A man stood between on a hill, holding a binocular in his right hand. He was observing the fight that transpired in the mountain. As unbelievable as the fight was to others, there was no doubt in the man eyes, no trace of disbelief.

He raised his right arm and an eagle perched on it. The man caressed the eagle and touched the eagle head. His finger and the eagle eyes shone. “Now!” The bird flew from his arm.

He stood up and unsheathed the two sword hanging from his back. He turned his body to face another man who was standing behind him with an axe in hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Took you long enough Rorex.”

A blue orb stood in the middle of a dark room. It was glowing brightly a few moment before. A woman in black robe stood before the orb, worries washed over her face. She took a step back and glanced at other that was also in the room. Along with her, three was in that room.

“We must inform Damien at once, and make him contact the other master.” An old man spoke.

“I dare not interrupt him during this time.” The woman spoke.

“This matter is of the utmost importance.” The old man replied.

“Then why don’t you go Merlin?” Another woman with a green dress asked with a sly smile on her face.

“Don’t be foolish, such an action would only make him mad.” The woman answered. She sighed. “I’ll go.”

The woman left the room with a heavy heart. She stopped before a door, she hesitated for a second before it. “Master Damien.”

The room was dark, but even then she knew what was happening. The silhouette of a man surrounded by two woman.

“Master Damien.” The woman spoke again. “Master Damien! Merlin call for an urgent meeting.”

“That Damned old man!”

Damien clapped his hand and the light turned on, illuminating the luxurious penthouse. He stood up from the bed while the two naked woman beside him put his clothes on.

After he got dressed he followed the woman to the room from before. He sat on one of the chair in the room.

“What did you call me for?” Damien asked.

“Call the other master. Something happened.” Merlin, the old man answered.

“You dare order me?”

“Absolutely.”

Damien stared the old man with eyes full of animosity. He took out an orb from his pocket. It emitted a bright light. A hologram of 4 person appeared in the room.

“Damien, you call us?” One of the hologram spoke.

“No. That old man called you. Where are the other?”

“They’re busy at the moment, and thus unable to attend the sudden meeting.”

“It’s fine.” Merlin cut. “Something just happened that need all of your attention.”

Merlin touched the orb in the middle of the room. The orb showed them all the fight that happened in the mountain. The people from hologram began to talk what they saw on their own. Damien watched the fight with intrigue.

“Five legendary spirit gathered in one place. three is unknown,but the two is without a doubt Heracles and Achilles. I believe we have severely underestimated our opponent power.” Merlin spoke. “I advise for us to change our plan for the long term. What transpired tonight is naught but a glimpse of this game in the coming days.”

“Cassandra. What do you think?” Damien spoke to the woman beside him.

“I’m not sure. They’re are dangerous, but we should be extra cautious of the man in white.”

Damien let out a loud laugh. “HAHAHAHAHA! You’re prophecy is always the ridiculous one, but this? You tell us to be wary of the one that lost?”

He enjoyed the feeling of a cold hard chair in his back. He reveled at the marvelous sight before his eyes. A small fancy cup hanged from the ceiling by four large chain. Black reddish murk, a mud of otherworldly origin, a filth beyond human comprehension filled the cup and overflowed to the pool below. It never stopped pouring out and the cup never run dry nor empty. He never grown tired of it no matter how many times he watched it, no matter how long he stared at it, it always amazed him. The fruit of hundreds of years of his predecessor work.

“Laurence.” Someone called him from the hallway behind him.

Two men wearing a victorian england era garb dragged another man on the ground. The man wearing a church attire left pool of blood as he was dragged across the floor. The two men leave him in front of another man who sat on a chair.

“Please leave us alone.” Laurence spoke. The two men leave the room.

“Lau...Rence.. You..You will pay.. For your crime to the gods!” The dying man mustered all of his strength to spoke. “The bishop.. Will hear this...The pope... will hear this... He will not let you get away! The crusader, the grand crusader will come for you.. And you will have no place to hide… from the judgement of the gods.”

Laurence watched the dying man with intrigue. “I’m really waiting for that god judgement of yours, i really do. But your god and angel and fairy tale can do nothing here. This, is a godless place, a godless land.” Laurence grabbed the man by the throat and lift him off the ground. “I’ll be waiting for the crusader to come knocking at the door now.”

He threw the man off from the balcony they were on to the pool full of black mud down below. The man struggled to get away from the mud and out from the pool, but numerous hand emerged from it and dragged him below the surface. The mud seared his skin and peeled it off from his muscle. He screamed as his muscle and soft tissue melted, as his organ dissolved, and as his bone consumed by the black mud.

“Look like you’re not even worthy of being a beast.” Laurence let out a satisfied laugh.

20 KM outside the city. Amidst the snow covered forest and mountain lies a towering manor. Behind the manor a man wearing a red mantle stood in a runway, watching the mountain range in the distance. His face was stern and his gaze unbroken. A woman in suit approached him from behind. “Lord Emyr. It’s cold outside, please let me be the one waiting for him my lord.”

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“Thank you Mireille, but he is my spirit and this is my responsibility. You should look your spirit and ask him about the progress.”

“Yes my lord.” The woman bowed.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw something in the sky. A yellow dot in the night sky moving ever closer. The sound of hooves could be heard as the chariot pulled by two heavenly horses came into sight. The chariot landed on the runway. The chariot went around the runway before stopping next to Emyr.

Achilles got off from his chariot and caressed both of his horse. “Good job boys.” The chariot vanished in an extravagant burst of lighting.

“Good night Achi.” Xanthus spoke. Balius neighed.

“Good night both of you.” Achilles replied.

Xanthus and Balius trotted to the stable on their own.

“Where have you been?” Emyr questioned the man on the chariot. He wasn’t amused by his spirit action that went against his order.

“Having some fun while you are sitting idly on your chair, Emyr.” Achilles answered.

“Lord Emyr. How many times must i remind you that i’m your master?” Emyr emphasized the lord part.

“And how many times must i remind you that i run away from trojan wars because i don’t like my king at that time?”

“I don’t have time to hear your every whim. You’re no strategist, you can’t win this game unless you follow my order.”

“And you’re no warrior, you can’t win this by yourself. Hence why you summoned me.”

“You’re hard to deal as spirit goes.”

“And you’re no fun. Like, at all.”

“Just return to your room. We discuss this matter in the morning… I look away this time, but i won’t forgive you next time something like this happen.”

Mireille entered the outbuilding and took a elevator to a place several meter underground. When the door opened, bright light assaulted her vision. She waited a few second for her eyes to adjust before walking down the seemingly endless white room. Hundreds of row of clay soldier she had passed and a hundred more waiting. Chariots, horses, siege machine, weapon, all made of clay and stone lined in that room.

“Ah! Mireille, my favorite retainer. What brought you to come here?” A chinese man with fancy clothing sat on a stone throne at the end of the room. She kneeled.

“My lord Qin. Lord Emyr wanted to see the result.”

“Don’t be so formal with me Mireille. You should enjoy life more.” Qin raised the glass of wine in his hand.

“I’m afraid i can’t do that my lord. I have no need for such luxury. I live only to serve.”

“Emyr is lucky man to have a subordinate like you. And i’m a lucky spirit to have made a contract with someone like you.”

“Your word flatter me my lord.”

“Well as you can see it’s almost complete. It should be ready in about a week time.” Qin placed his wine on the table and stood from his throne. “For now let’s test it. I myself never control a number this many, but there should be no problem.”

Qin raised his hand. In that instant the countless clay soldier within that room all turned their body to face him. They all moved in a perfect harmony at the same time, something that no matter how much a human trained could never achieve.

“They are ready Mireille. Ready for the war to come.”

“Rose, where is the location?” He asked. She couldn’t hear him well because of the wind buzzing in her ears.

“What?”

“God you’re heavy as hell!”

“HEY! I’m not heavy!”

“Oh, now you hear me loud and clear. Where is the place?”

“We go to the SkyRise tower apartment. There is a huge sign on the rooftops, you won’t miss it. It’s also Friede apartment, Rein should be there.” She answered.“Aldwin, do you know Lucifer?”

“Not really. I do know his real identity however. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just seems strange. Lucifer, a demon from bible to be summoned.”

“Well Rose, every legend, story, myth, and folklore hide some truth and real life experience here and there. Every legend has its source somewhere in this world. In the past there exist someone whose action inspired the jewish and christian to write him off as a demon in their bible.”

“And that person is?”

“Nebuchadnezzar the second, the morning star, the king of Babylon. Though i’m still confused to why he fight with his bare hand and martial arts. He is famous for being a great strategist and a great architect, but not for being a fighter. It would make much more sense if he was a mage.”

“Maybe the truth differ from the history we know.”

“Rose..”

“What?”

He stopped on the roof of a house and let Rose down.

“There.” He pointed one building in the distance. A building that was consumed by smoke and flame, hidden amongst other tall building.

“Hang tight again.”

He lift Rose again and jumped from the roof. Soon, they reached the building in front of the apartment. Police, Firefighter, and medical personnel filled the street. The fire had consumed most of the upper level of the building.

“What did you do Rein?” She asked herself.

“OY! Acturus!” Someone called them. Rose looked behind her and found Herman calling her from the next building. His face showed that he wasn’t happy to met her.

“Herman, where is Rein?!” She asked from far. Herman responded with a hand sign.

“Rein!” She shouted when she saw him. Rein was taking care of Elis who was sitting next to him. “I know where Friede is, come with me quick.” She pulled his hand. “You too Elis.”

They ran to the station Doll told her. The station was closed due to a recent incident. They broke in and immediately searched for her while Hector and Herman stood watch outside the station.

When they broke in, a vomit inducing stench assaulted their nose. Rose remembered it clearly, the same smell of rotting flesh. Remembering what happened to the girl from the day before, she quicken her pace and dashed in front of everyone. Rein, Elis and Aldwin followed her closely.

Just as she expected the subway station was filled with dog abomination just like the previous station.

She chanted a spell, but before she could finish it, the dog’s head exploded in torrent of blood. She was confused at first then she realize that Elis was with them. She didn’t ponder it for long. It didn’t matter how Elis could blew their head off, there was something that she need to take care of first.

‘Storage room, storage room, storage room.’ She thought about it over and over as she searched the station. She stopped when she saw a white storage room door.

She grabbed the handle, but it didn’t budge. She tried to pry it it open, but it was futile. She wanted to blew the door, but she was unsure if it would hurt Friede.

“Friede! It’s me Rose! Open up!” There was no answer.

“Move!” Aldwin spoke behind her and grabbed the handle. He pulled the door off its frame.

Rose body shivered. “Friede!” She screamed as she saw what inside.

Friede was there in the storage room. She was crouching down with her whole body trembled and covered by blood. Her hand covered most of her face but leaving both of her blank eyes visible. Beside Friede was a dead dog. Its head pierced by a broken broom.

“Friede! Friede! Look at me!” Rose shook Friede shoulder. There was no reaction at all.

“Friede!” Rein showed up.

“Re...Rein?” Friede replied with an almost inaudible voice. Seeing that Friede reacted to him, Rose move aside.

“Thanks god you’re alright.” Rein hugged Friede in his arm. Tears of relief flowed down from his eyes. “I’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry for everything.”

“Rein..” She spoke again. She sobbed and wept in his arm.

Rein kissed her forehead and caressed her hair. “It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m here now. Everything is going to be alright. I’m going to protect you. ”

Rose stood up and walked outside the storage room, giving them time. “Aldwin, search for the the one who did this!” She ordered.

“Rose, look at that.” Aldwin pointed at a body on the floor. It was a woman, her limbs were ripped apart from her body. She knew who the woman was, it was Angela, the master of the dogs and a spirit from the devil faction that she fought yesterday.

“Who did that?”

“I don’t know. Her body was already there when we came here. Someone must have came here before us. ”

Rose returned to Rein and tapped his shoulder. “Rein, we should get out from here. It’s not safe.”

Rein wiped the tear of his face. “Yeah. Thank you Rose.”