「Melas Main Castle – Before midnight」

CLANG!

The sound of clashing metal rang across the area, accompanied by the sound of broken walls and the battlecry of two warriors. Bjarni swung his battleaxe like a madman, yet in the midst of his wrathful flurries of attacks lied the precision of a battlemaster. His opponent could realize that after exchanging blows with the devilman. Despite the various openings for a counter-attack, the human general could not simply forgo his defence lest he fell prey to the bulky demon's battleaxe.

"Perish!"

Once again, Origen got blowned away. His shield was the only thing standing between his life and his opponent's axe. Fighting Bjarni was like fighting a bull, he just couldn't fight them head lest he got crushed by their overwhelming strength. It was too bad for him that unlike his earlier opponent, Origen's imposing figure wasn't suitable for nimble movements like Lapidoth. However, that was irrelevant. Origen has his own fighting style, he didn't have to dodge any attacks. As long as he has his shield up, he could block anything, anything.

-Orgahh!

Origen charged. All his strength had been channeled into his shield. Rather than merely taking hits, Origen started actively bashing his shield at Bjarni. Sometime he used the shield to block, others for attacking. His iron mace looked like a mere decoration rather than the weapon it was intended. With his shield, Origen started taking back the momentum from the old demon. Blow by blow, his shield pushed through Bjarni's attacks, which culminated into a final shield bash from Origen.

-Eat this!

Origen's shield glowed, it was shrouded in a holy light. Origen concentrated his soul energy into one powerful attack, the same attack he used on Lapidoth earlier. The moment Bjarni's battleaxe met his shield once again, he released all the energy stored inside the shield and forced it out at the opponent. The attack connected, Bjarni got blown away, but unlike Lapidoth earlier, he held his own and stood strong with his feet. The attack earlier only lengthened the distance between the two of them, rather than deciding the battle like the fight with Lapidoth earlier.

-Nice shield you got there.

The old demon suddenly spoke, all while a small trail of blood dripped down his mouth. Not only that, there were also blood flowing through his gaunlets and armor. The attack did work and wound Origen, but it appeared it simply wasn't enough to take this old demon down for good.

-Can't believe I live long enough to witness 「Evalach, Shield of Unyelding Will」 in action. For you to have one of the 「Hundred Regalias」 in your possession, I guess that is to be expected from a Paladin of Luminis.

The black paladin seemed surprised. He didn't expect his opponent was capable of using the human language to communicate with him like this, let alone knowing about his blessed shield.

-You are very fluent in human language. I certainly doesn't expect that from a fellow musclehead. And to think you even know of the Hundred Regalias.

-Well, I had my fair share of service back in the previous war. Uhahahah! We got hit by all kind of divine weapons your kind could gathered. I never saw your shield before, but I had heard of it. The red cross on your shield told me everything I need. The divine shield only those with an unbendable will can wield, Evalach.

Bjarni laughed, even when blood didn't stop flowing from his mouth. Not a very pretty sight.

-A fellow war veteran, I see. I never expect you to be this knowledgeable. Truly you can't judge a man with the first look alone.

Origen paused, before continuing.

-How did you find out my location, old demon?

Bjarni's sudden appearance earlier still bothered Origen's train of thought. If they were in the mood for a conversation, then why not?

-The explosions, they brought me and my men here. The first one alerted us of something was wrong when we were in the middle of patrolling the castle, the second pinpointed us the exact location of where it was happening. And then, you know the rest. Luckily, I managed to save my student before you delivered the killing strike. Enough youth have died for the bickers of old men like us.

Earlier, at the start of the war, Bjarni heard reports of Origen marching at the North-East ward of the castle, which was later revealed to be a feint attack, led by someone wearing Origen's armor to throw the demon's ranks into confusion. Thankfully, his student, Deborah Draconis, brought an end to the feint attack, according to the intel. But that still left the question of "Where's the real Origen?", which brought him into the castle patrol team, and led him to this fight.

-So, you're a teacher? Tell me, demon. How does it feel razing towns and villages, slaughtering the innocents…all in the name of your nation? If you even have a conscience in your heart, why would you want to let the youth of your kind subject to those same feelings?

The old demon fell silent. He won't deny the nasty things the demonkind did back when they were still the invaders of the human's lands. But…

-That's why I'm here, away from the battlefield and the glory it entails, to teach the young not to blindly obey for something like 'the good of the Demon Realm'. Enough sins had been commited from the foolishness of our generation. I don't want to create another generation of mindless killers. I want my students to be warriors who can do the right thing their heart tell them. I believe in them, and will happily wager my life for the future they will bring!

Even when wounded, Bjarni's voice was still as firm as ever befitting a teacher who trained numerous warriors for their Realm.

-I see.

The black man could only nod in respect.

-But how about you? Paladin. Why do you continue to serve your God and go so far as to plunge yourself and your army to the heart of our land? As far as I know, Paladins were given a divine weapon from one of the Hundred Regalias when they swore eternal fealty for Lielos. But a shield can hardly be called a 'weapon', don't you think?

Origen suddenly burst out a laugh, which could be heard even by his soldiers fighting for their life against Bjarni's men.

-My race have nothing to do with this. Instead of putting my faith in God, I'd rather put my faith in my men instead. My faith in them is why I am here, to crush your kind's ambition! And their faith in me is why they are here, to make our wish for this war's end come true! Your kind's ambition will not bear fruit as long as there is still breath in my body!

-So you knew of our future offensive plan…Which is why you took the intiative and attacked us first…

Bjarni's experession darkened. His eyes were full of killing intent.

-I am sorry to say this, but you will not leave here alive…

Bjarni suddenly dropped his battleaxe down. He moved his blood covered arm, and used all his remaining strength to smash the brown crystal on his forehead, his last resort. He might not showing it, but Bjarni had already got beaten by Origen. The attack earlier had wounded some of his internal organs, severely weakened him, but still not enough to put his life into danger. He actually 'could' continue to put up a fight, or use his remaining strength to escape. But he couldn't do that, not after knowing Origen's intention. Which is why…he willingly chose to continue to fight until his death.

-You…you're mad! What you're attempting to do will lead you to a fate worse than death!

Origen shouted. It was rare for him to lose his composure like this. But his rare anxiousness was entirely justifiable.

What the old demon attempted to do was to reawaken his ancient devil form, sealed inside the crystal of his forehead ever since the moment of his birth. The dark energies stored inside when broken would break free from the crystal, they would cover his body, transmogrified him into his true form more befitting to be called a 'demon'…

-That is a small price…I am willing to pay…

…But the cost for that was the complete destruction of the old human-like body and mind of the devilman. Bjarni was essentially submitting to destroy himself to the very core, for the power to kill Origen before the human could fulfill his own wish.

-Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The old demon screamed. The dark energies from his forehead had already transformed his arms to that of a gigantic beast. He fell to the ground and could only scream in agony as his body lost traces of his human-like form. His armor got broken by the sudden increase of body mass and size. Soon, Bjarni would cease to exist, he would be replaced by the beast of his true self, that of an ancient devil.

-Demon, tell me your name…before I end your misery. At the very least, give me the honor of knowing the name of the one putting his life on the line trying to stop me.

Said Origen. The man had his shield and mace up, but he didn't strike the demon as he was transforming to a stronger and more beastial form. It was a practical move in theory, ending a threat before it started, but such action would soil not only his honor as a paladin, but also as a human being.

-My name…is Bjarni…Lodbrok of the great Demon Realm! Remember that…!

The last trace of his human features was gone. Bjarni Lodbrok turned into a huge quadrupedal humongous monster with two huge black horns on his head. He broke the above floor from his emergence alone. Under the moonlight, his thick brown skin was revealed, along with the black mane on his head and talons from his limbs. The mighty beast roared, a roar which soared into the sky.

In a record about ancient demons which Origen once read, this type of demon was called 「Behemoth, King of Beasts」. One of the strongest known form of an ancient devil. And that mighty beast was standing before him, roaring at him with all his might, to complete the wish of an old demon who had perished from this world.

'I'm sorry…Brenna…Seems like your dad can't go home this year again…'

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「Melas Magic Department – Past midnight」

What was once a normal hallway of the prestigious Melas's Magic Department had now been reduced to mere rubbles. It looked just like a storm had passed by, in the form of a great battle between man and monster. In the middle of the hall, there lied the body of a monstrous beast, but it was no longer in condition to move or breath. The beast formerly known as Bjarni Lodbrok was dead, killed by his adversary, Paladin Origen. He had prevailed, once again.

But not without a cost…

-Damn…it's stuck…

In the mouth of the dead beast was Origen's right arm, stuck inside along with his mace. Its mouth was shut tight, with its teeth pierced through the flesh of Origen's arm as a final act of defiance, or maybe, it was acting on the last will of Bjarni Lodbrok. Either way, even with his strength, he couldn't get his arm out of the beast's mouth intact.

-You sure did quite a number on me…Bjarni Lodbrok…

Origen knew his arm was finished. It would still be useless even if a miracle happened and he got his arm out. He shouldn't let an arm weight him down, as his arm was not the only wound he received during the rampage between him and the Behemoth from the main castle to his own destination, the Magic Department building. In his torso was the mark of a claw, it was not severe, but in the long run the bleeding wound would sap out his stamina, preventing him from completing his mission.

Origen could not afford to waste more time like this.

-General!

A sound came from somewhere. Before Origen could make his move, one of his soldier arrived to the scene. Seemed to be the only soldier left after fighting Bjarni's own men. Origen sighed, he certainly didn't expect things would turn out this way, even when he knew his forces would have a hard time fighting in the heart of the enemy.

-General…your arm!

As his soldier rushed to his side, Origen used his remaining left arm, equipped with his shield Evalach, to stop the soldier from interfering.

-You don't need to exert yourself, soldier…I got this…

With his left arm, Origen actived the shield's blade mode. Using the edge of his shield, Origen deliverd a clean cut to saw off his arm. He used enough force to make the process quick, but it certainly wasn't painless.

-Shit!

The man cussed as his blood flew out from what remained of his former right arm. With a combination of fatigue and blood loss, even a mighty man like Origen had to fall to his knees.

-General!

The soldier quickly took off the the protection gear on his right arm and ripped a piece of cloth from the sleeve of his shirt to mend his general's wound. Using the makeshift gauze, the young soldier somehow stopped the bleeding, but a piece of cloth alone couldn't help his general escape from the gaze of death. He quickly performed several healing spells in consecutive, almost to the point exhausting himself.

His work however paid off. Soon, Origen regained his consciousness as he started talking again.

-For a simple soldier…you really know how to save people from death…

The black man smiled.

-When we volunteered for this mission, we made sure to pick someone who can at least heal the others.

The soldier answerd, which was met by a laugh from Origen.

-Ha ha…right, there's that…That demon sure hit me hard enough.

Before the soldier could do anything, Origen continued.

-We should get out of this place, the demons will soon arrive at this mess. Can you give me a hand, soldier? As you can see, I'm lacking one…

The general seemed amused, his soldier however was not. The success of this suicide mission rested on this man alone, the soldier couldn't simply laugh it off when Origen was this heavily wounded.

-Now I think I know how you get along with that mercenary, enough to let him wear your armor as a bait.

The young soldier helped Origen standing up, acting as another hand to replace the one that was lost.

-I checked the map. We are already in the Magic Department. The chosen location is just nearby. So please, hang in there, general Origen.

-Right, I'll be counting on you to help get me there, then…

With the help of the young soldier, Origen walked out of the area…leaving a trail of blood behind his track. The wound in his stomach wasn't as severe as the wound in his arm, but the bleeding was still enough to leave a trail on the ground. Both of them knew this, but they were too pressed for time to reach their destination to do anything about it.

Eventually, they got into a classroom for magic study. The young soldier let his general lied his back to a wall. He quickly took off Origen's body armor to tend to the wound on his stomach and patched it up with the cloth from his remaining sleeve. As this point, Origen's life was no longer in danger, but for him to actually finish the mission with this state…the young soldier started to lose faith.

-Hey, soldier…

With his eyes closed as he lay resting, Origen spoke.

-Have you ever slept with a girl?

The soldier fell silent. Certainly he didn't expect that topic in a middle of life and death situation like this.

-Err…no Sir…I got drafted before I can even chase after girls…

Origen suddenly burst out a laugh.

-Hahahaha! I see…what a pity…

After he had calmed down, Origen continued.

-Do you know that Paladins have to take a vow to remain chaste if they wish to be in service of God?

-Yes, I have heard about it.

The soldier answerd. Origen paused before speaking the punchline.

-You see, soldier…the day before I took my vow, I blew every penny I earned as a soldier in booze and brothels. Hahahaha, good times, good times.

This sudden revelation was certainly shocking for a common soldier like him. The young man didn't know there existed a side like this in his respected general.

-I'm surprised the Church didn't find out about your little secret.

-Well, to all the bar owners and madams in the world, a would-be Paladin was the last thing they'd expect when a Lutumian crashed their place with a bag of coins. For them, all Lutumian are the same, they just thought I am a mere soldier on a break and blew all of my hard earned cash to sastify my human vices. Such prejudice was why I accepted to become a Paladin in the first place, to try to make a difference.

-I see.

The soldier answered. Lutumian was a discriminated race in all across Uestos continent in the East. They were discriminated because of their unnatural origin that gave them their trademark black skin. But, despite being a Lutumian, Origen was one of the most beloved General on this battlefront, if not the most beloved. The whole reason why this siege of Melas could happen was because of the five thousand soldiers who heeded his call for arms. Origen was why they were here, he was why they believed they could make the price of their treachery bear fruits.

-Well, I surely don't miss those money. For a Lutumian without any living relatives left, money means shit if I can fill my stomach everyday, which was also one of the reason why I became a Paladin when I got chosen. Haha, I might not have any choice in becoming a soldier, but I had one when I chose to be in the service of God.

The black man turned to his soldier as he spoke.

-Back then, the war we had was a war to fend off invaders, it was our duty to be called for the defense of our motherland. But to you younglings, you don't have a choice in being drafted for a war of invasion. We old men robbed you of your chance for happiness. At your age, you should be chasing skirts and drinking booze, not spending time tending a half-dead old soldier like me. It might be already too late, but I'm sorry for bringing you into this whole mess…

The soldier fell silent. He didn't know how to react, or how to properly answer his general. It sounded like the words of someone approaching the door of death, but the soldier didn't want his general to die, he has to live, to complete the mission, and return to his soldiers who were waiting for him. Which was why…

-It's not your fault, general Origen.

The soldier replied.

-We might not had a choice when being drafted for war, but to come here in the heart of the enemy, for the mission to take over Melas castle, that was the choice we soldiers made, because of you, General. We know to abandon our orders from the higher ups was practically treason, but we too wanted to make a difference. We are here to protect our home from the demon threats, not to stand under the snow as mere chess pieces waiting to be played. Which is why we believed in you, Origen, when you called out for us to help your cause.

The soldier clenched his fists as he continued.

-This isn't time for you to feel remorse, General. We still have a mission to do, and our hope to complete it lies on your shoulders, General Origen. And I'll help you with every power I have. We will see this to the end! I promise you!

Origen opened his eyes and gazed at the young soldier. He had his iron helmet on, but Origen could already feel the face of a young man with an iron resolve. 'So this is the strength of youth', thought Origen. He had been way too old to have that kind of strength inside of him, but even with the loss of his arm, he surely wouldn't let the younglings surprass him, not yet.

The black man had a fulfilled smile on his face. In the chance that he dies in this battle, if this world still has youths like him, then maybe humanity wasn't hopeless after all.

-Soldier, what's your name?

Asked Origen. The soldier proudly saluted as he introduces himself.

-Sir! My full name is Ettore Albero, Sir!

-Ettore, is it? You would make a very fine general in the future.

-I'm flattered, sir!

Origen laughed.

-Haha, don't be so formal like that. I don't like it when people get too formal with me. Anyways, you are right, we still have a mission to do. So I'll give you an order: Let me rest for a bit, and in the meantime, go get what our informant has in store for us.

-Yes sir! I'll check it right away, Sir!

As the soldier accepted his order, he rushed away from Origen's side to the far corner of this classroom.

-Damn kid, I told him not to be formal. Haha…

Origen muttered to himself as he allowed himself the pleasure to have a peace of mind. Meanwhile, the young soldier, Ettore, approached a stone gargoyle inside the classroom. Under its feets was a piece of paper, carefully hidden from sight, but only enough to reveal itself for those who knew it was there. As the soldier acquired the piece of paper, he returned to the side of his general and read the content with the help of the moonlight above.

-According to this paper, the location we need to go is…