Way of the Knights

---

"Let's go everyone. Remember to follow the plan alright? If you don't then you're going to die." 

"Yes, Sir!" 

A man leading a squad of armed warriors clad in different shades of armor, marched out of the inn. As the crowd saw their company, the instinctively made way for them. Some people even showed panicked reactions and hurriedly locked their doors and windows. The kids who were playing outside were called back by their parents and were warned to not take a step out of their home. 

It didn't take a long time for the whole area to be deserted. Everyone remained within their homes, praying to different deities, begging them to grant them protection for whatever's going to happen next. 

The company of armed men paid their actions no mind. Whether the civilians were bold enough to watch whatever's going to happen or lock themselves up within their home has nothing to do with them. Their focus is with their task since if they fail this, they are going to die. 

"So where are our targets this time?" The leader of the armed men asked one of his subordinates. Someone stepped forward and reported to him. 

"Sir! According to the intel, the target was last found visiting the nearby forest. It is said that she was harvesting some vegetables to sell to the locals, Sir!"

The leader looked at this guy and asked him: "Do you know where this forest is?" 

"Yes, Sir!"

"What is your name?"

"Sir! This recruit's name is Barry, Sir!" The recruit stood upright and saluted. 

"Barry eh? Good work. Lead us there and if you can find our target, you'll receive a bonus from me if we're successful." The Leader said to him. 

The recruit's face lightened up, he stood straight and saluted the leader, saying: "Glad to be of service, Sir! This way please!" 

Barry walked forward and began leading the men towards the forest that he told them. As he kept leading the team, the leader gazed looked at Barry's back with a peculiar expression. Behind the leader were the men who's looking at Barry with mixed reactions. Some were snickering in disdain, some were plotting while some were mostly indifferent. 

Barry was a new recruit on this team. He had just joined a few days ago, meaning that this was his first mission. Anyone can tell that he's trying his best to make a name for himself by volunteering and making a good impression. 

Whether this is a good move or not, only time will tell...

Meanwhile, Barry kept leading the army towards the forest. It didn't take them long before they were able to see the forest that he was talking about since it was just literally at the opposite side of the village they were previously in, just a kilometer away from the southern exit. 

As they reached the entrance of the forest, Barry retreated towards the side of the leader and bowed at him. The leader nodded with a bland face, he then looked at his men and yelled:

"Alright, team. We're about to enter this forest. This is an unknown territory to us so beware. Keep your guard up and pay attention to your surroundings. If you see our target, warn me through voice transmission, make as little noise as you could." 

"Understood, Sir!"

"Okay, let's move out." The leader signaled and the team went into a formation as they slowly made their way inside the forest. 

This forest wasn't so big, the ground was uneven and there were a lot of insects around. Moving inside this place was a little bit challenging considering the fact that the team isn't used to this kind of environment yet they were still making a swift progress considering that they're moving as a unit. 

Everyone was alert, they were constantly looking around to see where their target was. Some were searching some tracks that might lead them to her while others were spreading their senses around. 

'Sir! I found trail footprints here!' Barry sent a voice transmission to everybody, causing them look at him in surprise. 

The leader made his way towards Barry only to see him crouching down while looking solemnly at the rather fresh trail of footprints in front of him. The leader was surprised even more, he then said:

"Good job, Barry. Men! Come with me, our target's this wa-"

The leader couldn't even finish his words since his head suddenly exploded. 

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, the leader's body fell down with a solid thump. Panic descended to the team as they hurriedly tried to enter a formation while searching for the culprit. However, onslaught of the invisible enemy just began. 

One by one, their heads exploded like watermelons. Nobody managed to see any attacks, not even a trace of the enemy's shadow was seen. In the end, they could only try run away from this forest but none of them managed to do so.

"Whew...that was anti-climactic." 

Barry pouted as he unceremoniously stood up and dusted off his armor. He's the only one left, but from his expression, it would seem that he was expecting this to happen. 

All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew beside him and Barry immediately prostrated. 

"I pay respects to Fairy Evergreen!" 

A silhouette of a voluptuous woman wearing a long green dress landed beside him. She smiled at the prostrating man, she then gave him an pouch filled with money as she said: "I told you, Anne is fine. Well, here's your cut. Keep them bandits coming okay, Little Barry~"

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Barry shivered and graciously accepted the large pouch of money with glistening eyes and trembling hands. He then kowtowed towards the woman and hurriedly exited her domain. 

Fairy Evergreen - also known as Anne Fiore, turned around as her expression changed into a serious one. 

"Just a little bit more, and I'll be able to liberate this plane. That should net me a promotion when I return to the sect..."

---

"Keep those shield's up!! Stay strong men!! We have to endure!!"

"For Freedom!!"

"Liberation!!"

"Death to our enemies!!"

"We shall be victorious!!"

In a vast battlefield, loud war cries could be heard from two opposing camps clashing with each other. This was a battle between the Kael Empire against the Nuel Empire. One was defending while the other was attacking. 

The Kael Empire was a peaceful empire it was prosperous and it's citizens were living within the comfort of their tall walls. All of a sudden, a new empire was born on the opposite side of the continent. It only took them a decade to rise up to glory and they started eyeing the prosperous Kael Empire. The Nuel Empire's King wage war without any warnings, he didn't even consider negotiating with the King of the Kael Empire at all. 

The war was cruel, many soldiers of the Kael Empire died under the relentless assault of the Nuel Empire. The Kael Empire couldn't believe how the Nuel Empire managed to rise their soldiers this strong with just a decade of foundation. 

What's even more strange is that, the soldiers of the Nuel Empire were strange. They don't go down easily, they're like undead who managed to rise up even with fatal injuries.

"Kuhahahaha! Die, mongrels!! Yes! Die!!"

A man within the Nuel Empire's camp stared at the crystal ball in front of him. The crystal ball displayed the scenes of war. The man shivered in excitement as his body radiated with a black aura, his maniacal expression became even more twisted as more people died. 

"As expected...a sewer rat was behind this senseless massacre." 

A voice suddenly echoed within the man's tent. Upon hearing that voice, the man's expression suddenly froze. He mechanically looked behind him and saw a fair woman wearing a long white dress, sitting on a golden chair while elegantly sipping on tea. 

'She managed to infiltrate this tent without triggering the barriers and traps I prepared. How?' The man was puzzled and alerted.

"...who might you be, Young Missy? How did you enter this camp? I don't remember inviting you in."

"A talking rat...fancy that." The lady replied while coldly glancing at the man. 

The man's expression twisted in anger, he raised his body hands covered in black aura and pointed at the lady, to his surprise however, before he could manage to do that, his arm slid off of his shoulders. 

"KYAAAHCCK!!"

"Using that shriveled thing to point at me...how dare you, insect." The lady stood up and glared at the man. 

"Who are you!!!!???"

"Find out in hell, Lich." 

Four pairs of wings unfolded behind the lady as she threw a lance made out of golden light at the gobsmacked man. As the golden lance penetrated his body, the man dissipated into ash instantly. 

The Lady snorted and the wings behind her back flapped. She re-appeared above the Nuel Empire and released a blinding golden radiance that wiped out the entire civilization.

She then looked at the opposite camp that's in despair with a melancholic work. She then muttered: 

"...if my husband were there, the same thing might've happened to Final Haven Kingdom." 

She raised her hand and a warm wave of golden light blanketed the empire. The golden light healed and rejuvenated the injured soldiers and wiped out the traces of the Lich's residual energy. The light also revived the soldiers that gave up their lives for their kingdom. 

Seeing their celebratory mood caused the lady to feel satisfied. She then felt a burning sensation on her back which caused her expression to change. 

"The fifth pair of wings are budding!" She exclaimed, "I gotta go back and enter seclusion." 

As she said that, she immediately disappeared in flash of golden light. 

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