Chapter 105 - Beginning of Reckoning
'...blasted mortals...I don't remember the last time I was this physically injured that it affected me,' Hantu-Kopek thought in mild bitterness.
After killing the parasite and draining it of its mana, she was only able to recover a little bit. Knowing that consuming the parasite would have healed her more, she knew that it would also mean growing one of them inside her. Going to a fire pit and tossing the near dead being in there, she saw it become incinerated. Seeing that was completed, she looked at herself and winced. There were still holes in her body that have not recovered. All the sudden, a warm piercing shiver went through her body.
"...!?" the nightmare demon reacted with a sharp inhale of surprise. Despite still being damaged, she turned to the direction the familiar aura manifested. Feeling her eyes widen, she recognized the image that was seen in the distance.
'...that is a...and that looks like...Lamashtu changed him into...!?' she thought feeling herself becoming elated.
Feeling an elevation of fear on the mortal realm, she hurried toward a Hell gate. Despite feeling her open wounds bleeding, adrenaline and her thirst for people's terror were high. Demons in the distance that recognized her suddenly stopped. Seeing the nightmare hell being rush on foot to a portal with blood dripping from her wounds was rare. The look of desire over something she was not tormenting was beyond odd.
"Wait for me Jin!" Han-Ko called out breathing heavily. "Oh please! I want to savior what you will bring out!"
"LET#$ME#$BE$#IN#$THE#$EPICENTER#$OF#$THAT#$!" she screamed in joy and agony.
"...!?" nearby demons stared in bewilderment. Blinking, all of them shuddered from hearing something that was neither good or evil; however, the voice gripped them more than Han-Ko's presence.
"...t...H...e...N...c...O...m...E...a...N...d...F...e...E...d..." a dark and distorted airy whisper pierced through the air.
Without warning, a rift opened up in front of the nightmare demon. Instead of the swirling vortex, darkness from it reached out and grabbed her. The last thing they saw was seeing her moan out with pleasure before being pulled into the rift. Despite feeling at ease from hell being going away, the aura from the black silhouette in the distance still nagged at them. Seeing movement from the figure, cold sweat began to build on them.
In the Count's master room, everything shattered into a million pieces except the people and monsters in it. Swirls of black, white, and red violently flowed through the empty space as the whispers and voices were getting more relentless. Something behind the levitating male teen ripped open in which someone came out. Unable to move from the fear all were locked in, only the beasts and women knew who it was. For them, seeing the luscious looking woman bleeding everywhere with a large grin on her face was disturbing.
"AHA...AHAHA...AHAHHAHA #*$(*YYYYYEEEESSSSS!" Han-Ko raged in ecstasy.
Her emerald green eyes suddenly glowed with like brightness of the sun. Despite her presence adding another level of horror, everyone's attention was on the boy's movement. He removed his hands from his eyes which made everyone stare at him with terror. Dripping black empty eye sockets were seen. Turning his hands around, the black-frost white eyes were inserted into his palms. As if something underneath his skin was infecting him, the male teen's black veins were surfacing and protruding.
"..." he spoke as his mouth opened up slowly.
Continuing to open, it expanded to the size of a door. Taking a slow inhale, it was as if gust winds from behind everyone was pushing them inward. A couple of men lost their footing and were sucked in to the mouth. Vanishing in the darkness of the mouth, the winds kept pushing everyone toward it. Hearing the inhale increase, the gust winds blew harder.
The guards and the Count weren't able to stand or hold onto anything. Getting sucked into the large mouth, the remaining individuals were still maintaining their postions. Both the werewolf and ogre had dug there hands and feet into the ground. It gave them more footing than standing out in the open. Renee forced stabbed the ground hard with the knife. Maintaining her position, she looked over at Selbith.
She had already transformed into a Grim Reaper. To her surprise, she was being pushed by the winds as well. Slamming the blade of the scythe into the ground, Ami was able to keep her footing. Glancing at the thief, fear was seen on her face. Hearing someone making sounds of enjoyment, the female teens and monsters cringed at the nightmare demon.
Observing her, they couldn't tell if she was in pain, pleasure, or wonder. Not affected too greatly by the powerful air force, her blood was entering the mouth in three thin streams from her open wounds. Her arms were out reached to him with a wicked grin on her face. The bright glowing eyes made them wince and look away from it blinding them a little. Seeing movement again, the floating monstrosity moved his hands.
As they were travelling back to the teen's face, his mouth began to close. By the time his palms were placed over his black dripping eye sockets, the large opening closed. Pressing its lips together, the figure breathed quietly out of his nose. Instantly, the gust winds were gone. Hearing a wet suction with head movement, the hands were removed.
"...?" Selbith spoke in amazement and fear.
Seeing no eyes in the palms, Jin slowly opened his eyes. Seeing them being black and white, his arms were back down at his side. Slowly, the frantic swirling of black, white, and red hues in the immediate space shifted back to the Count's master room. When everything was calm and still, four out of the five individuals were shaking, breathing hard, and dripping with cold sweat. Han-Ko gave a little squeal and rushed toward the sophomore's back.
"...!" Han-Ko reacted after embracing the male teen. Squeezing him, the others flinched from seeing the nightmare demon affectionately and lustfully touch him.
"...oh...yeeesssss..." she moaned and pressed herself behind him. "...mmmmmmm..."
Both Rogue and Selbith were about to react when screaming occurred out of nowhere. Looking around the room startled, the suffering sounded horrible as it continued to escalate. Dislodging their blades and standing up, whispers and desperate voices of tens and tens of people were talking at once. Overlapping and clashing with each other, the only theme seemed to be of desolation amd torture. The sounds of heavy breathing came to their right and saw the ogre and werewolf still prone on the ground.
"...!?" both beasts reacted with terror. Setting their sights forward, seeing the female demon and the male demon was enough to keep them from moving.
"Right there...oh...right there...aaahhhhhh!" the hell being squeaked with pleasure. Running her hands down Jin's chest, she bit her lip hard. Feeling the sensation of bleeding, other parts of her body were getting lighter and lighter. As if something savage ripped the screaming voices apart, it made her twitch with delight. Placing her head down on top of the male teen's head, she panted heavily. At the same time, Renee saw the oddity of what was occurring.
"...she is recovering?" she asked with bewilderment.
"...yes...she is a consumer of people's fears. The stronger the emotion is, the richer the energy she receives...that is, if she is near enough to feed off of," Ami explained with irritation.
"If I am in direct contact with..." Han-Ko breathed then quivered with delight. Several bellows of agony resonated in the room that gave goosebumps to the beasts and thief. "the individual that is generating the fear...it becomes...divine."
"Hey you whore!" Selbith barked in aggrivated at the demon. "Get off of him right now!"
"...hee hee...mmmmm," she cooed. Acting coyish, she seemed to have gotten even more comfortable embracing him. Staring back at the two teens and seeing their irritated faces, she smiled sweetly at them. "...after Jin takes me...he is giving me such pleasure...I might actually lose my cherry from him."
"...Han...Ko..." the sophomore called quietly. Throughout the intimate closeness from behind, his face never faltered or became embarrassed.
"Yes darling?" the demon asked. Gliding one hand up his chest, she tenderly held the right side of his neck and jaw.
"...are you...recovered?"
"Mmmm hee hee hee...oh yyyeeessss...and then some," Hantu-Kopek whispered seductively. Moving her head to his left side, she gave him a long kiss on his cheek. Oddly, she shuddered while he remained with the stoic expression.
"...I...see...do...you...want...them...?" he asked. Everyone saw him open his mouth large enough to put a bowling ball in. Moving his right arm and putting his hand then forearm in, others were watching with apprehension. Pulling something out of his mouth, he closed his mouth. Producing a softball size black pearl, the nightmare demon seemed to be attracted to it. Reaching out and touching it, her expression looked surprised and happy.
"...no way...you didn't!?" she asked looking at him.
His eyes moved slowly to hers and just blinked. Making a soft squeal and letting go of him, she gingerly took the black pearl. The others watching looked very confused on her actions as they seemed oddly out of character. Watching her cradle the large object in her arms like a baby, she was smiling. Looking back at him, all the black veins that were protruding were going back to just being seen on his forearms and caves.
"You are the sweetest darling. I never had an Eternal Imprisonment Pearl before...especially with so many souls inside."
"A what!?" Ami responded with shock. "Those only exist in Hell's darkest domain."
The irritation on her face went away as she walked over to where the two were standing. Rogue felt the odd shift and cautiously walked to them. Seeing the four standing near each other, the two monsters were flabbergasted. The horror that they went through and the belief that they would have been killed by the boy, was now replaced. They were having a conversation as if they knew each other as comrades in battle. Seeing movement and tensing up, the holy thief approached them.
"Are you two alright?" she asked stopping away from their personal space.
"..." both beasts blinked and cautiously stood up.
"I...am...fine...but...shaken," the ogre stated.
"I am unharmed...though...disturbed would be an understatement," the werewolf replied. His fur was still pushing up from feeling uneasy.
"Tell me about it," she agreed with a head nod. "Since that scumbag Count is no longer here, are you free to go?"
"...yes...master...servant...pack...nulled."
"Does not feel real...been captured by the Count...for over a year," the wolfman explained looking at Rogue. "You master of that...male demon?"
"What? Jin?" she began with a smirk. She shook her head.
"...what...demon...kind...is...the...boy?" the man-eating beast asked turning to her.
"...well..." she began and looked at the three. Her "Stalker" window popped up and gave her a number. Seeing Han-Ko still holding on to the black pearl, the amount of souls inside of it was like a of metropolis of people.
"...he's called a Blighter...neither angel or demon...but one equivalent in Purgatory."
"...?" both monsters reacted with blank faces.
"Yeah...I never heard of them either," she stated then saw them become tense and stiff quickly.
"...w...h...o...a...r...e...y...o...u...?" a quiet voice beside her asked.
"...!?" the thief reacted with a flinch. Curling her lips inward and biting down, she turned her head a little to the left. Seeing him, he was standing instead of hovering above the floor. Instead of getting creeped out, she slugged him on his right shoulder.
"Would you quit being such a creep!? I hate it!" Rogue stated irritated. At the same time, she felt nervous hitting him. Only seeing his eyes move to look at her, she got into his face and grunted annoyed.
"..." Jin commented. Staring at her without blinking, he turned his sights back to the two monsters.
"...do you two...have a name...?"
"...no...never...given...one..." the ogre answered though sounded uncomfortable.
"...I don't...remember..." the werewolf replied while cautiously watching him.
"...I see..." the male teen spoke then blinked.
Turning away from them, he started heading toward the double doors. When his foot contacted the ground, everyone saw the room glitch. When it cleared, the doors were open and he was walking away. Renee only took one step forward when the space glitched again but harder. Seeing him further down the large hallway, the master room materialized additional beings.
Lying around them were at least a dozen or so bodies of monsters. Some were powerful ones and others were known to dangerous. Slowly, they began to stir and wake up. Getting up and looking around them confused, a majority of them looked at the woman that was holding a large black pearl. Immediately, the coward back and became defensive.
"Oooh ho ho ho," Han-Ko responded with a chuckle. Looking at them, she smiled and made her eyes glow.
"Heel and behave...if you want to live."
"..." the ones that showed their fangs replied. Retracting, they calmed down one by one. The others that did not become defensive, they were looking down the hallway. Looking closely at, each was emitting fear and shaking.
'...I'm outta here...' Renee thought feeling too nervous seeing the monsters in front of her. Enabling "Fast Reactions", a couple of monsters saw her disappear. Reappearing at the double doors, she vanished again. The beasts watched as the human was following the aura of disturbing eeriness.
"I'll leave you with your new pets," Selbith mentioned then enabled "Fast Reactions".
"..." the nightmare demon snorted a little. Watching the gunslinger follow the holy thief, she blinked and looked back at the monsters. All of them except the ogre and werewolf looked ready to attack her.
"...come my beauties...I'LL #SHOW YOU$%$ A TRUE #$% TREAT!" she mentioned with a vicious tone. Just as few beasts leaped at her, both the ogre and the werewolf mad dashed for the double doors to escape. They went even faster seeing the beautiful hell being slaughter the first wave with moving.
Reaching to the second floor of the hospital, Alex walked quickly down hallways to an intersection. Being asked by a medical staffer what he was doing, he explained to her of who was coming up. The nurse stated that she was heading toward the assigned room for his wife. Offering to take him there, Mr. Ainsley expressed gratitude. Following the person, he hoped that she and Gene were okay physically.
Seeing the room up ahead, the nurse checked the room window. Not seeing anyone inside, she informed the husband that they will wait outside. Nodding and standing on the opposite wall to the door, they waited. Not too long, two medical staffers were pushing a wheeled stretcher. On it had an adult female who looked to be sleeping. Following along side of the gurney, was a young boy.
"...!?" the kid reacted recognizing the man standing down the hallway. "Dad!"
"Gene!" Alex responded and kneeled down to one knee. Seeing his son run to him, he hugged him.
"Are you alright son?"
"Yeah...I'm alright," the boy said letting go. Looking at his father, he downcast his head.
"But mom and big brother aren't."
"It is okay Gene. They are in good hands now," he mentioned and patted the boy's head.
Both watched as Samantha was wheeled into her assigned room. The nurse told them to give her a minute as she entered the room as well. Waiting for about five or so minutes, the two medical came out. Heading down the hallway, the female employee came out. She nodded to them.
"You can come in now," she stated and saw the husband nod. Entering in the room, the father and son saw Samantha was on a bed. Getting next to her, there were chairs nearby to sit down.
"As far as I have been told, she seemed to have fainted from too much stress," the nurse commented on the other side of the bed.
"..." Alex spoke with a pause before answering. "Given how things have been going...over stressing sounds about right."
"Work related...family related...ailments she has been having?"
"...kind of all the above...not mentioning have our son kidnapped twice."
"Oh my god...I am so sorry. Was he the other one that was in the ambulance that came."
"Yeah...he is unfortunately stuck wearing the VR helmet that the kidnappers put on him."
"How horrible," the nurse stated with sympathy. About to give a comment, a mobile phone rang. Pulling it out, Alex answered his cell.
"Hello?"
[It is me again...your son is stabilized] Derek answered.
"Oh thank god...that was really quick. What did the ER team do?" he asked feeling relieved.
[...they didn't do anything...he stabilized on his own]
"...uh...okay...that sounds a bit odd."
[Yes...it is odd...just as odd of what was happening to a portion of the VR victims here] he stated and paced a little.
"...what do you mean? Were others having the same issue?"
[...not quite...when your son became unstable, quote unquote, the victims reacted...what seemed like fear]
"Fear?" Alex repeated and noticed two people staring at him intrigued.
[I do not really believe it either...but the nurses that were in the holding rooms made an observation note...what is puzzling is how a majority of the victims reacted in the same way...at the same time...when blood was coming down Jin's face]
"..." Mr. Ainsley responded with confusion and apprehension. "...that sounds like a very weird coincidence."
[Again, I do not believe it either. Anyways, I'll try to see if your son can be placed in the same holding room as my daughter]
"Okay. Thanks Derek."
[How is she?]
"She's resting in her room and stable."
[Good to hear. Be ready for your roleplay as the savior] Derek mentioned with a light sound of mirth.
"H-Hey," Alex reacted right when the called ended. "Tch."
"Everything okay dad?" Gene asked still intrigued on the call.
"Yeah. Jin is stable and is going to be fine."
"I knew big brother was tough. He can take anything coming at him and fight back," his son spoke with a confident smile.
"...yeah...that is true. He is pretty good at doing that," he stated with a smile. Hearing a notification on his phone, he saw who the message was from. Answering it, he looked down at the boy. Bending forward a little and putting his hands on his knees, he looked closer at him.
"Do remember Tiffany and her daughter Renee Gene?"
"Yeah...did she get trapped too?"
"Mmm-hmm. I'm going to go meet them downstairs and help them. Do you want to stay with mom or go see where Jin will be resting with the others?"
"..." the boy said looking down in thought. After a small pause, he looked up.
"I...kind of want to see...how many gamers are here."
"Alright," Alex spoke then looked up at the nurse. "Would it be alright if he went to the 3rd floor?"
"I can take him there after I do a check up."
"Alright, thank you," he said with a nod then looked down at his son. "Be good and listen to the nurse. Okay?"
"Yes dad," Gene answered. Both watched the man leave the room.
'This day keeps getting weirder and weirder,' Mr. Ainsley thought briskly walking to the elevator. 'Samantha storms out...I take Derek's daughter to the hospital...Jin was found again...'
'Samantha fainted when finding him...Tiffany's daughter is in the same boat...and she is acting odd,' he continued. Reaching the elevator, it was open. Entering and selecting the ground floor, he looked down in thought as the door closed.
'...now Jin is able to stabilize himself from unknown reasons...and that affected other victims with VR helmets.'
"Gaaahhh," he said out loud and rubbed his face. "None of this makes sense."
Reaching the ground level, the lift doors opened. Exiting and heading towards the front entrance, a mild foreboding began to develop. Pondering on why Tiffany of all people would reach out to him for help after what she did in high school to him, he shook his head. Telling himself that she did so because of being in a similar situation, it wasn't for anything else. Nodding to no one, he repeated what he thought so that he had a mindset to stick to.
'...alright...just helping out someone I know...' Alex thought reaching the front doors. Looking pass the glass, he saw a familiar person next to a gurney. Seeing another victim with a VR headset on, two medical personnel pushing it. Waiting inside, the closer the group the more tense he felt.
'...just helping out...there is nothing more behind it...' he continued and saw them enter.
Seeing that it was Tiffany, she looked worried. Staring at her, his face broke a little from seeing something on her face. It wasn't a make up malfunction. The two medical individuals stated something to her in which she shook her head. Seeing them leave her, she looked over and saw him.
"Alex!" she said smiling. Walking to him, she gave him hug when she got close.
"..." Mr. Ainsley reacted blinking and a mild lost look on his face. Tiffany noticed he didn't hug back and let go a little. Grabbing his hands, she looked at his face.
"Thank you so much for making this happen. I..." she began then trailed off. He was staring at her with the same lost look she remembered from the past. Wanting to feel amused by it, he made it different with holding her hands.
"...who...did that to you?" he asked quietly.
"..." the woman responded with blinking and staring at him a little. Getting out of her daze, she let go of one hand and waved at him.
"W-What are you staring at? Are you dazzled by me?" she commented with a mild teasing tone.
She flinched a little feeling his right hand hold her left cheek. Becoming surprised and watching him, he moved his thumb over to the corner of her mouth. He brushed his short digit over the wound that was there. The action made Tiffany focus on the moment at hand. His expression became a little tense as he slowly let his hand drop to his side.
"...come on..." the man stated in a low tone. Turning around, he walked forward and pulled her along.
"...?" she reacted with surprise.
Letting him pull her in tow, she followed him for several steps. Blinking and shaking her head, she ignored what her gut reaction was. Stepping closer to be next to him, they were going toward and elevator. Smirking from thinking of a inneundo comment, she glanced at him. His expression of looking irritated and determined seemed to kill the joking mood.
"...uh...where are we going?" she asked quietly. She noticed that he hand not let go of her hand.
"3rd floor where the other victims are. There are medical kits on the wall of the four large rooms. In hope that your daughter gets put in the same one as Jin and Derek's daughter, it will allow us to be in the same room."
"Four large rooms?...how many kids are stuck with that helmet thing?" she asked as the lift doors opened.
"Too many for comfort," he answered and both stepped in. Seeing the doors close, the elevator went up.