Alexander remained silent.
His eyes were no longer brilliant but a dark, terrifying red deeper than blood, like the flames of hell itself.
The blood inside his body was surging, like a typhoon almost tearing his veins apart, as he stroked the back of Qilana.
"I must go."
"No!"
"If you must, then let me go too! I can help--"
Pah!
Qilana's body staggered back before falling into her throne, a stream of blood dripping from her lip as she held her hand to it with a shocked look.
Standing beside her, Zilna's hand was still shaking from the slap.
"Princess! There is a time and place for everything!"
"Will you throw away your revenge, the chance to clear your mother's name because of a man!"
Zilna's body shuddered, even if she was acting, speaking as she would before meeting Alexander; her heart ached, looking at him as if conveying this desperately wasn't her true intention.
His soft smile soothed her worries.
Honestly, he believed that the one to act this way would be Listrea, but instead, she stood behind him. To his left, her hood pulled up and a quiet atmosphere.
'Still, she insisted on coming with me... This elf... An amusing girl.'
"Qilana, I swear I shall not die," Alexander said, looking at his princess, who was not broken, her eyes filled with tears like a little girl.
Alexander stepped forward, taking Eien from his side; as he clicked it from the sheath, sliding the long blade with a loud sound, the knights around worried about what might happen.
He was oblivious to them as he handed her the black sheath; it was hard and cool but felt alive and soothing.
"Take this."
"Why? It's just a sheath."
His face smiled, stroking her little cheek, squishing them as he placed it inside her hands, watching her mouth open and placing another arm on his chest.
Ba-Dump! Ba-Dump!
The sheath and his heart beat in unison.
Qilana looked up at him with a shocked face as if she understood what he meant and what this meant.
"This sheath, as long as I am alive, will continue to beat, no matter how far away, even if I return to my world."
Alexander's hands wrapped her face, leaning forward sweetly, "You will always know I am alive and be the closest to my heart."
His lips gently closed hers; the taste of her kiss was salty and sweet mixed as her soft tongue began to entangle his; her eyes closed, with the last of her tears dripping down her cheeks.
Qilana's little hands grasped tightly onto his sheath.
As silence filled the central battlement.
"I'm going now, Qilana."
"No..."
"Don't be such a soggy cat; let me go. I'll marry you when we next meet, a Sarian-style wedding, okay?"
'Did I just set my death flag up?'
[You cannot die...]
"R-really?"
"Mm, I promise."
Alexander ignored Kayne's little words as he struggled to believe him fully, forcing him to part with his woman in this situation.
'However, If I didn't stay... Wouldn't they all be dead anyway?'
"Then go!" Qilana pushed him away, her head turning to the side; thankfully, because of Zilna and the other knights, most troops didn't hear the princess's outburst or tears.
Otherwise, their morale was barely bolstered and would crumble.
He turned away as Listrea followed him like a stalker, their steps slowly fading as he heard a loud thump before Zilna apologised.
"Forgive me, my princess! I have forgotten myself!" Her voice trembling, likely related to the slap, as the Gigante was still taller than the catkin Qilana, who was a little shorter now, but more agile.
"Zilna, do not blame yourself. The blame lies with me..."
His ears stopped listening as he understood Qilana would follow the plan; she grasped his sheath tightly, her little breaths synchronising with his heartbeat, which was cute.
"Listrea, you will die. Are you sure?" Alexander's voice was cold, as he was trying to focus on fighting the enemy, that ever-growing force of demons approaching from the northwest.
'Is this what we will fight after the third wave?'
[You will face even stronger demons... but this is a taste of your future, should you choose to relax, to forgo training and improvement.]
'Kayne, can I win this fight?'
[Win... is objective, but you can save Qilana and her people.]
'But?'
[You will lose.]
Listrea followed him as she bowed to him, more docile and obedient than before; there were no arguments or her strange mood. Instead, she took his hand, gently wrapping her hands around him. He could feel her trembling and terrified emotions, but still! She grasped his hand.
"I will follow, with a portion of my sisters..."
'A portion?'
"They are waiting outside the walls; once I tell them, they will march forth."
"Are you sure? Your sisters will be annihilated."
"I trust you, Husband."
She lifted her head, smiling at him as he returned it; he patted her head, feeling the soft, silky hair against his hand. Her eyes were filled with terror and her body trembling, so she knew it was a fool's errand of death... Yet her face seemed committed to following him.
'You alone I will protect.'
[Don't be foolish! How can you protect her when you are torn to shreds!]
'Hey, Kayne.'
'Fuck off.'
Alexander and Listrea walked towards the small gathering of just over 400 people, 280 Gula warriors; some offered to help, knowing they might die, but they also had siblings who were just militia, this time Alex didn't force them all to become his Vesta, just helping them boost their level instead.
"Ah! Princess, Master!" The elves cried as they stood in a neat line, dark elves at the back, Gula in the front, all with straight spines and focused looks.
'These women will all die...' Alexander thought, clenching his fist as he bit down so hard his gums started to bleed, his eyes watching each face intently as if burning them into his memory.
[You were going to have losses eventually...]
[Don't burden yourself with these mere mortals, they aren't even from your world!]
He ignored the pleading voice of Kayne, knowing there was some truth and logic to his words, but Alexander couldn't do that; each of these women had slept with him, some more than others. His nose remembered their scent, his lips their taste and his lower body their shape and sensation.
One hand holding Eien, her black and red blade shimmering, as if listening to all of his thoughts and desires as an invisible red line slowly formed, like the red string of fate, between each of these women, including Venri and Katrin
He stood before them before giving them all a broad smile, brilliant and confident.
He must play the part.
He must show no error.
He must be their pillar.
With the most relaxed and nonchalant way of speaking, he nodded at them all
"Shall we go kill some demons, ladies?"
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