Lionheart, Lionheart, Lionheart… why? I’ve lived for so long… I’ve died so many times, and yet her name is the one thing I’ve never forgotten even once. I know what I did to her, and the consequences it had. It was all my fault, so why is her name bothering me? I feel anger every time I hear it, my fist clenches at the sound of her voice; this resentment I simply do not understand.
I did my homework after the… incident I caused at her village. She was born in 917, only three years after me. I told Yeon about it, I insisted in meeting her, in granting her the spectral gear I once thought about giving to Sebastian. He carries the same name, and yet I see, feel, hear, and remember nothing.
I just can’t let it go, am I obsessed? And when exactly did it start? I doubt I was someone who would grow interest on a human for any reason, but her name is something I chose to engrave in my head a long time ago, never bothering in asking why.
It’s a long road for salvation, I can’t access paradise on my own without being torn to shreds by Gladea’s powers, and Ninigi already knows who I am. I’m confident the only reason he didn’t kill me back then was because of his peaceful nature, knights like him wouldn’t touch a hair on a human’s head even if it saved their lives.
Lionheart… Did I make the right call? I put my faith in this girl I know nothing about but her name, or maybe I knew more and now I just can’t remember. The deed is done either way, I have many promises to keep, and an oath to carry. This white flower in my hand is a symbol of that, and this gravestone in front of me a reminder of it.
Lionheart, Lionheart, Lionheart… I chose not to forget your name, but I also chose to forget why.
Floating City of Paradise, Human’s District: 936, May 14th, Monday, 11:30 AM.
“Where the hell am I?” Claire trotted across the ruins of the human district, which had been transformed into a horrific battlefield as both gladean knights and specters fought for control of the floating island.
She panted moderately while avoiding the eyes of the demons and the knights, her spectral gear remained dormant while recharging its energy. In her arms, she carefully held the broken bronze sword—covered under a piece of cloth. As the clash of steel continued to thunder across the island, the lieutenant hid herself behind rotten trees, broken walls, and small craters on the ground—utilizing the environment as cover.
“So many specters, but…” she kneeled behind a pile of rubble, slightly peeking over it.
Large hordes of specters continued to climb the walls into the district, crawling down the sturdy structure, or flopping down towards the ground. It felt like a scene ripped out from the movies she used to watch at home, with the knights gradually gaining the upper hand as the fight drew out.
“Are you lost?” a dark voice—heavy as a brick, caught the lieutenant off guard from behind.
She jumped back on her feet, and quickly turned to face the man. The gigantic stature of the man instinctively drew out a gasp from Claire’s lips, slowly lifting her head upwards just to set her eyes on his face.
“What…” the lieutenant was lost for words, noticing the scars and wounds that decorated the giant’s body.
His clothes were slightly tattered, his large fingers wrapped around a heavy Warhammer of azure color. “I remember you…” he said. “The girl from the meeting, the one Euthemia talked to me about.”
“King date?” Claire’s mind said in shock. “How is he here? Where is this place?”
A strange sensation suddenly overtook the lieutenant, as the dormant twin pistols slumbering in their holsters abruptly awakened—glowing brightly with a crimson light. The feeling was subtle, but Claire understood the ominous cries of her own gear.
“Those weapons… give them to me.” King demanded with a dead tone—extending his hand slightly towards her.
Claire took a step back, keeping her eyes fixed on the giant. Her right hand intuitively moved towards her pistol—keeping the bronze sword safe with the other behind her back. King remained stoic and motionless in front of her however, planted like a tree on the ground with his hand extended forward.
“I’m not looking to kill you.” he claimed. “I am simply trying to help you. We are Gladea’s knights, it is in our blood to protect humanity.”
Unsure on how to proceed, Claire remained quiet for a couple of seconds—her unblinking eyes desperately trying to study the giant’s movements. King however, would simply not move from his position—prompting Claire to make the first move.
“Tch!” she clicked her tongue before breaking into a sprint in the opposite direction.
Despite their weakened state, a fraction of the spectral gears’ power had already gathered on the pistols, enough for Claire to call upon her spectral bike—which thankfully answered the call, materializing under her and carrying her away from King.
The motorcycle roared furiously as Claire drifted across the battlefield, drawing the attention of a couple of quadruped specters on the way. The four-legged creatures chased behind her in a frenzy, they slammed their feet on the ground with every hasty step—plunging their sharp claws on the dirt. Their crimson eyes glowed fiercely, as well as the burning fissures running through their black exoskeleton. Their head was shaped like a reptile’s, giving them the appearance of small dragons.
“Monitors…” Claire muttered as she looked over her shoulder, extending her arm towards the demonic lizards with her pistol at the ready.
Four banging sounds echoed throughout Paradise, each shot from Claire’s weapon connecting with perfect accuracy. One of the specters tripped during its chase, as the crimson projectiles bore two large holes in between its eyes—causing it to roll off violently through the dirt. The second demon was shot on its snout and one eye—staggering it slightly. Its fierce determination and instinct to kill however, served as enough stimulation for it to continue with its hunt.
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“Uh?” the lieutenant took her eyes off the demonic lizard. She lowered her head to look at her motorcycle, noticing the rattling noise afflicting the gear. “Damnit…”
The four-legged creature began to catch up with Claire as she raced through the human’s district, avoiding piles of rubble, the occupied knights, and the horde of specters in her way—drifting from right to left while taking shots at the relentless demon. Realizing her gear wouldn’t be able to sustain to pressure any longer, the lieutenant shifted directions towards a desolated area and pulled down the breaks slowly—stopping suddenly near the outer wall.
Close to its prey, the specter leaped at Claire with its front legs stretch towards her. Anticipating the demon’s attack, the lieutenant plunged herself to the side and into the ground—avoiding the sharps claws of her opponent. She absorbed the impact with her arm and rolled away to land in one knee, mostly unscathed by the fall.
“Breakfast is not ready,” she said, spinning her pistol in hand before extending her arm towards the beast.
Landing back on its legs, the specter drifted on the dirt—elevating a cloud of dust—and propelled itself towards Claire once more. Before taking a shot at the creature however, the lieutenant reminded herself of the lizard’s weak points—which she studied thoroughly during her time at the academy. She threw herself backwards—lying with her back flat on the ground—and quickly pulled the trigger as soon as the creature crossed her sight.
The perfectly timed bullet penetrated the specter’s stomach from below, sinking itself in the glowing sphere at its center—shattering the core in a single shot. The lizard’s motionless body bounced off the ground a couple of times before vanishing into embers, leaving no trial behind.
“Sovereign,” Claire placed one finger in her earpiece. “Respond, dammit…” she snarled desperately, knowing well her gear wouldn’t last for too long. “I don’t know where I am, but—”
A massive hand suddenly enveloped the entirety of her head, lifting her feet off the ground with no effort. The sudden shock of the action performed against her, caused Claire to drop the bronze sword and her pistol on the ground—pressing her fingers on the enormous palm that covered her face. She trashed around desperately while kicking the giant holding her up, slamming her fists on his hand—a fruitless effort against the superhuman strength of her adversary.
“Do not resist,” King said calmly.
Claire felt shivers run down her spine as her body was lifted even higher, continuing to punch and kick frantically against the knight. Inside the darkness that was King’s hand, she was suddenly struck by the blinding light of the sun hitting her face—feeling herself plummet against the dirt at full force.
“Agh!” Claire’s back was slammed against the ground—knocking the air out of her lungs, and blurring her vision.
The mere strength of the impact staggered her with a burning sensation, running across her entire body. Blood flowed down her nostrils, as King’s grip had broken her nose. She started to cough loudly while gasping for air, rolling to the side into her stomach.
“Gh…” Claire breathed, looking down at the red stained dirt—noticing the stream of blood coursing down from inside her mouth.
“Forgive me,” King apologized with a small bow. “I forget how fragile humans can be. I will not forget again.”
The giant then kneeled down before extending his arm towards the pistol lying on the ground, drawn by the fading crimson light from within it. His skin barely caressed the spectral gear when a powerful ignition shocked his body, causing a violent convulsion in his body. King took his hand off the pistol immediately, stumbling backwards and back on his feet.
“It is his…” the knight whispered—redirecting his gaze towards Claire. “You, girl… how can you wield this power?”
The lieutenant ignored the knight’s question, dragging herself further away as she groaned in pain. A shrilling scream suddenly escaped her lips, feeling the monstrous weight of the giant pressing down on her back. King had placed his foot down on Claire to restrain her movement, crouching down on one knee.
“How are you able to control it?” he asked.
“Gh… let go…” Claire was able to muster—feeling her spine fracture slowly under the man’s weight.
King reached for her arm, wrapping his fingers around her elbow without uttering a single word. She felt the pressure of the giant’s boot breaking her back, and the grip on her elbow growing tighter with every breath.
“Was this the exile’s spawn, girl? Is he in any way involved with Specter?”
“I… I don’t know what you are talking ab—”
The shrilling cries escaping her mouth abruptly interrupted her sentence, feeling her arm bent in the wrong direction as King continued to apply pressure on her elbow. No amount of training could’ve prepared her for the pain that coursed through her body, comparing her situation to being trapped in between a hydraulic press as it slowly pushed down on her. Splitting sounds continuously reached Claire’s ears the further her arm bent, like a frozen lake which ice began to crack under the pressure of someone’s feet.
“His name is Sovereign, girl. Is he involved?”
Claire’s heart pounded aggressively inside her chest. She panted heavily and with quivering breaths, restrained completely under the giant. She redirected her eyes towards the other pistol, secured in its holster under her arm. The plan was of no use however, as her free arm would not respond to her command—paralyzed by a piercing sensation.
King applied further pressure, putting more of his weight down on Claire. “I don’t want to harm you,” he claimed.
“Then… don’t.” Claire was barely able to respond, forcing the words out of her mouth with a gasp.
“You are no knight… no specter, how can you wield his power with a body so fragile?” King continued. “How did you get your hands on these weapons, girl?”
Even Claire didn’t know the answer to the man’s question, she was simply given the spectral gear shortly after graduation—training and learning on how to use properly over time.
Paradise was still being invaded by the specters, and it was only a matter of time before Atalanta—who King left behind to fend off the hordes of demons—would find him again. Knowing this, King applied a sudden burst of pressure on the lieutenant’s elbow—enough to snap her arm with a popping sound.
“…!” The amount of pain caused by her arm bending out of place, was too large and sudden for her brain to comprehend immediately—taking the lieutenant a few seconds to process what had just occurred to her.
Her body relaxed for a couple of seconds, feeling the giant’s weight lifting off her back. It did not take long for the pain of her broken arm to settle in however, carefully leading her other hand towards the afflicted limb. She did not scream, squirmed, or even spoke a word; Claire rolled to her side to face the blue sky above—holding her arm with one hand. Her eyes remained wide open with shock, shivering alongside her heavy breaths.
“Forgive me,” King told her. “But I’ve lived for too long… enough to learn that humans refuse the help they need… when they so desperately need it.” He explained. “You may disagree with me now, but my goal is to create a world which knows nothing but peace. Where humans will be protected for all eternity… all under the wings of the order.”
“…” The lieutenant clenched her jaw tightly, holding back the tears that so desperately wanted to roll down her cheeks. “Agh… gh…” she forced her mouth open, but was incapable of producing coherent words.
“Maybe there’s nothing special about you,” the giant knight blocked her vision of the fluffy clouds above—stomping in front of her. “Or maybe there is… either way, your sacrifice will never be forgotten, and I thank you for your assistance in ending this war. Rejoice, for you too will live forever under Gladea’s care.”
END OF CHAPTER