COI C213

Lady Hivites, the Archaic of Agatheus City, and the dominant of this region. The 4th moon cycle had put a toll of her control and lead her kind to free to roam with their false creatures. Disguised as humans as they are growing in masses thanks to the Isekai City’s negligence of this still weak dust. The true dusts spread like a storm focusing in one place, a massive typhoon of mana surging into the sky and lands down like kind of spell. The demon elf spotted his return and the power he shows only his temper. She prevents mentioning his name in order not let his abilities take effect. Then there’s this letter must be delivered. The demon elf says so with glee.

The demoness is living in the inner realms already watch over the bastards going to the gateway into Isekai City. The word got out it was the Enders who delivered it. To play along with this game, she must follow what the city had caused its own problem. Her own looters and bandits are ready, yet, she set them ablaze by her own inner rage. It is pitiful, she knew it, and also pitiful to see the citizens did not return. Her patience had already fell since the report of the Foundation’s power, its own mana release not from where the structure from but a so call secret lab.

She turns to her old rival, from what her kind thought. Her magnificent journey once human to demon. Sending transmission through mana, the other demon didn’t say a word, she only stares at her flipping the essence of one of the citizens. One move on her scheming lips is all the Lady need to retaliate out of pride. The letter must be delivered. Again, she watches them to chase a letter written in an Enders ink. Hearing the name, she must not speak about him. Or he will come to her senses, hearing him again like it becomes dream, or a nightmare.

One easily fell to the ground, where the boy’s guild treated continue their adventure. Lady Hivites watches the battle filled nothing but countless of false humankind paving the road with its corpse trail. Including, the boy who is holding the envelope, he is barely keep going with his breath releasing a black mist. The black mist sips, yet passes through his mouth. Her old rival had her purpose for him. The boy holds it bearing the signs of Enders demon, giving the demon elf her interest. The boy walks with it surrounded by Enders destined to be a puppet as well.

Miyusuki have never fought like this. His shield is used like a battering ram, hitting through enemies who are not truly human. Already they merged together with dusts and flesh, and still, they walk like zombies with incredible strength. The fight was over, and the aftermath where Haw purge the remains with his potions, enflames to the ashes along with the dusts. Archivist pulls Miyusuki out from the tired battle.

“All that happened here, you see what the citizens cannot see”

“Are these really people?”

“Stronger than you ever imagined. They hid well under the Jigeram’s light, which your people’s only weakness from I can tell”

He looks at his hand, the news about the smuggling mana battery. Containing with large quantity of magic that stored even before the siege ever began. It was found spread across this area. Miyusuki has nothing to say except questions he did not understand. He touches the envelope again and feel something ripped. He checks it and saw the taints appearing then slowly faded away.

“This envelope, we have to go to the station to deliver it”

“That’s why we are here and more so”

“And more? Oh yeah, that’s got me thinking. Why you? . . .”

Miyusuki stops and feel something is off. A large fog in different color, lighter than the light blue glow of the dusts. Cleaner and no dusts falling on that side of the fog. He goes near it, the shards on his body sticks to his armor are getting worse. The pain goes instant and he suddenly backs away. His team notices the light, leaving no dusts or shards blowing like among the dust storm. It is what they should’ve face before. The Jigeram’s light particles in its purest. It’s finally here inside the city’s strange fog.

Voldemyr raises his crossbow up to the air, firing a signal flare to cleanse all the fog away in the clear view, and removing also the natural Jigeram’s light. Haw keeps an eye where the natural light coming from. He whispered to Voldemyr where it is. Voldemyr quickly said to the recruit.

“Shield student, let’s keep going. We have company”

Miyusuki sees them from the flare. His tired body trembles to have another fight with those guys. Then he pulls out his water bottle to quench his thirst. The plastic bottle goes empty gripping with his own hand trying to believe himself he could go further after a short break. It was impossible.

“Cough* What’s going on in this city?”

Haw answers him “This must be the reason why the Enders have delivered their aid. Your city is still not affected by the Jigeram’s light”

The Jigeram, the killing moonlight negating Alga’s boundless nourishment to the world. Its light particles are its only weapon purely to purge the demons’ powers. It’s powerful existence alone to force all life to hid underground. Yet, there are exceptions when technology is able to resist it or legends are preventing from damaging the surface. Isekai City had done it as well, trying to face the deadly moonlight, but left with a small amount mana continuously crystallized before their eyes.

It was taking too long, it felt like they are still in the 3rd moon cycle trying to go for the next moon cycle, and it didn’t arrive, not even today. The citizens who are outside of the city have already notice it. No one returned to report about it. The tales of the deadly moon are not showing its true nature. That’s what Haw thought. At this moment, they start to get suspicious about this city. The Jigeram still left with shards all over the city, never letting it to become a barren wasteland. It exists as the dusty wasteland.

Even there is one small fog of it, it’s true light. It doesn’t mean the city will face the Jigeram’s true light. Haw finds it and Voldemyr takes note of it. Miyusuki keeps moving forward with them, hearing the details about this moon cycle.

He questions them “. . . I heard about this moon cycle from the internet. Why are there so many monsters? The dust should’ve destroyed everything. Even the demons’ army. Right?!”

Everyone stays silent.

“. . . Right?! Teacher Haw, say something”

Archivist gives a little push to the side, wanting Haw to answer him. Haw persisted and points out where they are in. The silhouettes of countless images, no longer humanoid from a far, it shows their size intimidating them. The figures are moving at their direction. Miyusuki readies himself, at the front. When he is about to face it, the figure notices him and begin charging. No sounds running at him, he readies his stance where the shards below his shoes crackling. While the figure still doesn’t make a sound. The moment they face each other, Miyusuki was immediately pulled away before the figure revealed itself.

The figure revealed possessing the demon’s magic, identical to the enemies’ puppets, and this one is holding one of the mana batteries. The demons’ puppets followed the first draw out its powers. Shaken off the crystallized dusts on its body without problem. The mana battery helps it maintain its condition and the rest are slowing down covered in dusts and shards. Later, the puppets see a glowing light coming their way. They got cautious about it and run away from it.

Archivist watches Miyusuki can’t get a hold himself after his contact with a demonic power. This is his first time facing a full demonic strength from a puppet. This is where he shouldn’t be involved from the very start. He remembers what the guild mistress told him. She was right, yet he wants to face it because he was with Voldemyr and the other Raker Mawns. The presence of those demons’ puppets was different. Voldemyr who is been fighting those monsters quite a while now. Pulling the young boy into the saferoom is the best choice.

Haw left a few potions before closing the door. The spill leaks through the door, using other potions to attract each other. From his observation, the leaks were off. There was no trace of dusts nor mixtures. Haw signals Archivist to join him in his observation. From what they saw together,

Haw says to him “I want to know how did you get here?”

“You ask that while I’m seeing your potions are out of proportions”

“Don’t play dumb, Archivist. You are here for a reason”

“I’m surprised myself to return here. More likely, Sanquin brought me here”

The potions stop interacting itself where the first potions used were showing small amounts attracting to the other potion, and it got overwhelmed. It supposed to use as substances when contacting the materials made from demons’ puppets. The sufferable monsters shouldn’t be absorbing it. Their mana is dried out from the dusts.

Haw assumes “To her alone, Archivist. That was not the only reason, was it?”

Archivist bends the fluid of the potions. “This dusty wasteland, this what many people called it. It only exists here”

“Not even the rain would wash down the impurities. It helps the demons to keep their creation from turning into nothing”

“. . . What’s going here . . .”

They turned around and Miyusuki is behind them, listening every detail. Archivist moves the ground to see Voldemyr had told the recruit about it.

He asks “Shield student, is there you wanted to know?”

“. . . Yeah, did the siege was really over?”

Haw answers while cleaning up the mess of his potions “It’s obvious that the siege was ‘really’ over. The one we are facing today or in this different form of moon cycle”

“Different? I know this is my first time seeing the moon cycles. It feels like winter to me . . .”

“I know it is complicated. And I can only tell why because Archivist is here”

Miyusuki stares at Archivist hood slightly bend as if he looks confused. Archivist doesn’t have a clue why Haw said it was complicated. It was too obvious for Isekai City had done so much trouble letting the Foundation not using its true purpose. He won’t be easily fooled after seeing those monsters carrying those mana batteries either. Lastly, the Jigeram’s light partially inside the city. Those signs of powerful beings take action into the city. Either it was the tools or the demons taking shape of the dusts. The small part of it is a given. Someone or something is trying to free this broken cycle.

Haw checks outside of the door. The demons’ puppets are gone, leaving only a small glowing light. He had seen these glows, the same glows he found used by the shield student. Miyusuki is next to the door seeing the glow and pointed out to him

“That glow. I have something to do with it”

Haw didn’t ask and let him through the door as they get out. Voldemyr and Archivist watch the youngling reaches out the glow. The glow reaches to the young boy, bringing out his gem, and the gem absorbs it. Archivist senses life inside of the gem, quiet and fulfilling spirit of the dead.

He hears Voldemyr’s grumbling voice “The guild mistress is speaking true. The youngling possessed too much and learn so little”

“Learn so little? You added your dissatisfaction”

“Tabitha is learning and both of you shared the same strength until I saw her provided from Oue’s works”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“It matches my partner’s strength”

“You know what strength I’m talking about. The youngling is alone without a single Enders by his role. Tabitha’s role is leadership, and not a mage”

“You’ll be surprise, Voldemyr. One role alone doesn’t fit the life they choose”

“Sigh* I shouldn’t talk if we both don’t know how we speak each other”

Out from Ironno’s saferoom, right in front of the young boy. Miyusuki took another glow. He turns to his team and explained the whole thing

“I guess I need some explaining to do, huh?”

With his troublesome glee, the three of them refused right away. Miyusuki never seen them disinterested in his own personal quest. Haw points at the direction of the train station.

“Focus your objective. Your priority is given by the guild master and mistress. This is an important lesson when you are accepting a quest from nobility”

“Nobility? Sorry, but I don’t know how”

“I understand, and you’re already in deep danger. We can’t stop from what you’ve agreed”

Haw moves out first. Leaving Miyusuki acts blanky by his sudden tone when regards to nobles. Voldemyr taps the young boy’s back and said,

“You’ve been involved with many influential people. Be careful, we are just their tools to open the danger they are trying to search out”

“Like what exactly? I’ve been with you guys and I can’t seem to fight well in this condition”

“That’s why we need to hurry. It’s better to keep going and follow your betters. Hah, like we are any better. Right Archivist?”

Archivist laughs “says who? We are here, closer to our demise. Shield Student, this mission is where you can feel true pain”

Miyusuki takes a pause, and forced him to move forward with them. Realizing that he is in the situation is truly test him to the limits. The purpose was a single delivery. He starts to doubt and even wanting to stop. His will always determine when people he cares are in trouble. This quest, he didn’t even know the monsters are the demons’ puppets. Walking along with them, in swift silent, and directly where they needed to go. The battle near the train station was visible to their near sight view. Although afraid, Miyusuki has committed to this.

The train station is empty, the last stop arrived had shown its part of the fight. The train tracks remained clean and no shards left on it, except for the light bluish particles. Where they stand, and it is Miyusuki’s first time seeing a dust looks fluffier than the ones in this city. He turns his head and sees Voldemyr carrying the remains of the monsters he found lying around. Voldemyr throws it to the tracks, and the remains consumed by the dusts. Quickly crystallized then returned back to dust. This dust is faster, from what Miyusuki saw. Voldemyr tells him

“What you’ve seen here when I throw a piece of meat is the real 4th moon cycle”

“A piece of meat? It looks like a dried-up wooden limb . . .? Whoa”

It doesn’t take long when the dusts reach him. The consumed remains release gases release to the air. Spreading and searching for any more mana left behind. This little amount made his skin feel like he was washed down by acid, solid dirt burns his skin. Haw washes him off with his own water while Miyusuki grit his teeth from the harsh sensation.

“Whoa . . . Ouch, is this the real dust you mentioned. Sorry, I never know”

No one respond to him, and their heads are turning to the other direction. Right behind Miyusuki, he thinks of something that is not going to be easy. The wind blows where the dusts flow to the tracks. The true dusts consumed it, and piles up more than they are going near it. Archivist takes no time waiting for their enemies to attack. He brings out his sash to Miyusuki and said,

“Take this. This fight is impossible for you survive . . .!”

The first initiation caught Archivist from surprise and pulled him to the fog. Haw approaches to the young boy to wear it fast. Once done, the ground shakes and Haw fell into a hole and was pulled under.

Voldemyr and Miyusuki are left standing. Miyusuki raises his shield and looks at the surrounding. The trace of demonic magic is all around. Illusion of eyes surrounded them, as he waits for anything to happen. Voldemyr taps his back and grabs his head. His helmet shows an intimidating presence. His eyes stared right at the young boy calmly and eagerly. He points his eyes to the young boy’s gauntlet to use it while the shield to drop it. Miyusuki tries to ask, but Voldemyr’s hand shut his mouth and keeps in eye contact. Miyusuki must to do it.

Miyusuki unequips his shield and his gauntlet start powering up. He hears the monsters are coming to get them. Its feet stomping with crystals shattering, and its corroded body surrounded in dusts trailing away as it attacks them. Miyusuki daringly uses his gauntlet to grab the monstrous beast’s large head. The head shatters like crystals, but he was able to grab the remaining of its bones. It wasn’t enough, the momentum of the charging beast pushes the boy closer to the tracks. Miyusuki slips from his footing as he gives in and fall back. Voldemyr comes to his aid and moves the charging beast over him into the train tracks.

The monster fell into the true dusts. The Jigeram’s light purge the beast where a soul broke free and flew upward to the sky. Miyusuki then gets pulled back to his feet. A tap to his back from Voldemyr, and he is back in action. The fog of the dusts is getting clearer, the wind blowing away and the fumes in different colors are clearing the dusts. Signs of Haw and Archivist are fighting against what lies there. Miyusuki is struggling after the first attempt. The sight of enemies is coming. There were no humans, but monsters that is larger than any of them combine. Everything feels like he can’t be fighting this long like last time.

As he is about say to Voldemyr, he hears the train is coming. He turns around with a slight movement of his eyes. Then turns back to face the monsters. Voldemyr is front of him stopping a large creature ramming them into the tracks. Armor made from Enders craftsmanship is absorbing from the monster’s strength then sends it into his crossbow. It starts merging into a powerful spell as flames come out from the bolt itself. He brought the monster’s head to the ground gapping its mouth trying to bite him. His crossbow brazing its teeth by the tip of the bolt, a little spark coming from it then he fires it with tremendous flames.

Burning wildly where the dusts are consuming both of them. Voldemyr stares right at it being ablaze and crystallized at the same time. Moving his head to tell Miyusuki through gesture message to send the monster into the tracks. Miyusuki lost in awe with such dedication to this man’s bravery. The monster feels the gripped from the gauntlet easily squeezing it as it tries to spread its voice of influence into them. None of them understood its word, its failure threw to the tracks buried into the dusts and become with it.

Miyusuki bravely faced those monsters coming by the size of their weakening state, however, this also weakens him. The dusts of the wasteland are piling up around them along with the true dusts growing closer near them. Continue being surrounded and the two Raker Mawns remained missing after being pulled. The train station is getting filled with more and more monsters. To the best of Miyusuki’s limits, he feels his legs swift off from the ground as another monster appeared tripping him down. An untouched monster, not corrupted by the dust. It took the letter off from his pocket with its beak and flees away.

The letter left from his hands. He tries to chase it but more of them are attacking him with relentless numbers. Voldemyr sees the boy is need of help. A horn is thrown to the air and into the dense fog. Haw catches it and used it with his breath covered in dusts. Buffing anyone with great physique in a large temporary scale. It reaches to Archivist and uses his coin to go through the large wave of monsters, slipping them through as he finds a good strike through all the mass. Piercing through the crowd like a hawk into his prey, he hits the monster who took the letter.

He grabs the letter and proceed to return to his team. Haw, after blowing the horn, takes a potion to enhance his sight to see the monsters tainted by his potion. Seeing all of them are exposed, he pulls out his potion then throw to the air and explodes with colorful lights. Haw runs back to their team as he braces through the monsters. Archivist meets with Haw as the two combine their abilities. Haw throws dangerous potions separately, and Archivist bends the potion before the dusts stop it. Combined them together by his bending, it creates a stronger force to break through the monsters in front of them.

The path was opened, and Miyusuki runs to them. Voldemyr stops him, the young boy was confused. Then another horn coming from the train. His eyes are wide open. To wait here for the train to arrive. Yet his eyes staring at the direction where Ironno should have another saferoom. Voldemyr keeps holding him. Miyusuki can’t hold on as the true dusts are hurting him. He falls down to his knees, and Voldemyr picks him up right after. Haw and Archivist had arrived. All together again as they follow the tracks for the coming train.

They make their way from those hordes. Haw goes down to the tracks to pick up the true dusts on his hand. The exposure stuck to his armor, sizzling what magic lurks from the demons’ power. Combine with the substance he brought, a rune mixes with the true dusts causing a powerful presence of the magic runes. A dwarven spell unleash by the runes, forging in and he gives it to Voldemyr. Before receiving it, he throws the young boy to Archivist’s care. Where the dust rune almost touches the boy. The boy’s body instinctively releases the black mist from his mouth and nose. Archivist blocks it with his hand before it gets worse.

The train tracks start vibrating. The train is coming. They run for the upcoming train where the monsters are chasing them, showing the remains of their broken bodies. A mark left with a familiar demonic aura. Voldemyr finally breaks the silence

“The demon is here!”

The sound of his voice, the demon’s puppets flashes in sudden moment by the sound and chasing it with their nightmarish speed. The monsters they were told is true. They use nightmare magic, the mind inducive spell.

The monsters that are battered to ruins chase them. Their bodies broken and release a flame from its cracks and holes of their bodies. The dust couldn’t stop it from releasing, already setting the train station burning with the concrete and steel. This is nightmare magic, a spell that will harm them and forever real to the mind of others who could see it. Archivist sees more of the monsters at the front, throwing the young boy to the air to escape from the attacking enemies. Haw who is running first saw Archivist is throwing the recruit where there are no enemies in front of them. Then sees the enemies from the air, he proceeds to use his magic gems to teleport the young boy from harm’s way.

Voldemyr sees the two affected by the nightmare. With the dust runes on his hand, he can’t save the young boy or the runes will damage him. He sees Haw is throwing the teleporting gem to the young boy at the wrong direction, out from the tracks. Closing in where the gem takes the young boy into the gem and the other one is thrown to the real horde. Voldemyr uses his crossbow and use his scroll to curve the bolt back the gem to the tracks. He fires the gem immediately teleported the young boy in mid-air where the bolt hits Miyusuki.

The bolt curved and almost hits him, it caught the boy’s armor and sent him flying where the bolt goes. The train appeared from the fog and the moment it reaches to the boy. The sash reacts and grabs the window and pulled him into the train cargo. The two dodges the incoming train and the train forced into a stop while it still moves forward with loud screech. Voldemyr pulled out the dust runes and casts the spell. The rune forced pull all the monsters tainted by the dusts, into the tracks. Contacted by the true dusts and the incoming train, the monsters were burns and rammed from the moving train.

Voldemyr managed to step aside from the train as it stops where its door is open. The citizens are inside the train. They pulled them inside and quickly left the station. The passengers see that Taiyou Industries are infested with monsters. One of them sends a call to the city.

“. . . Damn it, I can’t get a signal here”

“Back to Fuku City, the boss was right for not letting the district out like this”

“But we need that city barrier going. Not even the road to Mihayara district is safe either”

“Hey guys, we shouldn’t be quarrel like this”

The Fuku City adventurers look at the window where is someone watching them leave. It just stands there and wandering around like it didn’t care at all. They look at the Enders and with the kid. The others tried to help the young kid, but they are having a hard time nurturing them where they are covered in true dust.

“Man, these stings. This must be the real deal”

As they continue to try to help them, Archivist sneakily holds the letter and carefully bends it to one of the secret compartments of the train, succeeding their quest after such difficult challenge for the young boy.

The train station, left into the burning oblivion. The burning fire left untouched, never be destroyed in the presence of the dust. The demon returned from the despicable freedom because of his importance. Acurse is free, and he is searching this sorry excuse of the dusty wasteland. The bird monster that supposed to get the letter have failed. He looks at the creature how it easily beaten because it’s trying to resist his control. It was such great specimen that resist the dusts too. The bird monster fell into the track, putting the end of this untouched monster. Acurse sets his eyes to this abnormal dust and knows why this kind of dust exist.

“Slivering into the lowest to reach your people, right summoner? Why not let them choose for once instead of tempting them to keep this ideal world of yours?”

He goes to the tracks, grabs the bird monster, and crushed it into pieces, the remaining mana it has concealing it with its own mana battery.

“Your allies are still there though. I think you shouldn’t earn this opportunity”

He slams his hands into the ground creating a powerful pillar casting down from the Jigeram’s light. Falling down the true dusts from what it should’ve be the 4th moon cycle. It drops everything that is magic into nothing, then it stops where the dusts in the city blocked it.

Acurse sees the city spread into the chaos of the other demons. Lady Hivites have reached her limits and see that this is not her control anymore. It is already taken over by the presence of the summoner. Or this is what Acurse thought at first. It is not oblivious of him to see what he can’t recognize. It was obvious, he is what the heroes’ faction thought of him. A threat, and stills they hunt him in their disadvantage. Or it mat be his way of thinking is getting lazy.

“I’m starting to doubt why that demoness wanting those people for her collection. Her twisted delusional fantasy wants them, who nearly destroyed us. Hah, I’m truly poorly sighted I guess”

The dusty wasteland returns, and no monsters left in scatter except for the remaining existence of the demons’ puppets from the demon faction. Lost once again to venture through this wasteland, Acurse feels the hassle to clean it all up. This is not what he was supposed to do. He has interest in this, ironically. He feels like he is in a search for new hosts. The wails of souls he collected are old beyond by the hundreds of years now. The temptation is coming into him as the quietness of this city saves him from enjoying it.

“Now, now, myself. I need to end my part of the deal with that ‘friend’ of mine”

Yayoi is hiding, she can’t believe Acurse used his power just to stop her from using him again. She did take him too far as freeing him what he had found. That magic she is sensing. It was definitely one of the demon’s sorcerers together with Acurse’s power. Sending down by demonic magic brings the moonlight into the city. It is the same power during the war. This makes her regretting what she had done. Deep down though, she is excited for his return. It would be easy for her to gain from her mistake.

Yayoi, the demoness. She was able to separate her entity with the human form. The body was kept hidden because of her mistake. Acurse will definitely destroy her and put her into the seal where all demons lost or momentarily died. The realm she hid starts to melt. The dusts are come leaking in as she is felt the fear of collected souls begging to flee from his presence. She didn’t give in and watch herself put into the misery she had done to him. She spokes out with a joke

“My voice”

with glee.

Acurse sighs in responds. Yayoi never thought he would be here so quickly. She forgot his abilities to whom who remembers him dearly or feared.

“So . . .”

“Stop right there, demon!”

Yayoi heard a voice. A human voice dared to challenged him.

“. . . You’re the one who destroyed the barrier”

“???”

Yayoi heard a human. She flees and tries not to remember him again. She then accidentally confronted an obelisk. The same obelisk releases the essence of mana causing the dusty wasteland. A confused tone coming from her and said with a dumbfounded look.

“. . . But, but this, made by the summoner”