"Aha! You are truly dense. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will come eventually with their legions in toe. Your fate is sealed, goodbye Evernight."
Karravok pulled a small black device from his pocket holding in front of his face, a crimson light appeared and scanned his face before it disappeared, a buzzing emanating from it.
His face twisted with confusion, he repeatedly hit it and tried it over and over again many times. I just watched his humiliation grow, this little scene of rejection invited more terror into his heart than I could ever offer.
While he was busy messing with the weird device, I concentrated all my light on my wound, pouring every bit of power into healing me. It wasn't the most effective spell, but it swiftly closed up my wound at the cost of most of my energy. Luckily, I could still handle light platforms.
Once I was sure my wound was healed, I removed my hand from it, revealing unblemished milky white skin.
"Have you tried turning it on and off again?" I asked, pity running rampant in my voice.
"Shut up!"
Karravok tried to attack me but was only met with failure, a sea of blood spilling from his mouth at his attempt. He coughed violently before he tried the device once again.
Instead of crimson light, a light green light appeared shining across the face. He dropped the device, his face falling into despair. Instead of the device falling to the floor, it didn't move an inch, hovering in the air.
"No… No! It's not true… It's just a mistake! I have—" stuttered Karravok.
I eyed the scene unfolding in front of me curiously. I hadn't the faintest clue what he was so scared of, which made me thirst for more knowledge.
"Muhehe. Oh, Karravok, you've been abandoned. My sister no longer acknowledges you as one of the Heralds of War. I can see why you can't even beat a newborn, how tragic. But all isn't lost, you can still become one of mine."
A corrosive voice reared its head out of the device, her ominous pressure spilling out from it. It was overwhelming. I hadn't felt such pressure since my battle with Artoria.
But no, it wasn't right to compare the two; whoever this woman was, she far surpassed Artoria in strength. Just from the immense amount of pressure weighing down on me, I could tell the difference was night and day.
"No! I'd rather die than become a rat of pestilence. Lady War hasn't abandoned me, I've always been a devoted follower, she'd never!"
"My sister doesn't tolerate defeat. If you don't bow, then I'll be forced to take you by force. And you know exactly what that means, don't you?"
"I still won't allow myself to become the test subject for your vile experiments, Pestilence!"
"Pestilence? Who gave you permission to speak that name in front of a Servant? I recall my offer of servitude; you are now just cattle."
A skeletal hand pierced through Karravok's heart, a dirty slime oozing from its bone, swiftly spreading throughout his whole body, consuming him. An ominous green portal opened up from behind him, someone's arm wrapping around his face before him into the portal.
Although Karravok was gone, the portal stayed open, shimmering in the sunlight. Then six pitch-black wings appeared, pierced through the portal, before a tall woman walked out. She looked around briefly, her gray hair flowing in the wind.
Then her emerald eyes suddenly locked onto mine despite the immense amount of malice flowing from her body. She smiled awkwardly, trying her best to appear sweet, but it was more unsettling.
"Hello, Evernight. I commend you on defeating Karravok; he was sorta strong, so I suppose it is worth congratulations. I hope you'll forgive my intrusion into this Dominion, but I haven't seen the sun in quite a while."
"Um, are you the Horsemen of Pestilence?"
"Yep. I never really leave my lab, so I don't really see many people. But I'm glad you were the first one I saw after leaving, you're quite the sight. Do you want to come back to my lab? I promise I'll be gentle when I dissect you."
"I politely refuse."
"Oh? That's too bad, I bet it would have been fun too. I'll be going then. Those two Dominions are coming, and I can't be bothered fighting; it's such a drag. Until we meet again, Evernight. Bye-bye."
"Bye."
She waved her hand as she turned around into the portal. As soon as she stepped in, the portal closed and disappeared. Not even a trace left of its existence. I had yet to come across such an insurmountable force; I didn't know how to react, instinctively choosing kindness instead of malice.
The last thing I wanted was to be swallowed by that corrosive substance, although I hadn't held much kindness for Karravok; a sliver of sympathy swelled in my heart at whatever cruel fate awaited him.
"Evernight!"
Ickni and Artoria soon appeared in front of me, their faces laced with concern and blatant panic at the immense malice that just surrounded the city. I gazed at them, looking to be listening to their many shouts, but my mind was somewhere else. I needed to find Liliana.
I'd made a promise I wouldn't leave her.
"Where's the Horsemen?" asked Ickni.
"She left."
"What do you mean she just left?! Why would she show herself if she wasn't planning on doing something!"
Ickni's belligerent shouts fell hollow on my ears. Artoria stared at me curiously, tilting her head to my expression.
"She pierced the Herald through the heart and took him. She said he was now just cattle after losing to me. It was the Horsemen of Pestilence."
Ickni's expression calmed considerably in the face of my words, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Pestilence isn't the type to spread mass death on a whim. Luckily, she was the one who responded to that Herald's call."
I turned my back on Ickni, ignoring her next words, and reclining in the ruins of the Broken Lance's headquarters.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" exclaimed Ickni.
"Evernight? Are you okay? Did that devil injure you?"
"He did, but I've already healed the wound; there is something else I must handle."
Ickni and Artoria followed my descent, sticking close to my back, apparently interested in whatever I wanted to do.
They were becoming inconveniences, but I didn't protest that'd only increase their desire to follow.
We ventured into the ruined warehouse, finishing off any of the devils inside. I knew there were around thirty left alive if they hadn't been killed by the rubble. At the bottom of the staircase, a familiar sat waiting on the lowest step.
"Liliana!" I shouted.
She immediately snapped her head around to look at me, her eyes glossing over with tears, before she sprinted up the stairs, jumping into my arms.
"I'm glad you're okay, Evernight."
"Yeah, so am I."
I gently put her down on the floor, leading her out of the warehouse. Artoria and Ickni just eyed me suspiciously before we reached the streets of Grandheart.
A perimeter had already been set around the warehouse, so no civilian would randomly wander in.
"So, Evernight. Who is this?" asked Ickni, her voice low and ominous.
"You know you're not allowed to protect devils, wingless or not. Such a thing is inexcusable," said Artoria. She was glaring at me with suspicion, but her eyes weren't as intense as Ickni's.
"Liliana isn't a devil but a wingless angel who was tortured and used as entertainment for those vile creatures. I beg you, Ickni, please allow her to join the Servants and stay by my side."
For the first time in my time at the Order Dominion, I had genuinely asked Ickni for something. This wasn't lost on Ickni; her lips twisted into a wicked grin, enjoying my desperation.
"Fine. She'll start as a Third String, but you must take responsibility for anything she does, and she must be in Artoria's line of view until I deem her trustworthy. If you can't agree to those terms, then I'd have no choice but to collar her."
I grasped Liliana's shoulder, pulling her behind me. I wouldn't let her be collared and controlled by the ball of cruelty chuckling in front of me.
"I agree, don't touch her."
Ickni's eyes wavered between amusement and hesitation for a split second.
"Hehe, fine. But as soon as I collar you, she'll get one too. Don't forget that," sneered Ickni.
Ickni soon flew away back towards her palace, her hideous laughter escaping into the air. Artoria didn't follow, staying at my side, sighing deeply.
"Are you sure it's okay, Evernight?" asked Liliana.
"It'll be fine…"
Artoria soon went into the warehouse, ordering us to wait for her return. She was tasked with mopping up the remnants of devils. I stared into the sun as I waited, inspecting its surface, searching for an answer to escape Ickni's clutches and free Artoria's mind from everlasting despair.
I was still too weak to match Ickni's power; I didn't need the sun to tell me that. I've known the answer all this time, it's power.