Sheath of the Devil

He was a lifeless corpse, completely paralyzed, lying beneath the rubble of those ravenous birds, their heavy black bodies piled on top of him, their sticky saliva dripping onto him as if he were part of an upcoming feast.

Would they eat him? Would they skin him first? And how do these creatures devour their prey?

A deafening echo pierced the place, no... rather, multiple echoes, strange laughter, ragged breaths, exhalations mixed with moans that didn't belong to any human creature.

The traps, of course, had heard it, but they didn't even have a chance to respond.

In a moment faster than their ability to comprehend, long spears shot out of nowhere, piercing the darkness with deadly precision, embedding themselves into the midst of those black creatures, causing them to collapse to the ground, crumbling over each other like rotting heaps. Amid this chaos, Alucard's body fell from among the corpses, landing face-first on the muddy ground, powerless.

But those spears were not the work of ordinary fighters.

They belonged to the madmen, the tyrants who tread this land with unmatched brutality.

They were the mercenaries of "Sheath of the Devil."

"The Eleven Sins."

"Devourers of Beasts."

"The Terrifying Primals."

"Masters of the Earth."

"Bandits of the Great Colonies."

"Flayers of Great Hides, and Dominators of All."

They were the group of Howard, the Saint of the Devil.

They were approaching rapidly, their deep, rough voices tearing through the air like death cries, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath them, their hungry eyes fixed on the light where the three stood.

They passed by Alucard without the slightest concern, some even stepping on him as if he were mere trash discarded on the road, not even worthy of a glance.

They were in a hurry to crush more of those creatures, to spill more blood.

"Forward, you castrated fools!"

Howard roared, his voice wild and booming, saliva dripping from his jaws as if he were a beast thirsting to slaughter everything in his path.

At the engagement site, those cries reached them like a storm that shook the earth, striking their eardrums with madness. There were three of them, exhausted, weighed down by wounds and blood, but still standing... for now.

Ready feet, strange sounds, sharp breaths filled the place, but the strangest of all was the feeling that suddenly overwhelmed them.

"What is this now?"

Raiv muttered in a tense voice, his scythe waving aimlessly in his hand, then he noticed something that made him stare, stunned for a moment...

The traps were afraid.

They were still, their black, gloomy eyes widening, their trembling wings fluttering hesitantly. They weren't attacking, but trying to flee.

Raiv immediately turned to Klaus and Janemba, shouting through clenched teeth:

"You two! Grab the lights and the bags... quickly!"

But there was no time.

In an instant, the air in front of Raiv's face was cut, a spear splitting the space like a falling meteor, passing by his stern and focused eyes, piercing three of the birds at once, dragging their bodies toward a tree, where they stuck, the spear's edges embedded deep, even the bark soaked in the repulsive purple blood.

"Lower your heads!"

Raiv shouted, knowing full well what was about to happen, and exactly who owned that spear.

Then, like a storm of iron, the sky rained deadly spears.

Each spear launched with supernatural speed, hitting its target with surgical precision, tearing through the ranks of the traps before they even realized what was happening, pinning them to the ground, to the trees, to the rocks, shredding wings, crushing skulls, splitting guts, some left torn between tree trunks, their wings twitching in the final throes of death.

But the rain didn't stop.

The spears continued to fall like a relentless downpour, destroying everything in their path, burning the air with their swift flight, as if the one who launched them wasn't human but a war machine obsessed with annihilation.

And in that moment, a new clamor pierced the air.

They stormed the light.

It was a savage sound, deep, penetrating the bones of all who heard it.

They stormed the light, carrying those lanterns, and continued their march, they didn't stop!

Then the cries followed, wild, indifferent, their echoes reverberating between the rocks and the shattered corpses, carrying one thing at their core:

The desire for annihilation.

They weren't just chasing the birds, they weren't fighting them because they were enemies, they were seeking to wipe them from existence.

To eradicate them entirely.

Raiv was struggling to rise, his body swaying between life and death. One of the spears had been deeply embedded in his shoulder, the bleeding obvious, frank, flowing slowly, as if his body was draining his soul drop by drop. He gripped the spear with his rough hand, pulling on it with force, the pain was excruciating, burning, but he didn't care. It wasn't the pain that frightened him now, it was something else… something bigger…

"My children… where are you?"

His voice came out broken, shaky, as if the air was stealing his breath with every word he spoke. The darkness was thick, savage, swallowing him from all sides, he could see nothing… hear nothing but the whispers of death around him.

Then, amidst that blackness, their unknown voices pierced through.

"Father… are you okay?"

It was Janemba's voice, alive, warm, but carrying something in its tone… something wavering between anxiety and terror.

"Stay where you are! Father… did they hurt you? Your voice… are you okay?"

Klaus this time, his voice more tense, more sorrowful, more fragile than Raiv would have liked to hear.

"Stay where you are… we'll come to you."

They said it together, as if trying to reassure him, as if they would tear through the darkness at any cost to reach him, to unite in this moment where everything was against them.

But he knew the truth.

"Damn it…"

He muttered it, his lips trembling, his chest rising and falling as if he were gasping under the weight of a collapsing world. He smiled, despite everything, despite the blood staining his body, despite the spear embedded in his flesh. He smiled because he realized the boy was in worse shape than him.

"How… how did it come to this…? What's happening… oh Moon…? Do you approve of all this? The years pass… and everything becomes harsher… harsher on us…"

Every mutter that escaped him consumed what little strength he had left, but the light…

The light had returned.

Slowly… bit by bit, a deadly glow began to pierce the darkness, creeping slowly but steadily, growing fiercer with each moment. It was approaching…

Laughter.

Distorted, insane laughter, laughter that didn't belong to the world of the living, laughter that shouldn't be heard in such a place.

Janemba and Klaus froze in their spots.

Their bodies pressed against the stone wall, cold sweat dripping down their foreheads, their breaths heavy, they had no idea what would happen if they were discovered.

But the light was approaching… closer… and closer…

Then, amidst that creeping glow, amidst that laughter feeding on their fear, came the voice.

"Do you underestimate our instincts?"

Howard.

"Get up! No one underestimates our instincts… Get uuup!"

He roared with his booming voice, his rough face bearing the features of a predator who sees nothing in the world but prey after prey. His sharp eyes gleamed with anger, his thick brows adding to his ferocity, while his smile revealed uneven, terrifying teeth, as if they were made solely for tearing.

His body bore the marks of his battles, his skin marred with scars, wounds, and the purple blood that clung to him. His long, dark beard and hair made him resemble a ferocious beast descended from demons. His arms were massive, built for crushing, carrying the raw strength of a warrior who knew no mercy.

As for his clothes, they were armored with the hides of the strange creatures he had slain, adorned with incomprehensible symbols and rituals, their bizarre designs adding to the terror of his appearance.

"Get up! You're in my presence, you fools!"

Klaus and Janemba rose quickly, the light shining on them, their ragged breaths and chattering teeth the only sounds Howard heard from them.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

He wasn't waiting for an answer, as he let out a hoarse chuckle, followed by arrogant laughter from his men.

"It doesn't matter… those disgusting birds gave me a maddening headache, and I wanted to wipe them out completely! And now, as I look at you… it seems you've shared in this great victory!"

But valka didn't join their laughter, she sniffed the air, sensing something strange, then touched the ground with her hand without uttering a word.

They lit the area further, and soon their eyes fell on the massive corpse lying on the ground…

"Damn it… did you kill the bald frost bear too?!"

Klaus and Janemba exchanged bewildered glances, while Howard burst out laughing as if he had found unexpected amusement in the situation.

"I can't believe it… could it be that its killer is none other than that person lying there?"

He pointed his finger at the body behind them, seven feet away. The light revealed thick golden hair shimmering under the lanterns.

"Get up! No one else could have done it but you… I smell the cunning in you."

Klaus and Janemba froze in place, only now realizing that Raiv was there, that he had been conscious of everything… and that they were facing a being unlike any human.

Raiv rose slowly, the bleeding still flowing from his shoulder, his hand gripping the wound after pulling the spear out with difficulty. His face was pale, exhaustion etched into his features, but he didn't back down.

"Howard…" he uttered his name in a cold voice, his steps bringing him closer to the man. "What in the hell brought you to this area… our colony?"

"Those bold eyes… the glowing golden hair… the physical toughness… the sendurance… the mental eloquence… and the heinous actions…"

Howard muttered to himself and smiled a wide smile, his eyes gleaming with cunning as he looked at "The Golden Lion Raiv… it's you!"

A moment of eerie silence followed, then whispers spread among the mercenaries as if they all knew him well. Some stared at him in awe, others in curiosity, but the only one who broke this silence was Howard himself, laughing alone… "So… you're the big troublemaker here?" he said, his broad smile betraying his enjoyment. "Well, my approach to this area was for one purpose only, to slaughter these filthy birds."

Then he added, tilting his head slightly forward:

"And you know me well, Raiv… my goals are always bigger than just your little colony."

Raiv raised an eyebrow, "Your big goals almost tore my lung out with your spear, Howard… huh, splendid! You just need to perfect your aim next time, do it steadily."

Howard burst out laughing again, this time his laughter was more insane, more contagious, until his men began laughing with him, rough, arrogant laughter, as if they were a pack of hungry hyenas who had stumbled upon an unexpected feast.

"Ahahahahahahahaha!"

"Ah, I apologize for that… nothing personal, my friend, as you can see, none of us overstepped our bounds."

Raiv raised his head slightly, his eyes narrowing cautiously.

"Our bounds?"

"Oh, do you mean the spear stuck in your shoulder? That was just a programming error, maybe the wretched Goober is responsible for that… he makes these mistakes all the time!"

The mercenaries laughed again, their laughter brazen, but this time Klaus and Janemba were boiling with anger, their fists clenched, their bodies tense, as if they were about to pounce on Howard and his crew.

As for Raiv, he remained silent, staring at them cautiously, until the group began to move away from the area, leaving Howard alone standing in place, finally uttering one command:

"Take the bags, the lanterns… and the donkey we found up the tree on our way… and take the bald bear."

"What?!!" Raiv.