The War On Death

Saru and his gang watched with eager anticipation as the Sages prepared to create a massive Mana road, a miraculous shortcut destined to reduce their arduous three-hour journey to a mere five minutes. Raven's eyes locked onto Saru's, and he blushed, his voice trembling with concern as he reminded his captain, "C-Captain, remember your promise to survive this war." Saru responded with a confident chuckle as he affectionately wrapped his arm around Raven. "Oh, please, it would take an extraordinary force to defeat us. With our unwavering unity and the formidable support of Eldoria, we're practically invincible," he declared, earning unanimous nods of agreement from the group. Aric Stormweaver, their trusted comrade, approached the gang with a sense of urgency. "Alright, everyone, are you prepared? The Mana-Road is complete, and it's time to move swiftly. We must catch them off guard before they amass their forces," he cautioned. Saru and his gang nodded in unison, falling into a determined formation. "Let's make our way to the Kingdom of Death!" Saru exclaimed, rallying the group. Their voices united in a resounding shout as they raised their fists in the air. The Sages led the way on the Mana-Road, their pace quickening, and Saru's gang followed suit until they reached the imposing gates of the Kingdom of Death. As Saru gazed at the foreboding castle before them, he remarked, "Well, aside from feeling like we're descending into the depths of Hell, I'm relieved to witness this wretched place up close. Now, I understand why no one dared to intervene and put an end to this nightmarish realm." Suddenly, a fireball shot toward Saru, and he swiftly drew his sword, infusing it with the power of ice, slicing the fireball in half. "Well, who was the coward behind that feeble magic?" Saru demanded, his eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on the trembling culprit, pointing at Aryan. "Disable his ability to pull such stunts again." Aryan promptly pulled out his crossbow and shot the offender's knees, ensuring he never attempted such recklessness again. Saru's initial smirk faded as he heard a scream emanate from Elowen Starcaster. Everyone began searching frantically for her, but she remained hidden. Saru grabbed Raven's hand, his determination unwavering. "Follow me." Saru and Raven sprinted to the side of the castle, where they found her trapped in a minefield. Raven, a master at disarming traps, skillfully went to work. Meanwhile, Yuki stood atop the castle, looking out of a window. She connected with Saru and initiated a conversation. "Well, if it isn't the knight in shining armor. What are you doing here?" Saru looked at the window and began to chant. "Hell and Earth intertwine." He released a powerful sound wave at the window, shattering the roof where Yuki stood. "Raven, you stay here. I'm going to put an end to something I should have taken care of years ago." Saru unleashed his radiant mode, sprouting wings, and flew into the throne room, drawing his sword. Yuki stared at him in surprise. "D-Draw your damn sword, Yuki," he urged. She sighed and drew her crimson red sword. Saru shook his head as he watched his sister draw a weapon on him, holding back tears. They clashed swords, and it became clear that they were evenly matched. Yuki looked at Saru and taunted, "You're weak. This is why I joined the Kingdom of Death. Its leader was a real one, unlike you." Saru clenched his teeth, countering, "You call that a leader? Have you forgotten how he kidnapped your family, had half of them put to death, and tortured your little brother in that dungeon so deep that no one could hear his screams?" Saru raised his hand. "Yuki, perhaps in the afterlife, you'll truly respect me, but right now, you call me weak." Yuki laughed. "Are you going to tell me I'm wrong? Look at you, Saru, crying in front of me like a baby. You are still a baby." Saru chuckled. "You're right, Yuki, I am still a baby. I needed someone to be my guiding light. After my sister passed, I thought you were a godsend. It seems I was mistaken. I love you, Yuki." With a surge of energy, Saru switched his sword to poison and charged at her, stabbing her in the heart. Yuki gasped, her expression one of shock and betrayal. As she fell to the ground, Saru stood there, a mix of emotions in his eyes, regret being one of them. He watched as her body started twitching, and she smiled weakly at him. "Come closer," she whispered, her grip on Saru's hand weakening. Saru knelt beside her, his eyes filled with anguish. Yuki continued, "A rather fitting end for me, huh? Saru, I always knew we would clash swords. It was destiny, in our blood. As much as I wanted to be your wife and watch you grow into the man I believed you could be, sadly, our story ends here. But I will say this: after this fight, head to our village and check under the floorboard. I left a family heirloom there, meant for the next king of my family. I also left a note for you." She had a tear roll down her cheek, and her grip on Saru's hand grew weaker as her breathing became shallow. Saru watched in agony as she took her last breath, dying in the hands of the man she truly loved. Saru was left broken beyond repair, his heart heavy with grief and regret. The King walked into the room, laughing at the boy looking at his lifeless friend. Saru turned to the king and laughed. "I'm going to defeat you, and you won't see it coming." Saru again went into radiant mode, his wings glowing with an eerie light. He clashed swords with the King, who shot a fireball at close range. "Radiant shield!" Saru exclaimed, summoning a powerful barrier that blocked the fireball. He smirked at the King, his resolve unshaken. "Hey King, let me ask you something, Do you fear death? 'Radiant Slash." A huge cut on the stomach of the king appeared. The King was pushed back a little but charged at Saru with his poison-tipped sword. Saru let it connect just to taunt the king. "This tickles; it's true what Yuki said, you really are just a fat coward." Saru charged at the king and slashed his stomach wide open. He then cut off his head to bring back as a trophy. "It's over, sound the Bells!!" Saru shouted at the rooftops. The King fell over on his throne and died. Saru smiled as he looked over at his team. He fell forward as Raven caught him. "C-Captain!?" The Mad Wolf came over and laughed. "He's okay, Raven; he is just exhausted." Raven laid Saru on the floor and sat down next to him. "Congratulations, Lord. I'm just worried why you let her stab you in the heart," Raven said, a mix of relief and concern in his voice. Saru smiled, looking at Raven. "I may have lost a friend, but it seemed like she was willing to try to mend the bridge. At the end of the day, I was able to give her closure into death." Raven helped sit Saru upright. Saru looked at the floor. "I just hope the village will let me bury her body in the graveyard because I don't want to leave her here to rot away." Elowen walked up to Saru and extended her hand. "Stand up Saru we need to go free the people in that horrid dungeon." Saru grabbed her hand as his legs were still jelly. "Okay, let's go!" Saru and Elowen were walking through the castle when they came to a light brown door. Saru kicked open the door. "Hm seems like this is the area." Saru and Elowen started walking down a pair of flights of stairs that almost seemed endless. Elowen looked over at cages that held rotting corpses. Saru glanced over where he found a bunch of live people. He made eye contact and realized it was his sister. "Look out, everyone." Saru coated his sword in fire and started hacking away at the metal bars until they broke off. Saru then placed his hand through the opening and ripped the door off. "Don't worry, everyone, the king who was once here is no longer. You will be moved to a new village that is owned by me. Take the time to adjust and head to the healers outside so they can treat you if you need it." The people who were once enslaved followed Elowen as she led them out of the dungeon. Saru glanced at the floor before setting the bottom part of the castle on fire. "Well, no like this castle will be in use anymore." Saru turned around and walked up the stairs. He made it out of the dungeon looking around. "Holy crap, everything happened too fast." Elowen walked behind Saru. "You okay?" Saru sighed before nodding. "Oh yeah, I'm great." Saru walked up to the part of the castle where he and Yuki had their fated duel. He picked up her lifeless body and walked out of the castle, trying to hold back tears. Just then, Amelia Fox showed up in a huge horse carriage. Saru walked over to her. "Hello Amelia, I know you just showed up, but I have a question for you. Can you take Yuki's body and the freed prisoners back to our village?" Amelia nodded and smiled. "You're telling me about it when you come back." Saru loaded Yuki's body into the back part of the wagon so it's out of people's way. He took off his cape and wrapped it around her. "Till we meet again, friend." Saru walked over back to his gang. "Well, guys, it's over, we won. One Kingdom down. Many more hells we will have to go through." Raven looked at Saru. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem to be talking nonsense." Saru laughed and placed his arm around Raven. "I'm fine, man." Just then, the Sages of Eldoria threw a flag for Saru to place at the top of the castle. Saru and his gang were teleported to the top of the castle as they placed it down to show they won the war. Saru grabbed a megaphone and yelled into it. "Everyone, you're free; the king is dead!" Saru laughed as he went down from the castle roof and sat on his horse waiting for instructions. The Sages walked down to him. Saru was slowly following their steps with his eyes. Aric Stormweaver smiled. "Well, Saru, round your gang up and head back to Eldoria." Saru smiled. "Yes, Sir." Saru flagged down his gang. "Let's follow the Sages back to Eldoria." They all hopped on their horses and followed the Sages.