Waking up to screaming, gunshots, and your bodyguard shaking you awake isn’t the best way to wake up. “My lord you need to get up! The Enemy is pressing Ivan hard. We need your help!” As the sleep was quickly dispelled from my eyes, and my mind caught up ro what was happening the severity of the situation hit me.

I saw Ivan firing into the crowd of pseudo romans killing at least three with every burst of fire. I turned my head to Hadrian and gave him his orders, “Protect the nanite Matrix while I help Ivan.” He nodded as I ran to where Ivan was holding the line against the shield wall. “Ivan! Stand back, I'm about to cast a spell!”

With no more that a nod he backed off from the seemingly endless shield wall as I gathered all the mana I could from both myself and the surrounding area. “Zerstörung, Tod, Vernichtung und göttlicher Zorn.”

As the first part of the spell was enacted I could see the slightest hesitation from the shield that while still being pelted by fire from Ivan and Hadrian, could most clearly see the spell circles that were starting to surround me.

“Ein Magier, der aus Gott und Fleisch geboren wurde, ruft euch von jenseits der Leere.” More and more spell circles start to circle around me while also growing in size at the same time. I can see that the enemy soldiers are actually starting to stop their constant march forward. While they may not understand the rifles my body guards carry they can understand magic it seems.

“Zerstöre Minenfeinde mit den Feuern der zwölften Schicht von Hades. Zerstöre Minenfeinde mit den Feuern der zwölften Schicht von Hades. Ich sage noch einmal: Zerstöre meine Feinde mit dem Feuer der Hades!” With the last words of the spell enacted sparks, then small lips of a silver flame start to gather around me until with a last burst of will and magic the spell finishes.

All that comes from the other side of the gigantic fireball that formed in front of me were the screams of dying men, and horses. I stood for a second as the spell even when finished continued to drain the magic out of me to continue to spread and grow even larger than it already was.

Then I cut off the magic of the spell and tightened my control of the flames and slowly snuffed them out as my body continued to try and give out on me as the exhaustion hit me again from such a large expenditure of raw power.

While I was doing that Ivan came up from behind me and held me up as I continued to regain control of the raging inferno I had released. Finally after over thirteen-minutes, but what felt like hours of exerting my will over the flames I had snuffed them out. “You did well milord you should take a second to rest.”

As Ivans voice came from behind me I simply nodded and sat on the ground and checked to make sure my barriers that protected me from divine tampering were still up and strong. Thankfully they were, though even now those parasites that called themselves god continued to try and find cracks in it.

Ha good luck with that I got the knowledge of a civilization that had fought and killed gods before, they weren’t getting through a shield based on their magic. Waving Ivan over I had him help me up as I felt the exhaustion start to leave me and my magic reserves start to refill.

“Ivan can your armor’s systems pick up any more life signs from where I cast the spell?” I decided to go ahead and ask him the question that was on my mind from the beginning. “Yes milord there are some faint life signs scattered around that are slowly dying out.” With a nod I motioned for him to take me to the scene of the battle.

“Point me towards the most active life sign Ivan I’m not going to make them suffer more than they already have from the fire.” With a small grunt of affirmation we walked over to a body that was very badly burned on his left side with some more minor burns on his right.

I could hear the moans of pain as I walked up to him and sat by his side. “If you can hear me I’m sorry for what I had to do to you, I'll make sure to be quick.” With a flick of my wrist and light application of my limited magic the dirt from into a basic knife.

Right as I was about to shove the knife through his chest his eyes snapped open and looked on in horror as the blade came down. Then there was a light squelch as his eyes opened wide and he looked at me as the light left his eyes. The worst part of it all was I could feel the ball of energy that was his soul not go to heaven or float free to join some mysterious spirits of the world.

No I could feel those parasites called gods absorbing it kicking and screaming leaving the husk of what remained of a once vibrant soul to wander the world and slowly decay into husks of magical energy. It was disgusting and I felt tears start to leave my eyes as I actually paid attention for once and felt it happening to every single soul that had died in the battle.

Some souls went out with a struggle kicking the parasites of long enough to try and escape before inevitably being absorbed as the parasites came back again with even more vigour than the first time, and having used most of their energy fighting off the first attack would inevitably absorbed until unlike those who went down in the first attack would be drained so much that not even a husk remained.

“Can you sense it Ivan the parasites that feed on the soul? How the souls struggle but in the end die?” He seemed to look sad for a second behind that armor before responding. “Yes milord my armor is detecting all of it and feeding me a constantly updating report of what is happening.”

I take it all in for a short time before I speak again. “I will kill them Ivan even if it takes me years i’ll kill those parasites even if it’s the last thing I do.” With a grunt and slight knock on his rifle he speaks. “I and Hadrian will follow you until the end, no matter what that end may be, and no that's not the forced loyalty talking if you're wondering.”

With a look of surprise and then understanding I feel the magic inside of me squirming with glee as my very soul hardens with the desire to kill these parasites that call themselves god’s.