Rise Of Pandora

Rise of Pandora: LXI. Confessor

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I. Providence

He rubbed his eyes to see if he was hallucinating. But once his eyes befell the shadowy figure again, he knew what he was seeing was not a figment of his imagination. He stepped in front of everyone near him with his hand at his sword's hilt and tore the golden blade out of its sheath. He shielded the others with his body from what he believed to be a monster.

Without further hesitation, he leaped at Gaijin, who was staring aimlessly into the distance. Swinging the heavy golden sword at his face, he put all his strength into carving out a portion of Gaijin's face, tearing past his eye, grazing all the way to the ear. Gaijin, while falling to his knees, grabbed his eye that was spouting with blood. Gaijin screamed out fiercely as his knees struck the ground first. Roth lifted his large golden sword up to his chest with both hands gripping firmly on the handle and, with all of his trembly strength, forced the sword downward aiming for the back of Gaijin's head.

Suddenly, a purple energy enveloped his entire body, orbiting and spiraling slowly all over him, and Roth found himself unable to move because of it. With his eyes moving at a sluggish pace, he glanced over and saw that it was Pontus who had done this to him.

Alastor shouted angrily for Roth to halt.

The room lit up in confusion. Maddard looked around the room before rushing to console Gaijin. The Sundarians were tense. The noblemen were tense. Even the Purple Men were tense, Atlas's expression being the most worried of them all. His eyes seemed to follow Gaijin's falling body in a synchronized motion. There was a look of anxiety drenched over Father's face but it lessened when he saw Baccus rush over to help Maddard move Gaijin out of the way of Roth's slowly descending blade.

Now with Gaijin safely out of the way, Pontus released his hold on the adrenaline-fueled man. Roth drove the sword into the marble tiled flooring, shattering the artistic tiles. His heart was frantic and untamed.

"Calm down, Roth," Pontus said while approaching him cautiously.

Roth huffed in and out, his chest and belly expanding twice their sizes. Beads of sweat trickled across his face and goosebumps formed and permeated all the way down to his wrists. The shakiness in his knees did not stop.

"Why in the hells did you stop me, Pontus! That—That is not human! Look!" Roth cried!

Roth was quite the diligent individual when it came to many matters: family, duties, faith. He honored many things and was respected by many in Atland. There was not a single person who did not know and respect his name in the Rare Nations. He was bold and clever as a magistrate and kind and humorous as a person. Not many things could make him lose his nerve.

But Gaijin was the exception. Roth was terrified to his core at the sight of him. He was an enigma, something spawning from the murkiest corners of the imagination. He could not help but fixate his eyes upon Gaijin. From his tall, slender form to the black fur that encompassed the majority of his body. He needed to catch his breath. The room was getting dizzy and the walls seemed to be closing in.

"He is with us!" Atlas scolded, his harsh and commanding voice bringing about a halt to all of the madness.

"Us? What? What the hell is going on! Father, I want—I need you to tell me what is going on." Roth checked himself after feeling he had been speaking too rashly.

"That is what we have come to do. This man's name is Gaijin and if it were not for this man here Baccus and our friend Maddard Bessarian here would not be standing here as they are now," Alastor said.