Ascension of the Nephilim

On the other end of the path Champion Faye approached, riding her vacuum cleaner.

"Sister!" One of the Mage Champions greeted.

"Brother. Sisters. The Steele family are over there." Faye greeted all the Champions driving the magic carpet. Faye's gazed paused at Grugnyr and then to a weak girl.

"An orc and a Dhampir?" She smiled.

"Champion Faye. I'm sure my father-in-law already proved their loyalty." Diana spoke up.

"Indeed he did. And to think you now have Lizardman Champions as allies. So your family can no longer be bullied." Faye chuckled.

"Lizardman Champions?" Diana and Martha asked in confusion.

"And one of them is a beauty?" The male Champion asked.

"Yes. See for yourself." Faye moved ahead.

The carpet followed.

Martha felt it.

"What's this pressure? Puff. Why are you so agitated?"

"You never told me your master is not only a descendant of a Sword God, but he has already awakened a Code!" Puff was amazed.

"It would be that Hyperion that the Fallen Kyriachos spoke off," Martha recalled.

"But how is it possible? There are four of them! That's why our bloodline is quivering so intensely! It's afraid!"

"Four? Could it be? Lord Kyros and then the three surviving members of the Steele Family? Is that what Kyriachos meant?" Martha realized it.

"Can you do anything about this blood? I'm going to marry a Steele family after all."

"It's just reacting. It should die down soon..." Puff answered.

As Martha was trying to calm her heart, Diana also contained her excitement.

The Temple was a holy ground that could assure her rise to becoming a Paladin!

"It seems that marrying that idiot paid off after all." She sighed.

Her melancholy made her remember that boy that she met long ago and the promise of that love.

"Why am I remembering this now? I'm already married to Branze." She sighed.

Soon the group found the opening where the underground river was, and there the members of the Steele family began to wave.

The attention immediately fell on to the two Champion Lizards. Gojirrah stood and released his might, and so did Reptilia.

"Amazing..." The male mage watched in amazement at the beauty of the lizardwoman.

The mages kept the carpets flying and maintained their distance as they were stopped by the display of power that the two lizard champions produced.

Martha took one look at her and turned to find the appearance of Aron, who was looking directly at her.

Martha couldn't help but feel her heart skip. The memory that she had sealed long ago of their first meeting immediately surfaced, and she smiled for a quarter of a second before hiding it.

"Martha. You like Aron, don't you?" Diana smiled as she noticed Martha's expression.

"You saw that smile?" Martha blushed as she turned to the side.

"I've long been suspicious. Whenever I talk about Aron, you have this expression that you try to hide. Have you met before?"

"Yes. I never told Lord Kyros as I thought he was just a dark being using my own desires against me..." Martha still couldn't believe it. Of the many things she believed Kyros, this was one that she didn't believe because it was too good to be true.

"Really? You never told us that, Lady Martha."

"I met Aron four times in my life. Three of which, he didn't know." Martha smiled as she revealed this secret to Diana.

"It's good that you win the cruel war of the heart. I... am not that lucky. Oh well... Where's my stupid husband, anyway?" She laughed and began to search for Branze.

Suddenly, the melodic sounds of a stringed instrument resounded in the chamber.

Aron watched as the Steele family musicians began to play the music they practiced a love back.

Branze was never this nervous before.

Mezal watched at the back. He had heard of this plan and was curious what this presentation was.

Branze finally moved out from a large rock he was hiding behind.

"We were both young when I first saw you... I close my eyes, and the flashbacks starts... I'm standing there..." Branze began.

"On a balcony in summer air..." Branze paused.

At that moment, the memory that Diana was trying to bury deep in her heart suddenly surfaced. She trembled as she looked at Branze. Why was it that he looked so familiar?

Branze continued to sing about a party, and Diana remembered that very party that forced her to go to the balcony to escape the rigid life of a noble.

"I'm a Knight's Shadow, I was throwing pebbles, and your father said, 'Stay away from my Shieldlet.'"

Diana suddenly lost strength. She stumbled down, and Martha hastened to catch her.

Branze continued his song, and tears began to flow from Diana's eyes.

"What's happening?" The male Champion mage asked his sisters.

"SHHHH!" The Champion mages all shushed their brother as they began to cry at how romantic the scene was.

"And you said... Knights shadow take me somewhere we can be alone..." Branze began to talk about the promise that was made that night.

It was a childish promise. But it was a promise of hope and freedom for Diana. It was this hope that kept her living. She was forced to carry out a role and live as a knight, for it was the only path her family knew to survive. But Diana had always wanted a different life. And that fantasy promise was something that she had always dreamed of. And in her dreams, it was always with that boy.

Together they would fight and live in happiness. Together they would elope and be alone and free.

That promise that she made a young Knights's Shadow say was her escape to the reality she had to face. 

"I'll be your Prince, and you'll be my Princess. It's a love story. Diana, please say 'yes.'"

Diana was trembling.

The female Champions were shouting in glee.

"Why can't I find a man like that!?"

"A Shieldlet and a Knights Shadow? It's a taboo love story! Errmagaaahhhd!"

"Isn't that Branze the Sword Wise? Isn't he a convicted murderer and rumored to be a traitor?" The male Champion frowned.

"Are you stupid? How can someone like him be like that?!" One of his sisters clamored.

The short instrumental ended as Branze was now standing in the center of a circular rock formation with roses and flowers of sorts.

"So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew..." Branze continued to sing.

"Master Champion. I think it's time that we lower the magic carpet so that they can get closer." Martha suggested.

"Who are you, to order me-"

"Shut up, brother! Do as she says! My gods! This is so romantic!" The girls chuckled and slowly brought the carpet down.

Diana was still in shock. But slowly, the figure of that boy was overlapping with Branze's figure.

"It was you..." She couldn't help but smile.

"I am a Knight's Shadow, and I didn't matter. And your daddy said, 'Stay away from my Shieldlet,' but you were everything to me. I was begging you, please don't go! And you said..." 

Branze then delivered the melodious chorus to the song. Even Mezal was happily singing the song.

Gojirrah and Reptilia's tails were wagging happily as they were affected by the joyous song.

"Ah... The power of Taylor Swift. I wonder what the author will do next?" Calaminus praised.

It was only then that Calaminus realized Kyros had frozen up and didn't move.

"Champions of the Emberdon clan.." Aron also approached.

"It would be such an honor if you could join us at this wedding. The Bride and Groom will be renewing their vows."

The female champions began to giggle and blush. One Champion was fanning her arm so that her tears wouldn't ruin her makeup. Faye had a rather jealous look as he could see Aron eyeing Martha.

"This would have been a fine, novel idea if we are not facing a lizard army!" The male Champion cursed.

"Oh, shut up, brother! That's why you're single!" The eldest daughter cursed as they made their way to the side as attendees of the wedding.

The instrumental slowly died out.

"You got tired of waiting. Wondering if I was ever coming around. Your faith in me was fading... Cause I never met you on the outskirts of town..." Branze paused, and the music died out.

"Diana. I was that boy you met. And I'm sorry I never had the courage to tell you. Although I believed you did recognize me, my reputation must have buried every connection that your heart could make to that young, foolishly dreaming boy. But I hope that you'd still take me." Branze approached as he began to strum his stringed instrument.

"'Knight's Shadow save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you, but you never come.' Is this in your head? I don't know what your thinking, but I'm on the ground, and I'll pull out this ring and say..." Branze knelt and took out a ring.

"Marry me, Shieldlet. You'll never have to be alone. I love you, and that's all I truly know. I won't make you sad, go pick out a white dress, it's a love story. Diana, just say yes."

The crowd went wild as they saw this, and there was much rejoicing.

But Kyros remained frozen solid. Those performing the song were secretly surprised that Kyros didn't do the parts he practiced. But thankfully, the show went on to be successful as Diana burst into tears.

Kyros had his eyes fixed on one particular girl who was enjoying the song.

"Mechiel...?!"

As Mechiel was laughing and dancing, the Blood Calamity saw Kyros's expression.

"So this is it! That Nephilim is somehow tied to this girl... Then let it be. My war against the Nephilim will be a war of the heart!" The Blood Calamity sneered.