Vincent heard the church bell go off in the distance, as he turned towards the direction of the church, he briefly saw a hoodie making its way towards the church. Vincent had a slight smile on his face, as he saw the person, he quickly covered his mouth, before anyone saw him. Vincent was leading a group of villagers out of the forest, since it caught on fire, Vincent led them to the area where he lives, some knights were ordered to join them, helping Vincent escorting them.

Next to Vincent's side was Brandon, Brandon was getting restless, looking towards the sound of the church bell going off, Vincent put his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. “Focus Brandon, we need you to be ready in case we get attacked by a hybrid, I am sure Miss Sierra will prevail in her fight against that hybrid.”

“Mister Vincent, we never said Miss Sierra was fighting against a hybrid?”

“... Well what else can she be fighting that caused all this death and destruction, I overheard some of your knights, that you already lost plenty of men.” Vincent said.

“You're right, I’m sorry, I’m not thinking straight.” Brandon said.

“It’s alright, everyone is tense right now, oh look some of your knights are approaching us.” Vincent said, as he pointed to a group of knights coming from the direction of the forest entrance.

Brandon told the villagers to wait. Brandon hurried to the group of knights, with Vincent right behind him, as they approached the knights Vincent could see some of the knights carrying bodies, with black cloth over them.

“What happened! Where is Roger?” Brandon asked.

“Roger went to go join Miss Sierra, these two were killed by that hybrid.” One of the knights said.

Vincent spotted a boy who was way behind the group of knights, so he decided to go to him.

“Junior! What happened to you?” Vincent said.

“Mister Vincent it, it was bad, I… I lost my mom.” Junior said, as his voice broke, and he started crying.

“Samantha was one of the bodies? What happened to her? Did she get caught in the fire?” Vincent asked.

“No! it was that damn hybrid, with the mask. He killed her.” Junior forced himself to say.

Vincent was pleased by what he heard, he almost started laughing, before stopping himself. He put a hand on Junior's shoulder.

“Are you sure, it was a hybrid?”

“Yes! He was standing over her body when I saw him, after jumping back, he was tackled by Miss Sierra, that was the last time I saw them.” Junior whimpered.

“It’s going to be ok.”

“It’s not going to be ok! What am I supposed to tell them, we just lost our dad, now mom is gone too, I… I don’t know what I am going to do.” Junior said.

Vincent hugged Junior, who was trying hard not to cry.

“Listen Junior, your parents may not be here anymore, but I am, I promised you, I will make sure you and your siblings are going to be ok, once this nightmare is over, how about I treat you guys to whatever you want?” Vincent said.

“Thank you, Mister Vincent, I’m really glad you are here to help us.” Junior said.

“Me too kiddo, me too.”

***

The door of the church opened, deacon Stevan, and a couple of knights came out, when they saw Sierra they crowded to her asking her question. Sierra yelled at them to get back, as Ray was slowly approaching the church.

“All of you get back, leave the village, do not fight him.” Sierra said.

“Don’t speak nonsense, what are you waiting for? Attack him!” Stevan said.

Sierra slammed her fist on the floor, stopping the knights in their tracks.

“This is a direct order, do not interfere, leave him to me, go make sure the villagers are ok, take Stevan with you, even if you have to force him. Now go!”

“You should all really take her advice, I only need to kill her, as soon as that is done I can leave.” Ray told them.

The knights yelled at Ray.

“Who do you think you are!”

“We’ll kill you, with the rest of your kind!”

“Sierra will defeat you!”

“Yeah, you're just some punk, in a mask, so use your face you coward!”

“That’s enough you idiots!” Sierra yelled at them.

The knights stood around awkwardly while Sierra got on her feet, and looked towards Stevan.

“Is there anyone else inside the church?” Sierra said.

“No, we were the only ones.” Stevan answered.

“Good.” Sierra jumped from the stairs and landed on the ground.

“You all have your orders now go do them.” Sierra commanded them.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

The knights went down the stairs, and left the clearing, while giving Ray the stink eye, deacon Stevan seemed to be praying while he was being led out of the church.

“It's a good thing they listen, otherwise this would have turned messy.” Ray said.

“I don’t need you to tell me, what is good or not.” Sierra said.

Ray shrugged his shoulders. “You might not believe me, but I do mean it, when I said I only want to kill you, though if someone tries to attack me, like that knight in the forest, or that lady I have to kill them.”

“You’re a liar. What about the other knights, who you killed!” Sierra yelled.

“It’s complicated, but they had to die, they were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” Ray said.

“It’s always excuses with you, when are you going to take responsibility for the actions you have done.”

“As long as my actions are justified to myself, and her that is enough, I don’t need anyone else's opinion on how to live my life.” Ray said.

“That will be a sad life, you are looking forward too.” Sierra said.

“It has to be enough.”

Ray jumps towards Sierra, throwing a right punch, Sierra blocks it with her burn forearm, Ray quickly sends energy to his left hand, and blasts Sierra away. Sierra went through the wall of the church.

{Ok, if I remembered where Roger took me, one of the supporting pillars should be right around there!}

Ray concentrated and shot a direct bolt of energy that went through the left side of the church. The church made an eerie sound, tilting towards the right, before stopping, gravel came out of the church.

{Of course it is not enough, alright the next one should be around there.}

Ray concentrated, when he was hit with a rock. Ray stumbled back, catching himself before he fell, Sierra came out of the hole she made, her red line growing even brighter than before, she was taking deep breaths.

“Come on, show me what you got.” Ray said.

Sierra shot bolts of energy towards Ray, Ray shot back his energy, causing a small explosion of smoke going on, Sierra appear from the smoke cloud, jumping towards Ray, Ray instinctively jump back, Sierra quickly let loose another bolt of energy towards Ray, Ray try to shoot another energy bolt, but before he could Sierra energy hit his hand, exploding right in front of him, sending backwards, until he went through a house.

Ray looked at both of his hands, which were now more exposed, his left hand bearing more of his mark, can be seen through the moonlight. Sierra appeared before him, throwing a punch at his stomach, Ray quickly moved out of the way, He dashed through the house back into the clearing of the church.

Sierra went after Ray, throwing energy bolts his way, Ray did his best to dodge them, but got caught in a few blast that knock him back, As Sierra came closer, Ray shot at the ground where she was approaching, catching her off surprise, Ray quickly jump upwards, and release a barrage of energy bolts towards Sierra.

Sierra jumped backwards, and took a leap to where Ray was, aiming both her hands at him, sending a condense bolt of energy. Ray quickly crosses his arms, attempting to block the attack, which only sends him to the ground with a boom.

Ray got on his feet, and dash towards Sierra, catching her, when she landed, and throwing her to the ground, Ray quickly released a bolt of energy unto her, while she layed on the ground, Sierra charged her, as she smashed the ground as hard as she could forcing Ray back. Sierra sent another energy bolt towards Ray, Ray quickly did the same, causing a big smoke cloud after the explosion. Ray went inside the smoke cloud, anticipating Sierra, when he saw her, getting near him, he focused another ball of energy, and aimed it at her chest.

Sierra grabs Ray's hand, before hitting him in the stomach with her ball of energy, both of them get sent back hitting the ground a number of times before they push themselves back up. Ray reignited his aura, both his arms bare to see, some parts of his pants had torn off, While Sierra still had her armor on, with a mud, and dents on it. Her face was covered in bruises, and scratches, her left arm bleeding.

“How much longer do you think you can hold on Sierra?” Ray said.

“Long enough to defeat you!”

“You sure about that, you already look tired, if no one interferes, I can kill you, and just leave.” Ray said.

“You keep saying that, to me, all I hear is that you can't beat me, using your own strength.” Sierra said.

“No, I can beat you, I just know you don’t want any more needless deaths on your hands tonight.”

“Every death is in your hands, not mine, I didn’t kill those people, you did.”

“I was only following orders, and I still have too, but like I said, my orders are done once you're dead.”

“Why are you following those orders?”

“What!?” Ray said quickly.

“Why are you the way you are?” Sierra asked.

Ray gritted his teeth. “If you knew the truth about your damn church, you wouldn’t be in it, hell you might actually be one of us, since you told me you want to change how it is run.”

“What are you trying to say!?” Sierra demanded.

Ray looks at her with pity in his eyes. “This is pointless, let me finish this.” Ray said.

Both of them got in their stance.

“I won’t lose to you!” Sierra said.

{You will}

Sierra came towards Ray, Ray put all his strength into his punches, forcing Sierra into the defensive. When he pretended to throw a low blow, Sierra reacted the way Ray expected. Using his other hand, Ray put as much energy as he could onto his left hand, and sliced it across Sierra's body.

Sierra ran as fast as she could, jumping backwards, but the slice went through her left rib to her right waist, blood was gushing out of the wound, she collapsed on her knees, covering her wound with her hands trying to stop the blood.

“This fight is over, unlike us, you blessed knights can die of blood loss, that cut I just gave you, is pretty deep, you soon won’t be able to stand.” Ray said.

“Don’t, don’t tell me what I can, or can’t do hybrid.”

“Right I haven’t given you my name, since my name is already known, it would be best, if the hybrid who killed you is known, that way she can learn I did it.”

“Your name?” Sierra said.

“You know it, it’s Ray.”

“Ray? Ray! as in the hybrid who murdered those twenty knights?” Sierra stuttered.

“Yes, I need to be sure that some of your surviving knights know it, otherwise she won’t know I was here.”

{Unless the master tells Eda.}

“I knew it, you did come here, if only the church listened to me.” Sierra said to herself.

“You know it’s sad, we had to meet like this. I’m pretty sure not every knight is like you, offering mercy despite everything I had done, I could never do that.” Ray said.

“They are knights like me, we value other people's lives above our own, that is why I am knight.” Sierra said, as she slowly forced herself up.

“What a waste, if knights like you were in charge of the church, I’m pretty sure, what happened to me in the past, would have never come to pass.” Ray said.

Ray looked at Sierra, who was barely standing, hunching over, with her left arm around the wound, her other arm hanging restless against her side. Ray opens his hand, towards Sierra, charging his energy.

“It has to end already Sierra, I’m sorry.”