Part 2 –
Monsters.
These were not Demi-humans.
They were Demons. He was sure of it.
Marlk ran as far as his legs could take him. They trudged through the uneven ground with a mind of their own as he stumbled through vegetation, shoving away branches and bushes in desperation.
The direction he ran towards was where his last remaining men were. Through them he’d be able to take a horse straight to the group that hauled along their Demi-human cargo. His eyes moved up to the airships above and back down into the dark paths as he tried to understand why the airships had yet to launch an attack after witnessing their failure.
The- the invisible airship!? Could it be!?
He denied every possibly of this, but his heart kept leading him back to this answer. How could one singular airship take down an entire fleet of 10?
However, his question was in a similar vein to the situation he found himself in.
How could a measly few dozen Demi-humans take out hundreds of humans? The dread that plagued his heart was evident whenever a gunshot was heard, causing him to flinch and his eyes to water in terror.
He soon entered a small thicket, bashing away at the vegetation until his arms were bloodied and sore. A blinding blue glow illuminated the other section of the town, casting countless rays through the leaves and branches.
[Air Shocker]!? My men have gained a foothold there!? Excellent! I – I won’t have to die in this miserable place!
[Air Shocker] was a [Third Tier] [Lightning] magic. It called upon blue electrical arcs which illuminated the surround air with its energy, causing the blue glow to emit. Demi-humans were weak with magic and their magic capacities were utterly laughable. It would be a miracle if one were to survive it.
It did not matter what the Demi-humans wielded. A [Lightning]-based attack would undoubtably rend dozens of them in an instant, and judging by the intensity of the glow, which he was barely able to look at; it must have struck multiple enemies at once.
“Weak… the weak will still lose no matter what they have on their side.” He stated, his hope quickly rising. “They – they’re below us. Demi-human monsters. How dare you resist us. Can’t you see we’re the superior ones!?”
At the same time he shouted out those final words he finally left the thicket. He tripped over the bushes and heavily rolled down a steep cliff. Thankfully, it was only a metre high, and he landed flat on his stomach.
“FUCK! Ackkkk. This animal terrain… for soiling my wear we’ll leave none behind. Behold our power, you animals –”
He groaned, winded momentarily as a faint… no, a scorching heat radiated from the blue light. But the notion of hope to crush the filth beneath their feet immediately caused him to look up at the victorious display of his men’s overwhelming might.
However –
“W-what…!?”
He soon realised that the blue light was not the doing of his men.
What unravelled before his very eyes was an inferno of azure flames that towered as high as 10 metres. His entire vision was engulfed by the blue light as he watched the grass only metres before him hiss with steam before they suddenly ignited.
Night turned to day in the blink of an eye.
Stone huts glowed a bright orange before they were reduced to a liquid slag, joining the flow of fire that sept deep into the ground. Yes. The fire was liquid. The man had never seen such a thing before, and never in his wildest nightmares could he have imagined a more sinister combination.
Where the liquid flowed emerged the flames, sticking onto whatever it touched as it melted them in mere seconds. Nothing remained of his men. He managed to catch a glimpse of one being ignited and reduced to cinders right before his armour had melded with his body.
Half of the force of 150 men disappeared within the azure flames, which he could neither describe as a holy or evil force. It was as beautiful as it was destructive. Metres away from the inferno were mounds of Demi-humans, many still attached to shields while others were still tied; as they were on the horses.
But none of those mattered. Nothing seemed to matter to him more than who… no. No human could even begin to withstand these flames. It was a matter of what stood there, flanked by the two gear-like constructs that sprayed the liquid fire with no regards to the living.
A human. It was human. But he couldn’t believe it. What he saw instead was a Demon in human skin. A monster of unimaginable power, clad in black and with an arm of steel.
Metal… a metal arm. Red and blue eyes… servants that spit flames. How can that possibly be human!?
A loud rustle emitted from above him. He did not react and allowed whatever had come to end his life before that thing could. However – a heavy weight suddenly pinned him to the ground as his arms were instantly held behind his back.
The familiar sound of a cord being pulled against fabric caused his heart to drop.
The bunny-eared Demi-human was on top of him. Not a single word was offered to him. And there was no need either. The string that wrapped his wrists would slice them clean off if he even thought of trying to break free.
He understood his place now. This humbling experience made him realise that he belonged with the dirt underneath the feet of that thing.
All he could do was lay and watch helplessly as the monster in human flesh stared idly as if in deep thought. If the bunny-girl was like death strangling him, then this was as if the cold maws of death itself had closed all around him.
It was inescapable. Inevitable.
The man took a single step within the fire and Marlk’s body locked up. Within only a second, the man disappeared from his vision and before he realised it – he had reappeared within the very heart of his men’s formation.
Despair sprouted from within his heart like a cursed flower, its roots digging into each corner of his mind as he tried to refuse the reality laid so clearly before him.
* * *
“That speed…” Bun uttered, nearly unable to believe her eyes. “Is that really the same ‘Exrite’?”
The Exrite she remembered was vastly different to the one before her. In the beginning she had always believed Exrite was a woman until only recently. Apparently, and to her confusion, this was actually Exrite’s real form.
There was no official explanation other than that he possessed an ability to change forms. However, it came across as odd to her. This was further proven by how a Demon like Uru latched onto him, like she did with the female Exrite. It did not take a genius to understand that this person was far beyond the human they claimed to be.
And this only proved it.
In all fairness, she had never seen them fight before. She initially questioned whether Exrite was actually ‘powerful’ or not when they first met, despite her being the Exrenity. Granted – she could not sense the mana capacity of Exrite’s female form so gauging their strength was impossible.
That is why when she saw him for the first time, she didn’t recognise Exrite at all.
Before she was able to digest these thoughts, the sight of 10 heads rolled off the shoulders caused her to instinctively gulp. Confusion rung all around the men like invisible bells, resulting in immediate hysteria.
The positions of these dead men were what caused their sudden panic. Each of these 10 men had died simultaneous despite being in the furthest parts of the formation – well, what was left of it.
“An attack!? He’s – he’s in the middle!” One cried, and he immediately lost his head.
The horses sensed his bloodlust and backed away, but they did not run no matter how much the men screamed for them to. They were petrified, for they knew that if they ran, they’d be obliterated by this being.
“Get fucking moving! MOVE! GET ME OUT OF HERE –!” Another lost their head, their expression permanently fixed on their face.
“Right beside me… what just happened –!?” Another.
“Gods. Oh Gods. Please let me live! I don’t want to die –!” And another.
“S-someone attack! You cowards! If you all won’t then –!” The man lost his head. No one was able to discern what exactly had happened, however, some were able to see a faint, blue glimmer of a blade for only a split second.
“N-no way – someone – you all – can’t – can’t we just forget this. Ha-haha…” One had their mind utterly broken. “Can… can we just leave –?” Even this man, lost and broken by hopelessness, was not spared.
They all realised just how helpless the situation was. All it took was a single second for this man to instantly kill them. No magic. No chant. No magical circle – and without even lifting a single finger.
Something moved amongst them. Tiny vessels of some sort sifted through the legs of the horses, circling them like a predator. They were prey within shark-infested waters.
The deaths ceased. They quickly realised that he had only killed the ones that had spoken, and as such – they all sealed their mouths shut, some even going as far as to clasp their face to supress their cowardly whimpers.
“So –” Exrite suddenly spoke. The hairs all over Bun’s body rose like the needles of a porcupine. Her ear folded down in a sign of submission as she slowly lowered her body instinctively.
His voice carried insurmountable rage and exuded a presence that mentally dominated them all. So powerful in fact that she could only compare it to the time when she first met with Black on that morning that changed her life.
The source of his rage was obvious.
“Whose idea was it to do this?”
It was the Demi-humans that they had strung up and paraded into battle. Exrite had never seen such a disgusting tactic in all his life, and neither in his wildest dreams. Even Orks and the Goblins of Vevillen, known for their brutality, were not as vile as these men.
At least they had some form of honour for those that could not fight.
* * *
A few days prior –
Black and White required a testing ground. There were two reasons for their decision. The first was Black’s reorganisation of her Demi-human crewmates. To properly transition them into their new roles and functions, they first needed to be trained and tested in a real battle.
The shift was to move into a more organised faction – one that could stand on their own in the future. Black and White were not going to be around for the foreseeable future with their planned expedition into the Depths, so this was vital for not only their survival, but for the Demi-humans of Cryo as a whole.
As a result of this – Bun found herself chosen as a candidate to fulfill one of these new roles. She followed Black alongside 10 other candidates into the grand hall where only the most esteemed could enter.
The dazzling décor, the vastness of its interior and a beautiful crystal that glowed in yellow, black, and white bewildered them. They were marvelled by the sight, their eyes dancing around as they devoured the sight in awe.
Black eventually led them to the middle where the couches resided. One by one, each were made to take a seat as Black began to outline the operation that would occur in the next few days.
A large-scale retaliation was expected from the slavers of Endo, and these 10 were tasked to handle different roles in the upcoming battle. Depending on the size of the enemy force, the Exrenity would have to step in to control the battlefield.
Additionally, this was where she first introduced them to the concept of a firearm. She threw one on the table in the centre, and all eyes immediately widened in awe to the magnificent, black-metal weapon.
It was a handgun, just barely larger than the hand of an adult male. Its lustre and beautiful black coat deeply contrasted the deadly nature of this weapon. A death bestower at range, and one that spat fire and shouted louder than thunder.
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The edge they needed to fend off against the human’s overwhelming might was within their grasp.
“Commander Black, if I may speak?” A grey-haired wolf-girl spoke, raising her hand.
“You may.”
“The retaliation force as you said. Are they likely to be more armed than usual?”
“Correct. But pay no mind to it. It’ll only dictate the number of airships they send in. Or depending on what they do – expect something crazy.” Black answered.
“Crazy… like a full fledge war?” Someone said.
“What? Fuck no. A war would be the last thing the humans do.” Another exclaimed before their eyes suddenly widened in shock. “S-sorry, Commander.”
Black took a step into their direction.
“A war is only enacted upon necessity. I’d say it would be closer to… hm~ I don’t know, a genocide?” Black hummed as she slowly moved behind the foul-mouthed Demi-human, her hands swiftly landing on the back of the couch just by their head. “Call it whatever you wish. It won’t matter in the end. Survival is what matters. What I’m presenting you all is a realistic combat situation. Failure is unacceptable. Be prepared to witness the worst of humanity.”
The Demi-human man sweat bullets under her direct presence. His heart stopped beating until she slid away and began to walk in circles around them, the tapping of her boots echoing endlessly in a hypnotising manner.
“““Yes Commander!””” They unanimously exclaimed.
“Another team will commence the evacuation on the town. What remains will act as the battle site. For now, you’ll follow my plan. It’ll test your capabilities in differing scenarios. If my training has been correct, then I expect no less than perfection. Feel free to make amendments on the fly.”
“““With certainty, Commander!”””
“Then – make this place your home. It will be of no use for us for the time being. This will either bolster your strength or destroy you – so use it wisely.”
She added, causing them all to look up at her with curiosity as to what she meant.
“Don’t look at me with those disgusting eyes. It’s either a yes or yes. A no will make you enemies~”
“““Yes!”””
“Good. I expected nothing less. I’ll leave you here to speak amongst yourselves. Plan. Sleep. Eat – I really don’t care. I just need results from you all. Failing now will set a precedent of future failures.” Black tilted her peaked cap and took her leave. “Hmm~ And look who arrived. Exrite. Uru. Want to report what the fuck happened over there?”
Upon uttering the name – Exrite – all eyes immediately moved towards the entrance. A man donned in a similar yet distinctive attire from Black’s walked in with his Demon companion, both wielding rather neutral expressions. It was not until Black was around a metre away that the man’s face changed into a small, greeting smile.
“Too many things. Well… maybe more than too many actually.” Exrite began. “Let’s just say Uru forgot to hold back. 30 [Seekers], and she hit the mountain shelf rather than the fortress itself so – we ended up wiping the entire thing out with a landslide. I’ll be impressed if the retaliation isn’t anything short of extreme.”
Uru nodded as he spoke, proud of her supreme might as if Exrite was praising her.
“Now isn’t that prefect~ What do you think Exrite? Think it’ll be enough of a chance to use that?” Black leaned against Exrite and knocked on left arm. A metallic sound rung, piquing the interest of the leader candidates from afar.
Indeed. The second reason for this induced retaliation was for Exrite to gauge the effectiveness of his newfound arsenal. A third reason existed as well, but it was also one that was as obvious as day for anyone aboard the airship.
They needed to secure biomass. Vast amounts of it as well to keep their airship afloat for as long as months on end – that was so long as the afterburners were not activated. Only White could refuel the massive limeite crystals that powered their current airship, and the present two in Saicry.
The process regarding how the biomass was converted into mana was… disturbing to say the least. A refined, gruesome process that only someone of White’s meticulous nature was capable of.
“Easily. White really did everything she could to get this working the way I envisioned it. With some… caveats though. You’ll see it then.”
“Hmhm~ Looking forward to it. But, just by feeling your arm I can already tell what you and White were plotting. I always wondered why you didn’t bother with making another handgun. I guess this is the reason why~”
“My own body ended up becoming my greatest weapon. Who would’ve known?” Exrite laughed. “How’s everything shaping up so far?”
“Behind me are just a handful of the candidates. Aren’t they cute?”
“Cute is one way to put it… well, wait – are they looking directly at Uru? Wait no, at me?”
“It can’t be helped Exrite.” Uru spoke as if it were the most obvious thing. “Demi-humans can sense the scent of a supreme being like ourselves,”
“No, I don’t think that’s it.” Exrite sighed, realising the source of their curiosity. “The Exrite they know is a woman… Black – none of them know, right?”
“About the M-O-T?” Black hummed, abbreviating the Maiden of Time.
“Yeah, that.”
“Of course not. But it’ll be hard to hide that you’re both male and female, so – it’s better to just say fuck it and call it an ability. We don’t want to overcomplicate things.” Black patted his shoulder, almost insultingly. “So – Maiden, I have things to tend to. Prisoners to beat. A child to nurture. Some initiates to whip into shape. Have fun~”
“Likewise… and let White know I said thanks. I didn’t get to thank her for this yet.” Exrite tapped his arm proudly.
“How annoying. Go tell her yourself.” Black slapped it right as she walked off. “Uru~”
The Uru simply nodded her a farewell.
“Yeah, I will.” Exrite sighed again.
This was the first time Bun had seen this version of Exrite, so it came to her as a genuine surprise. The same was true for the other Demi-humans, although one of them had taken extreme mental damage once the truth was out.
“Hey, what’s the matter with you?” One of the candidates asked, annoyed by their display of agony.
“Don’t mind him. This guy fell in love with Exrite. Makes a big deal too about how she healed him back to health a few months back.”
“S-shut up. Please shut the fuck up. Look, I’m not the only one, right?” A fox-man curled up, clutching his head.
“No, you’re definitely the only one.” Another man stated. “Still, I didn’t think they were the same person… is there a magic that allows that? To have two separate bodies?”
“Dunno… are they really the same person anyway?”
“That… Dem– U-Uru doesn’t fawn over anyone else so it’s probably true.”
“Damn.” One of the men sighed.
“““Damn?”””
“I mean, s-seems about right.” He recorrected.
Bun couldn’t help but to stifle a soft laugh. “What’s the matter with you? In heat?”
“Hell no. I just thought I found the love of my life~”
“Oh get over it. How shallow are you?” A cat-girl groaned.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat, instantly drawing their attention to the source. The person who stood right behind the Demi-human who – by all accounts loved Exrite – was Exrite himself. “This is a first. I didn’t think I’d be so loved.” He lightly laughed, unintentionally teasing the poor man.
No one needed [Soul Sight] to see his soul rise from his body. Not because of Exrite’s presence, but because of another. Uru macerated his soul with her dagger-like gaze, causing him to lock up in place like a statue.
His audacity to admit his attraction to who was the Maiden of Time was a sin beyond redemption. Luckily, he was a part of Black’s scheme. To kill him here would be no different from a betrayal.
“Exrite!” The wolf-girl instantly rose and saluted. “It’s an honour to be working with you, the head of the Exrenity!”
“Head – wait, who told you that?” Exrite was immediately stumped by her knowledge.
“Is it not true that you all accomplished an impossible trial, faced perils of unprecedented danger, and conquered a beast made of metal!?” Somehow, the girl’s voice only grew louder.
“No – no, it’s true but – Pale!?”
Somehow, Bun found it strangely amusing to see Exrite stumped in a such a way. Perhaps she didn’t notice it immediately, but she felt as though that person was truly the same Exrite she first met.
“Your accomplishments serve as inspiration to us Demi-humans who have nothing for ourselves.” She clasped at her heart. “Even though you’re human, we have nothing but respect for you –!”
“Respect should be earned. At least wait till I do something instead of hearing about the things I’ve done.” Exrite sighed as the girl gulped lightly. “But at least your head’s in the right place. Human or not – I’m glad you’re strong enough to look past that. In that regard you’re way ahead of me.”
There was a strange warmth in the way he spoke. Like there were no barriers of any sort. She could not help but to wonder if all humans of the Colight Region were the same, or at least the ones from the peaceful Kingdoms of Truebirth and Pathfist.
“I see… Black has some good eyes. I guess that’s like her, knowing that she put a lot of trust in someone like me. I can’t really promise that you’re in good hands, because… well, she’s not an easy person to please. Actually, she’s a difficult person overall.” Exrite suddenly complained.
“A-ah, is that ok to say out loud?” Someone said with a wry smile.
“Don’t worry about me.” He waved it off. “Can’t deny the truth. Just don’t get on her bad side and you’ll be fine.”
“You’re telling us…” A girl with feline-like features laughed before they slumped forward with depressed eyes. “Hey. Are you really fine talking with us? Don’t’ you humans despise us?”
“But I don’t.” Exrite simply said. “Isn’t that enough of a reason?”
She was genuinely taken aback by his reason. It was enough for her to throw herself back onto the couch and wonder if this person was really ‘human’ or not.
“Ah… dammit. It’s nothing. You’re totally not human. Totally not.” She sighed, feeling somewhat unsatisfied with his answer.
“By the way – is that you Bun?” Exrite suddenly spoke, surprising the bunny-girl.
“You remember me?” Bun pointed at herself, shocked that she was even considered worthy of being remembered by anyone. Aside from Black and White, she was always called ‘bunny-girl’, ‘rabbit girl’, ‘whore’, ‘slave’, and many other sorts of derogatory names.
So naturally, it came across as strange that someone would even partially remember her.
“Why do you look so shocked? I’d obviously remember you.” Exrite said, surprised she even asked.
These words were what shocked her the most. Aside from the time she was saved by Black, and the time she was embraced by the female Exrite, it was the warmest moment of her life. To be remembered by someone so casually almost caused her to tear up on the spot, but she resisted her natural calls and cosily smiled to herself.
“Obviously…?” She whispered.
* * *
However warm this person was, she was reminded that they were far from the human they proclaimed to be.
On the evening of Red Rock Enclave’s invasion – as they had come to discover the name of their enemies – every single Demi-human that was atop the airship struggled to even look in his direction.
Like when she first met Black, her bunny ear flattened as she tried to make herself as small as possible, her eyes scattering across the metal floor. What they saw in the distance riled the hearts of the Demi-humans.
But even so – their combined rage could not compare to Exrite’s fury.
“… Uru. Tell me what I’m looking at. Please tell me I’m imagining things.”
“I can see it too. To think humans would employ the tactics of the Dark Elves and the Paligork.”
The Paligork were an invasive bipedal pig-like species that feasted on the humans of Endo, and the Elves of Vevillen. If one imagined the stereotypical hallmarks of Orks and Goblins, then these things would be the very embodiment of them, save in the shade of pink.
They were disgustingly compatible with all seeds and wombs of sapient life, making them one of the most monstrous creatures to exist in Eastern Six Point. It did not help that their cultures revolved around the extreme cruelty of the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of all life.
And to think they were one of the 9 originating species from the esteemed Overlord of Creation.
What the Red Rock Enclave employed beneath them was but one of the deranged tactics used by the Paligork to break down the morale and rupture the spirit of their foes.
Hoist on their shields were children of varying ages, stripped of wear and beaten beyond recognition. Cages of distraught Demi-humans were towed behind as their tails and ears were wrapped around the bars to remind them of their absolute place in the world.
Their horses were strapped with more Demi-humans on either side, used as nothing more than a meat shield and for something to kick. Their weapons and armour were adorned with pieces of tails, ears, fur and even tongues.
Exrite – who had lived in Enthile and witnessed Demi-human brutality firsthand – had never seen anything like this.
Ever.
He deeply, deeply empathised with them. The only time he experienced anything remotely similar was when his captors waved his sawn-off limbs in front of his peeled face.
That was it.
But if Enthile ever did this to someone he loved – then there was no telling what he would do to them. He understood their pain as if it were his own.
“To think humans like that exist…” Frosty, who was also present, uttered in disbelief as she drew blood from her tongue. “They’re being killed along the way. Black – Leave some of the airships to me. Alone.”
“Yeah, I’m afraid you’ll have to drop the number of prisoners you’re expecting.” Exrite spoke through clamped teeth. “Uru, please maintain your [True Illusion – False World]. Don’t let them breathe.”
“Understood~”
[True Illusion – False World] was a [Tenth Tiered] [Illusion] magic used to trap individuals into a false world, like the Dwarven Prison that Uru had trapped them in long ago. The magic was a watered-down form of the Overlord of Desire’s [False Disillusion] and was only usable by creatures whose nature was to feast on desires.
Like a Succubus for example. It required days of preparation and a significant catalyst to maintain its effect. Uru, after having devoured countless of the Geared throughout the Trial, was able to use herself as a tremendous catalyst for the magic.
It was a trump card of sorts, but an unpractical magic in the grand scheme of things. The troublesome part was that she needed to ensure the Demi-humans weren’t affected by the illusionary world, and the second was to target all humans save for Exrite.
Adding conditions to magic only increased its difficulty and resulting mana cost, and enough of them risked causing a certain magic to become an entirely different one.
Under normal circumstances she would have ignored any notion of wasting such valuable mana on a magic that was rarely used outside of depraving entire towns of their carnal desires.
Additionally, the [Curse of Desire] superseded it in all manners of respect. The only reason she didn’t use it was because her ‘worms’ could not fly into their airships. Furthermore, they intended to take prisoners. Uru was not so foolish to allow an enemy to live after they survived the [Curse of Desire] – her ultimate trump card.
But since she was asked by her most beloved Exrite – She had no choice but to happily oblige from the bottom of her heart.
“I wasn’t expecting much to return from you to begin with, Exrite. Hmhm~ Not a bad tactic for monsters.” Black hummed, unphased by all of this. “But – that is worst way to go about a war. Look at them parading themselves like what they’re doing is just. Well, I won’t fucking kid myself – I think I’m going to have as much fun as you all. Exrite – if you’d be so kind as to at least bring the leader to me~?”
Black tapped her Night’s Melody by her hip.
“Hope I don’t get to him first, then.” Exrite swiftly turned towards the edge of the airship, wasting little time.
“This is their retaliation… don’t make me laugh. Weren’t they the first to attack us!?” Someone cried in the back. “For what they did to my brother!? And they come back claiming it’s all a retaliation against us!?”
“… as if we were the ones who fought first… I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all!”
“Just because we’re Godless? Why? What makes us so different from you, you damn monsters!?”
A cry of anguish spread through the airship floor, causing Black to grin. Their emotions were their weapons. The enemy’s attempts to shatter their spirit only strengthened their resolve.
Bun watched Exrite silently move to the edge of the airship. As soon as a single foot hung out, she instinctively reached out, but then quickly realised that if it were him – then he’d most likely survive the drop.
She had no other reason to believe this, yet she did. Exrite was no ordinary person. As obvious as it was, she was reminded of this fact once again.
Exrite had shown her kindness and warmth months ago when she finally reached the Golden City of Saicry after years of torment and was the one who always greeted her with a smile whenever they met… even though she didn’t realise it was Exrite until recently.
To see such a person engulfed in rage made her acknowledge just how much kinder they truly were. That their emotions were far from superficial and was derived from somewhere deeper than she realised…
… So deep that her instincts begged her to never pry.