Gargoyles—despite their demonic appearance were a race of creatures that were a form of chimeras created by the angels. Their purpose was to protect the church and serve the priests. For years they guarded the holy house of God and drove out any sinners who intended to harm it. However, in this modern era, gargoyles are rarely seen in churches due to them becoming more ferocious and hard to control.

But Aeron’s church was different. The strange priest was the master of two powerful gargoyles whose magical powers were unbelievable to behold. The male gargoyle was Ojorr, a battle-crazed manic and the female gargoyle was Gnavu who was more calm and gentle.

Ojorr smiled like a deranged person while Gnavu turned away shyly.

“It has been far too long my friend Baxter!” Ojorr shouted cheerfully. “You must come down to the church more often!”

“Like hell, I will if that’s how you two are going to greet me! The first time me and Iris came to this broken down place you attacked us!”

Ojorr's response was a booming laugh that made the whole room shake.

“I remember! That was such an exciting battle! Your skills with the sword were commendable!”

“S-sorry about him,” Gnavu said in a quiet voice. “Fighting people is Ojorr’s way of introducing himself…”

“So trying to cut our heads off with a giant sword is this man’s way of introducing himself!? Damn psycho!”

“Of course!” Ojorr chuckled. “How else can I engage with others? I am a Warrior of God and I must satisfy my existence with blood!”

I grumbled in frustration as I watched Ojorr continue to laugh manically and try his best to stand in a sort of cool pose.

“As we all share the same breath let us dance with death to heighten the value of our lives!”

Those were the first words Ojorr said to be when we first met.

Around the first week when me and Iris moved to Eleiweth, we toured around the whole city and came across Aeron’s church. The moment we entered Ojorr descended from the ceiling and engaged us both in battle. Iris and I struggled against the male gargoyle and the fight was going to get more intense until Gnavu and Aeron stepped him to stop it.

But at that moment in the secret room, I was alone as Ojorr and Gnavu summoned their weapons into their hands and approached me with murderous intent.

“H-hold on!” I shouted while waving my hands in a panic. “I-I don’t have a weapon! I’m supposed to fight you both bare-handed!?”

Ojorr shrugged.

“I see no problem with that.”

“I do!” I retorted. “I’m a Null! At least give me a weapon!”

I turned over to Aeron was standing idly while humming to himself.

“Do not worry my child…Summoning Magic: The White Needle…”

Appearing on the ground right next to me was a small circle portal that gleamed with a blinding white light. Levitating out of the portal was a long sword decorated in a gorgeous white sheath and coated in golden attachments.

“Holy crap!” 

I shouted as I gazed at the beautiful sword.

“Language child,” Aeron chastised me. “This is the House of God.”

The priest then picked up the long sword and held it out towards me.

“This is the sword of Sir Mordecai, a Holy Knight who has defended Eleiweth from any evils of the world. He has been returned to the Lord two years ago due to illness. My church was a second home to Mordecai which he visited every Sunday. After his passing the members of his family gave me his sword for safekeeping.

“They felt nothing but grief when seeing the holy blade being hung in his empty quarters.  I accepted the request from the mourning family and have since kept it safe.”

The blindfolded priest gently grabbed my left hand and placed the White Needle on it. The blade felt very heavy the bones in my hand feeling like they would snap like twigs from merely holding it.

“W-woah!”

The weight was too much for me so I nearly dropped the holy weapon. But I quickly reached out with my other hand and caught it before it could hit the floor.

As I was struggling to lift the blade, Aeron continued his explanation about it.

“The White Needle was crafted by the greatest dwarven blacksmiths who used twenty-shards of mithril gems. After it was finished the previous priest of this church, my master, blessed the sword with holy water. Thanks to the blessings of God the White Needle was imbued with great powers that would strike down any unholy enemy!”

I unsheathed the White Needle the blade was large and let off a glow similar to a shooting star in the night sky. There were also small clouds that surrounded the blade itself as if it were a tower that was resting in the very heavens.

“Wield it well…”

“Are you done yapping Master?”

Ojorr said aloud while yawning.

“O-Ojorr! Don’t be disrespectful!”

Gnavu scolded her male partner while stomping her foot.

I smirked as I got into my battle stance. Not in the style of Terra Form but in the ways of the Tortoise.

“Ready when you are!”

Ojorr grinned while Gnavu looked away shyly.

“Alrighty!”

Ojorr placed his greatsword on his shoulder.

“Let the battle begin!!”

Instantly, Ojorr and Gnavu disappeared from where they stood. The two were flying around the room so fast only leaving behind images of where they a seconds ago. As their wings flapped they mimicked the deafening sound of loud thunder on a stormy night. I was tempted to cover my ears to avoid the pain of the booming volume but I endured it and held out the White Needle.

“Those two are getting serious right from the start!? Give me a break!”

I readied myself as I felt the intense wind pressure from their wings blowing against me. In a split second, I saw the image of Ojorr appear right in front of me and instantly swung the White Needle with a downward motion. The attack did not hit as Ojorr vanished from my sight.

Gnavu also did the same thing. She appeared right next to me and I tried to get her but just like Ojorr, I couldn’t. The first half of the battle was just me swinging the longsword while looking at a child playing with a bat.

There was a method to my madness though. I was swinging to hit my opponents but to get my arms used to the heavy weapon. After my tenth swing, my muscles were able to adjust to the changes.

“Are you ready friend!?”

Ojorr shouted as he dived towards me. He wore a wide grin as he readied his sword for a powerful slash attack.

I stood my ground and grumbled.

“Finally done flying around like a bunch of dirty flies!? Hurry over here so I can beat your ass!”

The male gargoyle sucked in a lot of air and screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Gravity Magic: The Force of God!”

Ojorr then held out his free right hand which emitted a strong forceful pull. My body was lifted from the floor and attracted towards the male gargoyle as if I were a magnet. 

“I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA START WITH THAT MOVE YOU FREAKIN’ JERK!!”

I howled at the gargoyle while I flew towards him. Despite my body moving against me I still managed to lift my arms and counter Ojorr’s sword with my own.

The magic affinity of gravity was a powerful one that was derived from the earth's affinity. The skill to control the foundations of the earth itself. Many great mages who wielded this affinity were recorded in history as Earth Shifters, ones who have changed the structures of Ocaleveth itself.

“Nice counter friend! Now for the next one—Gravity Magic: The Otherside of the World!”

The room turned upside down as if it was an hourglass and I started to fall from the floor that was the ceiling to the ceiling that had become the floor. As I was descending, Ojorr flew to me and tried to slice me in half. I fought back and the gargoyle engaged in an intense sword fight as we fell. However, my attacks were easily parried since it was difficult to fight at my best while falling. 

Ojorr strikes were heavy to the point that after every attack I felt like the bones in my arms were shattering like glass. 

Seconds later, I quickly noticed I was inching closer to the ground/ceiling and to avoid any major damage I rolled to soften the blow. I got up and immediately attacked Ojorr with a high jump mixed with a downward swing.

The gargoyle blocked me easily and the two of us began to push against each other with all our strength. Ojorr smiled crazily like a hungry toddler who was just given their favorite meal.

“That’s the spirit, my friend!”

I aimed my sword at Ojorr’s stomach but the gargoyle anticipated such a move and jumped backwards. Refusing to even give him a second to breathe, I charged at the one-eyed beast with a flurry of slashes.

Sadly, each of my hits either parried or blocked which frustrated me. Near my wit's end, I grabbed the gargoyle by his shoulder and head-butted him.

Ojorr groaned in pain as he clutched his forehead and eye. I took the chance to try and swing at the monster but instantly found myself to be tied up.

“W-what!?”

I had forgotten that I was fighting two enemies.

Using her whip, Gnavu wrapped me up and pulled me over towards her. Despite her slim appearance she had strength that could over ten big muscled men. 

As I was forcefully pulled towards her, Gnavu palmed me right in my stomach which made me feel like my insides imploded.

I released a cup size worth of salvia from my mouth after the strike and desperately tried to regain my normal breathing patterns. But Gnavu was cruel and proceeded to kick me away with great force and then pull me back with her whip. The moment I got close to her she would palm in the stomach with all her strength again. From afar the scene would’ve resembled a game of paddle ball. Gnavu was the paddle and I was the poor ball.

After the twelfth or twentieth hit, Gnavu had stopped and quickly released from her whip. But immediately after she then used the very same whip to slap me down to the floor as if I was a fly. As my battered body bounced off the wooden ground like a rubber ball Ojorr appeared right before and kneed me in the back.

“This is great! This is a BATTLE!!!”

The insane gargoyle then used his leg to launch me into the air and started to charge up another magical attack. Purple smoke came out of his greatsword and his one eye started to glow like an intense flame.

“Gravity Magic: Uranus’s Palm!”

The purple aura fired off from the blade and flew towards me like a hawk. I quickly recovered in the air and blocked the magical attack with the White Needle. The instant the light touched the blade it was absorbed into it.

After seeing that I was left completely shocked.

“This sword…can absorb magic?”

“Indeed.”

Aeron called out to me, answering my question despite being so far away.

“The White Needle is a holy blade that absorbs mana. Because you are a Forsaken you are unable to unleash the sword’s full capabilities, but its basic function is still in effect. However, do not let your guard down! That sword will not save you from those two for long!”

As the priest was talking to me I could see both Ojorr and Gnavu coming at me.

“I already know, you asshole of a priest!”