“Lord Kratos!”
Kratos, who had been resting in his tent, turned sharply at the sound of one of his men calling out to him. The soldier looked anxious, breathless from urgency.
“The Heroes of Kastoria and their armies are advancing toward us again!” the soldier reported, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Kratos frowned deeply, his mind racing. They really have the guts to attack us again after what Samael did to them? Where are they getting this sudden confidence?
“Prepare our army,” Kratos ordered with a calm authority. “We’ll show them once more the might of Tenebria.” He paused for a moment, thinking quickly. “And send an envoy to the Lord Commander. Inform him of the situation.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for the Lord Commander?” a soft voice interjected. Semiramis had entered the tent.
Kratos turned his gaze to her, noticing something different about her appearance. Her skin seemed to glow with an almost ethereal light, and there was a softness to her features that hadn’t been there before. Her hair was neatly tied back, and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she was wearing makeup. The change was subtle but striking.
Under different circumstances, Kratos might have asked her what had brought about this transformation, but the urgency of the situation took precedence. He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the battle at hand.
“He might arrive too late,” Kratos responded. “We need to be ready when they attack.”
“Why are they attacking us when we have a hostage?” Megara asked as she entered the tent, her brow furrowed in confusion. When Nathan had kidnapped Rena, the Heroes of Kastoria had been visibly distressed, so this aggressive move puzzled her.
“Humans seldom care about their comrades,” Kratos replied with a hint of disdain, his voice steady. He saw no logic in their actions, attributing it to the unpredictable nature of humans.
None of them could have known that Kaguya had appeared on the side of the Kastorian Heroes, promising to rescue Rena. That pledge had reinvigorated their spirits, giving them the courage to attack despite the risks.
“Let’s go,” Kratos said, his voice hardening with resolve. He reached for his sword and strode toward the tent’s entrance. Semiramis and Megara followed closely behind.
°°°°°°
In the same blood-soaked field where they had suffered their previous defeat, the Heroes of Kastoria and the army of Kastoria gathered once more. The ground still bore the dark stains of their fallen comrades’ blood, a grim reminder of the lives lost, despite the bodies having been removed. The air was thick with tension, each breath heavy with the weight of what had transpired here.
Ryuuki stood at the very spot where his classmate, Taketa, had been brutally slain by Samael. The memory of that cold-blooded murder haunted him, twisting his usually kind expression into one of grim determination. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, knuckles white with the force of his grip.
Beside him, Yumiko watched with concern, her eyes flickering between Ryuuki’s darkened face and the battlefield that stretched out before them.
“Man, is this really okay?” a voice whispered anxiously from behind.
“I’m so scared… What if that freak shows up again?” another murmured, the fear palpable.
“Same… I’m not sure we can handle that monster if he comes back…»
“But Kaguya-san is with us this time!” one of their classmates interjected, a note of hope creeping into their voice. “She’ll defeat him for sure!”
Despite their fears, Kaguya’s presence gave them a glimmer of hope. The thought of her strength bolstered their resolve, though the anxiety in the group was still evident.
The tense atmosphere was shattered by the sound of footsteps, armor clinking, and weapons clashing as the Tenebria Army appeared on the horizon. Leading them were Kratos, Megara, and Semiramis, their figures imposing as they marched forward with unwavering purpose.
Kratos stepped forward, his voice carrying across the battlefield. “I must commend you, Heroes of Kastoria, for your persistence and bravery. You dare to stand before us again after losing two of your own?”
“Release Rena-san,” Ryuuki asked, his voice icy.
Kratos raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Hm?”
But before he could react further, the air erupted with the sound of clashing steel—BADAM!
Kratos barely managed to parry Ryuuki’s sudden strike, his sword trembling from the impact. The sheer force nearly sent him stumbling back.
He’s stronger than yesterday!
Kratos couldn’t believe it, but the truth was undeniable. The hero before him had grown more powerful, his rage fueling his strength.
“Follow the Hero Ryuuki!” one of the Kastorian knights shouted, spurring the others into action. The second round of battle commenced, the knights charging forward with renewed vigor.
Ryuuki’s classmates had no choice but to follow suit, their fears momentarily pushed aside as they joined the fray.
GRAAAAAA!!!
But then, a sound that struck terror into their hearts echoed across the battlefield—a dragon’s cry, so powerful it seemed to make the very air tremble.
Everyone on Kastoria’s side, including the Heroes, flinched and instinctively took a step back, their earlier resolve faltering.
They knew all too well what was coming.
“Everyone, step back!” Ryuuki commanded, his voice filled with urgency.
The golden dragon, its scales gleaming ominously, spread its massive wings as it descended from the sky. The ground quaked beneath its weight as it landed, lowering its head.
Three figures dismounted from the dragon.
Samael, clad in his dark, imposing armor, stepped forward, his left eye gleaming like gold through the mask that concealed his face. Beside him were Medea, hand Rena, who seemed physically unharmed.
“Rena-san…” Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes locking onto her. But her gaze quickly shifted to Samael—Nathan, the man behind the mask—her heart pounding in her chest.
Akane, who had been convinced of his true identity as her stepbrother, stood silently, her eyes wide with a mixture of recognition and fear. She watched Nathan with bated breath, nerves fraying with every passing second.
“Kya!”
Nathan effortlessly lifted Rena onto his shoulder, her small frame offering no resistance as he leaped down from the dragon. Rena let out a startled, almost helpless yelp, her cheeks flushing a deep red from both embarrassment and the suddenness of the action. She didn’t dare struggle or even meet the eyes of her classmates, too mortified by the position she found herself in.
“You’ve got guts trying to fight again after I killed your classmate,” Nathan said, his voice dripping with disdain as he stood before the assembled Heroes of Kastoria.
“Rena-san…” Yumiko began, concern lacing her voice as she took a hesitant step forward.
“Don’t come any closer unless you want her dead,” Nathan snapped, his tone cold and threatening. His grip on Rena’s sides tightened involuntarily, the pressure causing him to inadvertently squeeze the sides of her breasts.
“Haan~” Rena couldn’t suppress the small moan that escaped her lips, the sound echoing in the uneasy silence that had fallen over the battlefield. Her face, already flushed, turned an even deeper shade of crimson, mortified that everyone had heard her.
Ayaka’s frown deepened as she watched the scene unfold. She knew Rena well—too well, in fact, to believe that this was the real her. The way Rena was blushing so intensely, her unusually docile demeanor, and her overly reactive responses… None of it seemed to add up. Something was off, terribly off.
“Do you all have a death wish, or what?” Nathan’s voice cut through the tension. His golden eye scanned the group, and under his piercing gaze, they all flinched, the fear of him palpable in the air.
Ryuuki’s fists clenched at his sides. But a darker thought gnawed at the back of his mind—if Rena was here, did that mean Kaguya had failed? The very idea seemed impossible to him, something he refused to believe. He convinced himself that Kaguya had likely arrived too late, after Nathan had already made his move.
Meanwhile, Nathan slowly lowered Rena to the ground. His arm wrapped tightly around her neck, and with the other hand, he brought a sword to her throat, the blade gleaming menacingly.
“Now, try me again.”