"Cut them down!" Baron Heinrich Solaq of the Deathsworn Knights ordered his men. The soldiers were fortunate to have the Deathsworn Knights who were paid by Jiraduveja back from Vanoran as hired escorts for the expedition to Earth he sponsored.

Heinrich who resourcefully had his men wear the Paladin Armor to give them an edge of the ever swarming hordes of Black Dust Zombies.

"Heinrich! Thank Godan you got here. I just got the news when I was in Asaroenni's ship. What's the happening?" Rainoric came down alongside Sakura, a Paladin Armored Wulfgar, his father Gewis and Ulrich.

"Black Dust Zombies, just look'em in the eyes. Must be a rogue Black Dust Mage."Heinrich said.

"Black Dust? You mean Necromancers?" Sakura confirmed

"Yeah, those or whatever you call them. We need to find that Black Dust Mage and kill her!" Heinrich ordered.

Gewis and Rainoric pulled out there swords, Ulrich grinned his teeth, Wulfgar readied his axe and Sakura fisted her hands conjuring White Dust on them and they ran off to battle.

--------------------------

Rena was leading her fellow Red Dust acolytes against the zombie horde and the bloodless battle (since they are fighting zombies and skeletons) made everyone frustrated.

"Blood! Where is it! This meat is to rotten for me to use!"Miroslaw angrily said.

"Calm down Miro-chan. I need to think." Rena ordered.

"We got no time to think! We need to find the Hearted one who dare defile our island!"Vlado defied.

"Is that a defiance Vlado?"Samhane spoke through Rena.

"I want my damn blood! Whoever got the bright idea of summonung these f***** zombies will have my sabre to his neck!" Vlado stomped the ground.

"Mother! Is those people some of your friends I think so?" One of the acolytes said.

It was Churi, Ybor, Osgar followed by a large man in Paladin Armor carrying a large oversized gun that look like it was belt fed from his backpack and a familiar girl in ragged clothing. Rena waved her hands to her friends and they ran to her.

"Churi-sama, what happened you seem shocked."Rena asked her friends. Being a Red Dust Mage she can easily detect the emotions of another person by just looking at their face a few feet away.

"We came across first the Kelebihans, then Zombies....*pant*" Churi tried to explain.

"Rena-sama! I can't believe your still alive!" Airin embraced Rena.

"Airin, they rescued you? Where's Jurina?"Rena happily hugged Airin and asked.

"I don't want to bull***** you and serve you a bull's bollocks for dinner but I just came from Hell and back. I will explain it to you loud and clear. Jurina...... IS the Black Dust Mage who summoned the Zombies."Osgar said.

"Wh-what? No, that's not true. How can---- she....."Rena stuttered.

"She just can, I don't know why. But she just can." Ybor said.

Rena was at a lost of words. She knows that Jurina was a sweet girl who shared her family name but not her blood and they were the best of friends in SKE48 despite their huge gap in years. She was always a girl who is sweet as honey when it came to her singing, dancing, looks etc. She always brings new life like the sunrising from the east which sparked happiness to everyone around her. To see her raise the dead and cause mass panic and destruction was a complete '180' of how Rena knows Jurina.

"That's not true, Jurina would nev--"

"She is one of THEM Mother! She is our enemy! Life and Death are opposites! She must be purged!"Vlado said.

"No, listen to me! She didn't want to be one in the first place, so it wasn't her fault. The Black Dust Mages shall pay for this transgression."Samhane spoke through Rena again.

"I love to hear you argue about why the Red's hate the Black's but my orders is to bring you back to Baron Heinrich now!" Carrick said.

Everyone stopped their dilly dallying for now and followed Carrick back to Heinrich.

--------------------------

"Ruhe in freiden! (Rest in Peace)"Rainoric swiped his sword at another zombie who came close to him in melee range. He has personally slew (again) about a couple dozen of Black Dust Zombies for the last ten minutes. The battle was raging like a deadly rave of blood and shouts as the people defending the port held the line against the zombie hordes. Everyone was impressed by Rainoric's strange new fighting style the showcased graceful jumps and cunning strikes from the Wushu book he quickly learned. Sakura, who was watching from a distance was happy to see him putting his new knowledge to good use.

"They are retreating! Stand down!" Baron Heinrich, leader of the Deathsworn Knights that was hired by Jiraduveja ordered.

The Zombies and Skeletons suddenly retreated back to the city to recover and their bones and fleshes (since they are undead and a wound is pretty much  just cosmetic damage to them). All of the defenders swore a sigh of relief as they sat down and rested. Some soldiers were sitting down sleeping, others were limping themselves to a nearby well for a hydrating drink of water while the rest bandaged their small injuries with whatever usable things they can find to patch themselves up.

Wulfgar who was earlier swinging his axe at Zombies came back to Takamina who was protecting Yuki and Paruru during the whole battle.

"They are gone, for now." Wulfgar said.

"I was so scared!"Yuki hugged Wulfgar.

"For now? They will be back? But we barely survived a while ago."Takamina said.

"They will be unless we can get rid off their source, the Black Dust Mage otherwise we will be eventually overrun and....worse.....become one of his puppets."Wulfgar said.

"Her puppets Wulfgar."Rena walked in.

"Rena! I heard you were defending one of the gates with your um.... new friends." Paruru said.

"Yes and I just heard from Churi and Osgar-sama that..... that...." Rena hesitated to speak.

"Does the name 'Jurina' bopped your head?"Osgar said.

"Yeah, she was one of Rena's closest friends."Takamina answered.

"Friends? I though Jurina is your little sister?"Osgar questioned.

"Iya, we just share the same last name. But she is very dear to me."Rena shedded a tear.

"But how are we going to save Jurina then?"Paruru asked.

"Hmm..... their is actually away. The governor of the Island has this specially made trap to seal off rogue Mages while negating their powers at the same time. But the catch is only White Broken Lords and Bishops, and Yamanins can be able to use it since the other Broken Lords can't stand being near it." Vlado proposed.

"White Bishops, like Sakuratan?"Yuki asked.

"Wait, you have a friend who is a White Bishop? How? Why? What!?!"Vlado said surprised.

"Yes, Sakura just learned that she can use White Dust just recently." Takamina said.

"I have seen what she can do myself back in Ydeli. Ybor, you should have seen me kill everyone."Osgar said.

"I could have sworn I killed more."Churi pouted.

"Oh give me one good reason why I shouldn't pelt you with eggs now Birdie!" Osgar angrily stared at Churi in the eye.

"Churi-chan! Don't fight him now!"Airin calmed Churi.

---------------------------

Vlado unfolded a map of the city on a large table. He volunteered to be the leader of this mission since he has a lot of experience dealing with the Black Dust Broken Lords before and his familiarity of the city. He then begins to brief the people attending to him inside the room they were in:

"Alrighty then, the Zombies are going to be resting for now and they should be gathering near their Necromancer, also known by Rena as 'Jurina'. Where the horde is thickest is where the Black Duster is located. Eslek has used his senses to estimate that their approximate location is here." Vlado circled a spot on the map indicating where Jurina should be.

"And what about the trap we will use for her?"Gewis asked.

"Sakura, the White Dust Mage and a Heinirich with a select group of his Knights shall go to the Hearth Guards armory located here and get the trap. It should be there. While they get the trap. I need volunteers to ambush the Black Dust Mage."

Rainoric, Wulfgar, Ulrich, Rena, Takamina and several other men raised their hands.

"Mother? Are you sure you can----"

"Are you doubting me Vlado. My vessel cannot function if it is mentally broken. You WILL let me fight her and save her."Samhane/Rena spoke in a echoing voice.

"Praise Godan for the 1st of Blood is in our prescence."Gewis bowed to Rena.

"Your humulity despite your reputation to be arrogant speak of hope. Did something strange happened to you? Your not your violent self as before." Samhane/Rena spoke.

Gewis paused and shamefully looked down. It was probably the 1st time in thousands of years he gestured his head like that. All of his men saw him and were shocked to see him look so humbled.

"Yes, but I rather not talk about it."Gewis said biting whatever remains of his pride.

"Well then, for everyone else. I need you to defend the port from any Zombie Attacks as I know they will mostly prioritise their forces on getting the shipyards." Vlado said.

Everyone saluted Vlado in affirmation and went out of the room to their respective tasks.

----------------------------------

(30 minutes later)

(A photo of the Deathsworn Knights cladded in Paladin Armor and weaponry)

Darkness clouds the city as Sakura, Heinrich and several of his Deathsworn Knights quitely walked through the city so thet wouldn't alert any Zombies to their prescence.

The Knights seem rather encouraged by Sakura. They have been acting weird infront of her, speaking and walking clumsily as they stepped closer to the Hearth Guard armory.

"Heinrich are you....uhm scared of me?"Sakura asked.

"Um, No my lady. Its just none of my men has ever had the privilege of being next to a White Bishop before ever since the genocide."Heinrich answered.

"Eh? Genocide? There are more of people like me?"Sakura's eyes widened.

"Yes, about a five thousand or more if I remember."Heinrich said.

"What happened to them?"

"Well.... it started with the Eadwulfs......"Heinrich began to tell a story.

(Flashback! Or Story Time?)

Millenias ago, when the war for Gimaelic Independence was raging, the White Dust Mages sided with Salians, where the Eadwulfs come from. They were battling the Ghogths over the northern passes and the war was a stalemate.

In desperation, Merovech, Gewis' father and Rainoric's Grandfather had gathered all of the White Dust Mages to activate a super weapon that could end the war. During that time, one of the White Dust Mages, fell in love with a Broken Lord. It was Gewis and Sophia who bethrothed each other. With a combination of Dust Magics and a little basic reproductive biology, they created a Broken Lord-Human hybrid, Rainoric was his name.

But the love between a Broken Lord transgressed ancient boundaries between them and their Yamanin subjects. It was deemed heretical and disgusting by other Broken Lords. When the super weapon was activated to make a decisive blow against the Ghogths. Several traitorous men attacked the White Dust Mages and mortally wounded Sophia in her womb. Merovech and Gewis were able to be rid of the traitors but at the unfortunate cost of Merovech's life.

Gewis, damaged severely and his Dust Powers losing strength, limped his way to his beloved. To those who saw him caressing the dying Sophia:

"Promise me Gewis....avenge us...."She said before her last breath.

Gewis looked at the abdomen of his deceased beloved and sensed that their child can still be saved. After absoribing the last of Sophia's Dust essence into himself, Gewis turned the child into a Broken Lord and now we know that child as Rainoric. For he was named to be 'a Valiant Warrior'. And one day when he is ready, finished what Merovech has started.

(End Flashback)

"What kind of 'super weapon' did the Eadwulfs used to gain independence from Ghogthal?"Sakura asked.

"That is lost to the dead and kept silenced by those who are 'of the Dust*' for the vowed to never talk about it less the reveal its true nature to those who will use it for wrong. All they ever say is that 'It was awesome in might, majesty and size."Heinrich said.

"Well I can imagine what it could be. Anyhow, your the leader of these Deathsworns right? Who are you?"Sakura asked again.

"Heinrich isn't 'THE Leader' just a high ranking one. He rules over a land in the Gimaelic-Ghogthic border that the Deathsworn use as a base and to train recruits." Carrick said.

"Did I gave you permission to interrupt me Carrick?"Heinrich angrily said.

"Sorry sir, my apologies."Carrick said.

"As I was about to say........"

(Another Story Flashback!)
 

The Deathsworn Knights traced their origins back to a small army consisting of Vanorans, Gimaelics and Ghogths who were returing from a recent campaign against the Cultists in a far off land. Only for them to return to the see their once lush, green and peaceful land overrun with Necrophages. Their homes destroyed, their families killed or turned into one of the many Necrophages, the small army knew that they have nothing to lose but their lives.

Knowing that they are dead men walking and expecting to die horribly by the Necrophages, they painted their armor, clothes and skin in the color green as when they pass 'they will be one with the earth' since their homeland consists of evergreen forests. They all swore from the lowliest grunt to the highest general that they will fight every enemy that dares threaten Auriga stoically and uncomprimisingly or they will die trying. So hence the name 'Death sworn'.

The army gathered their weapons and charged bravely headfirst into the maws of the Necrophages. They were able to punch through the enemies defenses and slay the Horde Leader scattering the Necrophages back to the ground despite colossal loses. About 9 out of 10

They kept their armor colored green in honor of those who died in the battle to liberate their homelands. Today, they would often lead the charge against Cultists, Necrophages or whatever kind of enemy that there's try to harm Auriga.

(End Story)

"Wow! You guys must be heroes or legends!"Sakura smiled.

"Yes indeed we are."Heinrich smiled back.

"We are here my lord."Carrick said.

The group found themselves infront of a large fortified building that was quickly and crudely barricaded to stop any Zombies from entering. The door to the armory was covered with corpses of bodies both zombie and living alike. Sakura was so shocked of the amount of death she has seen that she threw up on a corner. But the Deathsworns were used to seeing dead bodies and they casually walked past the dead to the door.

"Are you ok? Can you still walk my lady?"Heinrich asked.

"Yes....yes....I.....*throws up*.....ok.....*inhales and exhales several times*......I am ok......."Sakura said. She was teary eyed and her eyes were pinkish after the excessive ejection of guts.

Carrick knocked on the door and a peep hole opened from his sides.

"Thank Godan you are here. We have women and children inside and injured Hearth Guards and Legionnaires in here. We need to evacuate now or we won't last the next attack."the man on the peep hole said.

"We need to borrow a trap from you that is designed to capture mages. Do you have it?"Carrick asked.

"Yes we do. I'll have some of my men to get it out of the vault. Just get in here!"the man said.

The door opened and Sakura and the Deathsworn Knights walked inside. They saw many people injured and traumatised from the attacks children were crying and the women were trying to calm them down.

"Waah! I lost me daddy!" a child walked to Sakura's leg. It was a little girl and she looked like she was no older than 4 years old.

"Shh...Its ok akachan. Where is your mother?"Sakura tried to calm the child with her words. But the little girl only cried some more.

Thinking quickly, Sakura exercised her mind like how she was trained to use her powers and she calmed the girl down.

"Lucrezia!" A woman that is apparently her mother ran to hug her.

"Momma! She calmed me! The Bishop calmed me!"The girl happily said which was an opposite to what she was a while ago.

"A bishop....calmed....you?" The woman turned to Sakura and bowed to her.

"A bishop? Calmed?"a man next to her said. He then bowed alongside many more people. Some even fell prostrate as the people who were holed up in the armory. Sakura was surprised to see everyone make her the center of attention, although for a completely different reason.

"Your too kind. But I have to go now."Sakura awkwardly settled everyone in the room down.

She then ran away from the people and caught up to Heinrich who was walking to the vault.

"What took you so long?"Heinrich asked.

"Nothing..."Sakura lied.

"Here is the trap used to contain rogue Mages my lords."a Hearth Guard said.

Sakura looked at the trap. It was a purple and glossy box with carved symbols and paper writings of prayers and litanies surrounding it. The box looked like it could trap a single person inside.

"Be careful with this box, it is made from the rare mineral Nonorite. It absorbs Dust like a sponge. And if used incorrectly, can kill a Broken Lord."Heinrich explained.

"It can KILL a Broken Lord?"Sakura widened her eyes.

"Yes indeed, so be careful when you use it. Yamanin Dust Mages will be weakened by it but if a Broken Lord gets in, he could die. White Dust Mages however, can resist the mineral's effects to some degree. You will feal weakened by being near it, but others won't shrug it off as you do."Heinrich said.

"Pardon me Baron Heinrich, but me and the citizens here need to get out of here and there is a Zombie horde between us and the shipyard."the Hearth Guard said.

"Damn, we need to Sakura to where the Black Dust Mage is in."Carrick said.

"We are sworn to protect and I am not going to let more people die. Carrick, get everyone in this armoy out of here back to the shipyard and I will personally Sakura to the rendevous point."Heinrich said.

"Hai, Sounds like a plan."Sakura nodded.

"Yes commander, Knights with me we are getting these people to safety."Carrick rallied.

"Let's go grab that box and move out!"Heinrich pointed at the box. Sakura picked up the box and began to feel the weakening effects of the Nonorite box. Though its weight is no more than you average styrofoam box that you put fruit market goods in on a monday morning, the Dust absorbent properties of Nonorite made Sakura sweat and weakened as she ran out of the armory with Heinrich as her sole .

----------------------------

(10 minutes later in the rendevous point)

Rena, Rainoric, Vlado, Wulfgar, Ulrich and the other volunteers were waiting behind a rooftop for Heinrich and Sakura. They were scouting out the zombie horde that was gathered in the large open park that they were gathered around in. Rena could clearly see her friend turned power mad Black Dust Mage Jurina observing her army.

"So that girl in the torn black rags is your friend isn't she?"Rainoric asked.

"Yes, *whispers* I will save you Jurina, just wait for me."Rena said.

"Did I hear something from you? Don't lie to me. I won't bite about it."Rainoric said.

"I am going to save her Rainoric."Rena said.

"But my lady she is a Black our enemy. You must recon-"Vlado said. But was abruptly shut up'd by Rena.

"I know me and my brother has never seen eye to eye for millenias after the war. But I know he still my brother." Samhane spoke through Rena.

"But he---"Vlado was about to object when Wulfgar but in.

"Oy! That's them over there! You see that!" Wulfgar pointed out.

Rena saw Heinrich alone with Sakura carrying a purple carved box at the across where they were hiding. They are hugging around a corner of a building. Heinrich was waving his hand signaling the group that they are now ready to attempt their capture of Jurina.

"Alright, here we go. TE HETA HADA WODAN!"Rainoric unsheathed 'Ulfberth' and jumped off the roof raising his sword.

"Bloodan!"Vlado and Wulfgar jumped off following Rainoric.

"Ganbatte!"Rena jumped off ready to rescue Jurina.

---------------------------

(Sakura's POV)

The battle has just started and the Zombies attention were at their ambushers. They were cut down as quickly as the men could. Heinrich led Sakura to sneak behind Jurina. They crouched down and quietely swift pass from cover to cover as they got closer.

"Blood Mother, I was  wise to know you would come. Has ten millenias of sleep made your blade dull?" Jurina spoke in a masculine demonic voice to Rena

"I haven't dulled one bit! Now let the Yamanin you posses go!"Samhane/Rena spoke as she swung her scythe at Jurina.  But Jurina simply phase dodge the blade, letting it smoothly pass through his body like butter on a knife.

"As if I will listen to someone who erses and consort herself with corpses. Your miserable little cult shall only be your downfall."Jurina menacingly spoke. She unsheathed her Katana barraged Rena with her blade.

Rainoric tried to help Rena by kicking her assaulter but Jurina grabbed his foot and flipped him over knocking him down. Vlado tried to push in with 'Lubyanka' but Jurina, with inhuman reflexes, grabbed the blade with her right hand. The Black Dust Mage psyhotically smiled at Vlado. Rena, seeing Rena was distracted, gave a signature 'Gekikara punch' to Jurina's abdomen stunning her.

"Now Sakura!" Rena yelled.

Sakura ran with the box to Jurina and slammed it on top of Jurina while laying her body on top of it to keep it from tipping over unless she wanted the Black Dust Mage escape.

"RRRAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!! NO PATHETIC BOX-----can -------HOLD......meee......" Jurina yelled. Her stuttering and slowly softening voice assures to Sakura that the Nonorite. The Dust absorbent properties of the purpe mineral was immediate and the box looked like it was serving its purpose.....until......

"SAK!!!"Rainoric reached out his hand and yelled. One of Jurina's Zombies bit Sakura in the neck, blood gushing out of her nape and Black Dust began to infect her.

"Hiya!"the voice of a young Vanoran yelled. It was Belisarius. Now able to properly ride a horse and balancing himself while sitting on it, galloped with his horse through the zombie horder while leading the Tagmata Calvalry and hewed and trampled any zombie that was unfortunate enough to be in his way. With his sword held high on his hand, he decapitated the zombie that was biting Sakura. Rainoric then rushed in forcefully removed the severed head that sunk its teeth on Sakura. Blood began to pool over the box while it violently shook by Jurina as Rainoric struggles to stop the bleeding.

"S***! Help me dammnit over here!"Rainoric cried for help.

Sakura stared to Rain's voided eyes, Dust was exhaling out of his body in a rapid rate as the stress of battle is getting into him.

"R---r------n....... am........I.....dying?"Sakura choked blood, her eyes were reddened and bloodied tears fell down on her beautiful eyes.

"No....no....don't die on me now!"Rainoric yelled at Sakura. He knew that if the bleeding isn't stopped her and now, Sakura will die and most likely become another Black Dust Mage. If a zombie infected with Black Dust is unlikely to bite a Dust sensitive person. That person will become another ruthless and nihlistic Black Dust Mage. Rainoric had to put both of his hands at sakura to block the bleeding but it left Jurina who was still inside the box unsecured and she violently pushed up the box causing Rain to fall down.

Knocked back a few meters and falling behind his back Rainoric was infuriated.

"No...No...No! This is wrong, its supposed to go....right...No....No....NNNOOO!!!" His frustration turned to anger as he rubbed Sakura's blood on his face downwards. He stood up amongst the chaos of the battle, everyone was busy fighting the zombies and Sakura lay on top of the box bleeding out and already staring in the face of death as the box continued to shake as Jurina tried with the last of her sapping strength to get out.

White Dust formed around Rainoric as his hands glowed pure white. He then 'unsheathed' the power his family has always had for millenias. The Exalted Blade shined the dreary battlefield like the sunrise after the darkest of nights. Rena stared in awe of the very weapon that she was defeated back in Vanoran. It was a rare sight to see it again in her lifetime.

"I......SAID.......ENOUGH!!!"Rainoric roared. His voice sounded like two completely different people, a man and a woman.

He charged straight to Sakura and the box and impaled 'Exalted Blade' into Sakura's chest and also to Jurina inside the box. Rainoric glowed fully white like a celestial being as the White Dust pierced through Sakura, the box and the trapped Jurina. Sakura's eyes began to glow as white as the Salian prince and she let out a great roar causing a blinding light to explode the entire battleground that vanquished all the zombies and pacified Jurina. The White light covered the entire island and when it struck the Broken Lords from Wulfgar, Carrick, Miroslaw, Vlado to even Rena who has a soul of a Broken Lord in her fell on their knees and went limp like a marionette lying on the ground with no hand to control it.

And just as soon as that happened, Rainoric's 'Exalted Blade' of White Dust dissipated leaving him exhausted and he fell down on top of Sakura, who's bite wound was now healed but her eyes glowed from right to left respectively Black and White. The Black Dust that got into her body was still slowly killing her but the extra supplement of White Dust kept at bay for now.

"Master!"Heinrich yelled followed by Belisarius and the other non-Broken Lords, they quickly picked up the bodies of their masters and comrades back to the shipyard.

(To be continued)

*they will be one with the earth: a Gimaelic death proverb. It is that the deceased wear green or white on his funeral depending on the climate, season and location. Their clothes in order to rest properly would have to match the colour of the ground.