Celestine sat on her throne, tapping on her chair worriedly as she stared out her window, the Black Dogs weren't stopping their advance. The people in the town were growing restless, and the endless chanting outside didn't make it any better. But she felt the air suddenly get heavy as she felt something even more ominous approach the castle.
Haru finally saw the castle in plain view, its walls were filled with soldiers as they tried to push back the demons. He then halts the army and shouts.
"Men! These demons do not even see us coming! For they are mindless and arrogant! But they have yet to face true servants of Christ! Now let's go and gather some demon heads!"
The soldiers cheered as they charged into battle, flanking the Black Dogs. The monsters were intimidated and caught off-guard by the sudden flank as Haru shouted.
"Give them nothing but steel! Show them the wrath of the Christian armies!"
The monsters quickly routed as the surprise attack left them vulnerable and helpless. The men cheered as they saw the monster run back to the unholy place from whence they came. The soldiers from the unknown castle cheered as well, but their celebration was cut short when they saw the general ride up to the gates.
"Let me and my people in!"
The soldiers on the wall were uncertain of what to do.
"I said, let us in! Lest you wish to have your city burned!"
The soldiers saw the catapults and trebuchets being loaded with flaming ammo.
"I will say it again. LET. US. IN."
Celestine was heavy-hearted, though the Kuro Inu were successfully warded off, another strange army had come knocking down their door and with the threat of fire to boot. She had to surrender, she couldn't risk another massive loss of life. She prepares herself as she readied to meet the men who had taken over her castle. She was expecting men with pleased faces, that of anticipation and lust. She brought her remaining shield-princesses with her, Alice and Claudia as she walked to the outside. But when the members of the army met her, she was met with faces of disgust. The tall, brown haired man in armor with a red cross stepped up and sneered.
"Okay, now that we've met the harlot, where's the real leader? He has some nerve to send out a whore to meet the Knights Templars!"
Celestine wasn't expecting such a deep insult as the man basically wounded her pride as goddess incarnate. She then bows before them and says.
"Milords, I am Celestine Lucullus, goddess incarnate and ruler of the Kingdom of Thore."
"Blasphemy!" one of the knights behind the Grandmaster. "This harlot dares to call herself a goddess! Her clothing shows no example of divinity and purity, that's for sure!" the knight laughed, as did the others.
"How dare you speak of the goddess like that!" Alice growled.
"Oh look, the harlot has accomplice whores!" one of the soldiers laughed.
"Grrr! I'll make you eat those words!"
Alice moved forward to engage the soldier, but a shout from behind stopped her.
"Shut your pie-hole, or so help me, there'll be a flogging!"
Everyone froze, as the soldiers made way for the leaders, Haru and Grandmaster Oswald, who walked up, expressionless and fearless. They gave off an air of leadership that made the soldiers keep their distance. Haru was a tall but gentle looking figure, giving off a fatherly aura, a benevolent figure so to speak. The man next to him, the Grandmaster, was heavily armored from head to toe, taking his helmet off, revealing an aging man, looking no more than fifty years, wearing slick, smooth grey hair with a thick beard.
"You are the goddess incarnate, correct?"
Celestine nodded.
"Cuff her." Haru said while pointing to her.
Two knights moved up with chains in their hands.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Alice growled.
"As the leader of the Dawn Templars, I will defend Celestine with my life!"
The two improperly dressed women move up to engage the two knights, but one knight bashes Alicia aside, while the other kicks Claudia away.
"Stop! We surrender!" Celestine pleaded. "No more bloodshed!"
The two knights moved to bind Celestine's hands, and the two other shield-princesses were taken away. Celestine kneeled before Haru as she said.
"Do whatever you wish."
"Very well then." Haru said as he turned to the guards. "Bring this woman to the nuns and dress her properly. She is a political prisoner, so let no one do harm to her. Understand?"
"Yes milord." the knights said as they bound Celestine and brought her away.
"We'll talk once conditions allow us to." Haru said reassuringly as he turned to the servants of Celestine.
"Hear my words, servants of Thore. Your so-called goddess has been overthrown." he said while gesturing to the Great Cross being carried. "From where she sat, we will put up this Cross, to remind the land of the one true God."
The servants muttered fearfully as the soldiers broke Celestine's throne and placed the cross on where the throne used to be.
"Now that we have overthrown the blasphemer, we must know more about the enemy we face." he said while facing the plethora of women servants. "Does anyone here wish to enlighten us?"
"Milord, why would you want to know more about these demons? They're nothing but trouble!"
"But we must know the nature and the numbers of the enemies we faced, or else we will only be running blind in this land."
One voluptuous looking mage walked up, a red-haired woman. Her outfit was more modest than that of the goddess and knights, a dress, but it seemed too tight as her figure was still seen. The Duke averted his gaze for a moment.
"M-Milord, I can show you all the acts of evil done by these Black Dogs and monsters…"
"How?"
"Magic…"
The soldiers moved up in agitation, not expecting witchcraft, but Haru raised his hand.
"At ease men," he said before turning to the mage. "I'll permit you, but the practice of sorcery and supernatural will be prohibited until proper laws have been established."
The woman opened her book and conjured a spell, showing a light, a moving picture, to all the inhabitants of the room. Haru and his men lay witness to the horror that was the Kuro Inu. They saw the ogres, lycanthropes and goblins, raping women in groups, in forced orgies. They saw men ganging up on women, inserting their members in every available orifice. The women, having an empty look on their faces, broken by the ecstasy of sex and lust. But they then saw the wrost saw a small girl, being raped by a very large ogre, the size of his member alone tore her apart, causing her vagina to bleed profusely. The men were disgusted, sounds of horror filled the room as some men already shielded their eyes, others even keeled over and vomited. The endless amount of rape and disrespect to women had caused Haru to lash out.
"End the vision, now!"
The woman ended the vision, shaken at how angry Haru was. He grit his teeth, his body sweating from the ordeal he had witnessed.
"Do you swear that what you have shown us was the truth?"
"…"
"ANSWER ME!" Haru shouted.
"Y-Yes! I swear on the name of the goddess!"
"No, swear in the name of God." Haru snarled.
"W-What…?
"SWEAR IT!" he shouted.
"I-I swear…" the girl stuttered, tearing up from the Duke's outburst. "In the name of God."
The girl broke down in tears, with the Duke noticing the girl's age, she looked young enough to be his daughter. He kicked himself mentally for being so rough on someone so young. He felt weak for being so angry against a girl who was also scared, scared of the godless fate of the other women had been doomed to live in. He needed some time alone as he turned to his soldiers and knights.
"Good." the Duke said as he turned to the soldiers. "You are dismissed, help the refugees set up their homes and bring order to any rebellious areas."
As the knights walked outside, the Duke said.
"Knights, remember. You are the keepers of order. You are the lawbringers. You are justice!"
"Yes milord, we will quell any signs of rebellion." the commanders of the Knights declared as they walked out.
Grandmaster Oswald stayed behind, but another nod from the Duke signaled him to leave with his men. The Duke then went over and bent to the crying girl, who still wept in fear.
"Child… What is your age?"
"S-Seventeen, m-my master brought me here as her apprentice."
"Where is she?"
"She was taken by the Kuro Inu…"
Haru then pulls the girl up and puts his hands on her shoulders.
"I don't know what you're thinking right now, but trust me, we are nothing like those demons you spoke of. I will take it upon myself to end the terror that plagues this land. Your people will not be harmed."
The Duke then patted the girl's head.
"I am ashamed for making you weep, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to approach me." the Duke said kindly while walking away.
The Duke walks to the doors, but he feels a tug on his cloak, he sees the girl shyly grab his cape.
"I want… to become your apprentice and help…"
The Duke was surprised that she had come to a decision so quickly, he gently removed the girl's hand.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, under Celestine, I felt helpless and useless in fighting the Kuro Inu…" the girl said before looking him straight in the eye. "I want the honor of helping you eradicate these beasts! I want to stand by you to make sure the Kuro Inu dies!"
The nuns and servants gasp as the young mage has the gall to ask their new ruler to take her in as his apprentice. The Duke smiled benevolently and said.
"I accept, but under one condition, that you do not argue with whatever order I give you. Clear?"
"C-Clear."
"Good, now as your first assignment, accompany me to our War Council. You'll certainly contribute to the discussion."
"Y-Yes sir!"
"Now go, pack your belongings, you will be transferring quarters shortly to our new headquarters."
"Thank you so much milord! You won't regret it!"
The girl practically skipped as she happily went to the quarters to pack her belongings. The Duke walks out the door, to see Grandmaster Oswald glaring at him.
"You brought in the sorceress as your apprentice."
"She's a child."
"You know she won't replace your sister."
"I know." The Duke dismissed as he went down the stairs. "But I want to make up for my failures as a brother. Maybe this is more than just a Crusade against demons, maybe this is a chance for us to redeem ourselves."
"Redemption only requires self-forgiveness Haru." Oswald said curtly. "God forgives all our sins, the challenge you face is forgiving yourself."
The Duke was left to reflect on these words as Oswald walked down the stairs. His thoughts were interrupted by the mage girl bringing out her stuff.
"I'm ready, master!"
"Before we go, what is your name?"
"R-Ruby, sir!"
"Okay Ruby, the War Council will begin shortly, now you'll join our discussion."
"Yes sir!"
Grandmaster Oswald and the knight commanders held a discussion in their rooms as they waited for the others.
"This is insane! How do we expect to defeat such an overwhelming force?!" the Teutonic commander voiced. "We'll die before the first castle is even taken."
"God has given his blessing, we use it correctly, and no one has to die." the Hospitalier responded while looking at the map.
"Ha! At least we'll do better than those "Dawn Templars"!" the younger Templar laughed. "They looked more like harlots roleplaying as knights! It was insulting of them to even bear the Templar name."
"Watch your tongue Sol, if their military order is that pathetic, then we have no hope of using this country's military!" Oswald chastised.
Everyone silenced as the Duke entered, together with Ruby and a woman wearing an extravagant looking outfit. The Duke looked around to see if everyone was gathered.
"Now that everyone is gathered here. Let's first question the general on how they combatted this threat before, they may hold valuable insight to fighting these beasts."
Everyone looked at the general as she unrolled the scrolls in her hands.
Everyone was silent as they heard everything. The kingdoms were too weak to combat the monster threat called the Legion, so they had created the shield-princesses to combat the threat. But soon, mercenaries and adventurers were hired to fight these monsters. The monster threat was largely contained during the Guild ages, when great heroes like the Goblin Slayer and Orcblog suppressed the monsters. But those glory days were soon gone as the aforementioned events happened a millennia ago. Now the mercenaries that were hired now turn on their employers and seek to build an empire dedicated to sex and pleasure. Everyone turned their heads at Haru, who was deep in thought.
"So you're telling me… That for the past years, you only depended on these adventurers and mercenaries to guard your people?"
"Yes, we have trained the finest to fight these goblins and ogres."
"Then that's not good enough!" Haru snarled as he skewered his dagger onto the table, agitating everyone. "You were a fool to depend on 'heroes' and 'adventurers' to do your work for you!"
"You dare insult the name of the Goblin Slayer!" the woman general snarled, picking up on Haru's tone.
"These stories of heroes exist for one good purpose, to set an example for all men to follow!" Haru countered. "What if you had more than one Goblin Slayer? A whole company of men dedicated to killing these beasts! Would you have been in this situation?"
"What are you going up on?" the woman general asked, crossing her arms.
"Face it, your ancestors just depended on these mercenaries and heroes to do their work for them! Not once has your government ever created an effective force against these monsters! You were just content in sending these mercenaries against these beasts! And see where that leads them!"
The general was cowed as she fell silent from the Duke's arguments. He had a point, if the government had not feel dependent on these swords-for-hire, then maybe they would have had a better way of fighting the threat. She steps back and keeps silent, leaving only the knights and the Duke to speak.
"Now sire, what is our next plan?"
"How many of the townsmen can be turned into levies?"
"Er, we count about five thousand able-bodied men."
"Good, get the commanders ready to train. If any women wish to join, then let them."
"Milord, with all due respect, what are you suggesting we do?"
The Duke had a vision in his mind, that of these beastly mercenaries and beasts, burning to a crisp in a pit. Of God's servants standing triumphantly, as all their enemies fell before them. The Cross stands tall over a thriving city.
"Defend our world." the Duke said before plunging his dagger into the Black Dog insignia. "Destroy theirs."