The air was silent and undisturbed as if the violent explosion moments earlier was just a figment of the imagination. The soldiers hoped it was just an imagination. However, the smell of burnt flesh and seared earth pushed against their denial. She understood why they didn’t want to believe. Humans, even in the face of reality, would rather deny it than accept something that terrified them. The truth was often unpleasant. The zombie the soldiers were supposed to capture and execute, had just defeated the only two people capable of protecting them.

Rana observed the cloud of ash and smoke before her. The archer was dead. She could no longer sense his subdued rage. The captain’s hostility was pronounced, the System reminded her that someone still wanted her dead. It was not unexpected. He had the Critical Defender Talent, which prevented critical damage from being done while support defending. Without the Spell landing a critical hit, she knew her attack would not kill Kai.

It didn’t matter. Her target was the archer.

However, the damage Kai suffered would not be light. Rana deliberately constructed Fool’s Fire with more mana than necessary. This made the Spell difficult to control. If she made a mistake, the Spell would either dissipate due to not being able to stabilize before completing its formation, or implode due to mana overload. The non-practiced would find themselves defenseless with a sizzled Spell, and the overzealous would find themselves without an arm. Rana was neither of them. Spells dissipating or imploding were results, and although they were usually achieved through incompetence, her mastery allowed her to use them to her advantage. For the skilled, excess mana was not a bane, it was a boon that increased the damage beyond what a level one was capable of.

Still, the ensuing fight would be difficult. A mark would not lose its power until the marked one was dead. So long as Kai’s health remained above zero, he could still fight with all his might. There was also no avoiding the fight. His archer died under his protection. There would be sorrow, there would be anger, and those emotions would be directed towards her.

Rana found it foolish. Emotions only altered the perception of reality, not truth itself. It was an excuse for the weak and lead to irrational decisions. Yet she couldn’t help but chuckle. It was thanks to an emotion that she was alive.

The sound of broken metal began to rustle within the smoke and a visage slowly rose from the ashes. Kai stomped out of the smothering grey, each step more tiring than the last. His face was bloodied and his damaged armor was soaked in an amount of blood that could only be from another. He stood and glared at the monster, his arms barely able to lift his spear and shield.

It was expected but commendable. He was beaten but not defeated. He would continue the fight and the resolve in his eyes remained strong. The same cannot be said of the others.

The clanging of dropped weapons followed by hurried footsteps escaped the square. The sight of a bloodied and injured Kai did not inspire the soldiers, it simply confirmed their fears. One of the marked one on their side was dead, and the remaining one would soon follow.

Rana wanted to chase after the fleeing soldiers, to leave no loose ends. However, a voice in her head refused to raise a blade against those who threw away their weapons. Rana smiled. It was foolish, but it was so very like her.

She dropped her sword, the ruse of being the traitor paladin was no longer needed.

Rana eyed her opponent. He was cautious, undecided on how to approach the enemy who just killed his companion. He was not blinded by his emotions, he knew that his opponent could not be taken lightly. She could not be defeated with raw grit. Still, she saw the emotion in his eyes. They were about to be unleashed and become the source of his strength. She only had but a few moments to replenish her mana and prepare. She needed something, something more than a powerful Spell, something that could shatter his conviction.

For now, she needed to buy time.

“Stop this foolishness,” Rana said. It was something she repeated many times in the past, but now, it somehow felt hollow. “I am not the enemy you speak of. I am an agent of the Church, an inquisitor of the faith, and the shield against corruption. If you raise your blade against me then you sin against humanity and impede the will of the Deity.”

“Quiet!” Kai yelled, clearly not even considering the words he head. No matter. She did not expect him to. She simply wanted to plant a small seed of doubt that could spark when needed. “You will not confuse me with your trickery!”

Kai charged. Good. He unleashed his emotion and let them guide his attack. The power behind every lance and every swipe were more ferocious than ever, yet their trajectory became easier to read. Rana was sent into battle when young. She had no shortage of experience dealing with those taller, faster, and stronger than her. Not to mention she was always her sparring partner. As Rana danced around the edges of the blade, she began to construct a runic-pattern within her body.

When the One Deity left for the heavens above, he entrusted the protection of his faith to two brothers. He gave them five rings each, every one of them carved with runes that embodied his power and authority. The older brother smelted them into the Obsidian Orb and established the paladin-sect of the Church. The younger brother created five unique Spell foundations and passed them on, one to each of his five disciples. The disciples later became the first Grand Inquisitor of each inquisitor order.

The Sapphire Order’s Spell foundation was Singularity, a school of Spells focused on absolutes and extremes. It was a dangerous school to learn and an even more dangerous one to cast. Unlike other Spells, there was no in-between and every failure lead only to the worse possible outcome. That was also why only the gifted were drafted into the Sapphire Order.

Rana wondered if it was wise. Her mark was that of a level one and her mana core was still young. She would not be able to register many Spells let alone powerful ones. Fool’s Fire was one of the more unique advanced Spells that did not have such restrictions, but the runic-pattern was still dangerous to attempt for the inexperienced. For the Singularity school, every Spell, whether basic or advanced, had very high mana core restrictions. If she were to finish constructing a runic-pattern of such a Spell, the Spell would no doubt seek to lash out.

This meant all she had to do was unleash it towards something other than her own internal organs.

The spear flew towards her skull. It was a feint. Kai slowly began to regain his composure. It was already too late. He pulled back his spear and lunged forward. Rana charged as well. The spear ripped into her side, cleaving out her innards. The chill exploded in where her liver was but she paid it no attention.

She called upon the mana within her body and weaved a tunnel of threads within her right arm. The aim had to be true. The Spell was complete but it could not hold. The violent energy shook and looked to burst open. It sought after the weakest parts of the body but mana blocked its path. There was only forward.

Rana raised her palm towards Kai’s chest. The Spell within her body shot forward, its fragile form maintained by the strings of mana she poured into its path. It was a spear of light, a thin lance of pure blue. The burst of energy punctured armor and opened a hole in the chest.

Kai slumped on his knees and the fight left his eyes.

“How,” he choked as blood began to leak from his mouth and the hole in his chest.

“If you were a marked one born one century ago, you would’ve known not to engage a Sapphire Inquisitor in melee range. Then again, if you had known we might not have needed to fight.”

“Then what was the purpose of all this bloodshed,” he mumbled before glaring at Rana in defiance. “Why must you struggle? You should know that your death was the best possible outcome for humanity!”

“There is still something I need to know,” she said after a moment of pause. She had to suppress a shiver. “I would also not allow death to claim me a second time.”

“Then what would you do now, inquisitor?” he said with a hint of spite. Then, his eyes relaxed and accepted whatever was on his mind. “Will you protect humanity again?”

Did Kai deserve the solace of a lie? Would she allow him one last mercy before his death? No. The truth should never be buried. There was no peace in falsehoods.

“I will find out why my sister betrayed humanity.”

Rana picked up a sword and stood before the dying marked one. The captain did not understand who Rana was. She rooted out corruption and protected humanity against their own darkness. However, it was only because they stood against the truth. Now, she was not so sure what the truth was.

“If the truth would lead me to stand against the world, then so be it.”

Rana then plunged the blade into Kai’s throat.