Geovanna killed two mahahas with her hands. She fought with just a pair of iron gloves using her expertise in close combat and her abnormal size to her advantage.Matthew killed the last mahaha with Belial’s blade in a swift slash.
Geovanna gave him a wide smile.
"It’s so odd having a student surpassing me." She commented. "It’s oddly satisfying."
"Matthew did make us all proud." Claude smiled as well.
Matthew blushed with the compliments which took a laugh out of his teachers.
"These were most likely scouts." Lydia said in her ever serious tone.
"Yes. They should be attacking soon." Claude agreed.
They were just outside of the Tower of Ryvylin where they found the 3 mahahas sneaking about.
Catherine welcomed them with a relieved smile.
"I thought no one else was coming." She said. "I almost evacuated the building, but then the army said they’ll be using us as a base of operations."
"Yeah. Did any other adventurers come?" Matthew asked.
"Only two..." She pointed at a couple sitting behind her. "When that huge came dragged everyone up... We lost so many people."
"I’m sorry about that." Matthew apologised.
"Why are you apologizing?" Kleb admonished him.
"I could have prevented it. I was very close and... I missed the chance." Matthew explained.
"Nonesense." Lydia defended Matthew from himself. "You can’t be responsible for the things other people are doing. Even almost preventing it all was already a victory."
"She’s right, Tif. We need to focus on what to do going forward." Faralynn kissed Matthew’s cheek gently.
"And what about the enemy?" Geovanna asked Catherine, changing the subjects.
Catherine just gestured with her head to a score of army men setting equipment on the back of the hall.
Geovanna approached them and asked about the situation.
Meanwhile, Ffyr was chasing Cathbad around trying to pat his belly.
Professor Lydia found a clean chair and sat down taking her black and gold cigarette holder from inside a small portal. From the holder, a squirrel with red fur came out and sat on her shoulder. The little critter ignited her cigarette with a small flame.
"He’s so cute." Mia exclaimed seeing the scene.
"Benny, wasn’t it?" Matthew greeted the squirrel trying to pat him, only to have it hurry to the other shoulder avoiding his touch.
"Yes. But he’s quite shy." Lydia said while smoking.
"You don’t usually smoke in the school." Faralynn said, sitting on the floor beside their teacher.
"I try to avoid smoking in front of students." Lydia explained. "I only do it when I’m stressed." She looked at Matthew explaining herself for smoking in front of him.
"That was not an Inventory skill, was it?" Matthew questioned her.
"Perceptive." She praised him with a sultry smile. "Yes. I don’t have an Inventory skill. I have the Pocket Dimension skill." She explained opening a portal at her side from where a black lightning lion came out walking slowly and lying in front of her. "It’s a dimension where I keep my pets." She smiled and put her feet on the lion. "And other things."
Matthew asked to see the inside and she allowed. He then put his head through the gate.
Inside it there was a green meadow with a small lake. It wasn’t very big, just about a soccer field long. In there he could see another lightning lion, a polar bear, a unicorn and a bird with fire plumes.
"Quite impressive." Matthew said, taking his head out. "Can you use it to hide or to protect other people?"
"I can. But if anything but spirits are inside I need to feed it mana to maintain the dimension." Lydia explained.
At this point Geovanna came to them.
"They started moving. The Red Rider is coming here." She said making the blood of everyone freeze.
"I’ll Consecrate the tower." Claude said, moving to the center of the hall.
Consecrate was a Bishop skill that allowed the user to call the favor of their god and make a hallowed ground with that connection. Within consecrated grounds, undead and demonic mana was weakened and holy mana was empowered.
Claude started to pray and swing his lantern around. Each swing released a small ball of light blue fire that spread around him and floated in the air illuminating the room.
Lydia moved her hand and a wide summoning circle was made in front of her. A bright white light brought forth 15 small gnomes, all wearing different colored conical hats.
"There’s no time for pleasantries." She said to them while they tried to worship her. "A demon army is coming and I need you to fortify this place." She ordered them.
Each one bowed deeply and started to run around using earth magic to close the windows, make a wall outside and fortify the building structures.
Mia created perfect images of herself. Now with the Repel Light skill in addition to her Light skill, her light constructs were indistinguishable from herself.
She spread them around the hall.
By the time the demon army led by the Red Rider reached the tower, it was already a fortress.
The Red Rider galloped very slowly towards the building. As if he was just taking a leisure stroll around the city. He positioned his army around the Tower spread out on the two avenues that intersected where the Tower stood.
He himself kept approaching slowly and stopped just shy of the wall the gnomes raised.
"I think he wants to speak with the leader." Claude said.
"And who is that?" Matthew asked.
"I’ll go." Catherine said. "It is my Tower after all."
"I’ll go with you." Matthew offered.
Catherine just smiled and nodded, thanking him for coming.
"If it isn’t Matthew the slayer of Beleth!" The Red Rider said with a playful tone.
"Aym killed Beleth. I just helped a little." Matthew said.
"Still. The White Raider would be here if it weren’t for you." He smiled. "I actually thank you for that. I hated that guy." The Red demon said and then looked at Catherine. "Are you the lady of this fort?"
"I am the one responsible for it. Yes." Catherine said.
The Red Rider bowed his head.
"I am Berith, the Red Rider. Duke of Cocytus. Commander of 26 legions. The harbinger of war. Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." He said courteously.
Duke? Not King? Matthew thought. This meant they had a chance to win. Unless he was like Aym and almost as strong as a demon king.
"You’re not Paimon?" Matthew questioned him.
Berith laughed loudly.
"As if that one would ever leave his master’s side." He stopped laughing. "But I understand your confusion. The far man, Samil. He works for Paimon."
"Then why did he summon you here, instead of his master?" Matthew questioned.
"Because he believes that, by my coming, events will unfold that will lead to his master’s arrival on the Prime." The Red Rider said.
"Events?" Matthew asked.
"When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ’Come!’ Then another horse came out, fiery red. The one riding on it was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. He was given a great sword." Berith declared in a bellowing voice full of fake splendor.
"The Apocalypse?" Catherine questioned.
The Red Rider laughed loudly.
"Yes, daughter of Adam. The end of time. The judgement day. The prophecy of Patmos." He chuckled. "Samil believes he can... Antecipate? Anyway... In his folly he gave me the chance to come to the Prime and have a bit of fun."
"You don’t believe he can do it?" Matthew asked him.
"Bring forth the end of days? Who knows. He already failed to bring the White Rider, thanks to you. And I wonder if the Black will even acknowledge his fat ass at all." Berith shrugged.
"The Black Rider... Vine." Matthew thought out loud, his mind went to Tylith. This meant that the next one Samil would bring to Earth was the one Tylith was fleeing from.
"That’s the one." The Red Rider nodded.
"And who is the Pale Rider?" Matthew questioned.
"Oh... Eligos, a Duke like me." Berith responded.
"What’s your purpose here?" Catherine asked, interrupting them.
Berith laughed.
"War my girl. What else? But It seems I won’t get any of it here. How many do you have inside? A hundred? Less, I can see. Barely 50." He mocked them.
"Then why come here at all?" She asked him.
"Because I’m bored. Those... Airplanes? Yes. The airplanes you sent before were fun to fight with. But you all? Nah. I don’t feel like fighting you." Berith said gesticulating with his hands how he defeated the airforce.
"What’s your plan then?" Matthew asked.
"Have you ever played chess? I find it quite fun. I was hoping to try my hand at it." Berith said.
"You want to play chess." Catherine asked, surprised.
"Yes." Berith smiled pointing at Catherine. "You’ll be the king. He’s the queen. All those nervous men behind you are your pawns and bishops and whatnot." He added with a creepy smile.
"You mean?" Catherine took a step back.
"I’ll only command my troops. I won’t interfere with the battle. That big guy behind me, the Wechuge with the golden crown. He’s my king. If you kill him, I will leave your kingdom for another. But if my pieces capture your king." He pointed to Catherine again. "I’ll take your kingdom for myself. What do you think? Want to play?" He smirked.
"I guess we don’t have much choice do we?" Catherine said.
"Good girl." He said in a condescending tone. "Do your best and entertain me. Remember, you just need to check mate my king and the battle is won." He smiled, turning his horse around and galloping away slowly. "Oh! One more thing." He looked at Matthew over his shoulder. "Don’t do something stupid like trying the Scholar’s Mate and end things fast. I’d hate for you to lose your queen too soon."
He then flew to the back of his army.
Matthew took his words to heart. What did he mean by losing the queen too soon?