Unmei Force: Vengeance

by Xovercreator

The Unmei Force find themselves within the world of Berserk, a world where darkness prevails and the darkest natures of humanity are left unhidden and unbounded. And yet within the endless darkness and suffering that plagues the lands, lies the final key, to the answers of their own quest. But they must be aware: Not every world is unaware of outsiders like them...

18. Chapter 17 (AN Warning)

Unmei Force: Vengeance

Chapter 17: Enoch Village and Slan

A/N: Rape and guro present here. Be careful when reading this chapter.

---

In Enoch Village...

The group made their way into the village, as they heard the village bell ring a few times slowly, as if they were in mourning of someone's death. The group looked around, as the village was in fairly good condition for a village threatened by goblins, with most of the infrastructure still standing well. Morgan looked around for his fellow townsmen, before he then found them gathering around a large ditch in the middle of the village path.

The group could see that the townsfolk were in mourning, the women weeping, with hands to eyes, and men swearing under their breath in frustration about what had happened, all of them with their heads bowed down to the ground, into the ditch. Morgan got closer, before he then saw that the ditch had two wooden coffins inside of it, as people were shovelling dirt to bury them into the ground.

"Everyone!" Morgan shouted, gathering everyone's attention, as they stopped mourning for a moment, and rushed towards the elderly citizen, with relief on their expressions.

"Old Man Morgan! You're alright!" One of the middle-aged men cried out.

"One way or another." Morgan responded back calmly.

"Wait, where are the others!?" One of the other men cried out, realising that Morgan had no-one from his group with him.

"Well, we were attacked by trolls in the forest..." Morgan solemnly stated.

"...Oh..." A man muttered in understanding.

"Whose coffins are these?" Morgan asked, getting a closer look at them.

"Ted's and Horace's. Hannah got carried off." One of the other men explained, before recounting the events. "Ted was attacked while standing guard at the livestock barn, and when she rushed over to save him, Hannah was raped! Horace stabbed one with the pitchfork trying to rescue his sister, then a whole pack ganged up and beat him to death! All that was left of Ted and Horace was mincemeat! What cursed timing... They were only married four days ago."

"And Ted and Horace were best friends. The three were brought up like siblings and all." Another man remarked.

"Damn it! They do such vicious things! They don't think of this village as more than a food trough!" A younger man cursed out loud.

"I realise that it's a time for mourning, everyone, but..." Morgan replied back.

"So? What was the end result, Morgan?" One of the men asked him again.

"Chief." Morgan acknowledged the village chieftain, before turning to the group behind him. "Those people there are them."

"You all are..." The chieftain remarked, as the entire crowd was surprised by how large the group was.

"They're from the Spirit Tree Forest?" One of the women commented, before pointing at Isidro and Elma, who looked the youngest out of the entire group. "Hey, there's children with them!"

"Who's those men in armour, and holding such powerful weapons...?" Another man remarked, referring to Gunter and Guts.

"L-Look at that!" A young woman shouted, pointing at Puck and Ivalera, who were flying around the group. "Elves... They're elves! If she has things queer as elves with them... She must really be a witch!"

"So one of them must be..." Another one pondered.

"No... people! The honourable witch is right here, although we do have a few people capable of magic in this group." Morgan responded back, before coming over, and gesturing for Schierke, who was hiding behind Guts and Richard.

Schierke shyly teetered out, as she muttered a meek 'Hello.', while Elma chuckled slightly, seeing that Schierke was fairly shy like she was herself.

"Say what? Impossible, there's two of them with those staffs... Children like them..." One of them remarked.

"This is a joke, right!?" One of the man yelled, with a disbelieving expression.

"Morgan, what is the meaning of this jest!?" The village chieftain roared.

"Well no, it's no joke." Morgan said with slight hesitation.

"There is no time to question whether the girl is a witch or not." Reimu declared forcefully, as all eyes turned to her. "All it matters that you tell us when and how those damn things are going to come. We'll deal with the rest."

"That will not do." A male voice rang within the crowd, before it parted away to reveal that it was a experienced priest with a young age, sharp eyes, white priest robes and cap. "I told you as much, village chief, I doubt that there would be a witch that would truly help us."

"Father." The village chieftain remarked, as Isidro winced slightly.

"It's a priest." Schierke stated.

"Hoo boy, another one. Let's hope that he can see some reason, considering that we got people who can dice the trolls real good even without the hocus-pocus." Isidro sighed deeply.

"Indeed, this has been complicated." Serpico stated.

"Relying on dubious superstitions like witches will not resolve our present state of affairs one bit." The priest continued. "Will it not result in the needless addition of victims? Even so, Morgan, making children like them wear the getup of witches... It is likely a deed born of a sense of guilt at being the only one to survive, but also excessively thoughtless."

"N-No, it's not like that. They really can-" Morgan tried to reason with the priest.

"B-But Father, they have elves with them." The village chieftain also proposed his argument.

"Do you think such things has the power to defeat those evil beasts?" The priest retorted back coolly.

"Ah well... perhaps not." The chieftain stated, resigned.

"With this getup, are you people travelling performers? Did Morgan appeal to you on your journey?" The priest asked the group. "No wonder... pretending to be witches and practising dubious divination must be your forte."

"Performer... makes sense." The chieftain stated with a nod.

"I'm sorry... what do you think you're implying?" Antonio asked, his tone showing his irritation.

"However, it would not be wise to stick your noses into this. I don't know if you're on a pleasure jaunt or what, but these evil beasts are not the sort of thing you can deal with. Leave this place at once."

"B-But father, after a close look, doesn't some of them look quite powerful or skilled? We are short-handed right now, so to turn them away would..."

"None of that!" The priest barked out. "This is a test given by God to this village. All we can do is pray and endure."

As if on cue, scoffs arose from Reimu, Richard, Velouria, Antonio, Guts, Judeau, and Casca at the same time, as the priest noticed the collective gesture, annoyed at it. "What reason do you scoff at my words?" He asked the group again, with more force than before.

"Oh please. Pray and endure you say. Tell that to the survivors of the incident at the Tower of Conviction." Reimu spat back with a mocking tone. "I'm sure that tactic worked on them."

"How so?" The priest asked, trying to keep his patience within control.

"You're Holy See, aren't you?" Antonio asked. "Sure is nice trying to pretend that you actually can do jack shit around here. Please, we don't need magic to solve your little problem. You want to pray to your Lord and hope he'll cast down holy judgement on the monsters, be my guest... But don't drag your sentiments on the others. We came here to help everyone here, not just your sorry ass. Don't act like your word holds higher than anyone else's here. You're a religious figure, but tell me, has your faith managed to save people? Did it save those people in those coffins right now, because if this is what your Lord done to this village... Well, high time for someone to do his job right then."

The priest was livid, as his hands were trembling, as he was about to say something before Richard walked over to him. Farnese and Serpico were also affected by the harsh words from both of them, as Farnese had a guilty look in her eyes, while Serpico only sighed deeply.

"Father, I appreciate your concern, but my friends are right, however vulgar they portray their points." Richard told him bluntly. "We may not be a group on charity, but we cannot let a entire village get wiped out by our indecision. Faith is not enough these days, Father. God's faith has been spread thin, by the likes of Inquisitor Mozgus, and those who speak the Lord's name in vain. His power was robbed by those who use it for their own personal gains, leaving him unable to conjure up the simplest miracle to help the truly faithful. So I implore you, Father, let us help. If we fail, it is of no consequence. We are not afraid of these dark creatures. You're a good man, Father, just simply misunderstood about all of this."

"Even so..." The priest responded back. "You cannot possibly be bringing them both in. They must not assume these kind of appearances, lest they be burned at stake, were this be the Holy City, a fate difficult to escape from. Witches and the like... are nothing but symbols of apostasy and wickedness."

Richard's expression creased slightly, while Schierke's glare at the priest intensified, while Elma turned away. Velouria muttered a silent 'fuck this', as she was about to stomp over to the priest to give him a piece of her mind, only to be stopped by Meiling snatching her by the waist.

"I see. You are mistaken on that, dear Father." Richard nodded gently with a grim frown. "Magic like the one that the witches wield... Not all those who use it are wicked or heretical. You'll see what I mean eventually. We will not take residence in your village, as we do not wish to cause uneasiness with the crowd here. We are not welcome here, it seems, so we will not menace you any longer."

Richard then headed back to the group, as he gestured them to follow. "Come, we will take camp on the village gates." He told them.

"Don't tell me... You're seriously going to let them roll over us?" Casca exclaimed.

"There's no point in poking the hornet's nest, Casca. We're stirred enough ill-will with the people here." Richard answered back, before turning to Schierke and Elma. "Are you both alright... The priest... He did not know what he was talking about."

"I'm fine." Schierke muttered back, not turning her head back to face him.

"Richard... I'm alright... They're just scared of us, because our magic might make things bad for them right?" Elma asked back. "Then I'll just simply have to prove that I can only do good with what I use, right?"

"Yes, that might help them believe you, Elma." Richard answered back.

"So... How will we deal with that problem?" Guts asked Richard.

"Well, Reimu and Antonio did rustle a lot of feathers saying what they said." Judeau stated. "Had it not been Richard using smooth-talk to pacify the situation, we could have left on much more sour terms."

"Hey, I was telling the damn truth! Tell that to the religious block-head over there!" Reimu hollered.

"Yeah, same here!" Antonio shouted back.

"Both of you, stop. There's not a good thing about arguing about this." Richard scolded both of them, before he then turned to Schierke. "Do you think that you might have a good idea on how we're going to defend this village?"

"Not yet. I need to tour the village a little to actually make a proper plan." Schierke stated, before she then pulled out a bundle of her own hair. "Everyone, please tie a strand of this around your finger."

Everyone did so, putting their strand of Schierke's hair around one of their fingers.

"Hair? Yours? Why this?" Isidro asked quickly.

"So that we can use thought transference." Schierke explained. "You would be mostly linked through me, but not to each other."

"Huh, so it's something like that Satori... Kinda neat." Reimu muttered, brushing her finger against the tied hair strand on her finger.

'Like this?' Corrin thought to Schierke, as it rang clear in the little apprentice's head, as the green-haired apprentice nodded back. "Ah, I see... That is quite convenient."

"To a certain extent, every human is capable of directly exchanging thoughts. Just for that, it is necessary to connect their od... their spiritual magnetism. With those hairs attached to you, your od fields are subconsciously adhered to mine."

"So, it's a two way communication?" Judeau asked. "Well, I sure hope that it doesn't leak even memories through it. That would be an awkward experience for all of us."

"Yeah, I agree, though I doubt it works that way, Judeau." Gus answered back.

"Further, for those who lack training in the concrete visualisation of images, thoughts, before they are given form via letters and words, are vague and inconsistent." Schierke explained further the telepathy system she set up. "Until you are accustomed, please sound out the words distinctly in your mind. If you master thought transference, the communication of intent far beyond that of normal conversation becomes possible."

"So, you want us to listen to your instructions then, if you're the centre of this web?" Velouria asked back. "Sure, I'm in, just tell me where there are a good amount of trolls, and I'll slice them up quick."

"C-Come again!?" Isidro exclaimed. "That ain't funny! Just because you can use a little magic, you can-"

He then looks towards Elma, who was a little upset by those words, before then at Richard, who raised a intrigued eyebrow, before the spiky-haired boy let the words die in his throats. "Fine, but you better know how to do this. Or we're doing this our own way. Guts and Richard has done this stuff their own way, and they usually get through with brute force and cold efficiency. Think you can beat that?"

"I'll try to meet expectations." Schierke responded back. "Now then, we should wait a while, while I wait for the opportune time to scout out the village."

---

After a few hour have passed...

Schierke trudged through the town, as Reimu followed closely behind, per the apprentice's request. They made their way to the front of a large church in the centre of the town, as they could see the idols of the Holy See on the roof itself. From her cap, Ivalera was quite uneasy being near the building.

"Schierke... I don't like this place..." Ivalera told her partner.

"When the trolls attack... If the villages hold up, it will probably be here." She muttered to Reimu.

"So this is the optimal place to set up?' Reimu asked back, before she then pulled out her ofuda. "Just tell me what you need me to set, and I'll get it done for you."

"We might need a magical barrier. Will you be able to put your own magic into it-" Schierke asked, before they were pelted by rocks, interrupting them, as one of them bounced off Schierke's hat, while the others hit Reimu on the bottom, causing her to yelp in pain.

Reimu spun on her heels, looking furious, before seeing two boys giving them sour looks, with rocks in their hands. "What the hell, you brats!? Didn't your mother tell you not to throw rocks at a lady!?" She fumed, pointing her finger at them. "Especially not towards their bottoms! You picking a fight!?"

"Go away, witches!" The first boy shouted, throwing his rock at Reimu, as it smacked her on the stomach. "The priest told us witches and trolls are the same!"

"Go back to the forest!" The other boy yelled, throwing rocks at Schierke, who covered herself with her robe, as Ivalera was demanding Schierke to teach them a lesson.

"You little insufferable brats, I'll teach you some manners the HARD way!" Reimu snarled, before she rolled up her sleeves, before stomping over to the boys, who realised that they picked a bad choice, and turned tail to flee. "GET BACK HERE! I'LL SPANK YOU UNTIL YOUR ASSES ARE RAW!"

"Reimu, please wait. Let them be." Schierke told Reimu, trying to calm her down, as the shrine maiden turned back to her, before resigned with a grumble, walking back over. "We shouldn't pick fights with the villagers here."

"Pft, fine. Not like I'm going to have to deal with those brats, once we do our job here." Reimu scoffed. "Oh, right. Don't think that I didn't see you glaring at that priest hard. You got something to say right up on his face? If you can't handle it, I'll do it for you."

"No... Not just to that priest." Schierke answered back. 'I think that every human in this world, all of them are mistaken about all of this, the witches, faith, and spiritual norms."

"Statement of the century, little witch." Reimu snorted sarcastically, crossing her arms. "You have no idea how much times I had to restrain myself from smacking the heads of those dense idiots upside, preaching about some sort of shitty religion that promotes suffering and inequality. If there was a God here, I'd gladly purge it the same way I do with the other ones."

"O-other ones?" Schierke asked, shocked to hear that Reimu is so casually threatening a religious god.

"Don't think much about it. You seen first-hand our power. And trust me, that's not the full extent." Reimu answered back, before turning to Schierke. "So, spill. What's on your mind?"

"This hill upon which this church is built, it used to be a shrine to the spirits of this land." Schierke stated. "Many of the Holy See's churches are that way, literally crushing the sacred places of the spirit faith where they were built. The current doctrine of the Holy See, is nothing more than a tool by which to display its political and religious power. People invoke the name of God when going to war. They invoke the name of God when seeking salvation, over and over, never tiring, when the key that saves them may be hidden in the very ones they are trying to forget."

"Heh, that's true. Still, trampling the other spirits and minor deities around here..." Reimu stated, before she then sighed. "I know that feeling a lot. At least back where I come from, no god or goddess is powerful enough to completely squash another one of them, in the way they will wane out of existence. Guess that's one more tag onto the list of crimes this holier-than-thou Holy See have done. But you know, I think that you had a bit of a crappy history about this place. Care to share? I won't judge you."

"Long ago, my mistress lived in a habitation in this vicinity." Schierke answered back. "She says she would go around to the needy villages, conveying the spirits' voices to people, teaching them each season's weather and healing the sick. Who knows how many people were saved by my mistress's magic? But when the Holy See's sphere of influence spread through this region, they began building churches in villages. As if they made a complete turnaround, people ostracised her and drove her into that forest. Since then..."

"Yeah, you don't need to elaborate further." Reimu sighed back. "I get the rest of the story. You're sour about how these ungrateful bastards caused her to rot in solitude, and turned to the Holy See, just because it's more 'legit'. Heh, I heard that kind of story once, but I'll tell you something, this story has a happy ending, and you wanna know how?"

"How?" Schierke asked, genuinely curious.

"Because the one, who was in the same situation as your mistress... She didn't stop persevering. Sure, I understand your mistress's reasons for laying low, especially in a shitty world like this." Reimu answered back. "She kept on trying her best to convince the people, and although she failed so many times she couldn't tell how many times she tried, but in the end, she managed to get some people to believe in her, and that eventually snowballed into a large gathering of followers for her. So my advice to you, don't think just because the people shun you, you should just turn your back on them. In fact, if you work harder, then these bastards will be forced to acknowledge your work for them. And this Holy See church is a self-destructive religion. You survive long enough, it'll consume itself up, and then there will nothing for those poor schmucks to believe in. Do you see where we get from there?"

"Reimu..." Schierke stated, as she was touched that Reimu was actually encouraging her to keep working on carrying Flora's duties.

"You know, I'll tell you something, I was a bit like your mistress as well." Reimu admitted. "I worked hard to help the people in my land, but they were quite ungrateful, as they rarely gave me the thanks and even the smallest compensation for my duties. It was a tedious job, but I was quite grumpy with how my work was never repaid. And then I met Richard, who was the person who turned the situation on the head for me. He occasionally visited me, paid me shrine donations, prayed with me, helped maintain my shrine, and even managed to act as a PR-manager for the shrine, luring people to pay and show their respects. Eventually, the Hakurei Shrine, where I came from, became a popular and prosperous place. Who would have imagined that one kid like him would have done all of this? Not me, I tell you."

Suddenly, dark clouds rolled over the skies, as Schierke and Reimu both sensed a disturbance in the magic in the surroundings, as well as a flock of crows cawing out an warning for all to hear.

"So... Time for the plan to begin? Get the guys here? I'll fly ahead and check the numbers." Reimu asked Schierke, before she took to the skies.

Schierke nodded, before she then closed her eyes, and concentrated to connect to everyone, before broadcasting a simple message.

'The trolls are here! Everyone, to the church!' She thought frantically.

'We're coming! Hold tight!' Gus responded back.

'I'll get my friends here fast, don't begin yet.' Richard also answered back.

Meanwhile, Reimu was flying over the village, as she could see movement from the forest on one side of the village, as a swarm of trolls rushed towards the village itself.

'Oi, Schierke, you might want to hurry, they're going to be here any time soon!' Reimu thought, before she swooped down, and fired persuasion needles right into the heads of the trolls killing some of them, and earning the wrath and attention of a large part of the trolls, who tried to stupidly throw their weapons to take her out. However, she always hovered out of their range, as she shot them with both danmaku and amulets.

Inside the town itself, the warning horn was already blown, as Richard and the others were guiding people to safety, pushing them along quickly.

"Everyone to the church! It's a huge pack of trolls!" The town crier bellowed.

Suddenly, a wave of trolls rushed through one of the alleys,chasing a mother and child. The mother tripped over, as she was holding her daughter in her arms. She screamed for help, scrambling away, as the trolls stepped closer. Serpico acted immediately, as he whipped the Sylph Sword out, swinging it, to no effect, as the trolls looked at Serpico oddly from the gesture.

"Uh...?" Serpico muttered.

"You idiot, don't tell me you forgot what you're supposed to do!?" Velouria roared. "Focus on the sylphs, you slit-eyed bastard! The SYLPHS!"

Velouria's vulgar words managed to get Serpico's attention, as he re-visualised the sylphs on the blade, as the feeling of the magic returned to his hand, as the trolls were approaching Serpico, while the townsfolk fled as Serpico charged the blade up.

"I am depending upon you, spirits!" Serpico boldly declared, as he swung his blade around, creating the cutting whirlwinds that sliced through the trolls, made by the sylphs on the blade, as the trolls were split apart by the slash, surprising everyone.

"Oh yeah, go get them, Serpico!" Isidro cheered for Serpico. "Sweet!"

"You are more fierce than I had expected, spirits." Serpico complimented the sylphs dancing on his blade, as he then slashed again, taking out the trolls that were about to abduct the mother and daughter, as they ducked under. One of the trolls tried to ambush him from above with the spear, but the sylph Cloak activated, creating a ring of wind that slowed the thrown spear down, allowing Serpico to dodge it, and use his blade to slice the troll open with the cutting wings it generated. "So amazing is real magic... quite heartening in a fight against monsters."

"Magic...!" "It's magic!" "Real magic!" The citizens remarked, seeing Serpico's attacks.

"Serpico..." Farnese remarked.

"I'll be damned you're gonna have all the fun!" Isidro exclaimed, before he then charged at the few trolls ahead of him. "Let's go, fire!"

Suddenly, more trolls swarmed through, as Isidro halted on his tracks, before turning away with a fearful expression. "No fire!" Isidro exclaimed.

"Get back into the fight, brat! You got that magic dagger of yours, put it to use!" Velouria growled, to no effect. "Rrrgh... Fine, I'll thin the numbers a bit for you. Virion, stick some arrows into them!"

"I understand, Velouria." Virion responded back, as he drew his bow, before he then rapidly fired arrows at the trolls with accuracy, killing them with fatal shots.

At the same time, Velouria roared, before she then dived into the crowd of trolls, as she sliced through them and their flimsy weapons, as Isidro then turned back.

"Oh, right... Damnit, I forgot your guys are with me. Well, if I'm fleeing right now, with you guys getting your hands dirty... I would be seen a damn coward." Isidro remarked. "Screw it, let's go!"

Isidro then let out a determined war-cry, as he joined the fray with Isidro, as the salamanders on the dagger lit up, with Isidro's unwavering faith in them, before he then sliced his blade through the chest of one of the trolls, igniting it, as the troll screamed before its insides were converted to ash, along with the rest of its body, as the unburnt head rolled into the crowd.

"Oy, blonde boy, get your ass back into the fray!" Velouria shouted. "Tell your girlfriend to take care of the refugees! You as well, Casca!"

"If that is what you wish." Serpico stated, drawing his sword once again. "You might want to be careful where you stand, for you might risk being cut along with the trolls if you don't look where I'm hitting."

"Psh, you'll get your clear shots. Besides, the sylphs know how far to push that blade of wind, so don't let it ruffle your feathers." Velouria responded back.

Suddenly, one of the trolls grabbed the head of the decapitated troll, before then messily chewing into it, much to Isidro's disgust.

"Uugggh, they're eating their own wounded? But that damn thing is dead already!" Isidro complained.

"Not my fault that they're disgusting freaks! I mean, this is revolting for me, and my pack is akin to a bunch of sentient wolves of the wild!" Velouria growled.

Casca and Farnese continued on, before they found that the rest of the group were here, as they were already helping to push back the trolls coming from the other lanes towards the church, as the only one absent was Richard himself. Trolls were falling by the dozen thanks to the effort of the coordinated group, as the citizens were able to make their way into the church safely without any harm.

"Casca, Farnese... Over here!" Gus called out, as he used his greatsword to cut through a line of trolls in front of him. "We managed to get everyone to safety! All that's left is to keep the church protected."

"I know... But where's Richard?" Farnese asked. "Could he possibly have been-"

"No, he's safe." Gus answered back. "He left to wipe out the leading trolls outside the village. He believes that if he can take out the leaders, the number of trolls attacking the village will severely diminish due to a lack of morale without a leading presence among them."

The priest could only watch, as the group held back the trolls with little difficulty, as not a single troll slipped through the lines of defence they formed around the village, as Guts was the most excellent one of the group, his large blade cutting hordes of trolls down without a single expression of exhaustion or weakness on his posture.

"D-Did you see them, father!?" The chieftain remarked, as the citizens were amazed by the performance of the group, as the priest himself was in shock.

"W-whoa... This is a whole another level than the last time we saw them fight!" Ivalera remarked, atop Scheirke's hat, as the little apprentice was standing on the roof of the building. "I mean, just look at that, that brown-haired swordsman didn't need any spirits to conjure up his flames! And the salamanders are actually helping that human-formed dragon there!"

Schierke looked down, as Meiling's strikes were enhanced by a swirling fire around them, created by the salamanders who embraced her limbs, as she watched the group do their duty of holding the troll horde back. "Are we prepared, Ivalera?" She asked the elf pixie.

"I stuck the charm, just like you said, on the wall in the direction you told me." Ivalera answered back.

'Alright, that should make it work then.' She thought with a sigh of relief, before she then looked down at the people by the doors. "Ahem! Everyone!"

The townspeople looked up where she was, as she then spoke clearly. "I will now use magic to extend a bulwark around this church. Everyone, please, make haste inside."

"What are you doing up there!? Of all the cursed...!" The priest shouted, before turning to the chieftain. "Chief, please go and drag that girl down immediately!"

"Uh, well... Father..." The chieftain stated. "I don't think that it's far-fetched, considering what we're witnessing. Perhaps it would be best to allow them to proceed."

"Argh! Enough! The fact remains that it's dangerous here! Everyone inside, hurry!" The priest exclaimed, as the citizens started filing into the church.

'Everyone, just a bit longer...' Schierke conveyed to everyone, especially to Richard, who was just finished with his duty, his blades wet with the darkened blood of the trolls.

'I'll come to you. I can lend you a hand to reinforce the magical bulwark.' Richard thought to her.

He then immediately focused himself onto where Schierke was situated, before he then opened a sukima, jumped through it, and landed besides the roof, keeping his footing on the tiles. He turned to Schierke, before he noticed that she was already in a trance, eyes closed, and hands on her wooden staff. Her passenger, Ivalera, was surprised by Richard's sudden appearance, as she yelped and almost slipped off her hat.

"What the...!? How did you get here!?" Ivalera blurted out.

"A special kind of magic." Richard answered back. "Now then, how long will it take for the bulwark to be erected?"

"Not too long, with how she's doing so far-" Ivalera responded back.

"Stop that!" The priest shouted, as he climbed onto the roof, with a furious expression on his face.

"Father...! I know what you're about to do, but please... Don't do this. This is for the good of the people!" Richard pleaded back.

"No! Never! Such a wicked deed as this before God...!" The priest growled. "Come down from here this instant!"

"She cannot. She has started her chant. If you interrupt her, then the spell will backfire, and it will be worse for the people!" Richard explained. "Are you willing to put your people to harm by interfering!?"

"Silence! Even should I live until the fullness of my days...! If it's because I relied upon some wicked intervention, what would it mean!?" The priest desperately shouted back. "This is the will of God! This village should entrust all to the fate God has assigned it!"

"...Even if that fate is for us to die forsaken by Him...?" Richard asked back in a low voice. "...Father... God is angry with us...! He is angry that we has used his name in vain! He will not protect us, after all the betrayals we have committed onto him! We cannot rely upon his power solely because it benefits us! We must use our own power, to prove ourselves worthy of his help! This little one here, is the very example of that! Tell me, would you really wish to stop this, even knowing that this is against the wishes of God!?"

The priest was silent, as Farnese and Casca scrambled up to the roof as well, and were about to stop the priest, before he saw that he was stopped by Richard. The priest then fell onto his knees, as he was conflicted on what he should do, as Richard's words struck a chord inside his heart, leaving him unable to act at all.

Richard watched the priest for a while, before he then noticed that there was a great amount of magic welling up in Schierke, as he turned to her.

"Veh. Geplah. Markto. Ategh. Veh. Gedulah. LE ORAHM!" Schierke chanted in a mystic language, before her eyes snapped out, as her green eyes glowed with magical power, and she rose her wooden staff to the air, as the dark clouds above her head parted, shining a bright light down on the church, as it created a prismatic barrier around the church.

Meiling, noticing that the barrier was erected, picked up one of the trolls by the neck, before throwing him right at the church itself just gently enough for it to land on the ground inside of it. The troll tried to stand up, before its entire body was conflagrated by golden flames, as it shrieked, before crumbling away into dark ash. The others watched as the other trolls, who were dumb enough to have been stuck inside the barrier, meet the same fate.

"Look there!" Isidro exclaimed, before he then rushed over back to the church, seeing most of the trolls burning away. "Is that... her magic?"

"Wh-What!? What's happening!?" The priest exclaimed back.

"Somehow I was in time." Schierke muttered, as the priest twisted around to face her.

"What in- Is this something you have done!?" The priest demanded from her.

"I told you, I used magic to extend a bulwark around the church." Schierke answered back stoically. "As long as this barrier does not vanish from my subconsciousness, any ethereal beings that would do us harm within its boundaries are expunged."

"M... Magic... Impossible... I won't admit it. I... such heresy." The priest muttered with utter awe.

"This four-hued light is the spiritual power of great beings deep within the astral world who love and protect us. It has become manifest in the physical world." Schierke stated, raising her head at the light above them. "Those great beings are the four cardinal guardian angels written of in your holy scriptures. Whatever different words you use to express them... The sun is the sun, and light is light."

"Then... What I have been doing..." The priest said to himself.

"That's why I told you to stop. Because not even witches are exempt of doing God's work. They may use different means of invoking miracles and blessings onto this world, but they still must call upon God's power. Priests like you use that power to reinforce the faith in God, as well as help people find salvation, while the witches have the duty of providing much more physical blessings and miracles on the world around us." Richard answered back. "That's why you are wrong in believing that witches are heretical. It is only because their power is misunderstood and mis-perceived, that they have been branded as wicked and evil. Witches and priests invoke His power differently, but it helps the world the same. God's name is something that only He may claim as his own, not for anyone else to use."

"But why? Our mantras do not have this kind of power! They do not call forth miracles like this spell!" Farnese argued.

"A church is a sanctuary where people communicate with angels or spirits. A magician constructs this sanctuary within their own mind." Schierke explained. "The spirit is not of this mortal body, but exists within the spiritual world, right? As for those who exist as ideas, the mind is all with which we can perceive them."

Schierke then threaded her hand through the light. "Regarding magic, the user must always consciously envision the figure of the spirit to be addressed... distinctly enough to perceive it literally." She continued. "It is not an attempt to believe in something one cannot see. So long as there is no margin of doubt, one can see, feel and truly perceive it."

"Spiritual perception... Can this truly be... accomplished?" The priest asked back.

"Yes. Humanity is capable of this. To sense and be sensed, feel and be felt, by those not of this world." Schierke responded back. "Magic, no... 'The arcana of invocation' is not about simply chanting mantras or meditating intently on your own wishes. It begins with recognising and confronting the counterpart to whom you must impart your thoughts. But then, at the same time, there are also great dangers involved by doing so."

"Looks like they can't enter this light." Guts remarked, before he smirked, looking at Schierke. "That's one hell of an girl up there."

Suddenly, there was the sound of thundering footsteps approaching the church, before the source of it crashed through a house, demolishing it, as it was revealed to be a large fleshy creature with a bulbous body, skin and fat hanging off in folds, misshapen, long nubbed head outfitted with tusks, and dark-brown fur covering them from the waist down. Its eyes are placed on the front of their heads on either side of the upper slit of their jaws, which were in a T-like shape, with a snout on the end of its head, and its ears are small and pointed, and rest on the sides of their heads, and three fingers on each hand. It then let out a low rumbling growl, as steam erupted from its snout.

"What... What the hell is that thing...!?" Antonio exclaimed, seeing the grotesque creature in front of him.

'Ogre! It's an ogre!' Schierke frantically told everyone through telepathy. 'Why is such a thing in the physical world...!?'

"Whatever it is, it's going to be DEAD!" Velouria roared, as she charged at the ogre with reckless abandon.

She then cleaved through the ogre's skin, as it managed to draw blood from the ogre, as well as shred some of the fur on it. However, the ogre didn't seem to be quite disturbed, as it tried to swat Velouria away with its large hands. And as well as that, the ogre's wounds were healing slowly, but visibly before the eyes of the wolf-skin.

"You... You think that you're going to outlast me with your regeneration! DREAM ON!" Velouria screamed, as she only tore onto the ogre harder and harder, as she aimed for the legs, cutting muscle and bone with her refined claws, forcing the ogre to kneel, before she then carved at the monster's torso. "Die already! No-one wants to deal with a ugly bastard like you right now!"

However, before she could thrust her claw right into the ogre's stomach, and tear it open, there was suddenly rain on the area, as everyone was notified of it coming down. Velouria stopped for a moment, before she barely reacted in time to dodge a swipe from the ogre, before it then reached for a large wooden beam on the ground, before it then picked it up, and threw it at the church at high speeds. Meiling reacted to intercept it, as she jumped on, and caught the beam, while floating briefly, as the beam knocked her against the wall of the church, although lessening its force enough to make it clatter harmlessly on the ground without damaging the church.

"That... That barrier won't shield the church from physical attacks!?" The chieftain exclaimed.

"Velouria... Please! You have to take down that ogre, before it brings down the church!" Schierke pleaded.

"Already on it! You just sit tight and watch me make mincemeat of this overgrown hunk of flesh-" Velouria growled, before she was blind-sided by a ball of highly-pressured water, as it slammed into her head, sending her spinning around in the air, before slamming into the side of the building, as there was blood leaking from the side of her head, as well as from the ear on the other side, as she seemed to be unresponsive.

"Velouria!" Corrin exclaimed, before she then rushed to face the attacker, a creature, that looked like a small horse with frog-like webbed feet, a long prehensile tongue slithering in its mouth, frog-like eyes, slimy and scaly skin, as well as frog-like bellows. "Richard, please, get Velouria out of battle! I'll fight against this creature!"

"If you say so." Richard responded back, before he then transported Velouria into the church, as the bleeding wolf-skin was slammed roughly on the church floor, as Elma rushed to her aid, quickly chanting spells to heal Velouria, as she slowly repaired her body.

"That's... a kelpie!" Schierke exclaimed. "The rain... It must have attracted it here! So we have to face it as well as an ogre..."

"So... what exactly is an kelpie? I heard it's a kind of marine horse that is rumoured to drown travellers in rivers..." Richard asked the apprentice.

"A kelpie is an aquatic mid-grade spiritual beast. It easily subjugates elementals of the same type, that are of a lower grade than it. And the ones that fall under that category is ones without any individuality." Schierke explained to Richard. "Especially in the rain... It is dangerous... Because with the rain, it can use its powers to no limit."

"Well then... Then Corrin will have a fairly hard fight in her hands. But I assure you, she'll do fine. Hopefully, she won't be forced to transform to out-match it." Richard responded back, before he then looked down at Guts. "Guts! Take care of the ogre, if you need to switch out, we'll do that as soon as Velouria is nursed back to health, ready to fight again!"

"Will do. It's nothing much against what we usually deal with." Guts responded back, before he then moved forward, as he attacked the ogre, before it could try to target the church again.

"Fighting both of them... And the trolls as well... I need time to cast a spell." Schierke told Richard. "Could you..."

"I can do that and more. If you need to speed the process up, hold my hands. I'll use myself as a conduit for your magic, and also supply you with the magic needed to catalyse the spell." Richard responded back, before he then sat down cross-legged on the roof, placing both hands out. "When you're ready. I assure you, I know what I'm doing."

Schierke looked at Richard for a moment, before she then took both of Richard's hands, as the both of them closed their eyes, and started concentrating their magic into their spell. As she worked on the spell, she could feel Richard's power in effect, as Richard was supplying magic through to her at a surprising rate, and his presence in her sanctuary also stabilised the spell to ensure it would not fail.

Meanwhile, down on the ground, both of the members were fighting against their respective opponents evenly, as Corrin used her blade to block most of the balls of water that the kelpie threw at her, even trying to attack it, although her blows were weakened by a barrier of water that the kelpie summoned at will, forcing her to retreat back, to avoid a ball of water aimed at her head. Guts, however, was faring much better, as he broke through the wooden beam that the ogre tried to smash him with, before he then leapt up and cleaved through the ogre with his blade, spilling its guts out. Guts stopped for a moment, as he was about to help Corrin with her opponent, before he then saw a bunch of trolls try to take this opportunity to devour the ogre's exposed entrails. However, this tipped off Guts, as he did not shake his eye of his opponent, as it immediately clamped a hand around one of the trolls, causing the others to flee, before it then threw it at the church, splattering its guts onto the wall, as the remains burned to ash from the barrier.

"Dear lord... Wh-What a spectacle!" The priest remarked, seeing how evenly that the members fought against the wretched monsters.

"You might get your turn if you don't hurry." Ivalera advised a unconscious Schierke.

"Figures... Let's go for another round, ugly." Guts grumbled, before he then attacked the ogre again, as its wound slowly healed up.

Corrin was still struggling against the kelpie, as it became much more aggressive with its attacks, forcing her into a corner. The kelpie took this opportunity to entangle her left leg with its long tongue, before it then produced more balls of water. Corrin growled, before she then slashed through the tongue in a swift motion, as the kelpie let out a pained croak, before Corrin dashed at it, as she thrust her blade at the kelpie. However, the wall of water stopped her attack barely in front of the kelpie. The kelpie then glared at Corrin, before the wall of water wrapped around her head, creating a pocket of water that engulfed it. She struggled back, as she tried to tear the water off her face, although the kelpie manipulated it, so that none of it spilled off her face. After a while, Corrin's face was turning slightly pale from the lack of oxygen. However, she didn't give up at all, as she growled in the water, before she then bellowed, as her face began to morph into a mask of the same shape as her draconic form's head. The kelpie was suddenly surprised by the sudden transformation by Corrin.

"ENOUGH!" She boomed, before her left hand into a large bandaged fanged maw, as it gathered a large ball of glowing water, which she then fired at the kelpie. It tried to manipulate the water, although the force guiding it was much more stronger than the mere water spirits that surrounded the area through the rain, as it barrelled into the amphibious creature, sending it flying.

Corrin then followed up on her attack, charging at the kelpie, before she then jumped up, and pulled her left arm back, as it turned into a pointed spike of black scales, with the same magic bandages wrapped around it. The kelpie slowly got up, before its head was pierced through by the dragon-made spike, through its mouth, and back through the lower jaw. It let out a dying croak, before blood leaked down from the spike itself. Corrin withdrew her arm back to human form, as the kelpie fell side-ways, eyes glazed, and blood pooling under its head.

Corrin sighed in relief, before she then noticed that the water was slowly moving again, as she was prepared to fight, expecting to believe the kelpie was very much alive. However, the water didn't rush towards her, instead engulfing trolls inside of it, as they were burning from something inside of the water, slowly turning into ash like the barrier had done with them.

"What the...!? What is happening...!?" Corrin remarked.

"Water spouts under the trolls... Some great magic is occurring..." Judeau stated, before he then looked up at Richard and Schierke.

"What is happening with them...?" Gus wondered.

---

In the astral realm...

Richard and Schierke floated up into the pitch-black darkness of the astral world, as their bodies were completely glowing white like spirits themselves, as they floated further away from the church below their feet, where there were several faceless wispy figures, each with their own elemental aura.

"Can you sense it, Schierke...?" Richard asked back.

"Indeed, deeper. A little beyond this stratum of the astral world..." Schierke responded back, before they reached a large gathering of tall stones, as there was a large soft blue glowing light hovering above the rocky formation.

"So this is the true sanctuary of the village, not the one that the Holy See pushed onto this place?" Richard stated, looking around.

Schierke approached the centre of the formation, where the light was, before she could see the elementals inside of it, which were small wisps in the shape of mermaid-like beings. "Undines... water elementals." She muttered to herself. "I see. The ones this sanctuary enshrined... It must be..."

Suddenly, a large mass of mist coalesced in the centre of the light, as Schierke watched intently, as Richard rushed over to look. The mass of mist then coalesced into water, which in turn slowly formed the watery figure of the local spirit, although slightly more ethereal, in the terms that her figure had a gentle glow around it, and her figure was almost perfect. It took the form of a mature woman, with short flowing aqua-blue hair.

"Greetings. So you are the ones who have called upon me." The spirit spoke in a resounding female voice, as her eyes opened, revealing the glowing blue irises on them. "I am the spirit of the rill that doth flow through this land, the Lady of the Depths. Long have it been since I have been called upon, after the unholy ones have disposed of my shrine among this village. To think that it would be a witch that would have found me, and a being of immense power."

"Spirit of the rills, we call upon your power to assist us in this times of hardship." Schierke pleaded. "We need to use the power you hold over the undines to create a massive flood to sweep the creatures away."

"That will be done as you requested, young witch." The spirit answered back, before she then turned her gaze to Richard. "Although it is best that your companion would take this task, for he would be able to channel my power more potently than you would."

"Me...?" Richard asked back, pointing at himself, before he then realised what the spirit was talking about. "I see... So it is my mastery of water, that exceeds that of Schierke's. Not only that, my magic power is leagues above Schierke's own. So you would have me be your vessel to command the undines through."

"Rare have I seen a person to which all of the elementals would easily subjugate themselves to." The spirit remarked, before she then turned to Schierke. "Do not mistake this for the fact that you are weak. Your power is quite potent for someone of your age, and the potential lies there. If you cultivate it, you will reach levels beyond even the one beside you."

"Your words humble me, great spirit." Schierke answered back.

"I am honoured to carry your work out, and I have no complaints to allow you to take possession of me, so long as it will be returned back to me." Richard answered back.

"Then the pact has been sealed. Come, we shall enact the spell that you have called for, young witch." The spirit responded back, before she then picked the both of them up, floating them down back to the church, as Schierke re-entered her body, while Richard returned to his own, with the addition of the water spirit.

---

Present time, back in the physical realm...

When the group looked back up at the two of them, Schierke was already awake, as she looked at Richard, who was already under the water spirit's influence, as water gathered behind him, as it created the form of the water spirit, as it was still seeping water to complete the form. Richard's eyes were half-open, as there was a blue glow to them.

"I am of the water kin, the spirit of the rill that doth flow through this land." Both Richard and the water spirit spoke, their voices layering over each other. "In accordance with the ancient oath do I cleanse the land of the evil spirits that would stain it. In the name of the Lady of the Depths, I command the undines. With a raging torrent, wash away into the dark depths of the netherworld the wicked spirits that fill this land."

Richard then spread his arms out, as water began to gather around him like typhoon. "Gather, my kindred. Gather. Swell. Surge. And flow." The both of them spoke once again.

Everyone then heard the ground tremble underneath them, hard enough to be both heard and felt.

"N... Now what!?" Isidro exclaimed.

"Somehow, this seems bad." Serpico commented as well.

"Everyone, gather around the entrance of the church, above the steps!" Schierke exclaimed. "A great flood will come into town to sweep away the trolls and the monsters! If you're caught in it, you'll be swept away along with them!"

Richard slowly waved his arms, in soft flowing motions, as the glow from his eyes didn't subside. Soon, the rumbling sound grew louder, as the priest looked towards the source, as he was shocked by what he saw, as water began to flood the town streets, coming from the river on one side of the village. With skilful precision, Richard guided the waters, as a sweep of his arms caused the flow of the water to sharply change directions, as it struck the ogre, unbalancing it, and sweeping away the weaker trolls, as they struggled to stay above the water. Richard clenched a hand, as the water itself moved to drag the trolls underneath the water, drowning them inside of the large mass of moving water.

"Look! The trolls are being washed away!" A man cried out, by the door of the church.

"My house..." Another one remarked.

The ogre managed to catch a piece of large wood that was stuck into the ground, as it roared furiously, trying to hold onto it. Guts noticed that if he didn't help out, the ogre was going to weather the flood out himself. So he stepped into the waters, carefully trying to keep himself floating upright, before he then shot towards the ogre, as he drew his blade out, and jumped out to cleave the ogre's head in two at the lower jaw, killing it completely, as the two halves landed in the water and were swept away. Guts then managed to catch several wooden beams himself, using his arms to wrap around them to stop himself from being washed away.

Corrin looked up, as she saw Richard manipulate the localised flood with his magic, as the townspeople looked up, seeing that Richard was channeling the water spirit.

"The trolls... All the monsters got washed away." One of the men spoke.

"We're saved! We've been saved by them both! The mistress witch with the magic bulwark, and the man with the great flood!" Another one declared, before calling out. "Mistress witch! Master sorceror!"

The other townsfolk joined in the chant, as the priest watched in awe, as the threat was easily dealt with, by the two of them.

"Witch... Sorceror..." The priest remarked with a awed tone.

"It's finally done... Richard... you can stop this now." Schierke told Richard, before she then noticed that Richard was not responding at all, as his body was still swaying, with the water spirit manifested behind him. "Richard...? Oh no... He's been... He's becoming one with the water spirit...! I should have done this alone... Now he's going to drain himself to continue this spell until his magic reserves are emptied...!"

"Wait, I can help-" Farnese exclaimed, as she quickly rushed towards Richard.

"No! Don't! If you jolt him out of it, you'll end up trapping his mind in the astral world, by disrupting the link between the physical body and the astral body!" Schierke warned Farnese. "If that happens, he'll become mindless and catatonic! He won't be able to even act anymore!"

"Then what should we do!?" Casca shouted. "We can't let Richard be consumed by the water spirit!"

"I know... But even though it is a certified technique that my mistress taught me... I doubt it'll work against him. He doesn't cast with a wand... Using that method will have no effect!" Schierke argued. "Is there any other way to rouse him back into consciousness!"

Reimu suddenly floated above the church, before she saw what was going on, as she landed on the roof gently.

"Hey, what the hell is going on with Richard right now, Schierke?" Reimu asked the apprentice with a slightly irritated tone.

"He... He channelled the water spirit through himself...! Now his mind is stuck in the astral realm, bonded with the water spirit." Schierke explained.

"So you want to bring him back to his senses, by bringing his spirit, or whatever your equivalent in this world is, back into his body." Reimu responded back before she then nodded. "I see. Alright then, I'll handle this. Don't worry about me rendering him a vegetable with what I'm doing, I've done this kind of thing to people in much worse situations than he is."

Reimu then walked over, before she then placed both of her hands on his shoulders gently, and closing her eyes, as her hair began to flicker and wave, as if some sort of force was levitating it.

"Richard... Come back here right now... This ain't the time or place for you to be stuck inside here." Reimu stated. "If you can hear me... come back to us. Come back to your friends..."

---

In the astral world...

The water spirit was embracing Richard's astral body, which was on the ground, kneeling, as he felt the soothing arms of water wrap around his figure.

"It is not your time to go, young magician." The water spirit responded back. "Stay with me... I require you in order to complete our duties."

"Not... yet..." The astral body of Richard responded back weakly. "I... I still have a purpose in this world..."

As the two of them remained there, various ripples appeared on the surface of the flooded formation around them, as voices rang out of them.

'This tea... It is remarkably soothing... Reimu...'

'Come now, surely the one who mentored an ice fairy, isn't afraid of the cold winter waters?'

'H-Hi... I'm Wakasagihime... It's... It's nice to meet you.'

'The earth... It hurts... It HURTS! Somebody... Somebody return me to the water! I'm choking in pain!'

'Here's your cucumber, little kappa.'

Richard's eyes slowly drooped, before he then heard the words of Reimu, that rang through his head, as it repeated a few times.

"Come back to us... Come back to your friends... Come back to us... Come back to your friends..."

Richard's eyes suddenly flicked open, as he stood up, as the water spirit was dragged up, surprised by how Richard's willpower returned to him.

"I'm sorry... But I cannot go with you, faithful spirit. I have my own duties to achieve." Richard responded back, his voice sounding much more better than before. "However, fear not, for you will not be forgotten, and you will faith restored in you, by those here who witnessed your miracle. I am me. And you are you. We are not the same. Continue your duty, spirit of the rill, for you will see it done yet."

Suddenly, a bright light engulfed Richard's ethereal form, as he disappeared from the astral realm.

---

Back in the physical world...

Reimu felt something coming along, as she could sense that Richard's astral self was returning back to his physical body, as she opened her eyes.

"He's returning. The spell should dissipate soon." Reimu told the others.

"That's a relief... I thought that he would..." Casca sighed, before the church was rocked heavily, as something hard hit the side of the church, which was the larger parts of the house that the ogre barreled through before, as Casca, who was standing over one edge of the roof, slipped over it, as she fell towards the flood. "Huh...?"

"Ah! Casca!" Farnese shouted, as she ran and caught Casca, although she herself was about to fall as well. However, before that could happen, Reimu caught her in turn, as she dug her heels into the side of the roof, before using her strength pull them back up.

"I got you..." Reimu responded back, before she then huffed, when the three of them were safely back on the roof.

The projection of the spirit slowly faded away behind Richard, as Richard's eyes snapped open fully, as the glow died away as well. At the same time, the flood disappeared, as the streets were filled with wooden debris, as well as rocks that were washed up by the flood eroding the ground away, and several houses that were torn apart by the flood as collateral.

The townspeople, who heard the flood stop, stepped outside of the building, as the group on the roof descended down to the ground. The villagers then looked around, as they saw that the entire town was bare of any trolls.

"It's over..." One of them muttered under his breath.

'It's all over. It's really all over!" Another one cried. "And no-one else had to die!"

The villagers then broke into a collective cry of relief, joy and triumph, while the group of heroes moved out, looking around.

"Well, other than the town suffering some collateral damage... I'd say that this is a job well done." Richard remarked with a smile on his lips, and hand on his head. "Geez, I owe you one, Reimu. I don't know how much I'd have to deal with, before I would eventually wake up."

"...What do you mean?" Schierke asked, confused by his words.

"Well, the rill spirit did try to merge with me." Richard answered back. "However, I'm far too strong to be simply absorbed by her. She'll have to do so when I'm tired enough for my own willpower to be faint enough to succeed. I wasn't near that state, but not close enough to get out either, thanks to the spirit bearing a load on my mind. Reimu did a bit of spiritual cleansing on me, the less invasive kind, which restored my mental energy, and allowed me to return to the body in time."

"I see... So you did have a means of leaving the astral plane, and maintaining your individuality when being possessed by the spirit." Schierke responded back. "I felt like that I would have needed something to knock me out of such a trance."

The group then turned around, as they saw the grateful villagers, led by the chieftain, who had a beaming smile on his face.

"Thank you! Thank you, mistress witch!" A boy cried.

"The Great Witch of the Spirit Tree Forest! The Saviour of Enoch Village!" The crowd cried in unison.

"Hey, how in the world can you get to do those amazing things? Covering the church in light, and then the man with you, making that powerful flood?" A girl asked the apprentice witch.

"Eh!? Um, well... I borrowed the power of angels and spirits. What saved the village were the four archangels in your scriptures that guard north, south, east and west. And not only them, but also one whose shrine was on this land even before the church came to be. A river spirit called the 'Lady of the Depths.'. That was the spirit that my companion had channelled through."

"The depths!? I don't know her, but if she's an angel, we pray every day to her." The girl responded back.

"Oh yes, I heard talk of her from my great grandfather." An elderly man responded back. "Seems long ago, there was a shrine to the river god on this hill."

"I would like to extend my apologies for the damage to your village that the flood had done." Richard apologised profusely. "Because of my own overwhelming magical power, the flood conjured was too powerful to fully control, some of it ran wild to destroy houses. It is my inexperience that led your village to be damaged when it should have not."

"That's no concern." A man smiled back. "Houses can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be returned back. The fact that we're still alive is thanks to you and that witch beside you."

"Your words humble me." Richard bowed deeply in response.

"Father... If you could... might you build a small shrine to the river spirit in the western quarter of this plaza?" Schierke asked the priest.

"...Fair enough. Tolerance, too... is God's teaching." The priest relented.

"You are most correct, father. There are many spirits and deities that help God in his duties, to help others and restore the world." Richard answered back. "It is not wrong to worship them, even if it is to a lesser degree than what you devote to God himself."

"What an astonishment though! A child like you, and a young man like him, makes miracles like that happen! Is magic something anyone can use?" A housewife asked.

"Learning magic requires extensive training. But if you want angels and spirits to hear your wishes. There are things anyone can do." Schierke responded back, before turning to the priest. "Your priest... is well acquainted with the way how."

The priest nodded, with a understanding smile on his lips, before the group then turned to leave, as the party were given warm farewells by the group.

"Well... That went quite well. The village is safe from the trolls." Judeau stated.

"Not for long." Richard frowned back, before turning to Schierke. "Schierke... Could I ask if you could sense where the surviving trolls have fled to?"

"I do have a good understanding where they have fled to." Schierke answered back, as she had her hands on her staff, before she closed her eyes, and concentrated. "But I will need to make sure by tracing the residual thoughts of the trolls, as well as the flow of od in this area."

"Wait, I thought that we saved the village? Why do we have to- Oh... Oooh!" Isidro exclaimed, before realising what was going on. "We only took out a small portion of them, right? I bet that there would be more incoming from whatever place they came from! That's why we're going to turn the tables against them, and raid their nest, right?"

"It is a valid strategy, to attack your enemies' hideout, in order to stall their advances, if not destroy their capabilities to launch attacks." Meiling answered back with crossed arms. "And we seem to be capable enough to handle clearing the nest out, if we can locate it."

"I've located it. Please follow." Schierke responded back, as she led the group to where she believed the trolls have sheltered themselves in.

---

In a cave hidden in the forest...

The group descended into the deepest and darkest parts of the forest, as Elma, Schierke, Richard provided light for the entire group, with the former two using their staffs to do so, glowing at the tip, while Richard summoned a series of revolving light orbs that gave the group more vision in the darkness.

"You sure they're in this direction?" Isidro asked Schierke.

"She's on the right direction. Some of us can sense the distortion in this place, as well as the corruption. This is no ordinary place." Gus answered back, gesturing at the worried and tense expressions of Richard, Reimu, Elma and Meiling. "I doubt that we could go wrong with how they're feeling."

"Do you think that we're capable of clearing this trolls' nest, as you put it, guys?" Judeau asked the others.

"We don't know if we don't try." Corrin answered back. "And I know that there are other villagers, who have been left to rot inside this foul place. We also must rescue them, if they are still in sound condition."

"You know, though... Haven't the surroundings been getting gradually weirder since back there?" Isidro remarked, looking around, seeing that the trees around them were turning more and more crooked and gnarled, the further into the foul forest they go. "It's like the complete opposite of when we got to the witches' mansion."

Suddenly, the Brands acted up, alerting the bearers to the presence of something, as they turned towards it, while Richard flicked a light orb in the direction of the disturbance. When the light reached it, they saw a puny little creature that was a arm-less being with round human eyes, a grotesquely large nose, and short pointed ears, as its legs and feet were quite small.

"What the... What manner of creature is this...?" Virion asked.

"It looks strange... It doesn't look like a threat at all..." Farnese added her opinion.

"Leave it to me." Schierke told everyone, before she made a short chant, that seemed to spook the small creature, as it let out a surprised squeak, before running into the darkness of the forest ahead of them.

"Excuse me, but could you answer the question!?" Velouria shouted. "That looked like some sort of mythological creature, but it just doesn't look right!"

"That's a spirit creature. So it is just as I feared, when I sensed them." Schierke answered back. "This is the astral world, but it is not a very pleasant place for anyone to be in. This is the astral world's region of darkness, Qliphoth."

"I see..." Richard answered back. "Explains the chaotic dark energies flowing in this place. If I recall what I've been told about od by your mistress, the summary is that the astral world has many regions and areas, much like the sanctuary that Schierke and I entered to find the river spirit. Ethereal bodies, or spirits are attracted by ods of the same nature as them. And so, there would inevitably be a region of darkness, where the dark desires of the heart manifest in flesh and form, which is Qliphoth."

"Indeed. Normally, this could not happen. The astral and physical worlds, so distinctly overlapping each other..." Schierke answered back. "The trolls, ogres and elves and spirit creatures, are ethereal lifeforms that are being perceived by humans almost as if they had physical bodies. They are originally inhabitants of our mental world... In nocturnal fantasies and dreams. If they were to be moved into the physical world... then the world will be transformed. Although that has long started, ever since the rebirth of the White Hawk."

Guts flinched, hearing those words, as his hands tightened from hate of Griffith, as Richard was silent.

"With that, the troll's den is further into the region." Schierke explained, clarifying that the trolls don't have a nest, but a den instead, despite the guess-work of the others. "We should be safe as long as we can protect ourselves, and create energy to repel their attention from us."

Elma shivered a little, seeing the various grotesque creatures inside of the region, before she was comforted by Gunter holding her close, as the rest of the group proceeded through the region. The environment around them was deformed, as there were agonised faces on tree branches, living growth in the form of mushrooms with horrifying faces, and even flying eyeballs with insect legs and wings.

"This place... It reminds of me of that domain of the damned gap hag..." Reimu remarked, as she felt a slight chill down her spine. "It feel so utterly wrong..."

They soon reach the gaping mouth of the trolls' den, as they couldn't see much in the darkness, although they saw that the den was a fairly normal cave from where they stood, although they felt otherwise.

"The trolls retreated back to here. I am certain of it." Schierke answered back.

"Then into the breach we go then." Richard answered back, checking his group, to make sure that everyone was fine. When he was sure that everyone was prepared to enter the dark den, the group followed inside of it, slowly descending into the depths of the den.

They were slightly disturbed, when they heard the sound of countless woman cries in the distance, each of them filled with despair and horror, as well as the faint sound of wet thumping sounds that sometimes accompanied it, and also the sound of female screams reverberating with a fleshy popping sound. Richard, who was aware of what the sounds were, grimaced greatly, while the others were left speculating with fear and disgust in their minds.

"What... What the hell are those... things doing over there...?" Antonio growled. "Could... Could they possibly be fucking them like a cum-dumpster?"

"I never thought I'd live to hear you say that, Antonio..." Richard sighed, as the humanised hedgehog glared back.

"Please, I've heard my fair share of cursing over the years I have been raised." Antonio responded back. "These kind of terms are no stranger to me."

"They're... They're truly monsters... all of them..." Elma shivered with fear in her voice. "Never... Never have I faced monsters that are so malevolent and cruel to others... Even compared to Mammon and Levia... They're far too cruel...!"

"It's the hard truth." Reimu growled back at the demoness. "That world of yours, is fairly tame compared to the true horrors this place have to offer, and there are more of them that you'll face with us in the future. So I suggest you brace yourself, and get used to seeing these kind of disgusting trash. They don't even deserve to be considered living beings with how they act."

Suddenly, Richard heard the sound of frantic crawling, as the group was in alert, drawing their weapons, prepared to face the threat. However, as they did so, the person came out into the light, as it was a woman, completely naked, with the tell-tale signs of cruel rape on her privates, troll semen spattered around her waist, as her belly was slightly swollen, like something was growing inside of it. Her eyes were completely restless, as her expression was frozen in great amounts of fear.

"Help... Help..." She cried weakly at the group, slowly crawling towards them, as the group were horrified at the condition of the lady. "Somebody... help..."

"Dear gods...! What has happened to her!?" Virion exclaimed, as he felt furious at the trolls. "How could they ravage a beautiful maiden like that so cruelly!? They're beyond simple monsters, to have committed such a depraved deed."

"...What do we do... Richard?" Gus asked, before he then saw Richard's pale expression. "Richard...? Are you..."

"Everyone who doesn't want to see the results, cover your ears and close your eyes." Richard warned everyone. "You don't need to see this. You absolutely don't want to hear this either...!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Reimu asked, before she then looked back at the woman, whose expression suddenly contorted with paralysing agony. "Oh... Oh fuck..."

"Do it now... Do it now goddamnit!" Richard barked loudly. "The rest of you who can stomach what is to come, shield those who cannot. You don't have long to decide, because it will soon happen!"

The group immediately moved into motion, as Gunter covered Elma's eyes with his armoured arms, while the demoness covered her own ears, wary of the warning, Casca turned Farnese away, as she covered the blonde woman's ears. Gus did the same with Velouria, who complied and shut her eyes tightly. Pick was shoved back into Elma's cloak by a desperate Guts, while Judeau covered the boy's ears, and turned around to cover the boy's face with his chest to obscure his vision. Meiling did the same for Schierke, as Ivalera ducked back into the apprentice's hat. For extra measure, he used some wind magic to cut the flow of air around the ears of the meek, in order to mute the sounds of what is to come.

The naked woman then curled, as froth leaked from the corners of her mouth, moving into a fetal position, while clutching her increasingly swollen stomach with both hands.

"Gh... Igggh... It hurts... It hurts...! Somebody... help...! IT HURTS!" She screamed, trembling in pain, before she then flipped over, back on ground, as something was pounding against her abdomen. "Help me...! No...! Stopp...! I don't want to...! Please...! Somebody... save me...! I'm going to die...! I'm going to die!"

Richard then braced himself, as the others did the same, as the woman suddenly convulsed strongly, as the strikes from within her abdomen grew wilder and stronger, before, with a deafening ripping sound from her flesh, her guts were forced out of the torn belly of the woman, as she let out a dying scream of immeasurable suffering, as the ugly forms of the infant trolls crawled out of the dying woman. With a flick of his hand, he quickly burned the woman and the trolls, both to end her suffering quickly, and to ensure the newborn trolls don't escape death.

"...S-Shit... Did that... Did that just happen!?" Judeau swore, utterly mortified by what he saw.

"...They impregnated her by force... And then the newborn would literally tear their carrier apart to sustain themselves..." Reimu muttered, before she then turned her head away. "Damnit... This is... This is...!"

"Beyond fucked-up...?" Richard finished Reimu's sentence with a grim expression, before he turned to the others. "...Damnit, we were too late to stop this. She was a lost cause either way. I don't possess any magic that could rid her of the newborn trolls tearing her apart, and keep her alive for the whole process. She was a time bomb from the moment the trolls finished their 'rituals' on her. All I could grant her was a quick burning to ensure she didn't suffer long."

"...They must be eradicated." Meiling stated. "For them to reproduce in such a vulgar and cruel manner, so that they could reproduce more to continue their rampage of murdering innocent people, and pilfering livestock... They are truly scum."

"Talk about a fucked-up C-section there..." Antonio hissed in regret. "Shit..."

"I agree with you there." Richard stated, before he then released the wind magic he was using. "Come on, we need to get moving, and find the other trolls, before more women meet the same fate as the one before us did."

Every witness of the event grimly nodded, as the others were fairly oblivious to what had happened, although looking at the sorrowful mourning expressions on their faces, they had a good idea of what might have happened, although the details were not exact without witnessing it directly.

Richard used his magic sensors to try and detect any of the human women in the den, as he was able to find faint traces, although some of them abruptly disappeared, meaning to him that they must have died by the fatal birthing methods of the newborn trolls.

When they managed to reach the area, they managed to find the women, who were being raped by the trolls, as there were also other spiritual creatures feeding on the misery and suffering of the female victims. When Richard got a clear view of the scene, his right hand clenched so tightly, that the sound of bone cracking could be heard audibly, as Richard's expression were fairly serene, although his burning eyes were telling a different story.

"All those people... How could they...?" Elma asked, before he then saw Richard stretch his left hand out, his expression completely still. "...Richard?"

Suddenly, sukimas appeared above the heads of the raping trolls, before he then thrust his left hand down, as weapons sprouted out of them, piercing through the heads of the trolls, stopping them mid-thrust. The trolls were then pulled back by the strong force behind the weapons, pulling them out of their victims. The women who were still alive and untouched, looked up at the group with pleading eyes filled with hope and dependence.

The trolls, who were also turning to the group, let out a collective grunt, as they rushed at the group. However, Meiling rushed up to counter their charges, as she charged her own fists with enough power to gib them into many bloody pieces with even the lightest of strikes, as she rained blood around the area. Richard also jumped into the fray, as he was screamed with pure rage, cutting down trolls by the dozen with uncontrolled swings full of power.

Meanwhile, Schierke took advantage of the chaos to get the attention of the female villagers. "Enoch villagers! We are here to rescue you! We must leave this place immediately!" She cried out to the female victims, as they spoke amongst each other. "Please, come with us!"

Velouria rushed over to an area, as she managed to find the captured children as well, as they were stripped naked like the women. Gus also joined in, as the two of them quickly helped the children back up, as they rushed behind the group to safety, along with the women, covered by Richard and Meiling tearing through the trolls like nothing was stopping them.

"Uggh! There's still this many!? This's more and attacked the village!" Isidro exclaimed, seeing more trolls flood into the room.

"He can handle it." Reimu responded back, gesturing to Richard, who was taking out the reinforcements with little ease as well, his voice still filled with rage, as his voice was beginning to get a little hoarse through the constant screaming. "But the question is... Who do you think will be enough to take care of this boatload of trolls, while the rest of us get all of these villagers to safety?"

"Looks like I'm going to be needed here." Guts responded back, before he then stepped up, pulling out his blade. "I'll keep them busy with Richard and Meilng."

"...I would say that even these numbers are worrying, regarding the skill that you all have... But I can only trust you to hold the line." Schierke answered back. "Just make sure that all of you make it back together alive."

"Trust me... They'll see what the Hundred-Man Slayer has developed into all those years." Guts sneered back. "Now get going, and take the rest of the group with you. I'm sure a few stray trolls won't stop you guys, right?"

"Actually, if we're going to do that, might as well get Meiling to come back to us and help us escape, in case we have to fight an ogre again." Reimu answered back, before turning to Meiling. "Meiling! We need you get back to help us in bringing the refugees back!"

"But... Richard... And Guts as well..." Meiling stated, looking at the both of them, who were already in battle fever, cutting through the troll numbers ferociously. "I can't simply leave them to fight all of them alone. What if either of them tire?"

"I doubt that's going to happen. Besides, you know that it'll take a lot more than a horde of these freaks to bring our leader down." Reimu assured Meiling. "Now then, you coming or no?"

Meiling then shot a glance at Richard, who was still raging, as she sighed and used her ki to leap back to the group. "Alright, but if things go wrong, some of us will break off to rescue them."

"Won't dream of it, Meiling." Gus stated. "We wouldn't really abandon Richard to die here, nor would we with Guts."

The group made their way outside, as the few trolls that tried to ambush them, were easily dispatched by any member of the group, not letting the monster even come close to laying a finger onto either a woman or child in the crowd of people they were escorting to safety. As they continued along the passage, they were faced with more trolls, although, before they could engage them, Schierke sensed a very strong presence coming through their way.

"Something... with tremendous force is coming...!" Schierke exclaimed. "Everyone. please prepare yourselves!"

The group readied themselves, before they felt a strong wind coming their way, as it cut through the heads of the trolls behind and in front of them like invisible blades, while the children and women were shaken badly by the strong gust, as the group were the only ones who could remain standing still.

"Wha...?! What was that!?" Isidro exclaimed, before turning to Schierke. "Don't tell me you got into a deal with a wind spirit like Richard did with the river spirit, right?"

"As much as I wish to benefit from this... I regretably say that this is not of my doing. My sylphs are not capable of such power." Serpico denied.

"I felt something... familiar... as if we met the person who had this kind of energy..." Elma remarked. "It felt... demonic..."

"Wait... I think I know who it is... And damn... It's not a good person to meet at this time..." Reimu growled.

"Who is it then...?" Gus asked.

"There's no mistaking it, that depraved aura of theirs... It's..."

At the same time, Casca collapsed, as her Brand immediately acted up, as it began to bleed heavily.

"Argh... This... This feeling... It's painful...!" Casca growled, clutching her brand.

"What!? But I thought those ink charms were meant to prevent them acting up!" Velouria exclaimed.

"Not if it's one of the ones that we're going to have trouble dealing with." Reimu responded back, before she then noticed Schierke attempting to tap into the astral world to see what was going on. "Don't try. I checked already, and it's a chaotic swarm of a mess. You try, and you're going to go insane trying to comprehend all of it."

"Well, out with then...!" Antonio shouted. "Who is it? One of the God Hand!? Or a really strong apostle who could move like the wind!?"

"You're right on the first guess... The one that just passed us... Was no other than that slutty seductress, Slan herself." Reimu spat out.

---

Back with Richard and Guts...

Both of the warriors were panting, as all of the trolls laid slain before them, cut to pieces, as they looked around at the pile of monster corpses surrounding them.

"Well, we showed them what for, didn't we, Guts?" Richard huffed back.

"Damn right... I guess it's about that time." Guts responded back, as they were about to turn around to leave.

However, before they could, they felt a overbearing presence approaching them, as the Brands reacted strongly, despite the charms that Schierke applied over them, as they bled and ached heavily. Not only that, but Richard was able to sense the power itself, as he realised who that power belonged to.

"You feel that...?" Richard asked Guts, to which the black-haired warrior nodded back. "I feel like we're not done here yet. We got another customer to service, and it's a tough one. I do believe that you and I are going to be most familiar with them."

Suddenly, they looked to the pool of blood around them, as there was something emerging inside of it, as ripples began to form in the centre of the crimson pool of bodily fluid. And then suddenly over the puddle itself, the entrails of the trolls slowly moved to the spot, as they merged and meshed together noisily with squelching noises and slowly. The mass of meat then slowly melded together against itself to become smoother, as it slowly formed a pair of large breasts, before the face and arms were created next, as Richard and Guts recognised the face that was forming.

After a while, the flesh-coloured form of Slan was created, as only her upper half was formed, while her lower half, down to her feet, were covered with the entrails of the trolls, before her black sharp wings sprouted and unfolded from her back.

"The first form I've taken in some time..." Slan spoke with lust in her voice. "Alas, troll entrails make for a revolting ethereal figure."

Guts roared, as he leapt into the air, with blade raised, as there was anger in his eyes. Slan merely smiled back, before her lower wings folded forward when Guts was in range, wrapping around him, and slamming him into the pool of blood. As Guts tried to recover, hacking up the dirtied blood that got into his mouth, Slan quickly embraced him with her arms, dragging him closer, as their eyes met, pure red to vengeful brown.

"I've missed you, boys. It has been so long." Slan chuckled, as her tentacled hair wrapped around Guts's head like a turban, as the man snarled. "No, I felt you both at all times. In the cave... At the tower... Throughout the countless nights. I feel all of your passions. And as the path unfolded, I knew that you'd come to my domain, Qliphoth."

She then moved her hand over the rune-covered Brand, as she stroked it gently, as her own corruption eroded the inked charm easily. "Now, let me feel it more. Your rage. Your anguish. Let it all loose."

Before Slan could do anything more, she was forced to release Guts, as two swords brushed past where her arms were, and almost missing Guts as well, before a sukima appeared behind Guts, as he fell into it, and was deposited on the ground.

"Guts... you alright...?" Richard asked Guts with concern.

"Aside from feeling a little bit hot with my anger, I'm fairly fine. The bitch didn't even try to tear me open." Guts answered back.

"My, my. I thought that you were a gentleman. One should not meddle in the clandestine affairs of men and women, Richard. How uncouth of you." Slan mocked back with a lick around her lips in seduction.

"Rich coming from a bitch with a high-horse, who advocates rape and martial disloyalty." Richard retorted back, drawing his blades. "You wanted this threesome, then you'll have to learn to take both of our loads, before you try to assert your dominance on us. Or are you going to be a impolite slut and ruin that as well then, Slan?"

"Oh, quite the scalding tongue from you, young magician." Slan remarked, with parted lips. "I'm sure that you might have enjoyed the orgy that has been performed here. I'm sure that this would be the pinnacle of bestial lust, don't you think...?"

"Funny... You were trying to piss me off saying that, but I feel nothing hearing that." Richard responded back mirthlessly. 'But I wasted enough sweet talk with you. Let's get to the foreplay, don't we? Hope you can switch roles, and take it like a submissive bitch, because I'm going to rip you apart. You ain't as powerful as you were back in the Eclipse, having to manifest forcefully through physical manifestation. You're not going to have a fun time trying to get one over this man!"

Richard then dashed towards Slan, as he slashed at Slan with his blades, as his attacks were blocked by the seductive demon's wings mostly, as glancing blows did hit Slan occasionally, although all it did was arouse Slan further.

"Yes... This is what I wanted..." Slan giggled."Your hatred, and the agony hiding in your souls, being flaunted for all to see in the vicinity. Now then, Rebel and Struggler, defy me, break me. Take those blades of yours and penetrate me. Or can you? The Struggler is only human, while the Rebel teeters between humanity and demonhood with little space in between."

"Oh, shut up." Richard growled back, before he then opened his hand. "How about you start showing me what you got, rather than talking shit like the nose-raiser you are. You're not getting nowhere trying to turtle up. I will cut through those wings of yours, given time, and then you'll get the taste of my blade cutting through your guts. Sounds hot, doesn't it? How about you do a man a favour, and part yourself for access? I'll make this sharp and sweet."

"Sorry, boy, but you gotta earn your keep around here." Slan stated, before her front wings lowered into the pool of blood. "Although I've toyed with you enough. It's time for me to enjoy myself."

Her other set of barbed wings attacked Richard from the sides, as Richard floated in the air, dodging the attack from the wings, as he countered each of them with a parrying swing, knocking them back, as he also fired back with his magic, to attempt to harm the God Hand member, although she shielded herself well with her wings.

"Is that really all you got? Is flaunting those wings of yours all you can do with what little power you have? Come on, you wanted this to be fun, so give me a good time, Slan! You wanted this after all!" Richard mocked back, as he dodged another wing swipe.

"Oh, maybe I can only do so little, and I can't harm you. Your friend, however..." Slan cackled, before her wings drove through the ground, as they aimed for Guts's legs.

"Shit! Move, Guts!" Richard shouted back, before he then rushed to Guts in order to help him. However, it turned out to be a ruse by Slan, as the wings rose, and suddenly clamped onto his arms, as the barbs on the wings' tips pierced through his elbows, rendering him unable to move his arm at all. "...Argh... Well played, you bitch..."

"Richard!" Guts shouted, as he tried to free Richard while he was being dragged back by Slan. However, it didn't work, as Slan made a barrier with her other set of wings, impeding the path of the hulking blade-wielder.

"Come on... do your worst..." Richard growled back in defiance, as he was inches from Slan's face. "You can't break me that easily, and although I bleed, you will have to try to kill me, agonising or not!"

"Well then, I did say I was after some agony from you two..." Slan stated coyly, before she then withdrew one of her wings to jam the barb right into his chest, before slicing it open with a large gash, as blood leaked from it, and Richard growled in immense pain. "Yes, yes! That expression of pain on your face... It looked terribly cute in front of me! Trying to act like it didn't hurt you at all! Sometimes, I wonder why you were never an apostle for us. Why not make a sacrifice, as He did?"

"Heh, two points on that, Slan." Richard smirked back, still in pain after the attack, as blood dripped down his torn robe. "One, like hell I'm substituting a simple wish for what remain of my humanity and sanity, especially not when you assholes are cheap as well, and two, what makes you think I have a desire worthy of ascending with? I wonder how you came to be, Slan? Must have fucked a lot of men, who were one-nighters? Well, ain't much better when the only ones you can actually fuck reliably are those ugly blobs of flesh you call your monster followers."

"Heh, such trash talk, even when you're bleeding. I've decided. You'll be quite the entertaining toy to keep around. I might have you indulge me." Slan chuckled, before she then raised both of her upper wings in front of Richard, allowing Guts to advance unimpeded. "Now then, do scream for me, it'll make this all the more fun."

"Well, have fun with neglect play, you lonely whore!" Richard spat back defiantly, as he saw Slan's expression twitch slightly. Guts was behind him, as he was rushing to save his friend, although he was too far to help him.

However, before Slan could cut open Richard's chest at a deeper degree, two large metal chevrons spun through the air, embedding themselves into Slan's lower wings, forcing them to release Richard, as the barbed tips were almost severed by the force of the attack.

"My, how uncouth." Slan commented dryly, before looking up at the source of the attack, as it was the skeletal knight, who used parts of his armour's collar as the chevron projectiles that released Richard. "You are interrupting some good times I am having with this fiesty outsider and his friend. Or do you want to join this threesome, and make it four?"

"Whore princess of the Uterine Sea. So, you were the only ones summoned." The skeletal knight remarked.

"Summoned, you say?" Slan asked, as she spread her wings and arms out. "I came here on my own. I wished to see these boys again. You do realise, don't you? This is what the emergence of the Fifth means. The worlds are already starting to overlap. I have no idea about the others. They likely melted into their preferred sephira, and are floating formless."

"Then the time for talk is past." The skeletal knight remarked.

"Men. All so very impatient." Slan cooed, before she smirked. "However, trying their patience is a woman's prerogative. This place might as well be my womb. Rage with fury, bastard fetuses of darkness."

Guts watched as, from the fleshy ground itself, several ogres rose, all looking completely mature, as they surrounded the skeletal knight.

"What the... There's several of them here...!?' Guts exclaimed, before he then noticed that a large horde of trolls was also conjured up.

The skeletal knight didn't speak another word, as he attacked the ogres, using his mount to dodge their attacks so easily, and then using his blade to cleave through their heads with a single strike, as these wounds never healed, being lethal, and the ogres fell one by one. Guts was also faring well against the horde of trolls, using the equipment at hand and his blade to keep himself alive and well.

Suddenly, more and more creatures rose, as Slan watched all of this, with a amusing look in her eyes.

"Well, your majesty and boy. Are you enjoying this?" Slan told them both. "This is the Uterus of Darkness. The vicinity of the netherworld where abominable spirits take ethereal form. It can spew forth any number of these children, like mere worms."

"It doesn't matter how many of those things you throw at us! We aren't going to yield! I survived your damn Eclipse, and I certainly won't die to your foul trolls!" Guts growled back. "You are going to exhaust yourself long before you can finish the job, bitch!"

"Oh...? And what makes you think that? I am a God Hand. Even in this physical form, my power is still vast." Slan mocked back.

"Perhaps... But you will not be able to use your full power, God Hand. For the time has come... The time is at hand... for this charade to end?"

"Oh, and how so-" Slan remarked, before she then looked down, and was genuinely surprised by the sight of Richard, raising both of his hands, as there was a prismatic magic circle in front of you. "What...!?"

"Like I said, you got a real high-horse, Slan." Richard smirked back. "You were so sure of your victory and your abilities, that you neglected to look down. Funny, if you had a sense of fear, you would have followed it, and noticed my ambush. But I guess that you're more than human now, lacking any of the human qualities. That... is your inevitable downfall, because your godly powers... mean shit if you don't the right mindset to match it. Now then, clench you teeth and buckle up, whore, you're about to get the most intense thrusting you will ever feel!"

Richard then fired his spell, as the multi-coloured beam of light pierced through Slan's torso before she could react, as she was shocked for a moment, before it turned to pleasure from the immense pain that she could feel, as there was a large gaping hole where her torso was.

"So hot... So cold... So smooth... So rough... All at the same time... I could orgasm if my body wasn't destroyed like this..." Slan moaned with pleasure.

"Being hit by a concentrated Arcana Beam directly would do that to you, you sadomasochistic slut." Richard sneered, before he then stood up, and held Divine Judge in both of his arms, as his injured arms were barely strong enough to keep hold of it tight enough to wield it properly. "Now then..."

Richard then jumped up, and thrust the entire length of the blade through Slan's neck, as she let out another pleasured cry, while Richard held onto the hilt of the blade, with one arm.

"Oh yes... My womb is vaporised by your strike, life and death writhing in a non-existent organ... The pleasure is near-endless! And your blade choking me through the outside and inside!" Slan panted erotically, before she tried to move in for a kiss on Richard's lips. "You're the-"

Richard surprised her again, as he snapped a arm around her head, before slamming her onto his lips with inhuman strength, as he gave her a kiss both strong and deep enough to pierce through rock, as Slan was stunned for a moment, before Richard broke the kiss.

"Thought you're going to get the last word on this little session?" Richard taunted with a mocking smile. "Maybe next time, darling. Now then, please go please yourself back from where you came from. I'm sure a certain activity would be nice to keep you busy until you find another person to give it to you."

"Eheheheh... You really are wild, Richard Liu..." Slan responded back, as her figure began to break apart. "No wonder you take after her, Yakumo... I'll be waiting for the next time..."

Then Slan split apart into a pile of rotting troll entrails, as Richard floated himself, before moving back onto ground.

"Dream on... Like I would want to have sex with a needy and abusive little bitch like you." Richard snorted, before he turned around, seeing that the trolls and ogres were melting away, as if made of snow, their fleshy liquid running along the floor below them, surprising him and Guts.

"Damn it... What the hell is happening now!?" Guts exclaimed.

"It's the aftermath of her forced advent and passing. The life and death of this domain boiled and changed into the pure chaos that the region is surrounded with." The skeletal knight answered back. "If left as it is, the cave will not hold... And the whole vicinity could be engulfed."

"We got another problem first!" Guts shouted, looking over where they came from, as the entrance was already blocked off. "The entrance's blocked in!"

"I have a way out of that, Guts. Don't worry about that." Richard assured Guts, as he wiped the rotten blood from his embrace with Slan earlier, from his lips. "However, Twilight Knight, how will you survive this? You came here by horse, but now your path is blocked, how will you leave?"

"Maybe it's a good time to test the sword." The skeletal knight responded back, before tilting his skull back, and raising his blade up. "Though this was only meant to be wielded to entomb them in that vortex."

He then clicked open his own bony jaws, before he then slowly slid the blade through it, as it glowed inside of his body. Guts was irritated seeing this, as he was about to question the skeletal knight, before Richard stopped him, shaking his head, gesturing for him to wait and see. After a while, the skeletal knight withdrew his blade, as it was covered by wilted vines, and countless faces of behelits, as their red flesh coated the entire blade.

"So... This is your true weapon..." Richard remarked.

"I refined within myself behelits taken from apostles to form this blade, the Sword of Actuation." The skeletal knight responded back. "It's time we parted ways once again, Struggler and Rebel. Know that the time will come for you to change the fate of someone you desired, Rebel, for it is imminent in the thread of casualty."

"I know. I'm prepared. If you're saying that... Then I suppose that you have no objections to what I will do?" Richard asked back.

"...No. Her fate was long sealed in this world. You are merely altering her fate from death to disappearance in this realm, all with the same consequences and effects." The skeletal knight responded back.

"...Heh. Thanks then." Richard smirked back, before he then opened a sukima. "This might be the last time we will meet again, Twilight Knight."

The two of them entered the sukima, while the skeletal knight cut down in thin air, as it tore a spatial rip in the space in front of him, before he vaulted inside of it.

---

Outside of the troll den...

The group were already safe, as the group had the entrance protected, with Reimu erecting a spiritual barrier to impede any trolls that tried to pursue them. Elma was doing her best to heal the female victims, as did Puck, while the rest of the group waited nervously for the two of their friends to return.

"...Schierke... Can you... Can you contact them?" Casca asked back.

"...I... I can't. Something is interfering with my connection with those two. I can feel that they're still alive, but I can't reach out to them..." Schierke responded back. "All we can do is hope that they're fine."

"I'm sure they are... Even if was Slan that was fighting them, they can still make it out here alive." Gus stated.

"I doubt that... The God Hand, they're powerful beings, who are immensely strong in spirit and magic. It would be a hard fight for them at least." Schierke frowned back.

"Doubt that it would be enough to do him in. I mean, I seen him go toe to toe with a super-weapon before, alone." Reimu scoffed. "Don't get your hopes down. He'll make it with our friend."

Suddenly, as if Reimu's words triggered, a sukima appeared around the group, as Richard popped out, holding Guts, as he was still pained from the damage done to his arms.

"Hey..." Richard smiled back, as the rest of the group turned back to him.

"Y-You're alive!" Farnese exclaimed. "But how did you..."

"Turns out that the so-called God Hand ain't so strong when she's forced to fight on our terms." Richard smirked back. "Don't worry, I serviced her so well, that she wants an encore eventually."

"But how did you-" Schierke asked, shocked, before Richard pressed a dirty finger to Schierke's lips.

"It's best that you don't ask about that." Richard quietly responded back. "Just say that I used one of my specialities against her to get an upper hand."

"Look!" A young child remarked, pointing at the area around them, as all of the chaotic mess reverted back to normal, turning the region in a normal patch of dark forest.

"The forest... Qliphoth has... shut off...?" Schierke asked back.

"Well, no surprise, considering that we beat its mistress." Richard responded back, before he then shaked Guts a bit. "Hey, you still up, Guts? You must be tired, cutting down all of those trolls by yourself? I'd say you cut about... more than a thousand of them in there?"

"Then I guess that makes me THOUSAND-beast slayer then." Guts responded back with some amusement in his voice.

"Guts... Richard... You are both impulsive idiots..." Casca growled, before she then walked over and hugged the both of them. "But I'm truly glad that you're both safe and sound."

"Urk, not so tightly... I'm injured...!" Richard groaned in pain, as the hug made his chest wound much more painful, as Casca quickly released him, seeing that his wound was bleeding again.

Elma noticed Richard's wound, before she then quickly went to heal it, as she managed to stop the bleeding and soothe it slightly, while Puck used some of his fairy dust to heal Richard's arm wounds as well.

"Heh, don't forget that we're the ones who started fighting in this mess of an world, Casca." Guts answered back. "I'm not done until every part of me has been whittled down to nothing."

"I guess that means that we have a safe journey, when we return to the village?" Link asked.

"Indeed. If this is everything that we should be wary about." Schierke nodded.

The group then left the forest, as the woman and children followed them closely, as they left the forest.

---

In Enoch Village...

When the captured women and children were returned to their village, there was many a tearful and joyous reunion, as parents embraced their once-lost children tightly, and wives rushed to their husbands' caring arms, sobbing and crying in relief that the nightmare was over for them.

"Well, I guess that this should be it for the troubles of this village, right?" Antonio asked the others.

"It is highly unlikely that they would be another troll attack on the village for a long time. Without a den, there is nowhere to reproduce them, and the stragglers would be quickly wiped out by the village militia.

"Come on, let's get out of here-" Richard was about to respond back, before he felt his chest wound throb in pain again, as he was forced to his knees, clutching it with his arm. "Urk...!"

"Richard...? Are you alright...? Did... Did something go wrong with my healing...? Is there poison in those wounds...?" Elma asked.

"No... It's not that... I... Well..." Richard groaned, before turning to Schierke. "Schierke, I think you would be better to explain that in place of me."

"These wounds are severe, and not just in the physical sense. His wound, physically, has been healed up, but in his ethereal body, or the spirit, as some of you call it... These wounds are very much present and untreated. If left alone, it will continue to bring pain to him, debilitating him greatly, and may even cause those wounds to reform on his physical body."

"So his spirit has been ripped open by that God Hand...?" Reimu asked. "As much as I know the spirit, I ain't proficient with fixing anything done to them, other than purifying them of corruption. Spiritual wounds is a whole another matter."

"...I'm... I'm sorry that I didn't manage to heal him properly." Elma responded back, disappointed in herself for not doing her job properly. "Richard... I only wanted to help."

"No, you have nothing to apologise for. You did help me in your own way. At least I'm not bleeding out over here, with you stopping the bleeding, and easing the pain of it for a brief moment." Richard answered back, before turning back to Schierke. "Is there anything that you and your mistress have, that can seal those wounds properly?"

"If we can get you to the mansion, we could take my mistress's elixir." Schierke suggested. "Everyone, please help him-"

"Don't let this think that I'm going to be down for the count." Richard interrupted, before he stood back up. "I've walked on worse wounds than this. You don't need to worry about me. A little pain won't stop someone who is used to it, like myself."

"Wait, then can we just teleport ourselves to the mansion then?" Antonio asked. "It would help to make things better for you-"

"I doubt that it's going to work again. I don't think that trying to warp with a festering wound to my spirit would be a good idea for me, especially when I have to teleport you all in one go to such a far place." Richard answered back. "A short teleport with few people is the most I can do without risking myself. But if it's to ensure that we can all get here-"

"No... It's best that you don't do that." Casca told Richard. "We'll be fine getting here on foot."

"So I see..." Richard answered back. "Then let's get going, or don't. We're not exactly in a real rush, so long as we don't waddle around aimlessly."

The group then continued along, as Schierke sensed something, a brief moment of feeling her mistress's emotions for a moment, as they were filled with acceptance.

"What is this feeling...?" Schierke muttered to herself, before she then felt Ivalera tap on her hat.

"Aren't you excited to get back and be praised by Flora? I bet the brute slaying little witch, Schierke, will become a new legend around here." Ivalera told her partner casually.

"Never... That would never... happen." Schierke denied with a slightly sad tone.

"Please be more proud of yourself. A girl managed to do everything you have done for the people. Surely miraculous skills, if I made my opinion on them." Serpico told her.

"But I am merely a novice... a apprentice-" Schierke tried to argue back.

"So? That makes it all the better? Seeing elves close and personal, watching a little miss like you use magic so easily and potently... I bet that our boy, Rickert, might be wowed by you." Judeau chuckled.

"Heh." Guts grunted with a smirk, hearing that, as Schierke turned away, slightly embarrassed for being complimented like that.

"I... I was moved, Ms Schierke... To see you do all of that, I am truly astonished." Farnese added.

Schierke only acknowledged those words, as she was thinking about the party itself, as she was confused about her opinion of the party.