Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

As the temple of Asmareth began to crumble at the hands of the shepherds, the citizens of Eclanor rushed away from the city's entrance and went straight for their lord's holy place. None held any true faith towards him, but whatever was going on inside the city walls was far more threatening than the prospect of the army marching in through that door…at least for now.

They'd finally been informed about the reasoning as to why the army was there, and although relief washed over them, having such a legion in their city was unnerving nonetheless. But with the gates opening to the holy order, the few that had remained by the gates quickly subsided. Already aware of Athenia from the fact that many of their neighbors in the desert from that fallen city, had joined her faith as soldiers and citizens.

Curiously watching from the sides as the flags of another god fluttered through their streets, a sense of terror and awe took over them, for not once in a century had their lord done anything to make them do anything like this for him.

"I-is that the dark general? T-the chosen of Athenia?"

"There's that priestess too! The one blamed for drowning that city into the hells!"

"Oh god, tell me this isn't true…."

Some were afraid, the others in disbelief, but most of them had no idea how to feel. To lay their eyes upon an army for the first time in centuries, and that too being led by the general who was now known across the desert for having killed a demon general already. Of course, the details about that conflict was murky and the fact that the lesser general was taken as a pure blooded monster, a true demon general had become a widespread rumor.

Even so, a curious handful tried to get closer and closer to the army, only to be shoved back for their own safety against the coppelicans. The beasts were restless from the journey, especially since they weren't quite used to the desert even after months of training.

"Seems like all eyes are on us." Erika whispered next to Raven's ear.

"They're all blind, Erika." He responded, crossing his legs on the head of the carriage he was sharing with the priestess.

"Does it matter, they sure have the sense of scale to know what we've brought to their doorsteps."

"Blinded by their god, reminds me of Batimos and what he did to the people of Aesterdia."

"I don't see any difference. One turned his people mad and the other turned them blind by his own foolishness. I'm sure our goddess can heal them and give them their vision back, but we would need to do something about the general and Asmareth first."

"That's why we're here." And with that, Raven turned his attention back to the front.

The coppelicons dragged the carriage forward and the holy order kept him and the priestess within a wall of their bodies. To them, both were half gods already but their mortal was still very much real and a threat to the goddess' ultimate reign. And so when a sudden stop came, thanks to a rowdy group of adventurers stepping in front of the army, the holy order wasted no time and slammed their staves against the ground to create a massive shield that covered one third of the army.

"Now what?" Raven sighed.

As he tried to get up and check, however, one of the soldiers extended their hands towards him and urged him to sit down. For a spell, he simply ignored the person, but realizing that he had to act the part of an important person, he sat back down in the end after all. Even so, not exactly thrilled about being stopped out of nowhere, Raven glanced down at his monster holding jewel and whispered.

"Seraphim, Riyanzah, I want you two to go out and check what's happening up ahead." With a shared laugh, the girls appeared out of the item in the form of a mist. Being djinns of flesh and spirit, they breezed through the air and made their way to the very front of the army.

There landing on the ground and taking form, they were met with a group of girls with a lone man tussling with a handful of soldiers. Noticing them, however, the man took a step back and stared at them with cold, silver eyes. Flicking his hair back, he sneered at the soldiers and addressed the djinns instead.

"You gals seem important. Tell me, which one of these bastards is that so-called hero!" His voice was coarse from having travelled through the scorching desert for a year, and yet somehow, his toned frame and handsome, well-kempt look defied that reality. "I wanna know who this guy is, thinking that he can just walk into my city and do whatever he wants when the title of the hero rightfully belongs to me!"

"Ohhh…" The sisters looked at each other, rolled their eyes and scoffed. "One of those, reminds me of Jahandeer–arrogant and with small-shriveled nuts."

"What did you say to me?!" The man screamed and the soldiers charged at him again.

Holding him back, the brothers and sisters of the holy order looked back at the djinns and said.

"JUST STAY BACK, WE'LL HANDLE THIS NUISANCE!"

But of course, why would the girls listen? They barely listened to themselves or each other. Thus, with a smirk on their faces and intertwined hands, they began walking forward and brushed the soldiers aside. Standing before the rowdy silver haired hero, they looked him up and down with a disappointed look on their faces.

"You wanna fight our man?" Matching his gaze, the sisters fired up their auras. One a blue flame and the other a cold, briny breeze that mimicked the hell's ocean. "Sorry to say, but you'll have to go through us first."

The girls expected him to back off or at least hesitate for a moment, but with a bunch of his own women watching him from behind–each a beauty in their own right, the so-called hero couldn't step back nor let him appear weaker than his rival.

"Fine! Bring it on then!" Spreading his hand wide and pushing them slightly backwards, the hero huffed and puffed to raise his heartbeat and get that adrenaline soaked into his very being. "No other fucking hero is gonna come here in my city and do whatever the fuck he wants! But if you're so eager to prove yourself, let me kick all of your butts!"

Seeing Raven as a rival treading on his territory, the chosen Asmareth was ready to drive the army away. But before getting to the man himself, a pair of djinns stood before him. Will he tear through them like parchment or be shown his place? Only time will tell, but one thing was for sure, in the meantime, his lord's temple would be crumbled to dust and whatever hold Asmareth had on this land, would forever seize to be replaced by another. A much better god.