It was instantaneous.

The moment I wanted to just tear into him, he vanished. Like a fleeting dream, he was already gone. Where did he go?!

A huge sound greeted me. I looked back, astonished by the sudden deafening noise alerting me, snapping me out of my hunger filled trance.

A huge dust cloud was rising from the ground, and a huge crater had formed there. The dust rose to the sky, and through it, I could see a figure.

My prey.

He lay there, like a broken toy. His arms and legs were twisted, and his face was contorted in pain. A hint of surprise was filled on there. After seeing his state, I realized. There was a third part—

As I was about to confirm my suspicions, my entire vision changed into a blur. Wind cut past my body, and in a moment, pain greets me.

I collide with the hard earth, face first. The speed with which I was sent flying is enough to send me into the ground, through it. I could almost feel every bone in my body breaking. Every internal organ bleeding. I was in a sorry state, a step away from death.

It wasn’t fair.

I don’t know who I am. What I have to do. About this world. Nothing.

I am a blank slate. Without an identity, memories or experiences.

All I know is how to kill, and the moment I came into this world, I was forced to fight. Why?

I can feel something grasping my broken leg. A tight vice like grip. The ground scraped my chest, my face, as I was pulled out of the darkness.

I was dangling by one leg. A leg held by that man. A man with an indomitable presence. His eyes werea piercing blue, and it stared into my face.

Something seized hold of me. An indescribable feeling.

Fear.

It overrode my rage. The rage seemed so pitiful next to the fear I felt from this person. I could feel my entire being, every sensation, as clearly as if I were meditating. My heart began pounding, so fast that it would burst. My mind was a mess.

Run. Run. Run.

It kept resounding in my head. I don’t know why, but I had to get away from this person. Every inch of my body was screaming at me to stay away from him.

As if he read my thoughts, the tips of his lips curl upwards, in a small smile.

My throat clenched. I couldn’t breathe. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I gasped, trying to draw in air.

An unbearable pressure was pressing down on my chest, as if wanting to choke me to death.

That was the extent of the fear I felt from this person. An indescribable fear. My dark sand disappeared, without a trace. My rage was long gone, overridden by the stark terror in my head.

He threw me , and I fell, rolling on the ground until I hit something soft. Clothes. Warm. Bodies.

I was thrown into a heap of bodies, and I could vaguely recognize something from the scent of blood that emerged. The person that fought me was here. He was lying behind me.

My entire body felt like it was being pierced by tiny needles, tearing my flesh to shreds. Because my flesh was in shreds, my bones in fragments.

I opened my eyes, subduing  the pain with my willpower. I had to see. What was happening? Would I die?

In front of my eyes, three figures stood.

The man who made me feel like I had to get away from at all costs.  But I recognized someone else. Vaguely, faintly, i felt like I had seen that mop of jade green hair somewhere before. M-m-m-a

My head splits open from the pain that assaults me. Wh-what? I can’t think. The pain … it’s unbearable!!

And then, the man with black hair raises his hand.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to kill all of you”

His voice was deep, and it sent a chill down my spine. Like the death god itself was whispering in my ear. Terror was coursing through my mind, and I caught my breath, just by hearing that ominous voice.

He pulled his hand back, as if he were going to punch me. Then, he stepped forward, and vanished.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!

And, the next thing I knew, I was flying.

I crashed into the tree, and the air got knocked out of my lungs. I gasped for air, as I sagged onto the tree, my body hurting.

I bleakly opened my eyes, and saw the cause.

A small crate had appeared, and in the center of it, two figures were standing. One, the man of absolute terror. The other, a cloaked person.

The cloaked person had blocked the blow perfectly, his palm holding the fist of the other man. They glared at each other, with venom filled gazes.

“Go—“

I didn’t wait for them to finish what they were saying. I listened to what my body told me to do. I scrambled to my feet, my body hurting.

I summoned what little miasma I could, but because my anger was slowly ebbing away, it had turned back into gas. And a frail gas at that.

Without waiting for a checkup, I immediately formed two spikes, aimed them at the ground, and shot them.

The recoil sent me soaring into the air, the air whizzing past me. My body hurt like hell, but without caring, I curled up my body, to protect my head. I can’t die. I have to survive!

The instinct grabbed hold of me, as I crashed onto the ground again.

Without caring for the agony that I felt, I kept at it, I shot myself off of the ground again, to get away.

That monster, he can easily kill me. I have to escape!

I kept doing it, three times, seven times, abusing my body to the very limit, not caring for the torment that my body was going through.

I lost count after the 13 th jump, and midway through the umpteenth jump, the miasma disappeared, and I free fell onto the ground.

I staggered onto my feet, and walked forwards.

The terror was ebbing away, and my body kept moving mechanically, to get away.

Time passed, a lot of time. I don’t feel how much time, but I kept walking, stumbling and tripping, the pain tearing my body apart. Until finally, my legs gave out.

I lay on the ground, face forward. I couldn’t move. I had reached my limit. Maybe… Maybe… I should just close my eyes. Just sleep…..

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“God’s Apostle? What business do you have here?”

Altrock muttered, annoyed at the appearance of the cloaked figure.

The hood fell back at their clash, and the face of the person was revealed.

A serene and gentle face, his gentle light blue hair neatly combed on his head. His eyes were like balls of gold, as they gleamed brightly. His expression was sharp, and a small smile played on his mouth, as he gazed at the Demon General.

“Altrock…”

He  speaks, with a light and breathy voice, a gentle whisper. The sound was faint, yet strangely clear to those listening.

“Why must you do this?”

“Drop the act, Apostle Niantal.”

Altrock snapped, irritation clear in his voice.

The angelic look on Niantal’s face disappears, getting replaced by a look of derision.

“Let’s get to the point, Altrock. These are my playthings. I won’t let you touch them.”

“How about you causing mine to getaway?”

Altrock asks, gesturing at the place where the boy had run off to. Niantal smirks, and replies.

“Hou~? You think you’re not able to capture a brat? That must be quite shameful, for a Demon general to be unable to catch a kid”

Altrock glares at Niantal’s provocation, not willing to respond.

“I see, you’ll remain silent huh? Well then let me get to the point. A truce. We will not fight, and retreat to our respective domains. We don’t want unneeded bloodshed now, do we?”

“A truce, huh? Seems appealing, but I need the head of one of yours. You see, your guy killed one of my people”

“Oh? Is that so? Then here you go~! Have three!

Niantal nonchalantly tosses the draconians to Altrock, and picks up the hero. He begins to float, preparing to fly away.

“Then, see you, Altrock~!”

He snickered at Altrock, and floated away.

“Oh, and here’s a little present”

He snaps his fingers, and Altrock’s leg bursts.

Altrock howls in pain, surprised by the sudden explosion. The people behind Altrock widen their eyes, surprised. Then, like a bomb, the bodies of the draconian explodes, enveloping the area with a bright white flame.

“NIANTAL! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!!!”

Altrock’s angry yell echoes through the forest, and Niantal flies away, with the hero tucked under his arm, laughing heartily.

************************

Out of the remains of the burning forest, Altrock emerges. Burns covered his body, and he lacked a limb. Thick blood spurted from the stump of his leg, as he limped away from the flaming remains of the forest.

‘Niantal… He will definitely die by my hands!”

Resolving it to himself, his mind overcome by rage, he keeps moving. Due to the incident with Niantal, any worry about the boy had disappeared, replaced by the anger against Niantal.

Then, out of the thicket, a figure emerged.

“Augustus…”

Altrock recognizes him, and mutters his name. Bloodied and battered, Augustus stumbles forward, his coat torn to shreds.

“Orthius… Orthius died..”

“Tsk”

Annoyed at this, Altrock moves, to help Augustus. Even if he were a person that would look down on those weaker than him, Altrock would never abandon his subordinates and comrades.

As he slung Augustus’s arm around his shoulder, another surprise met him.

A dagger buried itself into Altrock’s side. It was black leaking some noxious fumes.

“Au…gustus..”

Altrock whispers his name, looking at his subordinate in shock. Augustus was smiling, his face gleeful with the success. He drives the knife in deeper, pushing Altrock away.

“Ha… How long I have waited for this moment! To just get you killed! Always so arrogant! I know, Ascalon has need of you, but I’ll remake you, as a better, and more obedient person! That’ll suit you better!”

Augustus began gloating, happy about his betrayal. But what he doesn’t expect was why Altrock became a Demon General.

In a lightning fast movement, Altrock crushes Augustus’s head between his hands. The head bursts, and blood covers his hand. In the same motion, Altrock grasps the broken neck of the corpse, and with brute strength, tears the body into two halves.

The flesh and entrails fall to the ground, as Altrock wipes his bloody hands on his armor, disgusted by his subordinate’s actions.

Sure, the poison used by Augustus was potent and strong enough to kill Altrock, but he had not expected Altrock’s experience against poisons. Altrock had been poisoned successfully on several occasions, with poisons much stronger than this. Due to this, Altrock always carried an Antidote scroll, to heal himself at any opportunity.

Altrock limps away, feeling disgruntled.

**************************

“Tch, it failed huh. What a persistent bastard”

A shady figure mutters, as he watched Altrock tear apart his head through a crystal ball.

“My plan… has gotten some setbacks… Tsk”

He crushes the ball, annoyance etching itself on his face.

**********************************

Voices, faint voices reached my ears. I could barely register it into my fatigued mind.. My mouth tasted dirt, and I felt tired. Oh, so tired.

“—uite good”

“Umu, there are a lot of injuries, but it isn’t too bad.”

Something was poking my body. I got flipped over, my face made to face the sky. I can’t open my eyes. I’m too tired.

“The physique is good enough, right?”

“He’ll sell for a good pric—“

Then, my consciousness faded completely, as I felt my body being lifted by something.

( Author: A few more chapters, and then Vol 1 ends! BaNZAi!!!  [th_084_.gif] Hope you guys enjoy this series! [th_053_XD.gif] )