RAIWAN AGAINST THE DIVINE

Chapter 7: The Unseen Warriors

Lisa was a supreme-ranked Divinant—a rank considered attainable only by the most fortunate, hardworking, and gifted individuals.

Reaching this pinnacle granted her immense privileges, along with every advantage of the ranks before it: status, overwhelming strength, uncanny abilities, heightened senses, extraordinary vitality, reason-defying beauty, and countless other enhancements.

Of course, Lisa had always been beautiful—dazzlingly so, even at birth. But as she ascended the Divinant ranks, undergoing the body sculpting and refinement they entailed, her beauty evolved into something far beyond ordinary.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Lisa resorted to potions to dull her appearance.

They worked—though only to a limited extent. But even a slight reduction was better than none.

However, the potent energy radiating from powerful armor often interfered with the magic of lesser artifacts.

Lisa's armor was no exception. Its power undid the effects of her potions, allowing her unmasked beauty to shine once more.

Rahiq swallowed hard. 'Damn… I missed this.'

"Stop drooling and get dressed, man," she teased.

Sighing, he obeyed, donning a magnificent battle suit.

"I missed yours too," she added playfully, making him frown.

With a scoff, he severed their mind link to regain some privacy and spare himself further embarrassment.

Once ready, they stepped out of their home and into a kingdom that looked eerily deserted, as though no soul had ever resided there. A few people lingered in the streets, but all were heading in the same direction.

As Lisa and Rahiq walked, nearly everyone they passed stole glances at them.

Each time someone met their gaze, they froze for a moment before looking away, whispering hurriedly to their companions.

Without a word, Lisa and Rahiq followed the crowd toward the eastern gate of the kingdom.

---

The kingdom of San Raza was encircled by towering walls that stretched high into the sky, their colossal presence both awe-inspiring and intimidating. They stood as an impenetrable barrier, shielding the city from invaders.

Beyond the walls, sprawling landscapes provided San Raza with its bounty during the brief month of spring—one of the only two months the land was fertile before the harsh five-month drought returned.

Now, with spring in full bloom, the farmers had labored tirelessly to cultivate the land.

And now, they would witness the destruction of their hard work with their own eyes.

Not that it mattered.

They were all going to die anyway.

---

"This is pointless! Not even the king or his army can stand against the Lords. What makes them think we have a chance?"

"So you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"I heard the Lords declared that they would kill everyone—old men, children, everyone. Maybe the king knows there's no hope for negotiation, so he wants us to die with honor."

…

"Tsk!"

"What's wrong?"

"This."

"This what?"

"I know we're doomed. These Lords won't spare a single soul. But must we struggle in death as well? I'd rather die in bed than fight a hopeless battle. We should just let them kill us."

"For gods' sake, why must we suffer even while dying?

Look at me! I'm already exhausted and sweating under this merciless sun," he grumbled.

His companion stared at him in shock, mouth agape.

Someone actually wanted to die like this?

…

"Listen, Eitha, when the battle begins, everything will descend into chaos. Nowhere will be safe except behind me. So… stay close, no matter what. Do you understand?"

Eitha nodded, signaling her silent agreement.

All around them, similar conversations took place. Some among the crowd were seasoned warriors, others had never held a weapon. Some possessed supernatural abilities, while many did not.

Yet, two things were the same in everyone's hearts and faces:

They were all terrified.

And they all knew they were going to die.

There was no hope.

---

Lisa walked beside Rahiq, a deep frown on her face.

"Don't you find all of this strange?" she asked.

"Yes. These people marching to the battlefield without resistance. I suspect an artifact is compelling them," Rahiq replied.

"Artifacts like that should be rare in places like this… It must be a relic, then," Lisa mused.

"The Lords of Naif must be incredibly patient—or generous—to be waiting for everyone to gather like this," she added shortly after.

"Yes. If you want a massacre without a single escapee, you need patience. This way, no soul will slip through the cracks. How foolish of the king," Rahiq muttered, shaking his head.

Their conversation continued as they neared the towering kingdom walls and the battlefield beyond them.

Royal Knights stood at the gates, directing the people into orderly lines. Strangely, no one resisted.

In the queues stood men and women of all ages—some clad in battle armor, others in ordinary clothes. All were armed, whether with their own weapons or those provided by the royal knights.

When Lisa and Rahiq arrived at the grim scene, silence fell.

Every knight and citizen momentarily froze, captivated by Lisa's beauty.

For a few stunned moments, they could do nothing but stare.

Then, one of the Royal Knights hesitantly beckoned for Lisa and Rahiq to join a line.

Lisa knew causing a commotion would be unwise.

So instead, she released a mere fraction of her aura—a wave of fear, death, and overwhelming pressure that slammed into the knights like a tidal force.

They trembled, terror gripping every fiber of their being.

Frozen in place, they watched in silence as Lisa and Rahiq passed, their instincts screaming that these two were not to be trifled with.

Only after the couple vanished from sight did the knights finally exhale, relieved to be free of that suffocating aura.

---

On the battlefield, murmurs spread through the gathered crowd.

"Gods… Who are they?"

"I… I don't know. But that woman—she's too beautiful. She must be a maiden from paradise."

…

"The gods have remembered us."

"Han, are those gods?"

"No… I don't think so. But that woman—she must be an angel, sent by the gods to help us."

"And the man?"

"The man? He's obviously her husband. But she—she's certainly a maiden of paradise."

"A maiden? I thought maidens weren't powerful."

"I don't know about that. But a maiden is still a maiden. Maybe she'll just walk up to the Lords, smile at them, and tell them to let us behead them."

The other man nodded as if that actually made sense.

…

"Hey, isn't that Lisa and her husband? What was his name again?"

One man nudged his companion.

The other's eyes widened. "Gods! Now that you mention it… I swear it's them!"

"But she looks even more stunning. Do you think a magician enhanced her beauty?"

A third man, overhearing the conversation, interjected.

"No. I think she's a powerful Divinant. Some of them suppress their beauty to avoid unwanted attention."

"A Divinant?" the first man echoed, confused.

"But why would someone like her work as a palace cleaner?"

"…Cleaner?" The third man was equally baffled.

…

Meanwhile, Lisa and Rahiq reached the frontmost lines, where the king, the prince, and the royal officials stood.

They immediately recognized the couple—palace cleaners, or so they had believed. Now, suspicion gripped them.

Had these two been hiding their true power all along?

The air grew heavy. The crowd hushed.

The king felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Who is she? Who is she really?

The question echoed in his mind, accompanied by a memory.

The day he had tried to force Lisa into divorcing her husband…

And the terror that followed.

Now, standing before her once again, the fear resurfaced.

The battlefield fell into an eerie, suffocating silence.