Rose dashed forward, sword in hand, as she cleaved it downwards at Leonidas, who just barely managed to deflect the hit. It was strong, super strong. He had underestimated the growth of Rose. Especially since she was determined.
Rose, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear. She had been waiting for the chance to defeat Luciferis, especially since she had heard about how he had treated other academy students.
"You thought you were tough getting into all of these fights?!" She shouted, tauntingly. Pushing down on Luciferis swords with her own.
"Let me tell you! It was just pathetic!-"
Luciferis' eyes narrowed as he kicked Rose square in her chest. Sending her back a few steps as the attack created a little bit of distance between them both.
"It wasn't pathetic since I was trying to protect my friend-"
"Shut the hell up. I'm not done lecturing you."
Rose's hair spiked up, her iris glowing with a deep red, the lightning on her sword solidifying, creating one immensely large sword the size of Luciferis.
But Luciferis didn't care; his expression showed that he wasn't taking this fight seriously. He was not trying to win. He was just trying to survive.
And that pissed Rose off even more.
She lunged up into the air, her sword's edge becoming a ferocious cluster of lightning as she threw it downwards at Luciferis, who simply smiled, knowing he couldn't dodge this attack of hers.
'I missed this ferocity of Rose, makes me remember the first time we met. God, I wish they have a healer.'
He got enveloped in a painful beam of lightning, letting go of both of his swords as he yelled in pain. The sword had pierced his shoulder, thankfully and not his chest, as he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness, but before he did, he noticed Icarus running towards him.
'Great... At least Icarus doesn't hate me... I really was excited to meet him that one time.'
(...)
"Hey, Icarus, don't you ever get tired of being led by the Chosen Hero of Bloody Inheritance? I mean, we've never met the guy." A grown-up Rose asked laying on the ashen ground of the battlefield, with dead trees around her group. Her face was covered in scars and fresh burns, yet it showed curiosity and hope even in the face of exhaustion and death.
"Nope. I don't really. Especially since you and a few others are here to keep me around." Icarus stood up from the ground; the sound of the hoard of demons nearing reached his ears. The demons were attacking their small group, wave by wave, and all of them were getting tired.
Rose and the army she had fought valiantly, destroying thousands of Demonic Soldiers, yet in the end, numbers were still a factor in victory, and now they were cornered. Her army was slaughtered and destroyed, all except a handful.
"Rose, fuck you for making me come all the way here." Icarus tightened his boot, preparing to fight again, but he felt a sharp, piercing pain across his whole body.
The sky got darker and darker as the next wave of demonic soldiers neared, their numbers unfathomable and made Rose lose hope. Icarus clutched at his broken arm with a smirk. He had tried his best after all. He didn't really care if he died now.
"Don't blame me... I'm dying here as well."
Rose looked at her broken sword and shattered armour. This was really the end for her. Her thoughts flooded with regret and panic as she pulled out a locket, holding the picture of her father. Another legendary swordsman.
"I wanted to meet him one last time."
Icarus fell to the ground exhausted, lifting his head up one last time. But he noticed the clouds behind the wave of demons parting, the sound of ceremonial drums and trumpets getting louder and louder as he heard wings flapping.
A wave of light burst forward, annihilating a whole quarter of the demons in one go as Rose's eyes widened, staring at the sky.
It was a man- no, a deity with wings as big as a palace spread across the sky, his light overwhelmingly pure like the sun as his booming voice spread across the barren black battlefield, bringing what seemed to be warmth to her panicked heart.
"Apologies for arriving so late, my friends. I was busy taking care of the Demonic Commanders in the Central Lands."
Icarus smirked at the distant figure, only the shadows of their wings themselves causing the demons to cower in fear.
'Central Lands? Even I, as the fastest guy I know, take a day to go from there to here. And he arrived within a few minutes? Only a stupidly divine shithead can do that.'
"It-It's the Hero! Run! Escape! Each man for himself!" A demon riding a skeletal horse shouted, the air escaping his lungs as he looked into the figure's burning golden eyes for just a moment, the immense Vitin emanting from just the figure's gaze alone was enough to kill him as he felt his heartbeat slowly become lower and lower until he fell off the horse he was riding, just from looking into the eyes of Luciferis.
"Is this whose on our side?!" One of Rose's surviving army members shouted in awe, his eyes reverently staring at Luciferis.
"The Demon King's screwed screwed!" Another soldier looked at Luciferis with a massive smile, tears flowing down his face.
"If he's here, I can bet on my life humanity lives to see another day!" He laughed with joy as Luciferis, even from miles away, heard him and. Of course, he smiled, like a shy older brother.
(...)
But that was Luciferis' previous life. He was not a Chosen Hero, nor was he any stronger than a normal Demon. He was just a weakling. It seemed his body was teasing him with dreams of his life.
'Wow... I was really a powerhouse back then, now that I think about it.'
He looked around. Trying to wrap his head around the fact that he just survived getting struck by lightning. And Vitin lightning at that.
"You survived because of me, just so you know."
A man in the corner of the room spoke up, the bells on his hat ringing as he turned to make eye contact with Luciferis, his mask hiding his expression, but his gaze showed he was smirking.
"Nice to meet you. Leonidas. I'm Oblect Ludus."
Luciferis sat up in the bed, his lips quirking upwards in an awkward manner as he didn't reply. He was too confused to think about what to reply with.
"Well, anyway. I'm also a part of this Guild. On the side, I run another guild, I lead the 5th Years, I think." Oblect lifted his mask just a bit, revealing his mouth, a massive burn scar spreading from one cheek to another, yet he sipped his tea casually. "I don't remember my responsibilities."
"Now. Let's talk." He said, setting the tea cup down.
"About what?"
"Your training and stuff. Sir Gelidus is currently away for a week. Until then, you'll have to train here with me." Oblect's smirk widened, almost creepily.
"Sure... But what do you know about Frost?"
"I'm a half-vampire and half-human. I've got quite a unique... Let's say Element."
Luciferis raised his eyebrow, trying to stand up from the bed, but he immediately felt a blunt, deep and incredibly harsh pain crawl down his spine.
"Oh, don't stand up just yet, Leonidas. Your nervous system and Vitin pathways are all screwed up, I'm afraid you're back at Square 1."
Oblect crossed his legs as he threw a playing card at Leonidas, who got hit by it right in the middle of his forehead, but instead of getting harmed or annoyed. Luciferis felt healed.
"Don't worry, though. With me around, you'll heal. Now. Shall we start with the basics?"