Chapter 23: The Knight of Majula.
The Kingdom of Gaul, Town of Gerth.
...
"Everyone! They're back!" Emiyu called out while running into the tavern, catching everyone's attention. "They did it~! Big bro Ash did it~!"
Once the orphans inside the tavern heard Emiyu's call, the children rushed out from the entrance along with Jennifer and Sieglinde. The two women sighed in heartfelt relief when they saw Sif go side-by-side with the carriage and Jennifer saw her Siegward waving over his hand until he parks the transport near the building. The Onion Knight jumps down from the carriage and Jennifer rushed over to her husband with a hug.
"Dear! You got us so worried!" Jennifer cried out in tears. "Jennifer told me what happened and everyone around the town froze!"
"Huh, sounds like it went into a pickle. Luckily, our good ol' Knight over here had fixed the problem." Siegward replied with a proud smile while pointing towards Ash, who's currently lending a hand for Sasha to come down from the carriage's rear. "At least the Fallen Goddess will no longer mingle with our daily business from now on."
"Wait... what did he do with the Fallen God?" Jennifer asked.
"Hmm... How should I put this?" Then Siegward's mind clicked a lightbulb. "Oh yes! According to his accounts... he somehow torched her alive."
The Innkeeper raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Torched her alive? I'm... not sure what all that means, dear..."
Then Siegward laughed it off. "Oh, if you would know."
"SASHA~!"
The Maiden of Lescatie jolts up in a sudden by surprise and then turns around, seeing Sieglinde running up to her with a crushing hug. Lisia and Emiyu also barged in and embraced her legs while the rest of the orphans cheered for their return. The two little orphan girls broke into tears when shortly after they were reunited with the former heroine.
"Sasha~! My gods, I'm so glad you're back!"
"Big Sis! We thought you're gone for good!"
"Yeah and we... we... we were scared to see you gone!"
Sieglinde gently broke up a hug and Sasha pats gently on top of Lisia and Emiyu. She made a warm smile and hugged the orphan girls with profound comfort.
"Shh~ Everything's alright now. I'm here." She whispered to the two orphan girls. "Ash and our friends are really strong, so there is nothing to worry about."
Sasha then looks up at Sieglinde. The waitress smiled as she wiped off her tears in relief.
"It's good to have you back again, Sasha," Sieglinde said while lending her a hand for the former priestess to stand up. Then she raised her eyebrow in question. "So... from where did you get that dress?"
"Huh?... Oh, well it's... complicated." Sasha replied with a nervous smile with a scratch behind her head. "It's probably the Mamonos having a weird habit to dress me out. Hahahah~!"
"Hmm~? Well, I have a similar dress like yours when I was transformed back to my human state years ago." Jennifer said curiously until she flashed a mischievous smile. "Say, my lovely dear~ Who's the lovely person who kissed you-"
"Don't say that! Please!" Sasha interrupts with a hysterical urge of a sudden while waving her hands. "I-I don't want to hear about it!"
"Huh!? Big Sis... got kissed?" Emiyu gasped with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Sasha has a kiss with someone!"
Once Lisia heard it clearly and understands, her eyes widened in surprise and then turns up to Sasha. "Wait, really!?"
Sasha's cheeks went red and felt her mind overheat, which is filling up with embarrassing thoughts about Ash until it was soon interrupted once she heard clacking footsteps behind her and then turning around to see Ash strapping his claymore around his back.
"... is something wrong?"
The Warrior Nun felt her heart jolts up and felt her hands were shuddering along with the sounds of heartbeats.
"Sasha, are you feeling alright?" He asked once more until her thoughts snapped back to reality.
"Uh? Oh... I-It's nothing... really," Sasha replied anxiously while trying not to look into his eyes due to the blush was still on her cheeks, then she forcefully grabbed Ash by his wrist before heading straight into the restaurant in much of his surprise. "L-Let's get into the Inn and celebrate our victory~!"
Sieglinde, the orphans, and the rest of the crew stood dumbfounded to see her uncanny behaviour except for Jennifer and Siegward, who were both chuckling to witness at such an astonishing sight of the unusual couple.
"My goodness! She reminded of you when we were young," Siegward muttered to his wife with a smile behind the helmet. "The fair maiden has feelings with her knight, after all."
"Ara~! Indeed. It feels like we've gone back in time... spending our young wild lives with each other after you saved me. Oh... how I missed our younger days." Jennifer replied with nostalgia filling her mind and then perking up in realisation. "Say, dear... is it me, or are Sasha's breasts and hips have got bigger than the last time?"
"Hmm? I notice no difference, dear." Siegward replied in confusion, as he raised his brow.
...
The Underworld.
...
Deep within the core of the Underworld, Hel felt restless after a week while still receiving visions and witnessed the entire chaos that ensued in Pandemonium. The mad human spirits seek revenge against the manifestations of their twisted desires and consume them whole. Either they are men, a mamono, or a child. It devoured them indiscriminately until nothing is left.
As the entire city in the middle of Pandemonium slowly crumbled apart, the black ooze flooded the lands across while remaining survivors fled the Fallen Realm through the portals while many dark valkyries and angels were left behind to ensure the safety and help the escapees to flee from the doomed lands.
But that's not all. She also witnessed the death of the Fallen God... that entire event alone has led to her state of silence when the Depraved Deity, who was now fallen from grace. This mortal knight... a mere "unblessed" warrior, wields the mysterious powers which emit from his very core, a Flame of unknown origins. This mysterious flame within himself burns in the midst of his hollowed body and gave him a genuine capability to slay a God.
Upon the death of the deity, she saw her soul disintegrate into ashes and went into nothingness as the rest of her powers were consumed into his mysterious flame-like soul, thus achieving immense power that strengthens his resolve, unmatched by any. Hel felt her heart ached and slumped down from her throne until her knees reached to touch the marble floor. The Goddess of the Life and Death quietly sobbed after witnessing visions. The impossibility of a mortal who stood against fate and the odds that were thrown at him.
She didn't know the Fate of the Fallen God would come despite the warnings were given and the God of Depravity decided to spin it over into her favour, only to be met with a guillotine that tore her neck asunder. Now this time, this was the first time that a mortal had finally slain a God and death had brought her soul deep into the abyss that she will never get the chance to reincarnate or move on to the afterlife.
"Why?... Just why can't you just listen...?" Hel then muttered in sorrow and mourned to the Fallen God. "You idiot... IDIOT!... If you had just listened!... If she had just..."
The banshees observed the God of Life and Death cry out after seeing the visions that contained the loss of her friend and ally. One of the Elder Banshees stepped forwards and gently nudged the Goddess by her left shoulder.
"Goddess... I'm afraid we can see the world is changing," The Banshee cooed while looking up to see a swirl of streams. Dead spirits who died of agony and pain cried out. Not even in the afterlife which Hel has created for them to please them did not find any comfort. "Has the world..."
"... The world no longer favoured us..." Hel replied weakly as she explained her words to the elder banshee while wiping off her tears. "I believe my arrogance causes this trouble... until it is too late when they came into the realm without warning."
"Who?... the Silver-Blue Knight?" The Elder Banshee guessed before Hel tilts her head sideways. "Then... who are they?"
"They are... Outworlders. People and beasts who aren't created under the System of the First Chief God." When Hel described those words, it gave a revelation and disbelief to Elder Banshee and the other banshees as well. "When the Convolution arrived, it gave me visions of Lands I do not know about, inhabited by strange beasts, and Gods who walked among mortals like giants. But their world is ravaged by countless distortions that broke the fabric of reality until one day... an unknown entity brought them here and changed the law of the world as well."
"Then why haven't you warned about them?" The Banshee asked.
"I was arrogant... Our only resolve is that love will triumph everything in its way, and that's what I put my faith in. But I didn't think we can get wrong with that... Something else has severed our foresight." Hel explained as her voice trembled, realising her fears coming true. "When they came... my first prediction of their fates was blank... I cannot read them until they made a single move and history was written without foreseeing it. I cannot expect that they can do it... but I was scared to interfere with them when they brought down Ares and granted the strongest monsters with a streak of inevitable deaths."
"My goodness... is there a solution to this?" The Elder Banshee said worryingly and Hel tilts her head sideways.
"I'm afraid there is no solution... as long their fates are blank, they have something which will outsmart us," Hel replied grimly while looking down in sadness and her eyes furrowed. "Their future remains clouded. Generations and after generations, I still couldn't witness the fate of these Outworlders and their descendants. Only they, themselves, can decide their own paths and the world will change by their own actions and not by the Gods such as ourselves."
At that moment, the Banshees grew more in worry and concern after hearing the explanations from the Goddess of Life and Death. They knew now that something bigger than the world itself had already arrived in their universe.
"G-Goddess! What are you doing!?"
The Elder Banshee widened her eyes in disbelief when Hel bend over and gripped both of her hands.
"... Goddess?"
For the first time in history, the Banshees stared at their goddess in shock. They saw Hel perform a prayer, a deity now begged for someone or something for whatever she could to atone for her actions that had interfered with the Fates of Mortals and Monsters within the Mortal World for centuries.
"Please... forgive us... On behalf of the Demon Lord, spare us..." Hel begged with tears streaming down, feeling as if her entire existence became more mortal of herself than of being a god. "Oh, Fate! Forgive us ... for the greatest sin we've committed."
As the Goddess prayed for forgiveness, the world kept on stirring and accepts its fresh course of recent history.
...
... A week later after the destruction of the Fallen Tower...
...
"Thanks for your purchase!" A Holstaur, an Acolyte of the Sunlight, said joyfully with a smile before bowing. "May the sun guide thee."
Elen smiled once she got a bottle of Divine Blessing while paving her way to the nearest Post Building to send a vial to her mother. After half an hour passed, a pigeon flew away with a package carried under its claws, and the dhampir made her way back to Siegward's Tavern. Wondering to herself to choose new quests on the billboard that her brother and their newly founded allies would come up with.
"Alright, now I wonder what's the new mission which Reginald comes up with...?"
...
"Hmm..."
Reginald and Gerome cupped their chins while looking up exclusively at the billboard for quests. Gerome turn his gaze to the left and saw a Quest Sheet that illustrates new adventurers for hire to collect herbs in the forest. But Reginald saw the other sheet that portrays drawings of the otherworldly monster attacking a village. He wanted to pick up the sheet to get that challenge, yet to his dismay, once he looked down and saw a stamp at the bottom right of the sheet. The quest is already taken and under progress by other adventurers.
"Damn... not a single quest is worth of our time." Reginald sighed in distraught. "Most of these jobs are related to civilians."
"Yeah, since the day those weird monsters had emerged," Gerome stated before placing both of his hands behind his head. "There were already many people who're seeking a challenge."
"Yeah, but I doubt they could make it out alive." Reginald then tilted his head sideways in pity. "I mean, those kinds of monsters like the ones we've encountered in Lohtric Dungeon and Crucifixion Forest were totally not giving the novices a proper challenge."
"I heard the news two days ago that a group of Order Heroes went into one dungeon that is found within Valaria." Gerome then interpreted the recent news. "They died while facing a hail of arrows with lengths and sizes of long lances, shot by large bow-wielding knights."
"Wait, those kinds of Hollows exist?" Gerome's words piqued the interest for Reginald as he curiously raised his eyebrow. "Damn, now that seems like the worth of a challenge."
"Or your death if you're reckless." Reginald then turns around and saw Junayd leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "I've seen many battlefields in my younger days, and any reckless moves would mean a quick death if we can't observe our enemies carefully. That is a piece of advice spoken by my superior."
Reginald appreciates that piece of advice while Gerome continued to look up at the quest sheets for worthy rewards. Meanwhile, Elaine sat near the bar with a wooden mug in her right hand whilst her left arm held up her chin in boredom and then yawned.
"I'm bore~ed!" Elaine groans in discomfort. "Is there anything that doesn't make this day less interesting?"
"Ufufufu~! Then why don't you go out and find a husband?" Elaine's right ear perked up of an abrupt and turn her gaze up towards Olivier, who's peeking out from the kitchen window with a mischievous smile. "After all, sex with your future husband makes your day even less boring! How about that~?"
"Shut up whore, or else I'm going to decapitate your head at any moment," Elaine responds with an annoyed glare towards Olivier and the Demon reeled back in surprise while nervously raising her hands in surrender. "Who the hell needs to have sex while anyone here is having a thrill for adventures? I'm not throwing away my responsibility as a Knight of Sunlight... unless if I want to have a family!"
"But why is that? You're being shackling yourself like a human. But trust me! It feels good after all~" Olivier then sticks out her tongue with a mocking expression while an angry tic appeared on Elaine's forehead. "I've touched myself countlessly and hoping to get a husband of my own. Especially that handsome man over there~!"
Then the orc raised her eyebrow in question. "... Who?"
"Him, of course. Yet you don't seem to be interested in him." Olivier then blushed while pointing her finger to a certain raven-haired Knight of Sunlight in a dreamy state. "Ahn~! Isn't your companion too handsome for my tastes? I feel he has an aura of a warrior and he's qualified to become a husband of my own, but oh~! How come that I, a demon, should have fallen for him? A person who's lacking essence?"
At this moment, Elaine felt her eyebrow irked in irritation to see how a demon fell for her closest relative. "That man you see there is my older brother, wench."
Once the Orc said her words, Olivier was swayed to hear it with unfathomable pleasure coming into her mind. "Ah, yes~! Your brother~! He's truly destined to be my hus-... wait, what did you just say?"
"... He's my older brother," Elaine replied with a blank, uninterested look on her face while taking a small sip of her Siegbrau. "If you don't believe me... I have young twin sisters as well, a human and an Orc back home in Ansur."
"Wait!... wait... wait... Don't tell me... You're of Astoran Blood!?" Olivier spoke out in realisation and Elaine nodded in response with a blank look. "W-Well... umm... hmmm... Oh well! I don't mind having human children after all, hahahaha~!"
"Forget it! You ain't getting him." Elaine felt her forehead forming another angry tic and immediately crossed her arms in denial. "My brother won't simply fall to the clutches of a slutty-looking bitch like you!"
"Hooh~? Is that so~? Then I'd like to comply..." Olivier's face darkened after taking that word of an insult while still expressing her innocent face and raised her powers of the demon to a double-fold, yet Elaine remained unfazed. "Then I would take him by force-"
Suddenly, her words were interrupted when someone entered the Tavern. Olivier is forced to shut her mouth closed once she sees Ash Cyrus, Sasha Fullmoon, and Elen Farron coming through. Elaine looks to Olivier at first in confusion, then to Ash and then looking back to the demon until she flashed a victorious smile on her face that is mocking Olivier.
"So~? As you were saying?" Elaine then chuckled haughtily. "One move to unleash your powers. Then we have someone to cull you down."
At this moment, Olivier bit her lips in defeat and growled. "Guh! When I had the chance to take you out."
While Elen went for the billboard, Ash and Sasha went up to the guest table they'd chosen until Arcturus came along and greet the couple. Sasha greeted back as well while offering him a seat.
"So, how's the mission for you two going? The last time I heard you've revisited the Dungeon City of Lothric at Northern Corse." Arcturus asked curiously until Ash held up a big pouch and pulled up a shiny ore. The shining object alone stunned Arcturus in awe. "Whoa! Is that a Titanite? It glows unnaturally and that must have cost thousands!"
"This, Arcturus, is a Twinkling Titanite. They're absolutely rare to find." Ash explained while flipping the glowing Titanite to him. "You can forge a weapon or armour out of it... or you might ask Andre for more information. This thing has powerful attributes which can be helpful."
"Wait... so you're giving me this for free?!" Arcturus said out loud in surprise and Ash made a small chuckle while tilting his head aside. "But what about your weapons, then? It might come in handy!"
"No need, my entire arsenal is buffed in my last journey before coming into these lands," Ash said while pulling out another pouch full of rare items and displayed them on the table. A couple of divine blessings, four radiant lifegems, and a couple of purple moss. "Getting these items won't come easy."
Arcturus' eyes glimmered in awe until Elen came over and looks down at their display of rare items. The dhampir shared the same look as Arcturus' and Elen felt dismayed once she sees three vials of Divine Blessings on their table.
"Wait... are these Divine Blessings?" Elen said while picking one vial. "Are you this rich to buy them out?"
"... no, we found them in the dungeons," Ash corrected while waving his in dismissal. "Divine Blessings can be also found within wooden chests which randomly appear in any places throughout the dungeon, but the risks are high and the chances of finding them are very low."
"Ah, darn... Well, at least buying one from the Church of the Sunlight is safer." Elen said before straightening herself and exhaling with relief. Then she turns to Sasha. "Then what else did you find?"
"Oh! I and Ash just hit a jackpot~!" Sasha smiled joyfully while pulling out three unusual square-shaped stones with skull engravings. "Tadaa~! Purging Stones!"
"Purging Stones?" Elen wondered while raising her eyebrow and Arcturus squints in concern. "For what does it serve for?"
"These magic items can reverse monsterization, although, this is just some recent knowledge," Ash explained as his outspoken words gained the attention of some curious looks from Junayd, Gerome, and Reginald. Then Elen and Arcturus widened their eyes. "It turns monsters to their pre-transformation state, and it works on both animals and former humans. But it doesn't seem to affect natural-born Monster Girls."
"Wait, so you tested those stones?" Arcturus questioned in awe. "Then this discovery itself is astounding!"
"Yeah, I mean the Order states would like to have those in case of a monsterization outbreak!" Elen agrees in full confidence until she felt a hand was placed on her right shoulder. She turns around and saw Elaine in her surprise at seeing the Orc's miserable looks. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Ugh, it's that Demon bitch behind me who's trying to get on my nerves!" Elaine growled in complaints while pointing her thumb back to Olivier, who is whistling, looking up innocently while polishing a mug and trying to avoid eye contact. "Can you guys please do anything to shut her down? She keeps inducing me to talk about having a husband and sex like no tomorrow!"
"Well, we can turn her back to once she was," Sasha replied with a smile and then turns to Ash. "Trust me, I know who Olivier is. She is a member of the Three Musketeers, a small elite branch within the Order of the Ice Flower."
"Then should we transform her back to human before she plans to escape?" Ash asked while raising his eyebrow in question, and Sasha replied with a nod. "Alright then. I'll hold her still in case she's doing suspicious."
Ash and Sasha made their way to the bar and entered through the door before walking up to the demon, who kept herself busy to polish a wine glass. Then the Daughter of the Amaltia Family felt a shudder through her spine and then slowly turned around until she made a quick gasp to see herself facing Sasha Fullmoon, the most well-known traitorous Priestess of Lescatie, and Ash Cyrus, the infamous Silver-Blue Knight who defied the temptations of the Fallen God.
However, his aura alone gives shivers through her spine as if some beast is eyeing her with caution and will strike her down if she dares to escape.
"Wh-Wh-What do you two want?" Olivier nervously raised her hands in surrender. "I-I d-do nothing wrong here!"
"No, we're not here for interrogation. But we're here to help," Sasha said innocently until Ash gives her a Purging Stone. "We're just making some short experimentation. So stay still~!"
"... Huh?"
The Demon could only stand in confusion until Sasha gently grabbed her right hand and cling the stone on her palm. Thus, within an instant, a bright light suddenly erupts while their companions, Sieglinde, and the guests shielded their eyes themselves before a gust of air soon erupts. Luckily, none of the fragile objects broke apart except an empty wooden mug hits the ground from the shelves.
"W-What the hell!?"
"O-Oi, it came from there!"
After a while, the light slowly fades out with a dim until the gust of wind dies out. Ash and Sasha lowered their arms and takes a good look at their experimentation. They saw a pale blonde woman who stood before them was unconscious and wore a white Leanne dress until she was dropped on the wooden floor.
"Oh! So it works on Heroes as well!" Sasha said with relief and joy. "I thought one small stone isn't enough because her large mana reserves could've protected her."
"I think the energy itself within the stones doesn't care about her mana reserves," Ash claimed to state his theory. "It is also said that the power in the stone itself can alter the Fundamental Laws."
"Wait... really? Something like that can only be performed by the Gods!" Sasha widened her eyes in shock. "But powers like these given to ordinary humans are a mystery and unbelievable, like the story of the unknown Blacksmith God you told me earlier! Am I right?"
"... Yeah. Gods giving gifts to the mortals was but a long time ago," Ash replied before clearing his throat and carefully dragging the unconscious Olivier by her shoulders. "I need your help to bring her up back to her room before we get complaints from Jennifer."
"Ugh, it feels heavy!" Sasha grunts in an ache while her cheeks pouted as her quite oversized breasts jiggled like bells. "Now I hate these new body proportions I got after turning back from being a monster! The hips and my breasts are making my body too heavy!"
"Well, I thought you said it's quite an improvement," Ash said as he flashed a mischievous smug behind his helmet. "You said it yourself. It makes you overall attractive, after all."
"SH-SHUT UP!" Sasha whined out in embarrassment and frustration. "P-PERVERT!"
After the incident, Sieglinde, Elaine, Arcturus, and the rest of the crew and guests watched as the couple carefully dragged an unconscious woman with their surprised, concerned, and worrying looks. Once they got upstairs, the waitress heard the entrance doors were open and three individuals entered the tavern. The crew turned their attention and immediately recognised to see them wearing the same set of mirrah uniforms until Elaine recognises one of them is a Demon who they met from a week earlier and she was accompanied by two human individuals.
"Ah~! Time to order some food~!" The young human girl spoke up with a carefree attitude while stretching her arms upwards until a grumble was heard from her belly. "Oh... Whoops!"
The young Mirrah Knight wrapped her belly with an embarrassed grin until Lucrezia and Adelmar chuckled at their younger sister. Lucena felt an angry tic forming on her forehead.
"My~ Does your stomach have no restrain?" Lucrezia mischievously mocked her young, human sister.
"Sh-Shut up, big sis!" Lucena whined in annoyance while pointing her finger accusingly at her older demon sister. "I haven't eaten breakfast since morning!"
"Ugh... will you two please calm down for a moment?" The two sisters stopped their ramblings and then turned their attention to their eldest sibling, their brother. Adelmar exhaled while massaging his temples. "We're inside a restaurant and you two just fight over yourselves, which gives out unwanted attention to anyone here!"
"Oh, hey! It's you again!" Lucrezia jolts up as she heard a familiar voice behind her, then turns around to see a familiar face. She saw Elaine waving her hand in a friendly manner. "What's up!"
"Ah... So they made it out," Lucrezia uttered in surprise. "I didn't realise the Knights of the Sunlight would be that gutsy to go up the Fallen Tower."
"Lucrezia, you know them?" Adelmar questioned with his left eyebrow rose in question.
"Yes, these were the guys I just met from a week earlier," Lucrezia replied while responding a similar greeting gesture to Elaine and then turning her glance to Adelmar. "Well, let's have a drink, shall we?"
"Finally~! Something to eat~!" Lucena sang in relief until the three siblings took their seats at the bar. Then Lucena's eyes glittered with joy once she opened the menu for the brunch menu. "Ah~ I can't wait to taste the Catarinian Breakfast set and I have enough coins to pay with~"
In her response, Adelmar and Lucrezia were suppressing their laughter over the antics of their youngest sibling, until Sieglinde came by with a pad and a pencil.
"Welcome back to Horseback Inn! How may I take your order?"
...
Demon Realm Nation of Lescatie.
...
Inside the Royal Castle of the Capital City, Vermut and Lucian walked across the hallways of the castle and went past the Dark Knights until they stopped their tracks and opened the doorway leading to the royal throne hall of the castle. Once entering the hall, they saw Druella sitting on the throne with boredom plastered on her face while on her side stood Wilmarina, Primero, and Mimil. Although, Wilmarina's husband is nowhere to be seen, and he's probably somewhere else walking around the castle.
Then Druella sat up straightly and expressed confidence to see her two highest members return to Lescatie, but her smile soon fell once she sees through their eyes. Both Lucian and Vermut expressed their downward looks and sorrow while they kneeled towards the Lilim.
"Vermut, Lucian. Welcome back! How was the mission? It's been a week, and I received no contact." Druella then raised her brow, giving them a questionable look. "What happened? Upon your return, I was told that Kirsch is heavily wounded."
"We... we failed, your highness," Vermut answered with a blunt tone. "The Silver-Blue Knight... is stronger than we expected."
"Not even the Fallen Heroes themselves could overwhelm him, and we lost so many of our best warriors," Lucian added with a shaken tone of grief. "The Fallen Tower has collapsed and upon our realisation, the Fallen God may have been defeated by him."
"No... that's impossible." Vermut and Lucian slowly lift their heads up and see Wilmarina having a look of incredulous expression. "All of our knights ... were decimated?"
"In more accurate words... killed in action." Lucian and Vermut didn't say another word, and their glances shifted around to see another individual step in. Druella and the Three Princesses of Lescatie gazed their attention to another succubus. The Strategist Alp, Eva Mystiv, walks in and knelt towards Druella. "I apologise for interfering. But I have a report to tell... the strategy which I've developed would have been perfect if he were a hero of the Order. But Ash Cyrus is an individual beyond our leagues than I expected."
"I... see. But what of Sasha Fullmoon?" Druella leaned further to hear more while Wilmarina, Primero, and Mimil expressed their worries to hear their dear friend they deeply cared for. "Has he done anything to her?"
"About Sasha, she..." Vermut speaks up, but then she fell silent for a moment until she finished her words through her reluctance. "... she returned to her pre-transformation state."
At that moment, the Lilim and the three Princesses fell dumbfounded and confused as they shared their looks until Druella just picked her left ear with her pinky finger and then leaned her head further to ask a question again.
"What was that again? He did... what?"
"The Silver-Blue Knight... has turned her back to human!" Vermut answered out loud while lowering herself down with a shiver. "He has accomplished something that should've been impossible...!"
At that moment, the four reeled back in shock, and Mimil uttered in dismay. "N-No way..."
"He reversed the effect of Sasha's monsterization?" Primero made a gulp and then turning to Wilmarina. "Could that mean from what the Dark Priest has been saying about the Purging Stone isn't a rumour...?"
"No... that can't be possible! There's just no way that can be possible!" Wilmarina spoke agitatedly while shaking her head sideways. "I-I thought that he alone couldn't fare well against our knights and the fallen heroes... and yet..."
Druella then turns her gaze away from the shaken Wilmarina to Vermut. "Does this human knight have allies at his side?"
"Yes, we have them recorded in our magic mirror," Vermut spoke up as she pulls out a portable mirror and handed it over to the Lilim. "We have seen how he fought... but you might not like this."
Once Druella and the Princesses took a peek into the vision, which the mirror produces. It reveals the true identity of Ash Cyrus. The Lilim inspected closely and saw a warrior was indeed wearing a Silver-Blue Knight Armor. It looked more regal and lacked any insignia of crosses, signifying that he wasn't someone from the Order of the Chief God and wore a helmet with some unique duckface-like visor. The chest part of his armour shows that it has a gold herald warding flame.
"So this is him... the Knight of Astora." Druella scoffed as her eyes furrowed in scorn. "And these must be his allies..."
Wilmarina, Primero, and Mimil came up to see the true identity of the infamous Knight. However, Wilmarina knew already who the Silver-Blue Knight was, and she knew such an individual who lives within the Slums of Lescatie from the start and that was a few weeks ago. But that isn't what she's intrigued to see him but on his Allies. To their surprise, his allies composed both humans and mamono's, including one oversized sword-wielding wolf.
"I-Is that a Wolf!?" Primero reeled back in surprise. "I've seen Giant Warhorses, but an oversized wolf exists!?"
"Yeah, but those two... isn't that an Orc and a Dhampir?" Mimil grew confused once she sees Elaine and Elen, who drew their weapons together along with Ash. "But I thought he despises mamono as everyone said about!"
"I can't believe I would see the face of that scum once more..." The Three Princesses then caught a deadly aura of a sudden and then looked up at Druella, who expresses her fierce glance which aimed toward the Dhampir full of spite. "This scum... Elen, soon I will have your head."
Her hand clutched hard on the left arm of the throne until she made dents out of it on the surface. The monster girls backed away in terror to see her powers grow in rage.
"D-Druella! Is there something wrong!?" Wilmarina uttered meekly while waving both of her hands in her attempts to calm down the Lilim. "Wh-What did that Dhampir have ever done to you?"
"She said a word that should be forbidden to tell towards a Lilim, such as I, who hailed from the Monster Royalty," Druella growled while her hand crushes the handle of the pocket Magic mirror. "That word which she called me... A BITCH!"
At that moment, the monster girls dropped their jaws in shock and utter disbelief. If they were humans, they might get mildly surprised by those words or either express discomfort. Some would take that as an offence to slap out the outspoken. But as monsters, they instinctively knew that word is a direct insult for every faithful and monogamous monster who only craved for a single husband of their own, not as disposable boyfriends.
"I-... I can't believe she just said that..." Mimil uttered. "She said that word as a monster... that's unbelievable!"
"Yeah, and we monster refrained from telling those words!" Primera added while sulking down, recovering from her shock. "She's like Alameria from the Three Musketeers back in those old days where she used those words very often, hence she's unaware of her true nature."
While the Lilim growls in discomfort and has conflicted thoughts, the door of the entrance slowly opened before they come up to see a Dark Knight come in and kneeled to the Lilim.
"Your excellency, we have guests that may want to speak." The Dark Knight said. "They say it's urgent."
Once the succubus stepped aside, Druella widened her eyes in surprise to see a couple of unusual individuals come through the entrance. Both of them shared their divine garments and feathered black wings, yet these individuals were supposed to stay in their divine realms. Alina and Daria stepped out from the shadows as they perform a proper bow to the Lilim.
"Druella, Fourth-born Princess of the Royal Makai. We came here to speak grave news." Alina said while straightening herself up. "Since it's been a week has passed, and we are unable to teleport to Lescatie due to the distortion. So we manage to find our way here since Pandemonium has fallen."
"Wait... Pandemonium has fallen?" The Lilim widened her eyes in realisation and horror while the Succubuses felt dread swirling through the air. From those words alone, they weren't lying "What happened? Has the Chief God revived already?"
"No... only one man did it." Alina replied with a wistful pang that ached her heart. "The Silver-Blue Knight... he... he..."
"The mortal has successfully killed a Deity," Daria added before Alina could finish it. The Dark Angel then trembled on her knees and hit the floor, then broke into tears. "Our Unholy Goddess... is no more!"
At that moment, silence reigned over the halls while the two divine beings of the Fallen God wept in sombre and despair. Wilmarina couldn't help the situation and she was horrified whilst the other succubuses expressed their profound shock and terror to hear that a Monster God was slain by the knight. Druella, on the other hand, grew silent and her eyes remained to express her disbelief until her hands covered her lips while looking around as her face expressed worry.
"I... never expected that outcome..." Druella gulped while a sweat drop trailed down from her forehead. "Then could it be the reason why the Churches of the Fallen God had an incident?"
"Not just that, many members of our Fallen Order were disintegrated into dust from existence," Alina added in a mournful tone. "It is no mystery to us when time flows straightly in Pandemonium and the exile from our doomed home realm. Hundreds of Dark Priests have aged quickly in the Mortal Realms and their husbands as well. They have already lived past their life expectancy for centuries, so there is no helping them."
"By the gods..." Mimil gasped in horror. "Just how is the Silver-Blue Knight capable of doing such unfathomable horrors...?
"That... we do not know how this man is capable of..." Daria slowly tilts her head sideways. "My brethren soon realise what happened after the deadly cataclysm. Thus now, we see him as the Harbinger of Death and Disillusionment."
"Does the other gods know about this?" Lilim asked.
At that moment, Daria grew silent and clenched her palms together. "I'm sure they are now aware."
...
Pantheon of Eros.
...
Eros stood on the balcony of her temple and stared at the horizon beyond the heavenly skies. It's been a week since the mysterious aura that contains death and mortality had washed over the realms of gods. As the result, many deities grew wary and confused as they tried to track down where the source was coming from until she heard the news that one Valkyrie from the Pantheon of Ares found something that made the Gods tremble in terror.
Pandemonium, the Realm of the Fallen God, has fallen into an unexpected cataclysm and witnessed many of its dead denizens were consumed by the black goo that contains death. Now that realm has actual monsters roaming around the Fallen Lands, there is something amiss that made Eros intrigued since that incident.
Where is the Fallen God? Maybe Hel has some answers to know what happened to the Fallen God. Then why does she feel hesitant to know the truth?
"Something isn't right... and why do I feel hesitating myself from the urges trying to know the answer?"
...
Islands of Court Alf, Theocracy of Al-Mar.
...
On the port of the White City of Al-Mar, a massive wooden ship carefully docked itself in the port before lowering the bridge. Passengers who came down from the ship were mostly monster couples, while the others were shipwrecked sailors who were brought to the city with their newlywed wives. The minority among the passengers were ordinary single tourists who come to see the Pearl of the Theocracy, while among them were a couple of fully armoured knights.
One is a knight who sat on the wooden floor wearing a Silver-Blue Armor with a duckface shaped helmet, armed with a straight sword whilst a blue crest shield hanged behind his back while his companion that stood beside him leaned against the wooden railing and crossing his arms out of boredom. His companion wore a helmet with a T-shaped visor, a chest-plate armour with shades of grey and green, black trousers with brown boots, and a sword which strapped beside his left waist from another person's point of view.
Nothing much to say about them and many refrained from coming close to the seemingly dangerous individuals.
"We're finally here." The green knight spoke while looking up at the White City. "It does look beautiful up close."
"Yeah, only by appearance." His Silver-Blue companion grunts while trying to get up on his feet and stretched his arms with a yawn. "Huh, the city looks lively despite the news we heard from a few days ago that it got attacked by a Red Wyvern."
Once they packed up their belongings and leave the ship, they were caught on line for the Gondolas as an easier passage to traverse through the city to reach their client. When the mamono couple gets into their small boat and left for the main Waterway Fontan Street, another Gondola went for the next passenger. However, the Knights caught something that assaulted their noses and reeled back in hesitation.
"Ugh, did no one ever tell them to clean their boats!?" The Silver-Blue Knight complained in disgust. "Damn, even the bodily odour is stronger than I imagine."
"Well, procreation is common in the demon realm. So it's now or never. But besides..." The Green Knight lamented while shrugging his shoulder and then jumping into the Gondola. "We have a client waiting for us."
"Shit... fine." The Silver-Blue Knight rolled his eyes behind his helmet and embarked on the boat before it left for the main Waterway Fontan Street.
While their boat paved its way to the central part of the city, the two knights grew in relief but in discomfort at the same time. The city is indeed lively where they can see couples from every corner where they go for the dating sites as if they were having a great time until the Silver-Blue Knight caught a pair of hands that grabbed the railings of their Gondola in much of their surprise until a mermaid submerged from the water.
"Oh, my~! A pair of single knights in the middle of a city?" The Mermaid slurred with a lustful smile and red shades of colour appeared on her cheeks. "And judging by your scent alone... Oh dear, how are you both lacking essence?"
"Pardon me, ma'am, we're not here to find a date." The Silver-Blue Knight replied while casually waving his hand in rejection. "But can you show us the way to your main temple of this city? We're new here."
"To the Temple of the Goddess? Sure, why not~?" The Mermaid replied with shining glitters on her eyes filled with joy. "This way to the temple! If I may~"
"Well, looks like you hired a tourist guide." The Green Knight chuckled while he steered the Gondola on its way to the temple as he heard the mermaid made a childish laugh at his remarks.
"Why thank you~! I appreciate your kind words, mister... but we don't have many tourists in this city around this month and Tour Guides are getting fewer each week." The Mermaid replied until her face slowly downwards in the gloom. "The Red Wyvern's latest attack was from a few days ago, and many citizens have already fled to safety on other islands. Thus, there are dangerous bloodthirsty monsters coming out at night and start killing innocent people. The Diva of Al-Mar has been praying that one day, the city will be saved from these monstrosities."
"Hmm... I'm not sure if I can grow sympathetic to your story." The Silver-Blue Knight said, being unsure. "From what I heard about this place... it's a tourist trap. It's probably karma that you let tourists stay in this place for too long. It still counts as abduction."
"Eh-EEEHHH!?" The Mermaid yelled in disbelief. "How come!? Poseidon wouldn't let such a thing happen, wouldn't she!?"
"Oi... You." The Green Knight tensed as his reaction grew in annoyance to his companion. "You gotta stop scaring folks."
"I can't help it, it's too funny to see how they react." The Silver-Blue Knight grinned mischievously behind his helmet. "But besides, that's because we're here."
Once they reached the end of the major waterway, the Green knight made a whistle to look up to the main temple. It's as large and tall as the buildings he'd seen in his previous journey, such as the Pyramid within Shulva, the Sanctum City.
"Such an impressive architecture." The Green Knight said, smiling in amusement while cupping his chin underneath his helmet. "It reminds me about that tall structure in the Dragon's Sanctum City."
"The what?" His companion behind him raised an eyebrow. "Sanctum City?"
"It's an ancient ruin where I explored the place on my previous journey." The green knight replied before exhaling with a sense of nostalgia. "Sady, you can't explore anywhere in these lands."
"Well, you did see bigger places, right?" The Silver-Blue Knight asked before the Green Knight nodded in return. "Damn, no wonder you aren't overly awed."
"So he's some sort of explorer?" The Silver-Blue Knight then turns his attention to the mermaid and the mamono wondered of an adventure. "I would like to see some places where he visits."
"Then... by the way, what's your name, miss?"
"The name's Ifrit." Ifrit introduced herself. "And you?"
"Anri, Anri Strauss," Anri replied before sticking his thumb back to his companion. "Both me and my friend here sailed all the way from Albion to have a business regarding the Red Wyvern. Also, I have a family back home... and I used to live with my parents and grandmother."
"Oh~ I see! That sounds nice!" Ifrit smiled while clasping her hands together. "Say, will you like to date with me once you finished talking with the Diva?"
"Ehh, sorry. But I have a bigger thrill to seek some adventure to deal with actual monsters." Anri replied while exhaling underneath his helmet before the green knight docked the Gondola at the pier. "So nice meeting you, see ya'!"
With that, Anri waved a farewell once he got out from the Gondola, leaving the mermaid disgruntling in shambles. Anri and his companion walked through the courtyard in front of the temple before they were halted by the temple guards. The Green Knight then held up a quest sheet and the guards soon recognised the insignia on the paper. They let them pass through the entrance of the temple.
They simply walked straight through the halls that comprise small waterways, pillars made of marbles, and torches alight with fire. Once they reached the entrance of the holy altar of Poseidon and entered the main section of the temple without making a noise, they saw a priestess praying to it, or more accurately, a Sea Bishop.
The Green Knight cleared his throat while making a small cough. "Ahem."
The Sea Bishop suddenly perked up in bewilderment and turned around to see a couple of armoured knights. Yet from what she did not understand, is that how come she didn't notice them coming? She could've detected their essence easily if they had one. Then she sees the Green Knight pull up a quest sheet.
"I presume thou art Arial, the Diva of Al-Mar?" Arial understood and slowly nodded. "We're here for the extermination of the Red Wyvern."
Once she heard his words, the Diva herself couldn't help but smiled in relief and joy that her message had been heeded! It's been days of struggles to fend off the Red Wyvern while the forces of Court Alf tried their best to hunt it down. Not even the airships hailing from the Island of Saida could track down the Red Wyvern since the beast itself lacked the essence of mana as if they were going after down a dead corpse of a dragon.
For a solution to get rid of the dangerous threat, she sends countless Quest Sheets into the neutral nations within the Federation that might need their help which requested mercenaries or even heroes. Unfortunately, they refrained from accepting such a quest. The first wave of mercenaries who came to Al-Mar had already dated and married to its native citizens, forgetting the mission that's supposed to help out the White City until a recent attack happened a few days ago and burned down everything on its path.
Yet to her relief, a couple of knights had finally come across the city and reached the temple without being seduced by the Citizens of her city.
"What a relief...! I thought none will come through this city because they were seduced by my people." Arial then breathed in relief as she turned her attention to the Green Knight. "But I'm glad you came here all the way here. Say, may I kindly ask for your names?"
"I'm Deren, Deren Forossa and this man over here is Anri Strauss, my companion." Deren introduced himself while performing a bow full of elegance. "We hail from a village called Majula, a small settlement within the Kingdom of Albion, at your service."
"Deren Forossa... wait a minute, your armour and cape with the shades of green... then-!?" Then Arial gasped in surprise and then realised who he was. "Then you must be the rumoured Lion Knight of Majula!"
"In the flesh." Deren nodded with pride with open arms. "So, where do we start until we can get our job done, O' Priestess of Al-Mar?"
...
Chapter 23 Ends.
Volume 2: STARTS!
Authors note: Before I can begin with Volume 2. I thank you guys for supporting me to write onwards for this adventure story. None of my other stories would reach this far, and they're already old. Those old stories that I've written were back at those times when I was at school. But the lack of motivation and busy with RL kept me busy from having new ideas. But times have changed and I look onward to what path should I decide.
Also, by the way. Anri in this chapter isn't actually Anri from Dark Souls 3, but I'll give a hint; ask his Elite Knights Armor as if it can talk. As for Deren, he's actually based on my first Character from Dark Souls 2 and he's a Knight-class. After all, he did go throughout the DLC.
However, if there's an error in this chapter, I'll sort it out so don't worry.