Hello everyone, This is Venator, and I'm here as a new writer trying my very best in writing this story which has been floating around in my mind for... nearly half a decade now X3. I had this story in my mind since after Persona 4 is out, albeit with slightly different settings and all that, and I was feeling way too lazy to do anything about it back then :3.
But now it's different! I have finally decided to write my ideas down and express it as best as I can for everyone to see X3. I hope I did not disappoint with the story, or my writing skills, and hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it :3.
So without further ado, please, enjoy Of Death and Salvation X3.
P.S: As this is my first fanfic, reviews and feedbacks are very much welcome :3
"Don't ever underestimate the will of a grandfather. We're madmen. We don't give a damn. We got here long before you and they'll be here after. We'll make enemies. We'll break laws. We'll break bones, but you will not mess with the grandchildren."
— President Bartlet
Black. Pitch-black darkness everywhere. The sky, the ground, even the horizon was obscured by the suffocating darkness that seemed to stretch endlessly. And yet, there was a creature running in a mad dash within this darkness, its labored breathing breaking the absolute silence that reigns in this territory.
The creature was not something that one would expect from this world. The beast's body is massive, standing at well over sixteen foot tall at its full height, with scales covering every single part of its body save for his chest and abdomen. Its arms are scaled and burly, each as thick as a man is wide, and just as muscled, and its legs are thrice as impressive as its arms are. Where there should be nails and teeth, massive claws and fangs reside in them, and where one expects to see two eyes, thirteen purple orbs reside in their own individual sockets in place of it. Its back also has two fins jutting out to the sides at an angle, each as sharp as blades, and the short tail also ends in a round stump with spikes protruding out of it, giving it a similar look as a morning star. Any who witness the creature will instinctively realize that the beast is demonic in origin, and none will deny that claim, nor are they wrong to think so.
The creature is a Shadow, a resident of the dark hour, the zero hour that turns the living world into living hell; a world where hunters reign and the weak is preyed upon. The creature is one of the hunters that reside within that very hell, and can be considered as one of the strongest of its kind, for few can match it in terms of pure strength.
The shadow strong legs, short and stunted it might be, carried it at a speed that cannot be matched by most other large beasts, save for the swiftest of them. It tore across the unseen ground in massive bounds and leaps, and soon came upon an area illuminated by mystic light. No source of light of any sort can be seen, and yet the area remains bright, accentuating what was inside for any beholder to see. There stood a massive golden gate, towering above every other building that one could possibly think of, reaching towards the skies and beyond. It glows silently, emitting a luminescent golden light that brightens the pedestal it stood on and its surroundings. Intricate carvings run along the entire length of the door, in patterns resembling an eye embossed in a golden circle within a square that divides evenly along the door. The door itself is firmly attached to a golden frame that is just as massive and regal as the door itself, but what was more curious than the size of the gate or its elegance was the chains; Chains that run across and around the door, sealing it tightly, as though preventing the gate from ever opening. Despite all this, there remains one other thing that stood out even more than the gate and the chains.
It was a boy. A teenage boy statue that hung by the chains, positioned in the center of the door in a pose similar to that of Jesus when he was crucified. The chains run along the statue's arms, reaching further down towards and along his body, and entangled themselves around his legs before extending back towards the door. The statue looked hauntingly lifelike, very much similar to a real, living boy, with exceedingly detailed features carved onto the statue, down to every single one of his individual fingers.
The shadow hurried towards the gate, legs working furiously in a frenzied rush towards it. Running towards the gate, one would think that the shadow is in mad dash to tear down the statue and break down the door, releasing whatever was sealed within. However, the truth is far from that.
It is fleeing.
It is running not to hunt, but to run. To escape from the very predator that has harmed it so. No longer are his claws sharp, for the predator has broken it; No longer are its fangs whole, for the predator has smashed them; No longer is its body unblemished, for the predator has torn scales from various parts of its body. Indeed, the shadow is not the hunter, it is the prey now. The shadow, knowing that it is outmatched in all aspects, took the only logical course left to it. It escaped. Or at least, it attempted to, for despite the speed it is running at, it can still sense the predator closing down upon him. Knowing there is little chance of outrunning and shaking off the predator, it decided to take one last desperate measure and launch a quick surprise attack at him by turning back the way it came and turn the tables by attacking him first instead of waiting for the inevitable death coming down upon him. It had just turned around, was about to execute the plan when it struck.
A spear, with a blade as dark as the darkness itself, sailed through the darkness and struck hard at the beast's chest. The spear pierced straight through the shadow's body and embedded itself deep in the chest, with part of the blade protruding out of its back, effectively impaling its heart. The creature bellowed in pain even as the force of the thrown spear hurled it backwards for several yards, ending with it crashing hard on its side upon landing before skidding to a stop. The creature growled, and painstakingly got back up to its feet, staring hard at the unseen darkness where the spear appeared from.
There, a silhouette of a man began to appear. Like a blurred image coming to life, the silhouette began to become clearer as the man approaches with every single step. Slowly but surely, the features of his body began to appear more clearly; first his feet, then his legs, followed by his arms and the rest of his body. He walks, undaunted by the creature or by the gate behind it, and kept a steady pace towards them. He walks, undaunted by the transition from darkness into light, fixing his eye on nothing else but his prey ahead of him. He walks, stepping out of the darkness and let the creature behold him for what he truly is.
The man is not someone that anyone would call young. The man had a rectangular face with a defined, prominent chin and a sturdy jaw line. His facial features were clearly marked by his age, and his slightly weathered face spoke volumes of his past. His medium-length, greyed hair flows behind him in a disheveled manner, barely reaching past the nape of his neck. Decades of battle experience can be seen beneath his grey eyes, and scars marred his hardened face in several places, a reminder of the invaluable lessons learned from the battles he had fought. His thin mouth curled down at the edges, giving him the appearance of wearing a scowl at all times.
The man had a tall, sturdy frame and broad shoulders to match his build, standing at approximately 6'1" at his full height. His body sports well-defined muscles, but not overly done, which fits tightly against his black shirt and leather jacket, outlining his muscled body well. His once fair skin had been slightly tanned due to his occupation, which now bore several scars across his entire body. He wore black leather pants to match his top, and black leather boots and belt to complete his outfit.
Slowly, he strode forward, radiating an air of authority and power with every step. Despite his age, his sharp eyes have yet to lose its piercing gaze, the very same gaze that now lay upon the cornered beast. The shadow knew. It knew that it will not survive this confrontation; and even if it did, it will soon succumb to its wounds and meet its demise. Escape or surrender is not an option either, not against this old warrior who is determined to see its end. Therefore, it did the only thing left to do.
Take its killer down together with it.
It let out a primal roar that reverberate the air around them, before making one last charge towards him. The shadow ran at a speed that should not be possible for a bulk of that size, and yet the man maintained his leisurely pace towards it, unflinching in the face of the charging juggernaut. When he had come into a certain range, it cocked both fists backwards. One more step forward, and it would be able to deal a massive blow to end the man's existence right then and there. However, it knew that the blow will not land; the man is far too agile for that. Therefore, it did the next best thing. It made a short leap forward, somersaulting while positioning its arms above its head, before slamming it down hard on where the man was upon landing, like hammer on an anvil. The blow shook the earth around it, leaving an imprint on the ground and massive cracks from the tremor caused by the blow. However, the man was nowhere to be seen.
It felt the spear suddenly go rigid. Looking down, it saw that the man had easily evaded the blow by dashing forward and gripping the shaft of the spear in an iron grip. He then twisted the spear with the blade still embedded in it, before wrenching it out with a sickening sound, tearing its heart out from his body, sealing its fate. Letting out a final cry, its knees finally gave way and it began to topple forward, dead before it even hit the ground.
Sidestepping to the side, the victor of the match watched as the tumbling carcass hit the ground hard, and stood ready in case of any signs of life remaining in it. After a moment of verifying, he let out a satisfied sigh before sheathing his spear back on his back, and turned his attention to the golden gate which now lay unguarded before him. Gazing at it, he pondered on his next course of action while waiting for his partner to catch up to him. He did not have to wait long.
"That was truly remarkable. Most normal humans will not be able to stand up against the creature you have just fought, much less best it in combat." A voice resounded from the darkness he has appeared from moments earlier, accompanied by a soft applause that was neither mocking nor praising him, but merely making an observation on what had transpired.
"…I am hardly what you'd call as normal, lest you forgot, Elizabeth" He scoffed, with a tinge of impatience in his husky voice, and turned to face the girl he addressed.
The newly named entry to the scene was a young lady sporting short, white bob hair and sharp, yellow eyes that held countless years of wisdom beneath them, giving a fairly ageless appearance to her despite her youthful looks. Her unlined, angular face remains untarnished throughout the years, ending in a small chin, and her fair skin remains unblemished and retained a soft, supple look to it where it was visible. She had a small, sharp nose and full, luscious lips, and her long eyelashes only served to add further to her already beautiful features.
She wore a blue dress that seems reminiscent of a stewardess outfit, albeit much more fashionable with five black lined circles outside of the yellow buttons, which covers her slim and yet curvaceous body perfectly. The sleeveless outfit reached down and ended just above her knees, which is then complimented by her black leggings and blue knee-length boots. She completed her looks with blue gloves and a blue attendant-like hat, and a brown leathered book with runic symbols on the cover that rests easily on her arm.
"I suppose you are right. My apologies for doubting you earlier" saying that, she covered her mouth in a small smile and sauntered towards him elegantly, never losing a step along the way. Despite her appearance, there was an aura of power that seemed to radiate from every fiber of her being.
"…What of the other two of this creature?" Looking down at the dead beast, he saw that the carcass of the shadow glowed softly, and then gradually crumbled into particles of light which disappeared into the darkness. They had encountered three of its kind, and were separated for the duration of the fight with Elizabeth taking on two of them, while he took on the biggest one of the pack.
"Please do not worry about them. I have seen to it that they will no longer hunt anymore." Still keeping that small smile, she adjusted the book and held it in her hand instead, and kept a straight gaze at him. He frowned at her reply, for it was too ambiguous for his liking. However, he did not have the time or will to ponder upon her answer, not when their goal is so close. He will just have to assume that she had dealt with both creatures.
"…No matter; that gate would be our destination, is it not?" Shrugging, he simply gazed upon the gates once more. "Indeed. That is the gate that kept Nyx sealed, with the very same seal that your grandson made using his own life force, Arisato-san" was her reply to his unspoken question. It was also all that he needed to hear. Steeling his own resolve, he quickly stepped forth once more towards the towering gate, leaving the slowly disappearing carcass behind, with Elizabeth following after closely. Whilst all of this is happening, only one thing ran through his mind.
"I will save you… Even if I have to raze this world to the ground; I will save you!"
And that's it for the prologue :3. What does everyone think? I hope I did not disappoint too much, as I'm still a little rusty since I have not written anything for so long X3.
Your reviews and comments are very much welcome, even if it's just bad or good. I'd appreciate it if anyone would be willing to give constructive criticism and feedback as well, as it'd allow me to write even better works next time :3.
With that, I shall take my leave for now. Until next time everyone X3.