~ Chapter 56: [Blessing of Battle] ~

[Cassandra's point of view]

 Dead...

Brother was dead... And I couldn't do anything to stop this from happening...

I was too afraid... too scared to move...

Behind him, the monster was laughing while holding my dead brother's heart in his hand.

“I really thought I wasn't going to get this boy's Blessing, but the gods must really love me!” he laughed and spread his arms wide while pulling his head back and looking up at the night sky.

Meanwhile, I merely stood there frozen... too scared to move. I just looked in a daze at brother's lifeless body.

“Now let's see what we'll get!”

I lifted my chin up, then, right before my very eyes, the monster took a bite out of my brother's heart, sinking his teeth deep in its flesh and tearing it apart. He made a sloppy mess while chewing the meat. I saw his throat move as he swallowed that piece.

“Hm?” he stopped and looked confused at the remains of brother's mangled heart. “Why isn't anything happening?” he asked “Where's the glow? Where's the energy?” he shouted in anger and squeezed the remains in his hand, squirting out what was left of the blood in it.

A few drops were splashed on my cheeks.

I blinked when I saw this and looked down at my poor brother. Just thinking how this madman took away his life for nothing else but his own greed and insane desire filled me with anger. I clenched my hands into fists, but there was nothing I could do.

How can I fight this monster? I thought.

I want to fight! I want to avenge brother! I shouted in my mind, but I couldn't even believe my own weakness If I was just a little bit stronger... maybe... maybe brother wouldn't have died. If I wasn't so weak... I blamed myself.

With such thoughts rushing to my mind, I looked at my own body and realized how weak and feeble it was. I didn't have the energy to put up a fight against this monster, yet I kept wishing for it, I kept begging for it.

Brother's sacrifice... I didn't want it to be in vain. I didn't want his end to be like this, in this forest and at such a tender age. For him, the life of a hero like those in the stories I read suited him far better.

Yet why did brother had to die?! I screamed in my mind and clenched my fists tight.

My anger was at its peak.

“Whatever! You, little girl, are the true prize here!” the monster said as he tossed my brother's heart away like it was just a useless piece of meat.

I glared at him and got up on my feet.

Was I still afraid?

Maybe...

But I couldn't let this monster go after what he did to my brother. I couldn't let him kill me, and I couldn't just run away like that. No, even if I wanted to I couldn't run away. Fighting was the only option left for me.

For brother and for myself, I had to fight!

Do you want power, child? I stranger's voice echoed in my mind.

Yes! I replied without hesitation.

Then use my Blessing... Fight to your heart's desire and live! Live and fight until all the warriors in this world know your name! Until all battlefields have witnessed your swordplay! Such I command, for I am Kreatull the God of WAR! he declared.

I smirked inwardly and accepted his offer.

To be honest, I completely forgot about my own Blessings. I held one of the most powerful Blessings that could be given by Kreatull the God of War, [Blessing of the Battle]!

Up until now, however, I never used it, and I never knew how to use it. I always felt like there was some sort of condition I had to fulfill first; a lot of Blessings were like that. After the god spoke to me, however, I felt like the knowledge and feeling of how to use it had always been there, inside of me.

What was once locked up was now released, and without hesitation, I activated the [Blessing of Battle]!

From within me, I let go of that crackling red energy, which engulfed me like a raging fire.

In that moment, I forgot about my fears, my tears, and my pain. Whatever happened to this body of mine was meaningless as long as I continued to fight. I was never going to let anguish cloud my judgment or my reason to pull the will of battle away from me!

I would be the one to choose a battle's end! I would be the one to taste victory or defeat, but with my blade within my grasp!

“What's this? Are you activating your Blessing? Well now, I can't let you do that!” the monster said and rushed to attack me, but... he was slow.