YM778.TV Chapter 45: The Black Divine General
The dark prince had a calm and satisfied expression as he gazed at the doors of his chambers.
{I\'ve slept with Luciana and left my seed in her. There\'s no guarantee she\'ll conceive, but that doesn\'t really matter. Felmus thinks I\'ll leave them unless there\'s a child to solidify a political bond, but as long as Luciana is a heroine, I\'ll stay. What I need to focus on now is finding the next heroine. I\'m assuming the system will let me know when it\'s ready, so for now, all I can do is wait.}
He forced out a yawn from his mouth.
{I don\'t need it, but I\'ll sleep anyways...}
He nestled his head deeper into the pillow, pulling Luciana closer and wrapping his arms around her a little tighter.
Then, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
- * * -
[In the Knightdom of Swordfort]
Swordfort was a small, semi-autonomous feudal domain governed by Imperial Knight Gilliard Duranzia, one of the strongest knights in the Fortress Nation of Duranzia and the immediate older brother of Felmus Duranzia.
Swordfort was a modest collection of lands, with nothing particularly grand about its economy.
The townspeople wore rags, and those slightly better off had cleaner rags.
The economy of Swordfort was primarily agrarian, with Gilliard\'s knights overseeing the production of crops, livestock, and other resources. Gilliard collected taxes or rent from the peasants in the form of produce, labor, or money.
What made Swordfort truly unique was who they were ultimately serving.
The town was overseen by Imperial Knight Gilliard, but he was appointed by Marquis Cedric Bluesteel, the ruler of the Sword City of Gladius, the western vassal state of Duranzia. As a result, Swordfort paid its taxes and tributes to Gladius, which then passed them on to the suzerain kingdom of Duranzia.
This was how income flowed in the western regions of the Fortress Nation.
Recently, the borders of Swordfort have been heavily guarded by a small force of men-at-arms, squires, and peasants trained as militia. Their main goal was to continue pushing back the military advances of Serathen.
Since the Bloodgarden-Duranzia alliance, Duranzia\'s forces have driven the Military Kingdom of Serathen from Gladius all the way back to Whiterune Tower.
Their task now was to hold Fort Bridge Dersat.
It was a bridge castle outpost between the Red Desert and the Sword City of Gladius. As long as Serathen\'s militia didn\'t breach Fort Bridge Dersat, they wouldn\'t be able to invade Duranzia... unless they switched regions, which would be extremely difficult.
- - - -
[In the Red Desert]
The Red Desert was a barren wasteland with no vegetation or water to speak of. The climate here was so intensely hot that people often used the saying...
"Damn, it\'s hotter than the Red Desert."
The most notable features of the Red Desert were Whiterune Tower and the striking red sand, which had a grim story behind it.
The sand wasn\'t red due to magic or supernatural causes; it was stained red from so much bloodshed that the entire desert had turned red and smelled like a pit of rotting corpses. Anyone without military training wouldn\'t last a minute there, either dying from the heat or vomiting from the stench of blood and decay.
... clang----CLANG!
----CLAAAAAAANG!!
In the heart of the Red Desert, the battle between the Gladius knights and the Serathen forces was intense.
"For honor and glory!"
"Hold the line, men!"
"Push forward, no retreat!"
"Charge the enemy\'s flank!"
"The enemy falters, press the attack!!"
The Gladius knights, in their shiny silver and blue armor, stood out against the harsh sun, while the Serathen knights, clad in ash and purple, made a striking difference against the desolate landscape.
... shiiiing----CLAAAAAAANG!!
TING----KRAAAAAK
----ZIIIIIIIING
The clamor of swords clashing was deafening as the knights from both sides fought fiercely, riding their horses with both chaos and skill.
"Cut of their heads! SHOW NO MERCY!!"
"Raaaarggh! Die, you son of a bitch!"
The ground was littered with blood, severed hands, and rolling heads as each knight struck with their weapons.
"The battlefield belongs to us!"
"Their numbers mean nothing to us!"
The Gladius knights had not only the numerical advantage but had also sent their elite troops to ambush and overwhelm the Serathen forces.
It was their battle to win!
Things would have gone on like this, if not for a new presence that suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
"Finally, the general is here!"
"YES!"
Through the swirling red dust and chaos, a powerful figure emerged--a shapely woman clad in striking black demonic armor.
The armor was covered in silver and purple spikes, with intricate dark red patterns that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Her helmet, shaped like a fierce demon\'s face, hid her features but added to her intimidating look.
She rode a horse wrapped in purple flames.
... NEEEIIGH!
Its mane and tail looked like they were on fire, leaving a trail of glowing embers as it stomped on the hard ground, which burned under its strong steps.
The Gladius knights quickly turned their attention to the woman riding the purple-flamed horse, and their eyes went wide with fear they couldn\'t control.
They recognized her, but they were reluctant to accept it.
The captain told them to advance, but their horses wouldn\'t budge. Faced with the sight of the blazing horse, the horses hesitated and took cautious steps back.
The woman\'s presence was THAT terrifying.
No one would dare to challenge her!
"In the Military Kingdom of Serathen, there\'s a legend about a mysterious figure who always seemed to show up just in time to turn the tide of battle. This savior, clad in black, would appear out of nowhere and lead the kingdom to victory."
"Yeah, I\'ve heard that story. No one has ever seen her face, and those who did were swiftly decapitated and thrown to the vultures."
"W-, Wait, are you saying it could... really be her?"
"She fits the description perfectly... black demonic armor, a dead silent aura, and a purple-flamed horse."
"SO, YOU\'RE SAYING THIS IS THE 4TH RANKED BATTLE GOD OF KARTIKEYA, THE BLACK DIVINE GENERAL--?!"
"No..."
The nameless general grabbed the sword from her purple-flamed horse and held it out with both hands.
"To the void of destruction, I offer blood and wrath. Let this carnage cleanse the world in darkness, and may the screams of the fallen echo our eternal supremacy."
After finishing her prayers, she drew the dark blade, and suddenly, the world went dark.
"Wh-, What\'s going on--?!"
"I-, I can\'t... I CAN\'T SEE ANYTHING!"
"We\'re gonna die. RUN!!"
With a fierce burst of speed, she charged into the fray at an incomprehensible pace.
----BOOOOOM!
All that was visible was a blur of purple light and a burning trail of blood, red and thick.
She cut through the Gladius knights with deadly precision, her attacks quick and ruthless. Her blade moved so fast it seemed to defy the laws of combat. Few knights could even strike back, and those who did found their swords shredded like paper.
"ARRRGHHH--!!"
"We will... never surrender!"
"Look to the heavens, and--!"
"Raaaghhh! His arm... IT\'S GONE!"
"I REFUSE TO DIE IN THE HANDS OF A WOMAN!"
Soon, knights lost their heads, their limbs, and horses were slaughtered, their cries of pain spreading out as their heavy bodies hit the red earth.
The woman\'s movements were like a purple storm!
Knights only saw a flash of purple light before being sliced in two or having gaping holes blown open in their chests, with their hearts crushed like stone.
In less than a second, the captain of the Gladius knights was the only one left... if you could even call him that.
"I... I refuse... to give in."
He had lost a leg and an arm and was bleeding out, but he was still determined to fight until his last drop of blood.
The Black Divine General watched him from a short distance, and in a flash of purple light, she appeared a few meters from her horse and right in front of the captain.
She looked down at him in dead silence.
The captain couldn\'t see her face, but he could sense her condescending gaze.
"How dare you..."
Thoroughly irritated, he screamed through his aching lungs and broken ribs.
"I won\'t back back down! For honor!"
He tried to reach for his sword, but the general drove her dark blade into his arm, gruesomely pinning it to the red earth.
ARRRRRGGHHHH----!!
The captain tried to hold back the pain and move, but the Black Divine General stomped his head into the ground, pressing her iron boot down hard. All he could feel was the pounding pain in his head and the taste of dirt in his mouth.
"Honor is for the living. You will be forgotten."
When the knight heard those unfeeling and dead words, fear spread through him.
In the next instant, the general\'s boot crushed his head into a mess of ground meat and skull fragments.