Evening, near distant shores...
The sun had perished. And in its stead, the moon of Mansleibb hanged over a ship, casting light in the darkness of the sea.
After much seafaring and navigating, the Faded Silence and its hosts finally drew near on the shores of an Asur coastal town. Viktur watched through his spyglass and smiled insidiously at the prospects of plunder and sacrifices.
"It's time." He told to his first mate. Putting aside the spyglass, he turned around to face his crew with renewed vigour.
Every single member on the ship sans the slaves were just as bloodthirsty as the blades they carried on them. Their grins full of lust and murder reflected from the purple fires that light the ship eerily. They foregoed their armor for maneuvarability and speed, for this raid was to be a hit and run. Staying any longer would alert the Sea Guards and lead only to disaster. Gold and any trinkets were allowed, but slaves were out of the question. Killing their treacherous cousins, however, was fair game. Sindric and Saressa stood on the sidelines, with his lieutenand leading the excited crew and his sister standing idly with her staff in hand.
"Our time has come, my brothers!" He announced. "As we reach further to our most hated kin, we shall wet our blades with their blood! Relieve them of their precious treasures! And make music with their screams! Loud enough so that Khaine could finally sleep in peace! For we are the Druchii! The true sons and daughters of Naggaroth! And on this night, we shall turn the waters red as we slaughter the usupers like the cattle they are!"
The Cove Battle - Darkest Dungeon OST
The crew cheered on and cried for the blood of their cousins to sate their vengeance. Viktur's grin turned to that of a predator setting sights on his prey.
"Raise the sails! Ready the bolt throwers and cannons! Light 'em up! And prepare to soften the sheep! For the slaughter shall begin!" He ordered with enthusiasm. His men did as they were told. They began furling the sails, and mounted the bolts with dhar-enchanted fire, while the cannons were armed and ready. The corsair captain suited up and wore the signature helm of the Black Ark Corsairs. The sight of it would strike fear into the hearts of those who gaze upon it, for it was the symbol of the terrors of the sea.
While as much as he would like to join the skirmish, it was high time that he stayed in the background for once, and let the crew revel in the glory. Still, that didn't stop him from psyching them into a frenzy.
Nearing the the coastal shores, Viktur took commands again.
"Darkspears! Ballistae! Cannons! FIRE!"
On command, Dreadspears began firing while the Bolt Throwers and cannons soon followed. Explosions and black fire engulfed some areas of the town. Now it was the reavers turn.
"Deploy the boats! Make Khaine proud!" The crew hollered for blood as their boats drop to the surface of the water, and began rowing towards shore.
"This will be a wonderful sight to watch from here!" Viktur joyfully said.
"I concur, Viktur." His sister applauded. "Though, it would've been better if you had join them. I would've enjoyed scrubbing the blood from your body..."
"Another time, then..." He replied, before going behind her back and kissing on her neck sensually, fondling her breasts and putting a hand down to her snatch. She purred and moaned at his touch.
"But for now... let's just enjoy the show."
Shore
"Alright, you sea dogs! GET TO WORK!" Sindric ordered. The corsairs soon jumped off their boats and began running towards shore. The artillery back from the ship provided cover and allowed them to move with little resistance. Sindric's heart was pumping with adrenaline and drugs as he rushed forward with the reavers.
They reached past shorelines and began making their way towards the town. The druchii were ready to sink their blades into the traitors as the spirit of Khaine flowed in their veins.
They finally entered the city, houses were ablazed by the bolts, with some crumbling on the streets. In their fit of bloodlust, many began storming the homes and raided for whatever wasn't nailed onto the floor. Sidric and several others behind him reached the townsquare. The first mate stood on a bench near a fountain.
Seeing the entire town in fire and his crew pillaging the stores and homes while screaming bloody murder was a much needed recreation from being away at sea.
And yet, something was off. There was something missing. A raid like this is missing a key ingredient. Somethi-
"WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!" A raider cried out. The screaming died down and everyone was now sobered up from the pent up rage. The whole crew looked to themselves with confusion, and Sidric was completely baffled by it as well.
"Something's not right here!"
"This place is a ghost town!"
"Were we already spotted?!"
The last question really hit Sindric out of the blue. How could the town be so empty when the ship and its crew silently snuck up on the Asur? As far as they knew, this should've been isolated from the rest of the island.
As he pondered and thought carefully on the answers, something in the top left corner of his eye landed in one set of his crew. Something blinking with the colour of red.
*BOOOOOM*
Suddenly, an explosion erupted, sending some of the men in the air and landing on the ground with missing limbs. Another explosion was set off and caused another group to go flying. Those who survived were doing nothing but screaming their heads off as they found their limbs shorn.
Soon after, a hail of arrows began striking down the Druchii from above. However, loud banging noises were heard and some of the raiders' heads were exploding inexplicably before Sidric's eyes. Panic erupted within the remaining raiders as they searched the roof tops.
They noticed too late when a green blur landed on one of their own and immediately smashed the poor druchii's head with one single stomp.
The figure rose up and Sindric had a good view of their attacker.
Standing on top of the raider's corpse, stood an unknowable warrior. Covered in the strangest armor he had ever seen, the figure was clearly dangerous and looked formidable to the eye. However, he wielded only a gun that those monkeys carried back in the Old World. Meaning this was only one man, and there were many of his raiders.
Seething with anger at the attack on the druchii, Sindric took action.
"What the hell are you standing there for?! It's one against us! KILL HIM!" He yelled, bringing the raiders back to unbridled fury, and rushed at the lone warrior.
The stranger, meanwhile, could only make one bizarre sound from his gun. And it was the sound that would send them to their graves.
*click-clack*
Rip and Tear - DOOM 2016 OST (And the gamerip version because of the awesome drum sequence. You know the one. :))
Doom Slayer proceeded to go Full Auto against a wave of Druchii running towards him. Buckshot started rending and tearing off chunks and body parts into bloody galore as they started coming at him like suicidal imps.
After finally going through boring conversations and waiting his ass off while arguing over whether to attack the ship head-on or just baiting them with Alith, patience finally paid off as he started filling these pirate scum with white hot lead. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.
A couple more went down and the rest soon scrambled and scattered to avoid getting hit from the Slayer's Crowd Appeaser. One rushed towards him to the left, swinging his sword overhead. Doom Slayer took notice, and parried with his Doomblade before throwing a haymaker. Teeth and blood went loose from the mouth, staggering the pirate, followed by a uppercut with the wristblade through his skull. Another snuck up behind only to recieve a savage backhand so hard from the Slayer, his head twisted to a full 180 degree.
More tried to flank him but Alith and his Shadow Warriors rain down arrows on their unsuspecting victims. The lure effectively put the pirates into disarray and most took cover inside the buildings.
Some retaliated with their crossbows, but missed their shots. Alith Anar hopped from one rooftop to another, nocking his arrows and hitting his targets with extreme proficiency and grace with the Moonbow. Doom Slayer, meanwhile, switched to the Heavy Cannon and started spraying the Druchii with Micro Missiles. Those unfortunate enough to be caught by them exploded into fine red mist as the missiles found their targets. Others even more unfortunate wailed in horror as they found their limbs missing from their bodies. Even when the pirates had large numbers to their advantage, the Doom Slayer had his with his high tech arsenal and Alith with his skills and Shadow Warriors.
Yet despite all this, the druchii's bloodlust still drove them to the edge and some managed to fearlessly charge at Doom Slayer despite instincts telling them otherwise.
One group tried to swarm him only to be doused in fire by his Flame Belcher. They writhed in agony before a grenade was tossed at their feet, ending their horrible torment.
One tried to punch the Slayer in the face, resulting in a broken arm and an even more broken skull as the Doom Slayer headbutted him in return. The druchii fell dead with his skull visibly caved in.
Alith Anar nocked several of his arrows on the druchii that crept up behind Doom Slayer before landing to the ground and switching to full melee. Both fought side by side as they fought against the Druchii that still stood.
"I suppose you were right about only needing one man for this job!" Alith commented.
"You don't know half of it." Hayden replied.
"Duly noted!" Alith grinned upon Hayden's boast of Doom Slayer's skill, before both prepared themselves against the onslaught.
Sindric watched the two warriors clash with his men while cowering behind a wall.
Not only did the green warrior proved to be a greater threat, but he also had THE Shadow King and his cohorts covering his back. This fight was not in the Druchii's favor. And Sidric was cursing under his breath for failing to foresee the ambush.
"Damn you, Asur!" He cursed. "This is a disaster!"
Looking to his surroundings, he noticed that still more were taking cover to avoid those two.
"All of you! Formations! Darkshards! Cover us!" He commanded. The arbalests swiftly took action and prepared to defend. Some took to the roofs and shot the Shadow Warriors, with a few hitting their intended targets. Most of them, however, launched their bolts towards the two that stood against them.
The Shadow King swiftly dodged the incoming projectiles and safely headed for cover. The green man, on the other hand, bore the brunt of the bolts.
Yet, instead of achieving an easy victory, the man still stood on his two feet, with not a single scratch on his armor despite being hit several times. And the man was visibly angry if that open helm of his was to go by. He then shot them back with several of those "fireflies" before they exploded on impact. The scene caused a decrease in morale. Some of the pirates ran for the boats, but Sidric wasn't finished with this. The darkshards gave them plenty of time to put the others in formation.
"DO NOT RUN FROM THIS! ELSE YOU WANT BLOODSONG HAVE YOUR BALLS CUT OFF AND FED THEM TO YOU! WE ARE DRUCHII! THE SONS OF NAGGAROTH! CHAAAAARGE!" Sidric yelled.
The pirates were renewed with adrenaline again and charged on command. However, they soon stopped as they witnessed a mass of warriors in shining coats and armor marching from the left view
The Lothern Sea Guard had arrived. And leading them was none other than the Defender of Ulthuan himself, Tyrion, and his brother Teclis. Alongside them, the White Lions of Chrace and presumably the town's garrison were here. The sight alone dropped the Druchii's morale entirely.
"Sons and Daughters of Ulthuan! ATTAAAAACK!" Tyrion yelled out. The Sea Guard began charging towards the remaining druchii.
Sidric took a glance back at the knight, and now realized that he had a different weapon on him. It was large and bulky, yet the man didn't seem to struggle carrying it on his hip. And the barrels were splitting to four more barrels and were spinning up.
Fight or Flight instincts were kicking in, and Sindric soon ducked for cover. He managed to avoid being obliterated by whatever weapon the man held. The rest of his druchii, however, was torn to shreds as the bullets seemingly tore them apart far faster than the bombs lobbed from before. Screaming could be heard, and the ones left standing found themselves riddled with holes and missing limbs.
Realizing the situation, Sindric ran for it and cut his losses.
"Get back on the boats! Khaine's favor is not on our side! Retreat!" He yelled to anyone left alive. By now, the whole town was swarming with Asur scum. Yet, the army was nothing compared to the sheer massacre that green man committed. And it would haunt the Druchii if they managed to survive.
"When I'm alive and out of here in one piece, you're good as dead, Viktur!"
Sindric cursed under his breath.
Faded Silence
The sound of explosions and fighting from the town was heard back on the ship. Yet, neither the cannons nor the ballistae had been active since the raiders landed on shore. Both were merely to terrorize the populace before the raiding began. And hearing noises too foreign to the Captain's ears raised several alarms. He brushed his sister aside and leaned over the railings.
"What the hell's going on over there?!" Viktur cursed. He took out his spyglass and saw that several of his druchii were running towards the boats. Many of them seriously injured and looked like they were terrified of something. Looking further back to the town he could see something vaguely shiny and moving fast.
It was only a few seconds before he saw the Asur in full view were here.
"Dammit! Of all the places we found, those whoresons were waiting for us!" He growled.
"Then we need to get outta here!" Saressa exclaimed.
"No! Not while Sindric and his men are still out there!" He refused. "Men! Prepare the artillery! Aim for the Asur! AT ONCE!"
"Aye, captain!" His crew began loading the bolts and cannonballs. The Asur were closing in but the crew were quicker and awaited further instructions.
"Orders, sir!"
"FIRE, DAMMIT! FIRE!"
In an instant, the ship's artillery began launching and hitting the town with devastating results.
Coastal Town
Tyrion cut down a druchii who attempted to run him through from behind. His head flew from his shoulders as Sunfang did its job. The Sea Guards and Korhil's White Lions spread throughout and began cutting down the druchii scum by the sword.
Yet, most of them either died violently or fled by the time they arrived. The work of both Alith and Teclis' mercenary had done their job clearing out the pirates. Having seen the Slayer's handiwork as he eviscerated one crowd of Druchi with a weapon far above dwarfen standards made him realize not to underestimate his brother's schemes.
Fortunately, Ulthuan was very lucky to have one settlement still standing, and it certainly was glad to be rid of pest. Now, it was simply a matter of picking off the survivors.
"To me, children of Ulthuan! To arms! FORWARD!" He yelled.
But the worse had yet to come. Sounds of explosion could be heard far off. Soon, buildings were blowing up and crumbling as the artillery from the ship made their presence clear. The damn pirates had guns and they were using it to full effect.
Everywhere, the men and women were caught in the crossfire, with many flying in the air and others crushed by the debris. Some were impaled by large bolts piercing through their bodies, leaving them to a slow and painful death. Heavy ordnance was at full volume, and there was no way those pirates will get away with this transgression.
"TAKE COVER!" He cried out.
Quickly taking cover, Tyrion sprinted and made his way towards to safety. Jumping over plenty of debris, the Defender felt his blood pump in response to the danger all around him. He quickly took cover to one of the still standing architecture left unscathed. However, one blast from the cannon knocked the top of the building, plummeting to where Tyrion was.
He looked up in horror to see it falling on top of him He tried to run but slipped. Too late, he thought, he closed his eyes in preparation of his imminent doom, only to feel something snag his shoulder, followed by a flash of light. He opened his eyes seconds later and found himself alive and untouched from debris. He looked over his shoulder and saw Teclis standing next to him, out of breathe, but smiling.
"Death hasn't come for you just yet, Tyrion." His brother said, before pulling an elixir and downing it one gulp. "Ulthuan needs its Defender."
Tyrion nodded in respect for his brother's words.
"Many blessings, brother." Tyrion thanked as he stood up and surveyed the battle. Both were far from the bombardment but still within the town.
"But this isn't over. That ship won't cease firing until all of us are dead."
"Then leave it to us, then." Both brothers looked behind them and saw Doom Slayer was approaching them.
"We can handle this from here. Tell your men to retreat and get to safety. Now." Hayden said.
"You are in no position to command me, but I see the wisdom in such." Tyrion replied.
"Prince Tyrion!" A voice called out. Looking to his right, he saw her squire Eldyra and Korhil approach them haggardly. Eldyra put a hand on her shoulder due to her injuries from the gunnery barrage while Korhil stood unharmed, albeit covered in dust, looking no worse for wear.
"The Sea Guards are under heavy fire! They await for your next orders!"
"See it to it that they retreat and be taken to the healers. I want all of them evacuated."
"The White Lions will do just that. We'll retrieve any survivors." Korhil added, recieving a nod of approval from Tyrion.
"Good. See to it. I'll deal with the ship." Tyrion ordered.
"No, this fight is his to end." Hayden declined. The trio besides Teclis looked stunned at the boast thrown by the invisible doctor.
"Are you insane?! Our enemy holds a man o' war class warship! That thing holds a gallery of guns on it! It's suicide!" Tyrion protested.
"I don't believe you realize the full scale of the destruction he could bring to the enemy." Hayden dismissed, with Doom Slayer pulling a huge weapon that he carried over his shoulder. "Regardless, we'll divert their attention to ours. Get as many of your men out of here as possible. We'll be back shortly."
"Then I don't suppose you wouldn't mind I tag along as well?" Another voice came. It was Alith Anar standing watch from behind the Slayer. Doom Slayer looked over his shoulder.
"How many warriors do you have available?"
"Barely twenty, as of now. But knowing you, I'd say the odds are stacked against them." Alith replied.
"Then let's not waste anymore time."
"Allow me to help as well." Teclis strode forth. "I'll act as an artillery while you reach for the ship."
"Save it for another time. Don't want casualities among Alith's men. Best you teleported some aid when we get there. We'll signal you." Doom Slayer began walking away, with Alith following behind. Both now sprinted towards the ship in haste, and end the bloodshed once for all.
Tyrion looked back at Teclis once more.
"I hope he knows what he's doing..." Tyrion remarked. Teclis gave small grin in response.
"Have a little faith in him, brother."
Somewhere in the burning town...
"Come on! COME ON!" Sindric muttered to himself. The walls were crumbling and the town was ablazed with even more Dhar fire as the ship continued assaulting with heavy artillery. He ran through the streets as tried to run back to the ship for safety. Everywhere he went, debris kept crashing down on him, blocking his exit to freedom.
"Dammit! Would it kill for Viktur to at least give pause with the damn guns?!" He thought. Continuing his way through the ruined streets, he found one way that lead to shore. He soon hauled ass and began making his run. The cannons and bolts kept coming in hot, and Sindric needed to get out fast unless he wanted to join the corpsepile. A couple of shots from the ship managed to hit the structures in the direction of the corsair's path, much to his inconvenience.
Cursing Viktur, he ran with all of his strength as he narrowly avoided the falling debris around him. He could feel the fires of Dhar singeing his skin and the sound of buildings collapsing behind him. Some were getting too close for comfort and it only made Sindric more determined to escape the death trap.
Inches towards freedom, Sindric leapt forward as the buildings crumbled behind within a hair's width. He landed face first in the cool sands of the beach. He no longer felt the heat of the magical fire nor did he feel debris falling on him.
The danger was over. Almost.
Looking up with exhaustion, he saw aplenty of the crew taking off with the boats. Getting back up sluggishly, Sindric made chase again. This time, he didn't have to worry about the danger around him. Sort of.
Feeling the breeze going through him, he began laughing to himself. Whether it was relief for making out alive or madness from the slaughter back in town, Sindric couldn't care about his own well-being.
He was just laughing.
He finally arrived to the boats. One was about to take off and Sindric made it just in time.
"Sir! You're alive!
"Shut up and start rowing! NOW!" He ordered. The remaining didn't question his freakout and hastily rowed towards the Faded Silence. Sindric looked back and watched the whole town burn.
Burn until he didn't have to worry about the demon that slaughtered his men.
Sindric laid his head back on the boat's railing, finally taking a break from the madness.
Faded Silence
Viktur looked through his spyglass again. The artillery worked its charm as it presumably did the job eradicating the Asur. He saw some of his pirates had made their way to the boats. He wondered if Sindric survived. Would've been a waste to throw away a loyal subordinate like that, he thought.
Regardless, this was a disaster and it would certainly become a stain in his career. He had been through plenty before, but most could've been dealt with easily if one could adapt to the situation. Yet, seeing most of his men run for fear of something and return without spoils was an embarrassment to his career.
"Well, this isn't what I predicted, dear Saressa." Viktur commented. His sister raised an eyebrow.
"And just what exactly were you predicting, Viktur?"
"That there were some losses." He replied. "A couple of the crew, perhaps. A few valuables, here and there. And supplies, even."
"But this..." He said calmly, putting the spyglass away and looked directly to his sister. "This will more than likely make me lose respect from everyone on this ship."
"And you think to tell me that I would care about your reputation?" Saressa questioned. He shrugged.
"I thought I'd share."
"Captain!" A subordinate called out. "I saw Sindric on one of the boats! He'll be here soon!"
"Excellent." Viktur replied, though no less unimpressed with the situation. "Throw down the rope ladders and see that the survivors ar-"
*BOOOOOOM*
Suddenly, the ship was rocked by an explosion in the midst of the Captain's orders. It landed on the decks below where the cannons were placed. Another shot came and this time it was was where the Bloodsong twins were. Several crewman went flying as a couple of bolt throwers were destroyed on impact. The Bloodsongs lost their footing and found themselves hitting the floor. The blast caught them off guard, and now Viktur was cursing like the sailor he was.
"What the FUCK is going on out there?! Since when did those whoresons have cannons?!"
Viktur forced himself back up and quickly pulled out his spyglass once more.
He scoured through the burning wreckage of the town and tried to locate the perpetrators. It only took a couple of seconds before he found the one responsible for the retaliation.
In the midst of the burning town, stood a lone man.
Even when he couldn't see his appearance visually-speaking, he know that this foolish idiot had the gall to attack his ship.
Incensed, Viktur took commands and ordered his men to prepare themselves.
"Get the cannons ready! This battle is far from over!" He ordered. The crew did their best to maintain discipline despite the initial setbacks.
Another blast went to the cannons below, but this time, the crew had setup most of the cannons.
"Sir! The cannons are ready! Orders, sir?"
"SHOOT, DAMMIT! SHOOT THE BASTARD TO SMITHEREENS!" Cried out another voice. Looking to where the railings were, Viktur saw his first mate climbing overboard with desperation.
"Sindric, you're alive!"
"No time to talk! FIRE! ALL THE CANNONS YOU HAVE LEFT! SHOOT THE FUCKING BASTARD!" Sindric cried as he frantically shook the crewman. Viktur would've had his lieutenant tasting the lash for disobedience but the desperation in his voice raised a lot of red flags.
"What on earth has gotten into you, Sindric?!"
"That demon killed ALL of our men! That's what happened!"
As if to further prove his point, another blast sent a shockwave in the upper decks. This time, three orbs went flying, hitting several more cannons in the process.
Now on alert, Viktur supported his first mate in just one word.
"FIRE!"
Red Flag - Slipknot
Doom Slayer ran straight towards the ship after dishing out damage with the Paingiver. The rocket launcher did well against the ship, having shot a couple of missiles at its guns.
By now, he had gotten their attention, and cannonballs began launching in his direction. Quick on his feet, Doom Slayer avoided the first few shots before dashing his way to it. More firepower kept coming at him, but his boots allowed him to effortlessly dodge the incoming projectiles.
He then pulled the Ballista and zoomed on one of the guns. The Arbalest found its targets and shot a few rounds before giving chase again. The darts themselves exploded on impact, damaging the ship even further.
The last boat had zero time to get off land, having only been drifting about at least ten rows off the beach. Pulling it out his Super Shotgun, Doom Slayer quickly activated the Meat Hook and latched onto one unfortunate soul who got caught on fire by it. He pulled the trigger and reduced what's left of the pirates on it before hopping to the next boat and then after.
The cannons took aim at the boats, not even caring for their comrades as they obliterated them to oblivion just as they desperately fired upon the elusive Slayer himself. Darkshards attempted to shoot him, but the bolts did nothing as they bounced off his armor harmlessly from him. It only served to irritate him more than outright piss him off.
Jumping from boat to boat, but not before killing the pirates onboard, the Meat Hook finally cooled down and Doom Slayer instantly shot it again at one of the Darkshards near the railings. With one final pull, Doom Slayer reeled himself towards the main deck and pulled the trigger; giving one hell of an entrance by killing the crossbowmen.
Landing on one poor soul as he smashed his head in upon landing, Doom Slayer surveyed his surroundings. Every single druchii on board looked upon him with fear and anger. Their swords drawn but not moving from their places.
Only did the voice of presumably their leader, who wore an odd-looking helm resembling a squid, culled the crew .
"Don't just stand there! KILL HIM!" He yelled. Druchii began swarming in on the Slayer. Doom Slayer began charging to one group, blasting them with the Super Shotgun to pasty gore, followed by a charged Blood Punch to another. The rest quickly backed off as they witnessed the brutal display he delivered. More Darkshards began reloading their crossbows and took aim for him only to be struck with arrows embedded into them from their left field of view. Doom Slayer glanced at the downed druchii to find Alith Anar and his surviving Shadow Warriors onboard.
"For Nagarythe!" Cried the Shadow King, and a skirmish on the ship soon began. Both Druchii and Asur clashed. Alith shot an arrow into one of the pirates, before standing next to Doom Slayer.
"You seem to be handling this quite well." Alith remarked.
"Leave the captain to us. You handle the pirates." Hayden said.
"If you insist." The Shadow King replied.
Doom Slayer aimed his shotgun towards the leader, but was struck by a bolt of purple lightning as it sent him flying backwards. He didn't lose his balance, however, and gripped with his palms to the floor beneath him. He stood back up and searched for the perpatrator. Standing between him and the captain was a scantily-clad woman wielding a staff that looked overkill in design. Like some razor-sharp christmas ornament. She had a dagger of similar quality, but that was smaller and "safer" to carry at least.
"You will pay for your indignation!" She snarled. Purple energy around her began glowing menacingly, and Doom Slayer was back on his feet in no time. He evaded her just as she casted more bolts of lightnings at him again. Each shot exploded upon impact, hitting several unaware druchii with bloody results.
Doom Slayer pulled out the Plasma Gun and started shooting back. Each shot was deflected as the sorceress pulled up a magical shield around her. He groaned as it reminded him of his fights against Archviles. At least he didn't have to deal with her spawning demons. That would've been a total nightmare.
Doom Slayer jumped down to where the main sail was located, and where the fight had become the most concentrated, and switched back to the Paingiver. This time, he switched to the Remote Detonate mod. He was interrupted by a couple of druchii but made short work of them, with one having his arm bent to unnatural degrees before the bone shard impaled him through the face; the other getting a quick slash to the throat with the Doomblade. He aimed high to the sky and waited to reach atop the tallest sail and then detonated. It exploded in the air, signalling the Loremaster to his presence. Switching back to Lock-on Burst, the sorceress teleported to his presence at a good timing, allowing him to lock on her. Three rockets propelled towards her. She instantly raised her shield again, although pained upon impact, as they cracked through her defenses.
"Gah! DAMN INSECT!" She snarled. Distracted, Doom Slayer launched himself towards her and landed a Blood Punch against her crippled shield. The ripple from the impact exploded the shield and the sorceress was sent flying across the floor. Doom Slayer charged towards, pulling out the super shotgun again and taking aim at her head. A darkshard interrupted him, however, and landed a bolt on his right bicep. Enraged, Doom Slayer took aim and launched an Ice Bomb at him along with his comrades. The bomb exploded and enveloped them with ice and snow, leaving them at the mercy of the Shadow Warriors, while breaking the bolt before pulling it out.
The sorceress wasted no time with him distracted and teleported away. Doom Slayer noticed and shot a full round at her, only to hit nothing. She reappeared on the highest position of the ship and glared down to where Doom Slayer was.
"Fool! You will now see the full might of my true powers!" She gloated. Raising a hand up towards the sky, a storm was brewing above the boat, and purple lightning began striking down on the ship, heavily. Both Asur and Druchii were caught unaware and found themselves flying off the floor or being electrocuted from lightning. Many proceeded to take cover to avoid the sorceress' elemental fury. Doom Slayer stood his ground, however, and remained undaunted by the intimidation. One lightning was ready to strike down on him, only to be blocked by a magical shield above him just as a flash of light appeared behind him. Glancing back, he recognized the twins alongside Korhil and the lady knight and several of the Sea Guard appearing.
"FOR ULTHUAN!" Tyrion yelled as he pulled out his flaming sword in the air. The Sea Guard charged and clashed with the ever dwindling Druchii onboard. Doom Slayer kept his eye on the sorceress, who was now fuming with rage by the sight of the Asur. A flash of light appeared behind him and standing next to him was Teclis.
"Need of any assistance?" Teclis asked.
"Not really. Just dealing with a mild hindrance." Hayden answered.
"Then allow me to help, regardless."
Doom Slayer reloaded and began to give chase while Teclis stood back, downing another elixir as he begun preparing his spells.
The sorceress, meanwhile, grew frustrated and began recklessly throwing all of her magic just to destroy the Slayer. Seeing the danger he was heading, the High Loremaster casted the Shield of Saphery onto the Slayer's armor, allowing him to continue on without harm as the dark magic made contact.
A pirate attempted to sneak behind Teclis, only for Tyrion to stab his brother's would-be attacker in the back.
"You should be watching your back!" Tyrion yelled.
"That's why I have you for that." Teclis replied. His brother groaned as he continued to fight the druchii. Seeing how capable Doom Slayer was handling on his own, Teclis left him to his own device and aided his brother finishing off the pirate crew.
Viktur stabbed a Sea Guard into the exposed throat as he defended for dear life. He gritted his teeth as another attempted to skewer him with a spear, only for the Asur to be pushed off the ship. Sindric, meanwhile, stabbed one in the gut and before decapitating him as he began crawling for safety with futile results.
"DAMMIT ALL! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!" Viktur yelled out in frustration. What should have been a quick and clean raid ended in disaster as his ship was now crawling with his accursed cousins. Everywhere, those rats were killing his men and it was a bloody nightmare.
That damn green man was responsible for this shitshow, and he will take his head if his sister didn't get to him first. Glancing back to where his sister was, Saressa struggled to beat the man alone despite him being alone and with no allies to back him up.
This was both impossible and suicidal. How could this idiot face Saressa, a member of the Dark Convent and one of the most powerful sorceresses of Naggaroth, on his own. He prayed his sister would be done with him and get them both off of this forsaken boat.
His lieutenant interrupted his thoughts.
"Captain! We have to leave now! They're swarming the whole ship!"
"I CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT, SINDRIC!" Viktur snarled. He quickly thought of his next options. Hiding in his quarters was impossible as the glassed windows would expose his position, not to mention that the door could only hold for so long. And escaping by boat was slow as the crew was dwindling in number. Which meant only one thing.
The escape wards in the decks below.
"Captain! What do we do?!" Sindric cried. His captain turned around and placed his hands on his lieutenant's shoulders.
"Simple, Sindric!" Viktur started. "You've been a loyal lieutenant for quite some time! Therefore, you must protect me while I escape to safety!"
"W-WHAT?!" Sindric balked. "I'M NOT GONNA FEND YOUR ARSE WHILE YOU LEAVE US TO BLOODY KHAINE'S REALM! TO HELL WITH THAT! DOGSHIT OF A PLAN IS WHAT IT IS!"
"Well, let's agree to disagree!" The captain replied, just as he suddenly shoved Sindric off the rails where the fight happened below. Viktur landed on top of some crates, where the noise alerted several Asur nearby.
"Iwillhaveyoumemorializedbackhooome!" Viktur hastily said just as his lieutenant was soon surrounded by the Asur soldiers.
"VIIIIKTUUUUUUUUUR!" Sindric screamed in bloody murder, only for Viktur to escape by the time he finished.
Alone and now surrounded, Sindric held up his sword and charged towards the Sea Guard with one final yell.
Saressa held her ground as the green man kept putting pressure on her with weapons so alien to her that it would have put either the Witch King or the Hag Sorceress to shame. That, didn't stop her as she held him at bay with her own magic, though.
She could feel her own body was draining, however, as she pushed herself to fend off the intruder.
The man was relentless. His speed could beat the finest horses or the most vicious Cold Ones (or both) in a race without tiring even by the shortest distance. And the strength and brutality he delivered onto the crew was fearsome to behold. Meaning that he kept the sorceress on her toes as long as possible. And she needed to end this quick.
"Why. Won't. You. DIE?!" She yelled, blasting crystal shards out of her hands, only to hit nothing as the green man kept dodging her spells. In return, the man blast blue magical energies back at Saressa, forcing her to duck and take cover.
The man advanced closer to the sorceress. Desperate and already losing both her ground and willpower, Saressa looked to a group of pirates with command in her voice.
"You four! Distract the man while I prepare my spell! Or I'll have your skins flayed in an instant!" She ordered. They did without hesitation in fear of their superior as they charged toward the green man.
Wasting no time, she made one last attempt in a ditch effort to win. Reaching her staff towards the sky and calling upon the magic of Dhar once more, a blinding flash of purple light struck the staff's decorative head, and surged into her body. Feeling more powerful than ever, she quickly focused on the man, who had now just killed the last of the pirates used as distraction. She raised a freehand towards him as a beam of dark energy was shot out of her.
Seeing the dark energy aimed toward, the man in turn shot his own beam in return. The contact between the two power sources sent a shockwave on the ship, with some of the Asur and Druchii flying off towards the waters below in an instant. Dhar Magic clashing against Argent Plasma could be felt in the air and it was near palpable. It was a high risk that will soon turn into reward for the sorceress as she continued to blast forth the power against the warrior. Her magic was pushing back the blue beam further as green man was struggling to hold his ground; his feet slowly sliding underneath him.
Seeing her victory was close at hand, Saressa kept pushing with all her might as the magic pushed back, despite the straining in her body.
"YESSSSS!" She gleefully said, as she dawned a wicked and predatory smile upon her lips. No longer will this worm trouble this ship further, and the Asur will soon follow after.
Unfortunately, such victories were short-lived.
As Saressa was inching towards victory, she failed to notice an arrow flying towards her as it struck her on the shoulder. She lost both her balance and focus, leaving her at the mercy of the green man's weapon. The blue energy struck her body and the pain that followed was excrucriatingly agonising.
Blood was boiling, and the flesh began to cook. She screamed and screamed as she felt her entire body as if it were on fire. Her body was cooking on the inside and forcefully expanded as they reached their limit. Mercy welcomed a moment later, and what was left of the sorceress known as Saressa of House Bloodsong exploded into gore and Argent plasma, leaving no traces of her whatsoever, save for the unidentifiable flesh landing on the wooden panels.
The green giant stood over what's left of the sorceress' remains, and standing behind him was the one responsible for averting Saressa's victory..
"I figured she would be quite troublesome, Slayer." Alith responded. "No one has ever dared to fight a sorceress of the Dark Convent alone. Except maybe me, of course."
"He's killed a lot worse than this." Hayden replied, just as Doom Slayer admired the plasma gun's Microwave Beam for it's excellent purpose. "What's the status on the ship? Any signs of progress, I mean."
"Looks like we're winning the tide. But I'm certainly you made it easy for all of use. Glad to you have you on our side."
"Be glad to help." Hayden thanked. "Where's the captain?"
"Last I saw, he went inside. Most likely down further to get out, somehow."
"Which more than likely means that he has other means of escaping. Too bad it won't get him far."
"Then let's make haste, shall we?" Doom Slayer nodded, and both men made their way below the decks in haste.
Lower Decks...
Viktur navigated his way below the decks. Sweat was starting to blind his vision and the damned helmet was getting the way. Throwing it off, he frantically looked around and tried to find the escape wards.
While he was certainly no sorcerer - because gods forbid he did as that would put him under the Witch King's sight - his sister still taught him a few tricks. Enough that allowed him to avoid persecution. And the wards were one such spell.
In the rare occasion that the ship and its crew were in peril. He and his sister would escape back home in their own household by wards marked in a secret room where no one save for the Bloodsongs knew about. Said room was specifically transmuted by his sister and it could only be open with the blood of a Bloodsong.
How fortunate it was that Viktur was one himself.
He searched around the decks, passing by slaves that were still chained to the wall, and moving about as he searched for the hidden room.
Eventually, and hastily, he found the hidden passage of where the escape wards were with a symbol on it. Excited, he made a small cut on his hand and placed it over the symbol.
The passage magically opened on itself, revealing the wards on the floor where the Viktur stood over, giving him a sense of relief. All he had to do was to repeat the process over with the magical ward as well.
"Shame my sister won't come along. Most likely dead, I think. But there's plenty of fish in the sea." He thought.
His thoughts were soon interrupted as heard footsteps behind him.
"Drop the weapons. Hands where I can see them." A voice behind Viktur said. Freedom was so close and now he had to deal with more inconvenience.
Slowly, he dropped his weapons on the floor and turned around, where he was now standing face-to-face with his still battered and bruised, but very much alive lieutenant holding a crossbow aimed at his abdomen.
His heart beating rapidly, Viktur forced a smile upon his lips opposite of Sindric's deep scowl.
"Sindric, you're alive! And I am so glad to say that I have managed to find our escape! So allow me to help you get us out and then we-"
Sindric raised the crossbow close to his former captain's face.
"Cut the shit, Viktur." Sindric interrupted. "Those words aren't going to get you anywhere. I know about the wards, and I know where it'll take you. So do us a favor and get me the fuck out of here!"
Viktur's heart sank, realizing his secret was found out after all.
"One question: you won't keep kill me once we escape, correct?" Viktur meekly asked.
"Keep it up, and you won't wait for long." Sindric threatened. The captain gulped, but relented.
"Fine, fine." Viktur accepted. Sindric gestured him to start, to which the captain eagerly did. Placing his blood onto the wards, the light began glowing around it, and his lieutenant soon shoved Viktur aside with a grin on his face. Viktur took the opportunity to shove him on top of the wards as soon as Sindric was distracted. Quickly, he grabbed his sword and thrusted it into his former lieutenant's right shoulder.
"F-Fucking bastard!" Sindric howled. "I'll get you for this!"
"Sorry! But I'm afraid you were too clever by a half to be decieved like this!" Viktur mockingly replied. Just as Sindric tried to curse back, the ward was activated and what became of Sindric's upper half was now writhing and flailing about in agony somewhere in Naggaroth much to the panicking of several druchii nearby, before dying just as he cursed Bloodsong's name. The lower half meanwhile remained on the Faded Silence, right where the captain stood over.
Viktur felt relief again as he escape certain death, once more. He only made one step to freedom before a sudden blast landed on the secret doorway that made him jump back in surprise, crashing into the floor again. Quickly looking back up, he saw the green giant had his gun aimed right at him. Up on his feet, he ran for his dear life down further into the decks below, while the Slayer kept up and placed a shot after shot of each round missing its target.
On purpose.
Chambers...
Gwen heard the explosions inside her room. She did not know if she was hallucinating until the boat suddenly rocked violently up on impact the second time. She wasn't sure if this was some sort of rescue or simply trading off one prison for another.
If it was the latter, then she prayed they killed her immediately.
It had been too long since anything happened on the ship. She hadn't seen the light of the sun. Or the chill air brushing her skin. Or even looked at herself.
She thought that by offering to service the ship, she could finally free both herself and her beloved Mathelin of their bondage if they met the druchii's standards.
It was all for naught as she soon realized that "servicing" them was the worst offer she could have made.
First it started with the captain. Then his lieutenant. And then his crew.
Their hands. Horrible hands. She could feel them digging into her skin as they forced inside her repeatedly, while teeth bit through her flesh like meat. The knives that cut her backside wer still as fresh and raw in her memory.
And then there was that witch, who toyed with her with her magic; torturing her with visions of her father... violating her in the worst way imaginable. This was not true, for her father never dared to commit such a heinous act. And yet, it seemed real enough to have happened.
And it probably did.
So when she finally had enough of the pain they inflicted on her, she broke the deal. They in turn killed Mathelin before her eyes. Cutting his head off before it rolled in front of her. Right where she laid bare the horrific scars in front of him.
She screamed for him in despair, before turning her anger at the whoreson that was captain. In response, Viktur gleefully grabbed Math's head and shove it in front of Gwen to force her to kiss his now dead lips. She was broken beyond comprehension, and wae sent back to the dark room that she had been forced to live in. The crew would come in every once in awhile, forcefully relieving themselves inside of her. The witch tortured her some more, this time with a hallucinations of Mathelin as he blamed her for his death while carrying his head in one hand.
And it was rightly so. For all the good that Gwen had attempted, it was but a sham that she walked in. And she paid it with her own broken body.
But lately, she had gotten fewer visits as time passed. She didn't know how long. Even with what happened the other night, it ceased for quite a bit.
Until he came. Viktur had personally delivered a message to her, promising her that she'll be in the hands of another monster. But what good was a promise for? To offer herself another cycle of torment, or to break it for one's selfish desires?
She had nothing to live for. She would rather die immediately than be thrown to another horrible being.
So to finally hear the sounds of fighting upstairs finally gave her peace. Hopefully, she didn't have to suffer the same humiliation as before.
All she needed was for Death to arrive on her doorstep, and end her suffering. She just had to keep watch on the door in front of her, and wait for it.
Heavy footsteps approached her door, and the sight of it opening loudly before it slammed shut immediately had her slowly perk her head up a bit.
Standing in front of her was Viktur, who seemed to look around frantically for something. He instantly recognized the drawers to his left, and immediately went to it and pushed it in front of the door. Looking back, he noticed Gwen was still lying on the floor. He walked up to her and grabbed her from the floor in a harsh manner.
"Change of plans, whore! I have a better position waiting in store for you!" He whispered, with none of the polite manners that he once had in his voice, before pulling out a dagger and placing it on her neck. It wasn't close as she had expected. Not so much as any contact with her skin.
There was a loud banging on the door and an angry voice. it was Taryn's voice that was yelling outside.
"Dammit, captain! Let me FUCKING in!... W-Wait. Wait! Let me live! T-The captain's inside that room! W-With a whore in there! That's all I know! B-But you can arrest me! Please, I can cha- wait. What are you doing?! P-Please, NO-"
*BANG* *thud*
The sound of what was presumably a gun could be heard from the other side of the door, which meant two things: either it was the Men of the Empire, or more pirates. If it was pirates, then she hoped they were merciful and give her the killing blow.
Silence came, and then footsteps came. They were slow but loud to intimidate on their own. Another brief pause of silence followed, before the door swung open with so much force that the drawer broke in half upon impact as both parts flew off in different directions. It made the captain jolt and almost pressed his dagger to her throat.
Despite very little light entering her prison, Gwen had adapted to the darkness for so long that she could even see the dark corners of her confinement. And what she could see standing before her frightened her.
Standing in front of the door, was a man whose size dwarfed the captain in comparison. Adorned in perhaps the strangest armor, the man's appearance could be akin to that of an otherworldy Grail knight, with the height and musculature of one of those savage northmen she had heard about.
Looking to his hands, Gwen noticed an equally strange weapon, yet he carried it much like a gun. It had a reddish copper hue, with bulky attachments unlike anything she had seen. It looked far too heavy to be carried by any ordinary Empire men.
But what was most unusual were his eyes. She could clearly see his eyes underneath his helm. And they were angry.
Unblinking and perpetually blank. The man didn't even so much as shift his brows to any other emotion except for rage.
Her heart sank deep as she now realized that the Warriors of Chaos had invaded the ship and she was going to be a prisoner under her new wardens, and hoped that they killed her shortly.
"Stay away from me! Or I'll kill the bitch!" Viktur threatened with futile effort; his voice cracking under pressure, desperation and fear.
"I see Saressa didn't get you! First my glory, then the men, the ship, and now my sister! What do you want that you've already taken from me?!"
The man stood motionless. Not even wincing under the captain's panicked yelling. It only frustrated the druchii further.
"ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!" Viktur yelled. This time the man moved suddenly and so quickly as he now aimed the weapon at face level. Fear gripped the druchii's heart and pressed the dagger deep against her throat. Gwenivar could feel the cold steel push further down her skin, almost to trickle droplets of blood under a shallow cut.
"I-I mean it! She will die!" Viktur yelled. It was at this moment that Gwenivar Sanguine would die on this day, and her passing had finally come to her.
And for the first time since she had become a prisoner to these monsters, she found her voice.
And pleaded.
"...p...pl-please...ki...kill...me..."
The man seemed to understand her. Whether it was out of pity or not, he granted her wish. And pulled the trigger.
*BANG*
A scream came after. But not from her.
She thought that she had finally passed away from the mortal world, screaming all the way as she entered. But it was not to be.
Gwen felt hands on her. Not the hands of those twisted monsters that forced themselves onto her repeatedly; but one who held her with delicate care and tenderness. She opened her eyes and realized that the man had been holding her. Confused, she looked back to where the screaming was. And lying on the floor was Viktur Bloodsong, wailing in horror as he clutched onto what used to be his swordarm, now turned into a bloody stump at the elbow, with only sinew and skin flaps still connected to the forearm.
The armored man soon set her aside in the hands of another person. This time, it was an elf. A druchii. However, unlike the pirates, this one had much more noble features and wore armour befitting of a knight. His skin was pale but more natural unlike his barbaric kin.
"Are you all right?" He asked in Reikspiel. It was a language she recognise but not in her native tongue. Still, it did not matter.
She was speechless, but then noticed something in the corner of her eye. She glanced over and saw four figures walking over to her. Each of them wore the same suit of armor, with several types of heraldries adorned on their mantles. And then she noticed their hair and ears on two of them.
They were the High Elves. And she realized now that they had come to rescue her from her captors.
One walked forth; he wielded a staff and seemed oddly frail and weaker compared to the others. Especially in comparison to the one with a lion's pelt over his shoulder.
"You are in safe hands, sweet child." The elf assured. His smile easing her as did his voice soothe her.
"Do you speak Reikspiel? Or Bretonnian?" He asked.
"...Br...Br-Bretonnian..." She answered. The elf nodded curtly.
"I see." He said simply.
Another howl of pain followed and everyone looked back to see the armored man now standing over Viktur, who this time found his left leg bent to unnatural degrees. It seemed like he was trying to get away only for her savior to stop him from doing so.
"I believe you should be elsewhere." The frail elf suggested. Gwen kept her eyes on the downed pirate before slowly looking back to the Asur.
"...N-No..." She answered. "I-I... need... to see this... once and for... all."
The Asur looked with uncertainty, as did the others, but relented.
"If you insist." He said, respectfully. The dark-haired elf helped her walk towards the scene.
Now, the event was starting. Her knight stood over the now feebled pirate with little resistance. He soon pulled out a gun seemingly out of thin air. He aimed it towards Viktur's face, who was now begging and crying for mercy. He pressed the barrel against the druchii's forehead, slowly. Viktur kept pleading for his life as he was now at the mercy of the green knight.
After a few tense moments, the knight took the gun off of his face for no reason.
Suddenly, he spoke up with a coldness in his voice.
"You're not going to die with a bullet in your head..." He said. Viktur looked surprised and seemed relieved at first.
"...but you're going to wish it did."
Soon after, the knight pulled out something far more vicious than anyone had ever seen.
It had the markings of a sword, but bulky like his previous gun and far more brutal to behold. The handle was a large yellow box with a blade sticking out at the front, while the blade itself had "teeth" on its edges.
The knight pulled something on the side of it, which soon made a growling noise akin to that of a wolf's snarl, which then roared in anger just as its teeth began moving at horrifying speeds. Viktur reeled in horror at the fate he would recieve.
"W-Wait, wait! NonononoAAAAAAGHHH!
Raising the weapon over his head, the knight quickly slammed it down onto Viktur's stomach, and what followed would haunt everyone's sleep thereafter.
Screams followed as his sword began ravaging the druchii's innards. Viktur attempted to claw his way out but found his nails gone as he scraped too hard on the floor. He attempted to push it off with his one remaining hand, only for it to be eviscerated as well as the teeth sliced off his fingers to oblivion.
The knight then pulled it up towards his chest, tearing the flesh and organs along the way. The pain must have been so unbearable that Gwen could see Viktur biting off his own tongue, before his teeth shattered under pressure. His voice went from screams of agony to something not even human. It was too similar to that of a swan and it went on like that for what felt like hours despite seconds passing.
The blade came up towards the neck, which ceased the screaming entirely, before the knight went up further towards the chin, and then the head; obliterating everything in the process.
The "sword" ceased roaring and the knight yanked it off; leaving behind what was perhaps the most gruesome scenery put on display. Every single Asur present displayed so many emotions in what they had witnessed.
"F-Fucking hells, Slayer..." The tallest elf muttered, trying his damnedest to comprehend what he had seen. The female Asur put a hand over her mouth, attempting to control her breathing even as she began tearing up. The one with the golden armor behind Gwen soon began vomiting at the revolting display.
The only ones who showed little emotions were both the kind Asur and dark-haired fellow. The former visibly shaken based on his hand on his staff, and the latter giving no more than an eye twitch.
As for Gwen, her simple response was to simply walk right up to the displayed carnage. She simply ignored the warrior and stood before Viktur's corpse.
She gazed upon her former captor's ravaged body.
All the times she spent on the ship, being the plaything of those pirates; being humiliated with so much depravity scarred onto her body, and forced to watch Math die for her cowardice.
It was finally over.
She knelt down on her knees. She continued to stare at the corpse, before her eyes trailed off to the dagger once grasped by Viktur's hand.
Not missing the chance, she quicky grabbed it off his hand and began stabbing onto Viktur's remains repeatedly.
Each strike she felt her emotions ramp up immediately. All the rage that faded from her returned with a vengeance. The first few stabs were done in grunts, then came the yelling, and then the screams.
All of her anger, now channeled into her fists as she continued to stab into the monster she forced herself to bargain with.
Herself. Mathalin. Their love. Their future. All gone. Save for the rekindled vengeance.
Eventually, her screams turned to that of wailing. Tears poured out of her eyes as she began crying, and her innate need to lash out on the dead druchii faded.
Until finally, she stopped.
All the pain, the torture, and the turmoil she had been through, had finally reached its end.
She weeped as her cheeks were stained with dried tears. Only did the touch of something furry had been placed gently on her shoulder did she noticed. She looked up and realized it was the armored man.
The man's eyes had shifted from rage to that of compassion. She had been initially shocked by his appearance, and then horror when he brutally killed Viktur. But now, all of a sudden, this man had shown a gentle side to him as he carefully laid a blanket on her and then picked her up from the bloodstained floor.
"Are you alright now, ma'am?" He asked. Despite the frigidness in his voice, there was softness in it that made her feel at ease.
She nodded, stiffly. Only a blink responded in return. The man then guided her outside where the Asur cleared out to give them space. Leaving her prison for the first time.
The man then stopped and turned to the frail Asur.
"We'll have to discuss the plans later, Teclis. Right now, we'll need to free the slaves. Until then, we have much to talk about."
"Understandable, Hayden." Teclis said. "Thank you, Doom Slayer. Both of you may leave."
Hayden? Doom Slayer? Was that the warrior's name? It was a strange name. Suddenly, Gwen was lifted off her feet and carried in his arms. It surprised her even more.
He continued walking. Never stopping as he reached towards the stairs.
But by now, she felt... at peace.
She closed her eyes and rested on his shoulder.
For the man that saved her was her knight in shining armor.
"M-Merci..."
"M-Merci..." The girl said, before resting on him.
Doom Slayer remained emotionless at the gratitude. But deep down, he appreciated the words.
After dealing a huge blow to the Dark Elves, the battle that ensued was rewarding on its own. Too long had he been without bloodshed, to the point of going mad from withdrawal. So to finally let loose in his element was both thrilling and comfortable.
As for the Druchii; seeing the destruction they had wrought may have been nothing compared to the likes of demons, it certainly made his blood boil to unimaginable proportions. And to see those slaves left shackled to the walls; wasting away from broken spirits and malnutrition made him all the more vicious with his rampage.
And then seeing the girl be used as a human shield; covered in some of the worst mutilations he had ever seen on a human body, was the last straw for him. He didn't waste away the moment he had the Heavy Cannon's Precision Bolt activated before he blasted the whoreson's arm by the elbow. And he certainly didn't mind taking his sweet time revving up the Chainsaw before he gave the whimpering cunt a taste of his own medicine.
Demons may have been the greatest existential threat to the entire universe, but there are still monsters that play second fiddle to them.
And once he's finally done, he'll be damned certain that they dig their own graves first. Because he's got every bullet with their names on it.
Each and every one of them.
