Chapter 9: The Beast of Irithyll.
Northern Corse Region; Underground Ruins.
...
Voladea was not having a good time, the expeditionary group was scattered after the ambush made from those horrible monstrosities that rose from the ground which they were supposed to be dead, and several skirmishes occurred across the ruined city. She can still hear clashes of swords and horrible screams that emit the air filled with pain and death.
"No! Stay away! Stay away!"
"P-Please stop! I-I just came here to find a husband!"
"I want to live! D-Don't kill me plea-AARGH!"
Their loud, agonizing screams made her skin shiver in fear every time she witnessed their deaths whilst her kin are begging for mercy is only meaningless to the living corpses. The Dark Knight was alone and lost her armaments while battling against the abominations. She checked every dark corner she passed through before taking another path into a new area, but she is met by a gruesome sight of a mutilated body of a Dark Warrior. Her eyes scanned around to see several dead bodies of Orcs lying around and one headless corpse of a dragon mamono which sat on a heap of debris. Some amongst the dead were several rotten corpses of undead soldiers that bled fresh black blood.
"This couldn't be happening... It's... It's a nightmare!"
Her stomach churned with disgust at witnessing such a disturbing sight. Then her heart stopped and turned around once she heard the eerie clacking sounds of metal and saw a couple of tall undead knights carrying shields and spears that walked past around the nearest corner. But that's not all; both were covered in blood and one Lothric Knight has a head of an unlucky mamono succubus on its pike. The Dark Knight soon felt her instincts kick in once they showed signs of imminent danger and fled the area before they would be caught up in their sights on her.
...
In other areas of the forsaken city ruins, a small group from what remains of the expeditionary band of the Demon Lords Army ended up in a secluded area where they were safe from harm while the dark knights and warriors remained on watch while guarding the large wooden door behind them that may be lead to an escape route.
"Useli, you think this way will be our path to escape?" Spoke an armoured Dragon Mamono towards her own kin. "What if it were a trap?"
The other dragon, Useli, hefted her sword on her shoulder while placing her hand against the wooden doors and then opening them.
"Amila, it's either now or never. We shouldn't stay here for much longer to wait for help until those abominations will find and kill us." Useli spoke sternly towards her comrade, Amila. "We've lost a lot of our soldiers out there and those Knights; whatever magic they've been using is surprisingly very effective against our kin."
"Aye, those abominations don't fool around," Amila stated in agreement while crossing her arms. "Their weapons must be plain-looking, but we underestimated them severely after I saw how their swords were infused with lightning have pierced through our tough scales like nothing."
"Hush, right now. Let's get this talk over."
Useli used her strength to push the doors aside before the rest of the mamono group entered an area. It was a gigantic place that seems to look like an arena with little to no obstacles around but dirt and debris from here and there. Then they saw something in the middle of the area with one enormous figure that kneeled on the ground. It wore in a rusted suit of armour and it was armed by the largest armaments they've ever seen; an axe with its blade as tall as an ordinary person and a massive round spiked shield.
The mamonos tensed before they raised their weapons while stepping in with caution towards the figure before it pulsates and slowly stood straight up. The massive figure turned to face them and hunched its heavy iron boots forwards that give a dreadful and intimidating aura by appearance alone, which made the dragons tremble a bit with their weapons and claws ready for combat.
But deep inside them, fear had creepily gripped their hearts.
The rusted reanimated being, the Iron Dragonslayer, leapt into the air from a great distance and raised its axe. It landed in the middle of the group before a powerful shock wave blew up that sends them flying. One unfortunate dark warrior is screaming desperately for help as she got caught under its boot before her head was squished like a bloody pulp. The dark knights surrounded the being and attacked from all sides at once, but the iron dragonslayer spins as its demented Axe has cut them into pieces in mid-air.
"D-Damnit!"
"No way..."
Useli and Amila cursed that their entire group was annihilated within an instant, and only the two of them remained. Amila leapt forwards and raised her fist, but the automaton countered it by blocking her attack. The dragons knew their strengths were unmatched and rivalled by that of a Baphomet. Yet her strength did not budge the Armor and its large round shield absorbed her attack like it was nothing.
Then the Iron Dragonslayer bashed its shield against the mamono which staggered in her place until she widened her eyes in disbelief before the reanimated armour immediately swings its axe in an uppercut and her body was sliced in two while sending her to fly into mid-air. Useli stood horrified to witness her friend was easily defeated and killed in just mere seconds before the Iron Dragonslayer turned towards Useli.
"Amila... no..." she gasped under her breath in horror.
The dragon mamono felt her hands shaking while readying her sword and the armoured automaton walked slowly forwards. She had not felt an amount of pressuring fear like this. Her kind was supposed to be the strongest and the proudest of all. But in a place like this, she is but a mere mortal in front of the towering figure, and her mind cursed.
"It's... it's not fair." She stuttered as tears flowed down. "Wh-What are you?!"
The armoured being did not respond and still hear the entity's heavy breathing. Useli trembled whilst she couldn't handle it anymore despite being in such a dire situation and attacked recklessly against the armour that killed her beloved friend. The Dragonslayer raised its axe but Useli dodged aside from its devastating blow, which lead the axe head that slammed against the ground. The sword finally reached the Armor, and with all her might, she thrust the blade.
"rrrRRRRAAAAGH!"
She let out a war cry that screams in fury. Her voice expressed her anger that she must avenge her fallen comrades before the tip of her sword pierced the surface of the armour. She grinned in overconfidence, but the result she expected came out the exact opposite.
The sword shattered upon impact, and her eyes widened in shock. It did not show any signs of a single scratch on the armour of her opponent. Her sword, which is one of the strongest swords she has ever crafted back in the Demon Realm, was torn into pieces. Useli looked up and saw the Armor was looking down on her. The massive being stood unfaltering.
"I-I'm... I-I'm s-sorry!" She stuttered with a fear-stricken look. "I-I s-surrender-"
Yet her plea was ignored when the Iron Dragonslayer raised its round shield and smashed the Dragon of the Demon Lord's Army to the ground; leaving cracks on the stone floor and dust flying around. Useli tried to get up, but she spat a lot of blood and coughed in pain. But her life ended when the reanimated armour gave another blow of its axe and smashed her entire body to the ground. The last vision she saw was her own blood, organs, intestines, and bone fractures have strewn across the arena and the armour itself.
...
Voladea was running towards the entrance where they have left off, but she was running away for her life from a beast she had never seen the like of it. She and the other two surviving members of the group kept running. One succubus intermitted her flight and floats in mid-air to see if the pursuing beast has stopped. But only then, a shadow appears out of nowhere before the Succubus turned around and looks up in horror to witness the massive rat-like monster open its jaw that shows a hundred sharp teeth and immediately snapped her entire body in two while her upper body was mauled within the mouth of the beast.
"Keep running!" Voladea cries out.
"I-I can't keep up!"
The other survivor behind her, an ogre, breaths out for air and mustered her legs as fast as she could. But unfortunately, she felt her legs were pulled in by an invisible force and Voladea could only watch in horror. The Ogre is screaming as she was tossed into the air and within a second, another giant beast reappears from thin air and its jaws jabbed her alive and mauled her body to the ground like a rabid dog.
The Dark Knight ignored her terrifying screams and the only thing it comes to mind is to escape the horrible place and went through the tunnels back to safety on the surface.
From that day on, rumours then spread across the uncharted frontiers of the Corse Region and beyond that spoke of horrible monstrosities that live within the deepest caverns of the mountains and some told the tales of red-eyed Knights and beasts that emerged from the deepest pits of the mountains that seek to feast upon the poor, innocent souls.
...
Viola Region; Town of Gerth... A day later.
...
Inside Horseback Inn, several adventurers gathered themselves in front of the billboard and were looking for missions. Reginald crosses his arms while scanning through the board for missions to gain some fortune to purchase a Divine Blessing from the Sunlight Covenant.
"Any viable missions?" Elen asks while calling out from their table.
"Most were odd jobs," Reginald muttered while furrowing his eyes in disinterest. "Yet none were the most profitable."
His eyes darted across several request sheets that comprise herb gatherings and hunting local fauna, but all the rewards were low until he met one peculiar quest that hangs on the corner with several others.
[HELP WANTED: Unknown Beast attack on Joral Village. Reward; 1.800 Gold.]
'Well, that looks more profitable.' Reginald raised his eyebrow in surprise before picking up the quest sheet. 'Although the reward seems to be high enough to buy one blessing.'
Reginald walked over to the table and sat on the wooden chair before Sieglinde came with a wooden tray and placed a cup of warm milk on the table.
"Here you go~!" Sieglinde hummed cheerfully.
"Thanks 'Lind," Reginald responded with a smile. "Say, what's your father doing nowadays?"
"Oh, he's rather more busy than usual while tagging along with his old friend for the last few days," Sieglinde replied with a smirk before she remarks. "When I first met him, I thought that he's just some fugitive Sellsword from Lescatie until my father told me he came from the same place where he hailed from."
"You mean from the mythical land of Lothric?" Reginald guessed before Sieglinde nodded in reply. "I see."
When Reginald was about to drink his warm milk, a Silver-Blue Knight stepped in through the entrance along with a woman with aqua-green hair. From the Kitchen, Siegward came out with his Catarinian Armor set before putting his helmet on.
"Morning Siegward." Ash greeted with a wave of his hand.
"Mornin' to you, Ash." Siegward greets back before turning to Sasha. "And well as thee, Ms Fullmoon."
"Good Morning as well." Sasha smiled back with a giggle.
"Sasha decided to join a mission with me today," Ash explained before glancing his eyes at her. "Although I was against it. Yet she wants to experience an adventure. On her own choice"
"Oh, hush! It's not I would be thrown into a bloodbath." Sasha pouted while crossing her arms until a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "I came to join you just because I... I... I felt alone."
Siegward stared at her with a dumbfounded look while turning to Ash. The Astoran Elite Knight frowned behind his helmet until he let out a frustrated sigh before the Onion Knight laughed. "Hahaha! I see I see. Looks like your fair maiden wants to have some companionship, eh? Well then, why not just give it a try? And oh! I do have some guests from the family of my other friend. These two came all their way from Auvergne Region."
Ash glanced his eyes towards the two unlikely guests who were sitting beside their table whilst they were having a small conversation with Sieglinde. A young man and a woman were dressed in striking, familiar clothing and armour parts, which made Ash widen his eyes in surprise.
'They're both wearing Undead Legion Armor... could they be-'
"Ash, let me introduce to you Reginald and Elen of the Farron Family." His thoughts were interrupted by Siegward's explanation. "They were the children of Hawkwood Farron, a former member of the Abysswatchers. I met him several years prior when he came into this humble inn of ours and he has quite a pessimistic personality for sure, yet he didn't seem to care for it nowadays."
Ash couldn't believe it after what he just heard. Hawkwood was here too? First, it was Siegward, then the Deserter himself? He thought he killed him on the spot after their duel in Farron Keep and many questions begin to surface in his mind until at some point; means that the others might be here in this world too? It might be possible but doubtful since some might end up in the past like Solaire.
"I see." Ash acknowledge while slowly nodding. "Then I would like to greet these two."
Reginald and Elen perked up their heads once they heard footsteps coming in their direction and saw Siegward and the Silver-Blue Knight.
"How's the breakfast, Reginald?" Siegward asked.
"It's... not so bad, Uncle," Reginald replied before glancing toward Ash. "And you must be Siegward's old friend?"
"I am... the name's Ash." Ash greeted while extending his arms forward. "Ash Cyrus."
"Reginald Farron, it's a pleasure meeting you as well." Reginald greeted back with a handshake before pointing his thumb back to his younger sibling. "Oh, and that's my sister; Elen Farron."
"Greetings as well." Elen greeted while tipping her pointed, tricorn headwear while crossing her arms. "That's quite a unique armour set of yours."
"Um... thanks?" Ash then raised his eyebrow in question.
"I could've mistaken that as Order Armor, but I can tell it has more equipment and protective parts on it," Elen comments further before her eyes darted around his armour parts. "Also that helmet design is also unique. I've never seen any knights wear as such."
"She's quite an expert when it comes to armour and protection." Reginald stared while being unnerved by her antics. "But laments a lot when she sees female Order Heroes that wear some "special" kinds of armour."
"Tsk, you still don't understand why those harlots from the Order wear nothing but skimpy clothing. It gives me conniptions." Elen suddenly spoke in an utter tone of disdain while furrowing her brows, but her opinion struck a nerve with Sasha. "Yet there are some that even have decent protection against surrounding environments. Which I applaud that."
Ash was hearing her complaints and the young woman seems to have a point in their brief conversation with her brother. The Order Heroines were indeed wearing less protective clothing rather than what the people in this world cited as "Armor". By Izalith, he knew some women in his world are wearing protective full body armour that covered their bodies from head to toe and moves around like it was normal and doesn't restrict mobility. But one such exception, like Zoey the Desert Pyromancer, she does wear less protection and is only meant to seduce some poor-hardy fools as a distraction, but her flames and combat prowess are not to be underestimated.
"Well, I'm not going to complain about it. But it's quite true, " Ash silently muttered until he felt a foreboding aura behind him.
He turned around to see Sasha and found out that she was quite triggered by his words. Guess the Order needs to come up with a better armour design for women rather than letting them wear such skimpy clothing to parade themselves like harlots on the streets. No wonder why Ash was glad that Sasha discarded her old Order "Nun" outfit for a decent dress which they bought in the market three days earlier.
"D-Did my old outfit make you see me as a harlot?" Ash looks down at her again in question to see her pouting at him while expressing a look that shows anger and embarrassment in much of her dismay. "Is... is that true?"
"Uhm... well, when I first saw you back in Lescatie. Quite." Ash then gave out a sigh. He couldn't hide that truth, but it's not confidential to speak it right in front of a woman, right? "Back in my homeland, it's considered being downright frowned upon in some occa-gah!"
In an instant, Sasha punched him straight to his sides. "P-Pervert!"
'Is... Is that how she thinks of me?' His mind spoke up blankly with confusion. 'Tsk, I didn't even lay a hand on her.'
Sasha, while still having an embarrassed blush on her face, turned around to face Siegward, where she saw him fiddling around his index fingers while humming inside his onion-shaped helmet. Guess she knows how he thinks and how he saw her when they first met.
"Siegward...?" Sasha then speaks up all of a sudden with a darker tone.
"Oh, dear no! I am truly faithful to my wife and my family." Siegward replied nervously with a flustered face until he straightened himself up. "Why a Knight such as I, shouldn't stain my family's honour!"
Meanwhile, Elen and Reginald stared at each other with dumbfounded looks until Reginald made a deep sigh before slinging his Greatsword by his shoulders and grabbing the request sheet.
"Oh, Reginald! Why wouldn't you let Ash and Sasha join your group?" The two Farron siblings stopped their tracks and turned towards Siegward. "Ash is an old friend of mine and an experienced warrior. You should need to get to know each other for a jolly cooperation!"
Reginald glances his eyes towards Ash and the Elite Knight responded by shrugging off his shoulders. He closed his eyes and sighed once more. Maybe adding them to the group might not be bad and may offer an extra hand while Elen mused to herself.
"Alright, fine," Reginald answered while crossing his arms. "'Lest we could see how you can fight."
"I've gone worse, no pressure." Ash rolled his eyes off while responding with a muffle behind his helmet. "Consider yourselves lucky."
"Hmm... seems like you're nervous," Elen comments while her eyes darts towards Sasha's flustered look. "I bet it's your first time going into an adventure, I presume?"
"W-Well, not the first time," Sasha responded in a quite shaken tone. "I've done some adventures; but it didn't mostly involve... killing, unlike him."
"Oh, well, that's a shame. But it seems you've seen worse. Then I applaud you for your bravery." The dhampir said with a bit of sarcasm before she sighed in pity while rolling off her eyes with a mischievous smile on her face. "If you're willing to join a real adventure, then you must need a lot of guts to keep your sanity alive and try not to puke once you're around a place full of mutilated bodies."
'Well, not like I've seen a lot of it back in Lescatie.' The Warrior Nun thought.
Sasha gulped silently until the dhampir chuckled with a dark tone while buckling up her sword by the waist. "Don't fret, it seems you're used to it."
"I-I'll do the best I can!" Sasha then speaks up in a determined tone. "No matter what it takes!"
"Then welcome to my world." Ash muffled sarcastically underneath his helmet towards Sasha before turning to Reginald. "So, where are we heading?"
"Joral Village, it's said that an unknown beast was attacking the settlement," Reginald explained.
"Only one? I thought mamono's would do it in groups." Elen curiously raised her eyebrow in question.
"Then we have to figure it out by ourselves," Reginald replied while tipping his steel-trimmed helmet.
Once they stepped out of the doors, an adventure begins anew for the former Order Heroine of the Chief God.
'I pray for the Chief God that it doesn't turn into a complete bloodshed.' Sasha suddenly felt her hands shaking while gripping her staff. 'But why do I get the feeling that there would be something worse to come?'
...
Meanwhile, in the Underworld.
...
Hel, the Goddess of Life and Death, witnessed more than a thousand souls of the slaughtered like never in her lifetime that swirl through the Underworld. It hasn't been like this since the current Demon Lord usurped the throne centuries ago and all the souls of the deceased from there on; died peacefully and ended up in the afterlife, that awaits their unimaginable desires.
And now pain, agony, anxiety, fear, and despair. All of those massive, horrid swirls of emotions came back after millennia of desired peace. She felt a massive disturbance that is happening in the mortal realms, which appeared out of nowhere as if space and time have somehow convoluted. She saw visions of horrible abominations of the unknown, a number of them slowly creeped out from the deepest pits of the darkest caverns, only to slaughter the poor souls that went too near on their territory. The souls of the slaughtered did not matter who they are, whether they were men or mamono.
The Goddess saw several more visions of horned monsters made of stone, fur, and embers unleashing their deadly flames and lava upon the living. Massive over-bloated knights with their curved swords cut through their victims with ease and brutality with no hesitation and the tall horned knights made of silver hailed bolts of lightning and arrows as long as javelins towards the nearest human settlement that led into its destruction. Thus, other beasts of the unknown wreaked havoc on hundreds of defenceless mamono settlements throughout the world.
This event rocked her to the very core, and the only thing that came into her mind was a thousand voices starting to whisper of an incoming age within a soft swirl of air. Then several words whispered loudly into her ears that made the Goddess herself silent.
'It's time... that a new age has ushered! A time of darkness where the arrival of true beasts and monsters emerged and they shall wreak havoc upon the living.' The voices whispered, and then it spoke of a foreboding prophecy. 'But in front of the darkness, there stood an unblessed human warrior who carried a title of a Lord. Thus he; shall end the Unending War and bring forth a new era. The Age of Man!'
These foreign monsters that came into their realm will only mean one thing, which she has never expected. The voices whispered of an upcoming prophecy that has been foretold by the Ancient Oracle of Sindria from a millennium ago; that one day, the unending war will soon come to an end. But it will not end in an Age of Monsters that they've desired to rule over the world. Instead, it will become the Age of Man.
"But how...? How? This is impossible! I thought her prophecy is a ruse!" Hel uttered in dissatisfaction and disbelief. "Many of us deities have abandoned the Chief God, and we were meant to lead humanity to its rightful course, but how are the humans winning by themselves!?"
Hel has seen that most of the Gods turned their backs on the Chief God before some, including her, aligned themselves with the Demon Lord to achieve their goals for a peaceful paradise where men and monsters could live in harmony. Just only women are the sole beings as monsters and men as incubi. When the Oracle of Ancient Sindria foretold a prophecy of the outcome and the Gods simply scoffed at the mortal just before the ancient civilization collapses. After centuries of unending war between the Armies of the Demon Lord and the Order of the Chief God, the monsters were winning the war slowly while gaining ground for centuries and had a long-awaited victory to achieve their results.
But what they expected in their path towards victory came out as the exact opposite when fate itself pivoted its tables against them. But this time, not by the Deities nor the Chief God herself. It was by someone else; an unblessed human warrior who is also an unknown Lord that will one day steal away their fruits of victory and replaced them with a bloody defeat.
"Who is this human warrior? There are millions upon millions of humans across the world who were unblessed. Just who is this person to defy fate?" The Goddess of Life and Death bit her lips with a desperate look. "That can't be right... how can he alone will defeat us?"
However, there is one thing that struck Hel in realisation and knew that there are gods who were bested by mortals such as Ares, the Goddess of Fighting herself, and one of the neutral gods.
Ares' current situation isn't doing anything until now since she did forbid mortal men from killing monsters on the battlefield where love is involved for millennia. But she knew there were exceptions that some secretive human groups which Ares did not dare interfere with their cause and they were the only humans that Ares feared throughout the last century. Intriguing examples such as the Astora Family; who have killed a lot of Mamono since the Battle of Gerth and so forth or the Carthus Tribe that led the War against the Pharaohs and the Apophis in their past conflicts. There were many deaths involved and none of it was for love; it was for survival and death in order to leave them a message to try not to provoke their ire.
Those were the only battles and wars where Ares did not interfere with them by causing bloodshed, whilst knowing full well that the Second-Born did the invasion of Gaul was instigated by her jealousy and trying to help the humans to understand for love or the Amazons that lived in the Deserts who prayed for her blessings while serving under the Apophis while trying to "peacefully" assimilate the growing Carthus Tribe.
While Ares was mostly on the side of monsters, she learned to fear these mortals; such as the legendary warriors from decades ago. Individuals like Artos, the Son of Knight Solaire and the Dragon named Catherine, who offended her by questioning her overall divine authority that involved her issues about him killing his opponent and her adherents during battles and Halfazid, the Son of a Carthus Chieftain himself, who became the first mortal who would never bow down to her and did not see her as a Goddess of Fighting.
In her response to those offences? Ares threw them into a duel against the Goddess of Fighting herself as punishment. But the result ended up the opposite once she was severely wounded by mortal weapons made of unknown materials and powerful unknown god-slaying magic from both each of these men in her deadly duels.
It made them very clear that these mysterious humans other than those who hailed from the Order were proven to be deadly adversaries, even to the gods themselves. It was said that if any of the Gods appeared to one of them, none faltered in front of their divine presence.
"Was it because of them?... Then how?... This can't be... Why now? Why has fate turned its tables against us?" Hel trembled as tears rolled from her cheeks. "We were winning, almost there to achieve our goals for their paradise... but then, why? Why humans?"
She questioned the whispered voices, but the answer she received was total silence. It was void. Hel couldn't understand at all.
"Does that mean... from all we've been fighting for centuries until now... turns out for nought?"
...
Viola Region, Joral Village.
...
The sun has set on the horizon as the sky turned orange, but the villagers hurriedly went inside their wooden palisades around the settlement once they heard a screeching roar coming from the wilderness. Marcius, a thirty-five-year-old villager, stood on top of the walls while lighting up the torch. The beastly roar that still lingers through the forest made a frigid chill that ran down his spine.
In his years, he has never felt such dread and fear coursing through him since the villagers had an encounter with a humongous abominable beast that appears out of nowhere and wreaks havoc upon the unfortunate souls that went too far into the wilderness and ended up being eaten alive. He saw bloodstains, guts, and body parts of dead villagers in his previous scouting routine, and the mamonos that used to live there have disappeared or left the forest completely.
It was clear that this creature was not a mamono when survivors bring tales of an enormous beast through eyewitnesses that its appearance was that of a colossal rodent and has a head shaped like a crocodile while having six eyes. But the scariest thing of all is that it can turn invisible and could snatch up unsuspecting victims at any moment without making a sound. Such a description makes it sound very terrifying indeed.
"Marcius?" Marcius turned around and saw a guard walk up. "How is the situation going?"
"Nothing unusual. It seems like everyone has got safe behind the walls." Marcius replied. "How was the livestock, Val?"
"Same. Nothing unusual either." Val responded by making a shrug. "It's been a couple of days since that beast appeared. Even the mamono that used to live there once have fled before we got caught up in this dire situation."
Marcius sighed in distress. "It's dire indeed. There have been at least nine deaths and five missing in the last two days. I'm afraid what will our village become if no one came to us for help?"
"Well, we will have to wait for adventurers to do the job," Val said, whilst becoming overconfident. "The Village Chief has sent out a request. Maybe the Onion Knight of Gerth will come to us as well, then we're saved-"
Then suddenly, Marcius interrupts Jim by holding up his hand. "Sshh! You hear that?"
"Hear what?" Val raised his eyebrow in question.
Marcius perked up his ear once he heard a loud rustling of leaves within a distance that came from the nearest forest, and the two village guards caught something underneath the darkness that ran a chill through their spines.
They saw six glowing eyes underneath the shadows and a large snout that shows sharp teeth which fit the description of the tale from the survivors. The creature grumbled towards the villagers and made a loud growl that made the men tense in fear before the creature turned around and left.
Marcius couldn't help but trembled in fear once he saw the face of the beast, whilst Val gulped a lump through his throat.
'Wh-What in the Chief Gods' name is that thing...?'
...
Under the sunset skies stood a covered wagon parked on the side of the road. Reginald, Elen, Ash, and Sasha disembarked from the carriage before giving thanks to the coachman and heads off by taking the nearest path towards Joral village.
"This must be the way. Hope it doesn't mislead us," Ash said while pointing his index finger that leads north. "It will take a while once we've reached there."
Within half an hour has passed, the sun has set and darkness creepily looms over. The group must have reached the edge of the wilderness and spotted a walled-in settlement, while Ash saw several torches lit on the top of the wooden palisades. Showing that there were villagers on guard. As soon as they kept going down the path, Sasha felt a foreboding feeling, as if they were being watched. A malicious intent made her shiver until she heard a beastly roar that came out from the midst of the wilderness, which stopped their tracks. That sound made her freeze and her skin crawl; a beastly roar which has a similar sound to the Taurus Demon from her dream.
Ash, Reginald, and Elen tensed once they heard the roar. The Children of Farron scanned their eyes through the darkness since they haven't heard such sounds in all of their years. But it was not uncommon to the ears, like Ash Cyrus himself.
Yet a noise like that seems it was coming back to him with a familiar, but terrifying memory.
'That sound... no mamono would emit such a roar unless...' Then Ash furrowed his eyebrow intensely. '...no, but it's all too familiar and I don't like this one bit.'
"Wh-What was that?!" Sasha suddenly spoke up in a frightened tone. "I-I've never heard such a terrifying sound like that in such places!"
"... Come on, let's keep going," Elen said with a tense look on her face while sweat beads roll across her forehead. "We don't have to think what that thing was."
The group slowly nodded in agreement before heading towards the village gates. Sasha gripped her staff tightly before looking up at Ash with a concerned expression, which shows that he seems too calm behind his helmet. But in reality, he was dreadful.
"Ash? Are you feeling well...?" Sasha asked, but he did not respond. The Warrior Nun sighed deeply in distress. "If you have problems, please talk to me."
"I'm fine. It's..." Then Ash paused for a moment. "It's that sound... it disturbs me the most, and I was not really fond of hearing it."
'Not really fond of it?' His words intrigued her once she raised her eyebrows. 'It seems... he's all too familiar with that rumoured beast!'
...
"Halt! Who goes there!" A Village guard called out from the walls until Reginald pulls up a quest sheet.
"We came here to deal with the rumoured beast," Reginald spoke up sternly before he reveals the quest parchment.
The village guard turned around to wave his hand for the others behind him before calling out for his brothers-in-arms.
"Open the gates!"
The wooden gates slowly opened, and the group entered. Sasha was suddenly met by a large group of villagers who are armed to teeth with heavy tools, pitchforks, and torches. But all of them have fearful looks in their eyes, which made her sad; none of them was seen to be cheerful, even with the arrival of some help. Then an old man walks out from the crowd and greeted the adventurers.
"Ah, Greetings! I am Niklas, the Chief of this Village." Niklas greeted the group with a polite gesture. "Come to my house and we have much to discuss which concerns of the rumoured beast."
*rrrrRROAAARRR!*
The group looks back in the direction where the sound was coming from. The villagers tensed with fear while gripping tightly to their improvised weapons, while the village chief sweats in anxiety and worry.
"I-It's near!" One of the village guards who stand on top of the walls called out. "It's the Beast! It's out there that must've been attacking someone!"
"Th-Then it might be travellers nearby..." A female villager gasped before giving out a prayer. "Those poor souls."
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village. Two cloaked figures rushed at inhuman speed while jumping from each tree branch to another in a hurry. Daniella was sweating out of fear, while Jane held her demon-silver falchion tightly after encountering that... that thing! They couldn't comprehend to describe whatever creature they saw. It was chasing them with its mouth wide open.
'What in the name of the Demon Lord is that?!' Daniella's mind screamed in terror. 'It's a monster, a real one! But there's no way it should exist!'
Jane glanced back and saw the pursuing monster was still on their trails. She pulls one of her knives made of demon silver before throwing it against the gigantic rodent of an abomination. Yet it remained unflinching before the beast leapt in a distance, which caught the two Dhampirs by surprise. They dashed away immediately from the lunging monster and hit the ground before the trees in their surrounding came crashing down to the ground.
Daniella and Jane felt their instincts kick in and ran as fast as they could until the blonde dhampir saw the faint lights of torches within a distance. She didn't have time to think about whether these villagers were hostile toward mamonos. It's either now or never.
"Come on, keep moving!"
On top of the wooden palisades, Marcius saw two cloaked figures running through the dark open fields. Which indicates that they must have been running after their encounter with the unknown creature.
"Hey! Two people are running outside!" Marcius called out. "Open the Gates!"
"Marcius, are you sure about this?" Val then complained. "What if they were bandits?!"
"Like I would care about that!" Marcius spoke back. "We need to save someone from whatever beast that was. They can offer us an extra hand."
Daniella and Jane reached the wooden gates while panting heavily, but their senses detected an alarm which shows that the beast was closing in, but they couldn't see it until they heard a creaking noise behind them. The wooden gates slowly opened before they looked up and saw a village guard standing on top of the bridge of the entrance.
"Hey, you! Come in before whatever that thing gets in!" He called out.
The two Dhampirs were utterly surprised by their immediate hospitality. They breathed out in relief until they heard distant growls from the shadows behind them. They have no time to thank them as they rushed in before the wooden gates shut closed. Daniella and Jane pull down their hoods while they came face to face with the fear-stricken villagers.
"Well damn, they're lucky."
"Yeah, they would have been pastures of meat and bones right now."
"Good heavens, they're alright!"
Daniella looked around at the villagers and the village itself seems like they were armed to teeth. Jane was breathing heavily and in relief, while taking a sip of her water flask. Then her view glanced aside until she widened her eyes in disbelief. Amongst the anxious villagers stood a group of adventurers; it consisted of two unlikely individuals that don't emanate mana or demonic energy, despite a young woman standing beside the man who is secretly a dhampir herself. Then there's the former heroine of the Order from Lescatie, Sasha Fullmoon, and another person standing beside her is the infamous Silver-Blue Knight himself.
Jane chokes the water in her throat while frantically grabbing Daniella by her arm.
"Daniella, it's the Silver-Blue Knight!" Jane shivered while whispering, keeping her voice as low as possible. "And he's there, standing right in front of us!"
Daniella stood frozen once she saw her eyes meet his. The agent finds herself standing right in front of a person who would have killed them right now at any moment. First, they've encountered a bloody abomination within the woods and now she is facing the very person they've attempted to hunt down whilst inimical towards the mamonos like themselves. She gulped whilst sweat rolled down from her forehead in fear.
'This must have been the WORST day in my life.' She frowned. 'It couldn't get any worse, can it?'
"Oh dear, how unfortunate for you two." The two Dhampirs perked up before turning their heads to the old man. "I am Niklas, the Chief of this Village. It seems you got chased by that damnable beast, I presume."
"Umm... yes, as you can guess," Daniella replied with a sheepish grin while nervously scratching the back of her neck. "Ehehehe~! But at least we couldn't stay here for long."
"That I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible." The old man sighs while shaking his head to the sides. "As long as that beast out there lingers, then it will be the deaths of the two of you.
'Crap... now this isn't great either.' Daniella bit her lip whilst glancing warily towards the Elite Knight and the Warrior Nun. 'The longer we stay, the longer they will soon find out our intentions.'
"Say... you two, your eyes are both blood red, isn't it?" Daniella and Jane turned around to see Reginald raising his eyebrow in suspicion. "Doesn't have long ears either, but... aren't you both Dhampirs?"
'... What?!' Jane's thoughts spoke out loud in surprise.
'We've been found out that quickly?!' Daniella raised her eyes in disbelief. "N-No! W-we're humans! I swear! We aren't mamonos that search for a husba-"
"Don't lie. I know you two were trying to pretend behind your facade, which is based on your reactions." Elen interrupts her with a stern look that made both of them stand still. Within a few moments later, she gives out a dark chuckle while grinning as she shakes her head sideways. "However, at least both of you were a very reasonable bunch."
"B-But aren't you a Dhampir as well?" Jane stated while raising her eyebrow.
"Well, as you could say it; yes," Elen responded with a nod.
Then Sasha widened her eyes in surprise upon hearing Elen's actual nature and gasped. "Y-You're a mamono too as well?! Reginald, your sister is a mamono!"
Reginald sighed while closing his eyes and nodded in response. "Yes, she is. Got a problem with her?"
Sasha stood dumbfounded while the eldest child of Farron stared back with his blank look.
"Th-Then your mother must be a vampire, right?" Sasha asked with a flustered look and Reginald nodded to her again. "Ah, so that means she was monsterized before your sister was born."
"Well, no. I was born first when my mother is already a full-blooded vampire." Reginald responded correctly. "And that is by no means I'm an incubus."
In his reply, the former Warrior Nun stared at him for a moment until her face is morphed with an expression stricken in shock and disbelief. This man claims himself as a son of a vampire! Yet there is one thing that her senses caught, something that was very unusual; the lack of mana or any signs of demonic energy he possessed.
'How did I not notice it?! He lacked any signs of demonic energy or mana, yet his claims were impossible!' Sasha's mind was suddenly thrown into disarray. 'Mamonos shouldn't be able to be giving birth to sons, right?'
'Even though Hawkwood is an Outsider like me,' Ash wondered while musing himself behind his helmet. 'Then that is not a coincidence after all, and my theory back then would be proven true.'
"Wait, so you're a son of a full-blooded vampire?" Jane asked while raising her eyebrows in surprise. "But that's impossible! How do you and that dhampir lack any signs of demonic energy or mana... It doesn't make any sense!"
"Well, it's complicated." Elen sighs before feeling something awry as she perks her head up in a wary expression. "Wait... something's coming."
*RROOAAARR!*
The roar was louder than before and the Village Chief was stricken with dread while the rest of the villagers panicked before. Until they heard a loud snap before a loud crash coming from the west of the palisade walls and screams were heard.
"The beast is here!"
"Oh, gods! It's massive!"
"Run for your lives!"
The Ash and Co. including guards saw people running away in panic, coming from a direction where the beast gives out terrifying shrieks until one villager, a man in his mid-40's screamed in terror as he was raised into the air by an invisible force.
Until the beast unveiled itself before it mauled the poor man to death while his wife and daughter saw him being ripped to shreds whilst they were stricken with horror.
"Kenny! NOOO!"
"Daddy!"
After witnessing such a horrifying scene, Elen and Reginald tensed as they gripped the hilts of their swords. Jane and Daniella unsheathe their rapiers in defence while Sasha gripped her staff, yet trembled in fear. But to Ash, he widened his eyes in disbelief to see the forsaken beast once again that hailed from his world.
'A Beast of Sulyvahn? Here?!' Ash immediately unsheathes his Claymore and raised his crest shield. 'Impossible! How did it end up in this place?!'
The armed village guards were shaken by the sight of the Sulyvahn Beast as they gripped their pitchforks and pointed toward the beast, while some poor folks slowly back off until the abomination set its sights on the armed villagers. It made a terrifying roar that caused them to flee with their faces stricken in fear. The beast raised its head and instantly jabbed another victim in half with its mouth while the unfortunate man died screaming.
"Damn, what is that thing?!" Reginald cursed as he flinched. "It's nothing we've seen before!"
"Yeah, whatever that thing is. It doesn't take people like us kindly." Elen's eyes furrowed intensely. "And it's highly likely that this would have been a real monster would look like from the age of the former demon lords."
"H-How horrifying...!" Sasha's voice trembled anxiously while staggering back. "Ash, we need to do something!"
For a mere moment, she didn't receive his response until Ash stepped forwards and glanced back at her.
"Stay back." He warned. "This is something you aren't used to."
"What?! Are you insane?!" Elen widened her eyes incredulously. "You're going to fight alone against that beast and you will die!"
"Not to mention, we don't know what this monster is capable of," Reginald added with a warning.
'Why is this human going to face that abomination so recklessly?!' Daniella internally questions while gritting her teeth. 'He's planning to die, isn't he?!'
"A-Ash! Are you seriously going to face it by yourself?!" Sasha cried out with a face full of worry. "Please! Don't be reckless-"
"I know, but this isn't my first time facing it," Ash responded stoically with an indifferent tone. "And I'm here to stop it."
Thus then he rushed forward with his shield raised. The Sulyvahn beast caught the sight of a Silver-Blue Knight and it roared to its opponent. His group behind him stood back as they flinched from its ear-splitting screeching sound. But Ash remained unfazed until the Sulyvahn Beast dived its mouth to snap him alive.
But Ash caught it by a glimpse and rolled aside before its mouth could get him and hit the ground. The Silver-Blue Knight quickly stood and dashed forwards before he hit the beast's head with a heavy swing of his Claymore. With a single strike of his blade, the beast's head is swung into the air and made a loud ear-splitting painful shriek that caused Sasha, Reginald, Elen, and the two Dhampirs of the Demon Realm to cover their ears in pain. Ash moved away and examine its next move until the Beast reared its head in an instant.
Ash cursed while being pushed to the ground and was suddenly grabbed by its mouth. He tries to keep its mouth pry open as he was raised into the air and the Sulyvahn Beast tried to press its jaws. Sasha gasped in horror that he got caught in its mouth. The Silver-Blue Knight grits his teeth and jabbed his claymores' blade through the upper jaw. The Beast of Sulyvahn felt pain and thrashed its mouth around until it threw him off against the nearest building of a wooden cottage.
"Ash!" Sasha screamed while trying to reach for him, but Elen held her back.
"Don't! You'll get killed!" Elen warned the warrior nun sternly.
Reginald grits his teeth as he unsheathes his greatsword while cursing. "Dammit! Elen, we can't just stand here, and let's deal with this bastard!"
Ash grunts in pain as he stood up; but when he saw the two charged against the Sulyvahn Beast, he cursed underneath his helmet. "By the lords, you fools...!"
Reginald and Elen leapt into battle as they both swing their swords and slashed against the beast. However, their blades didn't seem to cut through its thick hides until Sulyvahn Beast whipped its body around and both were sent flying into the air, crashing into the nearby obstacles. The Beast growls for a while until it sets its eyes on the former heroine of the Order.
"Oh, no..."
Sasha noticed the monster caught her attention and stood trembling in fear while looking up at the massive beast whilst the giant monster towered its shadow over the Warrior Nun. She felt weak and hopeless while gulping, but in her desperation for help; she stood firm in her stance as she raised a staff.
Sasha was stuttering a bit and chanted. "S-Spear of Light!"
The Warrior Nun felt her mana coursed through her body and sparkles of light manifested themselves from thin air that forms into a long spear, then she threw the spear itself to the beast and collided against its abdomen. When the Lance hits, it shattered upon impact and it did little damage to the Sulyvahn Beast whilst the blow staggered it back for a couple of feet away, but the being stood unscathed while Sasha widened her eyes in horror that her strongest magic hasn't left a wound on the creature.
'Impossible! It didn't pierce through?!' Her thoughts spoke in disbelief.
Ash, whilst seeing this; rushed his legs forwards to reach her. 'Damnation! Sasha, get away from there!'
Sasha then raised her staff once more for another spell, but then she froze after seeing the abomination shoot an intimidating glare at her that gives a deadly aura of death. Therefore, fear gripped her entire soul and felt unable to move, hopeless as she thought. The Beast kneeled and was about to pounce on her. It made another ear-splitting roar that made to interrupt the Warrior Nun from chanting and was forced to cover her ears until it leaps forwards with its mouth wide open.
'No...!' As the world slowed itself, her eyes look up in horror while tears streamed down as she was facing death, who stood right in front of her. 'I... I don't want to die!'
But within an instant, she felt an iron grip that held her down by the shoulders.
"Get down!"
Ash immediately grabbed Sash down to the ground before the beast would've snatched the couples by their heads and crashed into the nearest wooden cottage, partially destroying the building to the ground. Ash grunts while standing up and Sasha groaned in pain before he helped her up.
"By the Flames, you could've died there," Ash said whilst panting heavily underneath his helmet. "Now leave this to me while I need you to help Reginald and Elen."
Sasha stared at him for a moment before she slapped herself back into her senses and nodded with a determined look.
"R-Right understood!"
Once she left, Ash turned around to the Sulyvahn beast. It roared once more in fury and pounced into the air from a great distance. He rolled forwards to avoid the beast's collision and crashed against another building. The Ashen One quickly strapped his crest shield on his back and lifted his left arm to activate his pyromancy.
The beast slowly got up and reared its head quickly to jab the Knight, but it was too late. Ash summoned his fire orb once the beast's mouth got close to him and exploded. Upon impact, the Sulyvahn Beast shrieked in agony before it collapsed back to the ground and Ash successfully stunned the abomination before he dashed to the right side of the head and raised his blade, he struck his claymore down and jabbed its entire blade through the side of the creature's skull; Killing it.
The beast made its dying shriek as its legs and arms thrashed around until it died down. Ash panted heavily before looking back to his group and to the fear-stricken villager that hid behind every corner and emerged from their hiding places, including two awestruck Dhampirs that stood beside them. Then the Silver-Blue Knight pulls out his claymore before the Sulyvahn Beast dissipated when ashes flowed out, its hides melted and the flesh immediately rots into an oozing black liquid that gives out a horrible stench while bones remained as fresh.
"He... he killed the beast!"
"We're saved!"
"By the Chief God, this guy is a hero!"
The villagers cheered with joy and relief that the beast was slain. Then, from the rotting corpse of the Sulyvahn Beast, he caught several objects that lay across on top of the dead carcass. He stepped in to inspect before widening his eyes in surprise; he spotted something that he hasn't collected for a long time.
"Titanite Shards?" He whispered to himself in surprise before grabbing a small piece of ore. Then he shakes his head sideways. 'No, let's not think of this. I need to know why in Izalith did this beast end up here?'
While the people of the village cheered, the two Dhampirs sighed in relief but still couldn't comprehend their situation while witnessing his actions by fighting against the monstrous abomination that no man would ever dare to face. They knew he was indeed a knight that isn't blessed by the Chief God and yet, he still did the impossible.
But then, there is something that came into Daniella's mind. 'The way how he fought against that thing, he seems to be familiar with that abomination.'
Meanwhile, with Sasha. She just finished healing Reginald and Elen before smiling at Ash.
"Ash, you did it!" She chirped in joy.
"Indeed, but there is no time to celebrate." Ash then spoke in a stoical tone. "I fear that there might be more to come."
Sasha's smile then turned down whilst she felt dread emanate from him that made her worry. The Warrior Nun then slowly hangs her head down in grief once she sees several dead bodies of unfortunate villagers lay waste on the ground.
"A lot of people died." She uttered while clasping her hand together with a prayer before looking up at him. "Ash... what is that horrible beast?"
"Y-Yeah, could you tell us what that thing is?" Ash turned his head around to see Elen, who was laying against the wall while staring at her right arm which is wrapped up with a bandage.
Then to her left, lays Reginald, who grunts in pain while his right leg is covered up by an improvised splint. "It's... something we've never seen before."
For another pregnant silence, Ash sighed deeply before answering.
"That abomination is a Beast of Sulyvahn." He answered before pausing for a while. "A beast created by Pontiff Sulyvahn, a madman who rules Irithyll."
"Irithyll?" Sasha whispered while raising her eyebrows in question.
"It's a place located within the reaches of the Kingdom of Lothric." He replied, his explanation made Sasha silent. "And I don't know how did that beast make all its way here..."
"Kingdom of Lothric... that mythical land?" Reginald widened his eyes in disbelief, which made Elen shares the same reaction. "You... you went into that place?"
"Yes... it's now a place where monsters roam." Ash replied with a nod before making another silent pause. "It shouldn't be here and there is something or somewhat brought that being into this place."
Ash then closed his eyes while exhaling. Questions and doubts came into his mind until he has come to one conclusion. 'It must be the case... That this world has merged while the convolution between space and time has already occurred. Then it must have brought the damn monsters from my world into this place, just great.'
"Well, that doesn't sound good," Elen said while crossing her arms in discomfort. "If that monster came from that place. Which means that there must be more of those beings here as well?"
"That, I'm afraid so," Ash responded before turning to Sasha. "So... Sasha, what are we going to do now?"
"Huh? Um, shouldn't we be helping, right?" She said with a confused look while raising a question.
"Well, not quite for what I meant." Ash tilted his head sideways. "We're dealing with something bigger than anyone can imagine."
Then Sasha gulped. "You mean..."
"Yes, from right now..." Ash nodded. "We're dealing with real monsters."
...
Demon Realm, the Royal Makai.
...
Lilith slowly opened her eyes and gazed at her husband, who was sleeping beside her. She let out a yawn while stretching her arms. The Demon Lord smiled at her sleeping husband while carefully caressing his head and kissing on top of his forehead. She stood up from her bed and head towards the door until she stopped in her tracks.
"Huh, why do I still have this tinged feeling?" The Demon Lord wondered while raising her eyebrow in question. "A couple of days have passed and there is this foreign power, the calls from beyond... what was that?"
"Hmm... huh? Oh, dear, you're awake."
Lilith turned around and saw her husband, who yawned from his sleep before stretching his arms and looking around the bedroom.
"Seems like we've slept too much." He groaned while groggily rubs his eyes.
"Or we've fucked too much." Lilith smiled while gently caressing her chest. "But let's put that aside. I still have an appointment with some acquaintances of mine."
"The last time I heard is that Lescatie has already fallen." Her husband remarked with a smirk on his face. "I'm guessing our realm has expanded even further and our daughter seems to be happy about having her own husband."
"Ah~ Our dear Druella and her faction." Lilith then made a sigh of disappointment. "Even though, while I allowed her to conquer one of the second strongest Order Nation with my consent... I've heard that she does have someone in her mind."
Then her husband raised his eyebrow curiously. "Who?"
"The rumoured Silver-Blue Knight, an infamous mercenary in Lescatie," Lilith said as she solemnly hung her head down in worry. "I do not know what our daughter has got into..."
Then she made an uncomfortable groan before placing a palm on her forehead. "Then I worry about her well-being if he turns out to be immune to her charms."
Noticing that Lilith is trembling in anxiety, her husband noticed and stood out from the bed before walking over to her. He carefully hugged his wife and kissed the back of her head.
"Don't worry, I believe she will be alright." Her husband whispered.
"I do not want that same thing, which happened decades ago. Remember that one of our daughters invaded Gaul? She was gravely injured in battle by Artos that led to her defeat." In her mournful response, Lilith gently caressed her husband's hands as tears break broke up. "I want our dear Druella should heed this warning and convince her to forget about him, but she is too stubborn."
Her husband didn't respond for a while, looking down at her and seeing the hands of the Demon Lord were shaking. He smoothly cupped her cheeks and wiped away the small tears before radiating a warm, comfortable smile.
"Then do not fear, my dear. We should give our best and hope that she will come back unharmed." With a pat on her head, the former human hero embraced her with his warmth.
"I... I wished for her best." Lilith uttered before returning an embrace.
...
Shirokuto is in a state of disbelief. After a few days since Lescatie has fallen, the Sabbath has detected a rift that sends shock waves all across the world which not everyone is aware of it and there are numerous sightings of bloody beasts and abominations that appeared out of nowhere by both humans and mamono accounts. Thus then there was already one incident that is happening within the Demon Realm.
A day prior, a gigantic horned beast deliberately wrecked a small mamono town into destruction and killing off its residents. A division from the Demon Lord's Army was sent forth, and the beast took the lives of two-thirds of their best soldiers before it has taken down by their sheer numbers. Members from the Sabbath such as Dr Little from the Medical Sabbath Section, brought the corpse of the horned beast into their facility to study the being.
Although, while the beast was covered in fur. It turns out inside was only made of volcanic stone and the remains of the burning lava within the unknown creature. Thus, the most shocking of all is that the creature doesn't possess any sort of mana within the corpse of the beast, despite there being a heavy concentration of demonic energy in the air, it doesn't seem to shape anything with the corpse either.
Shirokuto examined closely near the dead body of a gigantic Izalith Demon and touched its stony skin, thus musing to herself with interest. The creature does have the characteristics of a real monster that came out from the terrifying age of the former Demon Lords, but none of its characteristics matches that of the current Mamono of today. But something like this existed that walks on the earth absolutely terrifies her.
"The species of this being is currently unknown." Shirokuto wondered. "But that's not all. Even a small piece of ore has caught our interest."
Shirokuto turned around to see a group of witches studying an unknown ore that stood on top of a small round table. It shows a simple yet small Titanite Shard.
"We found out that this material has some magical attributes within, but it's unknown." One witch stated while raising her glasses before writing her research on her tablet. "Despite we try to infuse it with Demonic Energy, the material doesn't seem to change itself at all."
"Not even Realmsilver can corrode this material, either." Another Witch stated while taking notes. "Even an attempt infusion with this shard seems to remove any presence of Demonic Energy from Demon Realmsilver. Becoming ordinary silver from that point."
"Then could this ore act like a magic core of that beast?" The witch stated within her group, but to her response. Some doubts about her theory.
Without another word, the Witches silently continued their research until Shirokuto heard the sounds of footsteps and turned around. From there, she saw Lilith, the Demon Lord herself, entered one of the research facilities of the Sabbath. Upon her arrival, Lilith was utterly appalled once she saw the corpse of a dead Taurus Demon that lay on top of the large stone table while surrounded by witches.
"So... this must be the beast that attacked the Town of Mallory," Lilith stated while her eyes are fixated on the corpse. "But in all of my years... I've never recognised this creature before I usurped the throne."
"It was indeed an unknown species," Shirokuto states while lifting her glasses. "However, the destruction it caused on Mallory is unimaginable and many people lost their lives."
Then the Shirokuto closes her eyes and sighs deeply in sombre. "If it wasn't for the Dragons and the Minotaurs, then more lives will be lost."
"It is a tragedy. I have longed for my people who should not suffer within the Demon Realm until this creature appeared out of nowhere." Lilith uttered in grief while staring down as her eyes tensed. "A creature like this that walks the earth could mean a danger for us all."
"But fret not your majesty. Once we examine this beast, we will know its weakness. Then more deaths will be prevented." Shirokuto remarked while fixing her glasses.
Lilith smiled a bit in relief. "Then I am glad. Therefore, I shall invite my subordinates into a meeting to discuss the matters of unknown enemies and tell warnings throughout my domain if another beast like this should appear."
"Understood." Shirokuto acknowledged before nodding. "Then there is no time to waste."
...
Kingdom of Gaul, Viola Region.
It was sunrise and the Town of Gerth is slowly brewing with activities as residents woke up and do for their daily lives. A lone cart arrived at the town entrance, Ash sits beside the carriage driver while his group behind him was asleep during the night hours. However, they were not the only ones that came back to the town.
Two Dhampirs such as Daniella and Jane were with them and stay awake for the entire night. Yet their presence alone made Ash keep his eyes on them because of his suspicions.
"So... how did you defeat that Beast called... what was it again?" Daniella asked while being curious.
For a few moments of silence, Ash answered. "It's called the Sulyvahn Beast, and how I beat it? Simple, it's from experience alone."
"Then you must be a strong warrior," Jane remarked while musing herself in interest. "Despite you being void of mana, you aren't an Order Hero. But yet; you summoned a large fireball from thin air. Then how did you do that?"
At this point, the Silver-Blue Knight sighed. "It's... complicated. But there's no doubt that none of you would believe me when I speak of it."
The two Dhampirs were intrigued before raising their eyebrows in question. It took them a note that the Silver-Blue Knight of Lescatie was indeed full of secrets and what surprised them is about his small revelation regarding his battle against the Sulyvahn Beast in Joral Village could only mean one thing in their mind is that he seems to know what that creature is.
It also supported in some parts of his background that they've heard his words about the creatures' origins, which hailed from a distant land they do not know; Lothric and Irithyll. He recalled it to be filled with dangerous creatures that lurk within the place, which seek bloodshed and knowing how he remained stoic and relentless at all times. Into the minds of the Dhampirs, it became very clear as their skin shuddered in fear upon their conclusion.
The Silver-Blue Knight is an actual Monster Slayer.
'Don't tell me this guy is an actual Monster Slayer who kills actual Monsters?!' Daniella gawked in disbelief while gulping a lump through her throat. 'No wonder how he killed so many mamono with no issues. This guy is an extreme threat! He sees us nothing but simple goons, which are nothing compared to that gigantic beast we've seen back in the village!'
"Hmm? Ash?" Ash turned around and saw Sasha begin to wake up with a yawn before stretching her arms. "Oh... you're still awake?"
"I am... only to keep everyone safe from bandits." He replied stoically. "... or from other creatures."
...
Half an hour passed since the carriage went through the town entrance. The Dhampirs departed shortly after while keeping their sights on the infamous Knight. Ash, Sasha, Reginald, and Elen were greeted by a peculiar Onion-shaped Knight.
"Oh! Good Morning, I've been waiting for your return." Siegward greeted with a wave of his hand. "Did you succeed in your quest?"
"We did." Ash nodded. "But there is one thing that will concern us, Siegward."
Then Siegward turned towards Reginald and Elen. Then he noticed that both of them had an arm and limb wrapped up in bandages.
"Oh dear, what happened to you two?" Siegward raised his eyebrows in surprise and worry. "Did something happen?"
"We've fought a beast in Joral Village," Reginald spoke before grunting in pain. "You wouldn't believe us."
"Yet we've survived its encounter," Elen added while supporting her brother to keep him standing. "It's unlike any other beings we've faced."
"Say, Ash, what type of beast did you folks encounter?" Siegward turned towards Ash with a concerned look behind his helmet.
Ash made a momentary pause. "We've fought a Sulyvahn Beast."
Upon hearing his answer, it made Siegward silent for a while until his face show's eyes widened in horror after hearing the Pontiff's name.
"A beast from the Boreal Valley?" Siegward uttered silently. "Oh, that doesn't sound good."
"There is also another possibility that more has yet to come from our place," Ash stated grimly behind his helmet before crossing his arms. "And this... is what I fear about it."
"By the Lords, then this will mean that the people of this very land and other realms across are in grave danger," Siegward remarked with dread. "I even doubt that the Order Nations themselves could handle those monstrosities."
"Then is there anything we can prevent it?" Sasha then spoke up with worry, but Ash tilted his head in response. "N-No?"
"I believe it's already happening and all we could do is nothing." Once Ash said made Sasha is stricken in disbelief and fear. He exhaled. "I think this world is going back to its old era. This time with the monsters that none knew about."
Sasha stood silently still as his words shook her entire core. This clearly shows that unknown monsters from his realm start to appear out of nowhere before they could cause bloodshed and destruction like the Sulyvahn Beast that did to Joral Village or the likes of those monsters from the age of the former demon lords.
Right now, the Former Heroine is in complete disarray. She couldn't help but pray desperately for hope to her deity.
'Chief God... why...? Why is this happening to us?'
"Well, I think we should put that grim news aside," Siegward said before hefting up his Zweihander on his shoulders. "Let's go back to Horseback Inn and rest for a while, come."
The group then followed Siegwards down the cobblestone path throughout the town before Ash questioned.
"How were the children?"
"Oh, they're fine," Siegward replied. "Sieglinde is taking good care of them when you're away."
"I see, that's good to hear." Ash sighed in relief before grabbing a small bag from his waist pouch... "Also, I found these upon slaying the Sulyvahn Beast."
Once he opened the bag, Siegward leaned in for a closer look and widened his eyes in utter disbelief.
"By the Lords... are those Titanite Shards?"
"Yes, they are. Although, all of my weapons are already at their maximum efficiency." Then Ash turned to Sasha before she gives him a questionable look. "It seems we need to craft a better weapon for you. But we need a blacksmith... Siegward?"
"Well, I know one person around this town. It's one jolly old blacksmith who kept hammering all day long while my eldest child works there as a trainee." Then Siegward made a mischievous grin behind his helmet. "But you will be surprised once you get to know him."
At this point, Ash is intrigued and raised his eyebrow in question. "Then who might this person be?"
"Have you heard about Andre the Blacksmith?"
'... What?!'
...
Town of Gerth, Blacksmith Workshop.
"Master Andre, the sword is finished." Said a young trainee while carefully placing a longsword on the table. "What do you think?"
From the other side of the table, a hunched, old-tanned man grabbed the sword and surveyed the blade. He made a few nods in satisfaction as his fingers carefully stroked the blade, noticing its smooth refinements and quality.
"Not bad... not bad," Andre stated with a conclusion before making a few swings. "It's even well-balanced, now this is good."
After a small test, Andre placed the crafted sword of the trainee on the table.
"You've learned a lot, Siegemeyer," Andre said before smiling proudly. "There are still some shaping flaws on this blade, but not crudely crafted either."
"Thank you, Master Andre." Siegemeyer sighed in relief before receiving his handiwork.
"Now, trot along while you still have lessons with Master Maughlin," Andre states while waving his hand.
Once the Trainee left for the Armourer, Andre was about to return to his workplace to prepare his tools when he heard someone enter the workshop. From there, he saw a familiar face.
"Well, good morning, Siegward. What can I do for you?" Andre asked in a jovial tone.
"Good morning as well and- Oh, I just came here to bring my friend." Siegward greeted back. "He just came here to see you."
Once the Onion Knight stepped aside, Andre saw the first person was an aqua-green-haired maiden and to her side was another one in which he didn't expect to see someone who wore a familiar armour.
"An Elite Knight of Astora?" Andre raised his brow in surprise.
"Andre... it's good to see you again."
At that very moment, once he heard his voice, Andre is struck with disbelief.
"That voice... Oh my, it's been a while."
...
Chapter 9: Ends