An exasperated sigh escaped his lips after finally making it through a barricade of knights that welcomed his return. He was practically amazed at how fast word spreads! He had just narrowly escaped getting overrun by the crowd in the large courtyard only to be caught in the middle of knights, then cadets, then advocates and even scribes who wanted to see for themselves the return of one of their Seraphs. Already he could feel his facial muscles starting to strain with how much smiling he was doing. Fixing himself to make himself look presentable, Guilford strode down the Main Cathedral halls toward the Council Chambers. He didn't want to shove the task to his squad but if he wanted to get through, someone has to keep the knights at bay. He had instructed his squad to split up and retell his story to the knights, cadets, advocates and scribes alike. There was so much to be done and despite him wanting to ease the people's excitement over his return, this meeting needs to be accomplished first. For all he knows, the Council and their entire order might still be ill prepared for what is to come.<br/><br/>Guilford paused just before the large doors of the Council Chambers. He could already hear chatter inside. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Guilford calmed himself down. For some reason, without his other persona to aid him, facing the council seemed like a daunting task. Regardless, whatever little knowledge he had about the enemy is surely going to be needed. Placing both palms on the huge doors, Guilford forced them open with a good push. The chatter fell to silence as seven pairs of eyes laid their gaze upon him. Guilford caught a flash of white to his left and glanced ever so lightly to catch a glimpse of Lethe. Almost instantly, Abel's reminder rang inside his head,<span style="font-style: italic">I want you to assess if Lethe is ready to receive the key</span>. He took the time it takes for him to reach the center of the chambers doing just that but all he could make out was that the other Seraph seemed... distraught. Guilford knelt before the council, signifying the start of the meeting.<br/><br/>Aurel was the first to speak. "Well, you certainly had us fooled Master Guilford. Are you satisfied now?" He was unimpressed at the Seraph's behavior of late and this 'revival' of his was the last straw drawn from his tolerance for the man.<br/><br/>A sarcastic chuckle came from Livius. "I didn't know that the Rosenwulfs had a certain... love... for theatrics."<br/><br/>Theatrics? So this was all it appeared to them? Guilford felt an involuntary twitch from his lips after hearing those words. But he did not come here to butt heads with the councilors nor anyone for the matter. What he came here to do was make them well aware of the dangers that lie in wait. Have the council prepare as much as they could for what is to come. There was simply no point in arguing with the council anymore. They are free to lash out at him if it serves to calm their nerves down.<br/><br/>Mihai raised a brow. It was certainly unnerving that the Seraph chose to remain quiet. Normally, he would have stated something to justify his acts and a smoking debate was sure to follow. However this time, the Seraph was clearly holding his temper in. "No wisecracks from you? No<span style="font-style: italic">justification</span>or some sort of reason? Do you even feel like defending yourself from making a huge fool out of everyone here?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Not this time Councilors. I did not come here to justify my acts, nor did I return to rub the fact that I undoubtedly made a fool out of everyone. If it serves any purpose, you all have my sincerest apologies."</span><br/><br/>Councilor Laith sighed, "Apologies. If only it could bring back the time we have already lost, we probably would have an abundance of it to spare." he mused, a hint of sourness in his tone.<br/><br/>Guilford bit his lip. Clearly an apology won't cut it but it didn't matter. They can continue hating on him as long as they hear what he has to say and do something about it.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Exactly the reason why I would rather not dwell on matters of the past. I am here now, and I wish to be reinstated to active duty. I have reason to believe that we are ill prepared for what is coming."</span><br/><br/>"Ill prepared?! Do you even know how much resources we have already moved to compensate for your so called death?! We have bolstered island defenses, tightened patrol routines, even Gless that didn't use to require airborne patrols now has countless ships flying day and night! We are exhausting our knights with active defense protocols and yet you call that ill prepared? Where is this coming from?" Mihai questioned the Seraph, tone rising just a little bit in annoyance.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Yes. We are ill prepared. My absence was not spent frolicking in flower beds or fields of green Councilors. I believe you already looked into the attacks on Gielo, Solfonn, Valthe, and Rosetta. To confirm what you think you already know, it was Eve alone who attacked all four towns. Her targets are us, your Seraphs. She stated that she would have us pay for defeating her beloved."</span><br/><br/>The mood instantly shifted inside the chambers upon the mention of the name. Of course the council has investigated the matter but lacked conclusive evidence aside from the Rosenwulf pair that said it was indeed Eve who attacked. They still believed that the creature was locked away somewhere and are exploring other possible angles. However with this, they all fell into contemplation, seemingly forgetting that the Seraph before them made a fool out of them not too long ago.<br/><br/>"You're sure of this how?" Cornelius finally spoke, eyes looking at Guilford.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"We first came upon her in Luciano; that was the time her seal was broken. While I am unsure of how they managed to relocate her seal there, it was broken by,"</span>Gil chanced a look at Lethe who seemed half into the discussion.<span style="color: #0080FF">"...by our fighting with Luciano's Mayor. In a last ditch effort, Luciano's Mayor broke Eve's seal to even the odds."</span>He couldn't say that it was Lethe's unexpected release of Divine Magic that disrupted the balance of Abel's seal leading to the release of Eve into the world. She didn't know Eve's seal was there, neither of them did and she was knocked out right after.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Then I really fought her in Rosetta for the first time. Much to my own disbelief, she nearly killed me had it not been for Abel's interference; I was saved by a hair's breadth. Councilors, I fought Eve with everything that I had and more to defend my home town. She fought me with only half her power or so she stated and all that I could manage to do was scratch and bruise her."</span><br/><br/>A gasp of concern and disbelief escaped the lips of some councilors. Now that they have a full account of what truly happened in Rosetta, the words Guilford said earlier about them being ill prepared seemed to be coming true. They knew about Guilford and Lethe's prowess. If anything, these two are the strongest knights in active duty. For one of them to hardly dent an opponent who is surprisingly not even the God of Sin himself was overly concerning. "If you knew that this matter is of high import, why didn't you return after you have recovered? Why did you choose to fake your death?" Aurel asked almost immediately. It was obvious that his attention was no longer at the Seraph's previous antics of faking his death.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"It wasn't his decision..."</span>a voice broke into the conversation, silencing any one who thought to voice out their concerns next. Moments later, the doors to the Council Chambers creaked open and Abel walked in, formality oozing from his presence. "It was mine. To protect the other Seraph from Eve's clutches, I chanced that you would keep her detained here in Caleta if word spread that Guilford has fallen, which I'm thankful you did. I also did that to force all of you to unite and act as one under a common objective. With Eve out in the open, a Second War with Sin is just around the corner. The God of Sin will rise again and we<span style="text-decoration: underline">cannot</span>afford to stand divided." he stated and knelt beside Guilford, addressing the councilors with a nod.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I chose to train under my former Captain who taught me how to wield Divine Magic during my absence. At that moment I knew that if something was not done to even the odds, then we would have surely lost even before the battle begins."</span><br/><br/>Mihai pulled his right hand to rest beneath his chin. He had heard accounts of several knights (Abel included) who were able to wield the mythical power of Divine Magic. Now this Seraph before him claims that he has trained in it? If anything, he knew that Divine Magic is a rare commodity among the knights. "And you're confident that your power now can stop the Second Coming of the God of Sin? Or even Eve for the matter?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Sadly no Councilor. I alone will not be able to do much. The least of what my power can do now is <span style="font-style: italic">slightly</span> improve our chances and that's about it. It is impossible to completely master Divine Magic as no human was ever meant to wield it. This power that I possess comes with great risk to me. Eve is no fool, she will not move recklessly after thinking she has defeated one of the Seraphs. By now she is probably trying to bring forth the second coming of the God of Sin while bolstering her own forces. She thinks I'm dead, my guess is she's going for complete victory over us hence the lack of movement from her to date."</span><br/><br/>"Then wouldn't that make it that you have trained for naught? Why choose to spend a great deal of time that could have been better spent here leading our forces, or planning for a countermeasure?" Livius questioned again.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What good would it do if we don't have something to at least even the odds of the upcoming battle? It is not as fruitless as you think Councilor. I will use this power to buy us more time. Should the enemy make a move, I will meet them head on and try my hardest to slow them down."</span><br/><br/>"You said you power now comes with great risk. How great are we talking about?" Cornelius questioned once more, seriousness evident in his demeanor. Guilford tensed, he really had no plans of saying the cost of using Divine Magic but...<span style="color: #0080FF">"My body, my mind, my life? I don't know which of these I will lose first with careless use of this power. Though it will not deter me from choosing keep fighting for the people. It's a small price to pay."</span><br/><br/>"You said you'd buy us time. What exactly do you propose we do with that time?" Laith asked, curiosity more prominent in his eyes rather than concern for the Seraph.<br/><br/>"Allow me to answer that Councilor. I plan to hold a selection test to find those with the aptitude to wield the same power. I will instruct them on how to tap into the power of the Divine Realm. If we are to even stand a chance against Eve and her forces, and Light forbid if the God of Sin makes his return, I would also like to impart my knowledge to Master Lethe. If I may be permitted to do so, I wish to train her like I did with Master Guilford to give her the Key to the Gates of the Divine Realm." Abel interrupted, eyes focused on Councilor Laith.<br/><br/>"This is unbelievable. Master Guilford just said this power comes with great risk to the user yet you wish to subject more knights to the use of this power? Let alone another of our Seraphs to this... great risk? Do you really believe that it is our only chance?" Aurel grumbled, clearly at a loss for more words.<br/><br/>"No Councilor Aurel, I wish to believe that there is another way. However, I think that right now, this is our only chance. Would you like to see this power first hand?" Abel offered.<br/><br/>An air of interest befell the council and one by one they nodded their approvals. Abel then turned to Guilford and gave him a light nod. Moments later, Guilford began channeling his power, tapping into the Divine Realm. The stagnant air inside the chambers began to swirl around everyone until a bright flash of light from Guilford blinded the presences in the room. When the light faded to a notch bearable with the naked eye, Guilford was lined with a thin white mist calmly swirling around the entirety of his body. His eyes flickered every now and then with sparks of light, making the purple in them less visible, his long hair floating in the air. For a moment, the council marveled at the sight. The presence Guilford had became entirely different, like it belonged to 'something' else. Just as they seemed to have run out of words, a voice from one of the councilors broke the awe.<br/><br/>"Isn't that similar to your Providence Master Guilford?" It was Margarette, the only female councilor among the six. She was the head of the Magic Research division. This was the first time she had ever spoken directly to anyone. She seemed to have finally taken an interest in these meetings since it involved new magic. Guilford turned to look at the female councilor while maintaining his shroud of Divine Magic.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"No Councilor, the concept is the same as my Providence but the composition is entirely different. This shroud is more of the offensive nature of Divine Magic, this is Light's Wrath. I believe this power has a more gentler side, the opposite of Light's Wrath. Though I haven't seen it for myself, I believe it exists."</span>Guilford informed and released the shroud, reverting himself back to normal state.<br/><br/>Margarette mused over Guilford's form, examining him for any inconsistencies after having displayed such an awe inspiring magic before everyone. "You seem to be fine after exerting that much power. Are you sure there are great risks to the user after what you have just displayed?" she asked again.<br/><br/>Guilford bowed his head.<span style="color: #0080FF">"It was a strictly controlled display of Divine Magic. What I have shown you is but a tiny fraction of it being wielded by a human under careful control. The more magic I will to my command, the greater the strain on the user and the harder it is to control. As you may have no doubt realized, if our knights can even learn how to control a tiny fraction of it, the difference in their combat prowess will be substantial while keeping the risks at a minimum. Abel simply wanted to teach them the basics, nothing more."</span><br/><br/>"You're saying you can wield far more than that? What would that look like?" Margarette continued to grill the Seraph.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Yes if I <span style="text-decoration: underline">absolutely</span> have to. I am well aware of its risks for me to go around using it carelessly councilor, forgive me if I choose not to show you. I sincerely think that the matter I have brought to you requires no debate. We must take action posthaste. If I think of anything else worthy of mention, I would immediately send word to the Council. Thank you all for hearing what I have to say and... I once again apologize for my actions of late."</span><br/><br/>Much to the surprise of the other councilors, the Seraph this time around did not challenge them nor did he berate their ideas or questions? Was he sick? Was he suffering from fatigue? Or did he simply choose to mellow down? Regardless, it was a breath of fresh air that the Council Chambers were in agreement for once. Cornelius, though evident that he was overjoyed at the return of his favorite Seraph was clearly indicating a very high level of professionalism. The other councilors simply took its meaning that whatever was brought to them takes priority over personal emotions.<br/><br/>"Very well Master Guilford. The Council will consider what you have brought to us. You are hereby reinstated to active duty effective as of this moment. You may resume your tasks and... consider the consequences of your actions. Do something about it." Cornelius demanded, waving one hand to the direction of Lethe. "This meeting is adjourned for today and will resume once we have a consensus. Seraphs, should you think of anything more to add, send word immediately. Return to your duties, you are dismissed. Abel, you remain here for your reinstatement as a temporary instructor per your request."<br/><br/>Rising to his feet, Guilford turned around but looked at Lethe before leaving the Council Chambers. He took the extra effort to catch her gaze and when he was sure their eyes met, he smiled faintly, a touch forced even at his fellow Seraph followed by a nod of his head to the direction of the halls. After all that, what would he say to her now? What was there to talk about? Surely mulling over this debacle was not an appropriate topic. He had seen this look on her face before and never really got to understood it until now. She was conflicted. He stepped out of the Council Chambers first and rested his back on the hallway walls, waiting for his fellow Seraph to come out.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Barrens</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Red glowing eyes spanned the entirety of the devoid area. Eve had finally set foot on the blighted lands. She was not maintaining her visage and her true form was a prominent figure among her forces. Eve was being ferried towards the remnants of a fallen kingdom, the place where the decisive battle took place in the First War. It still felt like home to her, regardless of what was left of it. Her clawed hands gripped tightly at the armrest of her open carriage, threatening to break it under the strength of her grip. Those Light-infested pests did this to her! To all of them! They will pay... they will pay dearly!<br/><br/>"We have arrived my Queen." one of the Sinners approached her and offered a grotesque hand to help her down.<br/><br/>Eve swatted the hand away and stepped down from the carriage on her own. The Sinners accompanying her gave way for her when she began heading towards the ruined castle. The once majestic fortress now a relic lying in shambles, a remnant of how fierce the First War had been fought. Now that she had seen it with her own eyes, after being sealed for so long, the sight of how the Light destroyed their home enraged Eve. Her steps began cracking the ground beneath her feet, whole body surging with dark mist until she could no longer contain the feverish feeling consuming her. She was about to let her power explode when a voice stopped her from doing so.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF00"><span style="font-style: italic">"Welcome Queen Eve. We heard you were coming."</span></span><br/><br/>Glowing red eyes flicked over to the direction of the voice. Amon, the first ever exalted by the God of Sin made himself visible. He was chosen for his exceptional ability to manipulate and harness the power of Sin, yet his goals did not stop there. He yearns to corrupt the Light beyond even the wildest imaginations of his kind, making him an indispensable asset to their forces. Having seen him, Eve's temper swirled down to composure, she shouldn't let him see her like this.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Have you found it?"</span><br/><br/>Amon bowed lightly and stepped to the side, one hand draped on a book and the other gesturing further into the ruins.<span style="color: #FFBF00">"Yes Queen Eve, what you had us look for is waiting inside. We found <span style="font-style: italic">his</span> heart."</span><br/><br/>Her own heart fluttered at the knowledge. She would see him again soon! This was a great moment! Soon those pests would feel their combined wrath. They would tremble in fear, they would bring them down to their knees before utterly destroying them! Eve couldn't stay still. However, bringing him back would require a complex ritual.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"What about the other thing I require?"</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF00">"Forgive me Queen Eve, my forces are still looking."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Hmph. I expected as much. The blood of a Pure is hard to find these days. Very well, keep looking Amon."</span>