Ambush

Let me get this straight, we’re going to walk straight into an ambush and then we’re gonna let the assassins kill us?” Titania asked flabbergasted as their horses continued on the path towards the Cathedral Ruins.

“You heard the voice too. That was Synthara speaking to us during Elddans, the rumors of it being a method of communicating with the goddess are true. Synthara has given us a command, as her faithful we must obey.”

“You can't be serious!”

“Is there a problem? Do you lack faith in our goddess?”

“N-no. I-Its not.” Titania brought her hand to her face. “How do you know if the intention of Synthara is to have us die? ‘Do not resist, lest you play your hand prematurely’ can also mean we can let them strike first and wait for an opening. That's way more reasonable than having two of her followers die for no reason.”

Wilhelm thought for a moment. Titania’s interpretation is valid but he just had this feeling in his bones the true meaning behind his goddess’ command. “If she wanted us to defeat them she would have said so. I can't explain but I just know it is.”

“What about our allies? We can't keep them safe if we’re dead!”

“Which is why we need to get there quickly before the assassins arrive.” Wilhelm also considered that they may already be dead now but did not speak it aloud. Hopefully that will not come to pass.

Titania had been with Wilhelm long enough to be able to tell Wilhelm’s feelings through his stoic mask. She could tell that he thinks the prospects of their allies being dead already is the most likely outcome. “Wilhelm, if you die here, then our whole cause is dead. Are you willing to risk it all on a command that we don't fully understand? How do you even know for sure it's from her and a spell from someone deceiving you? There’s more to life than dying for our goddess…”

“I am aware, and I will not die. Our deaths will only mean we will ascend to Valhalla. Even if we lose the battle, the war is not lost. All of Synthara’s faithful throughout the history of this kingdom will wreak bloody vengeance on our enemies tenfold! Just as the sun will inevitably rise, so too shall our goddess.” Wilhelm turned towards Titania who refused to look at him.

“...I just don't want you doing something you’ll regret, Willy. It's my job as a bodyguard to keep you safe. Asking me to just let you die is-”

As they approached the ruined Cathedral, Wilhelm and Titania were suddenly subsumed in an explosion of light that lit up the night with a loud ring.

Titania fell on her feet with her flaming two-handed axe ready, albeit with bright spots in her eyes. Wilhelm was on the ground writhing in pain, their horses ripped apart by the explosion and turned into bloody meat.

“This is the Ragna Kingdom’s strongest fighter? If so, we did not require one of the Imperial Guard with us after all.” Cloaked figures armed with shortswords from the forest and Cathedral appeared and approached Wilhelm and his bodyguard.

Wilhelm tries to get up but he can only scream as white flames consume his body.

“Holy fire, particularly effective against necromancy. Ever since the Battle of the Cradle, we have made countermeasures against your vile magic. We, the Sanctus Umbra, know about your prince’s secret, how his strength comes from dark magic.” The man’s face twisted in disgust beneath his hood. “Absolutely disgusting, your kingdom’s bloodline has been tainted, we will do your kingdom a favor an-” The man’s sentence was cut short as he was vertically cleaved in two by Titania’s flaming axe at absurd speed, the force of the attack shook the ground like a small earthquake.

“The godspeed technique!? That red hair, you’re the deserter Titania!”

Titania glared at the man who spoke. “Never fought a Sanctus Umbra, but I thought you assassin types would be less prone to yapping.” Titania said as she dashed towards the man with a lightspeed charge, only for the man to move just enough for Titania’s axe to miss and put his sword into striking range of her neck. Titania barely jerked away from the blade and deflected it off her shoulder plate. She counterattacked using her momentum with a wide spinning sweep with godspeed, batting away the man in front of her and the two men who tried to exploit her weakness. They hopped away from her, moving to surround her. But she could not move lest she leave Wilhelm undefended. There were four men left.

‘Damn, they all can do godspeed!?’ The godspeed technique allowed you to strike faster than anything within four realms. The downside being that each use of it takes considerable energy and leaves you open after your first attack with it. It's a technique intended to end a fight in a single strike at all costs. One false move and she and Wilhelm will die.

One of the men scoffed.“Did you think you paladins were the only ones capable of it? The Sanctus Umbra is assigned with carrying out the direct will of the Ultimatum, second only to the Imperial Guard. To think Titania the Ira would be this easy to dispose of. If you only abandoned your dead lord, you might have at least avenged your inevitable deaths. Now you will die like a dog!“ One of the hooded men said. The four assassins began to take offensive stances, Titania would have to block four godspeed attacks all at once.

‘Do not resist, lest you play your hand prematurely.’ The goddess’ words echoed in Titania’s mind. ‘I don't care if Synthara herself said it, I'm going to defend Wilhelm if it's the last thing I do!’ Titania steeled herself for the oncoming attacks. She only had enough energy left for one more use of godspeed.

The man in front of her did a frontal lunge, which she barely deflected with her gauntlet, feeling the impact shattering her gauntlet. Once the first assassin’s sword was safely past her, she grabbed their hand and unleashed her godspeed technique to throw the first assassin at the one on the right, breaking the first’s arm and slamming him against the second. The third struck at the same time as the second coming from the left, but was repelled from a wide sweep of her axe enhanced by her godspeed throw. She then held out her right hand behind her, preparing to sacrifice it to block the fourth assassin’s blade.

But it never came. The fourth assassin was screaming on the ground as his feet were cut off and Wilhelm was standing. His arm had turned into a bone blade though it was falling apart as he was burned by white flame. The two remaining assassins stepped back surprised.

Wilhelm spoke. “Dark magic, holy fire, words that heretics made to elevate their faith at our expense. This flame you use to kill me is a sign of your fear and envy.” Wilhelm raised his head at the assassins, his hair half-gone and parts of his skull exposed and blackened. “Sputtering embers such as this will never consume the fiery passion of Synthara!”

“If not even holy fire is enough, then we will extinguish you with our blades!” The two remaining assassins said as they prepared to attack again. Wilhelm and Titania stood at each other’s backs.

“Glad that you came to your senses Will.” Titania smiled.

“They expected the holy fire to kill me, their mistake has cost them the initiative. Without her message, I would have gotten up and attacked without fully knowing their abilities. Now victory is in our hands. Deus lo vult!” Wilhelm shouted through the pain, he had to end this fight before the flames rendered him immobile.

“Deus lo vult!” Titania shouted as she and Wilhelm charged at their respective foes.

Titania suddenly felt something block her leg as she ran forward as she tripped, allowing the assassin to cut off her head before she fell to the ground.

Wilhelm clashed with the assassin before him, barely avoiding decapitation and instead slammed the blade down towards his chest with his left arm and stabbed the assassin in the heart with his right blade. He breathed heavily as he looked back with shock and horror as he saw his childhood mentor and friend headless on the ground, making him hesitate.

That moment of hesitation cost Wilhelm his head.

Unbeknownst to the last assassin, breathing heavily as he collected the prince's bleeding head, a couple of thin strings sank back into the ground.