After Cecilia’s scream, the army left the higher ground and rode to meet the Worshipers. They planned to run down them.

And it worked. At first.

In the confusion after the explosions, the enemy had lost over half their numbers and was caught off guard. When the army came riding towards them, they had no idea what to do.

But soon they reorganized. Instead of moving away from the places of the explosions, they moved even closer.

They don’t just rely on their brutal strength, Tetsuko realized as they got closer.

With all the debris and holes here and there, it was hard for the horses to run at full speed.

And there was something the army had not predicted; the Worshipers were using the debris as weapons, throwing boulders bigger than a human’s torso at a tremendous speed.

“Shit!” Alonso shouted and pulled the reins to make his horse stop. A dead soldier had been thrown at the Lord and almost got him.

The closest Worshipers didn’t waste the chance and leapt towards him.

Yes! Yes!

Tetsuko was waiting for that. From the moment they came running down the hill, she had been making her Celeste flow faster inside her.

Alonso swung her against the Worshipers and they didn’t even bother to block.

They were sliced in half before they noticed and died.

Though it was only a little, Tetsuko absorbed some of their energy, feeling it rush inside her metal body.

That demonic energy is amazing! What a rush!

And that was only a little… No wonder they’re so strong.

I want more…

Another Worshiper leapt towards Alonso, who swung Tetsuko to defend himself. This time, however, the woman blocked with her arms and her energy.

Though the blade cut one arm and dug deep into the other, it wasn’t enough to stop her impulse and she crashed against the Lord.

Alonso fell from the horse with the woman on top of him.

“You’ll die in the name of the True God!” she shouted, trying to crush his throat with her remaining hand. “Filthy who dare to hurt the Vessels of the True God!”

Thanks to the wound, her arms had lost almost all strength, and even Alonso could hold the woman with only one hand.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The blood flowing from the cut, dripping on the Lord’s face, was.

He closed the mouth shut and turned his head away.

Even so, the blood was too close.

The woman took advantage of that and pressed him.

I won’t let you. Tetsuko made her energy circle insider her. Just like the weapons she helped create, her metal body vibrated.

The edge, still stuck at the Worshiper’s arm, began digging deeper, scraping flesh and blood until it hit bone.

The woman shouted and tried to get rid of the sword by swinging the arm.

The blade cut of the rest of the arm.

More blood fell on the Lord.

She clenched her jaw to stop the scream.

Even while lying on the ground and pinned by her, Alonso threw all his weight to the side, bringing the sword down on the woman, slicing her from shoulder to shoulder.

He got rid of her and cleaned the blood from his face, spitting.

Tetsuko concentrated on her wielder.

It’s okay. I don’t sense the demonic energy inside you, she projected her thoughts to him.

Nodding, he stood up. Even if they had the numerical advantage, the enemy was pressing them.

Alonso didn’t even have time to clean the blood from Tetsuko; two more worshipers, a child, and a man, were leaping in his direction.

He swung Tetsuko when they were within her reach.

Even before her edge touched them, the soul in the sword realized; the child was different from all the others so far.

Dodge!

Still in the middle of the attack, Alonso stopped the sword in midair and rolled to the side.

The Worshipers still tried to get him, but the Lord was safe. As they landed on the ground and turned, the child’s hands left scars on the bare stone.

What’s that?

Both the child’s hands were covered with a thin layer of dark green almost visible skin.

No… That’s not skin… It’s energy… That boy can solidify his demonic energy, Tetsuko realized, her metal body growing cold. He’s stronger than the others so far… He’s one of the priests…

Tetsuko had no reaction.

It didn’t matter if the enemy was a child. If that boy wanted to kill her wielder, she wouldn’t hesitate if Alonso had to kill him.

The Worshipers turned and leapt towards the Lord again.

Alonso dodged the child and blocked the man.

Tetsuko tried to focus her energy, but before she had time, the other was already attacking.

We can’t deal with those two at the same time!

She could tell Alonso knew that. But there was nothing her wielder could do other than fight for his life.

It’s up to me.

Tetsuko flowed her energy, speeding it up. Her body vibrated in reaction.

Alonso didn’t even glance at her as he sliced the man.

Now we can focus on the boy.

“You’re Alonso,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“How do you know me?”

“The Grand Priest told us about you. How you and Diogo are servants of the Demon who sits at the throne. Who does everything he can to stop the True Gods from coming back,” he said in an eerie voice that didn’t match his age. “But our Gods are benevolent. They offered Diogo salvation, despite everything he has done against them. But that filthy man rejected the Gods’ gift and die.”

No!

With his face livid, Alonso charged.

Crap! I need to work fast!

As he swung her towards the boy, she flowed her Celeste.

Before her edge touched the boy, it was vibrating.

But it was for naught.

No way… That’s not possible…

Even if it was before her eyes, Tetsuko couldn’t believe.

The boy had stopped her blade with his bare hand.

He didn’t even grab her or held between his palms. He simply raised the hand.

My edge failed to slice the Worshiper’s solidified energy…

Alonso looked as surprised as his sword.

The boy flashed a smile.

“Don’t worry. You’ll receive the Gods’ gift as well. Even if you don’t deserve.”

Alonso leapt backward, holding Tetsuko with both hands. Even he was trembling slightly.

He stopped my edge… Even if I couldn’t cut before, I managed to scratch them at least…

But this boy…

The rage, pride and thrilled filled her soul.

I’ll cut him no matter what! I’m the strongest sword in this world!

She focused all her feelings inside her.

If vibrating cannot penetrate that solidified energy…

Tetsuko didn’t just flow her Celeste like usual.

I need to be even sharper. The sharpest I’ve ever be.

She flowed her energy faster. Then she folded it.

As the Celeste circled faster and faster inside her, she folded it as if making a Japanese sword

Concentrate… Faster… thinner… sharper… To cut through anyone and anything.

She folded and folded her energy.

Even though she had no body, she was sensing the fatigue.

Even though she had no lungs, she had trouble to breathe.

It doesn’t matter!

Fold the Celeste even more!

Ever since she fought a Worshiper for the first time, she had been thinking about what to do when facing something she couldn’t cut. And that was her answer.

There’s nothing in this world I can’t cut!

Alonso!

Her wielder listened to her and charged, swinging her.

The boy smile and raised the hand again to block.

Tetsuko’s edge met his solidified energy.

The energies repelled each other, neither one caving.

The soul in the sword made her Celeste flow even faster, folding again and again.

There’s nothing in this world I can’t cut!

As her shout echoed in her soul, her edge sliced through the solidified energy.

The boy didn’t even have time to shout as Tetsuko ended his life.

So that… was… a priest… and there’s still… the High… and the Grand priests…

As Tetsuko’s energy slowed down, she could feel the demonic energy entered her. But she had no time to analyze that. Not now…

As Alonso caught his breath, the battled continued everywhere around him.

The noble cleared the sweat and dirt from this forehead and ran to the closest enemy.