Chapter 2: Liberation

With the Executioners' arrival on Ren'veil the battle to free her people shifted in favor of the rebellion. Astaroth, the youngest of the 7 clan masters knelt before his progenitor, basking in the glory of their king and creator. 

Though the Knight Lord refuses to be referred to as a god often at times he corrects the children of the High Glaives to refer to him as a friend or a father figure so they chose the ladder out of respect and veneration for their progenitor. 

While the battle raged around them Astaroth aided the Progenitor by bringing him a new set of armor. Kent thanked the youngest of the 7 though the time to reminisce shall come now they must fight to free the cities. 

Astaroth nodded raising his hammer above him shouting "FOR THE PROGENITOR!" commanding his army to strike the New Kingdom forces. Though the marines held their ground as the High Glaives the New Kingdom fought across the city as the defenses held by the marines were slowly breaking apart.

Rio, led the charge as the new kingdom forces broke through the 2nd line of defense broke down the traitor was almost to the city square. Before he could break through the last line of defense he could hear the loud roars over the distance as the earth quaked beneath his feet. 

He turned around to see a hulking monster rushing towards them easily ripping through Rio's forces with great strength. 

Before he struck down the young master, Astaroth jumped to the side catching him by surprise when he turned around. Kent appeared out of nowhere as he grabbed him by the head slamming it into the ground as he threw the swordsman back to the western gate with all his might. 

The knight lord ordered Astaroth to remain at the city center and defend the refugees until he returned. Kent combined his blades together rushing towards the downed swordsman, confused about how he was able to recover so quickly he then absorbed the manna in the air healing his wounds as the two clashed blades once again.

As they clashed once again Rio gave it his all to push the knight lord back while taunting him telling of what he shall do with the two girls when he reaches them. 

Enslaving the remaining priestesses and turning the mages into mindless drones as they should have been turned to long ago if he did not get in the way. The Knight Lord's resolve was true he did not give Rio another inch into the city now desperate Rio summoned a pair of blades sending it flying towards Kent. 

The blades managed to graze his neck and leg yet Kent endured the strike as he grabbed him again by the neck throwing Rio out of the gate. The force of Kent's throw somehow managed to break several bones on his body as he passed through several soldiers and destroyed a hill in the process.

Kent immediately ordered the Ragnophages to secure the entrance to the western gate while Astaroth finished off the remaining bodyguards. 

The battle slowly came to an end as the Fang wraiths routed the New Kingdom army out of the city and the Ragnophages destroyed the golems the enemy used to break through the walls of the city.

With a deep breath, he walked towards the edge of the bridge he hid the Excaliburst back into their scabbards. Rio desperately tried to stand up as his body was badly bleeding vomiting blood at the same time he felt his death was slowly coming to claim his soul.

"HOW... YOU WERE ALREADY DEAD AND I MADE SURE YOU WERE POISONED WITH MY BLADES... HOW ARE YOU STRONGER THAN ME!!!" Rio shouted angrily.

He slammed his foot down on the traitor's chest telling him that dead men tell no tale, as he unleashed both their rage upon Ren'veil once again. The planet shook violently as the demon that saved the planet was now awake as his murderous aura enveloped the planet. 

Both he, the Dragon-wolf kingdom soldiers, and the High Glaives felt the murderous rage as a sign of hope and fear of the Demon of Faith's re-awakening. 

Kent's eyes turned red as he stared at the wounded swordsman with a sadistic grin written on his face he said. "I said long ago swordtaker... You will not get far with all that borrowed power... Try as you may you will never hope to beat me... Now or ever..." Before he could strike the swordsman down. 

They felt a cry over the distance turning away for only a moment, Rio pulled out a small stone from his pocket breaking it in half as he teleported away from the battle. Kent looked down to see Rio was already gone he no longer contained his rage as he unleashed a spine-chilling roar ending signaling the end of the battle. 

As the battle ended, rain began to pour over the battlefield as the sky raiders and High glaives scoured through the dead in search for any survivors from the rebels and the marines who first made landfall. 

Kent and the other commanders along with Astaroth reconvened at the town hall to discuss their next move. Astaroth explained the other clan masters are engaging the New Kingdom forces all across the planet with His clan spearheading the defense of the city while Tyrannox took to the north to deal with the armored riders. 

Syphoria and her Leviathans take to the skies ensuring no pests will come to intrude on the battle they also started to create several bio platforms for the leviathans to nest and create the plasma artillery platforms. 

Viprax took to the western region the warriors there are strong enough maybe to sate his hunger though he might find something more than he can chew.

Vulterra's War bats took to the skies in the north as a massive hoard of dragon riders were heading to the city to eliminate the survivors of the rebellion. 

Titus took to the southern regions where the Sky raiders passed during their arrival they will aid the survivors and clear a path to the coast as they started to create a forward base for the rest of the clans.

Levia was to aid the pointy-eared humans to the eastern region Kent became worried as Levia is well known to mingle with other species as a form of fun and her clan can produce powerful warriors depending on the DNA they can Extract from any living source.

Despite her lustful and bloodthirsty nature, she is trustworthy enough to handle any mission given to her if asked nicely though the leviathan queen can easily obliterate an entire continent on her own for that is a story for another time.

Though the High Glaives took charge of the battle as they blockaded the southern lands giving the rebellion and the Sky Raiders time to muster their forces. The Knights along with their Archon honored their fallen brothers and sisters as they are buried alongside the fallen near New Hope city. 

In remembrance of their fallen comrade's the weapons, they left behind would act as a temporary tombstone until the Crusaegrum comes to claim the fallen and enact the prayer of the fallen so Faith and her angels will guide the dead to their final resting place called the Realm of Solace. 

Days passed since the battle for New Hope with the New Kingdom was pushed back to the last remaining cities they controlled were taken forcefully by the High Glaive's venerable elites called the Blade Masters.

While Banshee, Astaroth's firstborn daughter and the leader of the Grey Blades rebuilt the city's defenses while her Father focused on the offensive. 

Reports were coming in as more and more High Glaives were coming to Ren'veil as they answered the call of their progenitor and clan masters. Kent on the other hand stayed with his ladies until they recovered as days went by their condition was slowly getting worse as a strange black substance was circulating inside their bodies. 

Lily could only do so much for the two with the limited medical equipment she had if the Storm Raider was completed she could bring them aboard and use its Bio-med tank could identify the substance and extract it. Time was running out as their bodies were slowly dying despite her best efforts she could only ease their pain Kent begged her to save the two for the both of them. 

The doctor contemplated when she remembered the Monsters inside the knight lord's body had unusually high regenerative abilities but they also have a very high chance of turning the entire planet into a giant hulking beast of flesh and bone. 

If they were to transfuse his blood into the patient the Vestroyer and Re-weaver virus could save them or turn them into a monster. Kent held their hands knowing they failed them long ago he turned to his sister with a heavy heart he said "They saved us long ago... Aisha showed us the light... And Yunno gave us hope... We will not lose them again... Any sin that may come next shall be mine to endure... Let none know of this my Sister..."

Lily agreed as she prepared a double transfusion as the black blood was transferred from Kent's body and into them he closed his eyes praying that the monsters would listen to his wish to save them. 

Despite being sentient they began to show signs of improvement at the same time Kent's body began to degrade as the viruses took some of the stored bio-material inside him replacing the blood he lost. 

After several hours Kent lost about 3.5 pints of blood and about 24 kilograms of his total body weight Aisha and Yuuno were out of danger as they started vomiting the dark substance that was originally inside their bodies. 

Though Kent was still fine losing nearly 4 pints of blood despite the monsters inside his blood can easily regenerate the blood lost in a matter of seconds but they still need a bio-matter replacement in order to avoid a Rampage. 

While he was being treated for excessive weight loss Rex and Banshee walked into the Medical bay reporting the situation in the Front lines. 

Banshee took the opportunity to explain the situation the High Glaives fully cut off all routes of escape around Arcadia and set up a blockade within a 700-kilometer radius if they were to use magic to escape the Apex Wraiths and Ragnophages would easily hunt them down.

Rex on the other hand said that the entire Dragon-wolf kingdom is heading to Ren'veil in 3 weeks' time, they had already passed the shattered nebula. Normally it would take the fleet days to travel through the nebula but the New Dawn was already on the move. 

Aside from that, no word came about any advance force coming to Ren'veil or any of the neighboring sectors alarmed by the kingdom's movement. 

He sighed knowing they may be on their own when they left the kingdom's territory at least until New Dawn arrives to reinforce them but they cannot linger any further than they should. The longer they remain stagnant the closer the New Kingdom will launch a counterattack.

Kent called for a meeting with the High Glaives and the captains to discuss their next plan of attack they all knew that they may lose their lives in the process all to save a world that was never their own.

Despite being asked by Kent to stand down and those who are willing to stand with him to follow him tomorrow into battle. One by one the Captains both marine and knight stood together with their lord Rex tapped Kent on the shoulder clarifying.

"With all due respect General, you chose everyone here because no one else believed in us and you will always be the People's hero even if you don't believe it anymore... I think I can say this on everyone's behalf... Were not leaving you, sir!" 

He thanked each and every one of the men that served under him once the battle was over they would go on a round of drinks to celebrate and honor their fallen. leaders snickered knowing their leader was young but he had already earned his battle scars long ago. 

As the sunset on the 8th day, At the coast near New Hope, the knights and their lord faced the warm embrace of the setting sun as they took off their helmets kneeling before it. 

They began reciting the prayer of battle and prayer of battle to honor their kin and those who fought alongside them for protection and guidance from their goddess for the battle tomorrow may be their last. 

With their prayer-filled and hearts steeled they prepared for the battle that will shape both worlds when all of a sudden. The skies above New Hope began to darken as the thundering roar of engines burned the setting skies as tens of hundreds of gunships flew beyond the skies lading all across the city.

Everyone cheered on as the Storm Raider the capital arc ship of the Sky Raiders had came to aid them. With the arrival of the entire, Sky Raider clan came reinforcements, and hope for Ren'veil's liberation came closer to reach.

Only to find a much horrible truth that lies behind the shadowed curtain called the New kingdom.