Chapter 5
Beta: Old man of the mountain/Darklord331
Re-Estize Kingdom.
Azrael was eating her meal with Nigun sitting across from her, which worried the man before Azrael chuckled at the man's reaction. "Enjoy yourself, Nigun. After all, a noble like myself should always care for the servants who serve under them." Azrael said as she watched Nigun thank her before enjoying the meal, which made the others inside of the inn look at Azrael in shock and a few others in respect since, in the Re-Estize kingdom, it's not common for nobles to mistreat their servants. Hence, it's rare for a noble such as Azrael to show respect and reward her servants for their services.
Nigun was glad he could serve his new mistress after Lord Ddraig and Lady Azrael gave him a chance at mercy. That is why he has been working with Solution to locate any martial artists and influential magic users that'll serve his masters. Still, the problem is that compared to the gods living in the Garden of Eden, there are hardly any others who don't come close to the power that guardians or Ddraig hold.
However, he was surprised to hear about the adventurer David and his team being able to tame a legendary beast from the forest near Carne Village and take down an army of Undead, the rogue Necromancer Khajit, and his cult. Nigun was aware that Lord Ddraig had taken up the disguise of being an adventurer, which amazed the former member of the Slane Theocracy.
Unfortunately, his thought process was interrupted by Azrael, who finished her meal and stood up before looking at Nigun.
"Enough, Nigun. I do not wish to stay here a moment longer since I have other appointments scheduled for tomorrow, so I would like to get some sleep before the sun comes up again." Azrael said as Nigun nodded as he stood up from the table before the Archangel walked towards a table in the corner with a man-eating and drinking wine. "ZACH!"
The man jumps and turns around. He is a man in his mid-thirties with an unshaved mustache, brown hair, and a large nose blooming at the tip. He is wearing a red jacket with orange highlights, a white frilled shirt underneath, black pants, and black shoes.
"Yes, miss?" Zach asked.
"Stop stuffing your face and get the carriage. I won't be back at my home within the hour." Azrael demanded and walked upstairs to her room as Nigun turned to the rest of the patrons and bowed his head to them. "Please, return to your meals, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for my lady's actions; she is not a morning person." He followed Azrael and walked upstairs before knocking on his lady's door.
"Lady Azrael? May I come in?"
"You may enter, Nigun," Azrael said behind the door as Nigun entered the room to see Azrael in her noblewoman attire before she ruffled Nigun's head and apologized. "I believe I took the outburst a bit too far, and I hope I didn't harm you."
Azrael asked, which made Nigun's heart flutter as he was glad to have such a caring master but knew he wouldn't dare defile the woman's body in any way, shape, or form. He then bowed to her before replying to her.
"Oh no. There's no need for that, Lady Azrael. Your performance was amazing as you are; however, I am a bit disappointed in how slow it's been to try and find any worthy members to join Eden. I apologize for not being able to find anyone who is even worthy of gracing Eden, Lady Azrael." Nigun said as Azrael shook her head in reply as spoke to him.
"I honestly didn't expect much from the people of this kingdom since, according to the information we have from Lord Ddraig's new servant, Clementine, we were able to locate someone who may be a good addition to our forces," Azrael said as Nigun was grateful that they were at the very least able to get something out of their act.
Suddenly, a knock on their door alerts Nigun until he hears a giggle from a maid he's been working with.
"Lady Solution. I'm surprised to see you come here and Grace Lady Azrael with your filthy body." Nigun said as Solution came into the room and glared at Nigun before replying.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought a dog had spoken to me without their master's permission." Solution said in annoyance as she was disgusted by the idea of working with a human, even if he was under Lady Azrael's protection, that was only shown mercy because of the information he possessed. "And I'll have you know that as a slime, my body cleans itself."
"Are you sure? Because you still smell like a dead man that you just ate." Nigun said as he was annoyed by the slime's personality and actions that would put the plan at risk since he had heard a report of homeless and low-class civilians disappearing in the night without evidence to back them up. Nigun was aware that the slime enjoyed hearing the screams of her victims before consuming them. "I still don't understand why a slime like you is here, and I'm more than capable of protecting Lady Azrael."
"And I'm also capable of protecting her. Far better than a monkey like you."
"Rather be a monkey than a sadistic slime who's not even a real lady."
The two continued to glare at each other angrily until Azrael stepped in.
"Now, now. It's time to put this to rest. Shaltear has certainly grown anxious to play her part in all of this. Nigun. Please let her know the time has finally come." Azrael said as Nigun growled at Solution once more before turning to his right, grabbing a briefcase, and sling onto his back. "Understood, Lady Azrael."
Nigun left the two women alone as Solution glared at the door where the man was before speaking to Azrael. "You truly live up to your name Lady Azrael but is it worth keeping that human around?"
"Let it go, Solution. Nigun is a loyal servant and member of Eden under my protection, so know that I won't allow you to harm him." Azrael said in a severe tone that made Solution shove her distaste down her throat, knowing that she shouldn't dare to impose or insult the thinking of their master and the only guardian to come close to defeating Shaltear, who is tied with the Archangel as the most vital guardian of Eden.
"Of course. Forgive me, Lady Azrael."
"Good. By the way, is Zach performing as we expected?" Azrael asked as she sat on her bed with a bored expression about the man she hoped to be done with. The pig looked at her with disgusting eyes that made her want to 'purify' the pig and break his mind, but she was glad Nigun interfered with Zach before Solution nodded in reply.
"Yes, my lady." The Solution puts her hand on her closed eye and smiles. "As we speak, he is meeting that filthy man in the back alley." Her vision changes to show Zach talking to someone. "They are planning to attack us somewhere outside the city. And use you for all manner of unspeakable things." She said, but inwardly she was glad to finally be rid of that disgusting human who dared to try and touch Lady Azrael.
'That bastard! I won't let them touch Lady Azrael!' Solution yells in her mind.
There is no emotion behind Azrael's eyes as she smiles like a particular demon she served before speaking to Solution. "I am happy to hear it. Everything is unfolding as Lord Ddriag predicted."
Solution takes her hand off her eye and asks the guardian. "One more thing, Lady Azrael. I'd like to have that man once he's no longer useful."
Azrael stopped at the door before smiling as she could tell what the Predator Slime was thinking before turning back and nodding. "I'll speak with Shaltear about this, but I believe she won't mind. Why do you ask Solution?"
Solution had a large grin on her face as she bowed to Azrael. "Thank you very much."
"And why are you so interested in him, if you don't mind me asking? Simply curiosity and nothing more." Azrael said as Solution giggled as if she was a child before speaking to her superior.
"He thinks he will get to enjoy a piece of me. So, I thought I'd let him have a taste. A little slice of heaven before he sees hell." Solution's face then morphs into a grotesque smile far too wide for a human to make.
Azrael smiled in interest as she nodded. "Very well then. Take upon my form, and you'll be able to enjoy yourself to that man. I'll return to the Garden of Eden to inform Lord Ddriag of our progress. Happy Hunting Solution." Azrael said as she vanished before Solution smiled as she changed her body to appear as Azrael was an honor for her to take upon the appearance of a guardian.
Usually, she wouldn't be able to do this. Still, her master, Ddriag, had told her that if Azrael permitted her, she could use her ability to turn into others. Still, it's different from that of a Doppelgänger since Solution can only imitate others physically and cannot use their abilities. However, that didn't stop Solution from using it on the street rats she had consumed during her time in Re-Estize.
"Hm. To become Lady Azrael is such an honor. Perhaps Nigun was in an accident and touched Lady Azrael's body." Solution pondered as she wanted to get rid of the human but then thought of Azrael and Ddraig being furious at her, which made Solution destroy that idea before hearing Nigun return to retrieve Azrael.
"Are you ready, Lady Azrael?" Nigun asked as he narrowed his eyes at the woman before scoffing at Solution. "Hope your acting skills are as good as your abilities."
Solution was sad that Nigun saw through her though it makes sense since he has followed her since they came to the kingdom under their mission.
"Of course Nigun. Let's go home."
"Let me guess, Nigun." Shaltear began as she spoke to 'Azrael' and Nigun about the plan. "Our unfortunate prey finally took a bite of the bait?" Shaltear asked as she filed her nails.
Yes. Wonderfully if I say so myself." Nigun replied as Shaltear smiled in reply.
"It's about time. We will find a magic or martial arts user to suit Lord Ddraig and return to him soon." Shaltear said as she pondered her master's intentions with martial art used back in Eden before he headed out to become an Adventurer.
"Why does Lord Ddriag want a martial arts user?" Shaltear asks Luna and Bellona before Amazon replies to Shaltear.
"Curiosity. According to Lord Ddriag, Martial arts skills didn't exist in our old world, and it's an ability exclusive to this world. When Lord Ddriag saw Gazef Stronoff use martial arts, he wanted to learn more about them and the possibility of finding new magic never seen in our world. He also said that if he can learn Martial Arts, my Amazons can also learn them. He wishes to strengthen Eden to keep better our home safe and defeat any enemies that may intrude on our home." Bellona explained as Shaltear was in awe of her master's words that the Amazon had shared with them.
"He's amazing to think so far ahead for Eden's future. He says he's not all-knowing, but I believe he can always think ten steps ahead of everyone else. There's no one more worthy of leading us than Lord Y Ddraig Goch himself!" Shaltear screamed in joy as she was glad to be able to serve her master, whom she loved with all her heart.
Unfortunately, her flashback was interrupted by the horse whinnies as the carriage suddenly stopped, surprising the group a little, followed by someone knocking on the door.
"Knock-knock, girlie! Why don't you come outside? We wanna play with you!"
The scene shifts to the outside, where the carriage is surrounded by mercenaries, with some climbing on the carriage itself, all giggling excitingly at their soon-to-be prize.
Zach leans closer to the leader. "You'll let me have a go afterward, right? I mean, I am the one who brought them here."
The carriage doors open, and someone comes out, but Zach gaps as it isn't Azrael who came out.
It was Shaltear who gave the band of thieves a beautiful smile.
The mercenaries whistle and howl with delight at the sight of the beautiful vampire girl.
"This ain't your lucky night, sweetheart. Just go along with it, and we won't take your life, okay?" One of the mercenaries told her as he put his hand out and walked towards Shaltear, specifically her chest. "You got one hell of a rack for a little girl."
As the mercenary's hand reaches Shaltear's breast, the hand stops and falls to the ground.
"As if I would let you defile me with your dirty hands." Shaltear arrogantly states.
The mercenary blinks and looks at his hand, realizing it has been completely severed.
"Oh god, what the hell happened to my hand!?" The mercenary screams in pain as blood flows out of the stump like a geyser.
"Humans make far too much racket." Shaltear dismissively states. She moves her arm and, like a sword, easily cuts off the mercenary's head.
The head falls to the ground as Shaltear elegantly jumps off the carriage. The light in the background makes Shaltear's eyes seemingly glow as the body behind her falls, with the blood flying everywhere.
Bandits gasp and whimper before they all look up.
The dead mercenary's blood flies upwards, forming an orb of blood above Shaltear's head.
"A magic caster!" Some of the mercenaries run away while others raise their weapons at her.
Shaltear shrugs. "This is already boring. Do me a favor and clean up the rest of them." As she said this, her two Vampire Brides phase into existence and get to work.
Zach can only watch in horror as these monsters make quick work of the mercenaries, who are powerless to scratch their skin.
"But how? Who the hell are these people?" Zach asks out loud as he steps back.
'Azrael' suddenly appears from the shadows. "Mister Zach. This way."
Zach gasps as he turns to see his lady, the lady he was planning to have his way with, standing behind him with a smile.
'Azrael' giggled as she took the top portion of her dress, showing off her ample breasts.
Zach looks at her breasts and slowly smiles. He reaches out, but as soon as he touches them, his hands sink into the fake Azrael's body.
"Stop it! Stop it! Oh god!" Zach screams out, and he can feel his hands melting as he is pulled closer. "Oh god! Someone save me! Please, have mercy!"
Solution laughs sadistically at Zach's plea before his body is wholly swallowed.
"It looks like we've managed to do nothing but waste our precious time." Shaltear huffs. Her attention then shifts to one of her Vampire Brides dragging something with her.
"Lady Shaltear. We just received word from Lady Luna Bloodmoon, and she has located the nest of these humans. One of the humans is a man that goes by name Brain Unglaus. He's adept at martial arts skills. According to Lord Ddraig's list, Brain Unglaus fought on equal terms with Gazef Stronoff, the Royal Head Warriors of this kingdom."
"I know that name very well. I believe he's considered the strongest fighter in Re-Estize. Skilled in swordsmanship and may become a valuable ally to Eden. Unfortunately, after Gazef defeated him, he became a swordsman for hire and has been trying to get stronger to defeat Gazef next time when they battle." Nigun added as Shaltear smiled at this information and nodded.
"This 'Brain Unglaus' sounds like the perfect candidate," Shaltear remarked as Nigun agreed.
"Indeed, he does. However, Solution and I must part ways with you here, as we have a mission to collect information in the capital for Lord Ddraig." Nigun bowed, and the two servants rode their carriage back into the kingdom.
"May we meet again in the Great Garden of Eden," Shaltear said before heading out to her target.
Bandit Hideout
Within a lit underground hideout, a man was cleaning their katana. The man was Brain Unglaus. He had brown eyes, blue hair, and the appearance of a wild beast. He was equipped with chainmail, wore a necklace, and was reused with protection magic. His whole body was lean, and his muscles were tough as steel and tempered through years of experience.
After hearing the commotion, he smirked as he stood up from his cleaning. "Sounds like a party." He walked down the lit path until someone ran up to him. "Hm?"
"Brain! Thank the Gods! We're being attacked!" The mercenary exclaimed as Brain asked about the situation.
"Yeah, that much is obvious. How many are there?"
"That's the thing! There are only two of them. Both women, but these women are monsters!"
Brain scoffed at the alert before replying. "Women? Are you pulling my leg?" He steps aside and continues walking down the path.
"But-!"
"I'll handle this one. Head back and fortify our inner defenses." Brain smirked as he continued walking down the path.
Now back at the cave, the mercenaries were running away as they were mercilessly cut down, and their blood splattered everywhere Shaltear's shadow is seen, followed by the tapping of her heels with her Vampire Bride next to her. As she continues walking forward, the Blood Pool drains the corpses of their blood, leaving them as nothing but skin and bone.
Shaltear, however, is bored out of her mind. No one here has even presented the slightest bit of challenge. She wants to complete her task and go home. 'I honestly am bored out of my mind just trying to find a potential member of Eden, but these humans are too weak even to scratch me. I can see why Luna decided to stay out of this since she didn't want to put up with these humans who are pathetic in many ways.' Shaltear then looked at the darkness around her as she pondered back to when she first met the master that had saved her and given her a place where Shaltear enjoyed every day with the man she fell in love with and would serve until the day she died.
"...Heh. This reminds me of the day I met you, Lord Ddraig." Shaltear said as she recalled her past master.
Flashback
Shaltear was strung up in a dark room as she was being punished for disobeying her master and trying to escape the castle due to her wanting to be free of the lord who only saw her as a woman who could give him a strong child. Still, Shaltear refused and attacked him, resulting in the Vampire Lord punishing her by putting her in the torture room.
Shaltear didn't have the strength, as she could tell the shackles were of holy magic that burned her arms and skin. Her hair was loose and flowed freely while her clothes were gone, making her feel even sadder about her punishment, hoping it would end her pain and suffering.
However, as she waited for her future executioner, Shaltear heard a lot of shaking happening upstairs and saw that there were many screams and roars from the throne room until Shaltear closed her eyes and connected with one of her Virgin Maids to see that her master was being killed by a massive dark figure who was standing above the Vampire Lord before he picked up the vampire and killed him, absorbing his power and soul which made Shaltear's eyes widen in awe of the power that radiated off of the person before her until the figure turned around to reveal Diablo himself.
Diablo looked at the lone Virgin Vampire Maid and walked towards her before looking at the eyes. "Who are you?"
Shaltear smiled through her marked maid before speaking to him.
"Shaltear Bloodfallen. I apologize for not meeting you, but I'm a bit tied up. Would you please help me?" Shaltear asked as she was saved by Diablo, a Demon who was different from the others since he was a kind and caring leader of the villages and the guardians of his home. Shaltear was taken to the Garden to be healed and saved while speaking to Diablo about his life and his goals for the future of Eden.
All of the words he spoke to her amazed Shaltear as Diablo explained that he wished to become a great leader that was firm but kind and gentle to his followers and the villages that were under his protection. Shaltear was amazed since her former master didn't give care for her and the others who served under him, but now that he was dead, Shaltear was free to go wherever she pleased. After fully recovering from her injuries, she spoke to Diablo and asked him to make a Blood Contract.
"I, Shaltear Bloodfallen, now swear and pledge my loyalty to Diablo with my strength, body, and power. You may use me; however you see fit, my master but know that I wish to stay by your side forever and serve you with my entire being. You saved me when I was in that hellhole of a kingdom, but you are the one who saved me and welcomed me into your home. I have nothing to offer you except my body, so please accept this contract so that I may serve you. Now and forever more." Shaltear said as Diablo looked at the contract before asking her.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Shaltear?"
"I do."
The two were silent until Diablo smiled at her and nodded in reply. "Very well. Welcome to the Garden of Eden, Shaltear Bloodfallen.
I look forward to having you by my side."
The day that Shaltear Bloodfallen found happiness and the man she wanted to marry.
Her one and only master.
End Flashback
Unfortunately, her flashback was once again interrupted again by Brain slashing at the Vampire Bride in front of Shaltear.
"Aaahhh!" The Bride screams in pain as Brain looks at his opponent, only to blink in shock as the slash wound immediately heals, and the monster jumps back to her master.
Brain rested his katana on his shoulder. "A vampire, huh? Great. This will be fun. Very fun."
"But you're all by yourself, sir," Shaltear said, pulling off a puppy-dog look. "If I were you, I would call the rest of your friends. Then you might have a chance."
Brain smiled as he replied to her. "Hm..." He lowers his sword and grasps it with both hands. "My name is Brain Unglaus." A moment of silence envelops the atmosphere.
"... And you are?"
"Oh! So that's what we're doing." Shaltear exclaims, realizing what's going on. "How utterly adorable."
Brain growls as Shaltear bends in a curtsy. "My name is Shaltear Bloodfallen. I hope you will entertain me well before you perish."
'She thinks she is unbeatable. Typical monster.' Brain sheathes his sword and pulls himself back as he holds the tsuka tight. 'But she won't be faster than my God Flash strike. And she can't get past my Field. Now...'
A red circle appears under Brain's feet and expands, surrounding him. Shaltear looks down at the ring in slight shock before returning to Brain. "I take it you've finished with your preparations?"
The two stared at each other briefly, and the answer was clear.
"All right. Then let the massacre begin." Shaltear begins her tread towards Brain without worry, contrasting with Brain's more severe expression.
'Gazef.' An image of Gazef pops into Brain's head. 'I developed the God Flash and Field so I could beat you. And if I combine the two of them, I will.'
"Blade Technique..."
Shaltear steps foot in the Field.
"Whistling Wind!" Brain's arm blurs as he slashes at Shaltear's head.
...
...
...
...
But nothing happened, only silence as Shaltear stopped the blade with her fingernail.
Brain gasped in horror as he backed away from the monster before him. "H-How? There's no way you could've blocked that."
Shaltear smiled at his fear and replied. "It was too weak and slow for me that all I had to do was lift a finger. I think you now just realized how futile this is. I may be a little, beautiful little monster, but I'm also cold, cruel, and ruthless."
She jumped back as she spoke to him again. "If you have another attack, you should try it now."
Brain gasped and took a fighting stance, making Shaltear frown as she noticed Brain's body trembling in fear. "What's the matter? Was that little barrier and slash all the martial arts, you know?"
The brain looks at her, surprised. "Martial arts? Is that what you think I was doing?" Brain looks at the ground momentarily before letting out a battle cry and leaps upwards with his katana held high. However, his attacks are all deflected by Shaltear's fingers.
Shaltear yawned, already bored by Brain's useless attempts at harming her as she kept deflecting them until Brain stopped, which made her look at Brain before asking him.
What's wrong? Are you tired already?" Shaltear asks a panting Brain. "I thought you'd have more stamina than this."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"How strange. I thought you used marital arts to increase your strength and speed." Brain stepped back as Shaltear continued speaking to him. "But I don't notice any difference, and you're just as weak as you were before we started."
Shaltear then smiled wickedly at him as she continued to speak to him. "If you want to make a good first impression, you, sir, will have to work a lot harder than that."
A moment of silence passes before Brain breaks down and cries, making Shaltear sigh as she figures out the man is done.
"There is still hope for you. The fact that you know martial arts means that you might be of little use to my beloved master, so be grateful you have some worth in your pathetic self." Shaltear said with a bit of pity in her tone.
"... I am such an idiot." Brain mutters between sobs. He then screams his lungs out and starts running away. Shaltear looked at him with a smile before calling out to him.
"Oh my. Are we playing a game of tag now? You like to fool around, don't you?" Shaltear's smile grows more prominent. "Well, too bad."
The Blood Pool was deactivated, releasing all the blood it had compiled above Shaltear. Her body absorbed all of the blood as a purple aura enveloped her. "I'VE WASTED ENOUGH TIME WITH YOU AS IT IS."
The remaining mercenaries put together a last line of defense, all disturbed by the sounds of Shaltear cackling.
"Commander?" One of the mercenaries asks their leader. The leader then signaled them to prepare as they pointed their crossbows at the entrance. They instead see a whimpering Brain running towards them.
"It's Brain." But their relief was short-lived as Brain ignored them and entered another room.
"The hell?"
"That's strange." The commander commented before a high screeched laughter filled the air.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The mercenaries turn to see something approaching them, the stuff of nightmares.
Shaltear was no longer wearing her usual dress but a much simpler rag. Her mouth had become a gaping circular maw, not unlike a lamprey's, with a very long tongue hanging out. The shape of her eyes becomes quite inhuman, and they glow brightly. Her form becomes hunched over and somewhat simian, with deadly claws on both her hands and feet and an eerie aura surrounds her.
"NOW THAT WE'RE DONE WITH TAG LET'S PLAY HIDE AND SEEK!" Shaltear hisses out in evident excitement.
"A vampire! Fire at will!" The commander fires at Shaltear, causing her to lose balance and fall on all fours.
"Now! Shoot her!"
The mercenaries fire their arrows, but Shaltear cackles, leaps forward, gets above their defenses, and bites down on the commander.
The commander screams as he is drained of his blood, reducing him to a mummified corpse.
One of the mercenaries gasps and runs toward the hidden room; however, he notices that everyone has stopped screaming. Turning to look, he sees that all the mercenaries have been killed, ripped to shreds with guts and blood littering the floor. He looks down and sees Shaltear holding his leg before leaping upwards and draining his blood.
Shaltear walks inside the room. "TIME FOR THE MAIN DISH." She sees craters hurdled together, but this doesn't stop her as the crates are destroyed with a wave of her hand. When the dust clears, she sees a hidden passage leading somewhere.
"A hole?" Her body trembles and unleashes a roar of rage. "AAAAAAAAAH! HE'S ESCAPED ME!"
"Lady Shaltear."
Shaltear turns to see one of her Vampire Brides. "I'm sorry for intruding, but humans are heading this way. Luna is intercepting them now as we speak.
The scene changes to the outside as Shaltear leaps out of the cave and sees a group of adventures gasping in fear while Luna is in her standard form but holding a human's neck in her mouth.
"Glad your here, Shaltear. Now, why don't we play with our new toys." Luna said as he spat out the adventurer while licking her mouth clean of blood. Shaltear giggled sadistically in reply, as she was also looking forward to this.
"FORTUNE SMILES!"
"As I thought, a HellHound and a Vampire! Imbue your blades with silver! Don't look into her eyes! We must fight to escape!" The magic caster in the group yells out.
The adventurers take out vials of silver and pour them into the blades.
"I know I have to capture them. But I want to kill them! I want to rip them limb from limb and BATHE IN THEIR BLOOD!" Shaltear yelled out, now fully embracing her more primal side.
Shaltear leaped from where she was and instantly killed the three adventurers before her; their blood flew upwards and formed another Blood Pool above her. She cackles as she stares at the remaining adventurers when the girl stands between them, clearly afraid.
"My, aren't you precious, sweetie? I think I'll save you for dessert!" Shaltear leaps and lands behind her and in front of the magic casters. One of them raises their staff in defense, but Shaltear easily crushes his hand before decapitating him. She turns to the old caster and does the same thing.
The redhead gasps in fright and steps back as Shaltear turns her attention to her. "Come here, dessert. My sweet tooth is calling. Let me gobble you up!" The girl takes out a familiar potion, throws it, and runs away.
Shaltear instantly crushes the potion, but something is off. "No, it can't be. This is..." She turns in the adventurer's direction. "Capture her. Bring her to me alive!"
The Brides didn't take long to capture her and bring her to their master. Luna and Shaltear, now back to normal, walked up to her with a look of curiosity.
The adventurer turns her head back, but Shaltear grabs her jaw and forces her to turn to her line of sight.
"Look into my eyes!" Shaltear's eyes glow, and the adventurer's eyes not long had the same glow.
Shaltear holds up the broken potion bottle. "Where did you get this potion?"
"A man clad in black armor gave it to me at one of the inns in E-Rantel." The hypnotized adventurer replies.
Shaltear is surprised. "Could she have been given orders by the Supreme One?"
Luna shook her head in reply. "Don't be foolish, Shaltear. Father probably did it to make some connections." She then narrowed her eyes at her before speaking to her. "What were you and your party doing out here?"
"It was for a job. We were hired to find a group of soldiers turned mercenaries. When we sensed that something was off, we split up."
"Split up? There are more?" Shaltear said as the adventurer nodded in reply.
"Yes, ma'am. We had a ranger stationed further away in case we were ambushed or the worse happened. He's probably on his way back to E-Rantel."
The Hellhound's eyes widened in fear as she realized what had happened in the cave. "Then, the scream I heard was..." She leaps upwards towards the highest point with Shaltear understanding what had happened.
"I am such a fool. Come, children!" Her shadow begins to extend downwards and morphs into dozens of shadow-like creatures. "Find every last human in this forest and devour them!"
"Haaah. How could I let this travesty happen on my watch? Lord Ddraig will reprimand me for sure." Shaltear sobbed as she knew Luna would back her up but was still irritated at being filled so quickly. Suddenly, her connection to her familiars is cut, and when she looks up, she notices light coming from further in the forest. "My children have defeated that easily?" Shaltear's eyes constrict in anger, and she transforms into her proper vampire form. She dashes towards the source of the light and sees a group of adventurers not like the ones she just killed.
They also surrounded Luna, but Luna was doing deadly work with the adventurers as she killed three members. One had short blond hair that was slicked back with narrow gray eyes. He was equipped with a decorative set of armor and a massive lance around the length of his body. He also was wearing a choker and an earring on his left ear. Luna tore him apart with her claws, which snapped his neck as she burned the other behind her.
Luna was a unique HellHound with unique blue-colored flames that burned the entire body to ash and dust. She used this to deal with magic casters as she used her fire to burn through the enemies before they cast any spells. 4th Seat of the Black Scripture was killed by the HellHound before the 3rd Seat of the Black Scripture met a harsher fate of being able to avoid the flames but was killed by Luna's fangs as she ripped his head off his body.
"That one ... is STRONG!" Shaltear snarled as she was heading toward her target until the leader dodged the vampire and called out to the old woman, being protected by a more prominent man.
"Use it on the two!"
The old woman nodded and began a chant, and the dress glowed, but the vampire and HellHound were on the old woman as the blood that Shaltear took with her transformed into a giant, bizarre-shaped spear, similar to a dropper. Blue flames enveloped Luna's claws, her eyes were feral, and she wanted to tear the enemies apart.
"YOU'RE IN OUR WAY!" Shaltear and Luna shouted as the leader and another tried to attack them both but were pushed back by Shaltear's weapon and Luna's claws as they approached the old woman.
The old woman's dress' glow increases as a man with a shield stands in the way. The Dragon on the dress comes to life and swallows both Shaltear and Luna; however, as her vision fades, Shaltear conjures a spear of light and throws it, running through the adventurer, the old woman. On the other hand, Luna blasted a mighty sonic howl that damaged the leader and his armor.
"Lady Kaire!"
"Captain!"
"Cedran!"
Shaltear's and Luna's bodies were hunched over and stopped moving as they succumbed to the effects of the older woman's power.
'This isn't good. It's a World Item once belonged to the fabled Six Great Gods of the Slane Theocracy. After their passing, the artifact ended up in the hands of the higher-up officials in the country. Throughout the ages, the World Item is always passed down to a new but different user now and then over time. It was supposed to be used to subjugate the Dragon, yet we had to use it on these two. The magic of the World Item activated successfully, but Kaire was too wounded after casting it on the vampire. The mind control is incomplete, so we'll have to try and take them by force.' The Captain pondered as he signaled for Beaumarchais to capture the two of them, but Shaltear moved in to kill him and was successful in doing so.
The Captain hissed at the two monsters as they remained still but didn't want more of their forces removed.
"We need to fall back. We're no match for those two and can't completely control them. We must find someone strong enough to kill these two monsters." The Captain said as he and the remainder of his team left with the bodies of their fallen comrades and items. As they left, the Captain wondered where such dangerous beings came from.
'Is it possible that the Black Dragon or the Demonic Dragon is awakened?' The Captain pondered as he recalled the legend of a deadly Dragon who went by the name Diablo after killing two of the Six Great Gods.
"Hellfire from the Demonic Dragon killed the God of Fire. It used a flame that was so powerful that only the strongest demons used it to kill not just the bodies of their victims but their souls as well. The Demonic Dragon killed the God of Fire, incinerating it with its Hellflames. The creature then gained the ability to create and manipulate fire. Then the God of Death was killed by the same Demonic Dragon that absorbed its power to become a Demon King with many monsters that could cause devastating destruction to his enemies. When Diablo became a Demonic Dragon, the demon also killed the God of Light and took some of the angels that swore allegiance to him. He was defeated by legendary heroes long ago who followed the God of Light, but does that mean the seal is destroyed? Is Diablo awakened? If so, I must inform the council to defeat this monster." The Captain said to himself as he began to plan how to defend their world from this new threat that was even greater than the Black Dragon.
"Lord Ddriag, I'm afraid that Shaltear Bloodfallen and Luna Bloodmoon have betrayed us," Albedo stated as the Captain escaped with his comrades.
Garden of Eden Throne Room.
Ddriag gripped the rails of his throne tightly as he pondered what could've caused both Shaltear and Luna to betray Eden. "This doesn't make any sense. Shaltear should've been protected from statuses such as mind control from simple spells or abilities. Luna is my adopted daughter, so she's protected by my title as Demon King, which also prevents any form of status from spells and abilities. The only thing I can think of that can cause such an effect is." Ddriag spoke to himself before his eyes widened in fear.
'Is it possible that those items are here as well? I-It's impossible, but seeing how Shaltear and Luna are subjected to the effects. No! I need proof for my theory to be correct, but if the effects are caused by said item, I need to eliminate them immediately, find them, and store them here so they aren't used against my people.' Issei said within his mind before he heard his [Message] spell go off.
[Lord Ddriag. I'm sorry to disturb you; there's something you must know. You have received a message from the Adventurer's Guild. The guild leader, Ainzach, wants to meet with you. According to his Message, a vampire and a Hellhound have been terrorizing the area outside of E-Rantel. The guild needs your help, and they sound desperate if they call for us.] Narberal reported as Ddriag nodded and spoke back to her.
"Understood. I'm on my way. Let him know that I'll be there soon as possible." Ddriag told her before hearing Narberal cancel the spell.
"Albedo. I was hoping you could get in contact with Azrael, Solution, and Nigun again. Tell them to report to the throne room after I return from E-Rantel." Ddriag said as he stood up and opened a portal before hearing Albedo speak to him.
"Understood, but what shall we do with Shaltear and Luna? Should I arrange a hunting party and bring them both in?"
"No. I have a theory that I have to prove to myself first before we do anything. I have a feeling I know the cause of their 'betrayal,' but I need to speak to Nigun specifically and see them both for myself." Ddriag said as he left the throne room with Albedo wondering what her beloved was thinking about before carrying out her orders.
"Alright. Time to get started on locating Shaltear and Luna."
Adventurer's Guild of E-Rantel
"I'd like to thank you, Mithril-level adventurers, for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me," Ainzach said as he looked around the room to see Ddraig alongside four other men sitting down.
"Now, let's get down to business. Last night, seven adventurers were attacked, and five iron-class men were killed. They claim it was a vampire and a Hellhound, and she ambushed them in the forest outside town. Here's what we know: The monster has blonde hair. And a large mouth containing very sharp fangs. The Hellhound also has pure white hair and blue eyes."
'Aside from the hair color, that describes Shaltear and Luna to a T.' Ddriag thought as the guild leader continued speaking to them.
"If these creatures are indeed a vampire and a Hellhound, we must keep them from entering the city at all costs. Left unchecked, it could turn E-Rantel's populous into enslaved people." Ainzach stated as the others spoke up to voice their own opinion.
"Was this foul beast involved in the recent cemetery incident?" Bellote from the Adventurer Team "Sky Wolf" asked.
"Well, Mr. Ddriag here would know the answer." Moknach from the Adventurer Team "Rainbow" said.
"Must be nice to get bumped up to Mithril after only one quest, huh?" Igvarge from the Adventurer Team "Kralga" remarks.
"Don't be like that, Igvarge." Bellote reprimanded as Igvarge clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"After investigating the cemetery, we know, without a doubt, that Zuranon followers were behind the attack there." Ainzach states.
"Wait, Zuranon? That dangerous cult obsessed with the Undead? Then the two monsters must be in league with them." Bellote speculates.
"We can't say that for certain. Though if I had to guess, it's a decoy." Moknach adds.
"But it doesn't take a vampire and a beast to kill iron plates." Igvarge chimes in.
"Let's just concentrate on finding the fiends. They were last seen near some caves, and I'll send out a search party."
"I'm positive this creature is not affiliated with Zuranon." Ddraig chimed in.
"And how can you be so sure?" Ainzach asks, clearly suspicious.
"That vampire was a servant of a Vampire Lord that another adventurer killed a long time. This vampire is his second in command, which almost killed me. It took away my village and my family, so ever since then, I vowed to hunt down the monster and kill them for taking away everything from me." Ddriag said as Ainzach and the others were in shock since they didn't expect the Lizardman to have gone through a lot before becoming an adventurer.
"I see. I'm sorry for not believing you. Are you positive you can kill these creatures?" Ainzach asked.
"Indeed. I've been tracking her for years. She's mighty, but if she's recruited a Hellhound, she may have grown stronger. Any adventurer can't defeat her; however, my team and I will eliminate this nuisance for you." Ddraig stated before Igvarge yelled at him.
"The hell you will!" Igvarge cried out.
Ainzach looks at Ddraig. "You sure you can kill them?"
"Of course. Because I have this." Ddraig placed a familiar crystal on the table.
"There is 8th Tier magic within this crystal," Ddraig said, causing everyone to lean in to look at the crystal in shock and awe.
"That's impossible. Everyone knows that the 8th Tier is just a myth!"
"No way. That thing's a fake."
Ddriag scoffed at them as he put the crystal beneath with a cape. "I can appraise it, but we'd be wasting valuable time."
"Your reward?" Ainzach asked.
"Details can be hammered out later. However, I expect a promotion to Orichalcum."
"Orichalcum!?"
"Must I demonstrate my strength time after time on quests that are not a challenge? After all, taking on a Vampire and a Hellhound that I've been hunting for a long time seems appropriate to have a reward that equals the task, no?" Ddriag asked with annoyance as Ainzach closed his eyes in silent acknowledgment.
"As you wish. I will need proof of their bodies to ensure accuracy."
"Of course."
Igvarge stood up as he looked at Ddraif. "I'm going, too!"
"You'll just slow me down or end up dead," Ddriag said as Igvarge approached him and grabbed his cloak.
"How dare a newbie as you talk to me like that! Screw you!" Igvarge yells at him. "We don't even know how powerful this vampire is!"
"Knock it off, Igvarge!" Moknach told him.
"There's no need for such hostility," Bellote added before Ddriag stopped them.
"Very well then. You may if you wish to tag along, but I must warn you. Entering battle with my comrades and I means that there's a chance you will die."
"AH! You bastard! You killed them all!" Igvarge said as Ddriag stood next to his team, consisting of Narberal, Lupisregina, Medusa, Albedo, and Nigun.
"Well, didn't I say that there was a chance you would die? It's your fault for your comrade's Death, and you have no one to blame but yourself." Ddraig said as Lupisregina walked up to Igvarge and killed the adventurer before nodding to Ddriag.
"Excellent work Lupisregina. You, Narberal, and Medusa loot the corpses of anything useful before heading back to Eden. Albedo and Nigun will be assisting me in locating Shaltear and Luna." Ddraig said as the maids and Medusa wished their master luck on their mission before doing their task.
Nigun and Albedo followed Ddriag to the clearing where Shaltear and Luna were located, but the two did not move. Completely still as a statue.
"Shaltear. Luna. It's not polite to have us find you. Announce yourselves immediately." Ddriag said as he took a step closer to them, only to have Luna and Shaltear attack him, but he quickly deflected the attacks before moving away from the two, causing them to become statues again.
"Just as I thought. Mind control, but it seems to be incomplete." Ddriag said as he looked around the clearing to see that a battle had occurred before Nigun spoke to him.
"My lord. I believe I know what happened to the two of them. Lady Shaltear and Lady Luna had attacked the Black Scripture. They are the ultimate trump card of the Slane Theocracy, God-Kin, since they are descendants of the Six Great Gods." Nigun said as Ddriag recalled the information he had gained from the Theocracy.
"I remember you telling me about them. Does this Black Scripture have any World Level items that can inflict Mind Control?"
"I don't know if there is-!" Nigun said before pausing as a memory returned to him, which intrigued both Ddraig and Albedo before Nigun spoke to them. "Actually, yes! Before I joined you, I met a member of the Theocracy known as Kaire, who wore a special World Item called Downfall of Castle and Country. It allows the user to inflict mind control on one or two people. However, if the user was injured during the casting ritual, the infected will only move when someone comes close to them."
'That makes sense. Back in Yggdrasil, status effects can be canceled out if the user was injured during the casting ritual causing the effect to either occur or malfunction and harm the user instead. Shaltear and Luna attacking me when I was too close was the first clue to tell me that they were under mind control, but after Nigun's explanation, it makes sense that they aren't part of the Slane Theocracy.' Issei said in his mind before looking at Albedo and Nigun and opening a portal.
"Nigun. You are to head back to Azrael and Solution back in Re-Estize. Your mission is a top priority." Issei said before turning to Albedo. "And as for you, Albedo, head back to Eden and strengthen our defenses. I'll be doing some recruiting." Ddraig said as Albedo nodded in reply before the two left Ddriag be as their master looked at Luna and Shaltear with sadness before sighing.
"I'm sorry, Shaltear. I'm sorry, Luna. My incompetence led to you two being under this Mind Control. I promise I'll make this right." Ddriag said as he left the clearing, headed to Carne Village, specifically the Forest of Carne Village, and headed towards the North.
Ddriag could feel the aura of Death all around him as he continued towards his destination. A massive cave guarded by Death Knights; they looked at Ddraig for a moment until he stopped and looked into the cave.
"I am here to see the one known as the Walking Death. Show yourself, for I need your assistance." Ddraig said as the Death Knights were about to attack him until a voice called out to them.
"STOP!"
The Death Knights stopped as a figure began to leave the cave, revealing themselves as Undead since the figure was a tall woman with soft purple eyes and long, dark hair. A set of tufts of her hair stood up with the hood of her cloak down, giving her tufts of hair the appearance of devil horns. Her hair was a mix of black and dark brown. Her legs were rigid and seemed to be very sexy by the way her stockings showed them off.
Her outfit consisted of a black neck ribbon tied around her neck, and her dress was a mix of white, blood red, dark blue, and black. The top part of the dress had black lace trimming and featured white ruffles trimming. The sleeves of the dress were puffy on each of the shoulders, while the arms fit the first half - the lower arms feature three-layered white ruffles. A ribbon and several strips of cloth from the dress hang off around her elbows. The skirt was white with ruffled trimming, layered with black diamond-shaped pieces. The two front layers feature white inverted crosses. Between these two layers is a crisscrossed ribbon. She also wears a pair of black boots with matching rosettes. Her cloak was pitch black she wore over her dress which also gave her the appearance of royalty that became the ruler of Death.
The woman in front of Ddraig was the Walking Death. Her face was revealed when she took her hood off her head. The woman slowly walked towards Ddraig before touching his face with her hands and smiling as she looked into his eyes.
"Tell me, Ddraig. What is your real name? I sense you are like me, so please tell me your real name." The woman asked as Ddriag felt he knew this person before speaking to them.
"My real name is Issei. Issei Hyoudou." Issei said as the woman gasped in shock before her hands covered her mouth while her eyes glistened with tears.
"I-Issei? Is that you?"
"Yes. Now may I have your name?"
The woman smiled as she walked up to Issei once more and wrapped her arms around his neck before taking his lips which shocked Issei before he looked into the eyes of the woman as she introduced herself.
"I'm so happy I could see you, Issei. You may call me Rin, the Walking Death." Rin said as Issei/Ddraig thanked her before she grabbed his left arm and pulled him into her cave.
"Come on. We have much to catch up on."
Scene!
Yes, The Walking Death, a Grim Reaper, is a Player and knows who Issei is and a special class upgrade for Dullahan's. Her story will be revealed in the next chapter as two players are about to fight Shaltear Bloodfallen and Luna Bloodmoon.
See you all next time.
I wanted to say that in Season 2, things will be different since Issei won't have a reason to attack the Lizardmen, so I hope everyone loves war since the Slane Theocracy will fall.