120 Gin
“Purity Knights! Assemble!” Gin called, the dozens of Knights under his command rushing around him after he had pushed away Beron.
The Capital Knight captain would have felt a strong sense of embarrassment and rage if he hadn’t been in such a pinch but right now, a part of him amidst the overwhelming shame felt… glad that the responsibility had been taken away from his hands.
“Pillar 1, support the shields, Pillar 2, circle around and support the West, Pillar 3, support the East!” Gin bellowed as his body exploded with a vibrant burst of white coloured mana that travelled with his voice.
Gin’s Knights were already grouped up into familiar squads called Pillars which improved efficiency when he needed to split up the forces for different tasks.
The Knights immediately rushed towards the places they were told to go, the first squad going on to support the Capital Knights that were bearing the shields hesitantly.
The other Knights rushed from the front of the building and disappeared into the infrastructures around as they headed to support other areas as Gin had commanded.
The oncoming charge of civilians didn’t make them waver as they stood strong.
Gin had also sensed the thick and foul scent of undeath. It wasn’t coming from this area alone, which is why he had deployed his Knights to different areas. He had confirmed it after seeing the flames glowing in the sockets of the chanting civilians that drew near with each second.
There didn’t seem to be another choice but violence.
He scanned around, looking for the golden armoured Champion who was supposed to be leading and giving everyone a sense of comfort with her presence but she was nowhere to be seen.
‘Champion, my ass! Can she not even liase with me before taking off? Is she still with that heathen?’ he thought.
Unfortunately, Gin didn’t have enough time to ponder this as the thousands finally arrived.
The many civilians who had managed to get to safety before the rampaging crowd reached them could only embrace each other or clutch onto the Knights right before the charging thousands collided with the shields.
“You cannot comprehend, the true beauty of death. The only true Divinity among many falsehoods. The truest reality in all the lands…!” the chanting of the huge crowd blared against the ears of the Knights and the civilians.
The bulging muscles of the civilians who seemed to carry faint traces of a red energy around them pulsed as they ran like athletes without a stagger!
The chant they roared caused everyone to feel an unsettling feeling within their bodies, some more than others!
Even Gin felt it!
‘What is that?’ he thought as he frowned deeply. It was a feeling that tried to ravage the very source of his being but failed each time he heard the chant!
Right before impact as the Knights shielded their bodies with mana, and prepared to tank the charge with their shields… it finally happened!
“EEEEEEEEAAAAAH!”
The civilians behind the wall of Knights that were about to block the incoming crowd screamed as their bodies jerked and twisted in unsightly ways!
They were only the first as next… came the Knights!
Some of them who were supposed to hold the line blocking the charge suddenly roared in pain and dropped their weapons, their bodies twisting in frightening styles as in the next moment, red flames fumed from their sockets with a terrifying howl!
The moment the flames sprang out their sockets, the civilians and some of the Knights immediately began chanting and turned to those that hadn’t been reached by the profound truth!
Gin watched in shock as the crowds coming from the front bulldozed against the remains of the Knights that hadn’t suddenly turned, trampling over most of the Capital Knights but being held back a bit by the Purity Knights who hurriedly tamed their terror!
Dust rose as the ground released a rumble of collision that boggled his mind!
Such a force!
He could vividly see blood rising from those that had been crushed under the charge!
The scene was chaotic and gorey.
From behind, all the civilians rushed towards those that hadn’t turned and violently lashed out!
The Knights were worse, as the flames in their sockets were brighter, their bodies releasing a disgusting red stream of energy that steadily spewed upwards.
Some picked up the swords they had dropped while transitioning and immediately attacked without mercy!
However, they movements weren’t unsteady and irregularly!
No, the might of Knight remained the same while the strength of a normal civilians was more that doubled.
Five Knights besieged Gin who quickly settled his mind and clutched the sheathed sword at his side. He breathed out a gust of hot air, his eyes becoming clear even amidst the terrifying scenery of Knights slaying other Knights!
He stomped on the ground, a low thrum echoing as the ground acknowledged his strength, a rough wind combined with his mana being expelled from his body in the form of an invisible sphere!
The five Knights that rushed towards him met the resistance that this sphere offered and temporarily halted in their positions as they attacked!
BAM!
The sphere stopped their advance successfully giving Gin a few moments before the continuation.
‘They are pretty strong. Whatever happened to them somehow augmented their strength,’ Gin thought as his sphere that barely lasted for a two seconds gave him details about his assailants and restrained them at the same time.
The moment the five Knights were able to move though, Gin unsheathed his blade and released a single slash while gracefully spinning with his entire body!
A soft glow traced the sword’s path, five heads falling to the ground immediately after, following a spray of blood!
Unfortunately, this victory couldn’t be celebrated as the thousands that came rushing before barrelled down towards him, threatening to bury him under their feet!
Beron could barely believe his eyes as he lay on the ground in a fright induced stupor.
He watched as the chanting civilians and Knights slew his men one after the other, their strength being strangely terrifying.
As they all chanted, he felt a chill that tried to invade his very core, but failed each time.
‘Why?!’ he thought in frustration as he gnashed his teeth.
The Purity Knights who struggled around him didn’t give him the strength he needed to stand.
CLNK! CLNK!
The sound of armour emanated from behind him as a figure stood, overlooking his body from above.
Beron looked on to see as he lay down, a suffocating energy reaching him from the Knight that stood behind him!
Even though he couldn’t see it, behind the neck of this Knight was a deep cut into his flesh, a red glow visible within it.
The Capital Knight captain watched as this Knight with flame sockets raised his hand which held onto one of the steel swords provided to the Capital Knights by the city, ready to kill him off.
His eyes bulged, and he reached for his sword but a sense of weakness gripped his heart, making him relax his muscles.
‘What’s the point? I was never meant to fight anyway. I’ll only have to face the responsibility of letting all of this happen even if I do survive this somehow so… why not just… let it end here?’ Beron thought.
He was never trained to be a nation quality Captain Knight. Why would he be expected to stand up to such a terrifying event anyway?
The sword from the Knight came down and Beron closed his eyes to receive death but….
WAAAP! BOOOM!
An intense shockwave rocked the area within a hundred meters, men and women flying in all directions as a ferocious pound of might settled around the entire area with a brilliant light!
Knights and civilians alike were flung everywhere at extreme speeds as the ground shuddered, the large silver base also feeling the impact but ultimately remaining intact!
A single man remained within the cleared area where the ground had been pressed down by his power which pervaded over a forty meter radius!
It was a vibrant Full Body Aura!
It was Gin, holding his double-dged silver sword with a golden hilt high up!
“Hear me!” he called in a loud voice. “To those that remain unaffected by this evil plague, gather around me and let us face it together! Assemble quickly and let us show our might as Knights! Come! Stand with me!
The words he spoke reached everywhere!
The Knights who remained unaffected didn’t waste time as they ran to Gin’s position instinctively before they were assaulted once more!
Beron, who had been expecting death moments ago, found his heart pounding from the short speech!
He had been flung off as well by the might of Gin but saved in the process!
He had also seen the man raise his sword upwards and command for action in gallant fashion!
A true Knight!
His legs found the strength to stand and his hand grabbed the nearest sword.
‘I’m still a Knight! I’m still a Knight,’ he called within his mind as he joined the rest that rushed towards Gin’s position.
Unfortunately, along with all these Knights, one who wasn’t supposed to be among them gazed at Gin with his flaming sockets and rushed forward as well!