The Hero's Fall

Edward’s breath came out heavy as he swung his sword down.

In front of him, a muscular Daemon blocked the blade with its thick forearm. Though it got cut in the process, it ignored the injury and moved forward to punch at his chest. He hastily stepped back, but yelped as he tripped over himself and fell down.

“Dammit…” He groaned in discomfort.

He froze as the Daemon came over with two others and raised a big foot over him. He narrowly avoided it with a roll when it came down, then scrambled up and let out a desperate shout as he swung at its neck.

The World Sword flashed as it sliced the monster’s head off like butter. Edward recoiled in shock as he saw the body collapse at his feet.

“No way…” He gasped.

On the ground… now laid a human corpse, lifeless and unmoving.

Edward’s hands shook as he looked at his sword. Though the rain quickly rinsed it…he knew he saw blood on the blade.

‘I…killed him…’ He thought with widening eyes.

His heart beat harder than before as panic settled in. In his mind, he heard the pained and desperate cries of friends and foes alike. In the middle of the chorus, the voice of his best friend echoed and snapped him out of it.

‘Look out!’

He blinked and looked aside to see the other two Daemons in front of him, their sharp claws outstretched as they reached with their long arms. He moved to back away and raise his sword, but by now it was too late to prevent himself from being skewered.

Then he heard Lilian shout from behind him.

“Sir Edward!”

The cursed monsters screeched and scurried back as they were pierced by a few shining bolts of silver energy. Two more went through their skulls, and they shuddered for a second before dissipating into black dust.

Lilian rushed to Edward’s side and put a hand on his shoulder, and his head whipped to her as he snapped out of his stupor.

“Keep fighting!” She urged with a stern tone. “Follow Colette’s lead, and don’t stop!”

A bulky Daemon leaped at her, and with fearless eyes she swiftly pulled the string of her bow. Silver energy formed an arrow, which she immediately released.

It embedded itself in the monster’s heart, and it turned to dust mere centimeters in front of her.

She dashed into the fray without another word, and Edward’s attention became focused on the battle around him.

Colette’s soldiers were yelling as they fought with every ounce of strength they had. Swords and axes were swung, and spears were thrusted, into the wave of Daemons converging upon them.

While some were destroyed, others broke through the line and bored their might upon the falling men and women.

Blood scattered in Edward’s vision, and he held his head as the dying screams of this world’s people became mixed with those in his memories.

‘Ignore it…Ignore it…’ He yelled internally. ‘Just…forget it!’

He shook his head as he tried to focus, and looked around for Princess Colette.

She was up ahead, farther into the army of monsters than anyone else. Her sword blazed with bright flames, even amidst the heavy rain. She swung it left and right while bellowing a battlecry that echoed throughout the battlefield. Steam gushed as the Daemons around her were split apart, like they were no more than grass in her path.

“PUSH FORWARD!” She commanded.

Somehow, that got Edward to move again, despite the searing pain in his head. With a defiant shout, he ran towards her while making a stab at a Daemon in his way.

He stumbled as his sword pierced its heart and felled it, and it turned into a human man.

“Why…” He croaked with his dying breath.

Edward grit his teeth as he forced himself to push onward, and joined Captain Charles as he struggled to hold back a rather tall and bulky Daemon, which had beaten his shield to a crumpled mess.

“We have…to keep fighting!” He declared with a desperate scowl. “Sir Edward, with me!”

While he moved to strike the Daemon’s chest, Edward jumped to slash down at its head. However, they were stopped when it grabbed their blades with little effort, much to their surprise and dread.

Then Edward’s sword glowed bright, and the monster groaned out in pain and released it, which made him fall on his rear. Smoke rose from its hand, like it had been burned by the blade itself.

After a second of confusion, Edward scrambled up and stabbed at its gut. Light enveloped its body as the blade ran deep…and revealed the two human forms hidden within, a man and a woman.

Edward and Charles stepped back as they collapsed at their feet, and the woman wheezed with her last words.

“Thank…you…”

Edward fell to his knees and dropped his sword, and it flashed out of existence. With bloodshot eyes, he looked at his shaking hands. Though the rain long since washed it away, he still saw blood on his hands, and recalled the distinct warmth of human life.

He lost focus on the battle around him, and his mind instead became filled with waving flames.

‘It’s just like before…’ He thought quietly. ‘Kill or be killed. We’re all just killing each other to survive. We all suffer, for some naive dream of peace for our worlds. If every world needs a hero…’’

“I’m not a hero…” He murmured as the flames faded to darkness. “Heroes…do not exist.”

_________________________________________

A while later, the wave was vanquished. Yet, the battle wasn’t over.

Princess Colette stood in resolution, her gaze the dragon ahead. Fafnir met her eyes with a snarl, and electricity sparked around its body, but it didn’t make any moves.

She then looked back to see her army. Though they had so much courage many minutes before…now they were battered and beaten back to exhaustion. Many were kneeling and catching their breath, while others were barely standing in defiance. Then there was the dead, unmoving and silent…

‘They’re on their last legs…’ She thought with a grave tone. ‘Even so, we’re almost there. They have to last until we defeat Fafnir. Hopefully, the Hero is okay…’

From behind her, Captain Charles called out, prompting her to turn around.

“Milady!”

He ran up to her with an agitated expression, and took a breath before speaking hastily.

“Sir Edward is down! We can’t wake him!”

“Take me to him.” Colette said with a scowl, now alarmed.

He led her to the army’s rear, and she grimaced as she saw Edward unconscious on the ground. Lilian sat at his side with his head on her lap, and her fingers emitted magical energy while she touched his temple. Rosaline, as well as a few other fae, stood on guard around them.

“What the hell happened?” Colette questioned.

Lilian shook her head in uncertainty. “His mind…collapsed, and his soul is unstable. I’ve never seen something this severe.”

“I knew it was too soon to put him in a real fight…Is there anything you can do?”

“I’m going to try and find his conscience with telepathy, and hopefully pull him to the waking world. Take my people with you and fight, while I stay here to work on him.”

“Princess, you can’t be serious.” Rosaline said in concern.

Lilian smiled in assurance. “Don’t worry about me. Just go with Princess Colette and keep Fafnir busy. I’ll be done in no time, I promise.”

Rosaline frowned as hesitated, then sighed and turned to Colette with a bow.

“We’re yours to command, Princess Colette.”

The sun-haired princess nodded at her, then spoke in a more confident manner as she grinned at Lilian.

“We’re counting on you, so get him up! We’ll buy as much time as we can!”

“Good luck.” The Fae Princess murmured.

While she closed her eyes and concentrated on Edward, Colette turned and began to stride while calling out to her soldiers.

“This is it, everyone! Fafnir stands before us, and with its defeat this storm will end! I know you’re all exhausted, but stand with me for this last battle! I know you can do it!”

They all hesitated and looked at each other, but still brought themselves to stand tall and trudge on the wet ground after her. Captain Charles came up to her side, his smile weary yet filled with determination.

“We will follow you to the end, milady.” He said solemnly.

“Thank you, Captain.” She said in a grateful tone.

She focused on the dragon as she marched toward it, and brought a hand to her heart as it beat hard and filled with warmth.

‘Even I know a tired and beaten army can’t slay Fafnir.’ She thought with a frown. ‘Hell, even the fae could only drive it back. But now that we are here, maybe we can turn things around. Lil, wake up Sir Edward, while I show the Lord of Nevermore the true heart of a lion.’

As the army drew close, Fafnir let out a threatening roar that stirred the air itself and nearly made them all collapse. Yet, while those behind her wobbled on their legs, Colette stood firm with her sword over her shoulder as she made her declaration.

“This ends here, Fafnir! In the names of our ancestors, we will slay you for good!”

The thunderous dragon growled and inclined its head as it acknowledged her. Right after that, an amused laugh caused Colette to look up in surprise.

“Such bravado. You truly are her descendant, Princess Colette.”

‘That voice…’ She thought with widening eyes. ‘It can’t be…’

There, standing atop Fafnir’s back, was a slender young woman with curled hair and skin as white as snow, and a golden tiara atop her head. Her blue dress, adorned with golden armor, waved amidst the storm around her.

“It’s nice to see you again, my love.” She said with an air of smugness. “I’m sure that's what she would have said.”

Colette scowled and squeezed her sword hilt. Beloved memories flashed through her mind, all involving the angelic smile of the woman she was looking at now.

She recalled the last words this woman said, on the day before they were split apart…

‘I can feel it…He will soon descend upon this world. Col, my sun…when the time comes, it will be up to you to save us all.’

“Hel…my moon…” The sun-haired princess murmured.

She shook her head and glared up at Princess Helena, or rather…the one who took over her body.

“Nocturne, you will pay for this! I swear on my life, I will free my beloved from your grasp!”

Nocturne laughed in an airy manner. “It’s too late! She was more resilient than I expected, but I still conquered her soul! Now her body is mine, a perfect Vessel to channel my power through!”

He leaped off the dragon and landed perfectly on her feet. Someone else followed him, a knight clad in black armor. Colette brandished her sword and took a defensive stance, already realizing who this was.

‘It’s his Champion!’

Nocturne drew a golden rapier from his side, then glanced at the Champion and gestured to Colette’s army.

“If you can break through, the Hero is yours.”

The Champion stepped forward without a word, and summoned a curved blade of darkness. He then broke into a sprint, so fast that he became a blur.

Colette was just as quick for the interception, as she went to slash at his abdomen. However, Nocturne dashed in to block her blade with his own, allowing his Champion to go engage with her army.

While her blade was locked, the Princess looked into those silver eyes she loved so much. Once so full of love and kindness…was replaced by the cruelty and arrogance of the mad god.

With her heart now burning with rage, she let out a fierce shout, and her muscles flexed as she broke the lock with her great might.

Nocturne hopped back, then grinned wickedly as he lunged back in to stab Colette, who swung up to meet his blade.

The final stage of the battle had now commenced.