Chapter 24: Fallen

Cael Horais Sirius POV

“Why did you block it, Alexis?” I asked as several white barriers appeared just above my fist before it could connect with the back of the Crimson Hero’s chest.

The barriers stopped my attack.

Alexis, the Celestial Hero, stood between us.

“Killing him would only sully your name, Hero Cael. Let the nobles from the six kingdoms and the empire hand him his punishment,” Alexis said.

“Sully, huh?”

I stared at him.

“As if an Outlander like me ever cared about it.”

I turned my attention toward the Crimson Hero, whose body was still falling from the impact of my previous attack.

I moved toward him.

I wasn't finished.

If Alexis wanted to stop me from killing him, then I would simply make sure he could never threaten anyone again.

But before I could reach the Crimson Hero, Alexis moved in front of me once again.

A Sword of Light appeared in his hand.

I stopped.

“Are you serious, Alexis? The Celestial Hero?”

“I am.”

Alexis closed his eyes for a moment.

It almost looked like a gesture of trust.

“Plus, you don’t have Fragarach with you right now.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Before I could respond, the sky suddenly changed.

“Sweep Hands, Rank 7 Defensive Rampart Wind Magic, Crimson Wall.”

A massive red wall of wind appeared above us.

The moment it formed, countless crimson spears began raining from the sky.

The spears slammed into the red wind and were deflected in every direction.

Some of them vanished into the sky.

Others were destroyed by the force of the wind.

I looked upward.

There were hundreds of them.

No.

Thousands.

The crimson spears covered the sky above the Kingdom of Cygnus.

If even a fraction of them reached the ground, the people below would be slaughtered.

“Are you really planning to kill all the residents below, Hero Lance?” Alexis shouted in disappointment.

The Crimson Hero didn't answer.

He was standing in the air, holding a Red Sword.

His injuries had already disappeared.

I immediately understood.

He had used a powerful healing ability.

“Bloody Rain,” Fragarach said telepathically.

The Crimson Hero had used Bloody Rain, a Rank 7 Offensive Rampart Water Magic.

The crimson spears weren't simply projectiles.

They were part of a spell designed to rain destruction upon everything below.

“Holysword Ascalon, tch!” Alexis uttered.

My eyes shifted toward the sword in Lance's hand.

Ascalon.

The Holysword Ascalon was one of the mythical blades as famous in old folklore as Fragarach.

It was said that the sword had once been used by a Hero who destroyed one of Leviathan's eyes.

That Hero had first slain hundreds of Sea Serpents that had attempted to destroy the Dwarven Capital, Gienah.

The power of Ascalon was said to be heavily connected to water.

According to the old stories, its blade drank Leviathan's blood as it pierced through the monster's eye, forcing the creature to retreat from the Dwarven Capital.

So that's why.

I looked at Lance.

I see.

He is afraid of me.

That's why he wanted to check if I really am Fragarach's master.

One of Fragarach's main elements was Lightning.

Ascalon was heavily connected to Water.

The two Holyswords possessed completely different elemental powers.

“Cael, I’m done healing Talya,” Fragarach suddenly said telepathically.

My eyes widened.

“And High King Khyos figured out her name and now decided to protect her and your family,” Fragarach added.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s already awake and is looking for you.”

Relief immediately washed over me.

It felt as if a light had suddenly appeared inside my darkened mind.

Talya was alive.

She was safe.

I could finally breathe again.

I looked toward Alexis.

“Celestial Hero, this is not your fight.”

My eyes moved toward the tens of thousands of residents below.

“Don’t forget your job.”

Alexis understood what I meant.

His responsibility wasn't to protect Lance.

It was to protect the people.

I raised my hand.

“Fragarach! Come!”

In a split second, Fragarach appeared in front of me like a bolt of Lightning.

The Holysword was sheathed in Aegis.

“Aegis, Full Armor Mode.”

“As you wish, Master.”

Instantly, Aegis split into hundreds of pieces.

The silver fragments levitated around my body.

Then each piece extended.

One connected to another.

Piece by piece, they formed a complete suit of silver Armor around me.

Within only a few seconds, my entire body was covered.

I was ready.

“Killing him won’t change anything,” Alexis shouted.

“The fact remains that he tried to harm you and fatally wounded Little Talya.”

He looked toward Lance.

“I won't let you kill him.”

“I know.”

I looked at the Crimson Hero.

“That’s why I’m just taking a limb or two from the Crimson Hero, and I’ll call it quits.”

Alexis stared at me.

“You have no mercy.”

He sighed.

“Although I’m glad you’re back to your senses, Hero Cael.”

He then looked toward the kingdom below.

“Leave the residents of Cygnus to me. I’ll keep them safe.”

A wide wall of light expanded above his hand.

The light spread outward.

It grew larger and larger until it covered the whole Kingdom of Cygnus.

“Rank 8 Defensive Territorial Holy Magic, White Sky,” Fragarach commented.

I touched my face.

Instantly, my silver helmet formed around my head.

I looked down at the kingdom.

The entire city was now protected by Alexis's magic.

I canceled Crimson Wall.

The red wind disappeared.

The White Sky completely covered the town and city below.

“He’s coming,” Fragarach warned.

Lance suddenly lunged toward me.

I quickly raised Fragarach and blocked his attack.

CLANG!

His Red Sword struck Fragarach.

But almost instantly, his blade slipped past mine.

It was like trying to block water.

My eyes widened.

Instinctively, I raised my left arm.

The red blade struck Aegis.

For a brief moment, it was stopped.

Lance's expression changed.

He hadn't expected Aegis to block Ascalon.

That brief hesitation gave me an opening.

I swung Fragarach.

Lance was forced backward.

“As expected from the Holysword Ascalon,” Fragarach said.

“It instantly sliced through your Thunder Armor and even grazed Aegis.”

I looked at the damaged armor.

“We can’t block it. We’ll lose in a defensive battle.”

“I know.”

I tightened my grip on Fragarach.

“And I’m not planning to play defensive at all.”

I touched my body.

“Little Hands, a third weight.”

The moment the spell activated, I felt my body becoming lighter.

My body began floating.

At the same time, a massive Red Magic Circle slowly formed in the sky.

It expanded above the entire battlefield.

I looked at it.

“That doesn't look good.”

“Rank 8 Offensive Territorial  Water Magic, Red Sea,” Fragarach said.

Alexis immediately contacted me through telepathy.

“Hero Cael, don’t let him finish casting that spell.”

“It will flood the kingdom with red water that can dissolve even stone buildings.”

I looked down.

A thin string was attached to my feet.

I sighed.

You really love putting a light string on me.

The spell had somehow connected itself to me.

“How low can this Crimson Hero really go?” Fragarach commented.

“We’re severing both of his arms,” I said.

My eyes focused on Lance.

He was using Ascalon to channel the power of his Territorial Magic.

If I removed the sword from his hands, the spell would collapse.

I immediately flew toward him at lightning speed.

Lance raised his sword.

I was only a few feet away when I suddenly disappeared.

“Long Hands, Six Steps.”

I instantly appeared in front of him.

A Red Lance suddenly materialized.

It had been hidden using invisibility.

I twisted my body and avoided it.

“I won’t fall for the same trick!” Lance shouted.

He performed a full-rotation slash.

His sword swept through the space behind him.

But I wasn't there.

His eyes widened.

I was above him.

I raised Fragarach.

Both of Lance's arms were covered with Crimson Armor.

But it didn't matter.

I activated Divine Edge.

Fragarach descended.

The Holysword sliced through the Crimson Armor as if it wasn't even there.

Both of Lance's arms were severed.

Adhara’s Royal Swordstyle, Second Form Descending Claw.

For a moment, everything became silent.

Lance stared at me in horror.

Then he looked down.

His forearms were slowly separating from his elbows.

Both of them were still holding the Holysword Ascalon.

They fell from the sky.

Lance's expression twisted in pain.

Without Ascalon near him, the massive Red Magic Circle immediately stopped forming.

The enormous circle flickered.

Then it rapidly disappeared.

The power of Red Sea vanished before it could be completed.

The crimson wings on Lance's back also began disintegrating.

He flailed through the air.

“You’ll pay for this, Hero Cael!” he shouted.

His body began falling toward the ground.

“You sure you’re not gonna kill him?” Fragarach asked.

“I don’t think I need to.”

I remembered the numbers that had appeared above the Crimson Hero's head.

G1 PA20 P1S1E1F1.

“So he did lose his Hero Title,” Fragarach said.

I looked down at him.

“He did try to kill thousands of innocent people.”

Fragarach's voice became serious.

“I don’t think even the goddess Andromeda can overlook it.”

The information appeared before my eyes.

Lance Aima Crux
Class G1 Physical Age: 20
Vitality: 210
Psyche: 210
Power: 21
Speed: 21
Endurance: 21
Fortitude: 21

“He was probably given the title Fallen,” Fragarach said.

“Nullifying all the titles and experience he received while voiding all the skills he acquired.”

Fragarach paused.

“It’s a fate worse than death, Lance the Fallen Hero.”

Lance continued falling.

Fortunately, the empire nobles were already prepared.

They caught both Lance and the Holysword Ascalon using Wind Magic before they could crash into the ground.

“So he really did fall from the goddess’s grace,” Alexis, the Celestial Hero, said.

He looked toward Lance's location.

Then he flew toward me.

“Great work, Hero Cael.”

“Did you expect this?” I asked.

“No.”

Alexis shook his head.

“I never thought he could stoop this low.”

He then canceled his Territorial Magic.

The massive White Sky slowly disappeared.

The barrier of light faded from above the Kingdom of Cygnus.

“Hero Cael, Lance isn't the only Hero of the Empire,” Alexis warned.

“I know.”

I looked toward the ruined Main Hall below.

There were broken tables and chairs everywhere.

The walls were damaged.

The floor had been shattered.

The feast that had been prepared earlier was probably beyond saving.

“Still, you will have a lot to think about,” Alexis continued.

“At the very least, King Louis won't be able to force you to sign the Royal Decree.”

He looked toward the ruined castle.

“He’ll probably just grant you Duke noble status.”

“Why?”

“As he failed to protect your family and even put all the royal nobles and his people in harm’s way.”

Alexis paused.

“He will most likely abdicate his throne to one of his sons a year from now.”

I looked at him.

“Really?”

“That’s what I expect based on what happened today.”

We slowly flew down toward the large hole I had created in the Main Hall.

I looked at the destruction below.

The feast was completely ruined.

“Do you think we will still have a feast after the King grants you your noble status?” Alexis joked.

I looked around.

“I don’t think they have the tables or the courage to serve it.”

Alexis laughed.

“Fair enough.”

We continued descending.

Then Alexis's expression softened.

“Still, I’m glad you managed to bring back Little Talya.”

My expression changed.

“That spell you used...”

Alexis looked at me.

“That’s a Rank 10 Forbidden Spell, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“What kind of payment, and how much did you pay to use it?” Alexis asked curiously.

I looked toward where Talya was being protected.

“It’s nothing compared to Talya’s life.”

Alexis remained silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry for not being able to block the Crimson Dagger.”

He lowered his head slightly.

“I was too focused on thinking about how to stop you from signing the Royal Decree.”

I looked at him.

“Don’t worry about it.”

I shook my head.

“I was in the same situation.”

I then remembered what had happened before everything went wrong.

“Are all Heroes required to sign that kind of thing?”

Alexis looked at me with a confused expression.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard about it.”

I narrowed my eyes.

So even the Celestial Hero had never heard of such a decree.