Night began to fall, and the Chosen were running as if it were the end of the world.
Elizabeth appeared riding Thunder, cutting across the camp at full speed until she stopped in front of Lusian.
—Aren't we going after them?
Lusian frowned when he saw her.
—What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you rear guard?
She ignored him completely.
She got off the horse and walked straight toward him. Without saying a word, she started checking him over, pushing his arm aside and searching for wounds beneath the damaged clothes and dried blood.
Lusian sighed.
—I'm fine.
Elizabeth didn't believe him.
She kept inspecting him with a frown, as if expecting to find a pierced organ at any moment.
—Finished?
Elizabeth glared at him.
Lusian smacked her on the ass.
—Rear guard. That was the order.
Night fell completely by the time Lusian returned from the front.
The rest of the group had already moved farther up the mountain with the wounded and supplies. He had stayed behind for too long.
The road was empty.
Or so he thought.
Farther ahead, a woman sat on a rock at the edge of the path, motionless, waiting as if she knew exactly when he would pass through there.
Lusian slowed his pace.
The first thing that caught his attention were her yellow eyes.
The instant he saw her, the divinity inside him pulsed.
As if it had found something familiar.
Lusian frowned.
—You are…
The woman watched him silently for a few seconds.
—I am the Heroine of Darkness.
Lusian immediately stepped back, one hand moving toward Dainslein as dark mana began spreading around his feet.
Preparing for a fight.
Then he looked at her properly again.
Those eyes.
The pressure in the air.
Something about her felt far too familiar.
—You're a Douglas…
Berenia nodded slowly.
—I already fell.
Pause.
Then she looked him directly in the eyes.
—It's time. Prepare yourself.
And she disappeared.
No explosion.
No sound.
She simply stopped being there.
Lusian remained still for a few seconds in the middle of the dark road.
Confused.
Then he slowly let out a breath.
—So this is what it feels like… —he murmured.
The battle had ended.
But nobody felt like they had really won.
Several kilometers away, Aurelius gathered the heroes as soon as night fell.
The main tent was filled with tension, bloodstained bandages, and exhausted faces.
Some were still injured.
Others could barely remain standing.
Even so, Aurelius spoke without hesitation.
—Tomorrow we advance.
The silence lasted less than a second.
—Are you insane? —Valerius slammed the table furiously—. They're crushing us!
His arm was still trembling from the pressure of Lusian's dark mana.
—We don't stand a chance if we keep attacking like this!
—I agree —Icarus said from the back—. Every day that monster gets stronger.
Morgana clicked her tongue.
Another bite mark was still visible on her neck.
—And that sick vampire isn't helping either.
More voices started joining in.
—We lost the artifact.
—The Lithaar no longer control the tunnels.
—The blessed are dying too fast.
—Even Kaelen didn't come out unharmed.
The tension inside the tent increased.
Everyone was tired.
Beaten.
And, even though nobody wanted to say it directly…
Afraid.
Aurelius watched the heroes in silence.
One by one.
Complaints.
Excuses.
Fear.
He was already tired of listening to them.
—Useless… —he muttered.
Valerius frowned.
—What did you say?
Aurelius raised his gaze.
And for the first time since the campaign began, he smiled.
It wasn't a calm smile.
It was worse.
Confident.
—The gods are coming to help us.
The air inside the tent froze.
Nobody spoke.
Icarus was the first to react.
—…What?
Aurelius took a step forward.
—We only need to hold out a little longer.
Morgana felt a chill run down her spine.
—Wait… you can't be saying that…
Aurelius didn't answer directly.
But he didn't need to.
The silence was enough.
Aurelius left the main tent with a frown.
One person was missing.
Berenia.
According to the gods' instructions, all the heroes had to be present.
All of them.
Aurelius clenched his teeth.
—That useless woman…
He looked around the dark camp.
Searching for the Heroine of Darkness in the middle of the night was almost a cruel joke. That woman appeared and disappeared whenever she wanted, like a specter.
What a nuisance.
Even so, he began walking between the tents.
Wounded soldiers slept near weak campfires. Priests ran from one side to another tending to mutilated blessed warriors. The smell of blood and smoke still saturated everything.
Aurelius barely looked at them.
He no longer felt anything for them.
At first, he did.
Years ago, when he received the divine blessing, he truly believed he was saving the world.
He believed in the justice of the heavens.
He believed the Chosen were heroes.
That had died a long time ago.
Now he only wanted to reach the end.
Just a little longer.
The gods had promised him.
When everything was over…
he would ascend.
The Celestial Realm would open its doors to him.
He would never feel pain again.
He would never grow old again.
He would never crawl through human wars again.
He would live forever in the divine paradise.
Aurelius raised his eyes toward the night sky.
For a moment, something strange appeared in his eyes.
Exhaustion.
—Just a little longer… —he murmured.
Then he continued walking through the darkness, searching for the heroine who never obeyed orders.
The night moved slowly over the camp. Some tried to rest; others still tended the wounded while the smell of blood and smoke remained stuck in the air.
Far from there, Kara arrived at the main hall still exhausted from the battle.
And immediately regretted it.
Emily was sitting on the table, swinging her legs with an overly suspicious smile. Isabella drank tea silently. Adela sharpened her sword as if she wasn't paying attention.
That never meant anything good.
—What now…? —Kara muttered.
Emily instantly raised her hand.
—We're deciding who gets Lusian tonight.
Kara froze.
Isabella took another sip of tea.
—Emily insists that "post-battle stress requires specialized attention."
—Because it's true! —Emily protested—. He almost died again.
Adela didn't even look up.
—Then he should rest.
Emily pointed accusingly at Adela.
—You're the last person who should be talking! Last time you broke the bed.
—The bed was weak.
—It was made of stone!
Kara covered her face.
—Why are you discussing this like it's a military meeting…?
Emily pointed at her now.
—You don't get to speak. Yesterday you almost dehydrated him.
—THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN!
Isabella nodded slowly.
—Lusian walked strangely this morning.
Kara instantly turned red.
Adela finally looked up.
—I propose we settle this by fighting.
—We are not fighting over a man! —Kara said.
Silence.
The three of them looked at her.
Emily raised an eyebrow.
—You literally threatened a priestess for touching his arm.
—That was different!
—Why?
Kara opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Emily smiled victoriously.
—Exactly.
Isabella set her teacup down on the table.
—The most logical solution is rotation.
Adela shook her head.
—Too slow.
—What does that even mean? —Kara asked, horrified.
Adela answered without changing expression.
—Lusian has too many wives for a single schedule.
Emily started laughing so hard she nearly fell off the table.
At that moment, Elizabeth entered the hall.
Everyone went silent.
Elizabeth looked around for a second.
—…What did you do now?
Emily smiled.
—We're organizing who sleeps with Lusian.
Elizabeth stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then she calmly walked over and sat down.
—Fine. Me first.
—CHEATER! —Emily shouted.
At that moment, the door opened.
Lusian entered the hall still covered in dust and dried blood.
And stopped.
Emily standing on the table.
Kara completely red.
Adela with her sword out.
Isabella drinking tea as if this were normal.
Elizabeth sitting calmly after declaring herself first.
Silence.
Lusian looked at the scene for a few seconds.
Then he took half a step backward.
—…Maybe I should go back to the battlefield.
Emily jumped off the table.
—Lusian, wait!
Kara instantly covered her face.
—Don't come in!
—He already did —said Isabella.
Adela sheathed her sword.
—He arrived just in time for the vote.
Lusian frowned.
—What vote?
Nobody answered immediately.
That was worse.
Elizabeth calmly crossed her legs.
—They're deciding who sleeps with you tonight.
Pause.
Lusian looked at the door.
Then the window.
Calculating escape routes.
—…Yeah. The war was definitely easier.
Emily quickly approached and wrapped herself around his arm before he could escape.
—You can't run from your responsibilities!
—Responsibilities?
—Exactly!
Kara looked like she was about to die from embarrassment.
—Emily, stop saying it like that!
Lusian slowly rubbed his forehead.
Strangely enough…
He preferred fighting blessed heroes.
At least they tried to kill him quickly.