The well-armed monstrosity quickly gets back up on its feet, roaring furiously at me as it brandishes its two weapons.

Remembering the two cowering maidens behind me, I steel myself, ready to take the brunt of its attack, knowing how strong these things are as they displayed their strength earlier by launching me to a wall with the use of brute strength.

briefly thinking back before I rushed recklessly to their front. The two sisters shrieked in fear, the older one seemed to cover Rhiannon with her back. I firmly place my weapon in front of me, looking intently as I face this unknown fiend with doubt slowly growing from inside me.

-Show them your true power, Gram. I will lend you my strength once again, as I always will. Now, believe in your prowess, and trust in my power.

A voice resonates from the inside of my head, filling me with a strange sense of determination and optimism. That alone was enough to empower me.

I feel my body become lighter and more agile than usual. Time seems to slows down when I focus and suppress my breathing. It felt like I could just slice through my enemy's blade as if it were paper.

I could see the reflection of my face on the flat surface of my blade.

My left eye flared with a pure white light, replacing the usual image that I expected, an eye with pupils, a cornea and such. But rather than being disturbed, I feel quite calm, as if I've seen this before, making it seem quite normal.

-The mark in your eye is one of many different other marks that I may give. Each one is a testament of my Identity. You now possess my true insight; a power my left eye can bestow upon my masters.

Before the enemy in front of me could make another attack, this time with its right idle arm. I twist my body counterclockwise, kicking it away with enough force to launch it outside from the inn's door.

Instantly, my mind hatched an idea. Moving without my consent, I throw my sword towards an enemy that Fiol is up against.

The monster pinning Fiol down with its weight and overbearingly large sword is whisked away by my sword as it glides forward, cutting away the air, almost ignoring it in a sense.

It nails the monster to the thick wooden wall of the inn. Fiol takes this chance, impaling the creature all the way through with his prized longsword until the being, silences, breathing no more.

I hold my empty palm in front of the sword, and it starts vibrating, then flying back to my hand as if tied to a rope.

Luke handles his foe as soon as Fiol defeats his, singlehandedly taking it down with his vast variety of skills alone. The creature lies down on the wooden floor, breathless and adorned with a sword stuck to its head.

Luke pulls his sword out, speaking normally as if nothing severe had happened.

"Your orders my king?"

His words bring me back to reality, reminding me of the ensuing destruction happening outside as well. The strange beings we had encountered here inside the Inn are most likely running rampant outside as well.

"Luke, can I put you in charge of keeping these strange beings at bay? Rally the entire garrison and take only volunteers to drive back the enemy from the town, but do not force any battles that you cannot win. Retreat if you think the situation is dire. I will be taking charge of things in the governor's office."

"By your word, it will be done."

Luke leaves with a dutiful farewell, sheathing his sword as he exits through the doorless entrance. I now turn to face Fiol, stretching his entire body as he had accumulated a few scratches, but nothing too serious for him to worry about.

"Fiol, please work on securing the civilians and keeping them safe. Do not fight back the enemy just yet. The unrest of the remaining soldiers here will destroy our remaining morale, and forcing them to fight will collapse it entirely. Get them to the governor's building and secure the area. Call for the commander and the fastest horse in the village, I request his presence."

Fiol leaves with great swiftness, moving my plan into action. I then bring my attention to the cowering sisters, embraced by Deliah. It would be bad to ruin their time together, but the situation is growing dire with each second passing. When the earth near us shakes, It signals that another monster had landed in the town.

I beckon to the family, Deliah calms them down, slowly bringing them closer to me.

"Come, I will keep you three safe. I did not let Fiol take you just yet because I had other plans for him to take care of. Meanwhile, I will ensure your safety. Follow me."

They do not speak, instead, they nod, following my obediently as fear gripped their mouths into submission. Their minds are unable to process these sudden turn of events.

Monsters said to only exist in dreams and fables now in front of them, intent on taking all human life around them, so it is only natural for them to react like this.

We exit the battered inn through the front entrance. Outside, the town that I thought to be peaceful and nearly empty had now fallen into a state of anarchy. People wearing ordinary garbs with no protection or armor, infests the streets.

They screamed and shouted for help, yet even the soldiers are at a loss for words. The garrison, falling like flies against the superior and vicious monstrosities.

The sky was turning a faded velvet red, despite it being morning. The dark smoke coming from the volcano covered the majority of the sky, painting the clouds dark, blocking out all hope for prayers to come through.

The air felt unpleasant, many houses were destroyed, structures were being burned to the ground.

Monsters, the same ones we fought inside, were terrorizing the populace, bloodying the streets with velvet liquid, purging humans like livestock.

The sisters behind me are forced to cover their eyes as they witness the acts unfolding in front of them. People dying at the hands of these monsters, helpless and praying for a miracle.

I grit my teeth as I am unable to do anything at all but stare at their pitiful state. If I dare leave Deliah and her daughters, then they would for sure die at the hands of the many monsters roaming the area in search of fresh victims.

I now think back on my words, realizing that I had given Luke somewhat of a tall order. Even Luke by himself struggled with one, including me and Fiol.

Now imagine the ordinary soldier going up against a monster he had never seen before in his life, haunting the poor soul as a recurring nightmare, except you're awake to experience it, unable to wake up as this is reality.

The results would be drastically different nevertheless.

Shaking the terrible notion in my mind, we ran towards the path leading to the governor's building, the rally point I had designated for everyone to gather.

It took longer than expected as I had to fight a monster every step of the way, forcing me to fight while thinking of the ones I have to defend. Even monsters who fight alone are more than enough against a platoon of ordinary soldiers. The only edge I have was my sword's power of vanquishing these beings, easing my difficulties even for a little bit.

"My king, please help us!"

A group of soldiers desperately yelling for help come running towards us. They are being chased by a small band of deathly monsters out for their blood. They have abandoned their arms and are defenseless.

To their dismay, the monsters, possessing inhuman abilities quickly catch up to them, taking one down with a sword straight through his neck, then another, gored from the front with a spear, hoisted up like a flag as the man's blood pours out from his wound and mouth. He moves his mouth, trying to speak "P, plea, please he, hel..." his voice trails out from there.

The last one becomes petrified. He looks like a young boy, maybe the same age as I am. He sits on the ground, failing with each attempt at getting up. The three group of monsters slowly inch towards him as he cries for help, his tears flooding out. The moment our eyes meet was the very moment that I questioned who I truly was.

Closing my eyes, we continue forth as I could do nothing for them. The only thing I could do was hear his screams for help and agony as he was being ripped apart by the soulless monsters. That was the only reprieve I could give them, hearing their last words, but that was it.

I grip my blade as we continue to walk, feeling that I could shatter the hilt at any moment due to the constant anger that clouds my mind and heart. ("Give me more of your power! I will save my people from this despair. I will not let them endure much longer, now please, lend me all of your strength,")

-I know how strong you are. I know what you are capable of, and what you are not able to accomplish. But believe me, you are not ready as of yet.

("What do you mean? I don't understand. If you've already given me a memento of your true embodiment, then that must mean that I am ready to inherit it all. Am I not worthy enough? I cannot bear to watch my people die. I know I can do much more, but my own feelings of doubt cloud me. Even with these powers, there is this feeling inside me still making me feel human. Does being human mean that you are weak, or are you strong, strong enough to stay sane as human in this world where you are forced to watch your kin die?")

-Control yourself, Gram. This is not like you. Remain calm and composed. I will admit that I know nothing about being human. I do not know the nature of which you empathize with the dead for we divine beings enter a cycle of rebirth. But mindlessly exhuming rage will only blind you to the truth. You must learn to accept it no matter the outcome, lest you want rage to take over you entirely.

("Then tell me, why will you not lend me all of what your power can offer? Although I am ashamed that they call me king, yet I depend on you too much, but tell me, why.")

-This is all I can grant you. Any more given to an ordinary mortal like you will destroy your body. You do not have the capacity to inherit any more of my power. This is the extent of what you are able to handle, that is if you still wish to live.

I can grant you all my power, but you will not last long. You will remain for an hour at best if I were to give you my power. Then you would burn out and die. But then who will save Fafnir? Is this not the reason as to why you came here to brave the gates of hell?

I go silent at the disembodied voice of my sword. The debate clearly show who won from my lack of words. Still firmly believing that he is my brother, my resolve hardens. There can be no doubt.

Suddenly being taken back to reality by a high pitch feminine voice, my sights focus on the familiar structure in front of me.

We've made it to the governor's building. And as I thought, my premonition was correct.

A band of desperate soldiers, trying their best at staving off the oncoming horde of monsters barraging the area. And on the forefront is Luke, fighting multiple beings by himself, clearly having difficulty from the looks of it as a line of blood runs on his cheek and various parts of his body.

Truth be told, this is the first time I had ever seen Luke backed into a corner. Never had I thought that I would see that day.

But surveying the area more, I see large numbers of civilians huddling in fear, peeking through the windows and doors of the building, terrified of the battle taking place.

The building is nearly surrounded, not by the bodies of deceased soldiers and civilians, but the monsters that initiated this purge of Rydia.

What was once a quaint and quiet little town has now become a stage for a massacre.

"We can't approach the building this way. What can we do?"

I ask myself a question that I know I will not have an answer to. Yet the message seems to come through to the others as they reply.

"I don't think it's even safe for us to be in there, considering that the place is surrounded."

They're right, what should I do?

-Show your superiority as king.

("What do you mean?")

-You inherited my blade from your father. It means that he believes that you can surpass him. I will assure the safety of your companions by safeguarding them. You have thirty minutes worth of time before the guard disappears. What do you think of my proposition?

("If you can keep them safe, then I can go all out. I will hold nothing back this time. So I will accept it.")

-As I expected. Begin when you are ready. The guard will emerge when you leave their side.

I face the family of three, looking at them with a slight smile, remembering my duty to my people. I must show them my worth as king. no weakness will make me stray from that.

"Wait here. I will try and do something about this. Rest assured that you will be safe. Believe in me..."

And with a cliche' parting, I head on out, drawing my sword as I run towards the slowly swelling ranks of decayed warriors. I feeling that burning sensation from my left eye, the insight starts to form, empowering me in a strange way.

I rush forward, but not before turning around and hearing the voices of the three people I was in charge of guarding. They look terrified to be away from me; their eyes wander everywhere in search of monsters that might come for them at a moment's notice.

I use the power of 'true insight' I have been given. From my left eye I could see a white translucent barrier surrounding them like a dome.

Assured that they are protected just as the voice in my head had told me, I flung myself into battle. The increasing ranks of warriors barricade the entrance to the building, blocking us out.

They take notice of me, rushing with their weapons drawn. The numbers of the enemy are vast, innumerable. Though I tremble at first, I hold my ground. The soldiers fighting the main front have been relieved as most of their foes now have their attentions on me.

I think deeply, synchronizing my mind with the sword as if it were a part of my body.

It then begins to glow white, blinding and dazzling. The power being emitted surges through me, whereas the monsters rushing me begin to slow their pace, hesitating from what it looks like.

My insight grows, and I could see faint images of the enemy approaching, but their faded images tells of a fake one. It seems that I could now predict their movements, to an extent.

Strafe right, slice, block to the right with my sword and slice diagonally downwards then back the same way in quick succession. I read their movements, and in that sense, I countered every one of theirs with my own, decimating them all.

Despite my efforts of thinning them out, it is as if they never dwindled in the first place. Instead, their numbers grew in an instant.

Reaching Luke, breathing and grasping for air as he finishes off another one of the warriors with a clean strike through the chest.

"We cannot keep them here forever! We will be overrun no matter what we do. What are your orders?"

Luke yells out his words as the shouting of the monsters block out our own voices.

It takes me a while to think. The constant battles are disturbing my train of thought. I can count forty soldiers at best, mostly wounded, but still standing. The populace holed up inside the building must number up to more than that of the soldiers. More than we could handle at this state.

"Where is Fiol?"

"After escorting the civilians here, he went somewhere and has not come back yet."

As we think about him, a voice similar to his is being yelled out from behind us.

I turn to face the direction of the voice. And there appears Fiol, cradling someone in his arms, wrapped in a white linen cloth.

He comes running towards us, his sword is sheathed. He'll end up attacked if comes up running to the ranks of soldiers.

"Hold the line, Luke. I will make an opening for Fiol."

I take his nod as a silent approval, and with that, I once again draw my sword and approach the oncoming horde of monsters.

~

After what seems to be hours of fighting, everyone had grown exhausted. Most of the soldiers had died already, and the building that houses the citizens are almost overrun. The only thing keeping them safe is us three and a few others.

I've already taken Rhiannon and her family inside the building as there is no other choice left for them after the barrier had waned.

My plan to send the commander to the capital city for reinforcements had been foiled as the monsters filled the entire acre of land that Rydia calls its boundaries.

Soon the rest of the country will be overrun, then the entire world. And we're the only ones here that can stop it. We have the highest chance of stopping this.

We are surrounded. It was taken as a godsend instead of an opportunity when they stopped moving. They eyed us over as they were surrounding us. Now that we've been corralled, the only thing left for them to do is to attack with their sheer numbers.

Fiol and Luke are protecting two positions each, while I stand in front of the doorway, awaiting their attack.

Though exhausted, I don't have much choice but to fight back. My eyes can't see clearly, becoming foggy due to fatigue. My body wobbling all over, but only slightly as I exert control over my body with all the remaining energy I have left.

From behind me I hear a voice. Gentle, but trembling nonetheless.

"We have decided. Please let Rhiannon live. We have accpted our fate, and we will stay here."

"... Don't decide for me Deliah. Haven't you forgotten that I am your king, and that I will save you all from this?"

"Look at yourself, you're tired. The only thing left for you to do is to fight or lie down and wait for them to take your life. There is nothing else that can be done. You are a just a man, similar to us. We cannot hope to force unreasonable things unto you. Sometimes people forget that you are royalty second, but you are first a human."

My sword arm falters at their words. I take a look at the people gathered behind me. Most of them are adults, but there are young men and women, including the elderly.

They look at the loving pair of sisters. Rhiannon, kneeling on the floor, tightly clamping onto her sister, protesting to let her go. Though her face is buried in her sister's chest, the faint sound of crying could still be heard.

Their eyes might be enough to flood me with emotions. Their smiles feel forced, yet they want to let someone else live. What can I do in this situation? I don't want things to turn out this way. I won't let it...

"Don't worry my king. You can repay us by saving the rest of the world. That would be a far greater accomplishment than saving us folk from the countryside, isn't that right?"

It was as if your heart was being torn from you. I could not even find the words to say anything. What she said carried everyone's words with them, making it even harder to argue further.

("I'm only human, huh? No, that's not the case...")

-Gram, awaken from your daze. There is not much time left. What your own people say is true. The only way you'll be able to fulfill your purpose is to let the young girl escape, and leave the townspeople here to reach the volcano.

You are too tired to even fight. This has become too dire and too desperate of an attempt.

Interrupting our conversation, the volcano begins to rumble once more.

The only thought in my head was that, there would be more of these monsters emerging from that volcano.

But no, my sight betrays me. Instead of what I expected, the vent of the volcano releases a large amount of smoke. The interior should be flaring a red color, but instead it flares out a pure blue color, reminding me of someone possessing a flame that bright, but more beautiful.

The warriors around now become restless, brandishing their weapons in the air, looking ready to end this once and for all.

Time is running short, and the decision must soon be taken.

But, what should I do?

Should I let everyone else here die, and let Rhiannon escape to the capital. Or do I fight till the end, protecting my people until my arms give.

But, It can't end here. We have not even reached the volcano yet. Our purpose of coming here is to end the threat that plagues this world. Will we still be able to accomplish it, or will all that be a dream...