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Yuder knew the Pethuamet was strong, perhaps the strongest monster ever seen when at it's peak of power, but for his strategy of using the ravine and the creation of the cliff to not kill it was outside of his expectations.
The mages around him were hopeless and without any more magic power and Yuder himself was already injured, they were now without plans and ideas on how to deal with this monster.
Except for one…
On his first attempt at life, Yuder had awakened as the Saint of The Sun God, a truly mysterious and powerful identity, but in the end it didn't aid in much other than give him more responsibilities and an actual excuse for Emperor Katchian to execute him as a “sacrifice to appease the Sun God and heal the world of the disasters”. It was merely convenient for the paranoid Emperor to be rid of the puppet that was already too powerful to be controlled.
His awakening as a Saint was different from his awakening due to the Red Stone, it was something that Yuder could feel and even delay.
As long as Yuder himself wanted it he could awaken in a remote region and leave none the wiser of it, except for one person.
The owner of the Divine Sword would be able to feel his awakening no matter the distance and time. In the past, it wasn't something to be concerned for as the owner of the Divine Sword had already passed away, but now Kishiar La Orr still lived and would continue to live as long as Yuder had any say in it.
His plan was to wait for their return to the capital where he would explain it to Kishiar and then have his awakening in solitude, but he should have already been used to his plans and deadlines to prove futile.
He ordered the mages close by to another location.
“But Sir Yuder!!! If you're alone-!”
“No need to worry about me, the monster may yet live but I still injured it quite heavily. There's some time for you to run away and I'll deal the final blow. The earth around us is fragile and I won't be able to hold anyone in the air except myself safely.”
The mages were put at ease simply believing the monster to need another blow to die and Yuder did not put down their hopes in saying that the Pethuamet would be up and fighting again in a few minutes, but a few minutes was all Yuder needed.
Joining his hands and kneeling to pray, Yuder wondered if perhaps his luck has been used up with this new chance he gained, if perhaps he has been a little bit greedy in aging for more power still.
But, feeling warmth growing in his chest not unlike the hugs his grandfather would give him and the few embraces he shared with Kishiar he thanked the heavens again.
Far away, already rushing back, Kishiar La Orr felt something.
A deep feeling in his chest, as if a space was suddenly opened for another heart to beat beside his own. A foreign sense of awareness flowed in him as the Divine Sword started to shake in it's sheath, the wrappings around the hilt unraveling on their own.
Kishiar has read something like it, but did not expect to ever feel it, the birth of a Saint was a rare enough event that was almost treated as something impossible.
Who could it be? As soon as he asked himself this, one single face appeared in his mind. There was no reason to suspect Yuder, but his heart told him there could be no other.
If his assistant needed such assistance that even The Sun God himself saw fit to bless him, what could Kishiar do other than his best as well?
“I'm sorry to say, but it seems I'm needed somewhere else urgently. Immediately reunite with the mages at the base. I'll leave Deputy Commander Wand in command.”
The cavalry members behind him made faces as if to question but Kanna Wand merely nodded and urged him to be careful, that one was too perceptive for her own good.
Kishiar immediately used his abilities and shot forward like an arrow leaving him behind. As soon as he left their vicinity the sword unsheathed itself and rushed forward even faster than him.
He could see a strange light growing like a beacon in the night sky, he knew that there was Yuder waiting for him.
Yuder himself could only feel the burning, like fire was rushing through his veins and lighting him up from the inside out, he could not see a foot in front of him, only seeing the white of the divine power overflowing from him.
The burning in his skin was the branding of the marks of a Saint all over his body, the lines were bright like melted gold and poured over his body like ink, writing divine texts not meant for humans to read.
His hair grew until his waist and when the light finally receded, he could see the color changing from black to blond, not dissimilar from Kishiar's own, he knew if he looked in a mirror his eyes would have changed colors to a deep ruby, as well.
He could only be glad that the changes in appearance were temporary and only happened during the awakening.
The newly born Saint focused instead on the ray of light rushing in his direction, raising his hand to catch it, the Divine Sword revealing itself completely, shivering in it's excitement.
Yuder knew that the sword itself did not possess life of it's own, only the energy in it was resonating with Yuder's and could give him imprints of feelings.
He frowned slightly, feeling like a child was tugging at his sleeve to go buy a sweet for them.
Yuder sighed and simply fed the sword all the divine power that was just gifted to him and felt the weapon change.
The blade shortened with the handle growing until the sword turned into a pure white spear, the same characters that covered Yuder's torso now covering the shaft.
That was The Divine Spear, the weapon of the Saint.
The Saint was the only one other than the one chosen able to touch the Divine Sword directly without terrible consequences, but Yuder never dared to do so before. He did not feel worthy of the honor of using the weapon of the man he killed his office, title and bed were already enough weight on Yuder's shoulders.
Seeing the Pethuamet rising again, Yuder did not falter, using the power of the wind to ride in the air and lifting the spear above him.
It was like a blink and an eternity at the same time.
Bright light surging, the spear threw with such power that the night tried into day for a few seconds.
Yuder landed on the ravine he created beside the Pethuamet feeling the monster shake before toppling. Like the greatest boulder falling on the floor, dust rose on the surroundings covering Yuder completely.
He felt almost absentmindedly the Divine Sword return to his hand, the spear nowhere to be seen anymore as the white blade seemed almost dull now.
Yuder did not have mind to it knowing it would be back to normal in a few days when the energy recovered itself. He gave the Pethuamet all his attention, bagging the heavens please let it be over!
He should not have worried, the Pethuamet was now headless, not cut but it's head was completely blown away without vestiges left behind, if he looked high enough he could see clouds cut in half, the power of a Saint's awakening joined with the Divine Spear was that frightening.
Yuder felt rather than heard someone landing behind him, and noticed how cold he has gotten, the upper part of his uniform having been blown away by the sheer power he used, he was lucky to still have clothes at all.
“Yuder?”
He turned around noticing his hair turning black again but not receding in size.
“Commander…”
Yuder could not say any more than that, his legs faltered beneath him and his body fell forward his face meeting the ground if not for Kishiar catching him in his arms.
“You did well, leave the rest with me. I'll handle it all.”
Yuder felt a fever growing from the inside out, one of the side effects of using too much power at once even with his injuries having been healed completely.
He simply let his eyelids close and the Divine Sword slip into the hands of the man holding him.
Kishiar would take care of the rest for him.