CHPT 451: A Story of HellSlaying

Following the madness that occurred upon The Red Knights entrance, an investigation of sorts began. Although it was more like public discourse over Claude and Ursula. Over what had happened, and where could he start other than the beginning….

He stood at the center of the backend of the Library. The Detectives backed Rory and his sons on one end. They stared bullets through him as he shifted comfortably in his cuffs. Ursula stood beside him as an alibi to the entire event being that she was part of it. And that's how it all began.

"Why don't you start from the top for us, Claude." Headmaster Alaric said.

Claude hated public speaking, but there was never a more important time to do it correctly.

"Everyone goes to Isaac's on the weekends—"

"Why?" Det. Mixus interrupted.

"For the same reason why all this happened— can I tell the damn story?"

The Detectives silenced, the Library got a bit hotter for a moment.

"I'll start further back. Almost half a year ago I killed a Plated Snake with Ursula and Warren at the C.S Academy of the Angelo's District. During that fight I was Reborn. The snake was different— it almost killed my group— including me. I got lucky."

"And how was the snake different?" Headmaster questioned.

"It was HellBred." Claude explained.

Some of the newer Detectives grunted to stifle shocked gasps and sighs. The Librarian at the front failed to do the same.

"I'm assuming it never made it to the paper because a group of fifteen year olds skinning a giant demon snake sounds about as far removed from reality as possible. And even if the media would love a story like that, the hysteria it would cause could be disastrous. So, we were alone, and that's why we stuck together." Claude explained.

"Even up to this point?" The darker skinned Detective with crescent swords from before asked.

"That's how HellBreeders work." Claude started, "If you kill their offspring you're marked and they send more after you."

Silence fell as members of the Detectives thought it over.

"My mother can send source material in support of those claims…. Not that ya'll need it." Isaac said flatly.

"Continue." Headmaster said.

"So, we started doing Tangents at the University every Friday. Two times a HellBred creature was inside with us. The HellBreeder followed. We were ready every time— just barely. I stopped trying to tell the Professors at that point. I was idiotic— I still am in a lot of ways. It was personal by that point. I was already on the dark trail." Claude explained.

"The dark trail?" Headmaster Alaric was smart. He was pulling as much information as he could out of Claude to keep them immersed in the events instead of their implications and validity.

"As we all know from historical texts, Demons feed on the negative. They enjoy pain, fear, disgust….. hate. They siphon that from the ones that kill their offspring. HellBreeders are vindictive and they try to draw out their revenge over months…. Years. They want to run you down and ragged by sending more HellBred after your first kill until you end up with nothing. Then they come. The dark trail is when you willingly go down that path to reach the HellBreeder intentionally."

"And you went down that path?" Headmaster questioned.

"That's what led the HellBreeder to our doorstep. It didn't start out intentional… I wasn't exactly thirsting for it. But yea."

"How did it know where you were?" One of the Detectives asked.

"I don't know. How did it know where to send its children?" Claude replied.

"You're supposed to tell us." Det. Mixus replied.

"Well, I can't. All the information I have on them is in this Library and from my experience. "

"What was your experience. Tell us how you ripped apart a HellBreeder….. one of the most terrifying variants of Demonkind." The crescent bladed Detective asked.

A subtle hint that the Detective read the Enforcers report following the fight firsthand. Claude hadn't read it but he could only guess it was a retelling of what remained. A smashed HellBreeder locked inside of a massive tree missing its spine and head. There were probably multiple mentions of varying paw prints. Fur from varying species and unidentifiable blood samples.

"I don't really remember too much. What I do know is we weren't its only target. When it came to us, it was already in bad shape. Missing an arm…." Claude stammered when he noticed Rory Legrand suddenly begin to pay serious attention.

"Right or left." The Red Knight questioned.

"I don't really remember." Claude's brain scattered to understand what the Red Knight knew. Sure, maybe he'd fought a HellBreeder but that was unlikely. Part of why Ronin was so respected was because he'd fought against the last wave. Demons were most common in the Kumataiyo Isles. But Rory wasn't born there. His sudden interest was…. Odd.

"Don't fuck with me, thief. Right or left."

Claude steadied himself.

"Left." Ursula answered for him.

"Was it anywhere in the area— the arm?"

Ursula shook her head.

"Speak, child!"Rory yelled.

"No. no it wasn't. If you listened to Claude you'd know he said it came to us already injured."

"I listen to no enemy of mine."

"You're embarassing." Ursula's thoughts entered Claudes mind. He agreed.

The Red Knight swallowed in the silence. He waved at the Detectives for them to continue.

"Ursula, when did you join the fight?"

"I woke up to use the bathroom and noticed Claude was missing. He sometimes goes out at night. He likes being outside with Frosty— his brother. Sometimes I join them if I'm up. That time I found him fighting the HellBreeder, so I joined."

"That simple, huh?" Rory sounded angrier.

"Yea, that simple. I fight for my people." Ursula shot back.

Claude worked to calm her through their mental linking as the Headmaster tried to get them back on track.

Det. Mixus were never off track though. And seemingly never immersed in the story in the way the Headmaster desired. The only talker of the two ran a hand through her short white hair as she spoke, "This doesn't explain entirely how you survived. Interviews with your class post disappearance show every student in terms of level is very early Bronze level. Not even Level Ten. With that in mind even if the Demon was injured, your chance of death is well over seventy percent."

Claude didn't falter, "Killing the HellBred snake and the following creatures after was an EXP jump. It put me ahead. My group also killed most of the Bosses in the first few Tangents."

"And the HellBred just happened to be the right level?" One of the Detectives questioned.

"It didn't want me dead right away, it wanted to drag me down. Also SkyHaven's median Monster level isn't all that high." Claude explained. Prof. Alvis nodded in agreement.

"Ok, so what happened after. I mean after you killed the HellBreeder?" Headmaster Alaric asked.

"Well…"

***

Suddenly the part of the story he'd trained and rehearsed the most for was in full effect. This was the portion he had to lie the most on because every aspect of events following the HellBreeder kill was entirely based around the fact that he wasn't human. So he adjusted. He told them he barely defeated the HellBreeder. Ursula was dying in his arms…. He wasn't far behind. From fighting and blood loss he was dazed. He wandered trying to find help in such a state and only walked further from immediate safety.

He explained how he woke up a day later in a forest covered in bandages and feeling a pain he didn't think was possible. A traveling Grove of Druids found them at the border of the Vada District. The group that helped them went by the names Roland and Layla. The only Druids he knew of were Rollan and Lilith. One was a super powered governmental elf hybrid experiment, and the other was a shape shifting Witch that left with a Vampire. He had to improvise even further.

It was there that he healed up and watched over Ursula. During that time, he started getting to know the Druids and even found himself as an apprentice while he waited amongst them. For evidence he showed them his Druidic Markings.

And once Ursula was back to full health, they left for the nearest city where Cassidy found them on their way to find directions. He heard their story and decided to take them to SkyHaven. Along the way he started to believe them. After all, if Ursula was kidnapped that would've been the time to spill the beans.

After Claude explained everything, Cassidy's backup of his claims solidified everything. His badge added a serious level of credibility to everything. A level he needed more than anything. Even so.

"Bullshit."

The Red Knight interrupted.

"This didn't happen." He continued, bulldozing over Prof. Alvis as he explained Claude and Ursula's possibility of survival, bringing up theories of Secondary Rebirths, the Anabolic Effects of Monster tissue due to the magic within and other intelligent ideas born over case after case of Slayer advancement throughout history.

"B-bu—"

"Shut the hell up, you sad excuse of a man."

Prof. Alvis silenced, for the first time in over an hour. He'd been spouting theories and ideas like an Autobow made of lightning. The man was so excited it was frightening. At least that used to be the case.

Headmaster Alaric spoke up, "Mr. Legrand, at this point there is overwhelming evidence to validate their claims. Your Detectives have been offered to poke holes many times. What can lead you to thinking this is all still wrong?"

Rory's jaw clenched as he adjusted himself in his seat, "You don't have the power….. and that's how I know you didn't kill the HellBreeder. Everything else after has to be false as a result. I don't know what you did, but this is all false. You don't have it, boy…. And neither do you, child." He aimed his bright green eyes at Ursula.

"What the hell..." Claude thought.

"[The power, Claude. He knows about HellSlayers.]"

Ursula with all her quick acting intelligence took a step forward as if to show him just that. But for some reason Claude made her stop. Maybe it was his odd reaction to the HellBreeders missing arm and the fact that he knew about it despite the absence of Demons for hundreds of years. Maybe it was something else. Call it intuition. But he wouldn't put Ursula out there until he was sure.

Himself though? Sure.

Ursula hesitated and moved over as Claude's spit green flames from a crack that formed in the middle of his chest like the emergence of a Tangent. Energy spilled and gained form until his HellSlaying Hound landed on the Library floor.

Despite having no physical eyes, it looked Rory dead in the face and let out a crocodilian hiss.

The Library fell silent.

"The last step of the dark trail is either dying by or killing the HellBreeder. Since it was killed, all the skill and experience I gained from fighting off its children came to me as the HellSlayer power. So yes, I do have it. Because it did happen."