The Emperor Class

Following the victory, Dreu knelt down in front of his two companions.

“Good work, you two!” Dreu patted both of them gently on their heads. “We defeated that holy knight together.”

While Zog did a backflip, Aggich was content with rubbing her head against Dreu’s hand. As the young man gathered the two in his arms, an explosion from nearby knocked him off balance. When the dust settled, Tragthan faced off against an angel-like being in the center of the chamber.

“You must be Tragthan,” said a metallic voice. “I will be your executioner.”

Without another word, the being charged towards Tragthan. Dreu couldn’t make out any weapons but the sight of the light orbs sent at the old demon suggested it was a spellcaster. Tragthan responded in kind with green fireballs similar to those Eglallin used against Rowan. The projectiles canceled each other out but the resulting mini explosions were still enough to push Dreu back. Given that they appeared to be equal in strength at first glance, the young man wanted to take no part in it.

“This isn’t your battle! Head down the passage behind you. He will assist you!”

Dreu jumped when Jonoxad appeared behind him. After calming his beating heart, Dreu carried his two companions through the passage with the demon leading the way. He wasn’t sure if it was the dark vision but he could discern Jonoxad’s shadow form more easily. The removal of the guesswork meant he could keep up more easily.

If one of the powerful presences is fighting Tragthan, where is the other one?

They covered some ground when a light blinded Dreu. Once his eyes recovered, the young man found himself standing before a woman dressed in a white robe covered with gold trimmings. Her face was covered in a white oval mask and, through the eyeholes, he could see her eyes were closed. Half a dozen small light orbs orbited each of her hands. The young man then noticed she was also standing over a light orb which was shaking violently. The priestess chanted something while Dreu looked for Jonoxad. Eventually, he noticed the demon’s shadow trapped within the light orb and, despite his best efforts, Jonoxad couldn’t escape his prison.

“What are you trying to do?” asked Dreu.

“Isn’t it obvious?” The woman had an amused look. “All demons must die or be enslaved for humans to thrive. I, the Holy Priestess, shall kill the abomination within this orb. Then, I will aid my beloved against the one known as Tragthan.”

“How do humans thrive when they become monsters?”

Dreu charged with his blade in hand but he was halted by a barrier. When he slashed at the barrier, the priestess’ twelve orbs lit up briefly.

“Tell me, traitor! What have these demons offered you to earn your loyalty? Why not serve Xemir? It should be obvious who has won this conflict.”

“The demons offered me nothing so far. They just happen to be the enemies of my enemies. We’ll continue cooperating as long as we share a common foe.”

“Common foe?” The priestess furrowed her brow. “The demons are not your friends! They have killed humans since the beginning of time and they will continue to do so. Maybe if your family members were slaughtered by the demons, then you would hate their guts.”

At the mention of his family, Dreu gripped his blade tightly.

“You are right about one thing,” said Dreu as a red mist formed at the tip of his blade. “For those who slaughtered my family members, I hate their guts and only wish for their demise. I won’t stop until I have the heads of those who took away my family.”

Without another word, Dreu charged once more at the priestess. The woman simply stood there, paying no attention to him. The young man repeatedly attacked the barrier, refusing to believe it could hold out forever. As Dreu swung his blade over and over, the priestess appeared to be recoiling from each strike. For some reason, her focus remained on the orb Jonoxad was trapped in and failed to attack him. A theory formed in his mind so he tested it by attacking more relentlessly. The young man also changed his angle of attack to see if there were any weak spots in the barrier.

Good! I see cracks in the barrier now!

Knowing his relentless attacks were yielding results, Dreu kept up the pressure. His muscles were complaining about being overworked but he couldn’t afford to take a break. The growing cracks motivated him to continue until he finally shattered the barrier. The shattering of the barrier also caused the smile on the priestess to disappear.

“Why?” she said as she turned to face Dreu once more. “Why are you so determined to oppose Xemir? Why can you not see his greatness and the blessings he has given to humans?”

The image of his family members flashed through his mind followed by Bayard and the others. His recollection ended with Ilveroz’s ashes blown away by a breeze.

“The Right Arm of Xemir killed my family and burned the town to the ground.” Dreu raised his blade. “Azorius took away my mentor and those who protected me. I also lost a dear companion earlier today. I don’t see the blessing you speak of. I see only death and destruction to those I care about. Maybe Xemir can deceive you but I see him for what he is.”

Dreu charged in but the priestess narrowly dodged his blade. He repeated his attacks but his opponent repeatedly avoided them, albeit narrowly every single time. This only further made Dreu’s blood boil resulting in faster and more ferocious attacks. Yet, his best efforts didn’t bear any fruit as the priestess managed to dodge anything and everything. Just as he wondered if he could land a hit, a claw went through the priestess’ heart. The woman's eyes widened as she looked down at the claw.

“Good work, human! Tragthan was right about you all along.” Jonoxad pulled out his claw, allowing the woman’s corpse to fall into her pool of blood. “Xemir likes to play favorites and destroy all who don’t belong in his plan.”