Chapter 2
Chaos Rising
-:-
'What lies beyond death?'
That question has existed since the first neandethrals started to think beyond food, shelter and propagation. Such a question has driven man to search for answers, be it religion or science. Some grew to fear the great abyss, while some were driven to explore it just out of curiosity.
And truth be told, who doesn't want to know?
Do we go to heaven?
Do we go to hell?
Do we get reincarnated into some fluffy animal?
Do we go to Valhalla?
Or do we simply cease to exist?
Every religion, every faith, and every individual has a different perspective of the next great adventure that is death. And for those who created TWOF, the afterlife is….. something else, to say the least.
It was a dark night, with the stars and the moon were nowhere to be seen. But it was not dark at all. Amidst the endless field of of 15 foot obelisk-like gravemarkers, countless golden flowers illuminate the scenery. Instead of the sky, the earth glowed eerie majesty.
Suddenly, a fairly big piece of rock smashes into his head, forcing him back to reality.
"Hello? Yes? Can you hear me now you rotting pile of bones?" Said a childishly arrogant girl.
Now that he has finally recovered his senses, he finally notices his situation. Just like every other skeleton around him, the lower half of his body was fused into the large obelisk. His upper body is wrapped in chains, making it look like he was crucified.
What a surreal scenario he was in.
To top it all off, the maiden below the obelisk was beautiful. Disturbingly beautiful, to be precise. Sporting an absurd 20 meter long, flawless golden hair and a black, sleeveless Sunday dress with golden flower imprints, the girl stares at him with a dissatisfied look.
"Seriously…. to think I have to go to this place to pick a worthless soul like yours. ME of all people! You should get down on your knees and sing praises in my name!"
As much as IT wants to give into IT's masochistic impulses, being chained and fused into the obelisk limits IT's ability to move.
"*sigh* fine fine. I'll let you down in a bit." The girl said, as if reading his thoughts.
"FYI. Yes, I can read your thoughts. This is ME we're talking about here. Reading a lesser being's mind is already expected of the great and powerful ME." The girl said arrogantly. "The fact that I've even bothered reading your mind is like giving the most expensive jewel in the world to a lowly street urchin. You REALLY should be thankful"
….. What a pain…. he thought
"HEY! I heard that!"
With a snap of her fingers, the obelisk crumbles and he falls face first into the ground. Without missing a beat, the golden girl's foot smashes into his head.
"Ho…. Not only did I come for you, I'm also stepping on you? No one, and I mean NO ONE, living or dead, has ever had the honor of ever touching my perfect skin. Mongrel, do you now understand how blessed you are?" The girl said as she futher adds inhumane amounts of force into his head.
Fortunately, he is already dead, so no matter how much force the golden girl applies, his skull does not break.
After a few seconds of stomping, the golden girl finally gets bored. She summons an extravagant chair out of thin air and sits on it like a spoiled brat.
"Out of curiosity, do you understand why you are here?" She asked.
He has a vauge idea of his predicament. The fact that he is reduced to nothing more than a pile of bones means that he has died. He cant remember HOW exactly it died, but he cannot deny the fact that he has been knocked out of the game. Vexing as it may be, he has no choice but to accept the results.
"Ha? What makes you think you're out of the game? Did you seriously believe that you can just drop out of the game without MY permission? Cocky brat arent you" The girl rudely points her toes at him (which he finds to be very sexy by the way)
He was confused. Based on what limited knowledge he has retained of the game, were they not in the placed called THE FINAL RESTING PLACE? Was this realm where all of the dead's data is enshrined for all eternity?
"Well, yeah." The girl replied. "So? What's your point?"
If he is here, then he has lost. Or was his wrong?
"You are obviously wrong. I don't care if ZADKIEL was able to wrestle you from my grasp. What's mine is obviously mine." She said in a fairly aggressive tone. Clearly she didn't like this ZADKIEL person. "It goes without saying that YOUR fate is MINE to dictate. And since you're too interesting to kill off, I'm forcing you back to life. And NO, you have no say in this"
….. For some unknown reason, this situation reminds him of a similar event back in a certain death game….
He cant help but reflect how spineless he is against strong willed bishoujos.
Suddenly, a terrible thought crosses h5s mind.
Maybe, just maybe….. could he be an "M"?
…. A horrifying thought indeed.
"Enough of your internal monologue and listen." The golden girl commands. "Normally, people die when they get killed, right?"
IT agrees, though the way the golden girl phrased her sentence was hilarious for some reason.
"Fortunately for you, in this world, those who get killed don't necessarily stay dead. That's the main reason why there are more undeads than there are rats." The girl explained with a fair bit of seriousness in her voice. "You're smart enough to understand where this conversation is going, right?"
Yes, he understands all to well. Based on what the golden girl has said, he is to be resurrected as the game's most villed playable race, a REVENANT. No wonder he cant remember his in-game past, REVENANTS are suppose to lose its memories along with its race, class and status.
NOTE: The game doesn't delete the player's IRL memories, it only reduces the IRL memories priority in favor of the in-game memories, which are stored in a unit within the player's designated room. As the in-game memories accumulate, it becomes harder for the player to recall his/her IRL memories. This function allows the players to act out his/her role as convincing as possible.
Because of the lack of in-game memories, he can recall his IRL self perfectly. he knows that he is Raphael Arisato Norton from Tokyo. He also knows that his objective is not to win the game, but to make sure a certain someone loses.
' Why is Raphael Norton referring to himself as HE or HIS?' you ask?
The answer is actually 2 folds.
1st, due to the lack of in-game memories, he actually doesn't know the name of his character. Sure enough, as stated in the REVENANT's race profile, he will recover his memories in due time.
2nd and probably THE MOST IMPORTANT reason of all….. coz it sounds cool. The fact that he doesn't know anything about his past adds flavor to his mysterious character. Now most people may dismiss this 2nd reason as senseless (and it is actually), but a little mystery is the spice that brings out the full flavor of a character.
Anyways, back to the situation at hand.
At the moment, the golden girl is strangling his by the neck with her long (and surprisingly tough) hair.
"You ACTUALLY ignored ME?! And for what? That stupid internal monologue of yours?! Arent you a cocky bastard?!"
For the next few minutes, the golden girl proceeds to throw him around like a rag doll. As much as he wants to expound the brutality of his current situation, the gory details are better off left unsaid for the sake of the younger viewers.
Eventually, the golden girl returns to her golden chair after inflicting a satisfactory amount of pain to him.
"This is the main reason why I decided to let you live. You are simply too interesting to kill off." Said the girl in a proud voice. "If you can cause this much annoyance, imagine what anarchy and madness can you do to the world? Do you understand brat?"
He nods in agreement. A second shot at the game is an opportunity he must not miss.
"Very well then." The girl approaches him and presses her hand over his ribcage.
" You who has died shall be reborn.
You who were reborn must now fight in my name.
You who fights in my name will slay all my enemies.
You who will slay all my enemies, do you accept to your role as my sword?"
He nods in approval.
Without warning, his vision suddenly distorts. Unable to keep itself standing, he falls face first into the ground. Before his consciousness fades, the girls voice whispers something to his ear.
"Under my name, you shall give the world a show it will never EVER forget. Go forth and bring me glory, my little puppet. Go forth, AVATAR OF ASMODEUS."
-:-
If there is anything that he has learned after his awakening, it was how the world is full contradictions.
The noon sky was pure blue with a dash of white clouds along the side, perfectly blocking the full heat without covering the landscape with shadows. If anything, the weather is perfect for a family picnic.
Underneath the perfect sky….. is the text book definition of the word DISGUSTING. For as far as the eye can see, dead trees litered the horizon. As if to complement the trees, mindless rotting human corpses walk aimlessly, as if searching a means to end their miserable existence.
"How can the world be so beautiful and so disgusting at the same time?! It's absurd, I tell ya!"
He stands, or atleast tries to, but loses balance and sinks into the blood red water. Suprsingly, the river itself was corpse free. Maybe they all came back to life as an undead and moved on?
Anyways, he swims to the nearest dry land. The second he got out of the water, he instantly noticed a few points of interest.
1st. Despite being surrounded by thousands of hungry undead, he remains unharmed. Being dead has it perks after all.
2nd. He can actually see through his body, seeing how he is nothing but a skeleton. He knows it's an irrelevant thought, but it's not everyday one can just take a peek into his inner self. Its very eye opening experience if he says so himself.
3rd and the most important one, is his unnatural right arm. Instead of a skeleton like the rest of his body, it is a black metallic arm with red veins pulsing through it. He knows that it is a BLACK HAND, which can only be gained after completing a 2nd tier class change quest. The question is, why does he, a newly revived player, have a 2nd tier armament?
He closed his eyes and thought."Open: Status Page"
Instantly, a classical RPG status sheet appears in his mind. Almost everything is as expected of a dead man, a completely blank slate, except for the fact that he is already in 2nd tier.
A bug? A quest event? Or something else?
Either way, pondering about it will do him no good. For now, he tackles his immediate dilema…. clothes. Being butt naked makes him….. uncomfortable, and not for the reason everyone thinks. It's disturbing to see how non-existent his gluteus maximus is. He doesn't mean to brag, but his prosterior is one fine piece of ass.
He grabes a wide assortment of clothings from the zombies around him, and with a few minutes of fashion coordinating, a black hooded figure walks calmly amongst the dead. The armor he salvaged is pathetically weak, and the only weapon he could find was a make shift club….. the future looks dark.
For now, he lays out his options and plans a course of action.
First off, he is obviously not amongst allies. Even though the undead ignores him, he's sure he wont get any valuable information from them. What he needs are armors, training and more importantly, allies….. and there is only one place that would welcome a REVENANT to their ranks…. ARIA.
With that in mind, the second course of action is instantly decided. He needs to find a way to get to ARIA. But first, he needs a heading. He knows that ARIA exists within the 500 foot tall STORM WALL, just within the outer bounderies of the continental sized GREAT REAPING STORM. Due to the shear size of the storm, it is visible from nearly any part of the world.
He walks around until he finds the tallest tree possible and begins to climb it. However, the moment he exerted full strength on his right arm, was the moment he understood how much he has underestimated its strength.
Instead of simply pulling himself up, the arm slingshots him at high speeds, smashing him into a branch a few meters above him, then crashes painfully back into the ground.
"Well…. That was unexpected…."
He picks himself up, then tries again….. this time, in a much slower pace. Thanks to that, he began to understand a couple of things about his arm.
1st. His fingers can sink into almost any surface, allowing him to scale any terrain he encounters. It also seems to apply to living things as well. He tried to use a passing bird as fulcrum to swing to another tree, and surprisingly, it worked….. sort off. He did successfully grab and hold the bird, unfortunately, he also killed it and fell painfully to the ground.
A bird can't hold his weight in mid air, and that's when it's alive. A dead one wont do any better.
2nd. His arm is so strong, that he was able to launch himself 5 feet into the air from a lying position, simply by pushing the ground with full force. If he can do that with gravity working against him, imagine how far he could go if he move horizontally.
In short, his arm was not intended to do damage (though it can do it extreamly well), but to grant the wielder unparalled mobility across any terrain. That's exactly how he likes it.
Once gain, he climbs the trees, but after employing his new found mobility, it didn't even take him 20 seconds to reach the top of the 30 foot tall tree. If anyone saw him from below, he would look like he was gracefully gliding amongst the branches.
From the top, it didn't take him long to spot from the distance, the massive GREAT REAPING STORM. Its really hard to miss, unless you think a red colored storm cloud is natural. Unfortunately, the distance from point A to point B is….. far to say the least. Judging visual data alone, it would probably take him atleast a year to reach the STORM WALL.
"One hell of a nature walk…. *sigh*"
With those words said, the REVENANT silently disappears amongst the dead trees.
-:-
PARKOUR- is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training. Practitioners aim to move quickly and efficiently through their environment using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves, negotiating obstacles in between. They try to maintain as much momentum as possible without being unsafe. Parkour can include running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement and more, if they are the most suitable movements for the situation.
Well, atleast that's the Wikipedia version of it.
In leymans terms, Parkour is the art of running away….. with STYLE.
Either way, the REVENANT enjoys it immensely, though he can only do it in-game. As a matter of fact, he is so good at it, that he could make the vine swinging Tarzan look like an amature. Unfortunately, after 5 hours of non stop parkour, he is still nowhere near his destination.
"*sigh*….. this isn't working. There has to be a faster way to get around here. And if there's anything I know about anime, that would be the fact that anime and logic don't go along very well. I'm sure there's an abnormally high-tech transport in this medieval wor-"
Suddenly, he was struck with an intense hunger that caused him to lose focus and smash into a nearby tree.
There's food nearby.
Where?
20 meters to the east.
Course of action?
Track it. Hunt it. Capture it.
Then what?
Take everything from it.
Leave nothing for it.
Rend.
Rip.
Bite.
Claw.
Chew.
Eat.
EATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEAT! NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW! NOW!NOW!NOW!NOW!
"SHUT THE F*CK UP!"
He bashes his head into a tree repeatedly in a desperate attempt to keep his sanity. Eventually, the the voices stop and he regains his composure. Indeed, he knew about the REVENANT's need to consume mana from other living beings, but he expected a simple warning window as a sign that he needed to feed… not ghastly voices that nearly drove him insane.
"Well, atleast its realistic…..*sigh*…. Things just keeps better and better"
For now, he follows his urge to eat and heads east. A few seconds later, he stops and hides himself amongst the branches. A few meters below are 2 elves with a fairly large net. What strikes him odd, is the fact that these 2 are fishing for zombies. Underneath their net, atleast 50 or so zombies were squirmed like sardines in their futile attempt to get free.
For now he stealthly approaches the two and listens to their conversation.
"What a haul! Seriously, looks like the gods are looking out for us this time around." Said a tall, muscular elf. "58 in our very first trap of the day. Imagine the dough we get if the others are as good as this one"
On the other hand, the younge elf didn't share his partner's enthusiasm, seeing how he looks at their prize with fair bit uneasiness.
"The buyer was paying 10 gold a piece right? Don't you find it weird? I mean, what could the buyer possibly do to those that would be worth 10 gold?" The young elf asks.
"Oh, right. You're a last minute recuit. Didn't the head office brief you on anything?"
The young elf shakes his head. "I was just hired 3 hours ago. All they said the pay is good as long as I do whatever you say. That's it."
"Damn those lazy bastards. They only had one job and they cant even do it?!" The muscular elf facepalms and sighs."Well whatever. The job is so easy, even a brain dead monkey-wolf can do it. Listen carefully, got it?"
From the shadows the REVENANT listens in carefully.
There is a nameless festival that is celebrated every end of the month in a city called CORSANT, located about 300 kilometers outside the STORM WALL. The festival is exactly what you expect from a festival. Tons of merchants, tons of food, and tons of performers, thus making the city one of the most successful cities in the world. This city is also frequently visited by the DIABOLIS in their ever persistent search for a SUPPORTER.
The main highlight of the festival is a survival game called THE ROULLETE. Set in a massive ruins a few kilometers from CORSANT, the players will be pitted against millions of zombies. The game is open to anyone in the 2st tier only, simply because of a DIABOLIS superstition that their destined SUPPORTER can be found in the 2nd tier.
The rules are simple. For 5 agonizing hours, survive or die.
The prize….. well…. There is no actual prize, except the honor of being called a true survivor. Ofcourse, no one wants that. What they are really after is the small chance of catching the DIABOLIS' eye and an even smaller chance of becoming a SUPPORTER.
'Why Zombies though?' you ask?
The answer is two folds.
1st, using full blown demons would kill all the participants. Before that, the sacrifices to capture one of those would be astronomical in terms of gold and lives. To make matters worse, the ARIAN demon hunters do their job too well, leaving almost no demon for the forces of light to capture.
2nd and more importantly, is choosing a fairly weak monster would increase the chances of survival of the participating nobles. Those lazy fat asses are the one who pays for everything after all.
This is where the elves come in. The 2 elves are part of a large group who is tasked to gather up as much zombies as they possibly can. The zombies are then transported to CORSANT via a 2 week train ride, dumped into the ruins and are ignored there after.
The REVENANT was very surprised at the valuable info the two provided. Over a year of trekking over harsh terrain suddenly reduced to an uncomfortable 2 week train ride, and all he needs to do is blend in with the zombies and get captured.
He cant thank them enough for the opportunity they gave him. His gratitude for them is so great, he almost make him want to not eat them… ALMOST.
He silently climbs back up, repositions just above the young elf and after a second of aiming, he launches himself to the elf. He swings down full force both his arm and his mace, slamming the young lad into the ground. Unfortunately, due to the BLACK HAND's large damage output added to the backstab damage, the young elf dies instantly.
"Wops… I just wanted to cripple him enough so he could drain him. Not kill him out right." He thought in regret. "Well… whats done is done. Better not waste the other one"
He quickly rushes to the muscular elf before he could recover from the shock. His fist sinks into the elf's face, quickly followed by a mace to the knee, causing the elf to lose balance and fall. He sinks his fingers into the elfs neck and begins draining the elf's life, similar to how a vampire does it with his teeth.
"N-no way! A REVE-" was the last thing the elf said before the REVENANT drains all the life out of him.
The REVENANT almost feels guilty for killing the unfortunate man…. Once again, ALMOST. Draining the elf instantly alleviates his hunger, but the mana he drained was a pitiful 25. From the looks of it, he can drain anything with life, but the mana he gets is about 25% of the total life of his target. And the annoying part of it all, is the upper limit of how much mana he needs to drain.
Reincarnation: 25/ ?
In short, he has no idea how much mana is needed for his reincarnation.
"Well…. One step at a time."
For now, he forces himself under the net along with the other zombies and waits. About 30 minutes later, a large group of hunters, along with some war elephants, comes by in search of their comrades. After they deduced their comrades deaths, they hooked the net to the elephant and dragged the zombies to the nearest station. There the REVENANT was stuffed into a cargo compartment, and began the long 2 week journey to CORSANT.
-:-
1 week, 5 days later
The train ride was uncomfortable as expected, but it did give the REVENANT a fair bit of time to think. In that time to think, he was able to become one with the world and attained the answer to world's ultimate question.
Ultimate question: If this world is set in a medieval environment, WHY THE HELL IS THERE A TRAIN HERE?!
Ultimate answer: You'll get nowhere if you try to make sense on every little thing in anime.
Anime is the world where King Arthur is a woman, a 30 year old looks like a child, a guy suddenly turns into a girl for no good reason, and most importantly, it is where small breasts are more seductive than large ones. There is no sense in this world, so don't bother trying to find something that was purposely removed in the first place.
In short….. the REVENANT has way too much time on his hands. He even performed a couple of experiments during the past few days, which wielded some amazing discoveries.
The first experiment he did was actually one of the problems that plagued him the second he was stuffed like a sardine into the cargo train. How was he supposed to get any sleep?!
The answer lied on his race.
Though he is a superior version of his bretheren, he is still an undead, and undeads are beings with no living brains, thus required no sleep to keep their brains in working order. This works in favor of the REVENANT because his brain is not connected to his virtual body. All he needs to do is fall asleep naturaly and his undead body loses the characteristics of a REVENANT, thus turning him into an average zombie. The zombie, then, does what its does best….. stand idly like in imbecile.
Fortunately, that also goes for food. As long as the REVENANT sleeps, his body wont feel any hunger. This is how he has spent the last few days without going insane. He either sleeps his ass off, or go on a spiritual trance and search for the meaning of life.
As he was pondering the possible existence of smexy underwear in this world, he suddenly hears footsteps on top of his carriage. A few seconds later, a small shaft opens up, blinding the REVENANT with the 1st bit of sunshine in his days in confinement. He spots 3 figures, 2 elves violently restraining a small tan skinned youth, which he instantly recognizes as a dark elf.
"No! Please! I don't want to go in there!" The tanned youth kicked and screamed with all her might, but to no avail.
"Shut up you filthy dark elf! " The elf smashes his fist into her face to silence her."People like you are equal to those zombies down there. We're just reuniting you with your bretheren, that's all."
….. and as expected, the REVENANT didn't take it well.
"Oh no he didn't! Did he just hit a loli?! A tanned skinned loli at that! That asshole is a dead man!"
Though he thought that, the REVENANT remains calm and composed. As much as he wants to rip the elves teticles right out of their hinges, the prospect of losing his only transport to ARIA makes him hesitate. For now, he decides to take the safer alternative by saving the girl.
He isn't doing this because the tanned skinned girl is a loli that fit perfectly with his tasts….. Really! He has absolutely no ulterior motive what so ever!
He stealthly moves just beneath the hatch and prepares to catch the girl. As expected, the two elves thrown in the dark elf. He reaches out and catches the girl, then quickly pulling her down to the floor. He, then, uses his body to cover the girl, removing her from the elves sight and shielding her from the zombies around them.
"No! Don't! Help! I don't want to die!" The girl screamed hysterically. A reasonable reaction by all means
"Calm down will you! Im not going to hurt you!" the REVENANT said, much to his surprise. He didn't expect that he could talk, seeing how he has no muscles in his body.
His words fall on deffs ears as the girl screamed and kicked wildly, causing the zombies to pile up on him. In desperation, he covers her mouth hard, all the while, focused on hearing what the two elves were talking about.
"*tch* she died too quickly. The zombies didn't even make her scream."
"And to think that was our last slave. What a let down."
A few seconds later, the two elves finally leaves.
"Phew…. They're finally gone" He checks on the girls condition who was surprisingly quiet. "You all right kid?"
The girl nods timidly.
"Good. Im gonna get a little rough here, so brace yourself"
With the girls concent, the REVENANT uses SACRIFICE, losing 70% of his hp in the process. Truth be told, he doesn't want to use it so early in the game, especially with no means of recovering aside from his standard regeneration, but the safety of a tan skinned loli is at stake. No sacrifice is beneath him!
"Forgive me, my undead brothers….. but a loli is worth more than a billion of us!"
"URYAAAAAAAAAA!"
The mountain of corpse explodes, clearing it just enough for the REVENANT to escape. Using the the zombies as a stepping stone, he grabs the girl and runs towards the nearest wall, dodging the bodies that he threw up in the air. The moment the bodies hit the floor, the small mountain of corpse reforms itself. The REVENANT climbs it and jumps to the roof, latching his right arm right beside the hatch.
"Phew…. safe" He said. Just below them, the zombies futily reaches out to grab them. "You alright kid?"
"Y-yeah" The loli replied in hesitation. Its understandable though, seeing how the one that saved her looks no different from the ones that are trying to kill her. "So…. What now?"
"Havent really thought that far…. Hmm…."The REVENANT thinks for a bit. "Well…. For now, we should just hang here until the train refuels. When we stop, I'll push you out the hatch. Easy right?"
"Okay….." The girl said timidly.
A few minutes pass in akward silence, much to the REVENANT's dismay.
"Oy… whats with the uncomfortanle silence! Holding a tan skinned loli is a once in a lifetime experience! I must deepen our relationship before she leaves! GREAT PERVERTED GODS IN HEAVEN, GIVE ME STRENGTH!"
Now that he has the time to look, the tan skinned loli was definitely his type. She has short, wavy, punkish looking black hair, with striking purple eyes. Her skin is light brown, giving off a latina vibe to her already-godlike Lolita charm. Give her a few years, and she would grow to a seductively hot woman
"MOE! SO MOTHERF*CKING MOE! Perverted Gods in heaven, I THANK THEE!"
Fortunately for the REVENANT, he doesn't have any facial muscle to show his perverted face.
"Er….. can I ask you something?" The girl breaks the silence.
"Sure. It's not like we have anything better to do"
"Why did you save me?" The girl asks, revealing a bit of fear in her voice. "You're a REVENANT right? Normally, they pretty much drain anything that has life."
Well, truth be told, he DOES have a powerful urge to drain her dry. He can tell that the girl has the makings of a mage, seeing how the impulse to eat is stronger than the two elves he drain. However, this impulse was overwhelmed by his love for lolis. The idea of hurting a loli fills him with righteous fury. He'd rather cut off his own testicles than do harm to a loli!
"Well…. About that…. Hmm.. How can I explain this." He thinks for a second. "Well…. I guess simple explanation for it all is love at first sight."
.
.
.
.
"HA?!" The girl replied in disgust. "Im being serious here!"
"So am I!" he replied with conviction. "From your smooth wavy black hair, to your brown skin, and even your loli-rific body! Everything turns me on! MARRY M-"
The girl smashes her fist into the REVENANTS skull. "PERVERT! PEDOPHILE! SCUM! ENEMY OF ALL WOMEN! DISGUSTING PIECE OF MANURE! GO IN A DITCH AND DIE!"
"WAHAHAHAHA! Flattery will get you nowhere my beautiful, tan skinned flower!"
With that, the atmosphere between them lightened, and eventually, the little girl revealed some information about herself
Her name is Matina Aplaya, a daughter of a fairly unique SCHOOL of support mages called COMBAT MAGES. What they can actually do is a family secret, thus she refuse to expound any further.
NOTE: A SCHOOL is a term used in this world as the place where someone learns the techniques that sets them apart from anyone in the same class.
For example, lets say there are two TITANS (3rd teir Melee Heavy Attacker of the Infernals) that wields two different set of weapons. One of them carries a warhammer is his primary, while his off hand is a long sword. The other one wields a spear as his primary, and a mace as his off hand. It is obvious that both of them cannot fight in the same way as the other.
This is where the SCHOOLS come in. The students gain skills, knowledge and combat logics based on the weapon/magic that they use. After they have learned the basics, it is up to the student on what to do next. He can either follow the SCHOOL's teaching to the letter, or create his very own style.
This is the main reason why there are no two people with the same skill set even if they are in the same BASE CLASS.
Anyways, back to the topic at hand.
3 weeks ago, Matina and 4 other pupils in her school went to IZUMO, the capital city of the forces of light, out of plain curiosity, and ofcourse, without the consent of their masters. They believed that the IZUMO PACT would keep them safe….. they were wrong. They were captured and as the only female in her group, she was sold into slavery while the others were killed.
The one that bought her was also the same person that threw her in the zombie cargo hold. Her buyer wanted to have some kinky time with her, but unfortunately for him, she was a feisty tomboy. She fought back violently and tried to kill her captors. Unfortunately, she is only a teir one mage against 2 2nd teir BUSHIs, thus, she was beaten badly. Her punishment was to be thrown in with the zombies and reflect on her insubordination….. assuming that she lives through it ofcourse.
After hearing this sad and tragic tale, the REVENANT made a small mental note to kill the 2 elves in the most painful manner he can find.
When Matina asked for his background, he was fairly dejected that he had nothing to share, seeing how he has only 1 week worth of memories.
For the next hour, they talk about trivial matters…. and for some reason, the REVENANT felt like they have known each other for a long time. For 1st time in his short undead life, he was strangely at peace.
-:-
The train eventually slows down to a stop, marking the end of their short time together.
"Well then…. Looks like this is it." The REVENANT said with a hit of sadness in his voice. "You can find your way from here, right?"
"Yeah…." Matina replies in kind
"Good."
He pulls himself near the hatch, allowing the girl to push it open and climb.
"Good luck out there kid." He said.
Matina stares at him for a few seconds. "Hey…. Why don't you come with me? Im sure it's much better than being traped in that hell hole."
" Tempting offer, but I'll pass. The outside world is too dangerous for a REVENANT, seeing how crapy our reputation is." He replies. "You, on the other hand, are safe since this station is only 2 stations away from the STORM WALL."
"Y-yeah… but there are more Arians here. You'll be safe too."
"But the vast majority of the people here are from the Light right?"
"Y-yeah…." Matina bites her lips in frustration. "…. Damn it! If you want to stay there, then go ahead! Don't you dare die! I still haven't kicked your perverted behind enough!"
"WHAHAHA! You insult me! How can I possibly die when I'm already dead?"
With one last smile, Matina leaves.
"Till we meet again kid"
-:-
Dawn, the next day.
The REVENANT's awakening was far from peaceful. When he exited his sleep, he was 20 feet from the ground, and falling fast. He looks behind him and spots the cargo carriage he was riding. It was tilted 90 degrees in order to quickly dump its cargo. How it did that is beyond him.
"Im fragile damn it!"
He quickly realigns himself and lands on his feet. He sprints as fast as he could so that he wouldn't be crushed by the other zombies.
"If they unloaded us…. Then this is the battleground."
He was in a large desolated, European town. It was about 1 kilometer in diameter, and was surrounded by a 30 tall wall. On top of that wall are stands that emulates the roman colosseum.
"Ho…. Interesting. Being rich sure has its perks. I mean, who would waste so much money just to watch people die? Those rich bastards are almost as confusing as women…. Almost."
Judging from the lack of spectators, the game still hasn't begun.
"Good."
He begins maping the surroundings to the best of his abilities. As an Assassin type player, the terrain has always been his greatest weapon
"fu fu fu…. Im gonna eat lots today!"
Its been a while, but the chance of taking a life has never been so tempting.
-:-
Noon, the same day
"*sigh*….. what am I doing with my life?" thought the snow white girl
On top of the throne sat a girl with short silver hair with matching silver eyes. She wears a gothic Lolita themed dress, making her look like a princess out of a fairy tale. As for her name…. well…. She has 2.
Traditionally, DIABOLIS uses the word that describes them best as their name. This name is also a secret that can only be told to the one she trusts the most, or atleast that's what DIABOLIS tradition states. Her DIABOLIS name is The Scarlet Devil.
'Why is she called that when she is pure white?' you ask?
Well…. If there was any fighting, anyone would instantly understand why she is named as such.
As for the name she wears in public, she is known as Sakuya Izayoi. A name given to her by the Chosen One, Touma Ieyasu.
She, along with 9 other DIABOLIS has visited CORSANT to watch nobles and commoners do their pitiful attempt to impress them. Yes… THE ROULLETE has always been a pathetic excuse of a mating call for the weak and pitiful.
Truth be told, she has absolutely no interest in THE ROULLETE what so ever. She was forced by the other DIABOLIS to come after seeing her in a grief strickened state for so long.
Considering what she has done, no one can really blame her for being depressed. Sakuya's idiocity and misunderstanding led to her betrayal, which killed the person that she admired the most. If she only used her head and got her facts straight instead of letting her emotions get the better of her, her beloved wouldn't have died.
And as if to add insult to injury, she isn't even allowed to grief because the body was nowhere to be found. Even the BLACK HAND that they created together was also missing.
But she deserves all the suffering that the world can throw at her, for she killed the one she love because of love.
Suddenly, a fat old man blocks her view.
"Lady Sakuya, it's wonderful to see you again." The old man respectfully bows.
"Disgusting ingrate! Social climbers the lot of you! How dare you interrupt my thoughts!" Sakuya roared in her head.
"Yes, a pleasure to see you too … er… Forgive my rudeness, but who are you again?" Sakuya replies elegantly without revealing her inner thoughts.
The old man looked a little hurt, but he quickly controls his emotions. " I am Onji Takazoku of the Takazoku Smiths. You met my son 3 days ago in Ieyasu banquet"
"We did?"Sakuya looks at him questioningly. "I do apologize, but I simply cannot remember. Surely I would have remembered….. that is, if your son is someone of great significance"
For a second, the old man's face distorts in anger but he quickly regains his composure, much to Sakuya's enjoyment. Truth be told, she remembers his son fairly well, however, her calculated response were ment to drag Onji Takazoku pride through the mud. And if there's something she knows well, it is that nobles don't like being humiliated very much.
"W-well… I'm sure you'll remember him once you see him. He is out there in the field right now." Onji replies and finaly stops blocking her view. "He is a fine BUSHI of considerable skill if I say so myself"
"What are you? His promoter?" Sakuya thought in annoyance.
She looks at her handheld screen which displays the names of the participants and their remaining life. Much to her surprise, 28 of the 50 participants have already died only after 1 hour. Even in large groups, the brainless zombies are no match for the 2nd tier warriors skill and tactics and that is a fact. This is the main reason why THE ROULLETE is treated as a joke amongst the DIABOLIS.
However…. There is that rare instance that something dangerous has been mixed in with the zombies, and this might be one of those times.
"This may be entertaining" She thought while hiding a sadistic smile.
-:-
2 hours has passed since the start of THE ROULLETE…. And the REVENANT was having the time of his life! Not only has he drained 19 of the 45 dead participants, he also turned the battlefield into his very own hunting ground. All of it made possible thanks to his unexpected allies, the zombies.
Thanks to his undead breatheren, he was able to peform 3 very effective (and very fun) methods in killing his tagerts.
1st. Act like an innocent zombie. If the target decides to kill him, he'll attack before his enemy, thus catching the target by surprise. If the target decides to ignore him, he will rush to the target and backstab him before the target can react. He will then proceed to beat the target within an inch of his life… or atleast until the target is disabled. Finally, drain the target dry. Rinse repeat.
2nd. Meld amongst the zombies that are swarming on a prey. While the prey (or preys) are distracted with the zombies, he'll launch a surprise attack on them. Then he follows his SOP: beat down, disable, drain.
3rd (and probably the most entertaining of all). This strategy only works on those targets who are people who are not used to combat. He proceeds to beat them down as usual, though at this point, the target will either beg for his life or start praying to his god. The REVENANT gives them a false sense of hope by letting them go. The moment they let their guard down, he quickly strikes and drains them.
Now he knows this is a bit evil, even for him, but for some reason, the intense hunger does drive him to be extra cruel. Annoying voices that you cant stop does strain one's sanity a fair bit.
On a lighter note, his club was upgraded to a morning star….. thanks to the generous donation of his 18th victim.
Anyways, thanks to the help of his undead breatheren, the final 5 survivors are cornered in a 4 story building right in the middle of town. With no way other way to survive but to wait for the time limit, the 5 destroys the stairs and baracades themselves on the higher floor.
A wise decision…. and also a foolish one. They should already figure out by now that there is something seriously wrong about THE ROULLETE. They should have abandoned their pride and call for help rather than risk it all for a win.
"Bravery and stupidity does go hand in hand."
Either way, he has them right where he wants them.
"Time to hunt!"
-:-
"This was suppose to be MY day! I was suppose to come out triumphant! WHY WHY WHY is this happening?! I didn't sign up for this!" the elf Goro Takazoku thought as he paced back and forth on the top floor of the building.
How can he NOT panic? Just outside his window lies a sea of rotting corpses that would very much like to take a piece of him….. literally!
And to make matters worse, the 4 other survivors are incompetent commoners. They should have put his safety and well being above their own! Yet they selfishly thought of their own concers instead of insuring the HE, the only noble left in the compition, survives!
"How dare they! When I get out of here, I'll make sure to tell daddy about these ungreateful -"
Suddenly, a high pitch scream from below breaks his line of thought. In great annoyance, he rushes down to give the commoner a piece of his mind. He storms down the stairs and heads to the nearest room.
"Ingrate! How dare you interu-"
The sight that welcomed him was….. unpleasant. No….. unpleasant is an understatent to the brutality of the scene. One of the female survivors, her name he didn't bother to remember, had her head separated from her shoulders, causing her blood to squirt like a fountain.
The sight of it all made him puke violently. Never in his life has he seen so much blood.
Eventually, the other survivors come up to investigate.
"What the hell happe- Good Lord!" said a low breed Canus Lupis . He violently grabs Goro by the collar"Hey fatass! What the hell happened here?! If you had anything to do about this, I'll throw you out the damn window!"
"You filthy commoner! I am a noble of great stature! I would never lay my hands on disgusting low breeds like yourself! Now let go of me this instance!"
The two of them continued to scream at each other until another low breed interrupts them.
"Stop it Dalk. Pansy pants didn't do it" Said another low born Canus Lupis as he points at the girls neck. "Look here. Her neck was squeezed until it broke off its hinges. There's no way a weakling like Pansy pants here can do it. Hell, none of us has the strength to do this"
Reluctantly, Dalk releases Goro. "For real? Then who the hell did it Risz?!"
The lowborn named Risz thinks for a second. His face lights up in realization….. then turns pale in fear.
"Oy…. Commoner…. Why do you make such a fearful face?" Goro asks, dreading the answer he is about to hear.
Risz looks at them fearfully, then speaks. "I think…. No…. I'm sure, theres a REVENANT mixed in with the other zombies. That's the only possible explanation. There is no way for a regular zombie to climb up the 3rd floor afterall"
The mood quickly plummets at Risz words.
Indeed, THE ROULLETE has hosted its fair share of REVENANTS in the past, with one REVENANT using a completely different method from the others. Regardless of their method, each and every time one is present, the death count skyrockets. Normally, the contestants would team up to slay the dangerous undead, but this time is different. Never have they fought a REVENANT that kept its existence hidden until it was too late.
"Crap…. This is bad…." Said Dalk. Then suddenly he remembers something. "Hey! Where the hell is that gnome?!"
Forgetting about their low born status, Goro joins the 2 Canus Lupis and dashes out of the room. The last place they saw him was on the second floor near the stairs, thus they ran full speed towards that place.
However, upon reaching the place, the gnome was nowhere to be found, but they didn't have to search long. They only needed to look down the end of the corridor to find the gnome. He was dangling 3 feet above the ground with a staff impaling him through his mouth.
"Oh god….." Risz said in disbelief.
"This is beyond brutal." Dalk says as he approaches the gnome. He observes the corpse, trying to find a clue that would lead them to the REVENANT. "Damn, look at this Risz. The poor bloke got his-"
Suddenly, the door beside Dalk explodes. A hooded figure smashes its fist into Dalk's head and drives him into the wall, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.
"Wops… Didn't mean to kill him in 1 shot." The hooded figure says. " I guess backstab damage + 50% sacrifice is a bit too much. 20% is the higher limit huh…. Well whatever."
The figure turns to face them, and at the very instant they saw its skeletal face, fear gets the best of Goro.
"No! I don't want to die!"
Goro runs.
-:-
"YOU COWARD!" the Canis Lupis roared at the fleeing elf, but the REVENANT gives him no time for insults.
He rushes towards his target and lets loose a confusing barrage of punch, mace strikes, spinning elbows, claws, etc. His fighting style focuses on confusing the enemy with different types of attacks until his opponents guard breaks. To make matters worse for his enemy, each and every one of his strikes are strong and heavy as they are endless.
The cutlass wielding Canis Lupis desperately blocks and parries the incoming blows, but the small corridor doesn't give him much room to maneuver… exactly as the REVENANT planned it.
"Alright. Time to dance!"
The REVENANT's attack pattern suddenly changes. He swings his mace powerfully, which is blocked by his target. Then quickly followed by a barrage of straight punches which knocks the enemy unbalance. He spins and launches a full force mace strike which hits its mark, crushing the targets ribs in the process.
Without missing a beat, he sinks his right hand into the target's neck drains him of his life, all the while recovering the REVENANTs HP.
"Man… sacrificing 50% was a bad move. I was lucky the fatass ran for his life. If he didn't, I would have died a second time, and that would be unpleasant." The REVENANT reflects on his mistakes. "Well whatever. One more piggy to roast… then the real problem begins."
He rushes up the stairs in persuit of his final target, which he didn't really need to search thanks to the REVENANTs ability to sense food. In the very corner of the building, he spots the piggy who was standing out of the window.
The moment their eyes met each other, the piggy jumps to a nearby building.
The REVENANT expected that much. The 4 story building was the highest building in the ruined city, with the rest being 2-1 stories. Unfortunately for the piggy, no matter what terrain he was in, the REVENANT will always feel right at home.
He dashes towards the window and jumps without fear.
The chase is on.
-:-
Sakuya Izayoi stands on her feet with feelings that she never thought she still have. Excitement, glee, longing along with confusion, doubt and fear.
"RUN GORO RUN!" Onji yells with all of his might. He then turns to Sakuya and bows before her. "Lady Izayoi, I beseech thee. Please stop the competition and save my son! He's my heir and my only child. Only you have the authority to do that."
She understands his plight….. really, she does.
His son, Goro Takazoku was desperately (and pathetically) jumps from one building to the other in order to escape the black figure, the REVENANT, who was moving effortlessly amongst the ruins.
The sight of losing an important person in one's life is something Sakuya understands oh so well. Unfortunately for Onji, the sight of the REVENANT filled Sakuya with glee to the point that she doesn't care about anything.
For the first time in a very long while, Sakuya reveals her yandere smile for everyone to see.
"Oh my oh my! Did your son not sign the death weaver?" Sakuya asks with glee that is not fit for the situation
"W-well, yes…. He did…. But-!"
"Then that answers your plee. As stated in the contract of those who join THE ROULLETE, his death is of his own choosing, and none are to be held responsible the result of his decision" Sakuya replies "His life is forfeit Mr. Onji Takazoku, and for influencing him to join THE ROULLETE, you shall watch as his life is extinguished!"
Onji's face turns to despair, much to Sakuya's delight.
"No! It cant be!" Onji turns to the other DIABOLIS. "Please! I beg of you! Someone save my son!"
Much to his horror, all of the DIABOLIS simply laughs at him. A clear sign that everyone wants to see his son die.
"N-no…. my beloved son." Onji falls into despair. With nothing to do, he simply watch his son run for his life.
On the otherhand, Sakuya's focus is concentrated on the REVENANT's right arm. The metallic arm is smooth and sleak which differs from the standard diabolic look of the BLACK HAND. Yes… without a doubt, it was the BLACK HAND that she and her beloved made together. Her heart flutters at the very thought.
"My beloved Samael, how I missed you so!"
-:-
"This arm is AWESOME!" The REVENANT thought as he moves through the ruins with grace.
And how can it NOT be awesome?
He can wall run indefinitely by grabbing onto the wall when he is about to lose momentum and slingshot himself
Instead of a simple vault over a wall, the BLACK HAND can catapult him 10 meters or more depending on his momentum.
Even with all the obstacles in the urban jungle, he moves at full speed towards his prey….. though that isn't really much of a challenge, seeing how his prey is like a pig in a fetstival. In short, his prey is toast…. Or is it roast?
Either way, even after giving the pig a few minutes head start, he instantly catches up to him.
Noticing the REVENANT's arrival, the prey turns around, draws his katana and prepares to fight. Unfortunately for him, he was a second too late as the REVENANT hits him with a mace to the hand, fist to the stomach, mace to the right leg. To top it all off, the REVENANT sacrifices 50% of his life and throws a powerful uppercut that it causes a loud bang and throws the prey 10 feet in the air, killing him before he plummets 30 feet to the streets below.
"No kill like an OVERKILL!"
And so, THE ROULLETE comes to an end. In the REVENANT's part, he was able to gain a lot of valuable insight to his own abilities that he may, and will, use in the future. He also drained a fair bit of mana at the expense of others.
All in all, everyone is happy…. Or atleast, everyone who is already dead.
"Well then…. If my anime know-how is correct, I am about to have a fateful encounter right about…. NOW!"
.
.
.
And as if the world was working against him…. Nothing happens.
.
.
.
"…..any second now…."
.
.
.
Still…. Nothing happens
.
.
.
"HEY! A little cooperation here Mr. Autho- "
Suddenly, numerous hands sprout from beneath him and painfully pulls him to the ground.
"God damn you Author! If I ever get my hands on you, I'll shove a pineapple up your ass!"
A few seconds later, a white girl with white ethereal wings descend from the heavens and lands a few meters in front of the REVENANT.
"Changing the subject to avoid confrontation?! Some author you are! I'll let you go this time, but the next time this happens, spongebob and his pineapple wont be living under the sea!"
The girl gracefully approaches the REVENANT, unaware of the dangerous insults he was throwing against a being that could easily remove their existence with a push of the DELETE button.
With great effort, the REVENANT lifts his head to take a better look on the new comer. The moment the he clearly saw the pure white angel, uncontrollable anger takes over.
KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKI LLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKI LLKILLKILLKILLKILL!
The anger was so intense that even the hunger couldn't even compare, much to his surprise. What surprises him more, is the fact that he allowed himself to be consumed by such anger.
The REVENANT roars, then violently rips and bash the hands that were keeping him bound. The second he was free, he charges to the girl with every intention of bashing her face into a bloody pulp.
….. he never got close….
This time, countless of hands sprout from the ground and holds him in place.
"Fu fu fu. I see you're as lively as ever, my beloved SAMAEL" the girl said as she lovingly stroked his cheeks.
The REVENANT stops. "SAMAEL? Why does that sound familiar…."
He looks at the girl questioningly.
"HAHAHAHA! Do forgive me. I completely forgot the effects of becoming a REVENANT." The girl said in childish glee. "Tis a shame that remember nothing of our time together, but such is our fate. Anyways, your name is SAMAEL and I, Sakuya Izayoi, am a person from your past."
The angel named Sakuya kisses him on his lips (or atleast where it was suppose to be), then leans her forehead against his.
"Your strength is still lacking if you are to break my chains." Sakuya whispers to him. "Fret not Samael. I shall arrange your escort into ARIA where you can recover the strength you once had. For now however, please…. sleep"
At her word, his consciousness fades.
-:-
When he regained his consciousness, he finds himself in a dungeon with chains binding his arms and legs.
"….. Great….. just great…."
The REVENANT…. No… Samael sighs in annoyance.
"No use mopping around here. Better think of a way to escape…."
Samael calms down and listens to his surroundings. Much to his surprise, the sound of combat echoed from a distance. With each passing second, the sound of people fighting, and dying, draws closer to his current position.
"Damn it! What the hell are ARIANS doing here?!" A paniced BUSHI who was standing guard infront of his cell unsheaths his katana. "Why did it had to be today of all times?! Just when I finally had the money to rent a Geisha!"
His complaining was cut short by an approaching presence. Due to being confined in his cell, Samael couldn't see what the approaching figure looked like. However, there is one thing that he could tell….
"Good Freaking Lord! What the hell is that smell?!"
A powerful stench of rotting meat fills the air. Whatever was approaching, is stinks…. BAD!
Suddenly, the BUSHI in front of his cell defends himself against a large attacker.
The attacker was a 7 foot tall, very muscular man clad in full black samurai armor, complete with an oni mask. He wielded a 4 foot long Nodachi which, for some reason, was emitting a vile green smoke. The blade itself seems to be the source of the powerful stench.
"Plague Blade?" Samael thought.
The black samurai waste no time and violently attaked the BUSHI with horrifically powerful swings. Despite the BUSHI's best efforts to defend himself, the black samurai repeatedly broke through his defense and sliced him a few times.
With a loud bang, the 2 japanesse swordsmen locked blades, but this time, the BUSHI was noticeably getting weaker by the second. His knees were shaking violently, as if he was experiencing a fever. Despite that, the BUSHI desperately holds his ground against the black samurai.
"Good work Kuro. You passed your test." Said a suave voice.
Suddenly, a cross shaped gladius stabs the BUSHI from behind, killing him instantly. What caught Samael by surprise, is the fact that he never even noticed the presence of the other man, a clear sign that he is an assassin type character like Samael, only much better.
The DROW (a race not available to the players) wore a black assassin robe with a bit of black light armor plating. His sword was a typical gladius except for the horizontal blades near the tip of the sword, making it look like a cross. Finally, and most importantly, was his right arm which looked like a very menacing version of Samael's very own. Without a doubt, THAT is a BLACK HAND.
The DROW looks at the black samurai. "Kuro, I already told the instructors time and time again, that this idiotic entrance exam was unnecessary for you. You are simply just too skilled to be brushed off as a simple novice. When we get back to ARIA, I'll MAKE that accursed school to accept you. That I swear to you."
"Thank you, master Laerer" The black samurai bows low in gratitude.
"No prob. Well then, lets get to business"
The DROW turns his attention to Samael. "So….. you're the REVENANT Aria was talking about….. Got a name?"
"Samael…. I think…." he replied.
"I see… sucks to be a REVENANT." Laerer grabs the prison bars and, with a bit of effort, bends it until the space was big enough for Kuro to slip in.
The two enters the cell and stands in front of Samael."I am Laerer from the BLACK HAND. Let's chat for a bit, shall we?"
-:-