World Without Song

Chapter 3: Oh what fear God's bosom rendeth

The evacuation strategy fell apart thanks to the chaos.

Yhidawach worked fast.

"You feel it already don't you Ara? We will be the last ones to face him. Your sword can go no further than that."

Arioch spoke to Ara, who was sitting on Yhidawach's throne, in Yhidawach's castle.

"How far has he gone?"

"He will have reached Silad come morning."

"Why aren't you letting me fight?"

"You need all the power you can get."

"Won't it all be for naught if there's no life left?"

Ara was crestfallen and grief-stricken, her pretty face now wearing a tired and somber expression.

"Once you kill him, all of the souls he has attained will be forcefully released, and then Mother Arioch will repopulate the world and start a new cycle."

"How are they all unable to face him?"

"The fear he strikes into their hearts paralyzes them. It's difficult to even breathe in his presence, he doesn't even need to swing his sword to kill now, and a single point from his finger is enough to cause dread strong enough to take a life."

"Then how am I supposed to win?"

"By understanding that you have no choice but to win, it is your fate, your destiny to emerge victorious against the endless hate that he represents."

Yhidawach reached Silad; he saw the same sight like in the other cities, blood and gore on the streets, screams and moans, the smell of defilement thick in the air.

"So they can't even die standing united? Your sister is one cruel woman."

As he finished speaking Saints came out of the castle in droves.

Yhidawach noted the absence of two individuals.

"Has cowardice devoured your White Saint?"

"Sir Ara is away. You will meet her soon, I'm sure!" Varram spoke.

"Why would you do this Sir Yhidawach?" Nero asked.

"What kind of justification do you need to forgive genocide? I am doing it because I want to."

"I know you well enough Yhidawach! Just tell me why!" Rose spoke out.

"And if I told you... What would you do then?"

"I am certain that we could come to some kind of understanding. I know what tragedies you've been through, I cannot easily believe you have no other reasons!"

"If sad tales were all one needed to stay the executioner's blade,  then there would be far less deaths, and that sword would find only rust decorating its blade. Any words that I say will not bring back the lives I took. You all will soon be counted among them. That is all I promise..."

Yhidawach unsheathed the Omen and beckoned his former comrades to their doom.

All of them save for Rose and Miranda.

The elite of the collapsed Union fell so easily and so quickly.

It seemed that Yhidawach needn't even get in range to kill.

Rose and Miranda knelt down on one knee, their heads bowed low, just like when they swore to become knights on his sword.

Yhidawach walked up to them and stabbed the sword into the ground like he did so long ago now.