The Chaos Griffin’s dead body fell to the ground, smoke still rising from the hole left in it by Bara’s sudden attack, the young woman’s breathing that had just normalized after the end of Tiar’s surgery now having become ragged again. Only this time Tiar didn’t know how to comfort her, being at a loss for words due to the bafflement he was still reeling from.

Never before had something like this happened to him. None whom he had shared his soul with as a Distroya had experienced any changes other than their wounds healing or their powers temporarily increasing. But all of those already had devas before that. For someone to suddenly develop a deva and especially a mortal developing an Order-charged deva was unheard of.

Among the questions troubling him the foremost position was actually taken by one that came out of curiosity rather than concern: had Bara gained those abilities because Tiar could share his deva with others through a soul bond in his Viktar form, or because she was extremely compatible with him and had a hidden power in her? Ever since meeting her, the Order champion certainly hadn’t noticed anything special about her, but perhaps his instincts were not as keen in his current state as he had thought.

Whatever the case, the pink-skinned beauty was now bound to him whether she or Tiar liked it or not and after their recent clash with members of the forces of Chaos, neither of them could stay in this city a moment longer. Trying to have as sympathetic a look as possible, the Griffin Slayer went over to his new acquaintance and pulled her up with one hand. She didn’t seem to notice he was by her side at all, her eyes being fixed on the griffin’s corpse – probably the first life she had ever taken.

The former Distroya had known violence since a very early age and thus his first kill had come quite naturally to him when he had been only 8 years old. By then he had become strong and aggressive enough to give a lethal response to anything that annoyed him even a bit. In the case of his first kill, one of the lesser creatures training with him under the old griffin general Rankard’s roof had thrown a mud ball at him. He had done so with the intention to start a game of Mud Wars – the most common children’s game in the region Tiar hailed from.

Despite his age, there weren’t many childish qualities left in the boy by then, the future ruler of Yut hardly even seeing himself as a child anymore. The mud ball thus felt as a nuisance, an insult even, rather than an invitation to play. Seconds after he had been hit by the ball, he had got up from his chair, smashing an uppercut in the creature’s face that crushed it in the ground. Tiar had then proceeded to use one of the two vertical straight horns sticking out of his left wrist in opposite directions to pierce the offender in the eyes and blind him. Having deprived him of his sight, he had kept on stabbing with the horn until the number of holes on his victim’s face had become too great to count and no hope of identifying the corpse had been left.

In fact, that first kill had meant so little to him that the current Order champion didn’t even remember the race the creature he had murdered belonged to. He mainly remembered that kill because of the fear it had instilled in his peers and the respect it had gained for him among his superiors. That had perhaps been his first step toward conquering all of Yut, setting him on the path of destruction.

What path would Bara take after her first kill was something only she could know, but for the time being at least, she was stuck with the one who had simultaneously saved and perhaps doomed her. A man who still questioned if he served Order or Chaos. Or anything at all, for that matter. A monster of the cosmos.

‘-Bara, we have to go. Right now! I don’t know the exact reason for what just happened, either, but if we want any answers, we’ll have to be alive to get them and that won’t happen by staying here!’

He dragged her along his side as he headed for the magic crystal shop to get the crystals he would need to leave Almeya, feeling enough resistance from her before reaching the shop’s broken door to make him stop and look at the mortal again.

‘-Where … are you planning on going?’

That was definitely not the first question he had been expecting, now being worried about the female almeya’s state of mind after the act she had committed. And yet he was also relieved he wouldn’t have to waste time comforting her as he had none to spare at the moment.

‘-To the prison planet of Urdea. There are many strong champions of Order there and I plan to release them and start a campaign to free all of Yut from the yoke of Chaos. But first I have to get you somewhere far from here so the griffins or any of their allies won’t be able to find you. Perhaps to the southern hemisphere of this world. As far as I know, the control of the Chaos forces there is more lax compared to the north, so there should be a safe place for you there. If you have any ideas for a location in particular, please tell me.’

Bara didn’t say a word for at least a minute, seeming to be in deep thought. Tiar felt anxious once again during that time of silence as he couldn’t possibly predict what was going to come out of her mouth next. And indeed he was very shocked when she spoke again.

‘-W-what I want right now … is not being safe. Not at all. (she looked at the corpses of her people spread around and then at the corpse she had made out of the Chaos Griffin, at which point the Viktar saw the shadow of anger falling over her face for the first time) What they’ve done here … what they’ve been doing across all of Yut … I want to make it stop. I want to see them all … lying dead in the dirt … just like this one over here. (Bara now turned her gaze toward her still shaking hands, the shaking stopping suddenly as she clenched both of those hands into fists, gritting her teeth while her wrath turned to hatred) I don’t know how … but I can hurt them now. I can kill them. I can take vengeance for everything I and my people have suffered through. (the young almeya’s eyes met those of her savior, the fire of a destructively powerful determination burning in them) So wherever you go, I’m coming with you. That way I will also be able to repay my debt to you.’

‘-Bara, you can’t just …’

She freed herself from his grip, further surprising the Order champion with her strength, the might of her body seeming to fully match the might of her will now. It was almost disturbing how much the pink-haired beauty had changed for the short time since meeting Tiar. And this also made him wonder if he was going to have an effect like that on everyone he met from here on.

‘-You’re going to destroy all the forces of Chaos, right? If that’s so, you’re going to need all the help you can get and who better to help you than someone who has the same power as you?! Am I not also a servant of Order now? Is it not my duty to fight for the return of Order to Yut?’

‘-You don’t have to be a servant of Order, Bara! What happened to you was an accident! You have a choice and making a choice like the one you just said will impact your life in ways you cannot possibly imagine!!’ 

‘-My life has always been unbearable, today even more so, so I would gladly change it! And the almeyas are going to be drawn to the war you’re going to wage anyway!! If I’m going to fight, I might as well start doing it now!! (she stopped for a moment to slow her breathing down, all the emotions she was experiencing at once making it difficult for her to say more than a few sentences) No, actually. I have already started my battle. What will follow became inevitable from the moment I killed that griffin.’

Tiar sighed, only now starting to fully understand what he had done to this poor girl. He had indeed doomed her to a life that was likely going to mirror his own to a certain extent. A life of violence, murder and ruin. A life that most likely was not going to end well as it happened all too often with those fighting in wars.

That hold the power of Order had over him suddenly interrupted the torture his guilt was putting him through, making him feel excitement instead – something he hated himself and the Great Power he now served for. But then again, of course Bara’s savior would be happy. He had gained his first true ally in the coming war.

More than that, he had permanently bound another soul in servitude to Order. And in the present it seemed every one of his actions, even the subconscious ones, were being done to realize Order’s will. Considering how susceptible he was to its influence as a higher being, Tiar could only speculate as to how much of a puppet the young woman next to him would become eventually. All because of his attempt to save a life.

This made him think that perhaps he was still a Distroya deep down and as such in perspective all he could do to the ones near him was bring ruin in their lives. Whatever became of the pink-haired beauty was just one more of the burdens he would have to bear on his path of suffering and as with all the pain up until that point, he was going to silently accept it as a part of his well-deserved fate of damnation. The upside of this whole turn of events was that at least now with the conflict growing closer and closer he would be able to direct his attention toward something else than his troubled mind.

‘-There will be no going back for you if you choose to follow me now. I will do my best to protect you, but as I already said, I’m going to war. A war with a whole dimension. Both of us can die at any moment in a conflict of such size.’

As he expected, her determination didn’t seem to waver one bit after hearing his words. Perhaps Order was already taking hold of her, brainwashing her into thinking that her life could serve no other purpose but eradicating the forces of Chaos.

‘-I’ve been in danger of dying my whole life. Today, however … for the first time I killed someone. Someone died by my hand. The scales are now balanced for me. I can both kill and be killed. I would gladly accept that over the one-sided powerlessness I felt up until now. (she now took his hand) And with your help I am certain I can become even more powerful. Please. Take me with you. Teach me. Guide me on the path to Order. Whatever happens, I won’t fail you.’

Teaching her was not going to be easy for Tiar as he still knew very little about his current abilities and how to use them properly, but at least he was more knowledgeable about Order-using fighters than most. Any guidance he could provide would be useful for the girl whose life had been turned upside down.

Also, if it was indeed his fate to perish in the coming war, perhaps he could prepare Bara to lead after him. She definitely had the deva potential and will power needed for such a position. And unlike him, she had always been a child of Order, her bond with that Great Power simply having been strengthened now.

‘-Very well. We will stay together for the time being and I will pass whatever knowledge I can to you. Just keep in mind that none of the places we’ll be going to will be safe.’

‘-Oh, right. About that …’

‘-I’ve been to Urdea before, so I know it’s not pleasant. Prison planets never are. The allies we need are there, however, so we must go.’

‘-I don’t have a problem with the place, only with our numbers. Do you plan to infiltrate that prison and free all its prisoners with just the two of us? Is such a thing possible?’

‘-I never said it’s going to be easy, but yes, it can be done.’

‘-I was going to suggest to first look for help here, on Almeya. The south is not under such strict control by the forces of Chaos as you mentioned so perhaps we can start there. You’re a champion of Order. If you inspire my people, I know they will follow you. Then we can move to Urdea with a sizeable force so we can stand a better chance at freeing the prisoners. (both the Griffin Slayer and his junior were shocked by the time she had finished saying that, but it became evident the reason for their shock was different when Bara’s look became one of embarrassment and Tiar’s – one of admiration) I am so sorry! I know it’s not my place to question your plan, my lord!! I completely …’

He leaned and put a hand on her shoulder, his smile seeming to relax her a bit. Perhaps as much as the Viktar was going to guide this mortal, she was going to guide him as well. Having spent so long as a ruler of Yut, Tiar had not paid attention to the common people’s lives in a while and it was them he would need to inspire. In that regard, Bara could be extremely useful.

‘-Do not worry, Bara. I was just surprised you managed to come up with that so quickly. I will trust your instincts on the matter. Let us go south first. The almeyas need to be given hope as soon as possible and that is what we will bring them.’