CHAPTER 11.5: THE BLACK GOD'S DESPAIR

***Somewhere in Cherwoods, during the invasion of the Elvish Expeditionary Force …***

The news of Kuro’s arrival reached the Black God when he was going around the nearly empty forests of Cherwoods, looking for any survivors he could send to Berondin for training. First came the eagle beastmen flying overhead dropping bombs and landing some elvish soldiers behind the extensive fortifications the Seductress had built, not to defend herself, but to cause as much death and suffering as she could to feed. Then, second was the distant sounds of the bombardment from the sea, pulverizing whatever was left of the defenses the eagle beastmen bombed earlier.

Watching from his spot, the Black God’s hope rose. Although he did not involve himself too much in this timeline, that otherworlder, Kuro, did what he promised. And soon, he could join the latter’s forces in fighting against the monster that destroyed his world.

“…”

The warrior deity took out a small locket from his clothes. As he looked at the portrait of that girl he loved, the memories of their time together came rushing back in his mind.

Those days they just lay down on the grass, staring at the clouds passing above, imagining people and things…

Those moments where they watched the sea waves come to shore…

And those minutes they spent laughing and telling stories over cups of coffee…

The Black God could still remember it all, as those smiles and happy times were interspersed by the scenes of suffering, and of death…his loved ones, the people who supported him…bathing in blood. Their eyes glazed, trying to peer into the skies in hope of salvation. And that monster, in her true, horrific form as a creature from the Void, staring back at him amid the field of crimson…

Thinking of those times caused pain to shoot through his chest, as if constricting his heart. Inadvertently, the Black God’s hand clutched his chest. Back then, even though he was god, he could do nothing but despair. The Seductress even made it worse when she ‘ate’ all his loved ones before him slowly…one by one. She never stopped, even as they begged her to, as if taunting the warrior deity that his divinity was useless. The screams from them filled his ears, and would replay every time he would close his eyes.

His divinity is useless…

“…”

Of course, it is useless! After all, the Black God is flawed! He can’t even land the killing blow whenever the Seductress would play those screams, and pleas, in his mind…

“…”

But this time, the warrior deity had an ace on his sleeve. Kuro’s invasion army, though it greatly deviated from the previous loops he had, finally arrived. And though their forces were much smaller than before because of the city of Elgon’s refusal to join them, the otherworlder was determined to win and was willing to back it with his new inventions…

“!!!”

Now that the time had come for him to confront the monster from the Void one last time, the Black God’s confidence in this timeline surged. No one’s allowed to fail; the warrior deity would kill the Seductress, or die trying!

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***Somewhere along the stretch of the beach, after the enemy counter-attack began…***

The distant sounds of the raging battle were already far behind them when the Lady Hinwe stopped on her tracks. Her escorts, the elves Glamden and Behrien, quickly formed a protective perimeter to guard their saint, as Meanor checked on her.

“What’s the matter, Your Holiness? You need a break?”

The Lady Hinwe gasped for air, as she was not really used to run in the sands, and amidst the battle. But through shaking her head, she told her maid that it was not her reason.

“We need to leave, Your Holiness,” Meanor pleaded. “We’d only hinder the Lord Kuro if we stayed here! Look, the last boat to leave for the ships was about to sail away.”

“N-No! W-W-We’re running in the wrong direction!” the Elf Saint insisted. “I will go back to help! Just load the wounded there, and get them away from here!”

The elf maid was taken aback by the Lady Hinwe’s order. While she knew that her mistress was more assertive now, she couldn’t believe that the saint regained her courage as well. The ‘old’ Lady Hinwe would quickly get herself away from this place without any second thoughts. This ‘new’ one, however, had the ‘suicidal’ bravery that was known to come from the Lord Kuro.

“Kuro may suffer from occasional confidence issues,” the Elf Saint winked at her. “But that’s how powerful he is; he can even make a coward like me charge headlong into the fight.”

“He’s really something…”

“Indeed, he is! That’s why I love him!”

Nevertheless, their musings were interrupted when one of their soldier escorts pleaded…

“Your Holiness,” it was Glamden. “Please reconsider; we’ve been asked by the Lord Kuro himself to protect you. To lead you away from here!”

“Eh, I’ll just tell him I disobeyed his orders; it’s my fault, throw it all on me,” the Lady Hinwe reassured them. “But I need to, at least, be with the people fighting and dying for my name! I won’t be the cowardly saint everyone used to hate!”

The elf maid and the two soldiers exchanged worried stares, but as they couldn’t dissuade the Elf Saint to back down on her intentions, it was Behriend who stepped forward.

“Then, in any case, take me with you, Your Holiness!”

“What?” Glamden blurted out, and pulled his friend aside to whisper, “It’s our chance to save ourselves!”

“Well,” the other elf soldier answered. “While it’s certainly scary to die, don’t you think you’d want to grab some battlefield glory to make our trip here worthy? You know, since we’re already here anyway…a story for our grandchildren.”

“I just hope you’re not going to regret it,” the little elf reloaded his rifle, before turning to their saint. “I shall protect you as well, Your Holiness!”

While the Lady Hinwe knew what was in their hearts, she let them join her. After all, the more people they had, the better it would be for them. Chanting a spell for a water golem, the Elf Saint then pulled out her sword and started on her way back to the frontlines.

“…”

Meanwhile, without any other options left for her, Meanor could only chuckle and drew her sword. Her mistress was surely a changed elf now…