Chapter 23 The Calm
[Pov Restored]
"Hmm, I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed," I say, sitting on the corpse of a Hellkite Drake. I had gone into the Let's Kill A Kite dungeon. The dungeon itself is almost exactly like Dragon's Aerie, large mountainous cliffs with shaky bridges and as I guessed, dozens of hellkites flying overhead. However, one major difference is the drakes here. Not as intimidating as they were in Dark Souls 2, they're average level is about 200, so ...yeah I'm extremely over-leveled here.
{Agreed. I'm honestly a little disappointed these worthless creatures are a member of my species} Bahamut said, I could feel myself wanting to agree with him but I shook my head.
"We mustn't let ourselves get too big of a head now. There is always someone stronger, let's try not to get a big head." I tell him, though I had a smile on my lips. Good lord I needed this, just something to clear my head.
"Rakk!" A few more drakes screeched, I chuckle as they come down on top of me. Flames came pouring out their mouths and rushed down on top of me.
"Assimilate," I say with a glee I almost forgot. The storms of flames disappeared into my gear, one of the drakes landed and swung its tail at me. My scythe swings upwards to meet the tail, metal cleaved through flesh and the tail fell away from the main body. As the drake screamed in agony I backflipped on top of its head and shoved my gear down its throat.
"Retort." I cackle, the flames bellowed down its throat, causing the drake to swell and explode into viscera under my feet. The three drakes flying above me, I can sense their instinctual fear...Good, very good.
I fly to the closest one, to them I may as well have disappeared. I land on the back of one, it howled in terror and tried to buck me off. However as it was dumber than a sack of rocks, it didn't think to turn over.
"Yeehaw partner!" I yell laughing, lightning crackles in my hand as it creates a small loop around the drake's throat. I pull and the crackling garrote chokes the drake, the creature tries to escape it, but as lightning was its mortal weakness and my strength stat being quite high, it's head was freed from its neck. My wings kept me from falling with the headless corpse. The last two try to flee but with a snap of my fingers, their shadows turn on them, ensnaring them and holding them in the air. I floated together, lightning crackling at my fingertips when I had a thought.
"Ooh, can I tame these and make them mounts for my council?" I asked my partner, who, in all his wisdom, shrugged. As I was thinking about the possibility, they tried to escape but the hands made of their shadows were titanite clad. I pulled out my inventory and expanded it, more and more, I pulled and pulled until it should be large enough for the drakes. I chuck them in…..and it works!
Two Hellkite drakes(Level 200) have been acquired. Would you like to Tame them?
Y/N?
I slammed the yes button and watched as the screen merely disappeared afterward. It'll probably be done by the time I'm done with the dungeon.
"Speaking of, where the hell is that boss? Heck, where the hell is the mini-boss?" I murmur, trying to see any giant drakes. Usually, what happens when I go into dungeons, kill enemies, kill mini-boss, fight the actual boss. I've completed step one but I've yet to see the mini-boss to say nothing of the big baddie.
{Do you think there was a glitch?} Bahamut asked me, to which I answered with a roll of my eyes.
"This isn't a literal video game. That and Ragnorak is a lot of things, but sloppy isn't one of them." I tell my partner. I land once more, cracking my back as I did so. I'm having to use my wings more and more, I'm getting used to the larger wings but I still prefer my first set. They feel a lot less bulky than my larger wings, and they actually don't get in my way. On that note, I start walking south again. With any luck, a mini-boss should be close b-
Crash!
A large crash shakes the ground like a large earthquake. "Well, well. Found where I need to go." I say I dive into the shadows and race towards the epicenter. The speed of light may be fast, but light can never outrace the shadows. I found myself peeking my head out of the shadow of a cliffside. The impact had completely leveled a mountain, and in the dead center was a blue and black Dragon, yes a Dragon. One that looked very familiar to me.
"Wait a second, there is no way. Observe." I whispered, and my suspicions were proven true.
Acnologia. Mini-Boss type
Level: 700
Title: False Dragon King.
Bio: The island destroyer. In his world, he is the one who hunts down other dragons, in his world, he is the dragon king. For the earned that title through blood, however. He is no longer the alpha here.
Short and ominous. Oh crap baskets, if he's the mini-boss, then who the hell is the big bad? I would have my answer far quicker than I imagined I would. Though another surprise; Acnologia shifted into human form, I had no clue he could do that and began to crawl away. A blood-soaked trail following him, he was both pissed off and utterly terrified.
"This can't be happening?! I'm the dragon slayer, I kill Dragons. I'm the Dragon King, I can't be dying here. Not by a drake of all things!" He shouted a new roar flooded the area. I also recognized this one as well one I didn't expect to hear. Acnologia turned around and saw the beast before I did. He tried to form a wall of water magic but meteors smashed it like glass. A piece of space rock had pinned down one his arms, though the other arm looked like it had been sewed back on. He managed to push the meteorite off but not before a black mass suddenly came down and landed on him. Before Acnologia could get in a single word edgewise, the great beast chomped down on him. It tossed him it up and began to eat him alive. Blood dripped down the black dragon's lip, and yes, he is a dragon. Not a drake, well, not anymore at least.
His scales are pitch black, speckled with Acnologia's blood. Spines covered in the dark scales piercing outward from his body, most likely to skewer his prey upon them. Massive wings of black steel, larger than give stories and wide enough by several football fields. Two large pulsing pitch-black scaled legs, in front of them, two equally as dark scaled front legs. Those were new from what I remember. However, what wasn't new were the two horns on top of his head, they would make the devil himself jealous, and large pure-blood eyes. No pupil, just blood-red eyes.
"Observe," I whispered, I already knew who it was, but it never hurt to double-check.
Alduin. Boss
Level: 1200
Race: Greater Dragon.
Affinity: Chaotic Evil
Titles: Dragon Emperor. Son of Akatosh. World Eater
Bio: Alduin, the ruler of Tamerial for a time. In his prime, he ruled over mankind as Emperor, using them, seeing them, as no more than tools and pawns for his empire. As the son/reincarnation/shard of Akatosh, he created his empire through force and utter domination. However, hubris combined with betrayal often destroys rulers. Such was the case when his lieutenant and brother Parthanuax betrayed him and with the power of the elder scroll and three nordic heroes he was banished to the future. He returned once more but once again, he underestimated mankind and lost to the Dragonborn in Savanguard. When his soul was sucked into the sky, through the acts of meddling divinity, he found himself in this realm. Surrounded by weaklings. He was mad. However, he was not so foolish as to try for a third time after being so soundly beaten. He fights in daily mortal kombat with drakes, devouring their souls and growing stronger and stronger. He has long since evolved past the wyverns of his previous world, now he is a true dragon and has earned his crown as King.
Wow, okay that was a long one. Before I could get out of the shadows a new quest popped up in front of me and it was more than a little ridiculous.
Bring down the King. Main quest.
A Dragon King stands before you, take him down.
Objective: defeat Alduin.
Side Objectives: Do not: use the Thu'um
Do not: use Balance Breaker or any transformation magic.
Do not: Use any summons.
Reward: Find out for yourself. XD
Accept: Y?
There wasn't even any way to not accept this, also those side objectives. What does he expect me to do?! Ahh shit! I accepted it of course and hid in the shadows. I need to take this slowly, I don't want to die yet. Alduin lifted his head and smelled the air, his eyes narrowed and he looked towards where I was hiding. He got up and used his wings to jump up and perch right over me.
[BGM, Hail to the King begin]
"Lass Ya Nir," Alduin whispered, suddenly he looked down towards where I was hiding in the shadows.
"Shi-" I couldn't even finish as hot fire came down upon me. I roll out of the shadow before I'm reduced to ash. Alduin follows this up with a classic.
"Fus Ro Dah!" The dragon shouted, I rolled again, but my leg got caught and I was suddenly caught in a rag doll going over the side of a cliff. My wings helped me get back on solid ground, though Alduin once again came crashing down.
"Let me get my bearings real quick!" I managed to get out. His tail came at me, growling I slide under it. Hooking my scythe between the scales, I flip myself onto his tail and start to climb towards the body. Alduin turned around, glaring at me and began smacking his tail, strong enough to crater the ground with every strike.
'Ah hell! I knew I should've put more points in strength.' I reprimand myself, smashing against the ground over and over again. Yet I stubbornly hang on.
"Mal pest, get fin hell off dii tail!" Alduin yelled at me, I barely understood what he said but I could guess what he meant. He managed to swing me off, I spread my wings out and let them slow me down. Quickly landing I bring down the full might of lightning.
"Lok!" Alduin shouted to the heavens, my lightning disappeared as the skies cleared. I growl, as long as he can open his mouth he can counter whatever I do. 'So I just need to keep that mouth closed, challenge accepted.' I think to myself. Alduin took to the skies, meteors already falling down, I grin as I fly up to meet them. Flying in between them was a piece of cake, smashing them was even easier. However keeping up with Alduin, now that was the problem. Every time I got close a Fus Ro Dah to the face sent me ragdolling. He isn't a fool, but neither am I.
I jump into the shadows of the meteors Alduin himself created. Closer and closer I got to him. Alduin suddenly turned his head toward a meteor, the very's shadow I was hiding in. He opened his mouth and fire erupted out, blasting away the rock, sadly for Alduin it would take more than that to kill me.
"Above you king!" I yell, landing on the back of his neck. I had ejected myself into the air the moment he launched the fire breath. Alduin roared and tried to buck me off.
"Chains of the damned!" I yell chains go around my legs and Alduin's neck. Locking me in place for now. He turned around and was probably about to say burn me to a crisp.
"Check. Chains of the damned!" I yell once more, suddenly chains loop around his mouth and kept it shut. The chains obviously strained against him, they weren't meant to hold back foes stronger than me for long. I didn't need long, just a few minutes. Each time a chain shattered I replaced it, one hand hovering over his shaking and twisting head while another one reached towards the heavens, as storm clouds quickly move in. Alduin figures out my plan and dives, the chains on my lap shattered but I replaced them with a snap of my fingers. The first bolt of lightning strikes Alduin right on the tail, he tries to howl in pain but my chains keep him muzzled, at least for now.
A stone wall quickly approached, I couldn't shield my face so I closed my eyes and braced. We crashed right into it, Alduin made sure to grind me against the wall, breaking the mountain on top of us. Through the headache and specks of blood in my eyes, I used earth affinity to enclose his feet. Not only weighing him down but taking a chunk out of the mobility he's so proud of. This, of course, enraged the dragon king even further. For a brief moment, his wrath was strong enough for him to break free and roar.
"Zu'u fen krii hi, hi impudent worm!" The dragon roared before his muzzle went back on. I may not speak dragon, but I can guess what he said. The second lighting bolt came crashing down on his spine. I could feel the tingling of electricity through his scales. His pupil-less eyes glowed and he flew once again into a wall but instead of dragging me across he slammed me into it, over and over again. Bones cracked and skin broke, for both him and I. His ferocity is matched only by the desperation he's feeling. Honestly knowing I was scaring him, making him worry, that was the only thing keeping me awake. Before he can smash into the wall again, the rubble around us covered his wings. Drastically reducing his maneuverability. The third lightning strike I held off on, instead of firing it off at random. I let it collect in the clouds above, letting it fuse together as Alduin desperately tried to fly away, to fly undercover to escape the coming blow. With the last of his speed, he rushes towards the nearest arch he can fly under. My chains were starting to fade, my mana was starting to run dry. However, my preparations were complete.
"Dark Thundaga," I say, bringing my hand down, a massive black bolt of lightning struck home, the center of the body no matter the creature. The head. My chains shattered but Alduin couldn't keep himself up. He descended towards the very hole he killed Acnologia in. I jumped off, but I didn't plan for his hands to still work. His back left leg grabbed onto my body and held me in its iron grip. Before I could throw my head off and escape we crashed. My arms and legs flew off in the impact, the pain was excruciating but my blood helped me slip through Alduin's grip. I was partly underground but melting into the shadows and finding a hole to get out of was little more than child's play. After popping out above ground I created a shadow hand and forced it inside, pulling out an elixir. I angeled my head back and forced it down my throat. One problem, not all of it went down. Due to both coughing up blood and overall lack of aim with a shadow hand, only three-thirds went down. Which led to the curious sight of me having three limbs with a missing arm.
"Meh, at least it's not the right," I say shrugging my arms. As I was about to fix my one arm problem Alduin woke up and exploded out of the ground. Covered in small gashes and his scales steaming from the heat of the lightning. His wings looked broken as he struggled to stand. Normally I would ask him to yield but I knew his character better than that, he won't yield to me until he can no longer move. Crimson met crimson, the skies clear of both thunder and space debris. He reared his claw back and I pulled out my sword.
"Wuld Nah Kest!" He roared, suddenly appearing in front of me, the ground exploding behind him. My blade blocked the black dragon's advance. My feet tear through the ground as I try to keep his talons away one-handedly. Sparks from him grinding his steel talons against my blade lit up our faces, which were barely a few inches. In the corner of my eye, I could see a cliff rapidly approaching, falling off that means certain death for not only me but Alduin as well since he can't fly. Concentrating my affinity I forced a shadow hand to grow out of my stump. It wouldn't be half as strong as my actual hand but all I needed was a hand to act as a catalyst for my stronger magic. {quickly now! That cliff is coming up faster!} Bahamut urged me. I smiled and waved my dark hand. A single hand of shadow pushed against Alduin, then another emerged from the shadows. Then another, and another, and dozens more sprang out by the second. Alduin's eyes grew in size, he tried to open his jaw but more shadowy hands clamped it shut. We slowed down to a stop a good two feet from the cliff's edge.
"Now, do a barrel roll!" I yell out, dropping my sword and grabbing Alduin by the very clawed hand that he used as a weapon. My shadowy hands gripped any part of him they could and I flipped the mighty dragon over to my right. Slamming him into the ground. Before he could get back up I snapped my fingers.
"Chains of the damned, Prison of the Faithless," I say hundreds of chains erupted from the rocky terrain. Wrapping around the mighty king, completely stopping him from moving. Shadows erupted behind me and quickly covered the chains. Making them a nightmarish black, fortifying them for a few precious minutes. I only need the one. Acting swiftly I use my fire element and carve chunk after chunk of rock away from the mountain. My earth affinity is to low to control mountains but cutting off smaller pieces of the mountain and controlling those? Now that I can do.
I ground the rock to sand and moved it on top of the dragon king before reverting it back to stone. I made sure not to cover his head or throat, everything else? I buried under tons of rock. I kept going until my chains snapped away and Alduin still couldn't escape. Grabbing my sword I strolled over to the dragon king's head.
"Kill me now, or I swear I shall rip you apart!" Alduin demanded of me, I looked at my sword and back to him, then back to the sword. I raised up above his eye, he closed it and shuddered as I slammed it down into the earth next to his head. His eyes widened in surprise as I sit down next to him.
"I don't want to kill you, and you don't want to die. So, I have a solution. Work for me." I tell him, he huffed and looked rather pissed I would suggest such a thing.
"Mey! zu'u'd rather dir than aam hi!" He yelled in dragon tongue. Smiling I snapped my fingers. He would see a guillotine made of lightning, dark and fire. All elements I showed great mastery in, he would see it fall upon him and for the first time, I saw him truly afraid. The illusion the second it hit the ground under his neck. He looked wildly around for it, surprised he was still alive.
"You certainly don't look like you'd rather die. Your quite afraid of death aren't you?" I ask him. His eyes widened, I must've guessed correctly that what he was saying. I rested my head on my hand as my smile grew larger.
"You must be worried that if you died here, that you wouldn't come back like what happened in Sovunguard. I don't blame you for that fear, it's perfectly natural." I say with a sinister smile. Alduin tried to regain his royal pride but his fear shattered the mask and all that was left was someone who didn't want to die.
"I. I." Alduin tried to say, words failing him. So I took it upon myself to finish it. I squat down so I could look him in the eye.
"Now, what if I offered you, that working under me. You will never know the fear of death. My summons, even defeated, just come back to me mere seconds afterward fully refreshed." I say temptingly. I could see the gears turning in that head of his.
"How do I know you do not lie?" He asks of me. I nod, a reasonable doubt. I just had to prove it to him. With a snap of my fingers, I summoned Death Gun to my side.
"Yes, Mores?" He asked of me, seeing my foe already defeated. I whispered into his ear my plan and he nodded. With a quick slice of my sword Death Gun's head rolled off right off his shoulders. His body collapsed into shadows. I snap my fingers again, and Death gun appears right next to me, bowing for the king. I dismiss him as I saw I had convinced the dragon.
"Now, for my spell to work I must hear from your own mouth, you pledging yourself and asking to serve me," I tell Alduin. He froze as I smiled, I knew what he was gonna do. A chance of eternal life, or stick to his pride and get himself killed yet again. Perhaps forever this time.
"I..I shall serve you, the one who defeated me and offers me mercy and friendship, mighty Dovah kriid." He said. Dragonslayer aye, now that's a title.
"I am honored Dovah Jun, Symbol of Death. Arise for he who threw pride to serve under death." I say. Honoring his title as king, though messing up the pronunciation, my mana erupted out of my body and into his. The bindings that held him disappeared as he rose back up. His wounds healed, an extra-large set of skeletal wings erupt out of his back to show he was mine. I fell on my butt, huffing but before he disappeared, as I had no mana to sustain him, I pet his nose. He dispersed as I laid back. Letting the pop-ups fill my eyes.
Quest complete!
For moving mountains, in pieces, gain 1000 earth affinity
For striking down not only dozens of drakes but knocking a dragon king out of the sky, gain 2000 lightning affinity.
Gain 100 shadow affinity for clever thinking.
Gain title: Dovah Kriid(Dragon Slayer)
Dark Thundaga. Active. Level: 3. MP cost: 700: A technique created through the marriage of the infinite dark and the brilliant lightning of keyblade masters. A powerful weapon and useful against any foe who doesn't gaze upwards.
Forbidden Reaper art #4 Chains of the damned, Prison of the Faithless. Active. Level: Max. MP: 10,000: A forbidden reaper art often found by accident when fighting divinity. It is the highest technique of binding the reapers have. Capable of stopping monsters hundreds of levels above them for ten minutes. It is one of the five forbidden reaper arts. The reason they are forbidden is, when used by a weakling, destroys the very soul of a reaper. Even their most powerful of magics weed out the weak from the mighty, rejoice. For if you can use this skill and still live, you are worthy of life in the hierarchy of death.
Summon Alduin. Active. Level: 1. Mp cost: 2000: The Dragon Emperor, pledged his loyalty for you for everlasting life, throwing away the pride all dragons have. As such, do not die. For as long as you live he, along with the rest of your summons, shall never die.
"I did it! I win!" I laugh madly. Resting in the enlarged crater we created. I can't believe I stumbled upon such a powerful reaper art, but it definitely helped me, and the MP usage is no joke. I nearly passed out using so much mana at once. While I'm a little miffed I didn't gain any levels, I am severely overleveled for this dungeon, so I guess that explains it, and it's not like I killed Alduin so and I didn't get any experience for making him my summon. Heck, none of my skills leveled up.
"I need to do some serious training later." I sigh, jumping back on my feet. That was a bad idea as my legs began wobbling immediately after that. Acting quickly I create a walking stick out of the earth, leaning on it kept me from falling over. With a snap of my fingers the dungeon disappeared, looking up at the sky, it was nighttime.
"Meaning no one should be awake, or at the school." I murmur, jumping off the roof. I ground the earth beneath me just before landing, sinking into the sand quietly. Stepping out I hardened the ground behind me.
"And that kiddies is how you jump off a building without making a mess," I whisper to myself, I hobbled to the gate and walk out. My legs were starting to get better but I decided to keep the stick, smoothing it out as I walked. Making it into a real cane instead of just a lump of earth.
"Much better," I say. Though sadly, my peaceful moonlight walk was at risk of being interrupted. Someone was following me and doing a piss poor job of it.
"Who the hell's behind me?" I growl, glancing back. I was confused when I saw no one behind me, until an eep and looked down. Gasper was the one following me.
"...what are you doing following me little bat?" I ask him, curious but a bit cranky. It was late and I wanted to put my little sister to bed. Gasper nervously twiddled his thumbs and looked at the ground.
"How do you do it?" he asked me, the question was weird. Especially for him, and I had a feeling what he meant. I sigh, I honestly expected this question from someone else, not Gasper, so to say I was thrown off would be an understatement.
"Um, wow. Well, if you don't mind, why do you want to know?" I ask back. You don't just ask someone how to deal with killing without a reason. Gasper flinched back at my question and he twiddling his thumbs faster.
"I want to help my friends, I want to be useful to Rias and not a useless piece. I know my gear is strong, I also know it makes whoever I use it effectively helpless. Every time I think about using it on a person, I want to hide in on myself. I panic, I want to back to my box. Issie and the others are helping me control it, but even if I have perfect control it's worthless if I chicken out. You're a Reaper, I could tell the moment I saw you. You kill people and other things on an almost daily basis, how do you do it?" He asked me. I stay silent as I absorbed what he said. It's different for me, I kill to grow stronger, and I have something that usually helps with the aftermath of a murder. So my method wouldn't work for him.
"Hmm, the best way I can think about how to put it. Do you have people to protect?" I ask him the obvious question, he nodded.
"Of course I do. Rias, she saved me. Same with Koneko, she's basically a big sister to me." he said, I nod. Good choices.
"Okay, now imagine someone, a fellow vampire, attacking them. You can't attack him directly, but you can use your sacred gear to stop him cold. But it will, unfortunately, leave to his death, there is no way to talk him out of it, and he will kill them if you do nothing." I tell him, creating an illusion of that very situation around us. Making sure to get the expressions just right.
"I, I. Why can't Rias fight back?" Gasper asked me, sounding nervous, staring at the illusion.
"Something is blocking her magic power and is hampering her physical strength. She can not fight back. The same is happening to Koneko." I tell him. Watching the illusion play out in front of me. There was no noise but Gasper could read it.
"W.w.W... What about-"
"No time. Make your choice." I tell him. Quickening the pace of the illusion. Gasper was terrified and was nearly crying.
"I. I. I can't."
"You can, you could. Just do." I tell him, my voice getting louder as I put a barrier around us, so no one would hear us. A snap of my fingers and sound came to the illusion. Was this cruel, oh excessively. Was it needed for my point to get across, yes. Yes, it was. Illusion's Rias's screams were very lifelike if Gasper's sudden jump was any indication.
"Gasper! Please help!" I made her say, strings of shadow helping keep this illusion up.
"Gaspie, please!" I had Koneko beg, and I got the desired from both of them. Gasper was hyperventilating, he's stressed and his nerves must be going off like lightning,
"Well? Do something, or they will die!" I yell at him, having the vampire illusion leap at them. I make them scream and I hear Gasper's scream and his gear coming to life. He freezes the illusion perfectly, I have Issie come in and kill the vampire, and the illusion ends with Gasper vomiting.
"I. I. I." he stuttered, on the verge of tears. I pat his head. He looked up at me and my comforting grin.
"You just found your answer for how to kill. Protecting your friends, a noble goal." I tell him, trying to cheer him up. He looks at me like I'm nuts.
"What about the aftermath? How do I, gurk, I deal with it?" Gasper asked me, now that I can help with, without scaring imagery.
"Well, it's rather simple. Rationalize it, for me, it's if I do not kill them then I shall die. For you, if I do not stop them, my friends will die." I tell him. It wasn't foolproof but I wasn't gonna tell him that. Gasper nodded at my words.
"Can you take me back? That illusion freaked me out and I don't want to be alone." He said. Damnit, if I knew this was gonna happen I would've run away. Shit.
"Alright. Why do you live in school anyway?" I ask him as I take him back. Couldn't he just live in a normal house or apartment?
"I don't like going outside, it scares me. I much prefer being in my box." Gasper told me, I could understand that. Hell, a few weeks ago I would've his exact position. People suck. I walk him back to the room he was previously sealed him and wished him goodnight.
"Now I can-Oh what the heck now!" I yelled, turning back and seeing Sona behind me.
"How did you-?" She tried asking me before I interrupted her.
"I just got out of a fight with drakes and a dragon king, my senses are still in overdrive and I want to sleep it off. It's making me angry and very snappish. So what is it?" I ask her, she held the expression of a fish out of water. It was amusing, not gonna lie.
"...Not gonna ask, my sister wants to talk to you. It's about what you asked of her." she told me, I turned on my heel and looked at her with a slack jaw.
"Did that get your attention?" She asked me, looking rather smug about it. I just nod.
"In Hell right?" I ask for clarification. Sona nods and a carriage appeared next to us. I open the door for her, still in shock. I climb in and we headed to Hell. 'That was rather fast.' I say inwardly, glancing at my arm. {yes, yes it was. Partner, I know you may not need it, but be prepared for a trap. Just in case.} Bahamut warns me. I nod, thankful my mask hid my grim expression...heh. 'Damn, I almost forgot what anxiety felt like. Especially this little cocktail mix of emotions.' I say in my head. That little twist of excitement and hope has, is, and always will be, the worst part. I dread what may happen, and yet I have to keep myself from bouncing out of my seat. Perhaps it's the reaper nature inside me that is contributing to this. The massacre was something all reapers were not only raised to despise but to hate. To use the names of the lost to grow strong and pray for vengeance if the opportunity ever arrived.
'And now it's here!' I nearly squealed out loud. The excitement was unreal, but so was this situation in its entirety. My mask kept my thoughts from being seen by Sona, my armor kept her from seeing my body quiver with murderous excitement. Eventually, the pressure finally reached bursting, and thankfully we had arrived. I had to restrict myself greatly as I walked out. Though taking it slow proved to be a good call, because we weren't in an embassy, or whatever could count as one, but instead a private coliseum, and Observe told me it was for non-official rating games. Confusion plastered across my face, that is until I saw several dozen coaches like the one Sona and I came in. Leviathan walked out, a small smile on her face bloomed when she saw Sona, but it wilted the moment she saw me. I soon learned why the other coaches opened violently. Dozens of devils came out, a large chunk were nobles and a handful of them were rather ancient. It took a moment to realize these were the guilty party, the killers. What truly cinched it, was each and every one of them had the title Actor of Death's Genocide or a variant of that title. For such a title, there can only be one possible requirement for getting it.
"Now, miss Leviathan. You brought us all here, now what is it? I've got a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, waiting for me." A particularly ancient devil said, looking rather haggard. As the other devils began to pipe up with their own grievances or complaints, my vision became red. 'They, they dare start speaking of wine and other such trivialities?! Bastards. Cowards! These fucking murderers! Forgo the trial, I will personally RIP THEIR MINDS-!'
A hand suddenly grabbing my leg brought me back to reality, my vision cleared of the bloodlust that filled it. Glancing down I saw Sona on the verge of passing out, she wasn't the only one. The special devil guests were gasping for air and Serafall was on her knees, pale and shaky as well. My wings were fully extended, and my intent was impacting upon them.
"Hmm, oops," I say monotonically. While I was sorry for hitting Sona and Serafall with that rather large dosage of intent, that was as far as my empathy went.
"y.y. You dare to do that to a noble?!" one of them said, I didn't know who. They all looked the same to me, scum is scum and trash is trash after all. Not worth describing.
"Tiberius Ahpuch, a long time ago you killed a toddler, barely a year old. Not to mention a pregnant woman, who would've given birth to triplets had you not have raped and then murdered her." I say in a mechanical voice. His eyes widen as I had perfectly recited his crimes, a chain with collar suddenly shot out of the ground and latched around his neck. He gasped in shock and tried to rip it off, but he suddenly screamed in pure agony. The end of the chain materializing in my grip, I had not created it, this was but a system of magic seals the Grim Reaper had put in made it so I didn't have to lift a finger. Only my voice.
"Alexander Coyote. A long time ago you slaughtered three children. Two little girls and a little boy. Ages 3, 4, 2, respectively. You then used their hearts as a way to track down more Reaper children, telling your old war buddy Zaku the 'brave' where to hunt for more." my voice getting colder with each word leaving my lips. Two more chains appeared in my hand and two more gasps of air. One, by one, I put a face to every name that had been carved into that memorial. Every bastard, every murderer, I now have chains for each and every one of them.
There was a hiccup, even though I repeatedly said their crimes over and over again. Two young looking devils still hadn't had their chains on, but I had the chains in my hand. A quick observe told me everything I needed to know about these two.
"...You two have never seen a reaper before me, have you now?" I asked them, they nodded slowly. Shaking of fear from my misplaced anger. The reason for that is that I overlooked the slight difference in titles for them.
Zander The Second Micholash.
Level: 40
Title: Blood of Actor of death's genocide.
Palak The Second Zeggias.
Level: 30
Title: Blood of Actor of Death's Genocide.
I had thought it meant the same thing in my rage, however now it's obvious. These two boys are just the sons of the ones responsible.
"If I may ask, why are you here? Where are your fathers?" I asked them kindly, the sudden shellshock they must be feeling is indescribable. Yet, Zander scrapped the remains of his courage and spoke.
"Our fathers sent us in their stead. They thought us capable of accepting responsibility since they believed this to be an urgent meeting. A. At least that's what he told me, and what I imagine he told Palak." Zander said, pale-faced. I highly doubt that was the case. Especially when I glanced at one squirming individual worm.
I glanced at that one's chain and yanked on it, forcing him to be on his hands and knees.
"You have something you wish to say?" I ask the wretch. At first, he stayed quiet, until I whispered in his ear.
"Tell me what you know, and you may yet walk free," I whispered in the devil's ear and like that it was ready to sell out the remaining maggots.
"I warned them! The moment I saw her and noticed who else was in the carriages I called them and warned them about what might happen. They must've sent their sons in their place since they must've figured you were to dumb to notice the difference, even though they have the exact same names as they do! That is all I know!" The maggot spilled its guts. The horrified looks on the two boys face as it dawned on them, they were used as sacrificial lambs by their fathers. Without hesitation, they told me where their fathers would be hiding. Even going so far as to give me exact coordinates to their panic shelters. I thanked them and two portals appeared. The previously limp chains burst to life as the collars burst into the portals and dragged out my prey. Their sons kicking them as I dragged them along. For that, I gave each of them two sacks of gold. The first one was an apology, the second a reward for kicking their bastard fathers. I also verbally offered my deepest of apologies for my actions towards them. They accepted my apology and took the carriages, carrying the bags of gold with them, back to their homes.
"Back to the homeland, back to death's roots. For justice must be done, even if the heavens must fall." I say, a large skeletal double door appeared and open wide, I hadn't the skill for it but it was like my magic circles, as natural as breathing. I began to drag the prisoners towards the portal, even as they struggled and pleaded, I was still much stronger than them combined.
"Stop!" A voice cried out, glowing blood eyes glared at Leviathan whose voice made me stop inches away from the door.
"There is no reason to," I tell her simply. That was all it boiled down to. I have no reason to stop.
"What about a rating game, you lose they go free and you win and they come with you?" she insisted. The chained devils nodded at that idea. However, I shook my head.
"No. Justice has waited for hundreds of years, patience has run out." My voice colder than any blizzard, I'm surprised shards of ice came out instead of spit.
"But that is how we decide such important matter-" Serafall tried to say but a small pulse of my dark affinity stopped her in her tracks.
"But we Reapers have our ways of doing it, and these scum became my jurisdiction the moment you brought them to me," I tell her. She tried to say something back but she decided against it. She had made her choice, there was no going back. The light of hope in the scum eyes died as I pulled them in to see their deaths. I didn't close the door behind me, Serafall and Sona had walked through after me. Curiosity must run in their family.
The Reaper world was of grays and black, the false sky above, the color of the bricks in the buildings, even the people held that perpetual ash gray. Speaking of people, hundreds of them clambered out to see the prisoners, and the spike of negative energy reached the heavens. Most of the reapers that had filled the roads began laughing at them, laughing how pitiful they looked, how pitiful they are. The ultimate form of disrespect. However, the few who didn't laugh were brimming with negative emotions, they were almost visible to the naked eye. These reapers hurled insults, screamed at them, threw rotten food and rusty knives at them. I made no move to stop them, they have every right as the survivors of their actions to do whatever they want except kill them, not until we reach our goal. Though there are always those who go too far. A giant Reaper man made his way to the front of the crowd, probably the patriarch of one of the families. He held a large cleaver in his hand, the moment he saw one of the prisoners he walked forwards and brought his weapon down on it.
Wraith halted the blade just before it sunk into criminal flesh. I turned around, handing the chains to Death Gun who I had quickly summoned. I walked over to the giant of a man.
"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him, his eyes are brimming with hatred, the cleaver's grip was about to explode in splinters.
"What does it look like?! I'm taking my revenge! That bastard killed my wife and daughter!" He howled, trying to push past me. But I stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"I understand your pain, but this is not how our way. Please wait a few more minutes, you've already waited millennia for justice. What's a few more minutes compared to that?" I ask him, my voice sympathetic. He still didn't look convinced, but he backed off and bowed his head to me. I offer the same respect to him before I walk back to the front. Death gun gave me back the chains, one of the devils in the back tried to run, his chain slipping from my grip. No Reaper made a move to stop him, a sudden powerful jolt of black lightning paralyzed his legs. As he falls to the ground, still crawling away towards the still open exit. Unfortunately, I walk faster than he can crawl, grabbing his chain the paralysis ends and I drag him to the front. After that little pit stop, I continued with the prisoners behind, my summons at my side to help dissuade any more vigilantism before judgment could be passed.
Our destination was just up ahead. A large coliseum, built by Roman architects that previous reapers contracted millennia ago. Unlike the dilapidated coliseums in the human world, this one is constantly well maintained and is made to hold hundreds of thousands. The entire reaper race for some occasions, this arena is cultural to the reaper kind, but not because of the artistic way it was built. This was no tourist attraction, but the most active facility in the reaper world.
The entrance was opened and several guards took away the prisoners, at that very moment families of reapers appeared in the seats. I made to follow them but Sona pulled me aside.
"Hey Mores, you wouldn't happen to know why I feel like I'm being watched?" Sona asked, peeking around her shoulder for her supposed stalker. I sighed and knew what she was talking about in an instant.
"That's because you are, or rather, we all are. The Grim Reaper has a special magic that allows his eyes to oversee everything in this realm and the human one. Sometimes he chooses to focus on certain individuals. You and your, or me for example." I tell her, the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up, a sure sign as any that I, in particular, was being watched. Before Sona could ask another question, someone appeared behind me, if by Sona's sudden horrified reaction was anything to go by. Turning around I blankly stare, and look up, at quite the large man. Round was his belly but thick was his shoulders and eyebrows. Emerald eyes with specks of ruby red by the center. He wore a black robe like any other reaper, though his massive belly stuck out. He had a golden shirt and sweatpants underneath his normal reaper garments and bunny slippers. Yes, fluffy pink bunny slippers hiding just behind his black robes.
"How can I help you, sir Baron?" I asked him, he just laughed a belly laugh.
"How about going into the arena? You're the guest of honor after all! Also, who are these two?" He asked me glancing at Sona and Serafall.
"This is Serafall Leviathan, one of the four maous of Hell, and this is her little sister Sona Sitri," I tell him, though I highly doubt he didn't already know this information. The second I blinked he was behind the two sisters inspecting their hair of all things, giving it a slight sniff, though they quickly jumped back at the sudden intrusion of personal space.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Serafall demanded, the Baron ignored her completely and then looked back to me.
"She's rather small, and weak, to be a leader isn't she?" The Baron asked me, uncaring of the stunned Serafall and Sona in front of him. I shrug, not wanting to say anything to that type of question. The Baron laughed at my response and walked inside. I let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Who the hell was that?!" Serafall asked me.
"That would be a member of the Grim Reaper's high council, Sir Vladimer. Otherwise known as Sir Baron, the jailer of dragons." I explain, then promptly go inside. They of course follow, but Death Gun and Wraith led them to the stands whereas I walked right into the center of the arena. At the front, right where all could see, was a throne of steel and bone. I brought out my scythe and kneeled like a knight would to his king, taking off my mask as well, the second I did the Grim Reaper appeared upon his throne. Joyus applause from the masses of reapers behind me at the sight of their king.
"Well then, isn't this a treat for the senses. Listen here! The ones who committed the massacres upon our people have finally been apprehended!" The grim reaper shouted I dared not look up even as the crowd behind me roared their applauses.
"Grand is this day! This reaper you see kneeling to me is the hero who brought them here to our grand stage! So the kin of the slain may take their revenge, as is their right! What say you my glorious subjects?! You ready for bloodshed?!" The Grim Reaper asks his race, they respond with howls dripping with bloodlust. Their screams, their demands for blood is insatiable and primed. The Grim Reaper listens to their screams and, while I could not see it, he smiled.
"Then let this alternate Death's Gambit begin! But first, a question for the one who brought the scum here. Raise your head reaper." I did so, staring at my father. We look nothing alike, while I am and bony. He is tanned and muscular. My hair was short and black, his was long and ocean blue. The only resemblance we had was our red eyes. The same blood red, same hue, same shape, it was as if I was looking into a reflection of my own eyes. His robe was the deepest black signifying his ultimate place among the reaper race. He held no weapon but I knew better than to assume him defenseless. He killed the previous Grim Reaper and took his rightful place on the throne with only his fists millennia ago, and he's only gotten stronger since then.
"What is it you wish?" He asked me, blood-red met blood red. I smiled a cruel grin.
"For the pain modifiers to be set to 1000 times what they would feel in reality," I say. There was silence over the crowd, the Grim Reaper smirked at my proposal.
"Yes, that would be a fine request, though that would also affect the avengers who will try to claim their revenge as well." He said, though he hardly sounded worried. The next few words I say is the root of what all reapers believe.
"Of course, if they were to fail then they were far too weak to not only claim their revenge but are unworthy to keep existing. For there is no place for the weak among angels of death." I say with a sadistic grin, a small part of it was fake but the rest was real. The instincts of the body can often intrude upon the sovereignty of the mind, and this is just one of those times. Clapping could be heard around me, and it grew louder and louder. Soon people were even shouting praises and encours as if I had just finished a masterpiece of a poem and they wanted more. The Grim Reaper held a Joker's grin and also clapped for what I said.
"Truer words are rarely spoken, you are wise among your years. Go to the stands and watch the carnage, you have my permission to do so." He said with a grin only a monster could have, I nod. Keeping the very same sadistic grin until I sat down and slipped my mask back on. The grin disappeared and I leaned back in my seat as it began. I was sitting next to Sona and Serafall, who held predictably horrified looks over what I said and what it insinuated for not only me but the reaper race entirely.
The prisoners were brought out, one by one. The ground broke away for the twisted marriage of technology and magic to come out of. Vr devices not unlike the ones seen in SAO, except while the Nervegear only covered the head, this one covered the entire person's body. Death's gambit is purely virtual, it's both training and a game. Quite like a Peerage match, except, far far more brutal. In normal matches, the goal is to defend your throne and sit on the enemies. That's it. When a high council member is defeated, they feel the pain of the death they were given, say for an example slit throat. The council member would feel still feel the pain of that virtual wound as if it was real and decide whether or not they go back in. It's supposed to improve pain tolerance, show which high council members are the most loyal and to rid the players their instinctual fear of death. While it does work but the true purpose; is to torture the losers and punish them for being so weak as to lose. That and with the pain modifier often set to higher than ten times the pain...well...it's quite painful. I explain this to Sona and Serafall as they probably would want to know.
"1000 times the pain of death...that must be hell." Sona whispered as the devils were shoved into their separate pods, and as reapers climbed into theirs.
"It is, though 10,000 is worse," I respond, before Sona could ask what I meant by that I silenced her with a finger. It was starting and the reapers were rather rabid if anyone talks over their sport.
A giant screen showed what was happening, courtesy of the Grim Reaper. I leaned back in my chair as the matches began. The first match ended rather quickly, the first sniveling coward to throw away his children for his own safety. He tried to plead for his life, but the patriarch of the family he slaughtered just smiled. His head was split open by a large cleaver. The pain was sent to the actual body and the sniveling devil died, reduced to embers in a fraction of a second before he could even scream. The second, third, fourth and fifth matches proceed roughly the same. Though with spines being ripped out, much to the crowd's delight, and cape of their skulls being popped off. The devils died for real once the pain was sent, and the reapers so far haven't gotten anything worse than a cut.
The matches were so boringly one-sided I nodded off halfway through, though the sound of my fellow race crying out for greater bloodshed sadly stopped me from going in too deep. Though by the time I decided to gaze upon the slaughter once more, there was only a single devil remaining. The one who had ratted out his fellow men
when I asked for information. Guess due to his cooperation they let him live longer. He clambered into the ember filled coffin without complaint as did his reaper opponent. Their match began but instead of begging his life the devil just slightly bowed his head.
"I apologize for killing your kin, however, I have a family of my own so I am sorry, but I can not die here." He said with a bowed head. The reaper grew enraged and he lunged for the devil noble. The devil noble dodged the angry reaper with ease, now that got me to sit up and pay attention.
"You bastard! You dare to say that after you took everything from me?! Once I'm done with you, your family dies next! I'll do worse to you then you did to me!" He vowed, gouts of flames erupting from his hand, he waved them around crazily. I bit my nail as I watched the devil noble dodge and weave through the flames, waving them around crazily like that only makes more openings!
"Idiot," I whisper as the noble punched the reaper. The reaper reeled back in shock, but the noble pressed his advantage. A quick knee to the gut stunned the reaper further, however, the stunning reaper tried to chain the nimble devil down. Once the singular, yes singular, chain wrapped itself around the devil's leg the fool of a reaper charged again, this time with a knife. The devil ripped the chain from the ground, without breaking it, he dodged the knife and wrapped the chain around the reaper's throat. I closed my eyes and sighed as I heard a neck snap in half. The crowd was silent for a moment as the devil hopped out the virtual reality device. Then when they saw the dust particles of the reaper that challenged they started to clap. That clapping slowly turned to uproarious applause. One of the guards escorted the devil to stand with the other victors, and instead of being angry that one of their own lost, they instead praised the devil as they would any other reaper for his victory.
"These are your victors! They have taken their revenge, and the fool who failed, well, he was unworthy to continue existing by our laws. So let us praise this devil, for ridding the reaper race of one more weakling, and for cleansing the weakling's entire family during the great war between factions!" The Grim Reaper said, his voice ever booming. The audience, the bloodthirsty sheep they are, did so. Instead of continuing to harbor anger for his crimes of slaughtering innocents, now an entire family, but no. Now they praise the devil for ridding the reaper race of weaklings.
"I applaud all of you victors, especially you little bat. How would you like to be reborn a reaper? Such strengths would be better rewarded here than under the species you were born under." The Grim Reaper offered, Serrafall couldn't believe what she was seeing if her face was anything to go off of.
"Can he actually do that?" Sona asked me, glancing between the devil who looked to be mulling it over.
"He can and he will," I tell her as the devil victor nods. The Grim Reaper smiled and he appeared next to the devil. Several dozen magic circles layer themselves around the devil until they completely covered him. With a snap of his fingers, the magic circles glowed brighter than the sun. Everyone, especially me, turned away and from it. When we looked back, the devils were shocked, the reapers roared their applause and I clapped for this phenomenon was truly special to see. Instead of a devil, what stood there now was a toddler with two medium-sized bone wings. When he said reborn, he meant reborn. The leader of my race picked up the child.
"A new member of our race has been born! Let us hope he grows ever stronger and brings glory to his new race!" The Grim Reaper roared, the crowd lost themselves in uproarious applause. The toddler was taken to a place where all children go when they reach the age of two, the hellish training known as the Agōgē. 'The less I remember of that hell, the better.' I think to myself. The reapers began to leave, the show was over, their thirst for blood satiated. I was about to leave as well, but that didn't work out.
"Leaving so soon?" The Grim Reaper asked, standing in just behind me. Much to the total shock of Sona and Serafall who didn't even notice him.
"Well yes, these two can't exactly leave here without me and I did end up dragging them here so I might as well be courteous and bring them back home," I say respectfully, and bow my head to him even though he was behind me. He hummed, and before either of the devils could catch on, they suddenly fell through a portal back to the human world.
"Well, that handles that. Now let us discuss…" he trailed off, checking to make sure no one else was here. When in fact he made sure it was just the two of us, I suddenly found myself scooped up and hugged, as a teddy bear would be by a small child.
"Oh, I missed you! You were gone for so long! So long! How come you never just visit?! Let me dote on you more!" My father yelled, continuing to hug and wave me side to side.
"I'm extremely busy. I was building up my high council and adding to my well of summons." I said in a perfect deadpan.
"Well that's really good but still at least visit! Also, I heard you adopted a little sister! I have a daughter now! Hooray!" He cheered as he began to squeeze me harder. I tapped his shoulder to let him know he was suffocating me, that is not an exaggeration I was losing HP from his hug alone. Thankfully he let go and I choked out a breath.
"Thank you for not killing me via a hug," I tell him, taking another few deep breaths to make sure my crumpled lungs were still working.
"Still though, I'm so proud of you! You're so much stronger than you were a few months ago. Perhaps eventually you'll take my throne, pretty sure your mother would've been just as proud as I am." He said. I nod.
"Someday, sure, but not for a long time to come. Either way, I should really get going, as part of my deal with Leviathan I am to sit down as a representative of our race at their peace summit tomorrow." I tell him.
"Aww, I want you to stay a little longer." He whined, he fucking whined. He's even pouting for crying out loud! I reaper chop him, not holding back, but to him, it would feel like I did.
"Stop pouting! Your the leader of our race for God's sake!" I tell him to, my voice filled with annoyance. He chuckled and stopped pouting like a child.
"True, well I guess you should be going then. Also, can you please visit more often? I only ever see you during events like this. Please?" He asked, even doing the puppy eyes, but unlike Lilly, his is the furthest thing from cute and just looked creepy.
"Stop that and I will try," I say in a perfect deadpan. He does so and says yes under his breath. I facepalm and leave before anything else like that. The moment I teleported back home I let my jaw drop to the ground.
"That's how he acts for real?! I mean, I knew because of my previous memories but seeing it in person is just a whole other experience, good lord." I finish with a sigh, Wraith rises out of my shadow as I collapse on my sofa.
"What did you get when you observed him?" I asked, wraith merely shows me the screen. My jaw, once again, drops. The screen only showed his titles and his level which is the highest I have ever, and probably ever, see.
Titles: Grim Reaper. Death. Master of savage hordes.
Level: 9.847890e800^99,999,9
I stared at this small screen, absorbing the information it gave me. I kept staring at it long past Wraith disappearing, long past the moon setting and till the early morn.
"Hey, whatcha staring at?" A voice suddenly asked. Glancing to the voice's location, it was Lilly. I dismiss the small screen and pat her head.
"Oh, nothing too important," I tell her. She giggles and runs over to the table for food, I smile and go join her. A quest screen pops in front of me as I did so.
Quest name: Reaper's final gambit.
Objective: Defeat your father and claim the throne.
Rewards: Beating the Game and become its sole victor.
There was no accept nor deny screen, which was odd. Checking it again, it looks like I had already accepted it, I was strangely not surprised by it. It is the dream of all reapers to be able to sit the throne of the Grim Reaper. There was no time limit on it, and that also makes sense. It will take many millennia to get to that level, Reapers functionally do not age after all, so I have all the time in the universe to do this. I dismiss the screen and put it out of my mind for now and instead enjoy this time now.
[Pov swap. Third person]
Many hours later the Reaper had finished his duties for the day and made his way to the summit, having put his little sister to bed earlier that day and had told Murayama to stay and watch her. As he walked to the summit, another prepared in a dimension other than the reaper's.
"In a moment, another earth I will lay siege to." The king said as he walked towards the front of his ship, watching his acolytes, witches, and even his daughters prepare a portal for his fleet.
Back to the reaper, he arrived at the gate of the school, completely unaware of what will transpire in the next hour or so.
"I hope the summit isn't too boring." The reaper says as he pulls open the gate.
"I do hope the defenders of this earth won't be a bore." The king says as he floats down to where the portal will be.
"Hopefully Vali is actually a tough customer to me." The reaper says as he checks his phone, turning it off for the summit.
"The one who killed my son I do hope is worthy of my blade." The king says pulling the blade from the dark and sharpening it.
""Let the games begin!"" Both king and reaper say. The reaper walking through the gate as the sparks from the sharpening sword breach into the reaper's world.
{One chapter left before things ignite. Oh how they will, it shall be glorious! Also, no one has yet to take up my dare yet! It's just been sitting there pathetically with little notice! So I'll mention it again, It's called Chaos's Dare and it's where my stories are listed for those who didn't know where it was and was interested. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, bye bye my lovely audience of chaos. I'll see you all soon.}