Death, a fear for one, and a desire for another,

What makes the two people different? They both, after all, are human.

You know, one day someone once said to me,

"The reality of our humanity: Life is a lie in which we live,

And death is the truth we fear to seek,

As unconsciously, inside our minds and hearts, we know,

After death, we will be no more."

So think once again, life a beautiful lie,

And death a brutal reality.

“I AM A MAN WHO DESIRES DEATH”

Being pushed back by Hermeson, Ramon found himself buried under the rubble. With a grunt, he pushed aside the large rocks and rose to his feet, blood streaming down his face from his forehead, his arms limp and unresponsive.

In silence, they faced each other, Ramon's gaze unwavering despite the blood dripping from his wounds.

Menes, seeing all his soldiers facing hardship nearly about to stand on the doorstep of defeat and some on the doorstep of death, raised his sword and let out a commanding voice. “Nefer and Amara Kadesh, stop this war. Avoid fighting us and be safe. Don’t kill our people and be protected. But if you do not, then the consequences are yours alone to bear. For I bring you men who desire DEATH.”

Nefer, the commander of the Nebu, sat atop his horse, his expression inscrutable. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "And what, exactly, are you trying to accomplish, Menes? It is clear that we have the upper hand."

Suddenly, from the depths of the cave, emerged a woman, her presence commanding attention. Her voice rang out like thunder, echoing through the air with authority. "Menes, you are a true fool," she declared. Dressed in black armour, her eyes glowed with an intense green hue, and her black hair flowed freely from beneath her helmet. She was Amara Kadesh, the formidable leader of the Nebu.

Nefer got off his horse and slowly began walking to Menes as his soldiers soon cleared a pathway for him, slowly forming a human ring around the two commanders. Menes and Nefer were about to begin their fighting.

Ramon stood still in front of Hermeson, silent as they both looked at each other while the soldiers in the battlefield raged on. Ramon broke the silence. "Why did you agree to lose your humanity?"

Hermeson replied, "I protect family. My."

On the verge of crying, Ramon held back his tears as he looked down at the ground. However, despite his efforts, some drops escaped.

Hermeson looked at Ramon as if something clicked in his mind—an old memory from the past. On a hilltop overlooking the City of Saharan, he sat with a woman, his wife. She clung to his hands, holding them tight as nightfall rose and the stars came out, the sun drowned at the edge of the sand dunes.

Then, in a sudden change of atmosphere, he saw himself holding the same hand of his wife. There she laid on his legs, she placed her hand on his face and cried tears smiling while she slowly bled, the soldiers running around creating a storm of dust. Hermeson looked up in the sky and cried; his wife spoke. "I Love You."

Soon, in a room, his wife laid on the bed, lucky enough to recover from her injuries. She woke up smiling as she looked at Hermeson besides her. He made a promise to her while holding her hands tightly, uttering, "I will protect you no matter what."

His wife replied, "I will fight on till the Both of us Can Die together."

His wife was injured, and her recovery required money. Thus, Hermeson took the offer to turn into The Beast so that his wife can live a long Life Which he couldn't offer her while being with her. (His Wife was Injured in one of the attacks which the Anubis conducted on the Nebu)

Hearing Ramon say, "I too want to protect people. I'm sorry, but after I do this, you won't be able to protect anyone."

Ramon held tightly to his sword and spread out his right hand, getting ready to use his power. He commanded, "Dark Energy, Dark Knight."

From behind him, dark armour engulfed Ramon. His face, head, hands, legs—his whole body was covered in darkness, except his eyes, his sword became longer and wider. His aura exuded danger.

Ramon went in for an attack on Hermeson. The rubble around him flew in all directions due to the sheer force of his lunge towards the beast. Hermeson used his Kanabo as the two different weapons clashed, creating a force field pushing back all the soldiers around them without even making contact. The sheer force of the clash was overwhelming.

Kamil, eyes wide open, his mouth dry, worried, "Oh Ramon, I hope you're okay."

Memnon, who was fatigued by the soldiers who kept coming back to life, was letting out a river of sweat. He looked at Ramon and joked, "I never knew he had such power. It's destructive. No wonder the commander didn't let him use it."

Nefer, seeing that Hermeson was having a hard time fighting Ramon, understood that soon, if he didn't make a remarkable move, the battle would turn in Favor of the Royal Army.

Hermeson's defence was broken by Ramon as his sword pushed the Kanabo making it fly away behind him. Ramon lifted his sword in front of Hermeson, planning to land his final blow.

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"Hermeson, I hope I was wrong," Ramon spoke as he cried, still looking down at the ground. He called his attack,

"Sword of Justice,"

slashing Hermeson in half and the battlefield as well. The dark slash killed anyone in its way, mainly the Nebu soldiers, and hit the mountain behind the army, almost cutting it in half.

Nefer and Amara Kadesh looked in shock as Hermeson was killed by Ramon. All the soldiers of the Royal Army looked on in shock as Ramon lifted his sword high in the sky. He uttered, "I am a man who desires death."

The wind picked up as the sun reached its zenith, painting the sky a vibrant blue reminiscent of the ocean. In the vast desert below, a solitary bird soared freely, casting shadows over a city of shattered homes and shattered souls. Inside one of these homes sat a woman, cloaked and weary, her gaze fixed on the birds that danced above.

Passing by, an elderly man paused to address her curiosity. "What captures your attention up there?" he inquired.

With a smile, the woman responded simply, "The birds."

"Ah, I see," nodded the old man, joining her in observing the sky. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he ventured another question. "Has Hermeson gone with the army?"

"Yes, but I believe he'll return," she assured him.

The old man, his expression softened with concern, offered his assistance. "If you ever need help or funds for your treatment, don't hesitate to ask. Hermeson left some with me."

With a gentle nod, the old man resumed his journey down the endless road ahead. Still smiling but perplexed, the woman watched him go, thoughts swirling in her mind. "I know you'll come back, Hermeson. You made a promise, and I'll keep mine," she silently vowed.

As he halted once more, the old man gazed at the sky with sorrowful eyes. "Hermeson, why didn't you disclose the truth—that you've lost your humanity?" A tear trickled down his weathered cheek, his gaze drifting to a fallen bird nearby.

The battlefield was filled with cheers from his comrades. Menes looked at Nefer and let out an evil smirk. "So, Nefer, you still think it's going to go well for you?"

Nefer’s face was filled with rage, his nerves on the verge of escaping his head. "Alright then, I guess I need to go all out," he declared, spreading his hands wide. "Name Enslavement Level 4: KING!" Nefer commanded, the wind slowly raging and rising in speed. The Nebu soldiers around Nefer began to have their eyes turn red, as if Nefer 's red aura was escaping like spider's legs, grabbing, and attaching onto the soldiers, making them puppets under his control.

"KING NEFER commands you to kill MENES!" he shouted, the soldiers under his manipulation now advancing towards Menes. Menes could feel a sense of danger as the soldiers' aura oddly changed, appearing stronger. It was as if Nefer was sending them his strength, using them as puppets to fight Menes and avoid getting injured.

Meanwhile, Amara Kadesh also used her power. Her ability allowed her to send messages to large groups of people, and she commanded her soldiers to all meet near the middle, filling the gaps they left in their defence. It was as if her voice echoed from the heavens, reaching only her soldiers' minds.

The puppet soldiers began their attack on Menes, clashing swords with him. However, this time, Menes was the one getting pushed back. As Menes slid backward, his mind raced to find a solution to beat Nefer. "It's as if he is the one fighting me; he channels his soul to the different bodies of the soldiers he controls. Even if I kill one soldier, he'll just escape to another one's body, leading me to kill an innocent soul," Menes spoke in his mind, frustration evident in his voice.

sighing heavily, his frustration boiling over. "Damn you, Nefer. You know I'm not trying to kill any of these Nebu soldiers, but you're trying to make me do it".

The soldiers kept attacking Menes, but he refused to kill them, opting instead to push them back. "Damn, these two still haven't showed up. I swear I'm going to kill them today," Menes thought, frustration evident in his mind.

Breathing heavily after trying not to kill the puppet soldiers, Menes wiped the sweat from his forehead. He smiled confidently. "Absolute," he commanded, lifting his hand in the air. "Defeat," he declared, dropping his hand. The soldiers around Menes quickly went unconscious, his aura of pure black darkness enveloping them. Even the puppet soldiers succumbed, their weak souls rendered blank.

"So, Nefer, your power isn't so great after all. You are no king. You do not own these people; you simply manipulate them. You're a master manipulator, and today, I'll make sure to remind you of the true king—God, the master of humanity," Menes proclaimed with conviction.

On the other hand, Kasib knelt on the ground, his sword engraved in it. His hands felt rough, as if he had lifted a thousand rocks, as he clung to his sword for support, his breath heavy yet slow. Colos twisted his neck jaggedly to the side and uttered, "I heard from inside the cave that you want to be a true warrior. So, human, is this it? A true warrior? What a shame. You are truly worthless. True warrior? Crap. I guess I should just end it here for you. I don't want to waste any more time." Colos lifted his hand, transforming it into a sharp blade.

Kasib shouted to Colos, "Damn you! Damn you, beast! I refuse! REFUSE to die like this! This won't be my end! I won't let it be!"

As Colos slashed, the force of the cut raced towards Kasib...

In his mind, facing death, Kasib lived in a reality of his own. A voice from behind called out, "KASIB," gently as it placed its hand on his shoulder. The attack which Colos sent towards Kasib stopped as if time itself had halted.

Kasib looked to his shoulder—it was his father, Rahekhet. Tears poured down Kasib's eyes as he spoke in a child's voice, "Father."

Rahekhet spoke, "Kasib, my child, don't cry. I'll be here for you every time until you become a true warrior. Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."

Pausing for a moment, Rahekhet continued, "It's true, a true warrior doesn't need a sword. His presence alone brings about change. But how does one get the title of a warrior? Well, it's hypocritical; this world is too. See, I was never a true warrior when I was young, hailed as one of the strongest. I used my sword to slay my enemies, protect the ones I loved, cherish my family, friends. However, there once came a point in my life where this all changed— that pivotal moment was you, Kasib."

Shocked, Kasib looked at his father in confusion. "Kasib, the day you were born, I placed my sword down. People never wanted to fight me as soon as they heard my name; they wouldn't. From that day, I decided to give it up, all of it. The advice I come to give you here is that use the sword as a tool to be a warrior, but don't become the sword itself because only those who can abandon the sword can understand what it means to be a TRUE WARRIOR. And remember, kiddo," Rahekhet smiled, "the day when you do become a true warrior, you'll see me smiling just like this at you."

Soon, the figure of his father started to disappear, and the confusion which Kasib once held was cleared. It was as if the fog which lingered about his father was lifted.

Kasib looked up at the sky as the tears continued to drop from his eyes, etching themselves inside his clothes, spreading as if a tissue was wet and soaked.

Soon, time started to flow normally again, and Colos's attack slowly came towards Kasib. He wiped his tears with his hands, transforming into a man as he dodged Colos's attack by moving to the side. Pulling his sword out of the ground, with a lumpy body, he stood again to fight with his spirit high.

"Huh, human, you still don't die. I guess my attacks won't get to you. However, I will," Colos smiled with an evil grin as he teleported in an instant behind Kasib, smacking him down onto the ground. Kasib passed out due to the sheer force of the attack.

Letting out a huge sigh, Colos spoke, "You bore me, human. Well, I guess there is only one way to end it for you. If I leave you here alone, then you'll come back to bite me. I'll just bite now." He smiled as he picked up Kasib's body, opening his mouth and placed him inside, swallowing Kasib like a snake eating its prey. The soldiers on the battlefield looked in shock, distracted by Colos's inhumane act.