《Cursed Blade》


 The Holy Knights, Adio, and Anger

    Blood spilt by the gallon.


    Families torn apart in moments.


    Young lives cut short by the dozens.


    Women brutally defiled for sport.


    Churches are crumbling from the inferno.


    The inferno of hell on Earth.


    ?      ?       ?


    These are not merely metaphoric parables. They are facts of life that every man, woman, and child must come to terms with. For we live in a world where hell invades our land, it¡¯s demons mercilessly slaughtering every living being they come across. Our world is not kind, nor is it simply neutral. It is wholly cruel. It is full of spite, malice, and hatred.


    This world¡¯s malice seemed untamable. Most of humanity had given up. That was until God had gifted humanity with the means to defeat the demons: the Sanctus Blades. However, there was a catch. There were only a select few that could wield the blades. Those born without a single drop of malice, no ambition other than to serve their god, and no grudge against their fellow man. Those that gladly accept all that the world throws at them, so that perhaps they can teach the world kindness through their example. Those that are known as Saints.


    In a small, non-descriptive village in the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom, one such child was born. Unlike other children, they did not close their eyes and cry during their birth. Instead, they observed their world with crystal blue eyes. The child wished to cry, but somehow, before it had even interacted with another human being, it tried to put the wishes of others above it¡¯s own.


    This occurrence was common among saints, so the village knew of his holy status from birth. He was named Adio, one who walks a path of righteousness. The Holy Knights, those who wield the Sanctus Blades, came to enlist him at the age of 12. He accepted willingly, ready to serve his god.


    Adio trained intensively in the art of swordsmanship for the next five years before stepping onto the battlefield. In that time, many observed that he may be the most talented Saint of his generation. He also met another prodigal Saint, a girl named Royse.


    Under normal circumstances, she was a sweet and kind person. Whenever you spoke to her, the gaze of her chocolate brown eyes seemed to try and deep into your soul so that it may comfort it and gain a greater understanding. But once she had a blade in her hands, her gaze began to sharpen with determination and tenacity. It was these gazes that earned her the nickname ¡°The Graceful Valkyrie¡±. Adio found both these gazes profoundly beautiful. And as it turned out, Royse saw something similar in him.


    As they spent time together, the beauty they saw in each other only seemed to brighten. They bled, cried, smiled, celebrated, and they did it all together. Soon they pledged themselves to each other. It wasn¡¯t long before they heard the words ¡°¡®till death do us part¡±. You may think that a Saint should be above such things, but that is not the case. Besides, what could be more holy than eternal matrimony? Nothing, except creating more of God¡¯s children.


    By the time Adio and Royse stepped on the battlefield, they had executed that most holy task. Another set of silent, observant eyes was brought into the world, and along with them the feet that would follow their parents¡¯ footsteps. The two Saints named their child Col, though in their hearts they knew him as something different:


    He was their reason to come back alive.


    And because of that, the two stepped onto the battlefield with something that few Holy Knights have; they had personal ambition. Because of that, they were able to galvanize themselves as the two greatest Holy Knights of their time. They slated demon after demon, determined to destroy them before the demons would have a chance to take them away from Col. Soon, the names of Adio and Royse the Graceful Valkyrie were spread across the Holy Kingdom.


    However, not all was well. The two of them found themselves opposed to the beliefs of the Holy Knight¡¯s leadership. The warrior-bishop, commander in-chief of the Holy Knights, claimed himself to be a direct servant of God, and as such, his word was the word of God himself. However, he had often prioritized mass extermination of demons over the protection of small villages. Adio and Royse, along with a few other Saints, were doubtful of the warrior-bishop. However nobody voiced this opinion, for they knew that they would lose the ability to serve the Holy Knights if they disobeyed the higher ups.


    That was until Adio spoke up. He knew he wasn¡¯t alone in his beliefs, so he felt he could rely on the collective support of his comrades to keep him in the Holy Knight. However, when he made his opinion known, nobody, not even his wife, showed their support, even though many agreed with him. He was alone and singled out. However, due to his renown, he wasn¡¯t publicly cast out of the Holy Knights. Instead, the warrior-bishop made secret orders to deal with Adio.


    On a stormy Easter Sunday night, Adio was making his way back home. Many of the higher ranking Holy Knights were called back from the front for the holiday. They weren¡¯t without work however, as they had a strategy meeting to attend, which Adio was making his way back from. Royse had left the meeting early to take care of Col. This left Adio all alone on his walk back home. As he gradually got closer to his home, he noticed that there was a lack of civilians.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Just as his suspicion was raised, Adio was surrounded by men in cloaks. Though he couldn¡¯t see their faces, he knew exactly who they were, each and every one of them. Just as the figures began to move in, Adio began to draw his blade. The event that ensued could not be described as a battle. It was nothing more than loss of life.


    ?      ?       ?


    Steel clashing with steel.


    Steel tearing through cloth.


    Steel ripping through flesh.


    Steel dripping with blood.


    ?      ?       ?


    Tears began to roll down Adio¡¯s face as he looked down at the bodies of his former comrades.They intensified as he observed his own unscathed body. The tears flowed and flowed, slowly changing Adio with every drop. His anguish never subsided, not for a second. Instead, his anguish itself transformed. What began as sadness for the comrades he had no choice but to cut down, became anger towards the organization that led them to this.


    It only took three minutes of grieving for Adio to make this change. As soon as every drop of anguish had transformed, Adio turned around. He realized that he was no longer a Saint, and that he was no longer fit to be a Holy Knight. Without a second thought, Adio walked away from the capital city, not once turning back. But even as he walked away, his anger did not subside. Instead, he let it guide his path. For a whole week, Adio continuously walked without rest, going wherever he felt his anger led him. He ventured deep into the wilderness, not stopping once for water, food, or rest.


    After eight days, Adio collapsed in the middle of a circle made of thirty black stones. It was in the clearing of a thicket that he had been walking in for the last four days. As he laid in the middle of the circle, his death only moments away, he began to hear a voice. A beautiful voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever seen a Saint guided by anger,¡± the voice said, ¡°that said, a Saint guided by anger is exactly what I need¡±.


    Adio questioned the voice internally, but lacked the strength to look around and confirm it¡¯s existence.


    ¡°If you wish to give your anger direction and power, then I can provide it. I can turn your anger into power. The power to shape the world as you see fit¡±.


    Adio responded to these words, and began to get up with all his might. After what seemed like an eternity, Adio manage to get on to his knees and set his posture straight. As he opened his eyes, he began to see a figure before him. As Adio¡¯s sight gradually lost it¡¯s blur, he realized what was before him. A tall, humanoid creature with white wings stood before him.


    ¡°Are you... an angel?¡± Adio asked, his voice in much better shape than the rest of him.


    ¡°I am,¡± the angel smiled, ¡°but I am not a holy angel¡±.


    As he said this, Adio realized something was missing. This angel¡¯s presence was not of innocence and divinity. Instead, it felt dangerous and deceptive. The angel did not have a halo over it¡¯s head. Adio realized what this meant.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re the fallen angel,¡± Adio began to tremble, ¡°Satan?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± The cursed angel gestured towards it¡¯s chest ¡°I am the son of the fallen angel you speak of¡±.


    Adio suddenly felt on edge. He knew he couldn¡¯t defeat this thing in his current state. But as he anguished his current situation, the son of Satan, the Antichrist, continued.


    ¡°I have a proposition for you,¡± the Antichrist¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°you can accept power from me, allowing your anger to change the world, or you can die here along with your anger¡±.


    The answer should have been simple for Adio. As a man of god, he should deny any offers made to him by demons. It was the most basic yet most important rule he had followed his whole life. And yet... he somehow couldn¡¯t stop himself from wanting to say yes. Adio began to agonize over this, wondering what was wrong with him, until it finally dawned on him.


    He wanted to say yes because God was no longer the most important thing in his life. Ever since that day, he¡¯s been a man completely devoted to his anger. That was why he was before this fallen angel. Because his anger led him here, led him to the Antichrist, so that it may become powerful.


    ¡°What do I...¡± Adio felt a strange surge of strength as he began to speak, ¡°have to give you for your power?¡±


    ¡°To gain my power, you must shed all ties with your god,¡± the fallen angel leaned in closer to Adio, ¡°and entrust them to the one closest to you¡±.


    Adio began to stand, brushing his pale blonde hair away from his face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all it takes,¡± Adio looked the fallen angel in the eyes with a look of determination, ¡°then I¡¯ll gladly accept your offer¡±.


    The Antichrist reached towards Adio¡¯s blade, smiling, and touched it with a single finger. The sword¡¯s holy aura began to fade, and was replaced by an oppressive presence. If one looked closely and squinted, they might see a faint black smoke coming from it. The sword¡¯s gleaming silver blade turned to a shade as dark as a moonless night. At the same time, Adio felt like something had left him, but was soon replaced by something much heavier.


    ¡°Your blade is no longer one of the Sanctus Blades. It is now a vessel of your anger, of your vendetta,¡± the fallen angel returned his hand to his side, ¡°and now that your anger has been focused into this blade, you must now determine where you want to direct this anger¡±.


    ¡°I already know the answer to that,¡± Adio spoke with extreme confidence, his earlier fatigue gone, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the warrior-bishop and everyone that truly sided with him!¡±


    Adio¡¯s revenge was set in motion.

 Death and the Mad Valkyrie

    After the Easter incident, many Holy Knights were vaguely aware of what truly happened to Adio, though there was no official report from the warrior-bishop. One of the Holy Knights who had a hunch that Adio was on the run was his wife. She knew that something had happened the night of the incident, since Adio hadn¡¯t come home. She suspected that it had something to do with how he voiced his opinion against the warrior-general. Royse was worried for her husband, however she didn¡¯t try to go after him. She trusted that he would eventually come back for her and their son, Col.


    Sadly, this trust would not last. Adio had, unknowingly, paid a steep price for his new power.


    ¡°To gain my power, you must shed all ties with your god and entrust them with the one closest to you¡±. That is what the Son of Satan told Adio when he accepted his new power. He had not lied to Adio. That was the only price he had to pay. Unfortunately, this price is much more steep than it first seems. Humans can only handle a certain amount of connection to God. If the person closest to Adio weren¡¯t a Saint, a sickness would befall them and kill them within hours.


    Unfortunately, the person closest to Adio was Royse, a Saint. Instead of a physical sickness befalling her, her mental state steadily deteriorated. She began to transform from a strong-willed Saint into a mad zealot. And that¡¯s when the voice began to speak to her.


    Kill them all. Kill all of the demons that plague your world. Kill all that dare to defy the church. Kill all that deny your god. Enforce your will upon the masses. For your will is the will of god.


    As she heard the voices, Royse felt a twisted emotion overcome her entire being. She felt love. A love that would not leave no matter what she did. It gave Royse the highest of highs. Her soft smile grew wide a crooked, her gentle gaze turning to one of obsession. She had made the decision to do as the voice said.


    Soon, Royse was no longer known as the Graceful Valkyrie. Instead she was known for slaughtering families seemingly at random. She was known for enforcing laws that she herself had made up. She was known for making a list of people to kill in the name of the church. These acts and many more had earned her a new moniker: The Mad Valkyrie.


    As the name of the Mad Valkyrie began to spread across the kingdom, another name became apart of the Kingdom¡¯s collective conscious. Many church officials had recently turned up dead, and in each case a figure in a black cloak wielding a black-bladed sword was seen fleeing the seen. It was determined that this figure was likely the culprit in all cases. Citizens of the capital city dubbed the murderer ¡°Satan¡¯s Hand¡±, since they believed him to be a Satanist looking to destroy the church by cutting off the head.


    In truth, this was the work of Adio, who wasted no time since attaining his new sword. As soon as he ate and got some rest, he began making a list of targets he needed to take out to successfully kill all that associate with the warrior-bishop. He decided that he would work his way from the bottom-up in the member¡¯s rankings, saving the warrior-bishop for last. However, there was one person that he refused to put on the list; his wife.


    Adio had heard about his wife¡¯s recent actions, and he knew that they all warranted that he kill her. But he refused to believe that she was doing it of her own free will. He believed that there must be someone forcing her to do it. He couldn¡¯t think of who could possibly be strong enough to force her to go against her morals, however, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Royse didn¡¯t feel the same on this matter. When she heard about Satan¡¯s Hand, the voice told her who it was. Even so, she immediately put the killer on the top of her kill-list.


    Next on Adio¡¯s kill list was Holy Knight squad captain Reynald Baynard. He was as cruel as a Saint could get, a man of zero tolerance and firm belief. He used to be a much more gentle man, as all Saints were, but the thrill of demon killing changed him. Adio would¡¯ve been more than willing to take the man head-on, but that would inevitably lead to his subordinates getting involved. He didn¡¯t want to kill the whole squad, just the captain.


    Adio waited for the tiniest of openings in the man¡¯s schedule, a mere second in which nobody looked at him while he pissed, to strike. In that moment, Adio swooped in and chopped the man¡¯s head clean off. Inevitably, Reynald¡¯s subordinates noticed immediately after it had happened, but none of them could have hoped to catch Adio. He ran away fast as the wind. Arrows flew, seeking him out, but he easily avoided them, even cutting one clean in half mid-flight to show the Knights the disparity between them. Satan¡¯s Hand has gotten away again.


    Adio¡¯s kills all followed this same pattern. Patient waiting for a small opening, killing before the target even notices, and running way from the ones close enough to see. If he were going after average human beings, the last part wouldn¡¯t be necessary. He could wait for them to be all alone and kill them. Then he could simply walk away calmly and be gone by the time the body¡¯s found.


    But Holy Knights are not ordinary people. Due to their strong holy aura, they attract the attention of demons of immense power, known as ¡°Saint Hunters¡±. These demons all travel alone, never working together, and they only care about killing the strong. Even for some of the stronger Holy Knights, taking one on mono e mono is an impossible task. In fact, they are only three alive known to have killed one of these demons alone. Because of this, most Holy Knights ensure that they are never alone at any point in the day. The result is a bunch of really difficult targets for Adio.


    A few months had passed after Adio had obtained his new power and blade from the Son of Satan. During that time, Adio¡¯s body began to undergo inexplicable changes. His golden-blonde hair began to fade to the color of freshly-fallen snow. Half of his left eye turned from blue to deep amber. His many scars, earned from years on the battlefield of demons, disappeared seemingly overnight. Adio noticed these changes, but it didn¡¯t bother him. He was all too focused on the task at hand.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Satan¡¯s Hand had become a primary concern among the church authority. They scurried to try and find out which cult he was connected to so they could predict his next move. However they couldn¡¯t find any pattern in region, names, achievement, or rank. Unlike at first, the killer was no longer slowly working up the rankings, but rather jumping up and down them to keep authorities guessing. Security for all high ranking officials steadily rose, and the Mad Valkyrie, Royse, was named head of investigation by the warrior-bishop


    At this same time, Adio was plotting his most important kill yet. It was also his last target before the warrior-bishop. His next target was the warrior-bishop¡¯s head of defense, Berengar Fawkes. Compared to all of Adio¡¯s other targets, barring the warrior-bishop, Fawkes was in an entirely different league. Other than Royse and Adio, Fawkes is the only living Holy Knight to have killed a Saint Hunter alone. Despite that, he was a twisted Saint. In fact, many question if the man truly is a Saint, or just a man that was born with supernatural ability. Either way, he was one of the few people who could say they were Adio¡¯s equal.


    If Adio fought him before having obtained his new power, victory would not be a sure thing. Now, however, Adio could fight him head to head without any worries. But if he did that on his way to kill the warrior-bishop, Fawkes could possibly buy enough time for the warrior-bishop to escape, or for him to double-team Adio. Either way, it was better for Adio to kill Fawkes assassination style rather than in a duel.


    Along with the skilled target and their importance, Adio¡¯s plan had another risk involved. He planned to kill him at a major end-of-year strategy meeting. This was because the schedule, which Adio had obtained, had a period of time in which Fawkes would be in a loosely populated room with open windows. Adio knew he could easily swoop in and kill his target within that time frame.


    However, it was a risk because Adio knew that kind of thing in a schedule for a meeting was somewhat fishy. It seemed like just a bit too long of a wait time. Even so, he knew passing up this opportunity would be naive. So he went to wait outside the place in which Fawkes would be least guarded. He waited for hours for the head bodyguard to arrange when he did, Adio began to count down the five minute opening he had.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Adio to see his opening. A moment in which no eyes fell on Fawkes. Like a lion laying in wait for their prey, Adio leapt out towards his quarry. He passed through the open window nimbly contorting his body to fit through. In one motion, Adio landed, drew his sword, and sliced Fawkes¡¯ head clean off. Just like always, the bystanders noticed just moments after the deed had already been done. Adio immediately turned to flee from the way he had come in. But he was immediately stopped in his tracks.


    Next to the tree that Adio was hiding in was a woman. She had brown hair cut short in a way that Adio didn¡¯t recognize. She had chocolate eyes with a wicked look that Adio didn¡¯t recognize. She had soft lips curved into a wicked smile which Adio didn¡¯t recognize. But Adio knew who this was all the same.


    ¡°Royse...¡±


    Unable to move at the shock of seeing his wife after such a long time in a place like this, Adio had fallen for the Valkyrie¡¯s trap. The voice had told her that Satan¡¯s Hand was Adio, and had told her to sacrifice Fawkes in order to lure him in. She had set similar traps many times before, however this was the first time Adio actually targeted the person she thought he would. However, all those failed attempts helped the Valkyrie learn more about Adio¡¯s intentions, and led to this trap successfully luring it¡¯s prey.


    In the small moment that Adio hesitated, many captain-level Holy Knights began to surround him. While they were great in number, they still weren¡¯t a match for Adio. However, Adio had no intention of even hurting them, which made this an extremely delicate situation for him. This was also a part of the Valkyrie¡¯s plan, who had deduced that Adio only wanted to kill people in the Warrior-Bishop¡¯s political party.


    Just as Adio had assessed the situation and began to come back to his senses, he was caught off guard again. The Valkyrie, who had just been standing beside a tree that was twenty meters outside the building, was suddenly close enough to cut Adio. He was barely able to black and dodge the Valkyrie¡¯s attack. As soon as she landed, however, she immediately went in for another strike.


    Adio had expected her to attack again. After all, he knew her fighting style very well after years of sparring with her and watching her on the battlefield. She was always the type to never relent, to attack so often that you had no time to gather yourself, so that inevitably you would make a mistake that she would then exploit. Adio was the only person who could say he ever beat her in a duel fair and square. Even so, Adio was shocked by her attack.


    Now that he was entirely focused on the Valkyrie, Adio could tell just how fast she was moving. She was at least twice as fast as the last time he had sparred with her. When their swords clashed, Adio could feel that the Valkyrie¡¯s strikes were at least twice as powerful as well. As this occurred to Adio, the thought of what might¡¯ve caused this came to his mind.


    ¡°To gain my power, you must shed all ties with your god and entrust them with the one closest to you¡±.


    Is that what caused this sudden power increase?


    As all this went through Adio¡¯s head, he managed to stay entirely focused on the battle at hand. Clash after clash, leap after leap, parry after parry, the battle intensified, all the while Adio looked for a potential exit. He noticed that all the captain level Holy Knights were on standby, acutely aware of the disparity between them and the two battling. Adio knew that if he could get away from the Mad Valkyrie somehow, then he could get away from the entire group.


    However, this battle was decided before it even began because of two simple facts. Adio fought without intent to kill, and the Mad Valkyrie had it in droves, because of this, Adio couldn¡¯t possibly turn the tables and take the offensive. As the fight raged on, Adio got more and more anxious about not being able to get away. This state of mind had blown away all chances for Adio to walk away with his life. The Mad Valkyrie had won.


    Adio, inevitably, made a mistake. The Valkyrie, inevitably, capitalized on it. But as the blade began to fall upon Adio, poised to end his life, Royse hesitated. In that small moment, she had regained her perspective. She remembered that the man she was fighting was her husband, the father of her child. In that small moment, she didn¡¯t just lose her intent to kill, she lost all intention of causing Adio any harm.


    This, however, was only for a moment. But at the speed in which Adio and the Valkyrie fought, a moment can be the difference between winning a fight and being killed. Adio recognized Royse¡¯s small hesitation, and immediately acted upon it. In one swift motion, Adio deflected the Valkyrie¡¯s blade and hit her in the head with the hilt of his sword. This attack was only able to stun the Valkyrie for a couple of seconds, but that was more than enough time for Adio to deftly exit the window.


    After coming back to her senses, the Valkyrie went after Adio. However, the man was able to break the line of sight immediately in the small window of opportunity he had. Even so, the Valkyrie searched everywhere for him. After hours of searching, the Valkyrie gave up with a scream of agony.


    ¡°Curse that damned Satanist traitor!¡± The Valkyrie¡¯s already twisted face turned even more terrifying. ¡°There would be nothing more just in this world than for him to be sent to hell! It¡¯s only a matter of time!!¡±


    The Valkyrie ranted on for a few more minutes, until suddenly, her screeching stopped. Her expression turned back to her wicked smile, and she began to laugh. At first it was only audible to herself, but it steadily grew in volume so that all within dozens of meters could hear it. Then suddenly she stopped, and began talking to herself again.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before our paths cross again,¡± the Valkyrie¡¯s smile widened, ¡°And this time, without a doubt, one of us will meet the end of our tale¡±


    The Valkyrie¡¯s statement was, unfortunately, correct.

 The Tower of Divine Knowledge- Finale

    In the center of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s capital stood a marvel of architectural engineering. A tower that reached to the skies known as the Tower of Divine Knowledge. From a distance, the tower looked like a work of art, a depiction of Satan¡¯s fall from heaven in stone. When standing next to it, the building¡¯s sheer girth would bring awe even to travelers who had seen all else the world had to offer.


    This building served two purposes; to house the largest collection of knowledge in the world, and to be a place of rest for the higher ranking officials of the church. The first seven floors served the former purpose. The eighth housed the building¡¯s servants and maintenance workers. The ninth and tenth held the church officials. Upon the top floor, the head of the church and the head of each of it¡¯s main branches laid their head to rest. One of those men was the Warrior-Bishop, Gawn Ingrannus.


    About fifteen town blocks away from the Tower of Divine Knowledge, Adio stood atop a building. Under the cloak of night, he was scouting out the building¡¯s security, preparing to enact the final act of his revenge. He was already extremely familiar with the building¡¯s layout from coming to meetings that were occasionally held here. However, he wanted to know where the guards were stationed and what their patrols were so that he could avoid them.


    After observing for about an hour, Adio began to rush towards the tower. With superhuman strength, speed, and agility, he deftly jumped from building to building. A few citizens took notice of the figure that flew by in a blur. However, all of them disregarded this as a trick of the mind, and went on with their days. Not once did Adio have to touch the ground. In about two minutes, he had reached the Tower of Divine Knowledge.


    Once he arrived at his destination, Adio did not stop. Instead, he took a leap of great magnitude, landing on top of one of the hands of Satan carved out of stone. From there, he began to leap from carving to carving upwards. He kept doing this until he reached the seventh floor, the highest floor with windows. The reason for this being that the architects responsible for the tower were aware that someone could climb the side of the tower. So to protect church officials, windows are not allowed above the library levels.


    Upon entering the library, Adio began to slow down his pace. The library floors were very loosely populated, and coming across someone was extremely uncommon. However, even so, most of the people floors seven and up would likely be able to alert security of his presence before he could reach the Warrior-Bishop. So Adio decided to blend in with the environment as he approached the upper floors. He was able to do this until he reached the stairway that led to the ninth floor.


    Unless you were a high ranking member of the church or you were a trusted staff member with a long tenure, getting to the top two floors was nigh impossible. Security at the stairway that led to the ninth floor was, simply said, airtight. Luckily for Adio, he was thinner than air.


    Once he got as close as possible to the staircase as he could without drawing the security¡¯s hostility, Adio¡¯s calm strut returned to it¡¯s earlier pace. Most of the guards hadn¡¯t even paid any mind to him, so they didn¡¯t notice this sudden movement. Of the ones that had him in their line of sight, most believed that he simply disappeared. Only two guards had noticed his sudden movement and were able to follow with their eyes, albeit barely. But before they could react, Adio was already dashing for the next stairway.


    Due to the length between the two staircases, it took Adio thirty seconds to reach the next one. During that time, the guards from the previous stairway were able to alert the next set of guards via a bell system. Adio had anticipated this, and was fully prepared to face the consequence of not killing the guards he came across. When he reached the staircase to the tenth floor, the guards were prepared.


    Adio drew his sword, ready to deflect their blows. From all angles, Adio was barraged with slash after slash. Each one was met by his own blade. Adio leapt around, avoiding being surrounded, and looked for an opening. After only twenty seconds of dodging and slashing, he found it. Once again, he leapt forward, using one of the guards as a foothold, and reached the staircase. Upon landing, Adio immediately began to dash up the stairs.


    Once Adio reached the top floor, the most difficult part of his mission began. The top floor was the only floor that Adio was unfamiliar with. The only thing he knew about it was that it was divided into five parts. Each one belonged to one of the five highest ranking church officials. However, Adio did not know which one belonged to which, so finding the Warrior-Bishop was going to be difficult. But even if he only had to search one-fifth of the building, that was still a lot of ground to cover.


    Even so, Adio was determined to carry out his revenge. He began to walk down a long corridor that led into a massive circular common area. On the walls of the room were three massive, gate-like doors, each with unique, intricate stone carvings in their frames. Adio briefly looked at all the carvings, trying to determine which belonged to the Warrior-Bishop. Just then, one of the doors to the left began to swing open. Adio could hear the sound of chains and gears as it¡¯s doors separated. The doors opened only partly, though they left a gap big enough for a large man to walk through comfortably.


    When the doors came to a standstill and the sound of chains and gears stopped, an old man wearing a hood-less brown cloak stepped out from the gap. Adio was startled by his sudden appearance and was ready to dash out of his line of sight, however the man looked at him like he had been expecting him. The old man¡¯s dry lips parted as he began to speak.


    ¡°Master Ingrannus, Warrior-Bishop of the Holy Kingdom, requests a duel with Sir Adio, former Holy Knight¡±.


    After saying those words, the old man turned around and re-entered the doorway from which he came. Though the man¡¯s behavior was strange, his message was clear; ¡°if you accept the duel, then enter the doorway¡±. After contemplating for moment whether he should enact revenge through a fair fight, Adio approached the door.


    ?? ?


    ¡°To be truly honest, Adio, I never expected a godless man like you to accept a fair duel,¡± the Warrior-Bishop spoke with bass and false might, ¡°I expected you to try and ambush me like the brute you are,¡±


    Adio steadily approached Ingrannus, sword in hand, as he was being taunted. The two of them stood within the main lobby of the Warrior-Bishop¡¯s quarters. To be more accurate, it was more the size of a mansion. The walls were covered with war trophies and taxidermied demon heads collected by all three Warrior-Bishops in the Holy-Kingdom¡¯s history. The floors were covered with a silky-soft red fabric, and the walls and furniture were made of quality marble.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The Warrior-Bishop was wearing nothing but a pair of brown slacks and boots. Ingrannus was a large man with impeccable tone. He decided not to wear armor due to fights of supernatural nature being more about agility and speed rather than defense. Along with that, he already knew that a strike from Adio could cut through any armor like butter. So he opted to free up his movement and lighten the weight on his shoulders.


    ¡°Are you not going to answer me, you godless swine? I hope you don¡¯t think you¡¯re above me in some way¡±.


    Adio didn¡¯t react to Ingrannus¡¯ words. Instead, he simply took a stance with his blade pointed towards his opponent.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Adio gestured with his sword, ¡°I just prefer this tongue over the one in my mouth¡±.


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing we can agree on, infidel,¡± The Warrior-Bishop grinned, ¡°now come at me, you godless dog!¡±


    Just as Ingrannus suggested, Adio leapt forward towards his opponent with incredible speed. The two combatants¡¯ swords clashed. Adio and Ingrannus began to exchange blows at incredible speed, too fast for a normal human to keep up with. Both combatants attempted to move around their opponent to get an edge, result in a rough circular motion. Occasionally one of them would jump back to create some distance before charging right back in. Adio even attempted to get over and behind Ingrannus a few times.


    The exchange went on like this for a solid ten minutes. By this point, Ingrannus was beginning to feel the length of the battle weigh on him. His opponent, however, didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of exhaustion. After another ten minutes, Ingrannus began to slow down due to his exhaustion, while his opponent still had not become noticeably exhausted.


    As more and more time passed, the apparent gap between Ingrannus and Adio grew wider and wider. The Warrior-Bishop became aware of this. He knew that the longer the battle went on, the worse his chances at victory got. For the next minute, The Warrior-Bishop began to look for a small opening in Adio¡¯s defense. He planned to use that opening and force a fatal blow through it. It was a risky plan, but Ingrannus knew he needed to take a risk to win this fight.


    After a minute a parrying, dodging, and striking, the Warrior-Bishop saw it. A small opening that was there for a brief second. And it left Adio¡¯s heart open, of all places. Ingrannus immediately shifted his blade¡¯s direction to force itself through the small opening so that it could pierce Adio. However, just as the blade was about to reach it¡¯s target, Adio moved out of the way faster than Ingrannus could keep track of, and a sharp, burning pain came from his left wrist.


    Both the Warrior-Bishop and Adio jumped back after this exchange. The shock of Adio dodging his attack left Ingrannus dumbfounded. It almost distracted him from the pain in his wrist, but it was too acute to be ignored. When the Warrior-Bishop looked at the damage, he was met with an even bigger shock. His entire left hand had been cut off. It was bleeding profusely, and there was no way for him to treat it before Adio charged again. This meant that an extended battle was even more disadvantageous for Ingrannus.


    Another exchange began shortly after, this time resulting in Ingrannus getting a deep gash in his right eye, rendering it useless. Just like last time, Adio had somehow dodged one of the Warrior-Bishop¡¯s desperation moves at the last second before delivering a crippling blow. Ingrannus was just as dumbstruck as last time. By this time, the blood loss had started to affect him. However, as a Holy Knight he had much more vitality than normal humans, so he was still able to fight.


    However, this pattern continued. Ingrannus attempted desperation move after desperation move, only to be dodged at the absolute last second and be cut somewhere important. First it was his ear, then his nose, then his left knee. The Warrior-Bishop¡¯s strength began to fade significantly, but his will to win stayed strong. However that wasn¡¯t enough to overcome Adio¡¯s grudge. Exchange after exchange, Adio took Ingrannus apart piece by piece, until he couldn¡¯t even stand with his own strength.


    At that point, Adio simply stood over the Warrior-Bishop and ginned. He relished in the poor state that Ingrannus was in. He watched as all Hope faded from their expression, as the regret for challenging Adio to a duel rather than running away set in. Adio could see it in the soon to be former Warrior-Bishop¡¯s face; Ingrannus wanted death. He longed for it more than anything else he could possibly have. Adio¡¯s grin widened as he raised his sword and granted that wish.


    ?? ?


    Just as Adio began to descend into madness, three sounds brought him back to his senses. The first two were the sounds of chains and gears, the sound the door to the Warrior-Bishop¡¯s quarters makes. Until now, the door had been kept slightly open, just as it had been when Adio entered. But now, that gap was closing, blocking Adio¡¯s only exit route. The third sound, was a voice. It was a female voice, high-pitched and somewhat playful. It was a voice that Adio recognized, and it chilled him to the bone.


    ¡°Aaadiioooo deeeeaaaar~¡±


    Adio turned around to see a female figure in front of the closing door. The voice belonged to Royse, the Mad Valkyrie and Adio¡¯s wife.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t finished what we started the other day¡± the Valkyrie began to draw her sword, ¡°It made me so sad. Especially since I had to sacrifice someone important again¡±.


    After his last fight with Royse, Adio contemplated what he should do next time he comes across her. After much careful thought, he reached the conclusion that the Royse he knew was gone, and in it¡¯s place was the Mad Valkyrie, who was obsessed with killing him. So he decided that if he were forced into fighting her again, he would have no choice but to fight to kill.


    Adio took up his sword again and braced himself to fight. He didn¡¯t say a word. Even though he had made up his mind about fighting the Valkyrie, he couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive about it. It took everything in him just to maintain his composure. It felt as if as soon as he spoke, a surge of emotion would burst forth. So he kept quiet.


    ¡°I was hoping that Ingrannus over there would wear you down,¡± the Valkyrie approached Adio casually, ¡°But it turns out I overestimated him¡±.


    The Valkyrie began to draw her sword. A smile came across her face.


    ¡°Well, you know what they say: if you want something done,¡± the Valkyrie pointed her blade towards Adio, ¡°Best to do it yourself¡±.


    Adio and the Mad Valkyrie stood still. They were sizing each other up, trying to determine what had changed in their opponents since they last fought as allies. They stayed like this for about a dozen seconds. Then, with seemingly no cue, they both leapt at each other.


    Once again, an intense battle ensued in the Warrior-Bishop¡¯s quarters. This time, however, both parties were pushing themselves to their absolute. Blow for blow, parry for parry, the two combatants were equals in every right of the word. Every blow carried the emotions of the combatants. Anger, regret, abandonment, grief, betrayal, vendetta, and vengeance. These feelings went back and forth with every clash of steel.


    Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Both combatants were nearing their limits. The fighting had not stopped for a single moment of respite. Adio and the Valkyrie were both at the point of desperation. With aim to finish the fight, a single blow managed to pierce through the other¡¯s defense.


    ¡°Oh, Adio,¡± the Valkyrie looked down at the blade that had run through her, ¡°I never actually thought you would win¡±.


    The Valkyrie, even though she was on the brink of death, began to laugh.


    ¡°Oh Adio¡±


    Her laughter intensified as blood began to trickle out of her mouth.


    ¡°Adio!¡±


    Adio kept his hands on the blade, and his eyes on Royse.


    ¡°Adio, Adio, Adio!¡±


    Tears began to form in Royse¡¯s eyes and her voice began to choke from blood and emotion.


    ¡°Aaadiiooooo!¡±


    Royse had finally reached her breaking point, her tears now flowing freely. At the same time, Adio¡¯s emotion¡¯s edged closer and closer to bursting.


    ¡°Why!? Why did you leave without me!?¡± The Valkyrie¡¯s wicked expression faded away as a Royse¡¯s face distorted with emotion, ¡°You knee I would¡¯ve gone with you, didn¡¯t you!? So why did you take this upon yourself!?¡±


    Adio desperately fought to keep his emotions in check.


    ¡°The only thing I ever wanted was to be with you! It didn¡¯t matter the situation, it didn¡¯t matter where, I would have gone with you!¡±


    Royse put her hands over Adio¡¯s, which were still gripping the blade.


    ¡°But instead you gave into your selfish desires, and denied me my only one!¡±


    Adio began to shake, nearing his limit.


    ¡°But even through all that, I still loved you!¡±


    Royse moved her hands around Adio¡¯s,


    ¡°Adio¡±


    In an instant, Royse shoved the blade further through herself. Her back suddenly arched with a jolt and she gave out one last cough of blood. She now sat lifeless with a blade through her body, only inches away from Adio. At the sight of this, Adio could no longer contain his emotions.


    ¡°ROOOYSEEEEEEE!¡±


    Adio¡¯s tear ducts gave way as he dropped his sword to hold his wife. For what felt like an eternity, he cried out his wife¡¯s name and grieved his loss. He held Royse¡¯s head tightly to his chest and knelt down on both knees. He looked to the sky, as if he was crying to a higher power for help. But Adio knew that no help would come for him.


    God couldn¡¯t care less about Adio.