The Forsaken Hero

Victor growled at the insult, and his grip on his broad sword tightened. Faint wisps of aura emanated from his soul, and my chest tightened under the pressure, restricting my breathing. My body felt heavy and my tail went limp, quieted by the sheer strength it took to move it. This was an ability, though it was too delicate and complex for me to examine with the Oracle of Eternity. The only thing I could tell was that it interacted with fate in some obscure way, reviewing, or perhaps reading, the information it found there.

Kahlen, the blade demon, appeared unconcerned, and I could just see it remained unaffected by the light.

The Justice Hero took a step forward. ”Is this your true power, hero?”

”Of course not. A demon like you doesn’t deserve to witness it firsthand. This is simply my first ability, ’Justice.’ It weighs your sins against your soul and suppresses your strength accordingly. A demon like you is sure to be-” his face froze, stretching into disbelief. ”...unaffected? But how?”

The blade demon lunged forward, responding to the question with a fifth-level magical technique. Cold, hard light trailed from the tips of four-bladed appendages, weaving a dizzying pattern as they spun around him. It was like a blender; if blenders could think, it had complete omnidirectional control over its blades and was dedicated to war. Whenever a blade seemed like it would collide with another or leave an opening, it abruptly redirected its course.

The storm of flashing steel swept into Victor in a dazzling display of flashing steel. The floating shield struggled to keep up as slashes filled the air, assaulting the hero from every direction. The blade demon was only a head taller than the hero, but its slashes came from all directions, cutting off every parry, dodge, or avenue of retreat.

Victor stumbled as a curved blade hooked behind him, screeching off his steel plate. The attack failed to penetrate the enchantments strengthening his gear, but the split second he was off balance was all the demon needed.

A single blade approached the hero from the side, drawing the flashing shield away. The other three lashed forward like vipers, fluidly maneuvering between the chinks in his armor and burying their points in his flesh.

Victor cried out and threw himself back, tearing himself off the impaling blades. Blood spurted from his hip, elbow, and shoulder, and he barely managed to dodge a cut at his face. It had been the first blade, which had taken advantage of his precarious stance to dip under the shield and stab at his face. He got away with his life, but it left a deep cut across his cheek.

Kahlen’s core pulsed as it took a step forward, raising its blades to catch the light of the sun through the gap in the clouds. Blood dripped from the tip of his appendages as it shook them, sending scarlet droplets flinging off into the snow.

”Disappointing,” it hummed, raising its blades once again. Its many, spindly appendages gave off a decided arachnid feel like a spider preparing to pounce.

Victor groaned and rubbed his hip. When his hand came away red, his eyes flashed dangerously, and he wore a savage grin. Immediately, the light of justice brightened, growing to near-blinding intensity.

”Attacking a hero is a sin,” he said, clenching his fist. Blood dripped between his fingers, running down his wrist. ”I don’t understand how you were free of condemnation before, but your hands are clean no longer. Can you feel it? The condemnation of this world? This is the Light of Justice. Prepare yourself for judgment.”

The Light of Justice, if that truly was the name of his ability, felt no different to me than before. I was hot and stifling, reminiscent of the influence of the Holy Star. I shuddered as I made the connection, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable. The priests in the Divine Throne had mercilessly tormented and beaten me because of that first-circle spell, and the memories had never entirely faded. The Light of Justice must be similar, except instead of suppressing demons, it attacked any Victor perceived guilty by whichever law he believed in.

Regardless of the mechanics, Kahlen’s reaction to the light changed. He was no longer as smug or confident, appearing uneasy under its hostile rays. The light wrapped around his soul and smothered it to some degree—nothing that would actually affect his combat ability, but uncomfortable enough to put him on edge.

”Armament of Justice: Executor!” Victor cried, raising his sword.

Another floating object coalesced out of his light, forming a gleaming spear. The spear’s head was about a foot long and resembled more of a broad-bladed dagger than a traditional spearhead. It acted just like the floating shield, moving to take a position at his flank.

With his armaments at his side, Victor stalked forward. He no longer limped on his wound, and the flow of blood had ceased. Truly, high-level heroic blessings were something to be envious of. They recovered and healed so quickly that flesh wounds were barely something to be concerned about. Even Korra, a fifth-level hero, would have been able to recover from the crawler bite after a day or two, provided the poison hadn’t interfered.

”Die, demon!” Victor spat, lunging forward. His sword cut a brilliant arc through the air, bearing the power of a sixth-level magical technique. The spear at his side darted forward with the same exact power, and through the Oracle of Eternity, I could see it linked with his soul. It seemed his armaments were an extension of his body, and any strength or benefits he gained from magical techniques also affected them.

Kahlen moved in a whirl of steel and darkness, maneuvering his blades into a dazzling series of parries. Victor’s sword contained a massive amount of mana, far more than a sixth-level demon like him could handle, but the arc was clumsy and predictable. In the quarter of a heartbeat it took for the sword to reach him, its blades had hit it four times, slowly altering its course and placing it in the dirt.

With all of its attention on the sword, the Justice Hero’s spear struck it directly in the chest. Kahlen shivered as several blades guarding its core shattered, exposing it partially.

Victor’s sword slammed into the ground, shattering the earth and throwing up literal tons of dirt and stone. The plumes rose high in the sky, blotting out the sun, and a gaping chasm spread in the direction of the attack, snaking almost a hundred feet. A shockwave traveled through the ground, a literal ripple in solid earth. Fable stumbled as it reached us, and the ground heaved beneath our feet, nearly tossing me from his back.

”Careful,” Korra said, appearing at my side and steadying me with a hand on my uninjured shoulder. ”Perhaps we should get a little further back. I forgot how exciting high-level fights were.”

”Exciting?” I mumbled, shuddering. The shockwave had penetrated deep into my body, disrupting my system. I coughed and tasted copper, and when I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand it came away wet with blood.

Korra’s eyes widened, and she slapped Fable’s flank. ”Get out of here; we’ll cover your retreat. Damn it!” she cursed as the demon and hero clashed again, sending another shockwave toward us. ”Elinore’s going to kill me!”

”Get down!” Luxxa shouted.

The female knight leaped before us, planting her large, shining shield on the ground. Her soul flashed as she used a magical art, and a golden bubble sprang around us. Gith and Jenna dove within the defensive ward, which was just large enough to cover the five of us.

A moment later, the shockwave struck, surpassing the first one by an entire level. The bubble quivered, and several cracks spiderwebbed across it, but ultimately held. Korra glanced at me and let out a sigh of relief upon finding me all right.

”Not bad,” Jenna said, somewhat reluctantly. ”That was a seventh-level technique the hero used. Those arts really are something to withstand that at fourth-level.”

”Of course,” Luxxa replied, letting the shield drop. ”But you’ll have to thank our lady for developing the technique.”

”Talk later,” Korra interrupted, ”Let’s get some distance first. Xiviuah can’t take another hit like that.”

Fable moved before they could respond, bounding several hills away. It wasn’t far, not when sixth and seventh-level techniques were thrown around, but the added distance weakened the Light of Justice. Once the suppression lifted, I took my first deep breath and let the cold, crisp winter air fill my lungs. Out of our entire group, the suppression hit me the hardest, not just because of my frail physique but because my crimes were especially dark. Anything Korra had done, including attacking the Divine Throne, would be swept aside by virtue of her heroic calling. It wasn’t fair, but Victor’s justice was subjective to his own experience and morals. Just like all justice.

”Where’s his party?” Korra muttered to herself. ”And why isn’t his dragon doing anything?”

My hand caressed my horn as I fell into thought, frowning slightly. In my vision, Victor had mentioned taking a team to apprehend me. I remembered from our brief encounter in the Divine Throne when he’d tried to arrest me that he had a Law Priest and at least one knight with him.

The thoughts prompted a response in my soul, and I gasped as my mana went berserk. ”Korra! Above us!”