371

Plague

"Ameligo!" A mournful cry echoed as the tall man fell.

Forseti followed the sound to find a brown-haired young man with bruises, tied to the stone wall in a corner of the room. His face was filled with grief as he looked at the fallen body.

Seeing the tall man beheaded by his sword, the wizard Natas paled in shock and instinctively stepped back. "Who are you!"

Forseti lunged forward, slashing at Natas with his sword.

Natas gritted his teeth and gestured with both hands. Instantly, numerous black creatures poured from the ground, howling and converging on Forseti from all directions.

Divine Light Consecration!

Golden light radiated from under Forseti's feet, forming a glowing circle on the ground. The black creatures within its range disintegrated into ash, their wails echoing in the chamber.

Natas's expression grew grim. Seeing his creatures vanquished, he made a swift decision and turned to a bulge in the stone wall, patting it.

"Boom..."

The wall trembled, revealing a massive stone door. Beyond lay a vast, pitch-black space, concealing its contents.

"Roar..."

Low, ominous roars emanated from within. Not quite beastly, yet not quite human either—something in between.

Upon hearing the roars behind the stone door, Natas hesitated briefly before declaring, "Go, my Plague! Kill them, consume them!"

Before he finished, sounds resembling the snapping of shackles echoed from behind the stone gate.

"Roar!!"

A thunderous roar followed, causing the entire room to tremble.

Soon after, a colossal black creature slithered through the stone gate into the dim light. It resembled a python, over ten meters long, writhing ominously.

Its head, especially grotesque and terrifying, bore numerous faces within its murky darkness—each twisted with agony and malice. Amidst these faces was a gaping maw lined with jagged fangs.

An aura of malevolence exuded from the being Natas called "the Plague," filling the room.

"Roar—" The Plague bellowed once more.

Ander appeared uneasy. "This one doesn't seem like an easy opponent."

"Perhaps." Forseti remained composed, eyeing the Holy Light guiding him toward the Plague.

"Destroy them!" Natas pointed at Forseti and Ander, commanding the Plague.

Unexpectedly, the Plague turned towards Natas, its faces contorted with resentment. Its bloody maw slowly opened wider.

"What are you doing? I am your creator!" Natas's face drained of color.

Ignoring him, the Plague's maw continued to widen. "Roar!"

Natas crossed his hands swiftly, summoning three intricate runes that shimmered before him.

Simultaneously, the Plague too lit up with runes, locking into a strange resonance, causing its body to stiffen momentarily.

"Obey my command, Plague! I am your master, your creator—obey me!" Natas muttered urgently.

The Plague seemed to relent, ceasing its aggressive stance and quieting down.

Natas sighed in relief, dispersing the runes before him. "That's it. Now—"

Suddenly, the Plague surged forward once more. Its body expanded, and its maw, now terrifyingly close, swallowed Natas whole.

"No—" Natas screamed, devoured by the Plague.

The Plague writhed momentarily before settling, an agonized face resembling Natas's now visible on its head.

Natas struggled futilely amidst the sea of faces, disappearing within moments.

"Roar - Roar!!" The Plague, now infused with Natas's essence, roared with increased malevolence.

Several bound humans in the chamber awaited a similar fate. The Plague extended its tentacles, effortlessly devouring them.

Except one...

Upon the Plague's approach, the brown-haired man, previously in agony, seemed repulsed, choosing to ignore it.

The Plague turned its attention back to Forseti and Ander. Sensing the imminent threat, it refrained from attacking recklessly.

Forseti initiated the assault, swinging the Demon Slayer Sword, unleashing a torrent of divine energy.

"Boom!" The Sword of Justice struck the Plague's body, creating a sizable breach quickly mended by the creature.

"Roar--"

Enraged, the Plague launched hundreds of tentacles, piercing from all sides like spears.

Forseti countered, slicing through the tentacles with the Demon Slayer Sword. Though numerous, they posed minimal threat, easily dispatched by his blade and the Holy Light.

Forseti closed the gap, engaging the Plague directly. He struck with relentless blows, each stroke weakening the creature.

Despite its formidable defenses, the Plague's attacks grew less potent as Forseti continued his assault.

However, the Plague countered, splitting its body into numerous parts. What began as a single entity now divided, surging towards Forseti from all angles.

"Roar-roar-" The Plague's echoes reverberated within the vast chamber.

With every fragment attached to the walls, it launched a renewed assault on Forseti, engulfing him in a relentless onslaught.

Forseti summoned the Sword of Blessing repeatedly, but failed to eliminate all the Plague's parts. Encased within its grasp, he struggled against its suffocating embrace.

A corrosive energy seeped from the Plague, forcing Forseti to summon flames that engulfed his body.

Initially a mere flicker, the flames soon blazed white-hot. Despite the Plague's attempt to suppress him, Forseti's incandescent form persisted.

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