A/N Season finale
Alt title: Until Dawn
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UndeadLord22: I fixed it.
GiantPsychoGecko: People will find a reason to complain about anything. Put it was mostly the brief reference to the Ukraine conflict.
Nuclear cat: I, cannot answer that in full. Just know that he could break the sound barrier.
Anyumaaka: Here is more! And with more Ninya!
slowdownV2: Thank you!
Kaykaykaykayan: Shalltear is fucking crazy.
Aren Gisly: I never left.
FAKE-ROB: Oh, I already did post this on QQ.
Dio Genus: Thank you! I felt having Ninya snap, would work best if it was against a former abuser.
Guardian1644: Thank you! I genuinely try to make it apparent that Zamaina is mentally changing without making it seemed too forced.
Re'Jaad: Here's more!
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-Date, Time-
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
(Text)
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-E-Rantel, Adventurer's Guild-
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"Inazama" Zamaina POV
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"And that's fifty silver." I say smugly as I stab the knife into the table. Having just stabbed the spots between my fingers without missing, for a full minute. "Pay up."
"Fuck!" The silver plate curses as he reaches into his coin purse.
The adventurers around him all make a clatter of noise. Ribbing him for his poor bet and overall making a spectacle of the scene.
"Thank you very much!" I say as I gather up the coins he tosses on the table.
Oh yeah! Ninya is next to me. We got her a mask and we're are basically doing with her, what Evileye does. Just, her mask is white with glossy red eyes. She also wears a brown cloak with a tan shirt underneath.
It, actually wasn't hard to get people to accept it as 'she looks up to Evileye.' And justify her joining as 'The daughter of an old friend who followed us, and we have no way of returning her home.'
It was actually her idea to come up with that. All that was needed was the guild putting her through some tests to make sure she's orichalcum level.
She passed with little issue. She's a lot more powerful now with her vampiric powers. Combined with her talent, and she already knows a third tier spell. The reason she got orichalcum through a test, as opposed to us who had to start from the bottom. Is because she's joining an already established team. So it's basically stated that any experience she may lack, we'll be teaching her. And if she dies, it's our fault.
"Inazama!" I hear Momon call as he steps out of the guild master's office while I pocket my coins. "Nabe! Lysithea! We're off!"
'Looks like we're off.' I think to myself.
"Of course!" Nabe says as she stands and follows after him while I stand up alongside Ninya who shoots up faster than Nabe.
Oh yeah, turns out her name isn't Ninya. It's Lysithea, she went by Ninya because that's a boy's name and is similar to her sister's.
I am not going to pretend to know how this world names its people.
"What's the job?" I ask as another man and his group starts following us.
Likely the poor fools we're using as 'witnesses' for the first phase of the plan.
"There's been a report of a powerful vampire on the edge of the great forest of Tob." Momon says as he heqds straight for the doors, causing Ninya to eep at the mention of the word vampire. "A few paces north of the road to Harlok village."
That's one of the villages in the area that's between E-Rantel and the capital. Re-estize is about as big as some of the larger states in the U.S.
Or roughly half the size France was back in my first life. With several cities, and countless villages.
"Reports?" I ask for clarification as we exit the guild, though it's just for show.
"There was an expedition of sorts." He starts explaining as he whistles for Hamsuke. "A group of bandits led by an unknown martial arts user were making quite the nuisance of themselves. No bandits were found, and only one of the adventurers returned." He finishes as Hamsuke barrels around the corner, nearly knocking several people over as she comes to a stop in front of us.
"Master!" Hamsuke shouts as they skid to a stop. "Faithful Hamsuke is! Mere moments I arrive at your call!"
"You did well." Momon says as he pets the proud beast with an armored hand.
"So we are to confirm the presence of this vampire?" Lysithea, Ninya, asks.
Now that she's not pretending to be a young boy, she no longer has that rasp in her voice. And actually sounds a bit like what I remember her sister sounds like from the show, just a little lower in pitch.
"Precisely." Momon nods as he mounts Hamsuke and Nabe gets on behind him. "Inazama, Lysithea, we shall meet you at the gate alongside Kralgra!"
It's then that I decide to focus on the group that followed us out of the guild. Turning to the sour faced, brown haired leader. I just shrug and he rolls his eyes before turning to the stables.
"Well he seems cheerful." I quip as he walks away.
"He's a veteran with twenty years of experience." Ninya says softly.
"And he's still mithril?" I ask as I walk towards the stables.
"That's still impressive." Ninya mutters sheepishly. "Most adventurers don't get that far. Humans aren't naturally strong like mon- other races."
'Bullshit.' I think to myself. 'Damn near anyone can get strong, they just need to go about it the right way.'
"Blue Rose, Red Drop, Gazef, Brain, Fluder, Silver Thread, do I need to keep going?" I ask as I hold up a finger for each one.
"Th-that's different!" Ninya protests as I enter the stable and approach the stable hand. "They're more, exceptional than most."
'Or rather more lucky.' I roll my eyes.
How many adventurers are weak, because they focus their time and effort on the wrong skills? Imagine if Evileye tried to be a fighter. Or if Fluder never wanted to study magic.
"One for a week." I say as I produce the gold coin.
He nods and hands me a certificate of rent for me to sign. Which I do, and show my plate to verify. It's a measure meant to prevent horse thieves.
Yes, stealing livestock is a major crime. Horses especially, they're basically the cars of this world.
"Third on the right, black with white spots, her name's Jask." He says and points to one of the stables.
I have to reel in all of my lycanthropic nature so as to not set off the animal. I've basically learned that the whole 'sixth sense' animals stereotypically have, still applies. And most regular animals freak in my presence if I'm not trying to hide.
"J-just one?" Ninya stutters nervously as I mount the beast of burden.
"Yes, now get up here." I instruct as I extend a hand for her to grab.
I yank her up as soon as she grasps my hand. Pulling her up with a squeak as she flails slightly. Before fumbling around a bit and sitting upright behind me.
"You good?" I ask. "Got a good grip?"
"Mrhm." She nods as she places her hands on the saddle.
She's not holding onto me. And she's not like Nabe who can use her exceptional strength to hold on as she sits sideways. Not that a normal horse could handle that.
"Alright." I shrug, deciding to let life be the teacher as I urge the horse forward out of the stables.
"Ah!" She screams as she immediately falls out of the saddle.
I don't even try to hide my chuckle.
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-Cave sight, 3 days later-
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"This the place?" I ask as I hop off the horse and onto the grassy forest floor. Before us being a cave set into a small mountain with a small blotch of grassless earth in front, indicating it's a well traveled entrance.
"Should be." Galtis, Kralgra's fighter, says as he looks around. "Halyon said this was the hideout of the Death Spreading Brigade."
'Um, what?' I can't help but think.
"You'd think there'd be some traps or something." Igvarge says as he slides off of his own horse. "Even if they left the place, I don't see why it wouldn't be defended. If anything it'd just be more trouble to clean up before leaving."
'That's because Shalltear and her brides set off every trap from here to the road.' I recall the report.
"Wait, they were called the Death Spreading Brigade?" I have to stop as I help Ninya off the horse. "Seriously?"
"What?" Galtis asks with a furrowed brow. "Do you know them?"
'Do, do they not see how dumb that name is?' I think as I notice the others don't bat an eye at the ridiculous name.
"No, I just, it's nothing." I shake my head, seeing the sentiment not being shared.
We head towards the entrance of the cave and inspect the place. Not finding anything of note, not even bloodstains or discarded equipment. And it doesn't take long for the others with us to get antsy at the lack progress.
"There's nothing here, no sign of a struggle or anything." One of the fighter's voices. Frustration and confusion seeping into his tone.
"At this point I'm thinking we're being pulled around by our asses." Another says as he puts his hands on his hips and sighs while looking around.
"Maybe, it's time we check inside the cave?" Ninya asks quietly, still scared of someone recognizing her voice.
"Yeah, Bartes, light up a few torches for us." Igvarge commands one man to do so.
"Regardless, I suggest that we should still proceed with caution. It's possible the vampire may have cleaned the area to cover its tracks and make its new home, more unassuming." Momon says as Nabe nods along. "I suggest half of us stay back here, while the other half investigate the cave. Inazama, you're the best scout on our team so I'd like for you to go inside, along with Lysithea of course. Nabe's magic and my suit are ill suited for caves and the like."
"Got it." I say as I head towards the cave, turning around to face the joining group. "So, who am I babysitting?"
That seems to irk them something fierce, judging by the sneers they give me. Showing a clear dislike for my attitude.
Good, I don't like them either. And it's not like they'll be around much longer.
"I and Bartes will go with you." Igvarge says as he marches forth and hands me a torch Bartes lit. "And as a more seasoned adventurer, you'll be following me. Got it?" He says, pointing a thumb to himself.
"Whatever you say." I shrug and take the offered torch. And he soon enters the cave, before I look down to Ninya. "Never meet your heroes, am I right?"
"Um, I guess?" She says uncertainly with a tilt of her head.
"Forget it." I sigh with a shake of my head before heading into the cave with Ninya following.
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"Place was clearly lived in, but it looks like they cleared out." Bartes says as he looks around the place, shining his torch against the floor, bringing light to some scattered hay on the ground.
"Still doesn't explain the lack of basic traps." I play along as I look around, waiting for the scapegoat we have prepared. "Something is off. Unless they were complete idiots, there should be some sign of defenses. Abandoned or not."
"And there's still the issue of this supposed Vampire." Igvarge says as he looks back to us, and the Wendigo slowly approaches him from behind.
'There it is!' I think excitedly as I keep my face calm.
It's a basic level thirty three monster that we had summoned from the fifth floor pop summons. No sentience or intelligence outside of following our orders. And, the perfect proxy for this stage play of ours. I can't see it, but I can hear and smell it. And boy does it smell.
There are two types of wendigo in Yggdrasil, the Jotunheim Wendigo, which is pretty inaccurate being very deer like. And the Nifleheim version, is more lore accurate.
Guess which one I grabbed?
"Wait, do you smell that?" Igvarge says before turning around and holding out his torch as the crouched Wendigo slowly approaches him.
"Yeah." I say cautiously as I slowly step closer. "Smells, like rotting meat."
All is quiet as the Wendigo twitches its head. Being blind as it moves its head around to hear everything more clearly.
The moment Igvarge gets close enough for the torchlight to shine on the creature, it faces him with its sunken, faded eyes, and lipless, needlelike tooth filled mouth.
"Six be damned!" He shouts as he draws his sword. "It's a ghoul!"
"That's not a ghoul! Stop!" I 'try' to stop him, only for him to swing his sword, and break it on the creature's flesh. The metal hitting its shoulder, and snapping off with a sharp ping before clattering to the floor.
The wendigo stands tall, rising to its spindly, eight foot tall, gaunt and emaciated form. While Igvarge looks up in horror at the creature. Jumping back to avoid a swipe that would've surely taken his head off. Letting out a horrid, deafening screech that causes Igvarge to fall on his ass and drop his torch.
"Don't make a sound!" I say as I scoop up a pile of rocks and toss them behind the wendigo. Causing it to snap its head back towards the sound, as Bartes freaks out and runs to the exit.
Which of course makes the wendigo snap back to the fleeing man. Letting out a hellish screech before bounding on all fours after the man.
Slowly making my towards the sitting Igvarge, I tap his shoulder and help him up.
"The hell is that thing!?" He yells, and I cover his mouth.
"It's a wendigo, it's blind." I say quietly. "They're a type of undead now shut up unless you want to die."
We need at least one witness if we want this to go off without a hitch.
He glares at me, but nonetheless nods as I guide us towards the entrance of the cave. Where we see the wendigo feeding on Bartes. The man having not made it to the exit in time. Causing Ninya's breath to hitch at the sight of the dead man being torn open and consumed.
The wendigo looks up from its meal and slowly gets up. Rising to two feet as it stalks towards us, hunched over and head twitching. Searching for the source of the sound.
Putting an arm in front of Ninya, I move us to the wall and motion for Igvarge to do the same. Pressing ourselves against the wall as I crouch down and once again, grab a handful of rocks. Tossing one further down the cave, causing the wendigo to freeze. Tossing another, and another in a steady pace. The wendigo roars as it bounds its way down the darkened passage.
Once out of sight for a few moments, we run out of the cave. Alibi set, witness secured, all that's left is to upsell this matter.
Exiting the cave to the rest of my team and the rest of, fuck I already forgot the other's names.
"Ah! Inaza- what's the matter?" Momon asks as he turns to us.
"There's a fucking ghoul that's ten feet tall and looks like a walking corpse!" Igvarge shouts between pants, earning everyone's attention. "Like, more than normal! Bald and white as a ghost!"
Fun fact! Most ghosts are not in fact white. They're some shade of blue, green, or purple. Sometimes red.
Momon turns from him, to me. Crossing his arms and nodding to the drama queen.
"Wendigo." I say, causing him to 'freeze in place as he uncrosses his arms.
"This far south?" Momon asks, disbelief clear in his voice.
"Yeah, you know what that thing was!" Igvarge says accusingly before jabbing a finger at me. "Explain, now!"
"First of all, chill." I grit out, pointing back to the man. "Second, it's an undead that's somewhere between a ghoul and a vampire."
"How does that make sense?" One of the adventurers asks before turning to Igvarge. "And what happened to Bartes?"
'That's one name.' I idly note.
"It's undead, and mostly inhabits the forested snowy mountains to the far north." Momon says. "They die in sunlight and are immune to all forms of harm. Save for that of fire, and very strong holy magic. But, they're ultimately mindless beasts who consume everything off of their victims."
I can smell the fear coming off of the other team after Momon's description. The idea that the monster is, as of now, invincible. Being a bit of a morale killer.
"Then we need to get a cleric or an evocationist." Igvarge resolves. "In the meantime we can board up the entrance to the cave. Unless either of you know fire or holy magic."
"A-arcane." Ninya stutters as she shrinks behind me like a scared puppy.
"Don't ask questions as though you're-"
"Nabe!" Momon stops her, before turning back to Igvarge. "My apologies, she mostly specializes in lightning magic."
"Then you're useless here." Igvarge tsks as he turns around, and I feel the urge to say something, before I remember an old saying.
Never stop an enemy from making a mistake.
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-2 hours later, E-Rantel-
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"It was dark, and you said yourself that none of the silver enchantments seemed to do anything." Momon continues to gaslight the ranger.
"Y-yeah, I guess I didn't get a good look." He says worriedly. "But I swear it had hair! This thing is bald."
We're showing an illusion of the wendigo.
"If it was fresh from a kill, it could've easily been the remnants of another's entrails, or even a piece of their clothing." I say, adding to the mans uncertainty. "It's normal to think you saw one thing, when it was another. Especially when you're panicked."
We can't use memory magic here, because he's already told several people. And we don't have any real way of getting to all of them without it potentially being noticed. So, we need to make him suggestible to the idea that he may have jumped to conclusions. And be agreeable to admitting he may have exaggerated a few things.
"Release." Ninya says as she snaps her fingers, dispelling her Charm Person.
Yeah, that's the third tier spell she knows. An inherent spell most vampires above a certain level know. So, we're using it here.
Ninya needs practice, and I never said we wouldn't cheat.
"Now we alter his memory." Momonga says. "In a few moments, we'll have never been here. He'll have been on his own and after some deep thought and rest, realize he may have, misinterpreted what he saw."
We wait as he switches to his normal gear. Grabbing the man with a glowing hand as he sifts and reshapes his memory.
"Is, is it really this easy?" Ninya questions.
"Are you doubting your masters?" Nabe asks with an edge in her voice.
Nabe, doesn't like Ninya. But she sees her worthy of dignity if nothing else. Seeing as she's pledged her allegiance to me.
"You'll find that many things are, rather trivial for us." Momonga says as he finishes up the spell, with the ranger falling slack in his chair, dead asleep. "Now, let us return and initiate phase three."
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-3 days later, E-Rantel, Adventurer's Guild-
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"After following back up with the ranger, Halyon." Ainzach says solemnly. "He admits that, he may have jumped to conclusions in his descriptions."
The already tense mood in the room grows thicker than mud as he finishes his report to us.
"You're fucking kidding me!?" Igvarge slams his hands on the table as he stands up, knocking his chair back. "He insisted it was a vampire! My silver blade was worthless! Hardly better than a stick! Bartes is dead!"
And just like that, the tension implodes on itself. Igvarge's outburst being the spark to rile the other leaders.
"Calm yourself Igvarge!" Moknack, another mithril leader chastises as he crosses his arms. "It's a tragedy, yes. But we all know the risks in this line of work. We should be grateful Halyon warned us at all."
"That's true." Bellote, the final mithril leader chimes in before looking to us in team Darkness. "You have experience with this, Wedigo? You called it. What can you tell us?"
"Wendigo." Momon says firmly. "It's a mindless undead creature from northern, more snowy lands. Born of a foul cannibalistic ritual. They are virtually indestructible from all but fire, and strong holy magics. You could collapse the cave on it, and all that'd do is hold it until it dug its way out."
"Sunlight will kill them." I add in. "Burns them to a crisp in moments. And they're entirely blind, relying on their sense of sound to navigate."
The room is quiet at hearing the information. The leaders all silently taking in the implications with a varying degrees of calmness.
"You say it's a mindless beast?" Bellote finally speaks up.
"It has as much sense as a rabid dog." I answer from my spot against the wall. "They run almost entirely on instinct."
"Almost?" Moknach asks.
"There are, a rare few that can imitate the cries of a woman." Momonga adds. "Luring would be victims into rushing towards their deaths."
"So, what you're saying is that we have an indestructible beast that can set traps, just roaming?" Igvarge sneers. "What are we to do? E-Rantel doesn't have any strong clerics. And we can't wait for one from the next city over."
"That's where you're in luck." Momon says. "For you have us. We've dealt with these beasts before, and we know how to take care of them."
"Bullshit!" Igvarge challenges. "If you know how to deal with this then why run?"
"Because we were unprepared dipshit." I pipe up, not liking the man's attitude.
"Excuse me?" He snaps his gaze over to me.
"You're excused." I say back.
"I'll not take such disrespect from one who was a mere copper rank a month ago!" He points accusingly at me, earning a snarl from Nabe as I roll my eyes at his barking.
"Calm down!" Ainzach stands up. "All of you!"
Igvarge stares me down challengingly. Before eventually, he slowly sits back down.
"Thank you." Ainzach says as he sits back down as well, taking a deep sigh as he looks to Momon. "You say you've dealt with these, wendigoes before? How do you intend to do so?"
"Quite simpl really. On paper at least." Momon says with a breath. "We wait for it to go out and hunt, and set a trap in its home."
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-3 days later, forest near the cave sight, midnight-
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"You bastards!" Igvarge yells as the wendigo gouges his knees out, forcing him to the ground with a wet clack. "You, you absolute monsters!"
"Keep screaming buddy." I say as I inspect my claws while Ninya watches the wendigo gore the man.
"C-c-can I, can I have some?" She asks shakily with a gulp, referring to the man's blood.
"Later, we need this to look real and having a vampire bite on one of them ruins the illusion." I say as the wendigo chomps into the screaming man's neck, killing the last man of Kralgra.
"S-sorry." She apologizes.
"You're fine." I say and ruffle her hair.
Yeah, after torturing Clementine and getting some much needed catharsis. Ninya's turned into a bit of a little sociopath. Anyone who vaguely resembles a former abuser, can rot for all she cares. And heads up, she suffered at the hands of a lot of people. Particularly those in power.
"Momonga should be about-" I start to say before I'm interrupted by an earth shaking explosion in the near distance. Accompanied by burst of light from the same direction. "Yep, that's our cue. Wendigo! Kill yourself."
The wendigo stops butchering the bodies and looks towards us, before grabbing its own head and with a sickening crunch. Snaps its own neck.
"Whelp, this was a hassle." I sigh through my nose. "Alright Ninya, grab that torch, we gotta touch up the body."
"Yes sir!" She nods and does as commanded.
[Hey Momonga, all good?] I message to check in.
[Yeah, we're good on our end. How about you?] He asks.
[Just about done, just burning the wendigo's corpse a bit to sell it.] I answer back.
[Alright, operation skin swap is a success!] He cheers.
[Next time, I'm choosing the name.] I message before cutting the line.
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In the end, Kralgra was disbanded, with their bodies, alongside the body of the wendigo, being brought back. The light from the explosion that 'killed' the wendigo and collapsed the cave was very visible from the nearby town.
It also unfortunately buried or burned any and all remaining evidence that may or may not confirm or deny what happened in the cave. A shame really.
The plan was simple. First we had to find out just what exactly the ranger saw and go from there. If he had heard Shalltear speak or seen her hypnotize Brita? Then we'd have to orchestrate a repeat of canon. And that would've been a lot more taxing than the cover up we set.
After that, it was just a matter of setting the scene. The wendigo looked close enough to Shalltear's true form that we were able to pass it off as the ranger not seeing things clearly in his panic to escape. With some charming and memory magic to make him more agreeable to admitting he embellished a few details.
We just needed witnesses to the wendigo and its 'invulnerability'. Maybe a dead body to further sell the act. Kralgra coming along to help us wipe out the wendigo was all them. Though, seeing how butt hurt and jealous Igvarge seemed, it didn't surprise me. And that one adventurer I gave a potion to popped up. She also gave a detailed description of the monster that was 'too busy eating everyone else to focus on her.' As she fled and got lost.
The description she gave? The wendigo. Not gonna question it, because somehow, I'm ninety percent sure it was Demiurge.
After that, it was more scene setting. Making sure it all looked nice. With Kralgra's members all dying in different locations of the forest as they failed to listen to the plan we already told Ainzach and the other mithril leaders.
See, Igvarge wanted to kill the wendigo himself, so he set his sword on fire using some of the lamp oil we procured. And put us in the thick of it. Eventually we managed to lead it away from its meals and back to the cave where we lit the fuse and blew the beast to kingdom come. And came home with its scorched corpse in a tarp. That's the official story.
A lot less climatic than canon season one's ending. But, I suppose this is better.
Though, the fact that the wendigo wiped out three parties of iron and silver plate adventurers, a bandit clan and their martial arts using leader, and a mithril team. Well, we still got that promotion to adamantite. Which, funnily enough? Had Kralgra not insisted on coming with us, and the dying so easily while we escaped unharmed. I doubt we'd have been promoted. This world's standards are so low, they consider mid to be legendary.
Oh, and the undead was blamed on Zuronon. That cult that trieD to raise two skeletal dragons, and that Clementine worked with? Those guys.
Overall, a less eventful end to our journey in reaching adamantite class. But, it's one where we ended up gaining the most.
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Demiurge POV
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"Please, that's everything." The adventurer Brita cries from the hooks.
"Hmm, I suppose it is." I say as I fill out the reports.
Either Lord Zamaina is far better at subterfuge than even his guardians could comprehend, or Shalltear is more reckless than I thought. No, she is as she was intended. Her idiocy is of no fault but her own.
A simple cross referencing of Lord Momonga's exploits in E-Rantel was all it took for me to discover that this 'mysterious gay man with a red Yggdrasil potion' was none other than Lord Zamaina. It was a falsehood birthed of his own design. To further separate any identities in the future.
No one would suspect the openly homosexual Inazama of being the heterosexual Zamaina after all! Sexuality and attraction is one of the more difficult falsehoods to consistently fake after all.
But what to do with her? She's likely important in keeping my lord's identities. But she can't do that here. I can't very well ask my lord what to do. To show such incompetence that I'd need them to walk me through it? Shame.
She is needed to maintain their cover. And they need witnesses to maintain the Shalltear cover up. What better than one who was right there and managed to escape?
Just need to use some memory magic and let her loose.
"But, it'd be such a waste of materials." I say to myself as I pick up the fillet knife. "To not make as much use of you as I can before then."
"W-what?" Her eyes go wide as I step closer.
"You weren't planning on children anyway, were you?" I say as I tap the blade to her abdomen. "Because if so, I do apologize the future inconvenience. Not that you'll remember this."
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-Carne Village-
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Nfirea Baleare POV
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"Are you sure about this Nfirea?" Enri asks as she helps me unload my cart.
"I'll take that for you, Miss Enri." One of the goblins says as he takes the crate.
"Thank you Jugem." Enri smiles, earning one from the goblin.
"Not a problem!" He nods and carries the crate into my new workshop.
I watch the goblin leave, a small smile on my face as I think of my future. I should be decently well off here. The village seems to be growing well under Lord Momonga's assistance. With strong wooden walls and watchtowers, it's practically a city in the making.
"Nfy!" Enri shouts, earning my attention.
"Huh? Oh! Um, yeah!" I say awkwardly as I grab another crate off of the cart. "I've been meaning to set out on my own for some time now, and Carne seems to be a good place to make a new start. E-Rantel is only a few days out so and I know plenty of people here, so it seemed like the perfect choice."
'That, and Lord Zamaina offered me continued support in my research if I moved here.' I think to myself. 'But, well that's a need to know sort of thing.'
"Well, so long as you're sure!" Enri gives me a heartwarming smile.
"Th-thank you!"
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-E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild-
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Zamaina "Inazama" POV
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"Hey look, there's team Darkness!"
"Holy crap, are they back already?"
"You've got the Raven Black Hero Momon, The Beautiful Princess Nabe, The Grave Butcher Inazama, and the Mysterious Scribe Lysithea!"
"The Grave Butcher?"
"He's the one who dismembered the Inhuman Lady Clementine!"
"Yeah, I heard about that. Butchered her into pieces and threw the parts all over the graveyard in a rage after she bragged about how many adventurers she killed."
"All while Sir Momon beat back three skeletal dragons!"
"I thought it was four?"
"What about the other one? Lysithea?"
"She's new, but Inazama and Momon vouched for her so there has to be some truth to her skill."
"People sure do like their gossip huh?" I remark as Momon approaches the counter.
"Let them talk." He says, not hearing what I'm hearing. "We let our actions speak for us."
Rolling my eyes at his dramatics as he slaps a paper down on the counter.
"Quest completed." He says as he slides the paper forward. "We'd like another."
"I'm terribly sorry sir." The receptionist bows. "But we have none left apropriate for your skill and experience!"
"This is so weird." Ninya mumbles quietly.
"Get used to it." I say lightly.
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-Nazerick 10th floor throne room-
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"What information have you gleamed from this, Black Scripture?" Momonga asks the kneeling Demiurge.
"Quite a bit my lord, mostly from one known as the eleventh seat, named Infinite Magic." Demiurge says with his typical smile. "She's very amicable to being instructed as opposed to forming her own actions, and as such has been very forthcoming with information. More so than even the defector."
'Sounds lazy and cowardly to me.' I idly note as I witness the exchange.
"Is that so?" Momonga says thoughtfully. "And just what all have you learned from this, Infinite Magic?"
I may just have to pay this girl a visit. See if she's useful and willing to work for us. See if we can't make her a more permanent fixture in Nazerick.
"Hmm." Demiurge smiles deviously. "Well to start-"
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Bonus
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-Great Tomb of Nazerick, Sakura Sanctuary-
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Lysithea "Ninya" Veyron POV
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"So, he's evil?" I ask my, progenitor? Father? Creator?
I, I feel some familial attachment to him. Like, I feel I should listen to him and I want him to be proud of me.
"I, yes." The white haired man says with a sad smile as he stands up. "Walk with me Lysithea."
Getting up, I follow the, I guess my fellow vampire.
"My creator is, an experienced individual." Tsukune says as we walk down the bridge. "He has, he's overcome a lot."
"That's another thing." I speak up. "How does a werewolf make a vampire?"
I must have said something dumb. Judging by how he laughs at the question.
"Oh, I don't mean to offend." He assures me as we step on the round stones of the rock garden. "It's just that, I was not created in the sense that he made me from another. I was created, as you see me now."
"So, you were born?" I ask, not understanding his meaning.
"No no no." He shakes his head. "I mean, I was, created. Like a summons, or a golem."
'That makes even less sense!' I think to myself.
"It's, difficult for lesser beings to understand I know." He says as he holds out a hand for a red butterfly to land on his finger. "But, my creator and his friends, the forty one individuals we call the Supreme Beings. They are presences higher than even gods. Actually, my creator's grandfather and aunt are gods now that I think of it."
"I-Inazama is related to gods?" I ask as the butterfly flies away.
"Yes." Tsukune says simply as he turns to me. "He's also the brother of Hati and Skoll. The progenitors of all werewolves." He says before turning around and heading for the shrine. "But, I'm getting off track. Zamaina's family is a cursed one. Long, long ago. Odin, the Allfather, was given the prophecy that his death would be at the hands of his best friend's son, the great wolf Fenrir. So, in order to avoid this fate, he had trapped Fenrir in unbreakable ropes on an island not far from his home."
"Why wouldn't he just kill him?" I ask, knowing that when prophecies are involved, they tend to come true no matter what.
"Because, for all of Odin's faults, and there were many. He would keep his oath to his friend, Loki, who he saw as a brother." Tsukune says as we enter the shrine house. "Of course, Loki still saw the imprisonment of his son as a betrayal, and retaliated, killing Odin's favored son Baldur. Long story short, Zamaina is the third son of Fenrir, the runt of the litter. So insignificant compared to the rest that he wasn't even included in the prophecy. He was meant to die young. And so, out of sheer will and determination, Lord Zamaina set out to do what Odin tried, and failed to do. Defy fate."
"How?" I ask, now fully enthralled in the tale.
Because apparently, the hot guy that joined us for an herb collecting job. Is not only a werewolf, but perhaps the oldest werewolf, is the nephew of one god, and the grandson of another. And is the father of a vampire who brought me back from the dead.
"That, is a tale for another time." Tsukune says as we arrive at my room. "For now, it's late. And you need your rest."
"But it's not even dark out." I point out, confused as to why he's sending me to sleep so early.
"And it never will be." He says as he slides the door open for me. "The Sakura Sanctuary is made to never get dark, it'll never be nighttime here no matter how much time passes."
"That's absurd!" I call his crap. "It has to get dark sometime."
He merely chuckles with a good natured smile.
"If you don't believe me, feel free to count the minutes away as you wait for sundown." He offers before stepping away. "You'll realize eventually."
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A/N
A little until dawn reference from me.
Fuck I hate that game! And Alien Isolation!
They're good games, I just suck at horror games.
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Ask questions!
About Zamaina!
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His build/abilities
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His gear
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Etc.
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More comments! I want them all! Every one of them! Especially speculation, I love speculative comments.
Fuel me my NOOBIANS!
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Find me in my channel, newb's-grotto, on the discord.
Link to the discord: discord .gg/DarkWolfShiro