Me: Ugh, finally, I've released Chapter 12! It's been way too since I last posted a holiday chapter, much less an official chapter. Welcome back, people, to Hellfire! Now, remember what happened last time, everyone?
Ara: *Internally screaming, scarred for life.*
Me: Ahah, yes, we all remember Xen threatening the living s**t out of our beloved Ara! Recently, I read back on previous chapters, and I realized how... er, un-professionally done it is. Maybe in the future, but not too soon, I'm considering remaking Hellfire to be more... well made.
Xen: You're being so vague with the details.
Me: Put a sock in it, flame-for-brains.
Xen: OK, geez. No need to be so aggressive...
Me: Well, with that, we shall get on to the chapter!
While Rena tended to Ara's back bruise from the hothead known as Xen, Elsword and co. are standing around discussing why he had struck Ara.
"The flaming idiot he is, just injuring a teammate only to kill something, and that reckless fox woman, trying to protect a Demon." Add muttered whilst Rena had used Airellina to heal Ara's wound. The others had been worried about Ara's injury, but they were also discussing what was different about Xen.
"I can't be the only one who noticed Xen had changed for a moment, right? I mean, he even looked like he was someone else... with the same hair." Elesis scratched her head.
"I saw it too. Why do you think that happened, though?" Elsword questioned.
"Hey, your guess is as good as mine. He wouldn't hurt a girl like that. It seemed out of character for him."
"He's probably just way too pissed off to remember he has moralities."
"Maybe..."
"Hey, if you two are just about done talking, we should get going to find Xen." Raven sighed, "Ara's all healed, so we should be fine."
"I can't believe it. We just find Xen, and now he's run off again. It's like we're chasing after a rat in a maze, where every turn you make, you just end up finding even more paths to go through!" Add opposed of the idea of trying to find Xen again. "I say we just go after Ran without him."
If I were a possessed demon brother, where would I be hiding? Xen thought, frustrated and angry. On topic of demons, I'm starting to forget why I even joined the El Search Party if demon crap would end up killing me... They're starting to annoy me now. Maybe I should just go and continue on without them. Xen shook his head rapidly.
No, Xen. Stop that. They're your friends. Shut it with the negative thoughts, and just get back to hunting for Ran..!
But they're a burden, dammit!
No! They aren't.
Without them, I would've killed Ran by now!
But without them, I wouldn't even be here in the first place!
And yet, that was because I underestimated that damned drug-fiend!
But that's in the past! I've learned from letting him take me down, and I don't plan on making the mistake again.
Xen felt as if in his mind, he was talking to a completely different voice. He attempted brushed aside the thoughts, but couldn't, as he was clearly pissed off, and continued to search for the Demon. As Xen pressed onward, he still had his doubts on his friends. Within the Halls of Water, Xen only found walls, and doors that all look the damned same to him.
"RAN! COME OUT, YOU DAMN COWARD! I KNOW YOU'RE SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE, RAN!" His voice bounced around the walls, clearly showing his anger.
No answer. He clicks his tongue and sprints on through the walls, deciding to break every wall and door until he finds the demon general.
"YOU!" Crash! "CAN'T!" Crash! "HIDE!" Crash! "FROM ME!" Every now and then, he would fire a large sphere of Hellfire, blowing holes through the entire area until there's only rubble. He let out an enormous shout, as well as a powerful aura of pure electricity to blow anything around him to rubble, even creating a crater in the roof above him. He eventually heard multiple foot steps behind him.
It's them. I don't wanna be slowed down!
Xen runs (and bursts through) one of the random doors, without even opening it, to continue his search for his victim.
He simply finds more demons, only for them to be instantly burned and electrocuted to ashes.
Within the Halls of Water, far from the havoc Xen is causing, Ran is simply laughing to himself. "That man just doesn't want to learn, does he? No matter. He'll learn soon enough, what happens when a lower class demon attempts to fight a higher ranked demon general... His anger will soon take over, and he'll be more than wide open,"
"to die."
"Which door did he go through?" Elsword wondered aloud, simply for the purplenette to retort, "Moron, it's obvious! It's the door that was busted up!", pointing towards the broken pair of doors, one hanging from it's hinges.
"You still wantin' to try and pick a fight with me, you high-pitch hussy?!" Elsword retaliated, red as his hair.
"What did you call me?!"
"A HIGH PITCHED HUSSY, GET SOME HEARING AIDS!"
"I'LL DESTROY YOU!"
"Cut it, you two!" Rena had comically kicked both teenagers in the back of their faces into a wall.
"Sorry m'am!"
"How could you two possibly fight in a situation like this, where Hamel's -and perhaps even the rest of Elrios'- citizens are in danger?" as he turned towards the previously mentioned two with a threatening expression, Raven's voice was cold as he told off both teenagers. "This is serious! So you either make-up, or don't even come along with us." He was serious, and he would've ditched the knight and the mage right then and there if they didn't stop their squabbling.
"..."
"..."
"So? Are you two gonna make up, or what?"
"I'm sorry, Aisha.", "I'm sorry, Elsword." They both apologized in sync with each other, much to Rena's entertainment.
"Good," Rena added, "Now, I expect you both to behave towards each other from now on, OK?
"Yes, m'am..."
Xen had blown a gaping hole in the wall that revealed the gray mountains and green forest outside the Halls of Water. For a moment, he stopped his rampage, and took that silent moment in, just to stare at the sky. He sighs.
"I swear... I had her for a moment. Then the bastard took her again. But I don't think she'll be coming back again. Then again, maybe I should be grateful; he was the reason Aera was even here." He rubbed his right arm, damaged from previous events he had caused. "Although, I could've gone with an Aera without the sword of a childhood fairy tale vampire swordsman. I guess beggars can't be choosers. But even so...
...It's weird. I didn't do any of this when she first died. I didn't slaughter any demons. Or anything, in that matter. I didn't even touch a thing for a while... Was it because there was nobody to blame it on? Because everyone around me was already dead? Or was it both?"
"Do all these demons even deserve any of this? It's something their leader did. Not them. Maybe most of them are just innocent. Maybe I shouldn't be doing any of this. I'm starting to have doubts on my choices..."
He suddenly felt the piercing feeling of a spear from a Shadow Defender. He felt his mana slowly drain from the effects of being hit. "Unfortunately, all of my doubts on killing innocent demons are completely being overshadowed by all these other assholes known as guilty demons in this entire maze full of damnations from hell!" His slowly burning mana didn't stop him from destroying the demon.
As he realized he was slowly being surrounded by demons, he thought aloud, "They just really wanna die today," He cracks his neck. "Don't they? After this, I need to talk to the Elgang." He charges forward and plows through the demons.
Soon, the El Search Party passes by a gigantic hole that had been blasted in a wall.
"Someone wanna remind me why we're still going after Xen?" still opposed to finding the aforementioned man, Add complains.
"Because, when Xen is angry at someone, he's always taking the short cut just to get his hands on 'em. But after seeing how angry Xen was, there's no way any route Xen isn't taking is shorter than the one we're going through. And we're all after the same enemy; Ran. This has gotta be the shortest way!" Elesis explained the logic she knew Xen for.
"Does... That even make sense?" Eve attempted to understand this concept. "Yes! Of course it does!"
"Sis, if a sentient Nasod with a high amount of knowledge, and probably has access to all the knowledge in the Elrios, can't understand what it is you just said, then it doesn't make any sort of sense. I think that's just you giving Xen more credit that he deserves, and my question/statement still stands; You lii-" Elesis interrupted her brother from finishing is phrase, blushing angrily.
"Hush, Elsword! I have no interest in him at all. He has tattered looks and unorganized hair, and his jester personality doesn't even make him any more attractive! He's basically just a feral lion that learned how to stand and fist fight, wears a black coat, brown mane, got dunked in gasoline, got blasted by a flamethrower, and was given a faulty lightning-shooting blowtorch that was crafted by demons with materials made from hell!"
"...Wow. That is cold. Imagine if Xen heard that. I just hope you aren't willing to say it to his face." Chung was worried about the karma that could strike.
"I would say it to his face!"
"Well good. He's right behind you." As Elsword pointed behind his sister, she jumped and turned to see nothing. She turns back around to her laughing brother.
"Haw-Haw, very funny, Els."
"Well gee, didn't think you're so gullible, Elesis." A voice echoed from infront of the 9 members. They all turned towards the voice. The figure with short, yet somehow wild, brown hair approached.
"What? Can't a guy have approach his friends dramatically?" Xen joked. "C'mon, I'm tired from wrecking the place. At least say somethin'?" He lightly smiled. Elesis couldn't believe him. Here he is, acting like nothing happened earlier.
...
"Xen..." Elesis walked up to the jester-of-a-fighter.
...
"Yeah?"
...
"You're so ridiculous."
..?
"Huh?"
?
"You know..."
?!
Elesis frowned. Before Xen knew it...
!
WHA-TSCH!
He felt a sudden pain in his face and heard an un-subtle crack in his neck, as Elesis had slapped him right across the face, and she was so angry, her pupils seemingly disappeared.
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO INJURE ARA AND TEAR UP AN ENTIRE PALACE JUST SO YOU COULD FIND A DEMON GENERAL ON YOUR OWN!"
"Elesis!" The other members were shocked towards Elesis' sudden action.
"GYAH!" Xen, with his neck twisted the way he was slapped, kneeled to the floor, in pain.
"That hit on Ara was completely uncalled for. Now how do you like it, Xen?!"
"Ugh." Xen recovers and stands straight up to Elesis, rubbing where he was slapped. "I know I deserved payback somehow. But that was beyond the line of 'deserved payback', Elesis!"
"It was perfectly within bounds of 'deserved payback'. Do you know how frustrating it is having to follow you to reach Ran and stop him from taking over Elrios? Your reason is personal, but our reason of doing it for the sake of Chung! The citizens! Hamel! Lurensia! Fluone! Heck, maybe even all of Elrios!"
"This woman does not speak for me." Add reminded from behind Elesis.
"What's your point, exactly?"
"We're all after the same thing. We just want to defeat Ran. Just help us, and we'll help you. I'm sorry I even asked you to join us in the first place, if you wanted nothing to do with it asides from destroying demons. Wasn't that only the reason you cared about joining?"
"..."
"But put all of your bad thoughts of us aside for now, please. Just help us beat Ran." Xen stared blankly. Elesis hung her head down, but only to look up again when Xen rests a hand on her shoulder.
"...Elesis. I'll do it." He agreed, and the Red Knight smiled. Xen looked towards Ara.
"Ara. I'm sorry I struck you. I was desperate to avenge Aera."
"...It's OK. I forgive you."
"At least... I didn't give you the cold shoulder." He grinned the same way he would as a joker.
The El Search Party then began to continue on to search for Ran. However, Xen pulls Elesis to aside. His grin faded away and replaced with a stern frown.
"Is something wrong?"
"Elesis, I considered that..."
"...?"
"I'm done."
"...Done with what?"
"Done with this. All of this. All of us. I'm quitting the El Search Party."
"What?! But you promised-"
"I know, I made a promise to help, and I'm going to keep that promise. I'm only quitting afterwards. You were right; with the thought, I did only join just to destroy demons, and I didn't know how hard the s**t was gonna hit the fan until now."
"Xen, please, just-"
"Ae-" Xen interrupted, but caught himself before he accidentally incorrectly addresses the woman, and continued, "I mean, Elesis." the Red Knight herself was confused, but allowed him to continue anyway. "There is no way you'll convince me this time. And if you want to do it by force, just remember what happened the last time you tried that."
"...OK. I understand."
"And it isn't personal. I have nothin' against you, or any of the other members of the Elgang. I just want to let you know. Alright?"
"Yes, Xen. I know..."
From afar, Elsword called out to his sister and the pyromaniac. "Hey, you two! Catch up, or else we might get way ahead of you guys!" Elesis calls back, "We will, Elsword!" She takes one more glance towards the Burning Thunder, before they sprint to catch up with the group.
Xen, Elesis thought, I hope you're just making jokes like you always are...
"Y'know Xen, I'm surprised you're able to wreck an entire palace like this." Elsword gawked at the massive wreck the entire Halls of Water had become due to Xen's rampage.
"Psh. Yeah. Just try not to piss me off, or your body is next, Eldork." Xen threatened with a dark grin, however the boy fearfully inched away from the Hellfire user. "I'm kidding, doofus. But really, don't piss me off, or else."
"Or else what?"
"You'll face the same pain and destruction as the demons here and the Halls of Water had felt." Xen repeated the same threat.
"Did you really just..?" Their conversation was interrupted by a massive mace smashing near the 10 members, which they had to jump away from to avoid being crushed. Unfortunately, Raven did not jump out of the way, and had to bear with the hammer's weight using his blade to block the mace.
"Gah! What is that thing, and what does it even want?" Aisha cried out.
"The thing is called Bobosse, and for what it wants, it's obvious, ain't it? We're in a palace full of demons that want to kill us! This thing probably want to kill us, or- smash us into oblivion.. or something..!" Xen stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "I would love to add to this, but..." Raven started,
"I'm kinda being crushed by this thing!"
"Raven! Just use your Nasod Arm against it!" Elsword suggested, "Oh." and Raven obliged by taking the mace end, and striking the demon with it, as he was busy using his human arm to hold his blade against the hammer before grabbing and striking.
"I meant for him to use his arm to punch the demon, or the hammer, into bits, but I guess that works, too... Hey Xen, you wanna kill this thing, like every other demon up to now?" Upon hearing Elsword's suggestion, said man feigned tiresome. "Ah... I dunno. My entire body is kinda completely drained."
Bobosse swung his hammer towards Elsword, only for him to dodge to avoid, and follow up with saying, "That is a load of BS! You just now jumped the furthest away from Bobosse!"
"That's what drained me."
"Are you-" SLAM! Elsword was struck by the hammer, making him fly across the hall. "Kidding me?!"
"Aw, come on, guys? Can't you appreciate that I'm letting you all throw in a few punches before I do?"
"NO!"
"Fine, I'll just kill it already." Xen reeled his arms back, and slammed his palms together...
"Thunderclap!" A gigantic explosion of electricity bursts from Xen's hands, and Bobosse is struck by the aura of electricity, ad well as putting the demon into a panic. "Hyah!" Xen leaps forward with a fist blanketed in a blinding coat of electricity, and strikes Bobosse in his eyes, blinding him. Xen finishes off with firing a large burst of electricity, blasting his foe out a nearby wall.
"...Xen, when did you learn to do that?" Elesis looked in disbelief, and questioned Xen.
"Just now." A nonchalant reply, "But it did kinda drain me out. For real, this time."
"I still think it's BS!" Elsword calls from the other side of the hall.
Me: Well wasn't this a fun chapter? Everyone gets to make up, and Elsword flew across the room from a violent strike.
Elsword: That was not fun!
Xen: It was for me. c:
Next Chapter!: Xental Breakdown!
Xen: What the hell does that even mean?
Me: It's supposed to be a pun on Xen, and mental breakdown, and- and- ah... ugh, forget it.
If you liked this chapter, favorite and/or follow this story and maybe even the author, the Sharkening! And before you ask me what 'The Sharkening' means, I'll show you Sharkist's dictionary.
(The) Sharkening
(Thee SHAR-keh-ning), (Thuh SHAR-keh-ning), (SHAR-keh-ning).
(Noun) (Thee SHAR-keh-ning) The event where I, Sharkist, lose all senses and enter Sharkist's Bat-S**t Crazy Mode. "Oh god! It's happening! It's The Sharkening!"
Also see, Sharkist's Bat-S**t Crazy Mode
Sharkist's Bat-S**t Crazy Mode
(SHAR-kists Baht-Sh(Random Censorship) CRAE-zee Mow-d)
(Noun) A state where one, or Sharkist, loses all senses of control and begin to beating the hell out of everything for fun without a care in the world. Because he/they are angry. Most commonly done when screaming for hours on end in a way that says, 'I can't possibly be pissed off more than I already am!'. "He's in Sharkist's Bat-S**t Crazy Mode! Run for your lives, before he eats them!"
Me: If this story wasn't already Rated T, I would change it to T in a heartbeat because of this dictionary.