Against The True Gods

Reiner and his men moved swiftly, focused and meticulous as they navigated to all the villages near the cave. Yet, for some reason, the task had proven far more tedious than anticipated.

The suspect they were after had somehow planted his army of mud golems within a cave that was neither close to any village nor far from any—a maddeningly inconvenient location.

What had initially been expected to be a quick evacuation of five to ten villages turned into a grueling week-long operation involving hundreds of villages. Each new development only served to frustrate Reiner further.

The tediousness was exacerbated by the countless trap formations laid throughout the villages. These traps were not just dangerous but so intricate that none of the men dared to approach them.

Yet, the traps themselves weren't the biggest issue.

They had been strategically placed to force Reiner and his men into taking longer, more perilous routes, as though they were cattle being herded by an unseen master.

Still, despite these challenges, Reiner and his men eventually managed to evacuate all the mortals. That's when things took a turn for the worse.

Beasts.

No matter where they were or what precautions they took, the beasts always found them. It was as though the enemy knew their exact location at all times.

This constant harassment forced yet another shift in their plans. Instead of conserving their energy for the cave, they were now compelled to remain in a perpetual state of battle, always on guard as they pushed forward.

Reiner, overwhelmed by the unrelenting chaos, found himself at a loss for words.

***

Covered in wounds, his armor shattered, and his figure disheveled, Reiner finally arrived at the cave's entrance.

He had learned from past failures and immediately contacted the Pope, transmitting the location to ensure the path ahead would be cleared.

Once they received the green light, they breached the cave walls and descended into its depths, weapons drawn and jaws set, bracing for horrors beyond imagination.

But what awaited them was… nothing.

"WHAT?!" Reiner's roar echoed through the cave as he rushed down its winding paths, unable to believe the once-endless army of mud golems had vanished without a trace.

Frantically, he turned around to address his soldiers, only to have his heart drop.

Behind him wasn't his team—it was a solid wall.

Spinning back around, he found another wall blocking his way. When he glanced behind him again, a previously unseen path had appeared.

'…A…maze… of illu…illusions…'

Reiner's blood ran cold. He had lost his men, and now he was lost himself, trapped within an ever-shifting maze of illusions.

***

Days blurred into what felt like weeks, then years… decades… centuries…

He was alone.

There was no one else.

The maze stretched endlessly, a cruel prison of deceit and madness. His men were gone. His sense of self began to crumble.

'…No…'

Reiner's mind slipped further into the abyss, his steps aimless as he wandered through this endless falsehood. His senses dulled, ground to numbness by the overwhelming barrage of deceit surrounding him.

After what felt like billions of years, he found himself kneeling, his gaze hollow and his mind void.

The illusory world around him faded, and he returned to the main clearing of the cave—the same one he had entered before venturing into its depths.

There, sitting atop a pile of corpses near the entrance, was a young man of almost otherworldly beauty.

Long, flowing black hair as dark as the void of space cascaded over his shoulders. His skin was white as jade, unmarred and pure. His eyes, cold and apathetic, swirled with currents of silver and faint gold.

The man wore pristine white robes—Caine.

"That was easy enough, hm?" Caine's calm voice cut through the silence as he wiped blood from his blade with a cloth.

Reiner's eyes widened, his gaze shifting to the pile of corpses beneath Caine. They were his soldiers—the men he had trained and raised like sons. His flesh and blood.

"The Pope's plan was rather elaborate," Caine continued, his voice steady, unbothered by the storm of rage bubbling within Reiner. "He knew one of you was compromised, so he orchestrated this mission to reveal the 'traitor' and lure him back to the capital."

Caine's lips curled into a faint smile. "If I had to guess, this so-called traitor would be summoned to the Pope's hall under the guise of a reward. Then, in front of the congregation, the Pope would unveil the betrayal and deliver swift punishment. Perhaps he'd even sacrifice the traitor to his mighty god."

Reiner's body trembled with rage, his golden qi flaring uncontrollably as Caine tilted his head, still smiling.

"Was I close?"

A pillar of golden qi erupted from Reiner, burning away the tears streaming down his face and healing the wounds scattered across his body. With a snarl, he pulled a talisman from thin air and slapped it onto his forehead.

"But of course," Caine mused, "the mighty Pope anticipated that someone might figure out his plan. That's why he granted you partial access to his power through that talisman. If I had to guess again, your earlier contact to 'clear the path' was just your way of signaling to him that the operation had begun. Am I wrong?"

Shaking his head, Caine rose from the pile of corpses.

CLANK!

A suit of pure white armor materialized over Reiner, its radiant glow stark against the darkness of the cave. A massive bastard sword appeared in his hand, its edge gleaming with destructive power.

Reiner's eyes turned white, a core of crimson burning fiercely at their center. His hair transformed into a mane of searing flames, flickering with intensity.

Tears streamed down his face, glowing gold, only to evaporate in the heat of his qi. His expression twisted into a demonic scowl, his fury etched into every line of his face.

"I'll kill you," Reiner growled, his voice low and menacing. "As painfully as possible."

Caine rested his spear on his shoulder, his smile broadening into a grin. With a casual wave of his hand, he beckoned Reiner forward.

"Come."

BOOOOOOOOOM!