Beep, beep, beeep!
"Hurry up!"
"Someone, grab the data from server L-007, now!"
"My phone, fuck, where's my phone?! I have to call Anne...!"
Beep, beep, beeep!
The flashing red light indicated an emergency. A terror of a nation-wide scale was about to occur, however, there was nothing they could do. The incident happened way too quickly. By the time they noticed it, the situation had already gotten out of control.
"Everyone calm down!"
"We have the alert the Strategic Command─"
"No, there's no hope!"
"...It's here."
"Ah."
──They were too late.
~ Ephemeral Dream ~
The moment the ICBM, the intercontinental ballistic missile, hit the canyon... the world went blank.
The silver star did not carry any hope nor dream, all that it brought along its descend was predestined doom. Of the two worlds we observe, perhaps only during this special occasion could the intersection between life and death join. At such crossroad, what could mere mortals do to defy their inescapable fate?
Life saw death. And death too, saw life.
Bringing along a wave of ever-expanding clouds, the god of death announced its presence. Avoidance was impossible. At seven kilometers per second, or twenty times the speed of sound, even the aircraft holding the current world record in flight speed could not outrun it.
No one saw it coming as the catastrophe struck.
As if time was stopped, the freezing canyon had turned into a massive crater filled with molten rocks. Calamity brought ruination to mankind. A giant mushroom cloud formed in the sky. The man-made disaster had forged an unforgettable piece of art, leaving a permanent mark on the planet as it determined the end of many beings.
Flames consumed everything in its path. Sand turned into glass. Explosions, heat, fire, shock wave, sound wave, the unceasing forces advanced, sparing no one in its sight.
The state of the canyon was a scenery straight out of an apocalypse.
"Shield." Facing such an indelible scenery, Fenric grimaced. He was not the Flash, he could not outrun the missile. Anyhow, it was tolerable. He had ordered the ICBM's launch himself, therefore, a protection must have been readied in advance.
All at once, the outline of various spells sprang into existence. Some were square, some were circular, and some were simply invisible or formless. With Fenric as the center point, the spells surrounded him, embracing him.
It was a multi-layered barrier.
The first layer prevented the heat.
The second layer shielded him from the fire.
The third layer formed a field of vacuum to nullify sound.
The fourth layer protected him from the shock wave and other generated forces.
The fifth and sixth later further increased his defense against physical objects such as the ricocheting rock fragments.
The seventh layer warded him from outside interference.
The eight layer was set up to deflect and counter hostiles.
The ninth layer fixed him in place, not letting him be blown away by any kinetic means.
Lastly, the tenth layer acted as an escape route, allowing him to be instantly flung away. Crude yet effective.
Ten layers, all to shield him from every aspect of an explosion while maintaining vigilance against possible attacks.
It was a surreal experience, standing in the middle of a large missile's explosion. Despite the overwhelming heat, he felt secured. Not safe, but secured. He had prepared and executed the shield without any flaw. His trust in magic was infinite. At least since the beginning of his life, Magecraft had never once abandoned him.
'Really... Look at how far technology has advanced. This makes the artillery barrages from the Great War seem like child's play. Even the Second World War didn't cause so much damage in a single moment if you exclude the United States' naval artillery and nuclear bombs.'
Nothing could touch nor harm him. Yet, the sight of animals and plants being incinerated reminded him for the hundredth time of what humanity could possibly do even without any support from supernatural factors.
'Uvogin must be dead.' Everything he did from the beginning was for the sole purpose of wearing his opponent down. Life energy wasn't unlimited. No matter how strong the Master Enhancer was, he would ultimately be killed when he runs out of Nen.
Not long after, the mushroom cloud vanished.
The overflowing dust and smoke dispersed, leaving the woeful truth exposed. Nature cried out loud. The everlasting scars carved into the earth forced the survivors to a pause. The beautiful painting of a windy desert canyon that remained unchanged for millennia was gone. What lingered was a molten crater and the demolished landscape.
Cooling his body, Fenric walked down the barren path as he moved to where Uvogin last stood. A confirmation of death was required. He would not rest until he sees the corpse of his enemy.
'This is tiring.' He was no longer steaming, however, his face did not give off a healthy vibe either. This signaled his demanding usage of magical energy. It makes one wonder why would he be so exhausted when the barrier, the silver rain, and the many traps were all prepared in advance. By now, the prana spent on the hailstorm should have partially recovered.
In truth, the evocation of the three spells which negated sound, created a shadow prison, and concealed them both weren't too costly. Flying was no trouble as well. What was truly taking a toll on him was the maintenance of the shadow prison. He was literally holding down a Servant-class opponent by himself.
Of course, Uvogin wouldn't be so strong when compared to the many Heroic Spirits within the Throne of Heroes. He'd be low-class at best, and also having exceptionally low to zero magical ability.
As a physically-focused warrior, he'd be beaten down by any of the seven classes excluding some Casters and Assassins. Additionally, the man had zero magic resistance, thus making him vulnerable to Magecraft. His Nen ability, Big Bang Impact, also wasn't remarkable when put up against the legendary and mythical Noble Phantasms.
In short, despite his many weaknesses, Uvogin was still Servant-class. He has a physique rivaling low to middle-class Servants, and Fenric was holding such a monster down alone. Only few Magi in the modern era, such as Barthomeloi Lorelei, could accomplish such task alone.
'Where is he?' Past the scorched land, and towards the smoking crater. Seeing outcome of his own action, the expressionless mage stilled. 'Has his corpse become ashes?' Fenric surveyed the molten ground and found nothing.
"...Is... Is that you... Fenric...?"
Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out to him. It was raspy, and barely audible.
'You...' Fenric shut himself up when he heard the familiar voice. "...Yes, Uvo. It's me, Fenric." Answering the weak call softly, a helpless expression formed on his face.
"...Is, that so...?"
His enemy had survived. But he did not move to finish him off. There was no need to.
"You lost, Uvo." Fenric did not mention his own victory. Gazing at the survivor, immense fatigue took control of his heart. It was the same sense of helplessness, the sort of understanding of frail mortality those aged and powerful would slowly come to know of.
"You should have just let it go... You didn't have to suffer like this." The Magus shook his head. The energetic barbarian, the Eleventh of the Phantom Troupe, was no more. Now, he was not a gallant warrior nor was he a legendary thief. What was there, lying in that pathetic hole of his, was a man on the last wisp of his life.
"Look at yourself. How pathetic." Fenric sighed. Uvogin did not have the shape of a human. The man was alive... or could such state be considered alive? A charred-black corpse without any limbs... He must have abandoned all defense and focused solely on protecting his brain and heart.
"He, he... he. I know." A hoarse voice replied.
"..." Seeing how feeble the bold and daring man had became, silence consumed the ageless Magus. There was no pity in his eyes. If there was emotions to be seen, it would be the respect for the soon-to-decease and his defiance against death.
"You know... I, I had never expected, to be, to be hit by something, like that."
"..."
"Are, are you grieving... for me? Ha... Don't joke, with me. I wouldn't want, a weakling like you, crying for me... You... You'll just, sully my grave."
"...I see. You fought very well, Uvo. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't had to have thrown a missile at them." He slung the rifle back and pulled out a silver sword. Planting Silver Flash into the ground and grasping its handle with one hand, Fenric stood straight next to the speaking corpse. His eyes watching Lady Lunar.
"He... he... Dying by, a nuclear bomb... shouldn't that count, as my wish?"
"Wrong. It was not a nuclear warhead. It was a conventional warhead filled with high explosives." Fenric mercilessly denied Uvogin.
"Ha, ha. You bastard... Why can't you say, something nice...?"
"I'm just being honest... unlike you."
"Heh... By the way... won't you get, into any trouble? Setting off... something like that."
"A missile crisis... It'll definitely be an international incident." Fenric gave a weak smile. "But you know me. I wouldn't launch a missile without solving the issues first. Whatever consequences I have to suffer, I won't. Kakin officials will apologize very soon. 'Missile test gone wrong', 'Experimental ICBM hits empty desert', it'll be on tomorrow's morning news. Money talks, yeah?"
"...Heh, cough!" Uvogin wanted to chuckle, however, what came out was a coughing fit. Although the aura of a Master Enhancer was keeping him alive, it'll soon be over. Ultimately, the Eleventh Spider was not immortal. He was but a once ambitious young man from the city where no one truly existed.
"Hu, he-eh, cough!" Wheezing, the hollow eyes shut and open. He tried to see the man who bested him for the last time, but he couldn't. His eyes have long since been turned to ashes by the flames. A world of black was what was in front of him.
"...I'll see you... on the other side... Fenric."
Once and for all, Uvogin closed his eyes──Those pair of hollow eyes... they'll never open ever again.
"...Farewell, Uvo." Fenric pulled the sword out and backed away from the charred-black corpse. His weak smile turned helpless. It was certain. Uvogin, the Eleventh of the Phantom Troupe, had finally perished... But.
"Really... Why couldn't you just be honest?"
The corpse stood up.
Like a puppet controlled by a puppeteer, Uvogin's body twisted left and right, doing its best to imitate human behavior. Darkish purple aura gushed out. It was ominous. Giving off a foreboding sign, the aura expanded outwards and gradually swallowed the whole corpse.
Post-Mortem Nen.
It was a rare phenomenon that only happened when a Nen user dies. The death of a Nen user does not necessarily result in the cessation of their abilities, on the contrary, it may cause pre-existing abilities to become even more powerful.
The most common reason for this phenomenon to occur is the ability of the dying user while harboring a strong grudge will cause their Nen to seek out the object of their hatred and cling to it. This makes curse-type abilities much more difficult to remove, to the point that fewer than ten Exorcists in the whole world were deemed capable of lifting a curse left by the deceased.
Other than hatred, any powerful enough emotion can result in post-mortem Nen. Some Nen users go as far as to make their own death an activation requirement.
"...Do you hate me so much, Uvo?" Fenric stared at the distorting 'creature' with a darkening expression. He had noticed the change during their talk. Uvogin probably knew it too. But even then, he did nothing.
"Is it hate? Or are you still trying to fulfill your duty even after death? What are you trying to prove? Your undying loyalty towards the Troupe Leader?" There was nothing Fenric could do to stop it from transforming. He could not exorcise this... thing. He was an Archmagus, not a grandmaster who spent years researching the properties and usage of Nen.
"AAHHH──AAHHHH──FEEEEEENRRRIIIIICC!" With a inhuman screech, the corpse took a step forward. Bones, blood, organs, and muscle tissues burst out. Every spot where flesh was missing was immediately filled up. However, it did not stop there. At this moment, flesh was 'overflowing' from the former Spider.
"I am here." A flash. The silver sword, shrouded by a thick layer of aura, went through one of the monster's tentacles and arrived at its skin. Clank! The resistance against Fenric's blade was immense. Despite not being protected by Nen, the walking corpse had managed to endure the strike with ease.
"FEEERRRRIIIIIII──"
Bang! The only human in the desert gave up on melee and sheathed the sword to his waist. He retrieved the rifle from his back and promptly opened fire while gaining distance. He was not going to clash with such a monster head-on.
'What did he do? Did he create a new ability, turning himself into this?' Watching the round he fired bounce off the monster pitifully, Fenric grimaced. He fired a second time, this time reinforcing the bullet with both Nen and Magecraft, however, what he got was the same result. There was not even a scratch. Uvogin was unstoppable by firearms.
'An ability that activates upon one's death... An absolute resistance against guns or long-range attacks... He doesn't know about my sword... Did he create this ability based on everything he knows about me?' A chill went down his spine as he rolled towards the ground, almost getting struck by the giant's fist.
'...Fucking genius. How did he rush the ability this quick?!' Trying to distract it, Fenric tossed the rifle at the walking corpse. He was going to discard it since it had become useless. The gun was no better than scrap metal at this point in time.
Silver Flash was unsheathed. The thrown rifle was smashed into pieces, and the ineffective rounds from his handgun confirmed his conjecture. Hurling what's left of his equipment, he watched the grenades detonate and doing zero harm to the charging monster.
'Firearms and conventional weapon do not work. Will it even die if I hit it with another ballistic missile? Not that I have it, but I doubt it'll work.' The ageless man winced. If this turns into a battle of endurance, he'd lose. He'd have to use either Magecraft or Nen to overwhelm Uvogin.
'Should I run? Or can I even run? If Uvogin doesn't die, there's chance of the existence of Nen being exposed when the military arrives. The government, who are in on it with the Hunter Association, will deny the fact, but those soldiers will talk. What's more, someone with a seer-like ability will discover my involvement and point their fingers at me...' Hurling his last hidden weapon, a combat knife, at the monster, Fenric understood that he could not escape and immediately turned more aggressive.
'He's like a Nen Beast, a dying body supported by an agglomeration of Nen.' Swinging his sword down, Fenric noticed a tiny red mark forming on his opponent's arm. The thrown knife earlier also left a tiny cut. If Nen could harm it, Magecraft definitely could too. However, why couldn't Nen-infused bullets do anything? Was this a condition-type thing? Like a conceptual item from his world?
'No more grenades left. The missile took out every stash I hid. And I don't see the poison from my knife acting up either...' A few more exchanges later, his arm was numb from parrying the giant's punches.
'He moves without a pattern... so Uvogin's battle experience did not transfer.' It was not a total disaster. The walking corpse did not use its legs nor its other body parts to attack. All it did was punch with its fists as its tentacles attempted to grab onto the constantly-retreating Fenric.
'Thankfully its movements are clumsy, else it'll be all over once it catches me.' Blade collided against skin. Sentient met mindless. Intelligence met brute strength. Running across the molten terrain, man and beast clashed again and again.
"FFEEENNNRRRIIIICC──"
"Quake!" Shrugging off the ear-piercing screech, Silver Flash vibrated continuously as it pushed itself through the corpse's waist. The sword hummed with ferocity. Sharp edges punctured through dead flesh and inched to the heart, causing a fountain of blood to gush out.
"FFFEEENRRRIII!"
"...Magecraft worked, but..." His skin took on a red tint and his sword stopped vibrating. He saw the horrible truth. Destroying the monster's heart did nothing. 'Must I destroy the brain...? Is its body even functioning like a human?' He did not know much about Nen Beasts and only grasped the basic facts recorded on the Hunter site.
It was not like the Association did not want to put the information up for sale. It was just that Nen Beasts were too unique. Their abilities depended on their creator. Each and every one of them is one-of-a-kind. You simply could not tell the difference through mere observation.
'How do I kill it?' Peel the skin, cut horizontally at the waist, body dismemberment with bladed tools, flay the flesh, hanging, boiling alive, downed by gunfire, water drowning, buried alive, excruciating death with poison, straight clubbing, sawing them to pieces, break their spine, pour molten lead into their mouth, clawing out their intestines... there were so many ways to end a human's life, but certain Nen Beasts could only fall when a condition is achieved.
'Blades work. Nen works. Magecraft works. Does it want to die by melee? Or is it a direct one-versus-one? I have to─ ah, fuck.' Fenric barely dodged a rapidly advancing fist. Chopping off the regrew tentacles, he scrutinized the undying creature with a deep frown.
'Insufficient information, insufficient time, depleting energy... I can only destroy it from the inside out and retreat if failed.' Jamming the blade into the monster's eyes, the Magus leaped backwards and concentrated on his legs.
"Become two. Become a legend. Manifest." Feeling the earth, Fenric read out the incantations and reenacted Mystery. Miracle from the Age of Gods was evoked. The ground before him parted in two. Splitting, rock and soil transformed into a pair of beasts from fantasy.
Earth Wyrms. Gigantic, flightless beasts. They are the dragonspawns men spoke of in legends. Of course, the ones Fenric created were merely shaped like them. They were not summoned beings, and thus, did not possess any abilities a normal Earth Wyrm should have. In short, they were just a couple of intimidating statues.
"Buy me time." The ageless mage ordered as the transmuted dragonspawns pounced on the walking corpse. Earth itself was their lifeline. As long as the pair do not cease their contact with the ground, they'd be able to perform nonstop regeneration. This was an overwhelming advantage these golem creatures had.
"Ugh." Fenric felt the continuous drainage. Such a thing was obvious since he had been using Magecraft without a rest despite his reduced reserve. 'I spent too much prana. If I don't finish this in three, no, two minutes... I'll faint, then killed by Uvo.' Fenric was ready to make sacrifices.
'Should've done this from the start instead of wasting time on analyzing.' Thinking about it, it was kind of foolish of him to extend their battle this far. It was probably the constant fear for the unknown that kept him this way.
It was not strange considering how bizarre Magecraft was. There are spells that could wipe memories, summon incomprehensible entities, and open doors to other worlds. He was in a way, right. You can never be certain until you fully understand something.
"FFFFEEENRRRRIIIICCCCCC──"
"I know, Uvo." A loud shriek shook him. Looking at the former Spider being tied up by the two Earth Wyrms, Fenric resolved himself. "Disperse." At his command, the two dragonspawns crumbled. The spell had ended. Without any magical energy to supply them, they returned to rocks and soil.
He picked up Silver Flash. The sword had fallen from the monster's eyes during its struggle against the wyrms. Perhaps, it was its way of atoning for its mistake. Would Uvogin be happy when he realized what he had become? The man had chose loyalty over a warrior's death.
"Shukuchi." Vanishing from his spot, Fenric appeared behind Uvogin. Although the walking corpse could not see him with his eyes, its tentacles surely had him in its view. The sudden appearance was accompanied by a gust of wind, and the sensitive tentacles did not fail its master.
It was not a psychic's teleportation nor was it Spatial Transportation. It was not Magic either. What he evoked, was a spatial interference spell which imitated one of the pinnacle of martial arts: Reduced Earth. Being a technique that cuts down the distance between opponents instantly, it was what one could only achieve when they reach the extremity of Steps Movement.
"Condense." His muscles spasmed violently as water gathered. Reduced Earth was not one of the pinnacle of martial arts for nothing. When one used a technique beyond what one body could handle, one had to pay an appropriate price.
'You can have it.' Immediately, pain assaulted his mind. His left arm was bisected from top down. Blood splashed across his enemy's face and a smile of satisfaction formed on the monster's face. The smile's meaning was obvious: 'I finally got you!'
Before the pain could catch up to his thoughts, a faint whisper echoed within him. Something was triggered. The pain which impeded his rational thinking was gone. And then, his right hand touched the giant's back.
The air was frozen. The giant was stopped.
"God is here with me!" Fenric yelled.
A whirlwind of energy full of warmth quickly shrouded the man and the beast. A hole was formed amidst the clouds. Even though it was nighttime, sunlight shined down upon the two. An undefiled sanctuary was established.
Imagine you being an avenger. Your target of vengeance murdered your sister, your brother, your father, your mother, and everyone whom you ever cared for. Moreover, he did not stop there, he went ahead and defiled your sister's and mother's corpse, desecrating your brother's face, stepping on your father's decapitated head. How would you feel? How could you forgive him?
Now, imagine all that pent-up rage you have built over the years vanishing all at once... how would you feel?
"...?"
The pillar of radiance was beautiful, and with its power, disrupted and suppressed all grudges, bloodlust, and the faint wisp of emotions──loyalty──from the walking corpse.
Before Uvogin could question the sudden disappearance of his fighting spirit, Fenric struck. Silver Flash materialized in his remaining hand. The blade gleamed. The reflected sunlight, storming magical energy, and aura of life energy came down on the Eleventh Spider. Finally, Fenric drew blood. A large gash was on Uvogin's shoulder!
"Invade."
He did not stop. The frozen air returned to their former state. Water vapor gathered at an incredible rate, and without stop, entered into the wound on Uvogin's shoulder.
Hydrogen oxide, or what we simply call water, is one of the most fascinating weapon in this world. It is the perfect murder tool. It is present everywhere, even deserts, free for all to use, and does not leave any evidence when gone. Therefore, it could be said that water was both the source of life and the harbinger of death.
"Infuse."
The walking corpse bloated. Arteries, veins, capillaries, none of the blood vessels were spared. Water intruded into their system and fused with blood, becoming one single entity. Brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach, intestines, every organ within Uvogin's body was invaded.
If there was a skill called Practical Magical Combat Ability, the level of his skill would be maxed out.
Throwing rocks and shooting fireballs are simply too crude. There are so many ways to creatively utilize the wondrous spells in a mage's repertoire.
Why would he launch a block of ice at someone when he could lower their body temperature instead? Ceasing their bodily function is way more practical than playing with chances and hoping for a lucky hit. Although it is hard to control those who possess Magic Circuits, indirect methods work too. Medea should know that, yet she still ended up wasting precious magical energy on 'light beams' made out of mana.
"Invert."
The water boiled. The blood boiled. Without a single word of warning, the crimson liquid was altered. Howling in pain, blisters formed on the monster skin. A pungent smell filled the air. The water, the blood in its body, have turned into acid.
"FEEEERRRREEEEE──"
The monster who preyed on humans was being eaten inside out. Toxic and corrosive, the acid burned the corpse relentlessly. It was not going to let its meal go. Gradually, the ionic compound dissolved the giant. Struggling was useless. The Nen Beast did not have the power to resist the liquid that made up sixty percent of its body.
"You fought well, Uvo." Fenric stabilized his bleeding and watched his former drinking buddy scream. His left arm was cut clean off. If he did not turn off his pain receptor, he would most likely be gasping in pain as well. He was lucky. Excluding the burning sensation, he did not feel much pain when it happened.
The monster corroded. Mindless as it was, it knew that it was being gnawed away by itself. Could it be that it had gained intelligence? Complicated emotions went through its crimson eyes. Why wasn't it going after its target? It was at the last of its life, shouldn't it be trying to take Fenric down with itself?
Nen was truly mysterious. Active even after death, Uvogin's grudges was not all that was present. Loyalty, regret, bitterness, and respect for his opponent. Maybe, he, not it, was expressing its respect for an enemy who was willing to sacrifice their arm just to land a hit: a true warrior.
It could also be the pillar of radiance, the Holy Sacrament from Fenric. Did it changed the monster's thinking? The embrace of the Holy Mother, the warmth of Maria who led sinners to the Kingdom of Heaven. Did Uvogin see her light?
Unfortunately, Fenric will never know. By the time his bleeding completely stabilized, Uvogin was gone. The barbarian's corpse, standing in that sanctuary of light, was as heroic as he was during life.
"Are you content? Is this the end you were wishing for? A fight to determine a winner... without outside help?"
It was a bittersweet feeling. Everything he prepared, from the missile to the traps, was for naught. Uvogin was the final winner. He ignored death itself just for a chance at a fair and uninterrupted fight.
Again, Fenric mused. Loyalty to Chrollo? Hatred? Did he desire an unrestrained fight? To go out with a boom like a real man... It was truly a wish fitting for the simple and barbaric man Uvogin was.
"...Guess I'll never know. It's my complete lost, Uvo. I'd risk an arm but I'd never risk my life for something like a fair fight." Fenric laughed. The sound of ridicule and admiration rose in his throat.
"Haah. Well then, I still have things to settle so... I'll see you later, Uvo." Gazing as the thief's gallant figure, he lowered the magically-charged gems hidden in his hand. He had prepared for another surprise. You can never be too prepared and they were his last cards, to serve as the smokescreen for his retreat.
In any case, they weren't needed anymore.
"Burn." A small bolt of fire flew from his hand, igniting the remains on fire. Due to the spell, the corpse caught on fire easily. Fenric sighed. He won't be holding a funeral for the man. Didn't Uvogin told Fenric himself? That he'd just sully the man's grave.
"..."
──Accompanied by the freezing wind, he stepped out of the canyon, never to return.
Author's Note:
END OF ARC 2.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A lazy author's tale:
sumguy: "y u no update author?!"
author: "pls spare me..."
sumguy: "get ova here bitch, no food until next update!"
author: "nuuuu!"
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Next world coming soon~ I am considering five choices at the moment :O
Hints for the next Mission World candidates:
World 1: Dragonfriend
World 2: Earth Mother
World 3: Maiden of Winter
World 4: One's Own Goal
World 5: VRMMORPG: Realized World