Chapter 52- Charles Veritas

Chapter 52

 

Charles Veritas

 

           

            Charles cut a man in half with one swing of his b*****d sword. It was a sword forged for his size with as fearsome a strength. The hilt was made of silver with an onyx carved to resemble the moon at the bottom. The blade was made of shimmering titanium with a streak of crystallite down the middle producing a blue luminosity. Charles had had it personally forged for him after his promotion to Judicium’s Moon. A man of high position should have a weapon to match it. And it did not disappoint. The sword was light but strong and sharp enough to cut through any man effortlessly in the right hands.

            Judicium had managed to break its way through every entrance, steadily pushing onward while the convicts scattered throughout the palace. Their fight was admirable, but it was a losing battle. The fact they even put up a fight though was admirable. The numbers of the Azure Kingdom were far from an exaggeration. Had Charles’s atheist Mentors not helped cleanse Kramer’s Black Coats, the scale of this battle could’ve tipped a very different way.

            Charles was almost done clearing yet another entire floor. Across from him were the remnants of the brave that hadn’t fled to the other floors. Three idiots found the courage to charge at Charles directly. Charles beheaded the first one with a simple swing, grabbing another one with his hand and flinging him directly at the third. Before either could get up, Charles hovered over them and plunged his sword through both of them. Another fool charged at him and Charles split him open from skull to chest.

            “Is this all Caelum Infinitum has to offer?” taunted Charles. “Judicium, charge to the next floor!”

            There were eight different stair locations from which to ascend the next floor. Charles sent a third of his force up the main stairs while he and the rest divided themselves amongst the other stairs. He waited a couple minutes after hearing the fighting commence before ascending. He’d hope it’d make his entry a lot smoother but as soon as he stepped up the stairs, countless True Believers were waiting ready to fight.

            A couple froze at the fearsome sight that was Charles, though there were a couple fools as usual. Charles cut through them as effortlessly as he had the others while the rest of his force finished the ones that tried to beg for their lives. From one of the rooms, the unexpected cheering of True Believers could be heard.

            “Men, turn their cheers into cries!” ordered Charles.

            “All hail Judicium!” shouted his men.

            The Black Coats started singing the Judicium Anthem as they advanced to purge the cheers of their enemies. Charles and his men walked confidently towards the room of celebration until shots started being fired relentlessly. Charles docked behind a table and fired back along with the rest of his men. The firefight continued for a bit until essentially everyone on both sides was probably out of ammo.

            “Charge!”

            True Believers came pouring out by the numbers. Much more than the handful Charles had with him. Regardless, Charles’s men charged back confidently. Charles ordered three of the Black Coats next to him to bring reinforcements. Soon as they departed, Judicium’s Moon stood up to hold the ground with the rest of his men. Unlike the last batch, this group of enemies seemed motivated by the sight of Judicium’s Moon. So they think they can end this battle.

            Charles cut the first two enemies that reached him with one swing each. The third was mid-swing when Charles grabbed his wrist, lifted him, and cut him open. As the others came, Charles used the corpse as a meat shield, blocking and swinging it around to throw enemies off balance. It served him well until he started to get overwhelmed, receiving minor wounds here and there forcing him to retreat.

As Charles stepped back, the Black Coats created a shield to hold the enemy back. Charles reached into his frock coat and fiddled with the three Diamond Dusts hidden beneath. It’s still too early. Charles continued steadily moving back, contemplating using his secret weapon, while his men held off the True Believers as best they could.

BANG!

Charles felt the bullet hit his chest and fell back on one knee. If not for the new protective vest he was equipped with, that might’ve easily been the shot that put an end to Judicium’s Moon. Charles gasped for air and stood back up and saw many faces cower at the sight of his seemingly indestructible body. Yes, be afraid. Charles reached into his pocket ready to blow both ally and enemy alike and at that very moment, from behind them, Black Coats and Shadows came raining down on the True Believers. Charles placed the bomb back beneath his frock coat and in mere seconds, the room was cleansed of all the filth.

            A distraught Black Coat came running to him. “Dark Charles, I have terrible news…”

 

***

 

            Charles looked at Kramer’s corpse beside Gottfried, indifferently.

            The torturer leaned over to Charles and whispered. “The True Believers didn’t look like they were going to get the job done so…”

            Charles nodded. “How it happened is irrelevant. It happened and that’s all that matters.”

            “So, no turning back now. We’re really going through with this.”

            “Was there ever a question? We are Judicium. If this is the price for everlasting peace and order, it is our duty to do what must be done.”

            Gottfried grinned. “All hail Judicium. Sort of…”

            Charles looked to the stairs. “I think it’s time I went to meet with the Azure Prince.”

            “Their numbers have been startling. I can only imagine how many are guarding his throne room. Am I coming with you?”

            “No…I still want you to look for my wife. If Liana Evermore is in this palace, I want her unharmed. I want to look her in the eyes before I slit her throat.”

            Gottfried saluted. “Understood, Dark Charles.”

Oddly, there was little resistance in the coming floors but as he reached higher and higher, the defenses got thicker and thicker. Even so, he managed to advance with relatively low casualties until he reached the first impenetrable wall of men. As soon as they stepped in, Judicians were shot down by the numbers. It didn’t take Charles much contemplating to throw the first of the three Diamond Dusts, annihilating the wall of True Believers.

Charles had underestimated the power of the bomb and found a good portion of his men affected by the mist’s side effects, himself included. Nothing was going to slow the Moon down from his purpose though. There was too much at stake.

            Upon reaching the top floor, they came face to face with another wall of enemies. This time, Charles already had the bomb in hand, launching it directly at them before they could even initiate their assault, taking caution of his distance. Much like the time before, the True Believers were blown away to bits.

Upon the mist clearing, an unexpected large charge of True Believers came running at them. The enemy learned from their previous mistake and kept the fight at a close distance, to avoid any more bombs. Charles didn’t mind this, given he had other plans for his last and final Diamond Dust.

            Charles steadily cut his path through the True Believers, inching closer and closer to the throne room. In the distance, Charles could see the Azure Prince looking down upon the chaos, calmly. Charles had to admire the man’s devotion to his cause. A wiser man would’ve ran as soon Charles warned them of the attack. Though whether all the Archangels were to die in one place or in their own domain made no difference to Judicium’s Moon. Tonight, one way or another, he would put an end to this tedious war.

            Amidst the crowd, Charles noticed a behemoth other than himself, cutting down Judicians effortlessly with his own b*****d sword. It didn’t take a genius to deduce that this monster of a man was none other than the Azure Prince’s bodyguard, Diaxos Allard.

            Charles approached Diaxos, fearlessly. Diaxos caught sight of Charles and smiled. “Finally, someone big enough for me to not feel bad about cutting them in half.”

Charles didn’t bother humoring him with a reply and instead answered him with his sword. As the two blades collided, it sang a loud ring through the air that sent vibrations down Charles’s arms. Charles had underestimated the power of the bodyguard and quickly found himself in the defensive, stepping back every time the two swords clashed.

            “What’s the matter, Charles? Finally getting old?”

            As much as Charles hated to admit, he simply wasn’t what he used to be in his prime. This battle was a clear reflection of that. But fear for his death he did not. Glancing around the room, he could see that the numbers of the True Believers dwindling. Charles allowed himself to appear open to lure Diaxos into striking with conviction. Diaxos acted as predicted and Charles blocked the fearsome strike. At that very instance, Charles ordered, “Judicium!”

            Not three seconds after, Diaxos found three different points of swords through his body. Charles threw Diaxos’s sword to the side and stood up to look at the dying man in the eyes.

            “Coward…” mumbled Diaxos.

            “This is war…” Charles cynically explained before decapitating him.

As Diaxos’s head hit the floor, Charles looked up at the Azure Prince and raised his hand to command his men to seize. “It’s over. You’ve lost this battle, Alistair.”

            Alistair burst into a slow and heavy laugh. “You may have won this battle, but you’ve lost this war, Charles Veritas. You and your pretentious Fuhrer will burn before all this is done.”

            “Believe what you will. I intend to end this war tonight.” Charles started walking up the steps to the throne. As Charles came face to face with the slob he asked, “Any last words? Any regrets for following my shameless wife into this madness?”

            “You give that w***e you call a wife too much credit. As if she could influence a man such as me.”

            “You used to work for Elena Evermore. It’s the only common link you and my wife could’ve ever had. Liana, she was always a pious woman, but you…you’re a criminal. Everything you do goes against the teachings you claim to worship so selflessly.”

            “You don’t know me. I serve the Church because my eyes have been opened.”

            “You serve the Church because they give you power.”

            Alistair burst into another slow and monstrous laughter. “If power is what I wanted, then why am I so content with my imminent death. Why didn’t I run? Answer that, Charles f*****g Veritas.”

            Charles had no answer.

            “Let me help you understand,” said Alistair. “You used to believe in God once, Charles. What if instead of losing faith, you had seen the one thing to put all your doubts to rest?”

            “If there is to be peace in this world, there can only be room for one ruler. Me and God were never meant to stand side by side.”

            “I can respect that. In a certain light, you and me are not so different.”

            “Don’t flatter yourself.”

            “Well let us put this pointless chatter to rest.” Alistair opened his arms, welcoming him. “Get on with it! I’m anxious to watch your demise from the heavens.”

            Charles raised his sword, the moon at the bottom of its hilt staring directly into the Archangel’s eyes. “All hail Judicium…”

Charles parted the Azure Prince’s head down the middle all the way down to his chest. The Archangel never flinched. I wonder…will the Son of God be as brave when I cut him down the same.

A familiar voice shouted from behind. “What do they start to call us once we start killing Archangels?” The sound of his voice brought both relief and dormant fury. As Charles turned to look at his son, his heart dropped in light of a different man.

Charles looked at the luscious hair hanging from Caius’s hand dripping with blood and knew instantaneously who it was. With a swing of his arm, the young Mentor threw it to Charles’s feet. Charles kneeled to pick it up firmly and lifted it. As he looked into his wife’s eyes one last time, he felt yet another piece of him die inside. Despite all that Liana had done, she was still his wife, and someone he loved once upon a time.

Someone he called family.

            Charles dropped the head on the floor and looked at Caius standing across from him. This was not the hollow puppet he took from the Youth. Or the talented and obedient Shadow that uncovered and killed the Mother of Cryst. Nor was it the naïve man who couldn’t pull the trigger at the Cruorian shelter.

            Charles smiled bitterly inside as he gazed at the product of all his failures. “Welcome back…” Charles tipped Liana’s head off the stairs leading to the throne, showing as little sentiment as possible. “Do you feel better now?”

            

Author's Note

How do you feel about Charles's scheme to make sure Kramer died? How do you feel about Caius bringing Liana's head to Charles? And as usual, feel free to mention any other comments or predictions. :)

Next chapter is Dumas Erequix.

Reviews

[Dark Rider]

My first react to the first sentence was: "Like a Boss!" XD Oh dear, I enjoyed this chapter way more than I should have. I missed Charles. Although, I thought it was Venir speaking when you mentioned he heard his son speaking. XD I don't know why. And I think Charles isn't really happy that he lost the chance to kill his wife to Caius. I'm really looking forward to when Charles and Venir/Malus actually do meet. That should be interesting. Loved this chapter, and can't wait for the next one. :)

[Cynical_Art]

lol well I don't blame you since Caius is rarely referenced as his son verbally compared to Venir/Malus who is publicly acknowledged as such. And as usual, look forward to epic reunions :) I always try to deliver. Anyways, I'll be wrapping up the Fall of the Azure Kingdom soon and we'll be moving on to the events inside Yggdrasil. There won't be any slowing down though, this is the climax of this book. Which by the way I've decided I'm going to make into two books rather than one with three parts because it'd simply be too long for what I have planned in part 3. XD Anyways, I should have the next chapter up soon rather than later.

[Dark Rider]

Yes!!!!! Another book!!!! I'm happy now. XD Although, I'm still kind of sad that this one will be ending soon. Either way, I love this whole story, and I can't wait for more. :)