[Energy Transfer in Progress]
Chaos unraveled on the battlefield as the Blood Bishop’s presence altered the weather patterns of the area he was in.
Dark, blood-red clouds bursting with red lights within frightened the once fierce Ethisian, Granian, and Cyclitharan soldiers who dropped their weaponry and ran for safety.
The scent of blood filled the air with strong winds spreading said scent as far as it could go. Hundreds feared for their lives and ran away in desperate attempts to keep them while others simply accepted fate and waited for their deaths to arrive.
They didn’t know what was going on, who was responsible for it, or why such an occurrence decided to happen at that particular time. So, instead of trying to run from "fate—as they called it—they simply accepted to die there and then, ready to free themselves from the burdens of the mortal realm and this senseless war.
Meanwhile, those who knew what was going on couldn’t help but cheer and wail at the same time. The Granians and Cyclitharans, who were well informed about the Blood Bishop, cheered and celebrated as they taunted the Ethisians who also knew about the Blood Bishop’s existence.
Seeing him traveling in a giant whirling terror made of blood proved that the tides of the war were changing in favor of them—the Granians and Cyclitharans—and against the Ethisians.
They all watched with great anticipation as the Blood Bishop placed his hands on the High Grade and then, he....he...
"He’s giving her strength to...fight?"
What an odd twist of events. Those who thought Ace was going to kill the High Grade immediately were shocked to see him suddenly revive her body to its former glory. Not only did he restore her strength, he also healed and improved her body, placing her in a state she had never been in before.
"He revived the damned Ethisian’s body too?" they complained and then it hit them. What if Ace had actually turned on them? What if he really wasn’t fighting against the Ethisians but rather fought for them?
They all shouted and ran, already jumping to hastily made conclusions instead of sticking around to find out. Among those who made said hasty decisions was the Granian Lord who took Ace’s weird act as an act of treason ad betrayal. How dare he. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Human!!" he shouted as the High Grade stood tall with her eyes taking in the glorious sight of her restored body. "You’re supposed to kill her, not revive her. What are you doing? This wasn’t what you’re supposed to do!! LISTEN TO ME!!!"
In the midst of his senseless banter, the Crimson Knight approached the Granian Lord in her human form and wearily placed her arm on his shoulder. With a pained look on her face, Cherry muttered to Lord Grania, "He isn’t going to listen. And he’s not doing that to revive her. He’s going to kill her...brutally."
"Really?" Grania’s excitement returned as he faced Ace again. "Then that’s great. That’s wonderful. Go on, human. Finish her off!!"
"No, Lord Grania," Cherry warned the Granian Lord and desperately tried to get him away as far as possible, "he’s not in control anymore. That’s not Ace. If he’s done with the High Grade and still hasn’t regained control, he’ll come for us next. We have to get away from here while we still ca..."
"Nonsense," Grania pulled his shoulder away from Cherry’s hand and scowled like a child. While pouting in disgust, he said, "A true Granian Lord doesn’t cower in fear. If your brother challenges me, I’ll put him down and beat the sense back into him."
"Lord Grania, please. I’m..."
"Save your pleas, human," he stubbornly turned his back on Cherry and continued watching what was going to happen, acting as if it were a match of sorts, "I’m not moving now. Not until I see this High Grade’s lifeless body hit the ground."
Accepting that the Granian Lord’s stubbornness and pride weren’t going to let her pleas make sense to him, Cherry accepted defeat and chose to save her own skin.
In a few leaps, she returned to where she previously left Skyler who, by the looks of it, returned to her full strength. But just like Cherry, Skyler was also worried for Ace.
She stared at the horrendous scene with eyes wide open, in them rushing a range of wild emotions. Disbelief, horror, terror, and fear all mixed made Skyler fear that the Ace she knew was long gone. This was something else, something that didn’t make sense to her.
"That’s not Ace." Cherry interrupted. "We have to get to a safe distance. Everyone else’s running and with good reason. We must leave before it’s too late. Can you walk?"
"I can," Skyler answered, "I no longer feel that foreign energy in me but...is Ace still in there?"
Judging by Cherry’s silence and disheartened countenance, Skyler knew what the answer was. With the way things were looking, it seemed that their beloved Blood Bishop was losing himself to his abilities...and yet he was the same person who preached heavily against doing so.
"Is Lord Grania coming?"
"Grania’s on his own," Cherry sneered, already annoyed at the Granian for his stubbornness, "leave him. We’ll save ourselves first and then come back for whatever’s left of him."
Listening to Cherry, Skyler got up and followed her and the crowd of evacuating soldiers. All four species--Human, Ethisians, Granian, and Cyclitharan--ran for their lives regardless of the battle they were just fighting earlier.
It was strange to see that these races who were fighting to kill each other were running away together due to one common enemy, an enemy that they—the Granians—created to get rid of the Ethisians.
’Ever since he fought on that ice planet, he has never been the same,’ Cherry complained as her pity and worry turned to anger--anger towards herself for not helping her brother contain himself, and anger towards her brother for letting himself get corrupted, ’What the hell are you turning yourself into, Ace?’