Pov: third person
On a dark path surrounded by bamboo trees, a group of about fifty people could be seen moving in perfect synchrony. Despite their numbers, they made no noise, blending into the night with impressive dexterity.
Leading them all was Hayato, the shogun of the Tenjin Kingdom, and one of the few five-star Awakened Ones in the kingdom. Hayato was a middle-aged man, tall and muscular, with an imposing presence.
His eyes were sharp and piercing, and his black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, as was customary among warriors of his rank.
His armor, though light for ease of movement, displayed the insignia of the highest rank in Tenjin's army. He was a born leader, known for his strategy and bravery, and now he was preparing for a mission that could determine his future and that of the kingdom.
As they ran ahead, his right-hand man and confidant, a man named Kuro, whispered to him in a barely audible tone:
"Shogun, are you sure the information that mercenary gave is correct? If it is false, we will enter into an unnecessary conflict with the temple and it could cost you your authority."
"I know that, but he is backed by Lord Ryota, and I know he would never do business at a loss. Besides, if the information is correct, it's worth it. It would solidify my position. So, in case it is a trap, we are prepared to leave no evidence," Hayato replied with determination.
The shogun glanced sideways at the mercenary who followed them without saying a word. The man had black hair common in this realm, but his strange red eyes seemed unsettling to him.
As they moved on, they made their way to a secluded part of the capital, where the vegetation was dense and buildings were scarce. Their destination was a temple of the god Reijin, the chief deity of the nation.
This god had proven his existence in the past, which caused the nation, which had once had a king with absolute power, to become degraded over time, mired in a cold war between politics and religion. Although in times of war they should be united, this did not seem to be the case.
Even his position as supreme commander of the upcoming rift raid seemed unstable due to the fact that the temple was supporting other candidates, and thanks to this, his position has been delayed and questioned, something that has bothered him in recent times and due to the information given by the mercenary he did not hesitate to take the risk since it is a good opportunity.
Arriving at the temple, they advanced in silence and wiped out everything that stood in their way. They only found a few monks and normal citizens, whom they quickly incapacitated. When all was silent, eyes turned to the mercenary with hesitation. This one calmly spoke:
"Calm down, this is not all. Wait a moment," he said as he approached the back of the altar. Moving a few things around, he revealed some stairs leading to what appeared to be catacombs.
Though still hesitant, the shogun and his subordinates followed the mercenary, who took the initiative and led them down. As they descended, they encountered a network of tunnels too large and complex even for catacombs. As they advanced, they began to believe the information.
During the walk, some strange noises could be heard, like complaints of dying people, and soon figures appeared walking in the shadows. A closer look revealed that they were not humans, but walking corpses.
The soldiers did not panic and easily neutralized them, but the deeper they went, the more they appeared and the stronger they became. The soldiers were having trouble, but they were all elites and managed to break through without any deaths.
Eventually, they came to a wide place where a room was located with runes written on it and several complicated magic circles that seemed to resonate with each other. In the room, many figures in black robes made it difficult to recognize them.
Seeing the intruders, as if expecting them, they began to chant a spell that was completed at the moment of interruption. At that instant, dark chains spread from the ground, pinning all the soldiers down and rendering them immobile. A robed figure, who appeared to be the leader, spoke:
"I don't know how you, Shogun, found out about this place, but you won't get out of here alive. I didn't expect a high quality sacrifice to walk to me like this," said the figure, who was apparently a woman.
"Why are they doing this? They are not only betraying the country, but also humanity," said the shogun, indignant as he recognized the voice.
"Why? Obviously to survive. That god we worship has never answered us after so many prayers. He has obviously abandoned us. We cannot defeat what is to come, we just want to survive," the voice in the robe replied dryly.
"High Priest, do you really think that by doing this you will survive? Do you think this is the way? You let yourself be fooled by those demons," said the shogun with restrained fury.
"Shut up! You didn't see what I saw. Beyond that rift, there are many monsters and demons much stronger than even you cannot stop.
Look, even we, with just a little of their magical technology, were able to create a spell that subdued you, being one of the strongest in our nation. What can you do against them? I don't want to die," replied the figure with fear on his face, as if he remembered seeing something horrible.
Hearing these words, the shogun gritted his teeth to the point where he could hear himself cracking. The veins in his body were about to explode from the force he exerted to free himself from the chains, but it was no use.
"See, there's nothing you can do? Now that it's possible our location has leaked out, we'll have to start the ritual early, but we have enough sacrifices now," the figure said, ordering the other hooded men to start chanting again as some walked towards a door at the back of the room.
"These idiots were trapped by spells so foolish."
At that moment, a slow murmur was heard, the location of which they could not identify. But if one looked closer, the young man with black hair and red eyes was the source, and after saying that, he began to mutter a strange chant that barely a few hooded people could understand, but was more complicated than what they knew.
Even without understanding the origin of the muttering, suddenly, the chains that held the shogun and the rest broke as if they were made of glass. Both sides were puzzled for a moment, but without missing the opportunity, the shogun started a battle with the priests who were casting unknown magic and spells, impregnated with a strange energy that the shogun and his subordinates had never seen before.
YOU ARE READING
Dawn Architect
Fantasy"Why struggle, you ask? What drives people forward, what is valuable enough for one's will to prevail? Have you ever stopped to reflect on the weight of your decisions, on the exact moment when things began to fall apart? You may never know where yo...
