By the time Galatea caught up, Luka stood at the northern wall with a cold stare. To his right, Iris stood with clenched fists as she chewed on her lips. Even the seasoned warriors Brea and Gerard struggled to keep their faces straight.
'Scum.'
He'd almost forgotten the reason every other race banded together against the fallen, despite their power and wealth.
"W-What the hell is this?! Galatea's voice cracked as she pointed to the distant goblin battle line, with various wooden boards, with naked men and women nailed to the surface. "How can they do such foul things?!"
'This is nothing...'
Luka glanced at Galatea, wanting to inform her but chose not to. He'd already stepped across an invisible line. She knew he wasn't the Luka of the past, and didn't wish to stir the pot any further so soon.
"Vaun, how long to prepare the hunters to fight again?"
A sense of irritation grew in Luka's chest. He knew that most people would struggle to fight constantly without rest and food. But the situation didn't allow them to idle, or waste a single day, with the first night passing... he had six days at worst and fifteen at most.
That wasn't enough to build, retake and prepare for their serious invasion.
"Sire, we slept earlier before dinner and took a nap to avoid such an issue. The entire group of thirty-two archers are ready to serve."
'Archers... I see!'
The murky emotions subsided briefly, knowing Vaun managed to complete his task earlier... to convince the men to swear themselves to him as archers. Not hunters. Though they were free to hunt in their spare time, he wanted soldiers, not militia.
This allowed him to be honest and spill his truest feelings upon seeing the women stained in filthy white and yellow stains... the men with their genitals removed.
"We cannot save them, don't think about it. Galatea."
"W-Wait... Luka?!" She tried to stop him as he stepped towards the battlements.
He paused, but didn't turn back. "This isn't a fight, Knight. It's war."
"...Hrk...!"
'She's still too kind, wanting to save those in need despite falling into a murky bog to do so.'
Luka peeked at her face from her reflection of Zack's armour, knowing that expression... biting her lip, furrowing her brows and raising her nostrils.
"Don't blame yourself." He paused, gripping the sharp wall with a sigh. "If it's easier to accept... Blame me for being too slow."
"B-Blame you?!"
"Oh, give it over, we're all upset, why are you making so much noise?" Iris complained with a snort before she kicked the wall. "Oi, Leader, are you going to end their misery? Will you let us take part in the battle too?"
Luka turned, able to see the raging fire of hatred marred with anguish in the depths of her irises. "Are they your people?"
A simple question, but her shoulders shook.
"I understand, we will end their suffering as swiftly as possible and without pain."
Unlike Galatea, who lost control of her emotions, Iris glanced up at his face. Maybe it was the first time she didn't insult him. But he remained silent. Able to see the faint watery orbs gathering in the corners of her big green eyes.
"Please." She barely spoke the words, supported by Brea, who also gave Luka a warmer glance, as she mouthed the words. "Thank you."
'War, suffering... if the people knew what would soon come.'
Luka looked up into the dark, grey skies... even the moonlight was hidden on this horrible night. He covered his face, the flashing images of his knights and people being massacred, no matter how many times he swung his blade... they fell.
And Galatea's severed head...
A hateful churning flame swelled inside him, forcibly torturing himself with these images, and he felt power overflowing within him.
The source of a fallen one's power... emotions, desires... a hunger for more.
All that the angels lack.
"My People!"
Luka stepped onto the wall, his balance impeccable, as he turned to face the two hundred people who all looked at him with hopeless and dreary eyes.
"You heard their cries for help!"
"Oh, how Detestable! Our enemies use foul tactics to break our spirits... they torture, abuse and defile our beloved brothers and sisters!"
He spread his arms, like a bird taking flight, leaning back, causing the knights to rush to catch him. But he squeezed his core muscles tight, remaining perfectly balanced before leaning forward.
Then slowly raised his face, wearing sharp eyes and scrunched brows with lips pressed together until pale, showing his fury.
"Do we just stand here, cry, lament and whine about it?"
Luka adjusted his voice, raising and lowering it when needed.
"No! We must stand and fight, for if we remain here wallowing in sorrow and fear, more of our beloved people will suffer! Think not of their suffering, but of the suffering that shall follow if we fail to slay them here and now!"
'Was that enough? Will they follow?'
Luka wasn't an archangel with an overflowing divine aura and charisma anymore, despite reaching the pinnacle of mortal appeal. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to bridge the impossible canyon between his two selves.
Gerard nodded, his eyes closed halfway as he gripped his blade, then drew it as he shouted to support Luka.
"Slay them!"
Following him, Vaun yelled.
"Protect our loved ones!"
He lacked experience in speeches or building emotion.
Luka poured his own emotions and feelings into his words. The image he saw was not the goblin shields, but the mutilated corpses of his knights, their hopeless faces staring at him from the grave.
"Do not fear them, for I shall be with you. As you lord, and your saviour."
He couldn't be Lucifer the pristine, paragon powerhouse anymore; instead, he would reinvent himself step by step, but he needed a goal.
A concrete, ambitious goal.
His eyes shone.
'I am Luka de Babylon, I will become god-king and save my people!'
Shiing!
He drew Oblivion, the dark, eerie blade, which glowed a brighter purple.
'It's hungry...!'
To make it shine, he poured a third of his Sin Energy into the blade, buffing its sharpness and powers temporarily. A tight, empty feeling washed over him as the sword devoured his energy with delight.
The people began to cheer, jeering at the goblins as they grabbed their weapons, armour and flooded the northern walls.
'I'm lucky these people are all warriors.'
Maybe a few hunters remained nervous, their bows swaying more than usual, but otherwise, the knights and militia with Iris burned with hatred and desire.
[Mass Amount of Desire Detected]
[Warning! Too much to absorb!]
[Allow Oblivion to gather and use as a power source?]
'What difference does that make...?'
Luka tapped the air, opening the "+" mark beside the option, and read the description.
[Oblivion will use surrounding desire to fuel its powers while storing and absorbing as much energy as possible for the host.]
"I see..."
This function was far too strong for a weaker Luka.
Although it would be best if he could absorb the sinful desires. But his current state wasn't nearly enough for the mass waves of hatred, anger and bloodlust washing over his troops in varying degrees.
Without a second thought, he tapped the plus.
Bzzzt!
Oblivion suddenly trembled in his hands.
A bizarre suction whizzed around the blade as a huge amount of energy poured into Luka's chest.
"Ngh!?"
[Sin Energy Restored!]
The sudden burst felt like someone ramming a searing hot potato down his throat without letting him chew or crush it.
His throat burned with a sharp throbbing ache.
'Damn, scam sword!'
Luka grit his teeth, enduring the pain that spread through his body like someone pushing a tiny stick through his veins as if to clean them.
"Gerard, you take control of the Knights. Vaun, I will trust the archers to you, target the wolves, not the goblins." He leaned closer. "Have your most skilled hunters put an end to their misery."
"Yes, Sire!"
Galatea's eyes burned into his back, likely upset that he asked her grandfather to lead the knights.
However, he didn't care.
He looked back at her and offered his hand.
"Galatea, stay beside me, I need your support as my Knight."
If he said it like this, Luka knew that Galatea would never deny him, even if she knew he wasn't her true lord. Though strangely enough... He never expected her face to brighten instantly with a broad smile as she gave a snappy, strong response.
"Yes, My lord!"
Side by side, the pair overlooked the vast fields, facing the goblin horde... Luka peeked at her from the corner of his eyes.
'How Nostalgic...'
No matter how things changed, his heart throbbed a little faster whenever he came close to her after being reborn.
A strange, yet comfortable feeling.
BRRRRRT!
Which was shattered by the foul sound of goblin horns on the horizon.