Chapter 22: Right And Wrong

At long last, the fateful day finally comes. For the past two years, everyone in the resistance has already been dividing and distributing the added resources we had to the bases scattered around the country. Unfortunately, almost half of our bases were in ruins by the time we went to restock, a part of it was due to my showing up recently. But on the bright side, the original purpose of those bases was only to store food and equipment, so we didn’t lose any manpower in the angels’ strike. And since they thought they’d dealt a heavy blow to our forces, the element of surprise is still in our hands. Judging from the intel we’ve managed to gather until now, we can say with confidence that the resistance now outnumbers the angels, and with the added firearm we’ve managed to collect, the aerial advantage that they have is now greatly reduced. Victory is in our hands; we just need to play our cards correctly.

“Are you sure you’re prepared?” A familiar voice sounds from within my head, interrupting my thoughts.

“Prepared? For what?” I ask with a surprised tone. It’s the day I’ve been waiting for these past two years, what else could I be unsure about?

“This is still a war we’re talking about,” Balam answers, “are your mind and body prepared for what’s to come?”

“Do you mean for losses that I could face? Or to steel myself to finish off my foes? I thought we’ve gone through it already.”

“You’ve forgotten that you haven’t once entered a true battlefield, Peter. It’s another level compared to the skirmishes you’ve gotten yourself into,” the Demon continues, “I know Tristan. He might act the fool even back then, but there’s a reason he’s part of the Round. His way of using people is immaculate, so if you don’t tread carefully on your path of conquest, you will face a great challenge.”

“If you mean his strategies in battle, then I’m confident I can prove to be a match for him,” I answer, trying not to let out any emotion.

“Overconfidence can spell one’s doom, Peter. Don’t forget it.” Balam gives me a piece of final advice before ending the conversation.

As I make my way to the hall, the meeting seems to have already finished, with everyone separating into five different groups and moving out to the teleportation runes placed in the corners of the base. Red, seeing me finally joining them, waves his hand to get my attention:

“Knight, over here!”

“Is the meeting over?”

“Yeah, you just missed it. I’ll be heading towards north.” Red answers, pointing backward – where his men are gathered. “But good for you, huh? Center stage is all yours.” He teases with a big grin, raising his fist forward.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I reply with a fist bump. “Finish over there early, so you can see me in action, alright?”

“I’ll try.” With a smirk of his own, Red answers before leading his crew into the rune, disappearing in a bright blue light only a moment later.

“Now, onto the rest.” I take a look at everyone else and their teleport order. Orange leading the stealth team should be perfect for taking the west base, where the sandy dunes and abandoned structures will be of most use. Turquoise will likely take charge of the eastern post, whereas the southern battlefield where the Nile is should be the final stage of our plan. This leaves me and Pelle to handle the key point of our strategy: striking straight into the center of Cairo, into their headquarters. It seems like a suicide attack, but that’s what we want them to think, for the south would be our actual place for the final showdown. The other three positions, along with us, will need to bait them into chasing us down south, where our trump card is lying in wait.

“Sure took your time, didn’t you?” Pelle asks with a displeased look on her face.

“I didn’t notice. But anyway, today’s finally it, huh?”

“Yeah, today’s the day. You’re ready?”

“Always have been.” I let out a firm nod and a light, but determined smile.

“Alright. Let’s go.” As the words leave her mouth, the two of us step through the final, center portal, along with the rest of the army, and disappear into the light.

 

We appear in our centermost base – a seemingly normal tavern, although its lack of guests during the day makes it more run-down than it should be. Pushing the old chairs and tables to the side to make our way out, I turn my attention towards the opposite end of the road, where a building tall as a watchtower looms on the horizon.

“That’s their headquarters alright,” I exclaim, turning to Pelle. “Do we just attack them head-on as planned?”

“Of course. Our purpose is just to get their attention, after all.” Pelle answers with a confident nod, although the grip on her tome is a tad more tense than usual. She must be feeling nervous as anyone else. However, it’s only for a brief moment, as Pelle soon turns to the rest of the group behind us and gives a determined signal. “Let’s go.”

As we head outside towards the main road, however, an immediate sense of dread filled my mind, making my muscles reflexively tense for imminent danger. What’s going on here? It’s the middle of the day, but there seems to be… nothing around. No one is present out in the streets. All of the shops and stalls are closed. The only sound I can hear right now is the occasional cries of the nearby animals. Contrary to the glamorous looks of the buildings, the city itself is devoid of life, as if we were lost on our way and mistakenly traveled to a ghost town.

Just a second later, however, I’m forced to retract my statement, as piercing gazes coming from all directions surround us, and along with them comes a united, deafening battle cry from the dark alleys. Tch, how could I miss such an obvious hiding place?

“Everyone, defensive formation! Do not show your backs to the enemy!” Pelle’s voice quickly sounds next to me, as the group all join in to make a circle, putting their backs against each other. The ones armed with guns and rifles waste no time to aim their barrels at the sky, while I, after summoning my armor, instantly follow suit.

To my expectation, we are greeted by an army of angels, although their size certainly has dwindled since the last time we faced them in a large-scale attack. The fact that I can take a glance at them and give an exact number is the most definite proof. However, aren’t they underestimating us too much here? I know that our plan was to thin out their forces by engaging on multiple battlefields, but only twenty lackey angels? And none of them is proficient in melee combat? Either they somehow knew of our new acquisition of ranged ammunition, or they’re overconfident in their abilities to deal with us completely in the air. But… why do I have the feeling that it’s not the case?

“Get out of our city!”

“Begone heretics!”

Another multitude of shouts uniting, but this time, they’re right beside us, full of rage and anger. As I turn my attention down to see who exactly is opposing us, I’m struck with a great shock. Surrounding us aren’t just the normal angels under Gabriel, but another army of armed men. However, they’re not your typical foot soldiers trained in combat. The ones trying to attack us are none other than the regular townsfolk in this city, each holding onto whatever they can that can be used as a weapon against us, from rakes, brooms to shovels and even carts filled with rotten eggs and tomatoes. Their reddened faces and the way they hold their utensils filled with hostility strike a great contrast with the clean suits and jewelry on their bodies. Had their anger not been directed at us, I would have thought that the people in front of me were just way too many street performers going for an act.

“What’s going on? Why are the townsfolk getting in our way?” A voice from the defense formation sounds in confusion. This isn’t good. These people are prepared for war, but none of us could have predicted that they had to go against the very people that they meant to help.

“We heard everything from Lord Gabriel!” A man holding a rake leading the charge shouted in anger. “You people were trying to kill him, weren’t you? We’re not letting it happen as long as we live!”

“Don’t you see how he has brainwashed you all, people? He’s a plague that needs to be cleansed!” A soldier in our group tries to argue. You idiot. Think about it for a second. Who would these people listen to their “savior” that gave them everything they ever wanted, or a bunch of rag-tag lowlifes that, in their eyes, are plotting their doom at the moment? The answer is obvious. Our answer to the problem at hand, however, isn’t as clear-cut. So far, I can think of one solution, but would anyone here have the gut to do what it takes? Or will we make for another way to rid ourselves of this situation?

“You’re the ones that have lost your minds!” The crowd, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to let us have any time for a breather, as they close in on our formation, and their makeshift ammunition starts to get thrown into us – the fact that it’s just eggs and tomatoes means that they don’t really do any physical damage, but it’s still an inconvenience that will serve to lower our morale.

“… Boss, what should we do?” As I suspect, our group is slowly showing signs of weakness. At this point, we need a figure powerful enough that can persuade them to join us, if we still want to avoid using violence… Pelle, you’re our best bet. However, what do you want to do?

“… People, I urge you to calm down for a bit.” The one in question finally speaks up. “We promise not to harm you in any means, nor will we damage your current rights and benefits, if you can just stay away from this place. We will even send people to protect all of you should you need it, so…”

“Don’t listen to her, o’ people of Egypt!” An angel above shouts in return. “They are the spawn of the Devil himself! They will use their sweet words to lull you into a sense of security, and when the time is right, they will be the ones to send you to your doom! For Lord Gabriel is a detriment to their schemes! And now, this is the time that He needs you the most! Please, o’ people of Egypt, I implore you to assist our Lord in His path to eternal peace!”

“Long live Lord Gabriel!” The surrounding angels all shout in unison.

“Long live Lord Gabriel!” The commonfolk follow suit, all pointing their weapons at us, ready to strike any time. So, it is as I feared. These people can’t be reasoned at all.

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“I told you, didn’t I?” Balam’s voice sounds from within me, filled with disappointment and regret, “Tristan has a way with people: his charisma is among the strongest in the Round, second only to Bedivere and Arthur himself. However, he’s the only one to actively use his strength in gathering the people like this. And I’m sure you know the answer to our problem in hand.”

“Yeah, I know,” I hesitate for a moment. It’s not something that I can easily admit, nor it is something that I can easily do. However, I know that no one else here would be able to do it.

“Then, let me ask you again, Peter.” Balam continues, “are you prepared?”

I take a deep breath. My hand grips tighter onto Excalibur. My muscles tense up. My arms and legs shiver, but only for a brief moment. You can do it, Peter. You’re the only one who can.

“If they’d already branded us as the Devil…” The Demon’s voice echoes in my head.

“… Then let’s show them the Devil we are.” I finish his sentence out loud, take a step forward and raise my sword to the sky.

“On the count of three,” my voice morphs through my helmet, making an eerie noise as if it was a screech from hell, “everyone that stays… perishes.”

The threat immediately takes effect, but not in a way that I expected. The crowd’s faces are all scared half to death, but despite their bodies shivering in fear, their feet still stand firm on the ground, ready for a final stand.

“Y-You don’t scare us!” The leading man lets out a shout to steel himself again. “No matter who or what you might be, we will stand our ground! Begone, heretics!”

“Yeah! What he said!”

“Get out! Heretics!” The voices surrounding us soon turn to a unison once more, as if everyone here has banded together to become an immovable wall that can withstand anything that throws at them. Once again, I’m reminded of how beautiful humans can be. However, right now, such beauty is to be destroyed by my own hand.

“If that is your choice, then so be it.” Letting out a sigh, I raise my sword upward. It’s just a few minutes left until noon, so this should be near my strongest attack of the day.

“May your Lord save your unfortunate souls.”

As the words leave my mouth, Excalibur erupts into a massive pillar of pure red and black energy, immediately dying the sky into its colors, as if an apocalypse is about to be set off. The pillar grows taller and taller until it even surpasses the tallest skyscraper, the angels’ headquarters, itself, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping any time soon. With just a single movement, this titanic amount of energy will be released, enough to crush everything in front of me to dust, angels, and humans alike.

“Gh…” Seeing their imminent doom, an opposing person starts to show their weakness. However, before they can turn tails and run away from the sight, they’re given the timely words of encouragement from the leading man, having their confidence restored in just a split second:

“Don’t worry! I’m sure Lord Gabriel will save us from this fiend! All we have to do is to stand our ground and pray! He will surely come to us!”

“… Yeah, that’s right! With the protection from our Lord, we have nothing to fear!”

“You heard that, Devil! We’re not scared of you!” The words spread like wildfire, and just like that, the foolish crowd band together once more, unknowingly putting themselves in an inescapable position.

“O’ Lord Gabriel, please give us strength to overcome this trial!” The people then all turn their eyes towards the darkened sky, praying with all their hearts as if they truly believe that the archangel will swoop in and save the day if they just do it hard enough. Unfortunately for you, reality doesn’t work that way. God might be real, but he doesn’t care about you like you think he does. He’s only there to rule you, to govern you like the tyrant he is, without so much of a shred of empathy towards you guys. And unfortunately for you, this lesson will be your first… and your last about him.

Raising my sword forward, I shout:

“Plunge my enemies into darkness! Let its light swallows the sun! Solar Excalibur!”

As the words leave my mouth, the energy blast strikes down to the naïve people below, ready to engulf everything that stands in its way in a raging storm. The beam travels as fast as light itself, but before it can even put so much as a scratch on the nearest person, a pure white figure flies in at top speed, standing in between the crowd and the deathly ray in an attempt to use himself as the shield.

“It’s Lord Gabriel! He’s here!” The people erupt into cheer as soon as they see the presence of their dear “hero” on the battlefield, like a shooting star lighting up even the darkest of skies.

“Have no fear, my people. For no foul villain shall be able to harm us, not when I’m around!”

“All hail Lord Gabriel! All hail Lord Gabriel!”

Amongst the thundering applause and cheer, the archangel, with his hand raised forward, lets out a radiant smile as he takes on the full-powered blast. As soon as the light touches his hand, like all of my strikes from two years ago, it soon disappears without a trace, as if such a devastating attack didn’t exist in the first place.

Then, turning towards us, the archangel shakes his head in disappointment as he lets out a sigh, a complete opposite look from just a second ago:

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I know that you’ve been eager to see me, but targeting innocent lives? You should know better than that, Petey.”

“… You bastard,” It takes me a moment, but I can see his intention clear as day, “you were trying to use us in the first place. Enticing the people into stopping us, forcing us to draw our blade against them. Then, as soon as hope seems to be all but lost, you quite literally swoop in to save the day. A perfect act for the perfect hero.”

“Now, now, why would you say that, Petey?” His radiant smile now replaced by a conniving smirk, Gabriel answers. “You could just choose to leave in silence. Instead, you wanted to play the devil yourself, didn’t you? Had I not been here, how many innocent people’s blood would have dyed your blade?”

“You sicken me.” Gritting my teeth, I utter.

“I know. That’s the point,” to my surprise, gone is his usual smile. Instead, Gabriel wears the same kind of expression I’m wearing right now: a look full of hate and disgust, “I want you to feel the same way I did all those years ago. You and your ancestor’s fake ideals of knighthood, just for you to be the calculating, ruthless tyrant behind that so-called shining armor. It sickens me, Pendragon.”

“I don’t know what Arthur did, but I’m not him,” pointing my sword at Gabriel, I answer, “and I don’t plan to find out now.”

“But all that matters…”

“Is that your life turns to hell from here!” Both the archangel and I shout at the same time. However, before I can charge towards my target, a hand is placed on my shoulder, and together with it, a voice soon drags my reason back to me:

“Calm down, Peter! Remember the plan!”

That’s right. It’s the same story all over again. I can’t just charge in like that. His power is the key to my defeat back then. Calm yourself, Peter. Stick to the plan. It won’t be a repeat of last time. I’m sure of it.

“Thanks, Pelle. I needed that.” Taking a deep breath to control my thoughts and actions, I say. “Now, it’s your turn to take center stage… Boss.”

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