As my vengeance was finally over, I felt something within me vanish. I felt clearer, and I could finally think more effectively and base my actions more on reason, rather than emotion. With the infinite hatred that never ceased to stop swelling up inside of me, I could barely hold on to rational thought and cling onto my sanity.

Now, however, that hatred within me has decreased dramatically, and it is only a mere hatred for corrupted mortals as a whole, rather than everything I set my eyes upon. Ever since I died and became the Herald of Death, my mind has opened up to a perspective outlooking life as a whole. I no longer judge people individually, I judge all living beings as a whole. I see the evil in the world, and how uneffective they've been at destroying it.

My mind is almost instantaneously calmed, and I now see things clearer than crystal. Within me, an arrogance is born, and I proudly stand tall at what I am, who I am. I am immortal.

My brethren easily fended off the oncoming guards, slaughtering most of them, until I tell them to stop.

I see through their eyes, the surviving guards that were not prepared to die yet, shaking their swords in their hands. When they cease their attack, they stand there scared and confused, until I speak through one of the undead.

"Mortals, this city belongs to us. All resistance will be dealt with by death. Lay down your weapons and surrender, or we will take them from your corpse."

"M-monsters! Of course we won't surrender, you'll kill us all if we do! Don't believe it, the Hall of Order paladins are in this very city! They'll save us all, defend the people until they arrive!"

A guard with a hammer carved into the center of his chestplate and shoulderguards screams at his peers, kicks one of the still-shaken guards towards me, and sprints in the other direction, dropping all of his weapons as he does so. His words and actions contradict each other so much, my impression of humanity tumbles down when I believed it couldn't be any lower. I, with the undead in my control, brandish the skeletal sword above me, and hurl it towards the fleeing coward. It penetrates the back of his skull, and comes out through his mouth, killing him instantly.

His body plops onto the floor, blood surrounding his corpse which is only 5 meters away from where he first ran from.

"Surrender."

Tink*

The guards drop their weapons, and I relinquish control of the undead. I prepare to order the rest of the undead surrounding me to go into every house, and wake up all those who aren't already awake. I give them the orders in my mind.

On my command, go into every inn, hall, and trade area, and if they resist, kill them.

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They will bring them into the heart of the inner district, the Hall of Order, when I command them to.

The undead that I ordered await my command and stay near the houses and buildings of the inner and outer districts. One of my brethren could take on 5 or more guards, so I didn't fear any of the opposing forces. I spread them out within the inner and outer districts, and they covered a quarter of the outer district, and more than half of the inner. Once I was finished with the evil that is the Hall of Order, I would command the rest of my brethren to take care of the townsfolk as well.

I began adopting the outlook of a superior race, which I am, and walked majestically towards the heart of the Inner District. My forces were already upon the entrance, the entrance guards that tried to reprimand me earlier already lost their lives and absorbed to make the undead stronger. When it was clear, they formed two lines uniformly to my left and right, wielding their swords facing the air, their bodies facing me.

Creak*

I walked to the gate, and it slowly opened.

An army of elite knights with a cross insignia adorning their shields greeted me. They stood in a phalanx, their sharp swords seemingly shining even without sunlight in the dark of the night. Their silver armor stood like the sun as the torches of inside the Hall bounced off of them. Templars. I recognized them with a glance.

They were the elite knights under the command of the Paladins, and were the Holy Temple's silver, if the paladins were their gold.

One of them stood in the front, wielding a golden sword that gleamed in from the moonlight and torch surrounding him. He wore no helmet, unlike the rest, and wore golden armor. His blonde hair flew as a wind breezed through the opposing force. His blue eyes held an unyielding defiance as they attempted to peer through me.

However, as his eyes laid upon me, his face contorted for a brief moment.

"I have seen many creatures of darkness and have slain many demons, monsters, but you are the first of your kind. You have slaughtered the innocent, and you dare transgress the lands of humanity! For that, you will be vanquished, by the power of Helios!"

The men behind him roar a battle cry.

"You appear to be the leader of these skeletal fiends, so I will destroy you first! If you have the capacity to think, mongrel, I challenge you to a duel!"

I appeared unmoved, but inside, I was flabbergasted at how much this fool could speak. I thought he would charge his forces right in after seeing my form, but instead of immediately attacking and using the element of surprise, the fool instead offers me to a duel. It seems he takes the herald of death as something not within the range of a threat.

My red flames burn as I glare at the fool. I begin to walk towards him, my forces surrounding my left, right, and also being behind me as I enter the entrance. I speak to him with disdain in my voice.

"What is your name, boy."

He grips the handle of his blade with intensity as his face turns into a scowl.

"You dare address me with contempt, a mere fiend?! I am Antonius, the 3-star templar of the Hall of Order! I am the commander of this legion, and you dare take me for a coward?! I WILL SLAY YOU HERE AND NOW!"

It seems this mortal has anger issues. I laugh hysterically inside at how easily the fool could be manipulated as he charges straight towards me. His forces don't even flinch, it seems they are used to his behavior, but surprisingly they trust in his abilities. I capture a smirk underneath one of the templar's helmets.