Azrael felt his heart being filled with anticipation; was he about to witness a grand battle between the two mighty monsters?
’Maybe the Death Knight attacks the King, loses badly due to their power difference, and we swoop in at the last moment and kill it. That way we would have closed the Rift and be returned back to the human realm, while the Proven would be left on their own.’
The best-case scenario came into his head only to vanish a second later. He knew his luck; nothing in this life was so easy.
The King’s hollow gaze lingered on the Death Knight for several moments. One looked like an immovable statue, being able to best two beings of the same power level single-handedly. While the other looked like it held the power to collapse the cathedral with a single movement.
Slowly, the lips of the Scalded Crown parted; its voice was calm. Unnervingly so—no hint of fear, hesitation, or regret, almost robotic in a way similar to the system the Chosen possessed.
"Of all my subjects, you alone go against my will."
The Death Knight didn’t seem to acknowledge the words of its master. It began to take silent steps forward.
The King, not showing the slightest hint of emotion, continued.
"Is this defiance for the Queen’s sake? You know that should one wish to challenge the gods, they must be ready to surrender anything dear."
Halting a few steps before the King, the knight leaned in forward with one bent knee, gripping the great sword with two hands. It was going to attack.
"Had you joined us like your brothers and sisters did, then we might have already beaten them long ago. Tell me, how could you turn a blind eye to the millions we sacrificed only to linger for a woman who merely gave birth to you?"
The last words of the King remained unheard; the Death Knight dashed forward faster than any of the gathered Chosen could perceive. The black sword it carried loomed overhead the King’s throne before falling down like a guillotine of death.
Yet before it could hit its mark, a barrier appeared, halting its advance. Once the blade collided, a shockwave passed through the air, causing the two Golden Vanguards to stagger to the side.
Slowly they stood up and went towards the King’s side once more, ignoring the one who challenged.
"Has time withered away the little mind you have left? Or have you always been that dense?"
Extending a shaky hand forward, the King pressed its palm on the knight’s chest.
Azrael’s face paled, Seraphina stepped back, and Isolde shivered.
No one saw an attack, at one point the knight stood before the King, and the next second it had crashed against the gates of the cathedral.
"I told you once, I would tell you twice, even thrice if I have to. For as long as the gods breathe, for as long as they wither away our soil, I shall not die."
Despite the attack, the King still didn’t show even the smallest trace of emotion.
"If you wish for my head. To pay for my sins, then assist your mother. Help her ascend to godhood and slay the corrupted gods. Do that, and the barrier shall fall."
The Death Knight rose, seemingly unbothered by the attack, its gaze lingered on the sword it carried. Then, wordlessly, it left, unwilling to try a second time.
Deadly silence returned, some of the Chosen having put a hand over their mouths in an attempt to hide the faint noises of their breathing. Others were wracking their brains trying to connect the dots.
But one white-haired man felt something shift in his heart. The fear that he felt a few seconds ago disappeared, being replaced by astonishment.
’I see now... it makes sense.’ An involuntary gasp escaped his lips, eyes enlarging. The full picture still eluded him, but he had glimpses enough.
He knew the reason the kingdom was in its state.
What had happened in the past.
And what was bound to happen sooner or later.
A subtle smirk tugged at his lips. ’Now that I think about it, we... I may have accelerated the process several times without knowing it.’
Was he supposed to cry from despair or laugh from the absurdity of it all? For if what he theorized came true... Hell was going to descend on the lands. One that no Marked or Proven would survive.
"Let’s go. We have seen enough. The more time we spend here, the higher the chances of being discovered."
Unwilling to linger in the area any longer, he moved, calling out to Seraphina.
Her eyebrow arched. "Did you figure it out?"
Without turning back, he answered. "Hopefully no... Most likely yes."
This was more than enough for her. Once she commanded the Chosen to move, they obeyed.
Silently, they exited the cathedral, finding themselves at the ledge once again. That led the Chosen to let out sighs of relief. The corrupted aura had lessened on their bodies significantly; they didn’t feel in danger anymore.
The only one that didn’t seem to display any kind of relief was Azrael. His gaze was fixed to the east, towards the Ashen Desert. From his vantage point, he was easily able to see that the lava ocean had retreated once more.
Turning, he gazed at the west. The ice and snow had a crimson hue, as if stained in blood. While the lava ocean had retreated, the Taintstorm had advanced.
This pretty much confirmed his worries. Still, to be on the safe side, he grabbed Isolde’s palm.
"Before, you said there was a strong monster far to the east, where the lava ocean is, right?"
"We are even farther now. Do you still feel it?"
Her body trembled slightly. After a few seconds of silence, she answered:
With a frown, Azrael continued, "Then... What about the west? Do you feel something similar?"
She nodded once more.
Seraphina, seeing how Azrael asked her friend several questions in a hurried manner, asked, "What did you figure out?"
He sighed, rubbing his temple.
"What we have seen up until now isn’t anything... What follows would be magnitudes worse."
He urged the others to begin descending.
"We are tight on time, and the plans have changed. We must not waste a single second; I will explain on the way back to the base."
"Wait," James called out, seeing the clear change in behavior Azrael was displaying. "Didn’t we agree that we would search for a place to relocate our base before returning?"
Azrael shook his head in displeasure.
"Are you deaf? I just told you that we have no time to waste. Once we are back at the base, we arm the Chosen and immediately start the hunt for the Death Knight. You all saw it, right? You felt the pull to kill it. As long as we don’t delay, we should be fine."
"If you’re in such a rush, how long do we have before... whatever you foresaw happens?"
Securing himself to the rope, Azrael began his descent without hesitation.
"Weeks, if we’re lucky... Days, if we’re not."