"Look there! That coward finally came out!"
"He must be running away from the people who entered the castle!"
"Hahaha, as the saying goes, when it's time for a person to die, they will run straight toward their death!"
Finding Gabriel outside the castle, the enemies who were here to kill him were elated, especially the members of Knight Academy who didn't want the war with the Royal Army to stretch for any longer. The longer this war continued, the more losses they were going to have.
It was clear as day to them that the war was going to end as soon as they managed to kill Gabriel. As long as Gabriel was alive, his orders were valid and the loyal soldiers were willing to fight even their own people for him. However as long as Gabriel died, things were going to be much smoother.
The Knight Academy didn't believe that the Royal Knights were going to continue fighting for a dead man!
"We will hold the Knights back! Kill the Demon!" The Dean of the Knight Academy exclaimed at the top of his lungs.
The archers in the distance who were hiding for this exact moment licked their lips in excitement. Finally it was time for them to shine. Their arrows couldn't pierce the Knights since it was a close battle.
The archers didn't want to accidentally hurt their own side by shooting into the crowd. However, Gabriel was standing in the distance, much closer to the castle which was the perfect distance for them to safely kill them.
While Gabriel's arrival made the enemies elated, the Saint Knight was absolutely shocked. He couldn't believe that Gabriel was out in the open at a time like this.
He was already informed that Gabriel was strong enough to hold back a few Head Priests. As long as Gabriel was inside the castle, he didn't think the people who snuck inside the castle could threaten him. Unfortunately, outside there were too many variables.
"Your Majesty, get back inside the castle!" he exclaimed, still engaging in the battle with the Knight Academy Dean. He wanted to pull back to help Gabriel but there was just no opportunity!
"Get inside?" Gabriel muttered, hearing clearly. "Won't that be a pity after such a nice stage has been prepared for me?"
He didn't want to take the step. This step was too extreme after all. If anything, he wanted to avoid bloodshed as much as possible. That was his goal at the start. Unfortunately, the people here didn't give him that opportunity.
"If I can't rule with love, I'll rule with fear. As long as I protect his Empire, I don't care!"
Gabriel took his first step toward the bloody battlefield, only to face over hundred arrows that were shot in his direction. The arrows covered every route of escape, making sure he was going to be hit, even if he managed to escape.
Gabriel raised the Sword of Ulien, pointing it toward the arrows. "Since you haven't seen this Sword in over a century, let me refresh your memory!"
Gabriel's feet moved making him appear as if he was in perfect sync with the flow of the wind. Strangely enough, his graceful movement created quite a contrast with the bloody reflection that the sword was leaving behind with each movement.
Slash~
A bloody arc of light left the Sword, flying straight toward the shower arrows.
The bloody arc hit all the arrows. Not only were the arrows stopped, but they disintegrated under the attack.
"Royal Knights! Heed my command! Move back!" Gabriel roared, commanding all his soldiers.
The battlefield was chaotic. It was hard to differentiate friend from foe when he used such large scale attacks. He wanted to have free reign as he decided to fight all the enemies alone!
The Royal Knights were stunned. Their new Emperor was calling them to retreat? None of them understood what he was planning. Did he not remember that these people were here to kill him and not them?!
Even the Saint Knight was surprised. Despite his confusion, he still listened to Gabriel's words.
"Everyone, retreat!" He also issued the same command as Gabriel.
All the Royal Knights didn't delay a single second as they all moved back, getting out of the battles that they were desperately engaged in.
Even the Saint Knight jumped back, creating distance from the Knight Academy Dean.
The Knight Academy was as confused as the Royal Knights. However, they didn't attack the Royal Knights when they were retreating, thinking that this meant Gabriel had decided to surrender.
The Saint Knight stepped back, standing behind Gabriel. The other Royal Knights also moved back.
Duke Callum also walked back under Gabriel's careful gaze. Unlike the Saint Knight, the Duke appeared to be more wounded. Then again, he understood why that was.
Callum was a mage and not a close range warrior. If he was allowed to use his magic, he could've killed at least half this army on his own. However since he was not allowed to use his Dark Element, Callum held back, only using physical boost and his Sword to fight!
Despite being forced to hold back, he didn't complain even once since he understood just why Gabriel told him to ignore his spells. Even he could sense that this city was under observation. He just didn't understand who it was that was observing them.
"Are you going to use your real strength?" he asked, standing behind Gabriel, wondering if Gabriel was finally going to use his spells.
"They aren't worthy for me to use it," Gabriel calmly answered. His voice was filled with confidence as well as anger.
"Emperor Gabriel, it is said that when a person stands before their death, they become wiser! It is good that you've decided to surrender! That would make things easier!" The Knight Academy Dean laughed. There was a clear hint of ridicule in his eyes.
"Don't worry. We will make sure that you have a fair trial! You won't be killed right away at least! And who knows, you must be lucky enough to get only life imprisonment despite committing so many sins!" He further stated, straightening his back. For him, the war was already over.
"A person stands before their death, they become wiser?" Gabriel asked, slightly intrigued by the saying. "How come you're still so stupid then? That saying doesn't seem to hold on much."
"You!" The Dean of the Knight Academy was stunned. This guy was still daring to insult him. "It looks like you really don't cherish your life! There's no need for that trial anymore! Today I shall cleanse this Empire with your blood!"
