The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building] Chapter 692 – What Is Royalty Before A God?

There is a universality in Grand Arcadia, and that is the fact that it is hated by seemingly everyone who ever has to co into contact with the institution. Elassa hates it, obviously, for it is a state and not a school and she is not a leader, not even a headmistress but a tutor. Allasaria sees it is a necessary evil, one that stunts the world yet is needed to contain magic. Fortia sees it as a waste of resources, Kavaa agrees with that. Allasaria believes it a sche between Kavaa and Elassa that it is the Goddess of Health who proposes the dissolution of Grand Arcadia as has happened a dozen tis already, although I see the explanation as much simpler. Mages can also heal, albeit not as well as Kavaa, and the Goddess of Health is lazy. Iniri shares Kavaa’s position and her laziness, for mages could serve as assistance in tilling soil instead of being sequestered into that quasi-faux-nation of their own.

But ultimately, Grand Arcadia has revealed itself to be a net benefit to the world.

In fact, it is a benefit so crucial and so large that we could not even conceive of it. Magic is grand and magic is relatively simple to teach. It is nothing like Anassa’s sorcery on the societal level, it produces pretentious snobs, not psychopathic murderers. Magic is an expression of the human soul, just as Divinity is. And just as Divinity, magic has revealed itself to be one of humanities crutches against things they cannot defeat.

The rate of technological expansion that has co about the mont we removed magic from Arda is unprecedented. Without mages to lift rocks, we have conceived of physics and cranes. We have conceived of making agriculture more efficient, the rotating field system is needed now that mages can’t simply turn the ground. The Empire should have served as the example when they conceived of gunpowder during the Great War. Imperial Cannonry never triumphed over White Pantheon magical artillery, but it proved that rocks could be hurled without the assistance of the supernatural.

There will co a ti when Grand Arcadia is disbanded, of that I am sure. However Grand Arcadia must remain as the status quo for now. It is not that we created minor advancents and inventions to try and fulfil magic’s role. The concept of science has always exist, and it is has always been wrapped in theology. Science is a tool to study the soul, to study magic and to study divinity.

Until soone conceives of a way to untwine the two from each other, we cannot allow magic back into the World.

Of course, none in the Pantheon actually agree with . To them, Grand Arcadia is rely a stabilization feature of the Post-Arascan world to enforce Divine Rule, although they would phrase it like that.

- Excerpt from “In Defence of Grand Arcadia”, written by Goddess Maisara, of Order, during the Age of Pantheon Peace.

Saksma almost dropped her blade as she stared, mouth agape, at the mist of diamonds which fell from a sky montarily being ripped apart by refraction’s discolouring as if a million overlapping rainbows had decided to coalesce around them. The ICDT tower pulsed again, more of the ash was wiped away, further from the tower as energy began building up within its bottom once again. Elassa had done it. More of that filthy black tar which tried to drown around Arda turned to diamond. Arascus had done it. The rope that was choking Arda was finally giving way and starting to fray. Empire had done it. The corruption of another world was finally being purged away.

They had done it.

Blue skies were returning back to the planet.

Olonia stood in her armour, white hair spilling down her back, demons laying dead around her. The only ti any weapon had made contact with her form was she used her own blade to parry an enemy attack. She took a step back, her head flipping around to where Agrita and Saksma were standing, surrounded by demons, although no one moved. “Agri, tell the n to fire.”

That kicked the other pair of Goddesses back into life as they forcefully pulled their eyes away from Ashen Skies and towards the Goddess of Lubska. “What?” Agrita asked.

“Give the order, remind them we still have to clean up.” Olonia said, Agrita slowly, as if on autopilot, grabbed the radio hanging over her chest and put it up to her mouth.

“How?” She asked. The demons around the trio of Divines finally began to stir as they realised. Saksma’s blue eyes passed over and caught the gazes of several demons. A few took a step back as a faint, prickly mist of tiny diamonds ca over them, others though raised the blades once again.

Olonia didn’t wait for Agrita this ti, instead, she raised her own blade into the air. It glinted in the sparkling light, reflecting with a thousand different illuminated hues as if she was a sliver of solid rainbow. “IMPERIAL FORCES IN RILIA!” Saksma was taken aback by the tone, since when could Olonia sound like that? Since when could any of the Epan Divines sound so magnanimous and imposing? “THE SKY IS BEING CLEANED! NOW WE CLEAN THE GROUND! MOP THEM UP!”

Her sword crashed down and all hell broke loose as Imperial Battlegroup Reclamation it was here to fight and not gaze up in awe at what there their Empire could manage. The ICDT tower pulsed again, another faint ripple of blue energy was released into the sky, this ti, it crashed into Ashen Skies as the small pond of sky beca an ocean of blue above them. And the Imperial army on the ground opened fire once again.

Saksma saw the demons around her be cut down by rifle fire. Most of them had lowered or even dropped their shields entirely when they saw the sky being retaken. Those shields were the biggest problem, without them, demonic legionnaires began to drop as automatic fire ripped through them. Once again, the tanks began shooting into high-explosive shells to carve out craters. The deep drums that were more like thunder of naval artillery sounded from behind them. The Imperial Army, remoralised by seeing their own sky again, started to cut down the demonic forces with a renewed fury. The Tartarians, seemingly unaware of whether to retreat or press on, were caught out as lead and magic and explosion ripped through their ranks.

Saksma stared at the carnage with awe but Olonia did not. Instead, she raised her blade straight ahead. “Do you see it?” Olonia pointed her blade straight ahead at the demon watching the battle in the distance. Around it were more cavalry, but the demon’s horns were what gave it away. It was in the sa fashion that everyone would know Olonia, Agrita and Saksma were a threat simply due to their sheer size, everyone would know that was a high-value target simply because of its off-coloured but still bone-white horns. “We kill it.”

“No Olonia.” Agrita made the call this ti. “We don’t have orders to. We’re only here to clean up the sky.” Olonia stopped her march forwards, then turned around to Agrita. Her eyes narrowed, the sword in her grip quivered for a mont, then she sighed.

“You’re correct.” She reached for her radio.

“What are you doing?”

“Ashen Skies are removed, we’ll have signal now.” Olonia said.

“I ant what are you doing?”

“I’m going to a higher authority.” She clicked the button on her radio, cold blue eyes staring in challenge at Saksma and Agrita as shells and bullets whistled past them. Without ashen skies, the sea breeze was beginning to return. Olonia’s snow-white hair shifted in the breeze, Saksma realised they should have all made braids or ponytails when she felt her own golden locks move. Sothing for the future. The radio in Olonia’s hand buzzed as explosions cut down the retreating demons around her. The magicians in the air were moving up now, to close the distance and give cover to the trio of Divines in the battle. They caught beams of fla and fireballs roaring towards them with their own incantations of ice and earth and air.

“Hello hello?” Saksma imdiately recognised that smug, sultry tone: Malam. “I’m sure you’re here to report mission success?”

“A demon prince is here.” Olonia said. “Permission to engage?”

“Is it big?” Malam asked.

Olonia turned back around. “The horns are more grey than white. It’s not big.”

Malam made a delighted chuckle through the radio. “Then it’s all yours ladies, don’t bother calling for trite like that.” Olonia dropped her radio and took a step forward, blade hanging point down to the ground, eyes fixed on the demon.

Saksma was not going to let it pass. She picked up her radio and clicked the button to command imdiately. “MALAM!” She scread into the radio. “MALAM! WHAT? THAT’S A PRINCE! WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?!” Malam had to have heard it, Saksma heard the woman’s breath catch for a mont. Was she stunned? Surely Olonia was too aggressive. She had almost died in Ibya and now she was doing what? Charging into fray again? Of Lubska had told them five would not beco four herself! And now she was putting herself in danger for what?!

“Kill him?” Malam chuckled after she asked the question, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Kill him?” Saksma asked backed. Olonia had already begun stalking towards the demon. “How?”

“How what?” Malam asked. “You remove the head from the body? You stop the heart from pumping? You hold him underwater for… I don’t know, until he stops moving? There’s a lot of ways to kill people sweetie.” Saksma blinked at the words, and then blinked again when she saw Olonia move like a viper through the team of demons that had shifted their charge.

It was nothing like the fighting of the Epan War where n were flung and sliced apart and showers of blood rained discoloured the land red. Olonia simply weaved through the demons with the speed of a snake, save for the fact that the snake was twice the size of the demons around her. Her blade slid over shoulder plate and chipped through armour to behead demons. Her free hand spun around to protect her other side, bouncing away spear and sword and halberd with the back of her heavy gauntlet as she rapidly needled a hole through the enemy ranks. “I…” Saksma said. “It’s a prince.”

“What is royalty before a God Saksma?” Malam asked. “What is a prince, thousandth-in-line, against three nations made manifest?”

Saksma lips mouthed the answer even though she could not voice it: nothing. She had to answer Malam though, but to answer her question would sully all Divines on Arda, everywhere. “Thank you.” Saksma didn’t even have to swing her blade. She followed Olonia’s path, guarded and wary, but whatever Of Lubska did not cut down, the Imperial troops cut down. Infantry started to burst from their trenches as vehicles began to roll forward, turrets swirling around. The tanks were explosive, but it was the modified pieces of anti-air, made to shoot at the ground with flak-calibre that cut swathes in the demonic ranks. Every half minute, the ground would once again shake as it was rocked by the explosions of naval artillery. Plus of ash and dust and diamonds started into the air and creates that montarily rainbows once again before crashing back down to the sound of glass hitting on glass.

When they crossed half the distance, the demonic prince must have realised what was happening. He started to turn his horse around. Saksma seized her walk, Agrita did too. They were Divien, but they weren’t going to overextend and catch up to enemy cavalry though. It could probably be done, but they weren’t going to let themselves be surrounded.

Olonia though did not stop. She sped up, throwing her blade into the air, catching the tip between her fingers as if it was a throwing dagger and… Saksma’s eyes went wide when she realised what Olonia was doing. The Goddess of Lubska twisted, curled her core, bent her arm back and then threw the blade into a spin. A set of explosions ripped through the demons around them as the blade sliced deep into Tarapheus’ Hellsteed and felled the animal. “Catch him now!” Olonia shouted and started off into a run.

The demon in his black armour quickly scrambled through the ash and out from under his animal as the rest of his officers raced off. The Tartarian force was almost in full-retreat now as Imperial troops surged onwards. Saksma had to remind herself to move and catch up to her friend. Even as Olonia charged him, the demon stood on guard. “I am Tarapheus! Prince of Tartarus!” He raised the cleaver and shield towards Olonia. “Well t!” Olonia didn’t give an answer nor her own introduction nor even a taunt. She just moved quickly as flas appeared around the demon, a cloak of orange-purple fla fell around him and spread out like a moat.

And Saksma watched in awe as her friend stepped into the fire without hesitation. She grabbed Tarapheus’s wrist even as flas licked her legs, and then threw the demon over her shoulder before her could react, towards Agrita and Saksma. Of Doschia stood, stunned, as she watched in half-awe, half-horror, her eyes didn’t know what to focus on. The demon on the ground, or Olonia rolling out of the flas, rolling onto the ground and burying herself in ash in a split second to stop the fires on her clothes. “You should have stabbed him them.”

Tarapheus drew his blade and shield, eyes dancing in between the three Divines that towered around him like hungry bears. Next ti Saksma wouldn’t miss it, Olonia was correct, they had a chance, Saksma let it slip. “Is this how you-unff!” Tarapheus’ words were cut off by Olonia again, from behind the demon she barrelled into the demon with her shoulder.

Tarapheus was launched forwards as if a battering ram had just slamd into him. Olonia rolled onto her side as she shouted. “SAKS! KILL HIM!” The order ca out in that magnaminous tone again, as if Arascus himself was saying it, and Saksma felt her body move on instinct. She took a step forward as Tarapheus began to once again scramble onto his feet. Saksma was a Divine though. A prince, demonic or not, was rely royalty. Of Doschia had never realised how fast she could actually move. Her blade raised into the air.

And it ca down into Tarapheus back, stabbing him back down into the ground. Just as Malam had said, all that was needed to kill a demonic prince was to destroy the heart.

Saksma looked up and saw Olonia breathing deeply as she picked herself up. Imperial troops began to swarm around them as explosions rang out. The ICDT tower had managed to push ashen skies back to the horizon and it was still releasing its pulses of energy.

They had killed royalty.

They had torn down the grey sky.

They had assured that the retaking of Rilia was nothing more but a matter of ti.

The war wasn’t over, but this battle was.