Prologue End
"Is this it?"
"Yup! I can smell it.. Sniff Sniff.. It's in there, Nya~"
I reach for the small wooden box with a black frame around its edges sitting atop a pedestal.
"I still don't see why he had to store it in here." I open it.
The reflection of the red torches along its shiny red surface shines into my eyes.
"Are you serious?" I look at the red rock the size of a mouse inside the box.
"Go ahead then, touch it.." Lucifer nudges my shoulder. "I dare you.."
"NO DON'T MASTER!!" Astal grips onto my wrist. "Y-you saw what it did to Felthoven! I-I don't wanna see what will happen to you too.." She shoots me a puppy gaze.
"But Alek.. don't you want Infinite knowledge?" Lucifer gazes into my soul.
"I thought only one person can claim it?" I look at its red texture.
"You have to remember, Alek. None besides Felthoven have touched the stone." Lucifer's dark pink eyes shine back to me from the reflection on its shiny surface. "Are you really going to believe his twisted little claim that states only one soul can bind to it?"
"She does make a valid point Nyah~" Dysma chews on another fish corpse.
"Have you two gone mad?!" Astal looks at Lucifer. "What's going to happen to you when your host goes insane?? Huh Satan?? Can you really stomach that idea?! Tell me!!" She clutches her fists.
"Hmm.. perhaps you are correct in assuming I won't get upset from watching him lose his head..."
"T-then.."
"But.. I will admit he will be of greater use to me if he acquires the knowledge and tells me what I want to know.." She gives a sadistic and devious smile.
"You... you're evil.." Astal narrows her sky-blue eyes.
"Hmm? What~? Do you think I don't have my own motives and reasons, Astal? Don't be such a ridiculous little girl now. If that were the case, I would have never fallen from grace, you should know that~"
"But.. master.."
"Still as inhumane and cruel as I remember ya, Lucy. CHOMP CHOMP"
"Oh relax, both of you!" Her smile widens. "I only say those things because I already know my dear host can withstand the Stone's corruption. You agree, Alek~?"
"Huh."
"Master.." Astal turns me away and pulls me off the side barely away from Lucifer thanks to the chain binding her to me, then whispers. "You get it, right..? That.. demon.." We both look over to Lucifer, who just waves at us elegantly. "She's using you.. she doesn't care about you at all.. she just wants to fulfill her own goals, she's irredeemable..."
"Uh huh."
"W-what? Master.. please, I need you to take this seriously.. What's going to happen when Lucifer fulfills her goals? Are you prepared to watch her discard you? Are you, master?"
"That won't be happening."
"You don't know that master!!" She reaches up grabs my shoulders and shakes me repeatedly. "You don't know if she'll just consume your soul when you've served your purpose to her.. Please.. don't let her control you.. don't touch the stone.."
"Astal."
"Please, master!"
"You're overthinking it, you need to chill ou-"
"Master.. please..."
"I really need you to calm do-"
"..Please..."
"Astal." I place my hand on her head. "You're overthinking it. Lucifer's a real nut case, but I don't really see her as the type to just ditch me when it's all over."
"Master I told you! You don't know th-"
"But there is one thing I do know. And that's the fact that when it's all over, it won't be the end, It will only open the door to something new for me. And that's what drives me, it's all I have. To see and experience something new. I live my life to experience new, to see the result of my decisions and how it affected everything around me, even if it ends up turning into a real drag, getting to witness something new at the end of it all is enough for me. I'm a simple creature, I do things for the hell of it. For the hell of seeing something new."
"But.." She clutches at my hand on her head.
"I'll just leave it at that. Explaining more will just be a drag." Since coming to this world, I got to see and do new things. And that's all I've ever wished for. I much prefer this life over my previous lame one. And if touching this stone will open a new door to something new, then I'm all in for it.
"Finished?" Lucifer watches me and Astal return with a devious smile on her face.
"Pretty much. Astal's a real worry wart is all."
"M-master!"
"Did'ya talk about all the fishies you'd fish for me when we head back out Nyah?"
"Yeah." I approach the wooden box.
"REALLY NYAH~?"
"No."
"Go on Alek...touch the stone.." Lucifer stands behind me, her hands grabbing onto my shoulders. "Do it~ Touch the stone~ Do it~ Go~ Hurry~ Hurry~ Hurry~!
"Well hold on there, eager McBieber." I reach into the box, and my finger makes contact onto the red surface.
"MASTER NO!"
*dingggg...*
My vision goes white for a second, before it returns.
"Huh?"
Astal is standing in front of me with panic in her eyes, and it looks like she's saying things to me. Things that I can't even hear because of the loud ringing in my ears.
"The heck are you saying dude."
The ringing immediately stops after Lucifer grabs onto my shoulder. "Well?" She looks into my eyes.
"Well... what?"
"Hmm~ See Astal? He's fine~ Our master is quite the strong one spiritually..."
"B-but... he was zoned out for ten whole seconds.."
"Ten?" I only felt out of it for about one second though, that's kind of weird.
But I saw something in that one second.
It looked like a person was sitting in an empty field, and the background looked red.
"You still with us Nya~?" Dysma waves a fish corpse in front of my face.
"Don't do that." I close the box and hold on to it.
"So, Alek? Feeling any... smarter?" Lucifer asks, an anticipated smile on her face.
"Uhh.. test me."
"Hmm... how many fingers am I holding up?" She pulls me close and hides her right hand behind my head.
"Hmm.. three."
"Oh well, it seems Felthoven was correct..." She sighs.
"She's holding up one finger Nya~"
"It's a little too late for that."
"No matter, it seems we get to be together till the end of time after all," She pulls my face close to her chest in a tight embrace. "..Alek~"
"S-stop!" Astal gets in between and pulls us apart.
"Now what? Chomp"
"Now... we go outside. Like right now."
"But how are we supposed to find the exit?" Astal looks around the small chamber.
"Up there maybe, Nya~?" Dysma points to a large broken wall and onto a slope that leads up, a faint bright light shines down.
"Oh." I guess the range of that Sin blast wasn't as short as I thought it was.
.
.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
It was actually way bigger than I thought it was.
"Oh." I look up at the snow mountains off in the background.
Well, what remains of them.
They've all been sliced in half.
And the surrounding snow on the ground has been melted, now replaced with wet black grass.
Also the large typhoon in the sky is gone, the surrounding clouds above have been pierced, and they have a slight faint red tint to them slowly fading.
"No more using Sin energy master!!"
"What? It wasn't me."
"Liar, FuFu~" Lucifer pats my back as we reach the top of the slope and back up to the surface, the light of the morning sun shining down, the moon still visible.
"I'm all out of fish bones... go get me some more Nya!!" Dysma punches and claws at my back repeatedly.
"H-hey! Don't bully master!" Astal also throws small punches onto Dysma's back repeatedly.
"Bahahaha~" Lucifer just watches me get abused.
"D-dude stop! The hell is your prob-"
"Found you."
We all stop and look ahead and onto some old dude with a golden crown slowly walking towards us, his cape brushing behind him from the snowy wind.
"Uh oh.."
"What?"
"So.. he's finally showed himself, hmm?" Lucifer watches his long gray hair swaying with the wind.
"He sure has gotten old, huh Nya~?"
"Cut the shit and tell me who that is."
"Master.. that's.."
"I finally get to see you after fifteen years, Devil.. and Lucifer." The old dude stops and looks at us one by one.
"Well! You sure have.. aged since the last time I saw you, Third King of Luthran." Lucifer pulls me close and wraps her arm around me. "Have you come to greet heaven's perpetrator, hm?"
"Wait that's him?"
"Hmm..." He looks at all of us. "It appears what the Stone bearer said was fact. You showed yourself here in Azula, fifteen years later." He looks over to me.
"Listen man, I didn't want to, kay?" I already know how this confrontation is gonna go, and this guy must be cruising for a bruising.
"So? If you're not here to say hello, what brings you over, King Luthran?" Lucifer pulls me closer to her chest like she's my god damn mother pulling me off the side of the street.
"You will fall here, Satan." Four shining golden swords appear above his head, aimed straight at me.
"Whoa whoa, no need to resort to that, come on now, we've only just met!" I try to de-escalate this new encounter. I want to at least know why he wants me dead.
Well, besides me being heaven's enemy or whatever.
Of which I never asked to be.
"I already know what you are, boy." The swords above his head start to glow brighter. "I only wish I've dealt with you sooner, when you were but a child."
"Now that's just cold." Who does this old man think he is wanting to kill a child? I'll sucker punch him. "Wait how did you know I became like this the moment I was born? You're starting to sound super creepy."
"Boo!! Meanie! Creep! Delinquent! Nya!" Dysma shouts, giving a thumbs down.
"You... do not demand answers from me!"
*ZzzzING*
The four golden swords get launched before they explode after coming in contact with Lucifer's hand after she just cached them.
"Ouch.. that stinged, you know?" She shakes her hand as if she's extinguishing a flame, steam emanating from her hand.
"Your unholy soul will be cleansed here and now." Six more golden swords appear above him.
"Alright alright... looks like negotiating is off the table." I look over to Lucifer, who just looks back at me with a wink.
"So what do we do? Do we just...fight him?" Astal looks up at me, her black bow on her head swaying with the wind.
"I guess." I scratch the back of my head.
"Okayy~" Dysma raises her hand and shoots a black shadowy arrow at him.
*PFWOO*
It leaves behind a black trail as it travels at a high speed, way faster than any magic arrow I've seen.
"Hm." The King intercepts it with one of his golden swords as they make contact in a small bright yellow and black explosion.
The black shockwave travels and passes through him, which makes the other five swords disappear.
"Whoa. The heck happened?"
"Black magic, master. It can nullify all other types of magic, and that includes miracles."
"Uh huh Nya~" Dysma shoots another black arrow at him, but he disappears in a bright yellow light before it could hit, then reappears above us with a golden glowing great sword in his hand.
"You pesky little devil cat."
*PWSHIING*
He plunges in a bright yellow explosion.
"H-hey! Be nice Nya!" Dysma yells after we were teleported on a glowing green platform that she summoned above him.
"Hmm... You will have to lend me assistance after all." He says as the golden sword in his hand disappears, then looking over to the snow forest to the right, then summoning six more golden swords.
"Alek..." A man I recognize all too well emerges, his brown vintage coat swaying behind him, the golden cross necklace around his neck wobbling, and his silver great sword holstered on his back. "I'm sorry..." He reaches for his sword over his shoulder and starts walking towards the King.
"Oh, it's old man Lux. Where've you been?"
"..." He remains silent, a guilty look plastered on his face.
"Hey come on, do I deserve the silent treatment now?"
"Alek." Lucifer grabs my shoulder. "We have to kill them both, or we will get separated." She looks at me, an apprehensive smile on her face. "And I don't want that." She brings her hands onto my cheeks and squeezes them together. "So give it your all, okayy~?"
"Gvvet Vurr Vandss Ovv mee Vuciferr"
"Okay okay.." She lets go off me.
Why did she even do that?
"Wait what do you mean 'Separated'?" I rub on both my cheeks.
"That man has a close connection with 'God'. He plans to separate my soul from yours and destroy both of us." She smiles as she looks over to him and onto the swords glowing brighter. "And you wouldn't want to get detached from me now, would you~?" She brings her right hand up and starts to pinch my cheek. "After all, we've been through soo much together.. and there's plenty more places I want to travel with you~" She lets go. "So, it would be a shame if we ceased from existing here, hm~?"
"I guess so." I look down at Lux looking up at me with the same guilty face. It really has been a long minute since I last saw him. It's gonna suck if I have to actually fight him to the death, but oh well.
"Lucifer."
"Mhm~" She nods and brings her right hand onto mine, before entwining her fingers around mine and disappearing into my hand, the chain slowly refracting into the mark.
"Astal."
"Be careful, kay?" She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck in an embrace, then taking the form of the black necklace.
"I'll stay like this and help you Nyah~" She pulls out a wooden stick. "But you owe me TWO fishies now Nyaaa!!"
"Then," The mark on my right hand glows red, the hilt of my sword slowly emerges, before I grip it and pull it up. "Let's rumble."
"Enough talk." Ten more golden swords appear around him. "Fall."
*ZzzZZzING* *ZzzzINNNG* *ZzZZZZNG*
"Nya?!" The green platform we stand on becomes a portal that teleports us on the ground before the golden swords could cut right through us.
"I said be nice!!" She raises her stick to cast another black arrow.
*CLANG*
I block Lux's great sword swing with mine after he tried intercepting Dysma while she was getting ready to cast.
"Hm." He raises his other arm, then a glowing golden hammer appears, and he starts to thrust it down on me.
*FwOoOosh*
*CLANGG*
I switched Astal into Gloom and blocked his golden hammer against the bayonet.
"Get back Nya!!" Dysma fires a black arrow at Lux, but a golden shield appears from his golden necklace and blocks it, the shockwave pushing both of us back.
"You ok Dysma?" I look back at her, and she looks at me with a shocked look.
"I-I.. I could've died Nya.."
*ZzZZZZNG*
I block a golden sword the King launched at her last second.
*CLANG*
I rapidly grabbed Dysma and pulled her back before blocking Lux's sword swing that was going to slash at her flank.
I stab my sword at the ground, releasing a red wave around and across the ground to make Lux retreat.
"Nyaa!!" She growls in frustration.
"Dude chill out." I watch as Lux retreats next to the King.
"That makes two times!! I really could have just died right there!!"
"But you didn't now chill."
Twenty more golden swords appear all around the King.
"Here it comes, get ready."
"A-alright Nya.. I'm ready to get serious..!!"
The swords start to glow.
Dysma raises her wooden stick.
*FWOOSH*
Lux dashes towards us in a golden light, ready to intercept her.
I stab my sword on the ground, the two marks etched onto it start to glow, and a huge glowing red skeleton hand appears in front of me, shielding the wide frontal attack, then I point upwards and start shooting at Lux's clone, making him block with his sword and preventing his plunge, he then reappears behind, to which Dysma fires a black arrow at him and making him dodge, preventing his counter attack.
*ZzzZZzING**ZzzZZzING**ZzzZZzING*
The twenty golden swords get launched our direction.
*PFWOO*
Dysma fires another black arrow that passes through them and towards the King, but it gets intercepted by Lux's great sword, the contact creating another black explosion and shockwave that neutralizes the swords before they can reach us.
"Hah..Haah.." Dysma pants next to me.
"You good? You're not running out of mana or whatever, are you?"
"Uhm.. no.. haha..Nya.."
"But her soul is growing tired. Black magic is cast with your soul, if she keeps up, she'll return to her book form and enter sleep for about three hours."
"D-don't tell him that Nya!!" She raises her stick. "I can still keep going Nya..." She then slowly leans against me, exhaustion on her face.
"You sure you're go-"
*CLANG*
I block Lux's sword swing from behind. This sneaky old man is taking advantage of her exhaustion and starting to get aggressive.
*CLANG*
I once again block his golden hammer swing with Gloom, occupying both my hands as Dysma is nestled between me and Lux just in front of me.
"Master! Look out!!"
"Huh."
*SHLCK*
"..Oh."
I look at my shoulder and at the golden sword digging right through my skin.
"O-oh no..!!" Dysma watches my blood starting to drip out from my wound.
"M-master!!"
Lux retreats next to the King after watching me get wounded, preparing another attack.
"W-why did you shield me?! You idiot Devil!!" Dysma watches as I kneel on the ground, then leaning next to me to look at the wound, the golden sword stabbed through it disappearing and revealing a deep cut, steam slowly emanating from it. She then raises her stick and summons a black globe around us, shielding us from the golden swords getting thrown our direction. "W-why..?"
"This is a-all your fault you arrogant cat!!"
"To shield you, obviously.." I look at the wound slowly closing, the steam disappearing.
"Oh relax, both of you. I've minimized the damage by shielding his black soul with mine and preventing the holy essence from extinguishing his soul."
"My black what?"
"Alek, just what do you think it means to 'Walk in Death'?"
"I dunno? I kinda just thought that was a random saying with no real reason behind it?"
"No you silly little Devil. The moment your soul merged with mine is the moment your soul became black. You walk in death because you're not really alive. But you're also not really dead either. The souls you consume is what's keeping you alive. Similar to me."
"Dude, what? That's insane.. am.. am I a vampire..?"
*ZING* *ZING* The black globe shielding us continues to block the King's golden swords.
"Fu~Fu.. of course not! You're something much more."
"Wait did you just acknowledge the existence of vampires?" Oh boy.
"That aside, I need you to be more careful, Alek. Light magic is the purest form of holy magic, if you keep sustaining hits, you'll end up hurting me as well. Our souls are one after all~"
"Uh...I'll try."
"Sniff.."
"Wait.. are you crying, Dysma?"
"W-what..?? No of course not!!" She punches by back repeatedly.
"Ok ow ow?? Stop hitting me, my shoulder still stings..."
"S-sorry.."
"That's because holy magic is meant to cleanse impure souls. If I hadn't stepped in, you would have went poof on the spot. So, I need you to give it your all, okay~?"
"Right.."
*ZING* *ZING* *ZING* *ZING* The sun's rays start to shine through the small cracks forming on the black globe around us.
"Dysma."
"Nya?! Um I mean.. yes?"
"Go back into your ring form."
"B-but.."
"No buts. I'm not gonna lie to you, you might actually die if you stay out here while I'm fighting two dudes spamming holy magic like it's meta."
"Huh..? 'Meta' Nya?"
"You're getting focused hard and you're making it hard for me, woman. Now go back into ring form."
"But master, without Dysma's black magic, how are you going to counter the King's miracles?"
"Good question." I stand up.
"W-what?? Now hold on, you're going back out there without Dysma AND with no plan??"
"Pretty much." I grip onto my black great sword, looking onto the two marks that it absorbed from the crow lady and the weird artist. As well as the line engravings that appeared after infusing it with Sin essence.
"I have an idea Nya!!" Dysma touches my finger then transforms back into the ring around my middle finger. "I can just shield you!" The ring starts glowing, the black globe around us slowly starts to combine into the ring then enveloping me in a purple light before revealing a black cloak wrapped around me. "S-so no we're even.. Nya.."
"Not bad." My face gets covered in a black hood. "Alright, let's head back out there."
The other half of the black globe cracks as Lux delivers a final blow with his hammer, shattering it.
"Yo." I appear above him, then I plunge onto the ground in a red shockwave.
The red mist clears, revealing Lux right in front of me, seconds from swinging his sword.
*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*
Our swords meet repeatedly as we take turns swinging at each other, blocking with our second armaments, and counter attacking.
*ZzzZZzING* *ZzzZZzING*
I dash along the snow, avoiding wave after wave of golden swords the King spams at me.
*CLANG*
I block Lux's swing to my side, then I raise up Gloom and shoot at the King.
*BANG!*
He disappears in a golden light and appears right in front of me, golden great sword in hand.
Lux appears behind me, ready to slash at my flank.
*PFWOOOM*
I activate the dormant Sin energy that now flows through the lines on my sword in a bright red light, then I swing around me.
*SHHHHING*
A second red slash appears after swinging my sword, cleaving the trees around me in half, as well as slicing the previous half snow mountains in the distance completely off, tumbling them down in a white snowy smog.
The King gains distance and retreats.
Lux does the same behind me.
They both just stand still, looking at me and plotting their next attack.
"How are you holding up? Hmm Alek~?"
I look at was once a snow forest around me and onto the logs missing their tops halves, and onto the ruins we exited behind me missing their top halves as well, and of course onto the snow mountains that aren't even there anymore. "Yeah I'm alright."
"H-how are you holding them off so easily Nya.."
"We serve him for a reason! He's our master~"
"Excuse me? 'Easily'? Dude, I'm sweating."
"Oh, that's just because of the heavy cloak around you, silly."
"You're absolutely right. At least I won't die from frost." I straighten up and rest my great sword on my shoulder and look at the King in front of me.
"Hm. Perhaps normal force won't get through to you." He crosses his arms, then a bright golden light shines down from the clouds above him. "You're persistent, boy, I'll give you that." He starts to slowly float again.
"Alek."
"Yeah?" I shield my eyes from the bright light in the sky.
"It's coming, Nya.."
"What is?"
"Bear witness, boy." The light glows brighter, blinding me.
"Ok what the heck."
"There it is."
"Huh." I open my eyes and see a BIG ASS golden glowing sword floating just above the King up in the sky, painting the clouds around in a gold yellow. "Uh."
"The Rune of Power."
A glowing blue mark appears on the hilt of the giant glowing sword.
"Oh."
"Now, you will fall here." He says, looking down at me.
*shiiiiiing*
The light grows brighter, then about five hundred glowing golden great swords, maces, rapiers, claymores and broadswords manifest all around the sword, pointed right at me.
"Sigh." I then look behind me and onto Lux who summoned a bright glowing colossal great sword, before he raises it up.
*BZZZSHING*
A golden lightning bolt descends from the golden clouds and hits his giant great sword, enchanting it in golden sparks of lightning
"Well then."
"Do your best, okay~?"
"You suck."
*BZSZSZS*
Lux appeared right in front of me in a flash, the golden lighting on his colossal great sword emitting sparks and making contact onto my cloak as he gets ready to swing.
*PFFWFCLANGGG*
His golden lightning sword makes contact onto my Sin infused black great sword, releasing a golden and red shockwave across the area, the snow below us dents, as well as pushing snow dust off the logs and freeing the wet grass around us from its snow blanket.
We both get launched backwards from the force, but he appears above me in a faster instant, about to make plunge.
I leave a black afterimage and jump into its shadow.
*Pwoom..BSZSZSZSZS!*
He plunges onto the wet grass in a large golden explosion, golden lightning sparks making contact onto the wet grass and setting it in a golden fire.
*FwOoOoOo*
The after image exploded in a black smoke after getting plunged, before I emerge out of it, the black smoke slowly combining into my right hand and coating it in darkness.
*CLANG*
I block Lux's silver great sword swing from behind me, then I aim for his chest and shoot with Gloom.
*BANG!*
The bullet travels and makes contact with the golden shield that his golden necklace summoned, then deflecting it back to me.
I reach and catch it with my shadow hand, then I throw it towards the King still floating in the sky.
*VreuuOOOOM!*
The bullet travels in a golden and black trail after being absorbed by Lux's holy shield as well as the darkness from my hand.
*PFWOOOMZSZSZZ*
The bullet explodes in a large black and golden lightning explosion after being intercepted by Lux's colossal sword, the shockwave staggering him and making him back up.
"Oh dang it, after everything I did to set that attack up."
"It's the thought that counts, my dear host."
"I guess!" I groan and look up at the sky and see that there now about one thousand golden swords aiming at me. "The heck? When did that happen."
"Master.." Astal calls out to me, worry in her voice.
"Chill out, I've got it. Dysma, you wanna do me a quick favor?"
"Nya~?"
"Yeahh I'ma need you to take on the form of a revolver for me."
"W-what? 'Revolver' nya?"
*Sigh.. Alright, do you see this?" I hold up Astal.
"Y-yes nya?"
"This BEAUTIFUL thing is a revolver; it can shoot things."
"Oh! M-master called me bea-"
"Nya? Annnd?"
"What? Do you still not follow? It can shoot things? Like.. from a distance an-"
"I know Nyaa!! But why do you want me to turn into one Nya?"
I look up at the ever-expanding volley of golden armaments ready to dig their pointy tips into my skin and make my face look like mashed potatoes. "Are you really asking me that."
"Just do it Dysma!!"
"O-okay okay don't yell at me Nya!!"
*FwOoOo*
I put away my great sword and watch as the black cloak wrapped around my body shifts and travels across my body then down my left arm and focusing on my hand.
"Aright." I raise up Dysma to look at her.
She is now a black revolver with a small scythe blade above the barrel with purple engravings.
"Gloom, Gospel, let's do this you beautiful things." I point both my armaments up at the sky.
"Huh? 'Gospel' Nya?"
"Just go with it."
*FWOOSH*
Lux dashes towards me, ready to stop me.
*FWOOOOM*
The head of a red horned titan emerges from the ground below my feet, then rising from the ground and elevating me high up.
*Shing*
The volley of golden armaments in the sky give a shine, before they rapidly start to throw themselves at me.
"LETS GO."
*click*
*BANG!* *BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!*
*POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!*
The swords explode one by one, their area of effect clearing the swords around them.
*POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!*
*BANG!* *BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!*
The clouds get painted in a bright white and golden --yellow as more and more swords explode one after the other.
*BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!*
*POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!*
Lux manages to climb the titan I'm standing on then swings his colossal sword at me.
*SMACK!*
The titan brings his left hand up and swats at him, sending him crashing down onto the ground in a dusty impact.
*BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!**BANG!*
*POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!* *POOM!*
The sky begins to clear, leaving about fifty swords left.
*click* *click*
"Huh." My shots are interrupted.
"M-master.. I'm tired.."
"Haah.. Haah.. Nyaa..."
"Bro what the heck I was having a blast."
"You have to remember you're shooting scraps of their souls, you silly Devil."
"HUH."
"Did you really think you were shooting normal bullets? Fu~Fu~"
"YES." I am beyond shocked.
"You are so cute... Also, look out."
"WAIT WHAT." I look up and see the fifty swords launching my way. "UH OH."
The red titan brings up its arms around its head, shielding me as the golden swords make contact in big golden explosions.
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM* *PFWOOM*
"W-whoa whoa..!!" The titan starts to stammer, making me slide off the side of its head before I grab onto its horn. "What kind of swords are those damn it??"
"They are completely different holy swords than the ones he threw at you earlier. Those are swords manifested by The Rune of Power itself. One of those will kill you pretty quickly, so don't let that happen, okay~?"
"Gee, your words of comfort are just what I needed, thank you Lucifer."
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM*
The titan starts to collapse.
"W-whoa!!" I lose my grip on its horn and fall before it catches me with its left hand. "Phew.. I don't exactly have a parachute." I hop back down onto the wet grass.
"Hrng..!" Lux slowly emerges from the hole behind me, blood dripping down his head.
"Whoa, you good?"
"Alek.." He looks up at me. "There is something you need to know.." He speaks in a shaky voice.
"SILENCE! LUX!" The King shouts from above.
"Alek... the reason.. I left you for five years.." He sits behind a ruin wall.
"IF YOU INSIST ON CONTINUING TO SPEAK CONSIDER OUR AGREEMENT FORFEIT, LUX!" He shouts again with a very angry tone for some reason. "THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! SILENCE!"
"A-alek.. The King... after learning of your existence.. he made me seek the Stone Bearer.. and.. gather information on how to destroy The Rune of Death.."
"LUX!" A large golden sword manifests right above us.
"The Stone Bearer... instructed me to travel across Azula.. and seek the stone in exchange for his knowledge.."
*FWOO* The large golden sword starts to descend, before the titan slumped on the ground catches it, then it explodes in a huge golden explosion.
*PFFFOOOOOOM!*
Dysma shields us from the shockwave with her black globe again.
"Stone? You mean this?" I pull out the small wooden box from my coat and open it.
"I-it.. it cannot be.." He looks at it, then back at me. "I couldn't.. I couldn't find it after five years.. how did you-?"
"I honestly couldn't even tell you." I look at the blood dripping into his eye.
"Alek...the King.."
"Uh huh."
He looks into my eyes. "Kill him."
"If you want."
"..Do it."
I stand up, the black globe around us fades away and I look back at the King still floating in the air. *ZSHING* "W-whoa!" I dodged to the side after a golden sword got thrown my way. "Be patient damn it!" I look up at him as he crosses his arms, and onto the two thousand glowing golden swords painting the surrounding clouds in a golden yellow.
"Alek."
"I know."
I bring up my right hand, the mark appears and starts to glow red.
"Then, let's see what kind of Sins Lux there has com-"
"Lucifer."
"Hmm? Yes? It's quite rare for you to interrupt me.. I can only guess what you're about to suggest.."
"I can absorb Sin energy from the souls in Limbo, right?"
"M-master?"
"Is he for real.. Nya..?"
"Oh?"
"Dead serious." I look up at the three giant golden swords that manifested and are orbiting around the bright golden sword with the blue mark on it. "I'm thinking absorbing Sin from just one person won't do, I want to go big."
"Alek, do you understand what you're suggesting?"
"Yeah." I look down onto the mark on my right hand that's been with me since the very beginning. "I'm going big."
"Well then, I hope you're ready to absorb all of the Sin that has accumulated and the potential risk of your soul exploding from a Sin overflow.
"Y-you're just saying that! R-right?
"Nyahaha~ I see what you did there Lucy~!"
"I am not making light of the situation. If his soul can't contain the amount of Sin Limbo has gathered since creation, he will die."
"Nyaha..ha.. really?"
"T-then stop him!! What are you doing just idling around while master contemplates his own suicide?!"
"Which is why I won't be absorbing it into my soul."
"Hm? How do you mean~?"
"Instead, I'll just focus all of that Sin energy into something else."
"Like on your sword, Nya?"
"No. Something else." I put away my black great sword into my right hand, and return Astal to her necklace form, then return Dysma's form back to the black cloak covering my body.
"You want to create something else entirely made out of pure Sin essence, yes?
"Yup." I look up at the King as I continue to let him summon more and more swords in the sky, of which the numbers are reaching the five thousands.
"Well then, I've got just what you need. In fact, I haven't used it in quite a while, as using it only made all my bloodshed across the mortal plain rather.. bland."
"What is it?"
"Oh, you'll see~ Now, go ahead. Gather all the Sins, all the wickedness, all the corruption Limbo has collected from its endless amount of sinners since its creation..."
I clench my right hand, the glow starts to grow brighter and brighter, and the ground starts to shake slightly.
"W-what's happening?"
The glow turns into a dark red, and my right hand starts to feel like it's heating up as I clench my fist harder.
*FwOoOoOo*
The air around me starts to grow cold, colder and colder, until it's the coldest, colder enough to feel like my body is getting crushed by the pressure at the bottom of the ocean.
*WoOoOoOo*
"N-Nya??"
"I feel so.. heavy.."
"Yes, Alek.. you're doing good.. very good~ FuFuFuFuFuFu~ Let the darkness in...Let all of the world's evil flow through you... Limbo is yours... Yours to use, yours to command, let the darkness consume you, and let it be the source of your upcoming rise to sovereignty."
The dark red around me goes darker and darker, until the light dies out into darkness, before relighting in a flash of pure red around me.
"FuFuFuFuFuFuFuFuFuFuFu~~~"
My insides feel like they're about to burst, my guts feel like they're seconds from exploding out of my mouth and eye sockets, and my vision starts to slowly go black, my consciousness fading.
*FWOOOO!*
I then focus all of the energy onto my right hand with the intent of summoning something.
*WOOOOOoOoOOoOoOoM*
A bright red beam shoots up into the sky, painting the entire sky in red.
*DING*
*DING*
*DING*
*FwOoOoOo*
The ground starts shaking as a loud bell tolls from the sky, the sound similar to that of a sky trumpet.
"FuFuFuFuFuFuFuFuFu~ Yes... This day.. will be marked as the second day that made Heaven tremble in fear..."
The light dies out, the sky goes back to its golden color, and I look back down at my right hand.
"The heck?" I look onto the dark red trident emitting a sinister black glow around it that makes the wet grass underneath my feet wither away in a black color, black dust particles slowly rising from my feet around me.
"The Devil's Trident..."
"I didn't know that still existed Nya..."
"FuFuFu~ Well done, Alek. The power of absolute profound Death is right on your fingertips. Now, let's have some fun hm~?"
"Alright." I hold the trident up, looking at the reflection of my red irises looking back at me from its shiny dark red surface.
"What's this, boy? You? Kill.. ME? Do you really think a foul and imperfect sinner is able to kill a GOD? WELL? DO YOU!?"
"I promise."
He thrusts his hand forward, pointing at my neck. "FALL."
*shing*
The entire sky occupied by an endless amount of glowing golden swords give one last shine, then they start to rain down on me, the other ten giant golden swords fall.
I raise up the trident, channel it with my right hand for more throwing power, then I launch it into the sky like it's a lightning bolt.
*FweeeoooOOOOOOM!"
It rapidly travels faster than a bullet, leaving behind a black and dark red trail that emits glowing transparent red skulls.
*WoOoOoOo*
It passes through a volley of golden swords, their golden color turning red as they get absorbed into the trident, amplifying its black glow.
"FuFuFuFu~ Not even holy magic can withstand the power of absolute profound Death~! I'm getting so hot just watching all of this, Alek~"
"What in heaven?" The King gets a confused look on his face as he watches the trident go past him, before he looks up at his gigantic glowing sword above him shining back down, the blue mark on its hilt growing bright, before it gets impacted in a small dark explosion.
*clank*
The trident pierces the blue mark on its hilt, releasing a thin faint wave that travels across the sky after impact, then it digs out of the opposite side of the hilt and continues to move up through the clouds, painting them in black briefly as it passes through them, before disappearing beyond the sky and towards the moon.
"What..." He watches as the blue mark on the hilt of his golden sword keeps its blue glow, before a thunderous violent explosion echoes across the sky, a second much bigger black wave emits from the pierced spot, seconds after the first one.
*PFWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
A third black thicker wave follows the second one, then a fourth and a fifth.
*PFWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
*PFWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
The clouds get painted in black after each wave travels across the sky, then they go back to their original white color, and the golden sword starts to crumble and collapse into pieces, the light of the blue mark dies slowly.
The rest of the thousands of golden swords in the sky disappear, leaving the last gigantic golden sword alone as it rapidly falls down and piercing onto the King.
*SHCKL*
A golden explosion sets off after impact, briefly blocking my vision.
"Ow." Some dust gets in my eye.
"A-are you ok master?? You used so much Sin energy.. how do you feel??"
"Oh he's just fine, riight~?"
"Ye." *THUNK* I fall onto the ground as I kneel on one leg. "..I think."
"Woah! Take it easy there! You ok Nya?"
"I think so.. my body just feels kind of heavy.. like as if I just got back from running a marathon.."
"Lucifer..."
"He's finee~ I've expected much worse."
"What? 'Worse'? What do you mean 'Worse' devil woman?!"
"Hmm.. the worst that could have happened would have been him losing his right hand... or becoming paralyzed for the rest of his life.. No, forget that. He actually could have just died, it was roughly a fifty-fifty."
"..Haah..Hah.. Well aren't I just the lucky one?" I try to stand up, but my legs are way too wobbly.
"Slowly Nya.."
"COUGH COUGH.." I look up ahead and onto the King now slumped across the ground, a piece of his giant glowing sword impaled on his chest.
"Sorry." I manage to stand up on shaky legs and approach him, before kneeling in front of him. "I'm Alek by the way."
"Hm..pffha..haha.." He laughs with a raspy voice. "..I was told.. COUGH.. The Devil was now a young immature boy.. COUGH.. But.. I was never told he could.. wield.. COUGH.. The power of Sin..."
"Yeah I get it. Did you know there was a fifty percent chance I could have just right then and there?"
"..Hm.." He just looks up at me with dying eyes.
"..Anyways, what's this 'Agreement' you made with Lux? You've got me all kinds of curious."
"..That.." He looks at the deep wound on his chest and onto the blood seeping out and collecting on the black grass. "..Haah.. I'm a dying man, I shall tell you.." He looks at me. "..He has told me of your existence.. fifteen years ago.. COUGH.. But.. he has never told me where he kept you.. And I could never punish him for that.. for having the eyes of someone clinging onto the hope..COUGH.. that he could bring change.. for the human race.."
"Well, how nice of you." I look at the pool of blood that grew in size, and onto his eyes that are going blank.
"..Listen well, bo-.. Alek.. we are enemies.. but.. we share a common enemy.." He digs his pale eyes onto mine. "..Lux.. never managed to find that person.. the one he was.. sent to find.. fifteen years ago.."
"And that would be?"
He lets out a dying breath. "...The..Doctor..Haah...Of... the Order...." His eyes freeze in place, before going blank.
"The who?" I stand up, and see a glowing blue orb floating in front of me with a mark on it, about ten steps away. "Ooo shiny." I start to walk towards it, before I stop and look at a blue portal that appeared and onto two people that walk out of it.
"Well~ Hallo." A man with a peaked cap greets me with a bow, a black tag wrapped around his right arm. "How do you do on this lovely.." He looks around the area, onto the black grass, what remains of the destroyed mountains and onto an entire snow forest cut in half. "..Lovely day, hm.."
"Yo."
"Haha... yes.. they were right.." I look over to Felthoven standing right next to the weird dude with a german accent, before he looks back to me. "T-the stone.. he has it.." He points at me.
"Uhh.. huh? No I don't.."
"Hmm~" The man in the peaked cap pulls out a weird sphere with four glowing blue marks across its four sides.
"Hey what gives??" I watch as the small box emerges from behind my cloak and drifts towards him before he grabs it.
"Wunderbar! Ahem...I do apologize, but there is no time to explain~" He then grabs the blue orb and absorbs it into his sphere. "Goodbye~" He walks back into the portal with a small wave, before Felthoven gives me a last grin and following him, the portal disappearing.
"You just let him take the Rune of Power you slowpoke."
"And this affects us how?"
"It doesn't."
"Then I'll carry on with my day."
"I kinda wanted to see what we could have done with it Nya..."
"Maybe we could have used it to um.. y'know... ummmmmm..nevermind, I've got nothing."
"Still, it would have been nice to claim it, hm?
"Damn. Oh well." I look back and walk towards Lux. "So old man, who's this Doc-... oh." I spot the golden sword that was thrown at me earlier slowly disappear from his chest. "Well shit." I approach him and kneel in front of him, the black hood still wrapped around me swaying with the wind. "You good?"
"..Alek.. grant me.. one last wish.."
"Don't say that, you'll be fine.. we'll just put a banda-"
"..My daughter.." He digs his dying eyes onto mine. "..The King... threatened to kill her..if..if I did not join him in... killing you.. COUGH.. " He coughs up blood, which drips onto his golden cross necklance. "...Please..Alek...Protect her...She is what remains... of the Pavillion bloodline..Haah...." He lets out a final dying breath, and his eyes freeze before going blank.
"Damn, this sucks." I stand up, and turn away. "He had a daughter huh? Well that suc-"
"..Father..?"
"Uh." I look over my shoulder, and onto Rin who is slowly walking towards us, a white horse with wings behind her.
A sudden sour feeling creeps onto me as I watch her rapidly sprint over and embrace him.
"F-father.. no..no no no.. please.." Her tears start to fall off her eyes and onto his face and on his golden cross necklace. "Father no..." She breaks off into tears, and I can't help but feel like I shouldn't be here watching her like this. "Please father.. no.. don't leave me.. I beg you please.. don't do this to me father.. I can't.. Sniff I can't do it without you, please.. please don't leave me alone..father.. Sniff.. please.."
I don't think she can see my face while I'm wearing this, so I don't think I need to give her an explanation. I turn away and start to walk down the black grass, leaving Rin behind to deal with her turmoil alone.
.
.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Meanwhile...
"So, that's it then, this infestation cannot be fully dealt with at this time, yes?" Mandalyn is looking out the window and up at the sunset, an intrigued look on her face.
"I'm afraid so." Tohdren sits at the middle table, his fingers entwined. "Until more research can be put into the potential antidote that the plant can produce, I regret to say the infestation will continue to roam."
"Ughh..!! After everything we've been through!" Kanon groans, sitting at the opposite side of the table. "The heck was even the point of it all? I mean I guess it's great we have the plant or whatever, yippee... but I wish we could deal with those things sooner so I can go back to climbing trees without the threat of something sneaking behind me and eating me like I'm a bowl of meat stew!!"
"Chomp Chomp.. Zip it Kanon, we did all we could." Lillia chews on her honey buns, sitting at the couch on the left of the chamber. "Just be patient Chomp And then you can go back to climbing your trees.. CHOMP"
"Still... that was quite the tremor, hm?" Mandalyn watches the sky slowly darken, the night sky slowly approaching.
"Ah, yes.. That was quite.. bizarre.. I have never heard the bells of the Grand Cathedral toll.." Tohdren looks up at the ceiling in curiosity.
"I thought we were all gonna die.. Gulp.."
"You worry too much, Kanon. CHOMP"
"Well, I bid you all a good night. I must return to my study." Tohdren gives a bow before walking out of the chamber and back to the platform, the double doors shutting behind him.
"Well? Mandalyn turns back to look at the two. "What kind of.. things have you discovered in Luthran?" She waits for their responses eagerly.
"..Well.." Kanon faces up from her seat. "Other than the.. huge crater.. and what looked like.. well what remained of a mountain.. we didn't really find anything else."
"Hm? 'Crater'? 'Mountain'?" Her tone turns into more intrigue.
"Yeah." Lillia stands up and walks towards Mandalyn by the window. "I've never seen anything like it. It was as if... Actually, no." She shakes her head. "The crater was pretty big, but I don't think it compares to the one in the Abyssal Hollow."
"Good thing we'll never have to go there.. Haha.." Kanon laughs nervously. "I just hope Rin managed to find Alek after all the crazy stuff that happened earlier.."
"Hmm, yes.. Alek.." Mandalyn's face transforms into pure intrigue. "But we know... the Rune of Death has been there.. in Luthran.." She looks over to Kanon and Lillia, then whispers to herself. "Alek... of Luthran...the second he arrives in Azula... the bells toll.."
"There's something about him... Kanon and I talked about it. But, when we first met him, we thought there was some kind of monster coming our direction.. But it turned out to just be him and his other companions." Lillia shrugs. "He's pretty strange, and he definitely stands out from the other three, but that's about it.."
"Ohh~?" Kanon smirks smugly. "So you are interested ehh?"
*FLICK*
"OW! Why'd you do that!" Kanon rubs the spot she's been flicked on her forehead.
"Y-you talk too much...MUNCH" Lillia reaches for another honey bun.
"Well?" Mandalyn looks at the woman with blonde hair and purple eyes, wearing silver armor and a purple robe sitting at the table. "Do you understand why you are here?"
"Hm." She stands up. "Yes, I believe I do."
"Good." Mandalyn looks back up at the night sky. "Gather the rest of the Exorcists. We have work to do." She looks up at the moon, the faint red outline around it, and onto the giant red pentagram engraved on its surface.
.
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.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
1 Week later...
"Now then, you are all here, on this day, because you have been chosen to embark on an entire new path." Phardwin says from behind a marble pedestal, speaking to a row of silver knights wearing white robes and silver crosses. "Too long has our Kingdom.. no, the world has been tainted in its unholy and impure state. Too long has the world let the many sinners traverse its lands. For too long have the lives of the innocent been taken by those that chose to walk the path of the depraved. And TOO LONG has this organization gone unnoticed without anyone to put a stop to them." He looks at the moonlight shining into the room from the windows of the silver church. "But now, we don't just seek change, we don't just seek justice, we DO NOT just seek PUNISHMENT for the wicked." He slams his palms on the pedestal. "WE SEEK TRUTH!" The silver robed knights raise their white silver swords up in a roar. "WE ARE JUSTICE GIVEN FORM! WE ARE THE FORCE OF RIGHTEOUS - PURE AND ABSOLUTE! WE ARE THE PALE INQUISITION!" The room grows loud in cheer as Phardwin looks over to the tall girl to his side. "A pleasure to work with you, Rin Pavillion."
"Likewise, Phardwin." She replies, her arms crossed over the golden necklace hanging from her neck.
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.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"So, the Rune of Death is closer than we thought, hehe~" A red robed woman says, looking up at the night sky and onto the moon.
"Heh, that's right." Another tall man unrobes the red hood from his face, revealing his bald head with a gargoyle tattoo on its side, a wide smirk on his face. "We just gotta take it from that youngster. Where did you say he was, Ratkey?" He looks at the slightly shorter young man.
"His name is 'Alek' and.." He unrobes his hood, the goggles on his head reflecting the bonfire from its lens. "He currently resides in Luthran. A pretty bland place to reside in if y'ask me. And he attends the academy there." He spins his bone dagger on his finger, it emits a black and green glow.
"Then, we will continue onto the next phase." The woman unrobes her red hood, revealing her pale skin, her dark magenta hair in a bun, and the spider web shape in her irises. "You agree, right?" She looks over to the other figure in a red hood, wearing a white doll mask.
"Hmm." It grumbles.
"This is gonna be one hell of a hunt, heh.." The bald man clutches his large hook sword.
The fire continues to crackle in the woods they find themselves in, the pile of bodies on it still burning.
And the hundreds of red hooded figures around the fire.
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*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The real story begins in...
The Deathbearer Chronicle - Volume 4: Dark Horizons
[_____________________________________]
"ACHOO!..Sniff.."
"You didn't catch a cold after coming back from Azula did'ya Nya~?"
"I'll break something if I did. I ain't got time to be sick right now. There's a ball I gotta prepare for in like three days.
"Oh you're actually going, master?"
"Of course he isn't FuFu~ He doesn't know the first thing about dancing.."
"You shut your judgmental mouth. I'll learn, and then I'll laugh at your face as I'm stuffing my face with cake."
"FuFu~ Still, you really left your mark up there, hm?"
"Huh."
"Do you not see it Nya~?"
"See wh-... Oh.."
"I told you master! NO MORE Sin energy!! Hah.. no one listens to me.."
"Well? Have you fully recovered?"
"No, not really. I still feel like a sack of dirty clothes hanging on a noose. I can't even pull my great sword out, and I can't stand for ten minutes without my legs wobbling and pulling me against the ground. I am severely handicapped thanks to that wacky pitchfork of yours, Lucifer."
"Maybe sitting up on this roof won't make things any better for you, don't you think?"
"Hmm... you might be right. I need to stop chilling atop roo- ACHOO!"
"Bless you Nya~"
"Sniff.. Yeah thanks."
"WHY DON'T I EVER GET A THANK YOU?!"
"Oh settle down. Now, let's go see what that silly Maxwell fellow has gotten himself into hm~?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about him since the last time I saw him. I wonder if he knows how to dance..."
"Then let's go see what he's capable of..."
"Okay Nya~!"
"I just hope he doesn't laugh at me when he sees me attempt to da- ACHOOO!"
"Bless you, master."
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