RD 4 Ch 59

"So." Circe stood next to me. “You're certain I can't defeat the trials?"

I turned to her slightly, trying to get a read on the real question. I now understood she had a significant desire to keep up with me, and everything I was doing was making that harder and harder. If I passed the Trial of Kings, it would be nearly impossible for her to catch up.

There were a few others in my past life who had managed to come up to be the same level as the Kings, at least when they were alive. But they were few and far between, often having fantastic bloodline and class pairings, similar to Nyx. One of the reasons I was so determined to keep Nyx progressing was knowing that kind of pairing would often give rise to incredible power one day.

I worked to keep any of my thoughts from my face as Circe waited for my answer.

"Perhaps I'm just a touch greedy, and I don't want to lose you. I think knowing you a little better, there's definitely a chance you could succeed. But again, I don't want to risk anyone," I answered.

She glanced down the hall where our forces were squaring up and beginning to push through the stone soldiers. Our people were concentrated to only a third of the hall, pushing through like a spearhead, fanning out to protect those who pushed farther up from nearby statues that were coming to life. The hardest part was pulling our forces in at the rear without them getting too bogged down by the statues respawning behind them.

"Really?" Circe said, a light kindling in her eyes.

"Yes, really.” I turned to the broader group. Nearby were Simone, Circe, Merlin, Gloria, and Nyx, as well as General Cao, Rogers, and Winnie. And Princess Almeria was with us as well. She held herself with a sort of regal poise but cautious, as if she was expecting a dagger in the back.

“Many of you have the potential to pass, but it is far from any guarantee. Many who try will die,” I told her honestly.

“And what would that do to humanity?” Simone asked, turning away from watching the Mul Branova to join our conversation.

"It's the kind of power that we'll need, if not today then eventually. Are you going to push through here?" Nyx asked. Apparently, everyone was just going to listen in on the conversation.

"No. First off, my bloodline is still incomplete.” It was currently demoted to an SSS Golden Titan. It had been downgraded to SSS when I made the tournament's prize, and I was still hoping to restore it. The ball of bloodlines I had been generating for that had been used to upgrade many of the Mul Branova who had defended the fortress. In the end, upgrading their bloodlines and consuming them may have actually been better for me.

I would need to restore it if I were to ever work on my Primordial Titan physique. It was locked, and I assumed that meant it would not rank up any further until I restored that particular bloodline. Perhaps then I would feel more comfortable entering the Trial of Kings, especially if I could get my resistances higher. You could never have too much resistance.

"It is a shame you don't feel comfortable taking up a mantle," Princess Almeria said, where once again it was clear that everyone was listening to the conversation.

"I am not in my best condition, and I have been using my resources to improve my troops over myself. So don't worry, you won't be the only ruler for long," I promised.

She smirked. "The world doesn't need many. You shouldn't wait too long."

I chuckled. "After you're done, I'm sure it'll have room for at least a few more."

The forces continued to push forward. The lines of stone soldiers had made it to the bronze. At this point, the formation became even more tightly packed. Everyone was crushing together as they tried to hold off the sudden tidal surge of metallic soldiers pressing in on all sides.

Several people in my group cast a glance my way. When I didn't so much as react, they breathed more easily and simply waited. And the wait wasn't long.

All of the forces had a sudden excitement under the pressure of the bronze soldiers. The push forward had a hunger and urgency to it that could not be ignored.

We began moving forward at a clipped, hurried pace, almost frantic. The soldiers shoved the metallic ones aside, sometimes not even finishing them before passing through more quickly. They had begun understanding this trial was not focused on killing statues; it was simply about getting past the statues.

The Mul Branova focused on healing and protecting those on the exterior of the formation.

Others began to pick up on the strategies. Statues that were staggered by the man in front of them were shoved aside even harder by the man behind him. As one and all, the army began to move even more like a spearhead, and this time, they were close to a spear actually penetrating flesh.

"We're picking up," the princess said, sounding surprised and hopeful.

"Now that they realize it's not about destroying the statues,” Simone said, trying to look at me, "Right?"

"Yep." I shrugged. "At least they figured out the trick."

Circe glanced at me. "If you knew it, why didn't you tell us?"

"Either way, it's good training," I replied casually.

"Will we participate at all?" Circe asked, her eyes fixed on the fight ahead.

"Pay more attention to the fight than our conversation. When we get to the gold, we'll throw ourselves at the tip of the spear for one final push," I answered before glancing at the princess standing beside me. "I assume you have some idea what you're facing." I waited.

She shook her head back and forth rapidly, and I let out a heavy sigh.

"The Trial of Kings," I began. "You're going to lose some of your memory, or it's going to get foggy. But essentially, inside there, you're going to be tested to see if you deserve the power. I can't speak to what exactly you're going to face. It seems to be different for every person. But it'll be yours to deal with. You can't prepare much besides perhaps being raised like one day you're going to have to be a queen."

When I said those words, a smirk slid across her lips. And I had guessed that those words would help settle her for what was to come. For her to have known this location, somebody had mentored her to some extent.

Perhaps her ancestors knew far more than the Heros Clan.

I was deeply curious about where a dragonling came from underneath the sea, but if I had to guess, they had their own equivalent of the five beasts that founded the five clans. So perhaps theirs was a real dragon, unlike the fake in the Heros Clan.

By the way she held herself, I had known instantly that someone had prepared her from birth, likely instilling all the qualities that would likely be tested. I wasn't saying that she would certainly survive, but it seemed like she had good odds.

"Since our whole forces don't need to reach the door, only you do, we’ll make the final push on our own, get you to the door, and then immediately retreat. I don't want our people to get caught up in the middle of the never-ending army," I told her.

The princess's eyes shone with understanding. "Of course. That is a wise approach," she said, dipping her head. "Thank you for your wisdom."

I grunted noncommittally and gestured for everyone to focus forward because we were already beginning to push into the silver statues, and our time to move would happen soon. I drew my sword, leaning forward as our forces began to push into the silver soldiers.

After a few more moments, I started walking, slowly but assuredly, towards the looming doors that would be the next stage of the trial ahead of us.

I passed by soldiers from all of our factions, fighting hard, gritting their teeth, and pushing themselves to their utmost.

Meanwhile, my group followed closely behind me, moving our way up the formation as it stabbed through the silver statues.

I reached the tip of our army just in time for it to brush against the golden statues. I held my fist high, calling out with a boom, "Hold!"

Everyone planted their feet and fought the silver soldiers. Thankfully, we outnumbered them by keeping our formation so tight.

I drew a Bloodiron Blade and charged straight into the golden statues, the first group of them coming to life and jumping to block my way. I didn't pay them any mind, letting my Blood Boil ability swell my muscles as I simply shoved through them.

Even for me, the golden soldiers weren't easy to dispatch. If this required actually eliminating each and every one of them, I would struggle before too long under the never-ending tide.

But that was not the goal of this trial. Just as I had instructed my soldiers to do, I shoved the golden statues out of the way, using abilities and brute strength to send them flying so I could move through to the next group.

Circe and Merlin were just behind me, using their wind and ice to try to part the crowd. But even then, the golden statues were heavy enough to hunker down and weather their attacks, stalling instead of flying.

"Now!" I turned to the princess.

She nodded and charged through, unsheathing a sword and roaring more like a general trying to rally her troops. It was very performative, but perhaps that was how she'd been taught. She charged up behind me as I made a thin and hopefully very quick line to the door.

Several others followed me, creating the space. But a few stepped further forward than expected.

I looked back, my attention snapping to one specifically.

Winnie was there, and her eyes were locked on the door ahead. She threw herself into the fight with a reckless abandon that I had seen many times before.

I shouted at Winnie. “Get back!”

But she shook her head. “I've made it this far. I'm not turning back," she told me.

Only then did the others realize we had a Winnie-sized problem on our hands. If we continued supporting the princess in getting to the doors, we would lose Winnie.

"Princess, you're on your own for the rest of the way. We have to turn back." I went to snatch Winnie and stop her from throwing her life away.

Only for the woman to remind me of her speed. She blurred to the side to avoid my grasp, her weapon flashing out. She managed to scratch my arm. "You said this is the kind of power we need to kill the Demon Lord? Well, then I'm going to get it myself!" Winne screamed, clearly losing her ability to form rational thought.

I spat a curse under my breath. "You're going to get yourself killed. Get back.” My voice became a growl.

Yet once again, Winnie slipped away to make her way towards the door.

I was done playing. I threw up a Crimson Barrier to push her off course, but she evaded it once more.

Then she activated an ability that split her into nine forms, all of which attacked me at once.

I used Soul Gaze to try and pierce the illusions, only to realize they weren't an illusion. These were true clones. I swung my sword, slicing through many of them, only to have several scythes stab into me from various angles, each of them like their own little hook to keep me in place.

Winnie was messing in areas she did not understand, and she could mess it all up. "You have been kind, Lord Bran"—she nodded her head in acknowledgment—"but the world has not been kind to me. I would rather take a chance and die than live another day in the same world as him."

The princess paused, assessing the situation before her advisors began shouting at her to go. They waved her on.

I nodded the same.

This was our problem, not hers.

One of the Winnies made a break for it and dove toward the Trial of Kings.

I gritted my teeth, preparing for the pain that was about to come. I pushed forward, allowing the scythes that the clones had been using like hooks to rip themselves out of me as I threw myself to stop her from reaching the doors.

She was far too important for me to let her throw herself away.

I explosively shot forward putting all my strength into a single leap, grabbing her just before the gate. "I will find you another solution," I promised, though anger still seeped through my voice.

She struggled against my grasp, but when it came to strength, I had her outmatched by a fair margin. And given how slippery she had been to grab in the first place, I was not letting up at all.

Some of the others turned back like the job was done, and I could see just how raw Winnie’s desperation was to get her hands on any tool she could to kill the Demon Lord.

When I saw a flash of regret in her eyes, I thought for a moment it was the regret of giving up.

But she proved me wrong yet again, hurling a bright red ball behind me. It exploded in a fiery cascade that scorched my back, piercing through my fire resistance. It sent me hurtling forward as a sickening feeling gripped my gut. Her move had not been to immobilize me or move me out of the way. That move had been to propel us forward.

And forward was only one thing: the trial.