The Emperor Class

That might be our only way out.

Dreu turned to see Bayard also staring at the stairs.

What about the wounded? Are we just going to abandon them to save our own skin?

Among the wounded was Jeane. When Bayard didn’t respond, Dreu ran over to her. She was just finishing her healing spell on a nasty wound she got from the charging scorpion.

“We’ll get down those stairs and see if we can meet more humans. Then, we can t-”

Jeane shook her head but she didn’t meet Dreu’s eyes. There was a brief pause before she spoke.

“Go! I’ll only slow you down.”

Jeane stood up to face the approaching scorpion who had just finished off all the other humans and was ready to finish off the rest. Dreu was about to grab her when he felt himself lifted upwards. He found himself over Bayard’s shoulder and struggled in futility to get out of the footman’s grip. He kept calling Jeane’s name until she disappeared from sight when Bayard ran down the stairs. His last sight of her was Jeane’s pained smile as she was crushed in the scorpion’s pincer. He also thought he saw her mouthing goodbye in those final moments.

Let me down! Why didn’t you help her?

She is right! She will only slow us down in her current state. My job is to keep you alive. She willingly sacrificed herself for you. Don’t let her death be in vain!

Dreu yelled in frustration at the top of his lungs. His tears were mixing with the dust caused by the scorpion smashing the stairs above them. The group was halfway down the winding stairs and none of the summons were slowing down. Dreu was numb when he was put down. He looked around to find himself in the courtyard surrounded by demon soldiers. The sight of the enemy triggered multiple emotions within him but his fight response was the one to take over. That was when Bayard pointed at the demons.

If your feelings for her are true, then turn the grief you feel into strength. Let the demons feel your wrath! They are the reason she is dead!

Dreu drew his blade and felt the rage pouring into him. The red mist originating from the blade expanded until it covered the young man like a cloak. At the sight of the cloak, he wiped away his tears and shouted in fury at the demon soldiers who advanced cautiously towards the group. Without waiting for the others, the young man charged straight at the demon soldiers. His blade slashed through the demons like a knife through butter. Dreu lost count of how many demons he slayed. He also lost track of where his summons were. His mind was solely on avenging Jeane, even at the cost of his own life. He kept slashing at any demon before him, feeling the exhilaration of killing these monsters.

Kill! Kill them all!

Dreu didn’t know who spoke those words. Yet, he agreed with the voice. He wouldn’t stop until all the demons were dead. Meanwhile, the voice kept urging him on.

They killed your love. They deserve no mercy! Slaughter them all! Their deaths will make you stronger!

With strength surging into his body, the young man didn’t stop at all. He felt no fatigue and each kill felt like a boost to his overall being. Dreu didn’t want the feeling to stop so he never paused on his attacks. At some point, the enemies became a blur but, knowing he was amidst the enemy ranks, he slashed at anyone nearby. Dreu eventually lost track of time, allowing his instincts to take over. It wasn’t until the blade was knocked out of his hands did Dreu regain some of his senses. He was about to shout in anger but stopped short when he saw Bayard standing before him.

What…what happened?

Dreu tried to recall what happened after he drew his blade but his memory was a complete blank. He couldn’t even tell if he was conscious or not.

Such are the effects of wielding that blade of yours. The power it gives you comes at a hefty price. Remember that whenever you allow anger to take hold. I may not be there the next time the blade takes control of your mind.

But you told me t-

That was both a lesson and a means to carve a path out of the encirclement.

At the mention of the second point, Dreu turned to see the demons reforming to fill the opening he and the summons created. Their group had somehow managed to break through the encirclement putting the demons between them and the walls. While the demon numbers only ballooned since earlier, the young man felt satisfaction that they were still alive and resisting.

That proves what you are capable of at the moment. Learn how to achieve that without losing control to your anger and you will become that much more powerful. You probably feel stronger from your earlier rage induced combat.

Dreu knew what Bayard was talking about but, faced with all the enemies, he couldn't afford to check his prompt. To address the immediate danger, he knelt down and hesitantly picked up the blade. The only thing that he could vaguely recall if he thought hard was the unknown voice that told him to kill. A part of him wondered if the voice came from the blade itself. When making contact with the weapon didn’t result in the return of the voice, the young man let his breath out. He readied his stance as he faced the demons. When the demon soldiers refused to approach him, he turned only to see his summons focused behind him.

The demons are over here, everyone.

There was a lengthy silence before Bayard spoke up.

The demon army isn’t the biggest threat anymore. We have someone far more dangerous making an appearance.

Bayard got into his fighting stance after he spoke, making Dreu turn around to see who this new threat was.

“Bayard old friend! It’s good to see you again! I expected you to pay me a visit sooner!”