came in here earlier to testify on Asura's behalf. I will also be testifying in his defense."

Asura smiled, exposing his sharp teeth in a wide grin. Mary's face twisted with disgust at the sight.

"I do not require any more testimonies on the demon's behalf. My judgment-"

"Mary."

Mary's head whipped to the Captain.

"I will not be persuaded otherwise. His existence is blasphemous. A demon wielding holy mana? Outrageous, and he will be purged. The Temple will crucify him even if I don't. If people discover this, they will no longer trust us. The very thing that killed their families will be seen as one of us!"

"Actually, I'm unrelated to the thing that killed their families."

"What?"

"I'm an ogre. Not a demon, ya stuck-up racist-... Hm. I'm not even a dragon."

Asura looked at the old man, who was side-eyeing him as he spoke.

"You are all the same. A dragon. A ogre. A succubi. All you know is to eat and kill."

"I've never eaten anyone... Can't say the same for killing... Although it was a cultist so it doesn't count. Never killed a civilian. At least, not that I know of... I'm not helping my case."

The Captain rubbed his brow and stated,

"Look, I know you don't trust him, Mary. However, he's also the reason Lydia, Rose, Kane, Ash, and your sister Mel are alive. If it weren't for him... There wouldn't be a soul left in your city."

"Are you trying to lead me to believe that a demon would go out of its way to help humans? For what reason would he have other than to gain our trust and betray us later? How do you even know he isn't working with Malachi?"

"Cause I beat his ass a few times..."

Lydia elbowed Asura's side, causing him to flinch,

"You aren't helping."

"What? It's true? Hell, I'm the reason we found out he was doing it anyway after we went to the strip club."

"You went to a strip club?"

Mary slammed her fist against the desk, rattling the pens and shifting her papers.

"What are we arguing about, Captain? All we need to do is remove him and move on."

"I need him."

"Need him for what?"

"Mary. An Apocalypse arrived in the human realm after a hundred years. We haven't seen one in a century! We are unprepared, and there is more to come. Jormungandr is only the beginning. The kings of the monsters are restless, unsatisfied, and they will be coming next."

"So we tell The Temple. We deal with this as humans. Together."

The two sat silently, staring at one another, their mana clashing again. Asura felt the pressure increase and began to sweat as it swirled around. He coughed and looked over to Lydia, who struggled alongside him.

"Can you not kill us both?"

The mana ceased. Mary looked at Asura, staring into his white eyes. She tried to look for any signs of hunger or desire to eat them but found nothing. The demon never blinked either but held her gaze in its entirety.

"I'll put my life on the line for him."

Mark broke her gaze and looked at the Captain with a bewildered expression.

"If I'm wrong, I'll admit it. I'll turn myself in and be executed for blasphemy."

"Captain-"

"I'm serious, Mary. I'd wager my life on this kid. The Temple can't be trusted, and you know it whether you want to agree or not. But, as it stands, someone interfered with your city's communication. Someone can't be trusted. Do not report him. Instead, I'll train and watch over him for now."

"You're asking me to commit treason."

"I'm asking you to think this out properly, Mary. I raised you after your parent's deaths until you left with Thomas. Will you trust this old man one last time?"

Mary sighed and groaned. Asura couldn't help but laugh at the resemblance between Mary and Mel. They each sighed and groaned when asked to do something as if it were a heavy burden they would regret later on. The two sisters dreaded adding more work to their plates.

"Fine. I'll agree to do this one time since you are like an uncle to me. I won't report it since no one was around even to see him use the mana."

Mary looked at Asura with a fiery gaze,

"Do not use your mana while you stay here unless the training room is locked. Do you understand?"

Asura looked to the Captain,

"While I stay here?"

"We will be training here for a month or two."

"Why?"

"The cathedral was attacked."

"WHAT!?"

"Malachi had something planned while you were away, like I predicted. A gorgon, a beastman, hydras, griffins, drakes, dragons, Ursa's sons, and others tried to attack the cathedral. I-"

"What happened? Are Lily, Marco, and Joel okay?"

"They are fine. Thomas is taking care of them and watching over the town right now for me."

"Thomas? Who- why did they attack?"

"I have no clue why, but there's no need to panic. I took care of it."

"What do you mean took care of it?"

"I killed them all. Quit worrying as if I can't protect my town."

Asura never doubted the old man's strength, but he found it hard to believe Malachi had no ulterior motives hidden out of sight.

"He never got hold of the children?"

"No. I had it under control. The town is fine, but the cathedral is a little damaged."

"Then why are you here? Let's go back and-"

The old man grabbed Asura's shoulder,

"It's okay. We are going to be training here for a month or two. Thomas can handle the town and the children."

Mary sighed and rubbed her forehead as if she were remembering unpleasant memories.

"I just hope Uncle Tom doesn't influence them with his crazy stories."

"I need you more informed now than ever, Asura. You will be sparring with Lydia in your free time. When you're not sparring, you'll be studying."

"I don't wanna..."

Asura slumped his shoulders as he looked at the grinning old man. The old man pressed a black phone into Asura's hand and patted him on the shoulder.

"Sorry, son. You're now a full-fledged member of the team."

"Can I at least take off the handcuffs?"

"Lydia, please remove-"

The screeching of metal being stressed made Mary shiver. She watched as Asura pulled the handcuffs apart. Its chains snapped as he easily pulled his hands apart, and on each of his wrists, the chains dangled freely.

Mary looked at the ogre, who stood proudly.

"What? You think those would hold me?"

The three left Mary's office, talking amongst one another. The Archknight spun to face the windows, looking out into her city. Stretching as far as she could see was the beautiful blue sky with no clouds in sight, which should've been a good omen of what was to come. However, Mary could only stare out into the emptiness and feel uneasy about the future.