BloodStar

Chapter 41: A Whisper in the Wind

Michael hesitated before attacking. He turned to his father and said, “If I use Lightbringer at 100% that will leave us both defenseless against a warrior such as he should I fail. Even if I succeed, Empress Victoria could arrive to finish us both. We need to save a trump card for such a situation.”

Gregory answered in anger, “Do not question the word of God! You will attack, and you will attack now! You will do the world a great justice by finishing off the Blood Demon. And if the Blood Devil is so bold as to show her face in war against us then the rest of the world will have no choice but to force her death for her actions.”

Gregory sternly stared at Michael before finishing, “We will either kill the Blood Demon here today and be done. Or. We will kill the Blood Demon here today and bring about the death of her mother as well. Our sacrifice would cleanse the Earth. Our sacrifice would mean God’s greatest achievement. That is worth dying for.”

Michael nodded in agreement. He understood now that his father was correct. It was a win-win situation for the Holy Light Empire.”

As the two stood debating the merits of striking with a third full-power Lightbringer, Nero stood at guard in front of Xenia’s fallen body as she fought her own battle silently in a struggle to survive.

For the first time since it had been imbued many years ago, he drew his sword from his back with the intent to use the blade in battle. The blade had a blood-red hue, and it shone with a luster from the world’s finest and rarest materials.

He gripped the sword hilt with both hands and awaited his enemy’s attacks.

He kept a keen eye on both Pope Gregory and Archbishop Michael. He noted Michael stepping forward where his father once stood, and he heard him yell from across the battlefield, “Lightbringer! 100%!”

Nero steeled himself with his blade. He silently thought to himself, “Good. Cutting right to the chase with their last trump card attack.”

Nero then released a bone chilling battle cry as he saw the yellow beams of light begin to shine down overhead. He raised his aura to maximum and prepared to receive the attack head on. He had no choice but to take it head on if he wished to give Xenia the opportunity to survive.

Just as before, suddenly, a beam of light burst through the clouds overhead in the form of a powerful column of dense ki directed at both Nero and Xenia.

He crouched preparing to meet the column of massive ki energy with his sword. Just as the column was set to make impact, he swung his sword upwards with all of his might.

The column shuddered as it met Nero’s blade. A struggle between the two forces stood for several seconds until finally an explosion occurred dissipating all of the column’s energy horizontally along the plain of impact with the sword.

A relatively flat outward expansion of an enormous amount of energy occurred as Nero held his blade stubbornly at the point of impact.

As the energy dissipated, Nero stood proudly. He hadn’t budged an inch. His sword blade was hot to the touch and a smoky vapor evaporated off his blade and into the air as it heated the surrounding atmosphere.

The blade itself had lost a significant amount of red hue from nullifying the attack.

Michael turned to his father, “That man is incredibly powerful. I promise to you I held back nothing. I am drained of ki, and yet he still stands without a scratch.”

Gregory furrowed his brow, “I can see that. Who is this warrior? I shall very much like to meet him.” Gregory then ordered the remaining 5,000 soldiers of his army to follow him to the battlefield.

As he and his army made their way to Nero, Gregory called for a healer, “Bring me the Holy Water!”

The healer quietly followed behind Gregory and softly said, “Sir, the last of the Holy Water has been allocated to Pope Peter for his healing. Shall I hold it in reserve for you instead?”

Gregory once again furrowed his brow. He knew they had limited Holy Water, and he knew Peter needed it. However, it could also restore 50% of his ki which he sorely needed. After several moments of thought he said, “Hold it in reserve for now. Let’s see how this meeting goes with the warrior.”

As Pope Gregory and Archbishop Michael approached, Nero performed a swirling downward strike creating a circular line in the sand around him with a diameter of 25 yards. He called out, “Anyone who crosses this line is dead. No questions asked. No exceptions.”

Pope Gregory put his hands up and called out, “What is your name warrior?”

Nero called back, “I am the Gladiator Champion of the BloodStar Empire. I am Nero!”

“Ahh yes, I have heard your name.” Gregory took note of the blade in his hand which still glowed with a diminished red hue, “You are an incredibly strong warrior, but to take my son’s full-strength attack on is unheard of for a warrior such as yourself. Your blade there. That is Empress Victoria’s imbued ki is it not?”

Michael suddenly realized what had happened, “His attack hadn’t failed to the likes of Nero. It had failed to the likes of the legendary Blood Devil.” He thought to himself, “If that is her imbued ki, I can only imagine what facing her in person would be like. A true nightmare.”

Nero shouted to Gregory, “Leave now, and I will not pursue you. However, I will fight until your death if you attack. I am General BloodStar’s sworn defender.”

Gregory laughed, “Fight until my death? I believe the reality is that you will fight until your death.”

Nero gave a slight smirk, “Come find out, Pope Gregory.”

Gregory smiled back and turned as he pat Michael on the shoulder, “Come, Archbishop. We shall watch from afar.”

As Gregory and Michael walked to the back of the army ranks, the healer presented Pope Gregory with the Holy Water, “My holiness. Your Holy Water.”

Gregory once again said, “Continue to hold it at the ready.”

He and Michael stood far from the battlefield as he said, “Let’s delay Nero as much as possible. The Blood Demon’s vitals are horrific. She will be dead in a matter of seconds if we can prevent her from receiving lifesaving health care.”

Michael realized his father’s plans. He too had noticed the fading vital signs of Xenia as what left of her lay before them. He nodded to his father, “A sound strategy father. What is left of her won’t last long.”

Gregory then yelled, “Attack! In the name of all that is Holy, destroy our enemy!”

The 5,000 soldiers had formed a concentric formation around Nero and rushed in from all sides as they roared to battle with their swords in the air.

Nero uttered to himself, “Fools!”

He held his sword at his side with the blade parallel to the ground as he charged the ki within it as well as adding his own. The blade glowed with a red and golden hue. Then, with the speed of lightning, Nero performed another swirling attack as he swung the blade perfectly parallel to the ground’s surface.

A deadly ki attack emanated from his blade forming a smooth disc of destruction as it shot out in all directions. Blood gushed from his enemies as the attack met them. The swiftness of the disc swept through the enemy forces so quickly that not a single scream was heard. The disc of energy covered the battlefield in seconds leaving a wake of silent death.

Nero stood at the ready once more as he surveyed the battlefield. The 5,000 soldiers lay on the ground severed in half from his attack.

Although his attack had been successful, his blade had completely lost its red hue. Empress Victoria’s ki had left his side in this battle. He was on his own now.

He looked to Gregory and Michael. Gregory motioned with his hand to the healer to take the Holy Water to Pope Peter. He then called out to Nero, “Out of respect for your strength, I will allow you three weeks to mourn your fallen.” He motioned to Xenia on the ground behind him and proudly said, “The one you protect has died at last. No respirations. No pulse. Temperature dropping. You have fought valiantly even if it has been all for naught.”

As a warrior, Nero showed no hesitation at the news. He stood ready to defend in the case that Gregory meant to divert his attention. However, a worry in the back of his mind did exist for he could detect no ki from Xenia, and yet he could still detect the rampant ki from the Lightbringer attack that had nearly destroyed her. Furthermore, he took a moment to focus his hearing, and he heard no pulse from her either.

Nero grit his teeth as he watched a pleased Pope Gregory and Archbishop Michael take their leave.

Gregory called out once more, “You have three weeks, Nero. Do tell your Empress that she is welcome to meet us on the battlefield if she so chooses.”

Nero then heard a whisper in the wind at his ear, “She isn’t dead, Nero. I am masking her vitals.”

Nero thought to himself, “Constance?”