Samuel sprinted across the altar, running in circles, around the Path Knight. His speed left and right, streaks of dust and debris in the atmosphere, creating afterimages that made it hard to track his real movement. The knight swung its spear wildly, missing each time.
Samuel appeared behind him.
Slash.
A surge of dark green light followed his blade as he cut across the path-knight back. Sparks flew. The Path-knight staggered forward before spinning with rage, lashing his spear outward.
Samuel ducked, the spear just grazing his hair, and then he drove his foot into the path-knight chest.
Crack!
Shockwaves.
Across the temple. The knight was launched backward, crashing through one of the altar pillars. Debris exploded around him. Dust rained from the ceiling.
The Celestial Navigator stood frozen, eyes wide open, hands trembling. She had never seen a mortal fight like this. He moved with instinct. Ruthless. Calculated. Fast.
The Path-Knight rose from debris, This time, he threw his spear at a high velocity, directly at Samuel.
Samuel raised his blade to parry...
But it was too fast.
The spear knocked Aegirion from the hands of Samuel, sending it across the altar.
Samuel barely had time to react before the knight was on him.
They exchanged heavy, brutal blows, fists clashing, knees, elbows. Samuel landed a clean hook to the jaws of the path-knight. In retaliation the path-knight returned with a heavy and spinning kick to the ribs, sending Samuel flying.
Boom!
Samuel broke through the side of the altar and was flung across the city like a missile, crashing through, buildings, shops, and three stone walls.
Mid-air, Samuel twisted his body. Blood dripped from his lips, but he wiped it away and clenched his fist.
"Aegirion!" Samuel declared.
The blade responded to his call.
Aegirion lifted off the ground and sped toward Samuel. As it reached him, Samuel spun and kicked it like a ball.
The blade shot through the air at high velocity and landed a direct strike on the path-knight
arm.
Clang!
The Path-knight staggered in pain.
Samuel didn't wait. He fell to the ground and launched forward again, at a high velocity.
Tackling the path-knight at the waist at light speed. The force sent both of them crashing off the altar edge and into the sky, before plummeting into the main palace courtyard.
Forming a crater where they landed. Stone, debris and divine energy burst out in every direction.
The main palace sounded an alarm.
More knights began to drop in.
The city guards had been summoned.
The Path-Knight growled in pain, blood running down his arms. Staggering, he still stood up. He raised his hand and landed a powerful blow into Samuel's stomach.
Samuel staggered, clutching his side. Bones cracked.
But out of desperation.
He twisted the knight's arm.
The Path-knight elbow bent the backward.
Samuel summoned Aegirion once more. But This time, he didn't grab it.
He shoved the Path Knight in front of him.
Aegirion obeyed.
Impaling the path-knight through the chest.
But he was still alive.
Breathing.
"Persistent," Samuel muttered.
The knight's hand twitched, still trying to fight.
But he had no energy left.
With one smooth motion, Samuel pulled the blade from the path-knight chest, twisted, and slashed horizontally.
The path-knight's body was brutally split in half.
Blood splashed across the main palace courtyard. Followed by Silence. The courtyard fell still.
Debris and dust from the aftermath of the battle were in the atmosphere.
The Celestial Navigator looked down from the altar steps, in horror.
Then the horns of the divine army sounded.
Samuel lumped in the air and proceeded to land on the altar.
Standing at the top of the palace altar, he approached the celestial navigator, she was kneeling there. One of the highest-ranked essence geniuses in the Empire. Her white robes were torn apart, breathing was heavy. When she glanced up and saw him.
She uttered, "Please… spare my life."
Samuel narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you," he declared. "Unless you make it hard for me."
She stayed quiet, trembling as she looked up at him.
But Before she could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. Samuel gazed to the side and saw them.
Regular Knight's.
All arriving from the three provinces, dozens, if not thousands of them storming through the palace gates with shields raised and spears ready.
He turned back to her. "Open a portal to the Divine Realm."
She stuttered, tapping her thighs. "I… I can't.
Samuel tightened his jaws, squinting his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I… I can't. Just open a portal like that," she muttered.
"A portal to the Divine Realm requires weeks, maybe even months, of preparation and an enormous amount of energy. It's not something I can perform here, at this moment.
Samuel narrowed his eyes. "So what can you do?"
"If it's a portal to different continent… or different city… I can open one," she responded. "But not the Divine Realm. Please, spare me."
Samuel looked back at the wave of knights marching toward the altar entrance. They were less than a minute away. He turned back to her.
"Open a portal. Now."
She gulped and agreed quickly. "Okay. Where to?"
He didn't think long. "Anywhere but here."
She moved fast. She whispered a spell and raised her hands. A glowing oval of light spun open beside them. On the other side was a dry, and rocky landscape, far from the palace, far from the city.
She turned to Samuel. "It's ready."
"Now get in."
"You're coming with me," Samuel ordered.
Without hesitation, Samuel grabbed her wrist and pulled her through.
They landed hard on the rocky ground. The wind whipped through the empty areas. There was no sign of life. No city walls. Just rock, dust, and an open atmosphere.
The Celestial Navigator coughed due to excessive dust in the air, then looked up at him. With confusion. "Why?"
"Why do all this."
"Why me." She uttered in tears.
"My goddess help me."
Veins popping from his jaws, intensely walked up to her, pinching her cheeks.
Then he declared, when you are with me you do not call nor talk about any gods or goddess do you understand.
"Do you understand!
While in tears she responded, "Yes."
Good, he uttered.
The quicker you open the portal to the Divine realm, the faster you go home.
"Understand." He declared.
"Yes."