Chapter 6: For The Light

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It was pure chaos at the Imperial Sanctuary.

Granger sees an old lady running up towards Tigreal.

"Meldis?" Tigreal's deep voice boomed across the courtyard. "Where is Princess Silvanna?"

"Captain!" the old lady gasps. "She broke into the Forbidden area of the Imperial Sanctuary!"

Tigreal curses. He whirls back to his team who had returned from the forest.

"I must give orders to the other knights. But the five of us must protect the Imperial Sanctuary. Prepare for battle. "

"What's in the forbidden area?" Granger whispers to Alucard.

"Nobody knows," Alucard replies. "Legend has it that it contains the Seed of Light, a very powerful form of magic. But no one has been inside for decades. No one is allowed to go in."

***

Legend also said that a powerful creature guarded the Seed of Light. Few who faced this creature emerged alive.

A loud booming voice echoed around the Forbidden Area, although Silvanna could see no one else there.

"What are you willing to sacrifice?"

Her answer was clear. "Everything."

"Will you be willing to sacrifice... your life?'

"Yes."

***

"Courage, my friend." Alucard whispers to little Harith. "Courage for the ones we love."

Just then, the gates of the Imperial Sanctuary burst open, demons pouring on from all sides. Imperial archers rain burning arrows on the demons, but for every 1 they demolished, 3 more would stream in through the doors.

Granger sees a young demon on a throne, carried by four demons. From afar, he could hear the demon prince shout, "Kill them all! Take no prisoners!"

From the corner of his eye, Granger spotted a lone demon leaping in the air towards Harith. Almost as though in a reverse action from the forest, this time Granger was the one who raised his gun to shoot the demon and save the Leonin.

"Watch out!" he says. "I can handle this!"

As Harith scampers backwards, a flash of blue whizzes past Granger's left to strike. Alucard's impressive swordsmanship was put to the test as he slashed the demons left and right.

However, even Alucard needed to pause, and another demon took advantage of that, attempting to pounce on the demon hunter.

Slash!

Fanny appeared almost out of nowhere, splitting the demon in half.

"Watch your back!"

Fanny whirled her blades again, making quick work of the demons with her strikes. However, an orange scythe suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hitting Fanny square in the face.

"Fanny!" came Tigreal's voice. He dropped his shield, catching the blade dancer. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Fanny shook her head, trying to clear it. "Yes, I'm fine." she replied.

"Hold the line." Tigreal said, setting his sister down. "Don't let them pass our defences." Fanny nodded, stretching her cable to fly.

***

Princess Silvanna paused, her heart beating. Outside, she could hear the cries of battle. But inside, she was faced with her own battle. A giant figure approached her, but it was shimmering, as though it was a ghost instead of a corporeal figure. It surveyed Silvanna, and raised its hand as though to strike. She did not move though, her hands clasped together in front of her, as though in prayer.

"Dominus, illuminatio mea. (Lord is my light.)," she breathed.

Strike, it did not. Instead the voice boomed.

"You.... have been deemed worthy."

Light shone from Princess Silvanna's palms. She watched as five tiny orbs formed, each one a different colour, each one radiating a power unrivalled to anything she had ever witnessed.

"Et lux in tenebris lucet. (And light shines in the darkness.)" she watched the giant figure disappear, as the orbs floated upwards towards the tower in front of her.

A strong stream of Light burst from the sky straight to the tower, bursting through the dark purple clouds that had plagued the Moniyan Empire. Silvanna felt it... Hope.

"Bless us with unrivalled courage!"

The orbs floated out of the Imperial Sanctuary and Silvanna raced to follow them.

***
"Not a single soul can stop me!" a maniacal laughing echoed around the courtyard.

"We shall fight till the end!" Fanny shouted back as they battled.

Although deep in the throes of battle, Granger could still take a moment to marvel how well they worked together as a team.

Somehow, each one could anticipate the other's moves almost perfectly, as Harith brought down the demon on Granger's right, and Alucard protected his left, while he himself shot the two demons further away.

Tigreal brought down his shield on the burning black creature that had thrown its scythe at Fanny.

"Stay together, for there is hope!" was his call to the Imperial Knights.

Suddenly, Granger heard a feminine gasp from behind him. Concerned, he glanced back, but what he saw filled him with awe.

The redhead, Fanny, was bathed in a yellow glow.

As he watched, her purple armour transformed into white and gold, and gold glittering wings sprouted from her back.

He turned his focus back to the demons, and that was when he saw it. Three glowing orbs streaked through the sky, each one hitting himself, Alucard, and Harith.

He didn't feel any pain, in fact he felt incredible strength surge through him, like electricity surging right to his fingertips. His jacket and trousers transformed into white and gold, just like how he saw Fanny's.

In front of them, he saw Tigreal accept a green glowing orb, the power surrounding him and vibrating through his body, his shield and his sword. The force so strong that it lifted him up. He lifted his sword up high in the air, pulling in the demons surrounding him.

CLANG. A force landed in front of Tigreal, a lance hitting the ground, the demons knocked out from the force. Granger saw a flash of silver blonde hair, and a silver jacket that billowed out into a cape at her feet.

She executed a perfect backflip and Granger caught sight of her face.

It was Princess Silvanna.

***

Cover art credit: 

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