Several days have passed since we left. We marched westward, stopping only for brief breaks or to sleep. The journey was long but peaceful.
Occasionally, we came across travelers or farmers who wished us well. Everyone believed that we could save this world ‒ the 100... no, the 20 heroes who were chosen to defeat the angels.
Our destination was a city in the west of the country. It was a ten-day journey in one direction, and the closer we got, the more we wondered what awaited us.
We spent the journey talking, and some played with their magic. I didn’t know everyone’s names, let alone their magical abilities. Sometimes, a flash of light appeared from one direction, other times strange sounds could be heard, or unfamiliar scents filled the air. Still fascinated by their new powers, they behaved like children with a new toy.
The tension among the soldiers grew day by day. Could they stop us if we attacked them all at once? Would they stand a chance against our... against the magic of the others?
Yogore started conversations with the soldiers repeatedly. He asked about the enemies, the goal, or simply tried to make small talk ‒ without success. They always waved him off or kept to themselves.
On the seventh day of our journey, Yogore managed to get a reaction.
"Be honest: What can we expect when we arrive?" Yogore seemed casual, carefully steering the conversation.
The soldiers glanced at each other but didn’t respond. Yogore was disappointed. "Come on. If you’re already accompanying us to our death, at least tell us what to expect."
The soldiers, seemingly tired from the long journey, finally broke their silence. One of them, a tall and broad-shouldered man, spoke up.
"You can expect nothing less than horror." Yogore didn’t seem convinced.
"Yeah, yeah, we’ve been told that since the beginning. But what exactly? You’ve fought these things, haven’t you?" Yogore was curious.
"It wasn’t a fight. It was a massacre. We couldn’t do anything. We didn’t have the... right abilities for it." His voice grew quiet again. It sounded familiar, as if we had heard it before. But I couldn’t figure out whose voice it was. The soldiers’ rigid helmets hid their faces.
"Always the same! Massacre, horror, death, our magic! You’re sending us on a suicide mission and telling us nothing! Nothing!" Yogore’s voice grew louder, more shrill.
He felt his anger building up, uncontrollable like a volcanic eruption. Words he should have kept to himself burst out ‒ insults that struck the soldiers like blows. It was as if the pressure of his inner world was now escaping in a single, explosive moment.
One of the soldiers couldn’t take it anymore and struck with his armored fist. But instead of collapsing, Yogore’s face began to melt. It dissolved like wax, the features blurring into a dark mass that slid over the soldier’s glove.
A cold, slimy sensation spread, and the soldier let out a scream as he tried to free himself. Yogore’s eyes gleamed as the liquid form reformed into the outline of his face. A dark grin played across his lips.
Then he suddenly reached for the dagger at his belt and lunged at the soldier. The other soldiers grabbed for their weapons, but before it could escalate, Akai seized Yogore by the shoulder with a firm grip and yanked him back.
Yogore, in a state between rage and frenzy, spun around, but Akai caught the knife with his bare hand. Dark veins pulsed along his arm. When Yogore realized it was Akai, he stopped and let the knife fall.
"If we kill each other here, there will be no one left to save the city in the west." Behind Akai, the green-haired man stepped forward, his war club casually resting on his shoulder.
He nodded at Akai, and she released her grip on Yogore's shoulder. The veins disappeared from her arm instantly.
I stepped toward them. "Let's move on." I looked from the soldiers to Yogore.
"We need to be back in a month. Wasting time here is pointless." Logic had no place here. Everyone was still standing with their hands on their weapon grips ‒ soldiers, like heroes.
But that was all I could say. The soldier with the familiar voice looked at me intently. At least, that’s what I thought. It felt as if he... pitied me?
When the situation settled down, we continued. I was surprised at how well the others controlled their magic. In an instant, Yogore could melt into liquid, and Akai could make her veins protrude. As for me, I could only talk and place my trust in my combat abilities.
Every time I saw the others with their power, I felt fear.
After three more days of travel, we finally arrived at our destination. Our journey had been marked by green meadows and forests, with occasional glimpses of the sea.
But now, in the distance, a cluster of stone houses and various towers stretched out. A thick, though not particularly tall, wall encircled the city. In the center, a tall tower was visible, or what remained of it.
As the city came into view, we all lost our breath. Everywhere you looked, there was fire and destruction. A city that had likely once been presentable, with its tower rising against the sky, now lay in rubble and ash.
Had we arrived too late?
As our eyes were fixed on the earthly destruction, the soldiers stepped beside us. Their weapons in hand, ready to fight for their lives. But their knees were weak, trembling? Were they truly ready to face the angels once more?
The soldier from earlier stepped beside me. "Look up."
I quickly understood what he meant. My gaze followed his instruction, rising toward the sky. Only then did I freeze.
The sky, which had just been shining in a brilliant blue, was now covered by a deep darkness. For a moment, we didn’t understand what had happened ‒ it wasn’t like night, but the sun had vanished. Just moments ago, we had been surrounded by the bright midday sun, and now darkness filled the sky... No, despite the dark sky, the sun was still shining... No, multiple suns.
Something was wrong here. The sky was filled with several small suns, moving through the darkened heavens.
The closer we looked, the more detailed the figures became. Our eyes adjusted to the sight, and what had once appeared as suns transformed into beings with wings.
What we had thought were suns was the true objective of our mission.
The angels.
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