Mel studied the bewildered ogre as the doors closed behind him. She expected him to be overjoyed, eager to show off his weapon gifted by the heavens. Entering the forge was an honor many wished they could experience in The Temple, yet only a few were ever given authority to enter. Hephestine was diligent when choosing her creation's owners, but she was often viewed as harsh and critical due to her frequent rejections.

The Archangel despised those who used her weapons as tools for destruction and vile deeds. However, that never stopped those who acquired powerful artifacts from letting the power corrupt their minds. Thus, she cursed the users, vowing to retrieve her weapons one day by prying them from their dead hands when they inevitably fell.

A few followers from The Temple took the Archangel's curse to heart and dedicated their lives to hunting the abusers down. The devout followers swore loyalty solely to Hephestine, swearing their path was one Judex Divinum led to. They call themselves "The Oathkeepers," rumored to be led by Hephestine's daughter.

The fanatical group created a city outside the borders of The Temple, claiming to be separate from the kingdom. Mel had only ever heard stories of the city forged and built into the side of a volcano that provided the heart of her forge. Its followers were so scarce that it often felt like an angel appeared or perhaps a ghost. "I guess it depends on whether you have a weapon they seek." Mel thought to herself.

Mel looked down at the ogre's hands, expecting an excellent handle with a well-forged blade attached to the end or a mace, with how destructive the ogre always is. Her eyes drifted from one hand to another, counting each as they passed by the empty, closed fists that shook slightly. Asura's fingers fidgeted anxiously, pressing his thumbs into the side of his index fingers with great force.

"One... two... three... four empty hands." Mel thought, growing even more curious about his weapon as her anticipation grew. "Perhaps a bow?... Nah, not this guy..." Although Mel still cast a glance at his back to quench her curiosity.

"Where's your weapon? Did you drop it on the way out?"

Mel snorted as she pressed her fists onto her hips playfully. However, her hands dropped as Asura spoke. His serious tone caught her off guard as his deep voice almost growled out a few words.

"Don't have one. Don't need one."

Before the ogre turned, Mel caught a glimpse of his eyes. The once bright and cheerful eyes that had battled Lydia were now dark and sullen, with relaxed eyelids hanging low. Asura started to walk without another word. Mel's eyes widened as she processed what he said. She flicked her head back to the door, studying it for a moment before looking back at the ogre walking away in silence.

"What do you mean you don't need one? Weren't you excited? What did she say?"

It was common for Hephestine to reject those she deems unworthy but... "Would she really claim this ogre was unworthy?" Mel's brain racked through reason after reason to figure out what could possibly cause the rejection, but she was left with empty hands.

Although she disliked his abrasive personality and fought with the knucklehead all the time, he was overall better than most of the priests. Who better than the one who risked his life on the battlefield against Jormungandr? "There's no way Ohriel chose him and yet Hephestine kicked him out... Unless he's committed something horrific..."

Mel stared at the ogre's back as he approached the door. She suddenly remembered the words that echoed throughout her head for months after her visit to the forge.

"You couldn't forgive yourself and let go, could you? What happened?"

Asura froze, his hand outstretched to grab hold of the door to leave. Without turning to face her, he responded with a tone meant to sound playful but was plagued with pain and empty words.

"Nah, just don't need one. I fought without one. All I need is Ohriel's mana to kill shit... No weapon can handle me anyway."

Asura held the flame from Ohriel's curse in his mouth, enduring the bitter and painful burn as if he deserved it—a punishment he accepted. The ogre grabbed the door and opened it wide, preparing to leave without further explanation.

"Hey! Wait, captain and my sister wanted you to have a weapon, and we still need to prepare to leave. You can't just walk out. God knows what you'll do without me."

"Welp, I'm going for a walk. I'll be where I always am... Also, I am the weapon, so let's be real."

Asura flexed his four biceps, displaying his strength and size while flashing a grin at Mel.

"I need a license for these guns! Big, bad..."

He looked down at the last two biceps,

"I'm out of words... Also, tell your sister not to freak out this time. I'm just saying bye to the guys in the cemetery."

"Asura-!"

The ogre shut the door, trying to leave behind the forgotten memories he struggled to piece together. His dead brother's words that were spoken resonated deeply with him. It felt as if he were describing an undeniable experience, one full of vivid truth that branded the soul. Yet, Asura's mind was left blank, void of such a passionate moment. "I would remember hurting him in such a way..." Asura thought as he disappeared through the halls.

Mel swiftly pursued him, opening the door wide and running down to catch him before he got too far. However, as she raced down the hall frantically, she found no sign or evidence of the ogre ever being present in the area. The Paladin whipped her head at every intersection, casting a glance as far as she could before sprinting to the next. As she raced, the priests all looked at her with a bewildered expression as if an animal was released throughout the halls.

A tall priest with brown and green hair called out to her as she passed,

"Woah! What's going on? Who are you looking for?"

Mel skidded to a stop, trying to prevent herself from tumbling to the ground. Her red hair was tossed wildly around her head, and her eyes were violently frantic as if she had lost a puppy or child.

"Have you seen an ogre? You know... the only one we have here. Did he pass by?"

"No. I don't believe so. I saw him pass with you earlier but he never came back. Is he not with you?"

The man looked around as Mel did, both searching for the ogre as if he were hiding around them.

"God he's good at this..."

Mel scratched her head and pondered how far he had gone. It was as if he had sprinted through the shadows. She knew he was fast, but to disappear like that was supernatural. The man watched as Mel threw her hands up in defeat.

"He was right here. He's gotta have a portal in his pocket or something."

"Where'd he go?"

"Who knows... We have a tracker on him anyway, but I'm about to get lectured to death..."

She groaned as she began to walk in defeat back to her sister's office. She assumed this was one of several defeats, with plenty more to follow. "I'll get my revenge... oh, just you wait..." Mel brooded as she plotted the ogre's torture.

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

Asura opened the cathedral's front doors, swinging them open wide as he stared out into the rebuilt city. The bright sun shone down, warming the air and roads and providing a comforting feeling as he started his journey to the cemetery. Everything seemed to be going right with the world as a gentle, soft breeze blew past. It felt as if he were in a painting as he stared at the walls of buildings looming above.

The ogre might've smiled if he had never experienced the land as a battlefield. However, the gloomy, bloodied land haunted his mind as he stared down the streets. Images of the battle flashed randomly as he remembered the path as they raced away from the jaws of the serpent. Kane's scream echoed in his mind, recalling the painful screech of a man having his arm severed.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

When he first arrived, every inch of this place was filled with cars and people, but now, it was all empty. The people left were terrified of exiting their homes in fear of the same incursion returning. "Could I blame them?" he thought as he stared at the empty offices and windows.

Families were left broken and shattered. Pleasant memories were destroyed, while horrific and grotesque ones were seared into the minds of those who survived. "Maybe it was better to die than to live to see this..." He thought as he walked down another street of the ghost city.

Those who survived would now walk through the empty city, finding their relatives and loved ones' jobs or homes vacant. Mary restored the entire city to the time before they were ever damaged. However, this left them without the memories of those who inhabited it once.

There were no photos, no clothes, no toys or possessions... no signs of them ever existing. Yet, the people would remember... There's no possible way they would forget. "Would it not be better to destroy it all and make new ones? It'd probably help the morale of the city. It's like staring into a grave."

Asura sighed, trying to shake off the depression that had begun to sink in as he debated these details. All that was left was the shell of a once great, lively city. It didn't help that the sun showed indifference to such a crime being committed. He knew the sun had no soul but the blinding light that shone down, creating a warmth that comforted the soul.

It was calm and beautiful, creating a scene many would be in awe of. Yet, it was a stark contrast to the horrific experiences he was forced to endure not long ago in the very place where it dared to shine.

"Aunty woulda painted a beautiful sight of this."

The ogre remembered the beautiful voice that comforted him when he was enraged. Its smooth, soft tone that danced in his ears left him frozen every time. "There's beauty in the chaos of the world, you know, my Asura. Although it may irritate you now, know it has a purpose. A beautiful purpose bestowed by Judex."

Asura growled as he gripped his head. A headache pierced his skull, causing it to throb with intense pain.

"Now you decide to fucking hurt... I can remember that shit but can't remember more, huh?"

The ogre smacked his head in frustration, trying to see if he could beat the memories back into his skull. "Maybe it's like a loose screw or bulb. GET!" Smack. "BACK" Smack. "IN THERE!" Asura shook his head as he continued his walk. He snorted, realizing he'd look crazy if anyone saw him.

"I'd joke that at least no one is around to see... but that feels too soon."

Before Asura could realize it, he stood at the gate leading into the cemetery. The large black metal gates were left open as if the owner expected him to come. He never expected to find comfort in the welcome of a cemetery, but over the months, it proved to be one of the best sources to release his emotions.

Standing at the entrance, he stared inside at the thousands of graves he had dug over the passing days. Although they were decorated with flowers, almost all were left without gravestones to decorate their heads. There were far too many to dig, let alone decorate.

The number of people who died during the battle against Jormungandr was unexpected... far more than Mary had stated. At first, it was claimed to be thirty-thousand, but as the days passed, bodies were found, and the number increased... She stopped reporting it to everyone shortly after.

Her haunted, glassy eyes told him everything. So he dug. And he dug. And he dug until his hands bled and his body ached. That's how he met Josh, the short older man who was one of the leading grave diggers. When the nights were cold, and the rain poured down, an old man would arrive with an umbrella without a word.

At first, the old face was full of scorn and disgust. However, his blue eyes over the days began to soften as he watched the ogre dig graves for thousands. When he warmed up enough to talk, Asura insisted the man was too old to dig, but his stubbornness eventually won. Josh insisted he'd dig alongside him and help.

Asura smiled at the thought and walked through the gates to find his co-worker. As he strolled among the graves, he proceeded with great care, ensuring he was respectful and mindful of his steps. He walked by hundreds of graves, traveling across acres of freshly dug land filled with the buried bodies of victims. The ogre called out, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted.

"JOSH! HEY YA OLD FART! YOUR BACK NEEDS A BREAK!"

A gravelly voice created by years of constant smoking called back as his next cigarette.

"QUIT YELLING! AND I AIN'T OLD! I'M FIFTY-TWO!"

Asura turned to a tree in the distance, hiding away the source of the voice behind its large trunk. Its large trunk rose high into the sky, creating an enormous canopy as it spread out its large branches covered with rustling leaves. Josh walked around the tree, leaning against it as he stared at the young thug of an ogre that stood before him.

His hair was snow white with sprinkles of dirt mixed within. He sighed and pointed at Asura's outfit.

"I thought I gave you an outfit so you didn't get that dirty. The Temple won't like it if you keep coming back covered in mud like a dog."

Asura laughed and smiled.

"Hahaha. Sadly, I can't help you today."

"Why not? Why'd you come then? If you ain't digging, get."

Josh waved his hand as if gesturing him to leave. His southern accent initially stunned Asura, but now he had grown used to his voice. It was almost uncanny how old-western he sounded.

"I came to tell you I'm leaving for a bit. I'll be back to help soon, though."

He turned back to stare at the ogre. His white eyebrows furrowed.

"Where ya goin?"

"There's a city that needs help."

Josh fixed his brown overalls, shifting them back to return to his work.

"Think yer a superhero now, huh?"

"Nah, some monster is attacking again. Can't let the same thing happen again."

"Damn right. Best get there soon then."

"Yeah, just wanted to let you know you'll be digging alone for a bit."

Josh glanced over his shoulder as he began to walk around the tree. The sound of a shovel striking a root rang out. A voice yelped as he cursed out,

"Shit! Another root!"

Josh scoffed at the voice's cry.

"I ain't alone anymore. Quit cryin'. I ain't yer mother."

Asura followed the older man around the tree, finding two younger men and another older man standing on the other side. The youngest that cried out looked up at the ogre and smiled.

"So that's the demon that The Temple enslaved! He works like a horse!"

Asura quickly interjected,

"Not a demon, an ogre."

The second elbowed him in the side, showing signs that they were brothers.

"I heard he dug over thousands of graves. That's a thousand more than you could ever do."

"Same for you!"

"Ah, I'll dig more than the demon. I won't let him beat me."

Josh snapped at the two bickering brothers, throwing a pickaxe into the pit next to them.

"Quit the fightin' and start diggin'. If you can't run yer mouth, you can dig ten more tonight."

The youngest cried out.

"Oh, come on! You said we'd be done after this!"

"Did ya think the demon would be done this soon? Thought ya were gonna beat him?"

The youngest shut up at Josh's comment, and his brother sneered at his stumped expression.

"That's what ya get for runnin' yer mouth."

Josh shook his head as he walked to a rusted white truck parked near a path created through the graves. Asura followed after him, asking.

"Looks like you got some help."

Without looking back, he rummaged through the back of his truck, shifting tools around as he searched for a specific item.

"Yep, thanks to you. Sorry for callin' ya a demon. Just wanted him to work fer once."

"I know you didn't mean it that way. What do you mean thanks to me?"

"They came cuz' of you."

"Me?"

"Ya become deaf or somethin'?"

"Why me?"

"Cuz' they saw ya workin'. Said they could do it better. Can't let a demon be a better human than them, could they?"

"Seriously?"

"Yep, got at least seven teams out diggin'."

Asura's eyes widened as Josh grabbed a rake from the back of the truck. He asked quickly as Josh walked away.

"Need help?"

"Nah, you gotta leave soon. I'm not old, even though ya keep sayin' it. You said what you needed to. So-"

Josh turned suddenly and looked at the ogre's face. The abrupt action caught Asura off-guard as he stretched out his hand. Asura looked down at his hand and then up to Josh's face. His blue eyes looked proud to have worked alongside the ogre as he contributed to their dead's burial.

"Get back soon so I can have a good worker again."

Asura smiled and grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Thanks, I will... I'll make sure what happened here doesn't happen there..."

Josh began to let go of his grasp and turn, but upon hearing those words, he turned back to look at Asura. The man stared into the ogre's eyes momentarily as he realized the weight of those words. Behind the white eyes of the monster was deep regret and guilt.

"Ah... Kid... Don't go blamin' yerself for this."

"What?"

"I know it was hard... and you fought yer best. No one blames you."

Asura froze, trying to reject his words with a quippy rebuttal. However, as he opened his mouth, his voice couldn't escape. The words were caught in his throat as he held Josh's hand.

"I can't imagine what ya went through... Fightin' that snake. The deaths that came after. It must've felt hopeless at times..."

"I-"

"But I believe ya did yer best."

Josh turned and looked at the grave being dug underneath the tree. A frown spread across his lips as he stared into the pit. Asura followed his gaze, unable to move anything else but his eyes. The older man stared into the pit as if he knew who would lay there.

"In the beginnin' I hated ya. I hated yer guts."

Josh gave a dry laugh and smiled at Asura as he turned back to look at him.

"I thought yer scum of the earth. A demon like them youngin's do. As I watched ya though, I saw yer anger, yer sadness... yer pain. You were so frustrated with yerself that ya kept diggin' fer hours, fer days."

Asura was speechless, studying the man's eyes and mouth as he spoke.

"I was thinkin' of killin' ya when I heard it all. I probably woulda died. It woulda been worth it though..."

Asura managed to whisper out.

"What happened?"

"That grave is my daughter's, Teresa. The one we dig next to it is her husband's, Dan. And lastly, my granddaughter, Millie."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, don't be. Because when I watched yer diggin', I saw a man who tried his best... A broken man who lost it all... Fought with his life on the line and did his damnedest to kick the livin' shit out of his enemy. Well, man, ogre, you understand my words."

The old man rested his hands upon the rake and stared at the graves. His blue hard eyes softened as if he were on the verge of tears at the memory of his daughter and her family.

"I don't blame ya fer their deaths... Never will. There were thousands of people, can't save them all. But I do know this..."

Josh grabbed hold of Asura's shoulder.

"Ya did yer damnedest son, and don't beat yerself up cuz' of it. What I'm gonna say is brutal, but it's true. Many more will die, and ya can't prevent it... It ain't yer fault... I know yer gonna try yer best. That's all that counts when it comes to bein a hero."

Asura stared at Josh, unable to speak up for a moment as the two sat in silence. His words hung in the air, echoing in Asura's head as he processed it all.

"In a way, yer my hero kid. I bet you fought harder fer them than I ever could. At least you killed the damned beast that took their lives. For that, I thank ya. I thank ya from the bottom of my heart."