I know that people don't like chapters that focus on actions of some side characters, but for the sake of the plot it had to be done.
I wanted to update earlier but got hard-blocked with writing. But all that matters is: I keep writing.
The next chapter will finally have a dramatic Xellos/Filia in it.
I don't have a beta so keep that in mind.
Thanks for the comment
"The bells... The bells... They're coming.
You need to hide.
Don't make a noise, and don't come out no matter what happens!"
Amidst snow and frozen boulders like a shadow he stood.
His black cloak was rustling around him, gently moved by dwindling eastern winds and the obsidian helmet which he wore at all times was now laying in the snow at his feet.
His long hair, so black that even the blackest of inks would appear grey next to them, were falling down his back and coming to an end at his mid-tight. And they reflected almost no light, just like the sword that he had left at the gates of Dynast's stronghold which lays in the mountains of the north.
The Northern Pole was still hidden under the blanket of night. Starry sky above him shone with the glow of northern lights which kept writhing like giant ribbons tossed by the wind.
The man who called himself Grimnir was silent as he uncorked a bottle of mead which he held in his hand. He brought the bottle up to his lips and downed half of its content without a pause. The other half he left in the bottle however; he did not put the cork back in to seal the remaining alcohol but placed it in his pocket instead.
He then walked to the nearest boulder and made sure that no one is stalking nearby, and he crouched next to it whilst putting the bottle down, in front of himself. And with a hushed yet steady voice he began chanting a spell, and slowly moving his hands above it while he waved his fingers as if he were pulling on invisible strings.
A golden light began to radiate from the bottle as he chanted:
On sumu to nau nakum,
(My voice this vessel bears,)
On nana suet anu e amal.
(My command is given through it.)
Zena umone ni onu nanaum,
(The powers bow to my will,)
Sa ik'u anne il utumau t'uai ony ni neunel.
(And bring light the darkness that opposes me.)
Anne t'uan alamu ile ona,
(The light that dwells within me,)
Som an'ak polos anu one limae.
(Let it be carried by my song.)
Frau ayemi t'uan ana suaka,
(Strike down the walls that surround me,)
An'mal monoen t'uai suet saba sem onymi malana.
(Light up the path that is hidden from my eyes.)
Som ut'amal ain il annae umn.
(Let the shadow in light be drowned.)
Som ta'al alna suata.
(Let the evil be broken.)
When he was done, he corked the bottle an swished around the alcohol within.
"This should do it." He whispered to himself.
For a few minutes he remained on his knees; unmoving. He savored the peace and silence that hung around the secluded area. But he could not stay like that for too long. He had a mazoku to hunt down, and a very cunning one at that.
The fact that Dynast knew about him and had time to prepare for a confrontation had put Grimnir at disadvantage. Slaying them quickly and without giving them a chance to gather their wits was an important part of his plan. But now the element of surprise was gone and Zelas Metallium managed to escape his blade, and by doing so she alerted the northern armies before he could make his move at them.
Now that was annoying to say the least. He did not have time to waste on skirmishes with lesser mazoku and besieging Kataart mountains.
He opened up his gloved palm and the obsidian helmet which he left in the snow a few steps away flew straight into it.
Grimnir heaved a sigh and gathered his hair into his other hand. He twisted them around his fist a few times to keep them from falling apart, and pressed them to the back of his skull as he put the helmet on. It sealed itself around his head, not letting any of the black tresses slide out. At last, he slid his hood on.
He grabbed the bottle and stood up. It was time to implement the plan which he had devised while he spoke with Garu.
The barrier that her master had set around his stronghold did not mask the presence of those who hid within it and merely shielded them. He only needed to find a way in.
Knowing that was enough to give Grimnir a good idea for what to do next.
He teleported himself a good distance away from Dynast's dwelling and walked through the snowy terrain. There was no doubt that the mazoku lord would have his spies patrolling the area. It had taken some time however, to finally spot one.
The creature was waddling through the snow on it's long, thin legs and kept turning its large beak around in search of any signs of suspicious activity. Its big round eyes were reflecting the glow of northern lights and it kept angling its tall ears towards different directions like a pair of pointy antennas. It had two wing-like arms that seemed to be covered in short but thick white fur which made it blend with the snow, like the rest of its body.
It must have been one of those, who could not project themselves unto this world and were forced to possess a living being instead. A low ranking mazoku; the weakest of their kind, and not very bright either.
He kept his distance but did not hide from it, quite the contrary; Grimnir slowed down his pace and pretended to clutch the bottle in his arms. It was his goal to get the scout to notice and follow him.
And soon enough the mazoku turned its beak in his direction, and then crouched down to hide in the snow thinking, that it had not been spotted by the black figure that seemed to be carrying something and trying to remain undetected. Positive in its assumption that the intruder had not noticed its presence, the monster carefully crawled across the snow as it was trailing after its target. It had been ordered to observe and give report of its observation but to not engage Grimnir in battle.
Information about new enemy was now the most important factor for its master.
Now, that Grimnir knew that he had the scout's attention, he walked around for a while acting as if he was avoiding getting spotted by anyone. He kept the bottle close and every few steps he paused to turn around and pretend to check if he's not being followed.
Finally after a half an hour or so, of acting suspicious and protective over a ceramic container in his arms he came to a halt next to a meager rock formation. He had decided that it will be a great location to mark the resting place of something, that someone would want to remain hidden for a time being.
Satisfied with the spot, he took a glance around him one more time to make sure that the mazoku following him was still there and after noticing its glowing eyes a good distance away, he got back to work.
The sky had clouded over and thick clumps of snow started slowly falling as he kept digging a hole in frozen dirt with his gloved hands. He took his time with making it deep and wide enough to fit the bottle and a thin layer of snow had covered his black hood and cloak.
When he was done, and the bottle had been resting in its place in the ground, hidden under a pile of snow that he had thrown on top of a mass of broken earth, he disappeared from his spot.
The creature kept lying horizontally in the snow for a while and occasionally lifting its head to have a better look at the rock formation where Grimnir buried his possession. Some time later the monster had slowly pushed itself forward with its long legs, sliding its body toward the buried bottle. Despite its less than plausible level of intelligence the creature was still smart enough to be prudent.
Who knew if the enemy would not return at any given moment?
But Grimnir had absolutely no intention of going back, for he had not gotten far from the buried alcohol and hovered high above the monster as he watched it approach the hidden bottle.
He observed the creature's ministrations with mild amusement.
It kept inching closer and closer until the rock formation was just a few steps away, then it lifted its head up and looked around one last time before getting to its feet. The monster stepped at the place where Grimnir had buried the bottle and tilted its head to the left and to to the right a few times whilst staring at the spot where snow was disturbed. Reluctantly, it crouched and began digging the bottle out with its large beak; completely oblivious of being watched.
Taking the container out of the frozen dirt did not take as much time as putting it in. Therefore a few minutes later a furry creature with a body resembling that one of a slender bird stood with a bottle half full of mead in its beak next to a small pile of rocks. And as soon as it had taken one last look at its surroundings, it disappeared.
Grimnir knew where it had gone and so he also made a jump in space, and appeared high above Dynast's mountain stronghold. He could briefly see where his sword still hung in the air, hovering a few centimeters above the snow and pointing at the mazoku lords location within the halls.
The bird-like scout on the other hand, was running through a long a wide corridor which led to its masters throne room. Its hasty steps echoed through the chilly air as it hurried to present the finding to Dynast.
Two mazoku guards who stood vigilant at the heavy door sent scrutinizing looks at the smaller creature that was approaching them. It halted in front of them, brandishing the bottle that it still held in its beak like it was the most important thing in the whole world.
"I think Scraps found something…" The tall guard who stood on the left side of the door said to the other.
"Looks like some garbage to me." Replied the second, slightly shorter guard. "Like a scrap, if you will." He laughed.
But the mazoku scout called Scraps was not amused by that comparison. It hopped in place a few times and then shook its furry white body in a manner that (in its mind) displayed urgency.
"Sucks it can't speak." Commented the first guard which made his companion frown.
"I think it's better this way. I've already heard too much stupid shit from the likes of this one. I don't want to be subjected to any more of it." The other said as he looked down on the mute creature.
"I think they're kind of funny." Defended the taller one as he tilted his head to the side. "What are you so worked up about!? It's just a bottle!" He yelled at Scraps, who stomped its leg angrily in response.
The guard who stood at the right side of the door stepped forward and tried to take the bottle out of the scouts beak but the smaller monster kept stubbornly avoiding his grasp. It turned its beak up and down, and to the sides as he reached out to grab the object, but Scraps did everything it could to prevent him from obtaining it.
Not much time later both of the mazoku guards ended up chasing after the scrawny scout. They were running in circles or across the main corridor, making it a competition of who will be the first one to wrestle the bottle from an angry Scraps.
The ruckus they caused attracted some attention from other lesser mazoku who dwelled within the walls of the stronghold. Everyone had tried their luck in catching the scout and claiming the bottle of mead for themselves, if not with intention of consuming the alcohol, then for the sole satisfaction brought by victory. And since they were low-ranking creatures of darkness, a fight had soon broke out between them as they kept trying to one up each other.
Before anyone managed to claim the item, the heavy gates to the main hall had cracked open and a short young woman who was brandishing a wooden staff covered in ice, had stepped out from behind them.
The monsters engaged in Scraps hunting had not seemed to be aware of her presence and kept running around and trashing each other as they did.
She cleared her throat a few times to bring their attention to herself but her attempts had failed. Visibly irked by their lack of respect, Garu straightened her back and tightened her grip on the staff.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
The sound of her voice had finally knocked the other mazoku out of their frenzy and they all turned their heads toward her. Despite ceasing their skirmish, they remained frozen in their battle positions: some holding the others by their necks, some had their fists and talons poised to strike, a few were gnawing at their opponents limbs, etc.
At the sight of her, teary eyed Scraps had sprinted toward their superior. It skipped around and bobbed its head to declare its joy and then shoved its bottle bearing beak at Garu to pass her the item.
"What is this?" She knitted her brows in confusion as she stared down at the contained and then back at Scraps.
The scout stomped its legs and snapped its beak a few times.
"It brought this garbage here and refused to hand it over." Said one of the guards who had previously watched over the gates and trotted back to his spot while the rest of the assembly had slowly gathered around Garu.
"It got really worked up about this piece of junk for some reason." Added the other guard as he joined the first one at his post.
"Wasn't he sent to look out for the enemy?" Garu asked not knowing which mazoku she should address at this point, since Scraps could not speak for itself. Honestly, what kind of idiot sends out a scout who cannot give a proper rapport?
The bird-like creature flapped its wings and hopped around as if it had springs attached to its legs. To everyone's confusion it suddenly stood still and straight, and it opened its large beak but made no sound. It started walking slowly instead, and turning its head like it was watching out for something from time to time.
"I think it's trying to tell us something." Someone from the group of lower class mazoku had pointed out.
"No shit, genius." Answered another voice from the crowd.
"If you're so smart, then enlighten us! Asshole!" Shouted yet another one.
"Or maybe I should just punch your brain out!? It will be easier than trying to explain it to you, nitwit!" Growled the owner of the second voice and a wave of an angry cries from the rest had erupted in the stony hallway followed by a few punches, shoves and bites.
"SHUT UP!" Garu's voice yet again had silenced the small crowd.
Scaps however had continued its theatrics and kept walking around with its beak wide open. It now also started to pretend to cardle something in its furry wings.
"Hey look!" The shorter of two guards had pointed at the creature. "It looks like its protecting something!"
That observation made Scraps hop in place and wobble its head up and down in confirmation. It did that a few more times while turning around so everyone could see (because in its mind, good manners dictated including everyone in the conversation) and then resumed its tale.
It kept walking around with its beak open and acting all protective and very suspicious of its surroundings while the others shouted their guesses which included: choking, singing, hissing, catching snowflakes in one's mouth, screaming, facial muscles' paralysis, and so on… But Garu observed it quietly.
"A spiked helmet… You saw the creature in black." She said finally and Scraps began to hop in joyous confirmation and ducking its head more violently than it did before. The crowd around them gasped loudly and began glaring at the bottle with suspicion.
It ran up to her and tapped its beak on the bottle that she was holding.
"He was carrying this?" Garu asked and the scout nodded at her.
Scraps ran to the middle of the corridor and began scratching its talons at the ground and hitting the rocky floor with its beak.
"He buried it… but you dug it out when he left and brought it to us." She said and looked back at the ceramic container in her hand. The alcohol swiveled within it with her every move. "How long ago?" She asked and took a glance at Scraps.
It ran around in a small circle and stomped its legs in satisfaction, and then snapped its beak two times.
"Two hours?" Garu asked and received an enthusiastic reply in form of hopping and head bobbing.
She slowly turned the bottle in her hands and examined its exterior but she did not find anything out of ordinary on the smooth surface. It didn't seem to bear any marks except a sticker with an expiration date and type of beverage on the bottom.
Perhaps the important part of it was its contents? Maybe Grimnir had put there something he did not wish anyone to find? Scraps did make him look very protective over the bottle after all.
Or maybe it was a trap.
Garu shook the bottle and listened, searching for some hidden item that could bring them harm and as she did so the crowd of lower ranking mazoku had leaned in to follow her example.
They looked ridiculously large when she stood next to them, for she had been Dynast's smallest and weakest creation of all. The reason for that being his battle with Lina Inverse more than two hundred years ago, which left him damaged, short of direct servants and cut off from the physical realm for a long time. And when he had finally returned, he did not have much power to spare for creating her, yet refused to remain without sufficient assistance.
So that was how she came to be. A priestess and a general who did not possess even a quarter of power that a combined title should've had granted to her.
She was no Xellos Metallium, she thought bitterly many times since heard that name and met the one who bore it.
A name that instilled fear and respect whenever spoken out loud. She saw many a mazoku cover at the sound of it, and it filled her with jealousy. What she would not give to wield such power. He was named a herald of doom for wherever he showed up, the very existence of all races was in great peril.
That turned her mind to their new enemy who had them trapped in the mountains. There was a likeness between Xellos and Grimnir, a certain smugness and poise. An attitude of someone who does not spring into action needlessly and yet cannot be stopped once they decide to act.
She swirled the alcohol within the bottle absentmindedly and the horde of monsters had stepped closer to her, wanting to take a better look at Grimnir's treasured possession.
What could possibly be so important about that bottle that he went to such lengths to hide it?
Garu reluctantly reached for the cork and the other mazoku had promptly taken a big step back.
The demons who surrounded her retreated even further and many of them squinted their eyes, waiting for something to happen. Only Scraps had scurred down the corridor and away from potential danger. It had detected the others dread and fled in fright, as any mazoku of its rank would do when their superiors show signs of unsettlement.
She grasped the cork and slowly wriggled it up until it came out with a distinctive pop.
Nothing happened.
The crowd gave out a collective sigh of relief and they all stepped closer to their superior again. Then one of the mazoku laughed, saying: "It seems this guy has some problems with alcohol! He was probably just hiding his mead from his wife!"
A wave of giggles followed by some snide remarks had went through the group. Even Garu shook her head at the item in her hand. It seemed that Grimnir did not hold as much poise as Xellos Metallium after all. It was rather the opposite; the bottle only proved that he was most likely a very powerful human sorcerer who got his hands on some magical artefact from the times of Koma War and decided to pull off a Lina Inverse.
How disappointing, she thought and turned the bottle upside down, letting the contents spill on the floor.
It exploded in a flash of burning light as an incantation sounded from within it like a thunder that shook the floors and walls. The spell not only blinded and scorched her but also wiped out all the mazoku who stood near her, and its light spread through the entire stronghold like a golden bubble that penetrated the solid rock that sheltered them.
She hid her face in her hands instinctively and stumbled backwards until she hit a wall.
"That bastard!" Garu groaned and rubbed her eyes. "He hid a spell at the bottom…"
Her body was still aching from the burn and her vision was blurry, but she could perceive that all who were present when she opened the bottle had been eradicated. The corridor seemed to be free of monsters save herself and she had to admit; that was one hell of a spell.
She was about to hurry back to her master and update him about the situation (although he probably already guessed what was going on) when a pair of black gloved hands had grasped her upper arms. Garu momentarily froze in terror.
The "wall" behind her shifted slightly.
"You're shorter than I thought." Came a deformed voice from above her head.
She jumped away and turned to face the intruder. For a moment her mind went blank and she didn't know what to say, so she just stared at him with wide eyes.
His presence felt incredibly unsettling to her, but it surprised her that she could not tell that he was inside the stronghold up until he spoke. She was leaning on him and didn't even notice that he was there!
Grimnir took a step toward her and she backed away, tightening a hold on her staff. "Y-you're surrounded!" She shouted the first thing that came to her mind.
The dark figure made a show of taking a look around. "Really? How troublesome." He said and took another step ahead.
Garu felt like she was staring into the void, which was staring right back at her. She readied herself for a fight. There was no way that she would let him go straight to her master unchallenged.
But before anything happened between them a deep rumble came from the main chamber and the ground shook with heavy steps before the stone gates were busted open and Dynast himself stomped into the corridor.
He was incredibly large and his body looked like it was shrouded by an armor of wrought out of shadow itself. His big round eyes flashed with anger when his gaze landed on Grimnir, who did not yet bothered to acknowledge his presence.
"YOU!" The lord shouted as he pointed his clawed gauntlet at the intruder.
"Surprise." Grimnir deadpanned without as much as turning around to face him.
Dynast, despite his anger, withdrew his hand and flexed his fingers as he tilted his head to the right in contemplation. "Why are you attacking us?" He finally asked through gritted teeth.
Garu, who stood silent had now withdrawn to stand behind her master. She opted to observe their interaction from a distance reasoning to herself that she did not wish to get in their way once they'll start fighting, and she knew that they will.
"Why?" Echoed the figure in black. "Because you're in my way. Now, do you want a time out to report to Lei Magnus (if he still calls himself by that name); or will you send someone to do it for you?"
The large mazoku narrowed his eyes and balled up his fists. He huffed like a rabid bull that just saw a red cloth.
Grimnir finally turned toward him. "Don't look at me like that. Do you think I don't know, that if it wasn't for him, you would have faced me at the gates of your fortress when I first came here?"
They started slowly circling around each other without breaking eye contact; or as much as staring at a spot on an opaque headgear where the eyes should be could be described as such.
"You were lucky back then, but luck does not equal wisdom. If you think that you can win against me that makes you truly backwards in the head, Perturbator!" Dynast spat the last word as if it on itself would cause damage to his opponent.
"Is this how you call me? To be completely honest, I'm flattered. I never thought you would openly admit that you find my presence perturbing." Grimnir put his hand over his chest.
"Your actions are perturbing! Not YOU!" The monster bellowed in anger, finding the comment incredibly offensive. Accusation of fear was one of the greatest ways to insult a mazoku.
"But are people not defined by their actions? Moreover, don't you know me only from what little you heard about what I did so far?" Remarked the intruder. He was walking in a slow stride making no move otherwise to strike the monster across him.
Dynast had so far tried to not give in to his temper, but the others attitude made it nearly impossible to not attack him in blind rage. It was incredibly insolent of that black creature to show up at his doorstep and act like it was within his right to simply stand there and tell his strongest subordinate to pledge her loyalty to him. Like he didn't care about the one whom she served; like he thought that she would just deem Grimnir superior!
And he had the nerve, to point his sword at him and leave it like that!?
But there was also the undeniable fact that this "man" (if he even can be called like that), had somehow destroyed the other two lords whose power was supposed to be uncontested, just like Dynast's own. And that incredibly unsettling aura that surrounded him made the mazoku rein his battle impulses.
He was not used to feeling this way about anything.
He'd been also instructed to not engage this stranger in battle, but to try to learn about him as much as possible. Unfortunately, straying from fight with Grimnir had turned out to be impossible as he was very obviously trying to start one.
The mazoku growled loudly and his priestess, who stood a fair distance behind him, took a few more steps back.
"Don't you want to smite me? You seem so tame." Grimnir sneered as he leaned slightly in direction of the fuming monster.
The word "tame" was what had really gotten to break Dynast's already dwindling hold on his rage.
"DRAW YOUR SWORD!" He roared and took a step forward so fiercely that the rock floor beneath his foot had cracked in half and the walls trembled with the magnitude of his voice.
"Uhm… No." Grimnir stated as if he were just asked if he'd like any additional toppings on his ice cream bowl by a waitress in a restaurant.
The monster froze and looked at him with round, twitching eyes. "..what did you say?" He whispered dangerously and the temperature in the corridor had dropped considerably.
"I'm not taking orders from the likes of you." Replied the perturbator as he shifted his weight from one leg to another while looking up at Dynast.
The silence that hung between them as they stood there, unmoving, was so heavy that even Garu wanted to run and hide before the storm of battle had a chance to hit her. No rapport of Grimnir's abilities had been given by the surviving mazoku from the Demon Sea and Wolfpack Island, who came to them seeking guidance. None who stood close to the final battles had survived. Still, she could not see anything remarkable about this person beside his ability to cast ancient spells and an air of anxiety that hung around him.
But obviously there was something else, something that could not be seen nor felt. Otherwise he would not win against such a powerful pair of mazoku.
"Garu…" Grimnir said.
The priestess' head snapped toward him and her brows knitted in confusion.
"Take my time." He added without looking at her.
That knocked Dynast out of his insolence induced short-circuiting and back into a state more or less adequate to process reality.
"Don't go around giving orders to my subordinates!" He bellowed and swung his fist at the intruder. He was lightning fast despite his incredible bulk but Grimnir was able to dodge the blow.
The mazoku buried his dark fist in the wall instead and the rock that the corridor was wrought out of, had instantly frozen upon contact. It didn't take long for him to locate his opponent for the figure in black had appeared right next to his head and aimed a kick between his eyes. Dynast blocked it, but the sheer force of the kick had threw him to the side.
"Well. I'm going to have a better use of her than you, so I'm taking her. Besides, you won't need her for much longer." Grimnir gibed as he charged at the mazoku and aimed a punch at his metatarsals.
The other had quickly moved his leg away while blasting a freezing ray at his attacker. He choose to keep his distance in case the perturbator decided to finally draw his sword when Dynast expected it last. What kind of fool refuses to use their weapon when faced with someone of his power? Unless, there was a reason for it.
Grimnir kept avoiding getting hit while trying to get closer to his target but when he teleported around the monster to hit at his blind spot Dynast had suddenly spun around and landed a blow that knocked him into the wall. The mazoku did not wait for him to strike back and threw another punch at him, but he managed to phase out at the last second.
He appeared next to him and swayed on his legs. There was a dent in his mask that revealed one dark blue eye that gleamed in the dim light of the cold corridor. A gold eyelid binked over it as its owner tried to regain focus in his vision.
Dynast aimed another freezing ray at him, attempting to immobilize him permanently but to his annoyance, Grimnir had swiftly evaded the blasts.
What an annoying pest, the mazoku thought. But not as scary as he seems to be painting himself to be after all. He added with a tinge of satisfaction.
He puffed up his shadow veiled chest and took a step toward him saying: "Maybe you should have had listened to me, when I told you to draw your swo-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, because a black slender blade got buried in his back and brutally tore through him until it busted out of the front of his upper body and flew straight into Grimnirs open palm.
The intruder twirled his sword in his gloved hand, one blue eye scanned the handle that looked like a rope covered in tar with a large knot at the end, which served as a pommel.
"Well, you asked for it, so here it is." Grimnir said and directed his gaze back to the monster who doubled over and fell to his knees.
Dynast's back was frantically rising and falling with every breath he took as he clutched the wound on his chest. In a frenzy of bewilderment and anger he noted that he was not dying. But there was another feeling that rose within him, a feeling with which he was very familiar, and which he detested with every fiber of his being.
He was trapped within his body, again.
It must have been that swords ability!
The rage that filled him in that moment had no bounds. His previous defeat in battle against Lina Inverse had come back to him in a flashback. He lost, against a human! And now it's happening once more!
He started grinding his teeth and growling like a wild animal. The sensation of being bolted into physical plane had confused his senses and rendered him immobile.
Grimnir appeared above him, blade raised high and ready to slice through his neck and relieve him of his head. This time Dynast knew, that the wound would be mortal for he was not merely cut off from his astral body, but entirely fixed to the physical one.
The black gloved hands tensed on the handle and their owner was about to strike with all his might but he suddenly froze and his head whipped up and to the side, like a dog reacting to a whistle. His arms slumped and he seemed to be listening to something.
"Amarna…" Grimnir said in a barely audible whisper.
Meanwhile Dynast managed to partially come to his senses and used the sudden moment of distraction against his opponent to turn around and grab the black figure. He slammed the intruder into the ground as a ray of lightning struck from the sky above the mountain peak and charged through the monster who directed it right at the creature he held pinned to the floor.
Grimnir let out a pained scream while his body tensed up and his muscles quivered from shock, but he did not let go of his sword. The fabric of his clothes began to smoke and so did the skin underneath. When he finally went silent, Dynast had let go of him and stood up.
The mazoku found the sight, and everything that led to it, incredibly satisfying. He finally had met an interesting opponent, and had a chance to torture him to death after many years of dwindling on the astral plane and then keeping idle in a frozen mountain. The condition it put him in though, was an annoying one, but there was a high chance that the piece of Shabranigdo that also resided in the mountains, would know how to fix it.
He walked across the broken floor and over the scorched body embedded into it. It was time to see his superior and brag about today's victory over the unexpected menace. Now this would also place him as the sole immediate subordinate of Shabranigdo and the only mazoku who held undisputed authority over all monsters across the world.
And that was something to be happy about.
"Farewell, Perturbator Grimnir." He threw sarcastically over his shoulder and walked toward Garu, who stood by the door to the main hall.
He stopped abruptly when he heard a song coming from Grimnir's direction. For a moment he thought that it's a spell but when nothing happened he dismissed that speculation.
It sounded like a lament sung in a language he could not understand, tearing through air and seeping through the stony walls of the mountain. The voice that sung it bore no sign of strain nor did it stutter or broke in any way, but it pierced through the physical plane with such clarity that its echo could have been heard even on the astral side of existence, carried by the sea of chaos through time and space.
It almost struck Dynast off balance.
"It would have been better for you, if you kept playing dead." The mazoku hissed as he turned around to finish off what they started.
"How could I let myself just lay there, when I'm being called out in such a grievous manner?" Grimnir replied glumly.
"Called out? Who calls you?" Dynast wondered aloud.
"That's none of your concern." The other replied before he started pulling himself out of the floor.
His black cloak was torn and his black pants and gray coat were ripped and burned, revealing bits of dark gray flesh branded by a black, lightning patterns that were fading rapidly. It seemed that his body did not sustain much damage, but it was visible through all the tears and cuts in his clothes that it also had the ability to heal itself, fast.
"I don't think so. Anything that has a connection to you, concerns me greatly." The monster admitted. And while he spoke, the ground underneath him began to freeze.
Grimnir stood up on wobbly legs and stumbled a few times when he tried to approach his opponent. He took a deep breath and groaned as he straightened his back.
"Of course a coward like you would say something like that." The man in black stated like it was a fact known by everyone, everywhere.
The walls around them froze rapidly and Dynast grit his teeth in wrath.
"You're dead!" He growled and an ice spear had grew in his hand. He launched it at Grimnir who disappeared and showed at his feet, and slashed at his left tendon above the heel. But the mazoku had quickly kicked his leg forward and avoided the cut that would make him unable to stand on his left leg.
He spun around on his right foot instead and tried to step on the menace, but his move did not bring desired results because Grimnir had jumped away and took a few steps back.
"That may be true. You see, I already got hanged once!" The Perturbator exclaimed, sounding like he was blaming Dynast for it. He revealed a dark scar that ran across his neck and was, so far, hidden under his tall grey collar.
A dark blue eye was now scanning Dynast's frame, looking for an opening and devising a plan of action. All he needed was just one more blow and this fight would be over.
Across him an angry monster seemed to be doing the same thing as ha paced around. His slow gait indicated that he was ready to spring at his target at any given moment.
Dynast made another spear and charged at Grimnir. He thrust the ice forward, aiming at the other's chest but his blow was parred by a black blade. The spear cracked upon impact but had not yet fallen apart and the mazoku refroze it in his grip.
They spared like that for a short amount of time, stepping carefully around each other and avoiding getting hit. But Grimnir's leg had slipped on the frozen floor and he failed to dodge the spear.
The black figure fell to the ground; his shoulder impaled with a thick, cold ice and he groaned in pain. The area where his skin met the ice had quickly started to freeze.
Grimnir lifted his sword when the mazoku had taken a step toward him and secretly aimed his free hand, which was covered by his torn cloak, at Dynast's knee.
"Bomb Di Wind!" He cried out and a blast of highly compressed air had tore through monster's leg, toppling the large body forward. The blow was dealt with such fierceness, that the mazoku had no time to extend his hands and catch himself before falling completely on top of his opponent.
And so Dynast Grausherra fell face first on Grimnir's sword, impaling his cranium onto the black blade.
He tried, and failed to spit out a few incoherent words as his great eye locked with a dark blue one, from which it was separated by only a few centimeters while his body started convulsing.
The gloved hand that held a black handle twisted the blade and slashed through monster's skull, ending his life and freeling the sword from its prey.
Garu stood several yards away wide eyed, and with her back pushed against the door, and stared the scene before her.
This could not be happening! Her master could not be defeated like that! It was simply impossible; she thought frantically while she stared at Dynast's dead body.
She was surprised by the fact that it did not disintegrate but kept lying there like a corpse of some mortal creature, which was another abnormal thing about the entire situation.
Grimnir's frustrated groan had shaken her out of her panicked state and she watched as he crawled from under her master and cast a recovery spell on his frostbitten shoulder. He proceeded to climb on Dynast's head to take a seat on it and as he did so, he sank his sword in it once again.
The weapon seemed to be seeping Dynast's miasma out of his corpse. Slowly, parts of the shadowy armor began to crumble and melt into a dark matter that swam in little streams across the dead mazoku and into the blade embedded into him.
Garu saw as Grimnir opened the lower part of his helmet by pulling it down like a second jaw and then placed a cigarette between his dark gray lips. He murmured a small fire spell into existence to lit it up and after that was done he just kept sitting there, and twisting the blade absentmindedly inside her master's skull.
Finally, his dark blue eye landed on her.
"Well?" He turned toward her.
"Huh?" The priestess tensed up and tightened her grip on her staff.
"Did you took my time, like I asked you to?" Grimnir reminded her sounding expectant.
"I do not serve you!" She yelled in anger and struck the floor with the frozen staff, but she did not dare approach him.
"Still not serving me?" He asked disbelievingly. "I could really use your help right now, and I killed your master." The dark figure pointed out.
"I am loyal to my race, and I have no reason to join you." Garu stated, trying to sound as proud as she could.
"Lei Magnus, of course. As long as he prevails you will have to follow his will." Grimnir grumbled solemnly.
There was truth in that statement and she didn't need to hide it. Now, that Dynast was dead, she was the immediate servant of one of the seven pieces of Shabranigdo, the master of all mazoku who is at the top of their hierarchy. She could already feel a pull of his summon.
"I'm not going to waste my time on you." She said and readied herself to phase into the main chamber of the Lord of Lords to speak about what had taken place in front of her.
"Yes… you can go. So long, Garu. Tell him that I'm coming." He replied dismissively while she disappeared.
He did not get to see the look in her eyes when she heard him say that she was permitted to go. But he did notice, even from the distance, the numbers scratched onto the heavy gate where she stood.
22m 57s
Grimnir hummed and tilted his head to the side.
Not a very good time, he thought and finished his cigarette.
He turned his head to the other side and looked into a pair of round eyes gleaming far away, within the darkness of the corridor.
"Look at what you did." The man in black patted the corpse he was sitting on as he stared at the scavenger who had brought his enchanted bottle within the walls of Dynast's barrier.
Scraps only blinked and scurred away in fear again.
It saw everything! It saw everything! The others didn't!
And it had regretted witnessing the battle very much.