Sin of Greed

CHAPTER 4

With their unparalleled skills the guardian deities kill the goblins before they could even react. The villagers and all the people who witness the tale couldn’t believe what they are seeing.

The goblins that they have been trying so hard to defeat is one by one dying in the hands of the Guardian deities and Mago’s eyes glistened with veneration.

“So, these are the Guardian Deities.” Mago whispered to himself, he didn’t even bat an eye when he watched them.

His mouth is in shape of pure sublime.

He watched closely every move they do; from how Delta easily swings his huge mallet and produces earthquakes that creates sink holes and landslides.

“Come on! don’t run away from me,” Delta whined like a kid in tantrum but it immediately changes into a sickening grin “because I’ll burry you all… alive.”

With the murderous glint in his eyes that makes goblins quiver in pure terror. Before they could even run away, they were buried under the weights of huge rocks.

The speed of Diane is truly extraordinary, she moved as if she is riding the lightning itself with the boots she has. Her every movement is fast and precise.

She wanted to leave the goblins and let them eat her dusts behind her. But she has to do her job.

She skillfully pulled her twin katana behind her back and easily slashes every goblin in her vicinity. “Sorry, gotta do my job or else I will get scold by Meyer. Tee-hee.” Diane wink and said in pure mocking tone to the hideous monsters.

And lastly, Meyer. Also known as the current captain of the Guardian Deities. “Die, you bloodthirsty monsters!”

He’s a captain for a reason. He didn’t even need to move from where he is standing; he can control every non-moving thing he sees using his left eye implant, for as far as twenty-meter diameter.

His arms are still cross in front of him yet he easily uprooted the giant trees and let the goblins throttle into them.

But of course, Corporal Olei, Mago’s grandfather is fighting with them. Since the moment these beasts arrived Olei is mostly the one who took them all.

Olei knew that his fellow villagers are not strong enough as him but he needed many men as he can to make sure none of the goblins will pass and get to the inner city.

The fire in Mago’s heart is fueled when he saw his gran-gran fighting with the strongest.

The table between humans and goblins is turning. Humans are getting the upper hand and the goblins are retreating leaving the carcasses of their own kin with the foul stench of blood.

Humans are winning but the goblins won’t admit defeat without putting up a fight, because defiance is in their blood. As humans think that they are in the verge of winning, the sound of trumpet echoes being blew by the dying goblin.

As the sound of trumpet stops the breath of the vile creature and rain also stops.

Everything went silent.

Everyone is alert and observing closely to the surrounding. Goblins have been slayed by the villagers and guardian deities yet they can’t celebrate their victory.

Something is not right.

“Hmm?” Olei raised his snowy eyebrow in wonder as he scanned the foggy and noiseless terrain. Something is definitely not right.

“I’m sure we have already won and the remaining goblins already fled, but why does it feel like the war has just began?” Delta said while his fore and middle finger rub his chin.

“I wonder…” Diane said with her fore finger tapping her lips.

“W-what? What is it?” Leon asked with blood trickling on his forehead while his subordinate is tending him.

The scene is now peaceful but Olei’s instincts tells that something is off. His senses when it comes to battling arduous wars are far more superior than the current captain of the guardian deities that’s why they respected him and still call him ‘Corporal’ albeit being retired for years.

Meyer seems to get a hold of what Olei must have been thinking. He knew what kind of person Olei is whenever there are battles, for the three of them have once been a subordinate of him.

‘Meyer, never ever shut your instincts. Because one day they will save your life.’ He remembered their Corporal’s words during their training. And he can’t deny that those words really saved his life multiple times till now.

“Corporal, your order?” Meyer said. Olei didn’t respond for a few seconds, contemplating if they are all safe or not.

But it’s better to be prepared than sorry.

“Men… Battle formation.” Olei said with stern voice. His grip on his sword tighten as the fear etched on the faces of his comrades. And the guardian deities immediately did their battle stance.

“Gran-gran?” Mago couldn’t understand why his gran-gran said those words. There’s no goblin left standing nor breathing yet Olei reprimanded them.

“What’s wrong Corporal Olei?!” one of the villagers approached him and asked.

“…Leon! Bring Mago where the wounded are.” Olei said as he removed the tattered part of his clothing from the encounter revealing his well-toned and well-maintained body.

His monstrous scars all over his body shows that he fought countless fierce battles, and yet on his proud back there is no scar he got while running away.

As they went to their position a slight trembling of the ground can be felt.

‘I knew my guts would never lie.’ Olei thought furrowing his eyebrows.

“W-what was that?” Mago asked clinging to Leon, they are in the rear most part of the position along with the heavily wounded villagers.

The trembling is getting faster and stronger. And in an instant huge and heavy footstep can be heard and literally felt and the image of hundreds of Ogres tears the tiniest hope of the villagers.

Their huge bodies are fifty times larger than the goblins and their growls are more animalistic than the screams of their smaller kin.

“Meyer! Diane! Delta! Hold them off until the civilians are completely safe in the inner city!”

“O’right!”

“Yes sir!”

“As you wish, old man!” They simultaneously yell.

The guardian deities scattered immediately obeying every words of their Corporal. The situation is getting more dangerous and the guardian deities are having difficulties from defeating the ogres.

The confidence of Delta deflated when his normal attacks did nothing against the ogres.

“s**t! Their bodies are hard like steel!” He growled.

Diane huffed, barely dodging the stamps and hits of them. “Even though they’re big, they’re quite fast too!”

“Focus! Damn it!” The usual composed Meyer curses. With his power to control every non-moving thing didn’t help him to avoid the attacks of the ogres. He needs to avoid and outrun every attack they threw on his way.

‘They’re strong!’ They all thought in unison. ‘But we are stronger!’

“THOUSAND BARRAGES!” Delta spin his mallet above his head and yelled, gathering his brute force he swung his huge mallet to the ogre hitting them thousand times in a very quick and powerful phase.

His attacks made dents to their bodies and when he hit the eye of an ogre it made them growl in pain.

“The eyes! It’s their eyes!” Delta shouted informing them the possible weakness of the ogres.

“Yes boss!” Dianne said as soon as she heard Delta. She crosses her katanas in front of her and yells, “HERMES’ BLADES!” She swiftly moves around the ogres and slashing their eyes taking their sight away.

The ogres dropped their weapons and cupped their eyes while writhing in pain. Meyer took it as an opportunity to control the roots, “STATUA LOCOMOTOR!” he spread his arms and yelled as he strangles them and kill them with their own weapons.

The three of them killed numerous ogres but with great difficulty that results to minor injuries and some heavy wounds.

For the first time in the entire life of Olei he never felt so scared until now. He doesn’t fear to be killed. He feared that after this attack no one will be able to live and he can’t bear to imagine that Mago will…

Olei gritted his teeth from imagining the worst-case scenario that my fall upon them.

“Leon! Take Mago and the villagers!”

“What are you talking about, Corporal!” Leon was cut off when the ogres threw a large wooden club at them. Some of the villagers are instantly killed with just one blow.

The physical prowess of the ogres is truly destructive. This made Mago screamed in horror. His fellow villagers are getting killed in front of him. The scene made everyone petrified at their spot, unable to move because of fear.

As the guardian deities tried their best to destroy the other ogres and hold them off; Olei can’t help but look at his surroundings.

‘Blood everywhere.’

‘Screams of pain from the mutilated persons.’

‘Wails of grief.’

‘Sounds of sorrow.’

‘Smell of death itself.’

Olei knew that four of them alone won’t be enough to handle these gigantic ogres. The villagers are not trained enough to withstand them. He knew they have no fight against them.

‘If I’m just a bit younger, this would be easy.’ Olei can’t help but let out a small laugh from his inner joke

“Maybe this will be the last time I’ll call you… my partner…” With a deep sigh, Olei weakly smiled as his grip tightened on his worn-out sword.

Wind started to circulate around him; streaks of fire appears.

When the guardian deities felt the tremendous power brewing coming from Olei, they immediately fled to safer location away from the possible danger.

“RISE! EXILED-BEAST ARTILLERY!” Olei proudly and loudly yell, the wind around him grew stronger and the small streaks fire grew bigger.

His eyes glow red and for a moment, a huge dragon-like basilisk appeared behind him with the same glow of his eyes.

“BAKUNAWA!”

In a blink of an eye, he swings his sword and the humungous burning basilisk attacks the Ogres with a blaring roar, leaving hundreds of them dead, slaughtered, burned and the others thrown away by the pressure of the wind with just one attack. Even the villagers and the guardian deities are far enough from the attack, the intense wind pressure still reached them.

‘Damn! Old man is really powerful!’ the guardian deities can still feel the tremendous pressure lingering from the attack.

When the smoke from the assault subsided- the ground seems like eaten by a huge monster and burns everything on its path.

It’s not yet the end. There are still four ogres that are left. Meyer, Diane, Delta took down each of the ogres but one manage to get near Olei.

And even the strongest gets tired. By now, Olei is far more than being tired. Every ounce of power he has, has been consumed by the seemingly unending war. But he did everything he can do.

“Take them and leave! Now!” Olei once look back to meet the eyes of Leon. Olei’s eyes are begging him to leave and make sure that Mago is safe.

Leon was brought back to reality, it took all his energy to put Mago on his shoulder and turned around. By now Mago can clearly see the smiling face of his gran-gran.

Leon wants to fight with them but he knew better not to burdened them, he knew he’s weak compared to them.

‘I’m sorry, Corporal!’ Leon choses to closed his eyes and turned his back.

The exhausted Olei instantly dropped on his knees from his last attack.

He accepted his fate. The memories from his younger days, flashes before his eyes.

‘Never ever! Turn your back on the enemy!’ He remembered yelling to the trainees.

‘Not even in the verge of death!’ He inculcated those words to every soldier he trained.

But now, that this would be the last time he will see the face of his grandson. With last drop of his strength, he defies his own rule.

‘Corporal… huh. Olei, you’re not worthy to be one. How pathetic.’

He turned his back on the enemy just to see a face of a kid.

“No! Gran-gran!!!” Ear-piercing scream came from Mago made Leon realize what happened.

“Corporal!” “Old man!” Delta and Meyer simultaneously yelled, they run to Olei to save him but they were too late.

But Mago can’t take his eyes off from the horrendous image of his smiling gran-gran being struck by the ogres in front of him.

‘I love you. Mago. Live.’

Those are the last words Mago’s grandfather mouthed to him before the blood splattered on the ground and on the weapon of the beast.

Mago can’t help himself but cry because his gran-gran died in the hands of those demons just to save him- to save them.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Mago wailed as threw punches and kicks to Leon.

“Why?! Why did you leave gran-gran! You have magic! Why didn’t help him!”

‘Why do all people leave gran-gran?’

His sobs are filled with anger and sorrow. The innocent eyes he had is now burning with hatred. Mago’s heartbeat echoed through his head. And in that exact moment, he knew what he needed.

‘I want…power.’