Chapter 80: Judgement
“A-sun should be here by now.” The second general said with some concern. Though the tide of battle had shifted in his favor, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Despite the opposing armies dwindling numbers, the Siion armies were still flanked on both sides with most of the mages in his command dead from the initial attack. The remaining spellcasters were restrained by the fairies who disrupted spells or in the worst cases, caused early spell detonations. Those cases weren’t ideal even for the fairies, who had often died in the aftermath, but it was his army who had paid the bigger price by the battle’s end.
"For a while now, we've been moving; haven't we?" the second commander said, without looking at his communication mage whom the question was directed. "yes, it seems so, worst of all, our mages tell us that there are some monster forces nearby who aren't joining in the battle." The second commander's eyes grew grim as his already sweaty palms perspired further at the thought of some unknown enemy strategy. Although in his heart, he could sense something peculiar about the sudden change in battle; however, he, unfortunately, couldn't reason with the first commander who was hardheaded to the point of madness which blinded him to the possibility of an ingenious strategy. "to the first commander, we are fighting headless chickens, but is that really the case, or are we instead fighting a Dullahan who's hidden his head so that he can be sure when to best strike?"
The communication mage grimaces. "I have been in many battles, perhaps even more than you, commander, and I must agree that something is strange. The enemy had an enormous advantage with the initial attack; they eliminated the majority of our mage force nearly from the start. Your army, who is accustomed to having mages as a support, is doing awful well and have even regained their confidence but how can those monsters who were initially so vicious, so cutthroat when it came to ending the lives of the mages, now seem to be docile and defending their lives more so than attacking."
Despite their concern, the first commander continued forward believing he was whittling the enemy but was unwittingly being led to a specific location. Several minutes pass and the once thousands strong monster army, now only had a few hundred left. The first commander could see victory in sight and as he ordered the final push, an enormous boom destroyed a swath of forest, killing a few dozen soldiers and leaving hundreds wounded. At the epicenter of this blast was an angelic figure with white wings now damaged from some terrible battle. If not for the loss of their brothers in arms, the soldiers present might have cried for the wounded creature.
The angelic figure struggled to her feet and looked up to face her enemy. The many soldiers present followed the angel's gaze and were then struck by an overwhelming sense of terror as their hearts shook, their knees buckled and those of weaker will had even dropped their weapons. It was the terrible red witch who looked down on all of them with a contempt the chilled their souls. "WHERE IS HE!!!" the second commander shouted in desperation as even the abnormally calm communication mage uncontrollably trembled.
"I've heard the rumors" said the mage, "but I didn't believe that Onias's former right hand would ally herself with some young god." As the communication mage and the second commander thought of the best approach, their hopes for diplomacy immediately crushed by the First commander, who with presumptuous bravado challenged the Red Witch. "are you the one people call the red witch!!!" the first commander shouted with a mild laugh. "that imbecile" the mage and the second commander silently shouted in unison. The two proud warriors wanted to prostrate themselves and pray to their god for a miracle, but such acts would bring shame to their position all they could do was watch as the Red Witch turned to the unfortunate and boorish first commander. Her eyes were like burning coals that seemed to scorch their very souls. She directed her small delicate finger towards the first commander and with a single phrase, "Incinerate" the first commander was turned to ashes by a bright fiery pillar, ashes which were then carried by the autumn breeze until not a speck of the first commander remained.
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The armies froze in place, not just the Siion armies who witnessed the death of the first commander firsthand but the godless were as equally frozen in awe and fear. Any, one godless soldier was probably on equal or even greater standing to the first commander which, outside of the oasis, meant considerable strength; however in the face of the Red Witch, who everyone had nearly forgotten was truly terrible after years of docility, they were nothing more than ants to be stepped on.
"I've had enough with playing nice." She said with a horrible condescension that beckoned an unshakable authority. Everyone present was silent, everyone uncontrollably trembled, everyone remembered that She wasn't just known as The Red Witch. "The Red Witch, The Daughter of Alma… The Demon Princess." A frightened soldier muttered to himself.
Hera and Eveline were close by, they were unaffected by the sudden change in her personality for they too were seething with rage. Scitus had already relayed to them what had happened. So many innocent people were killed, so many people they were supposed to protect were killed in the most brutal ways. The only solace those four shared was knowing that at least the deaths were swift.
Sia looked down on these men who she deemed to be more monstrous than the many monsters she had come to know. They who saw her as a beast, they who saw her as a creature of evil, they who saw her as a harbinger of death, it was that day that she would grant their every wish, every expectation, every terrible thing their minds had imagined, she would grant it with malicious glee.
She prepared her spells, the air grew thick, the soldiers quickly found it difficult to breathe as their lungs took in air so hot that it could singe skin. It wouldn't be battle they had with her, it would a one-sided massacre; but, although they didn't know It at that the time, she, unfortunately, did not execute them. the air cooled, their breath grew steady and they saw as something more horrible, more terrible than anything their wildest imaginations could conjure, manifest into the reality before them. the Siion army saw the mangled body of a familiar face, a face known throughout all their kingdom. "A-sun…" the second commander said with trepidation as their hero's body was uncouthly dropped down as if he were an insignificant figure unworthy of respect. Upon his back were the words "repent" gracefully written upon his flesh.
“he still breaths,” Scitus said with a voice that chilled the Siion army. They were terrified, they were mortified, everything they had expected when they came was completely shattered in an instant. Armies could fight with great morale because they understood at a fundamental level that no god would interfere, no god dared to interfere with their battles or with the crimes they committed in battle; but Scitus had dared, no only had he dared, he flaunted his atrocious deed for all to see.
Another figure silently appeared beside Michelle who with a quiet spell, had healed her wounds. "We're leaving." Said he with a soft voice that displayed compassion common to him. "but what about Scitus, we need to defeat him." Rea shook his head, "I couldn't keep my promise to him, I can't in good conscious kill him knowing that I failed in my only promise to him." Rea silently looked towards Scitus who had contemptuously placed a foot upon A-suns head. "let's go, Michelle, I'll take back our kingdom back in another way. I promise." Michelle silently nodded as she departed with a teleportation spell.
"who is the leader of this army?" Scitus demanded, the second commander gathered his courage and shouted, "I am!!!" his voice almost trembled but he couldn't allow his subordinates to perceive him as weak, even when he so obviously was. Scitus scoffed and picked A-suns unconscious body off the ground and threw him towards the second commander who only barely managed to stay on his feet. "you may go and take that thing with you."
"WHAT!!!" Sia shouted, her fists clenched so tightly that she nearly bled. Sia was about to protest but Scitus responded, "I've made a promise and I'll stand by it." He telepathically responded and just as she was going to press for an answer, Scitus's answered her question but not directly, instead he finished what he was saying to the second commander. "Tell your god that Terra knows who he is. That is her message to him" Sia turned to the words upon A-suns back; in her momentary burst of anger, she had failed to recognize the delicate penmanship with which the words were written nor had she recognized the obvious signs of advance magical techniques. "a soul-brand." She muttered under her breath.
"go… and consider the rest of your army forfeit." The second commander trembled but he couldn't just leave his army, "this goes against the ru…" before he can finish Scitus shouts, "I SAID GO!!!" the earth trembled as his anger drained all the color from the second commander's face. the second commander lowered his head and fled with A-suns body leaving the army to a terrible fate.
Scitus turned towards the Siion army, as the godless quietly fled, having lost their most powerful ally and the sudden change in Scitus's demeanor.
“as for all of you…”