… What happened? How did things turn out like this?
After celebrating the end of the cursed quest and enjoying a few drinks, Norf and I returned to our rooms to settle our heads. I don’t remember much after that, but next thing I knew, I was being carried by several people out of a cell(?). My thoughts were still in disarray and my eyes were heavy, so everything had a dream-like quality. However, it wasn’t long before a surge of excruciating pain ran up my arm, forcing me to wake from the dream and into the nightmare.
“ARRRRRGGGH!”
Releasing my arm, I clutch my hand as I choke on my screams. However, grasping the bleeding joint creates a disconcerting sensation in my mind as I realise I’ve just lost a part of myself forever. Worse, while the pain is without precedent, I find the hopelessness that’s sinking to be far more horrifying.
Why are they doing this? W-what happened to Minna, Norf, Enbos and Hachirou?
“ENBOS, DID YOU HEAR HIS SCREAM? I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS SEN! IF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS DON’T SHOW YOURSELVES, I WILL DELIVER HIM TO MALEOSIS SOON ENOUGH!”
Huh, the others managed to get away? No wait, Norf was with me in the room. He’s probably locked away while they’re holding me hostage.
Gritting my teeth, I raise my head to take stock of the situation. It looks like the village square and there are over a dozen guys waiting for my friends to show up. To my shock, the innkeeper appears to be the one running things.
“I KNOW YOU WON’T LEAVE THIS GUY BEHIND, OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAVE DONE SO ALREADY! WILL YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON HIM TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN!?”
No Enbos, just go! Don’t let me drag everybody down!
Although I want to say these words, I can’t raise my strained voice as I’m ravaged by incessant pain and lingering drowsiness. I have to do something soon. Knowing Minna, she might really surrender just to spare me the pain.
“YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES, ENBOS! FOR EVERY MINUTE YOU ARE LATE, WE’LL CUT OFF ANOTHER ONE! THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH BLOOD THE HUMAN BODY CAN SPILL!”
Damn these sadistic freaks! The pain is becoming bearable, but I can’t put my full strength into my hand. Also, my wrists legs are shackled with short chains. I can’t escape like this and I can’t fight back either.
“FOUR MORE MINUTES!”
I have to do something, anything! I’m not letting these guys take another piece of me without a struggle! The best I can do is probably lunge at the innkeeper, but the guy responsible for my missing finger is keeping a close watch.
“THREE! I KNOW YOU’RE STILL WATCHING!”
Forgive me Minna. I know you want to protect me, but just this once, let me protect everybody… even if it means seeing Eric first. I hope you all respect my wish.
I assume a crouching position and make obvious motions to reach into my shirt. Alarmed, the watchman walks over to grab me by the shoulder...
“TWO! ARE YOU STILL BEING STUBBORN, OR IS HE NOT WORTH THE-!”
“Hey, what are you-”
“Ha!”
Putting strength into my legs, I jump up and headbutt the watchman in the chin. As he reels from the blow, I stumble towards the innkeeper. With a final burst of strength, I snatch his magical tool and immediately use it to share my final words.
“FORGET ABOUT ME, ENBOS, EVERYBODY! FIND NORF AND- Ugh!”
“You insolent heathen! You think your fingers are too small a price? Fine then! We’ll chop off your hand and continue in similar portions instead!”
“*Cough* D-do… your… worst!”
“We’ll see how long your bravado lasts. Oh, and if you die before we’re done, I’ll reanimate your corpse and use you to hunt your friends, so do your best to hold out.”
“You bas-“
“Do it, Nill.”
I hope to god that they’re trying to save Norf right now, even though a part of me finds that really hard to believe. Regardless, for the sake of my friends, I’ll even hold out until the sun sets again. The torturer approaches me with a bruised chin and a bloody cleaver. While his brethren restrain me, I shut my eyes and steel my heart for the last moments of my life.
BANG! Thud.
Huh?
“A-ah-… ARRRGGGH!”
I feel warm blood spray onto my face and hear a man screaming in unimaginable pain, and yet neither of these things belong to me. Opening my eyes, I turn towards the torturer… to find his arm has been blown off at the shoulder. While he’s consumed by agony a thousand times greater than mine, the entire group falls into pandemonium.
“W-where did that come from!?”
“One of them threw a
“Damn it, we were too careless! Cast
Before he can finish his commands, a large object suddenly flies from the rooftops and draws everybody’s attention. It looks like a wooden barrel, but it’s descent is unnaturally slow. However, while we’re all captivated by this unusual projectile, a pitch-black javelin suddenly strikes the object, spilling its contents onto the crowd below. The mob shield themselves from the unknown liquid, but as far as I can tell, it seems to only be water-
Wait, I see now! The water is to dowse their torches! Enbos is giving me a chance to escape! With newfound strength, I pull myself up and attempt to run in short strides. Unfortunately, the sound of my shackles alerts them to my flight.
“Damn it, Morris, don’t let him escape! Theodore, Joseph, light the area with your magic!”
Somehow, I manage to stagger past the circle of guards, but the unextinguished light of my pursuer is growing stronger. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my leg, causing me to fall over. Unable to get up with my injury, I look at my pursuer as he brandishes a small mace.
“There is no escape from God’s-”
Fwoosh!
… Eh? W-where did he go? For a second I thought he fell, but even his torch has disappeared. His friends are equally confused, as they were watching him chase me down. One of them conjures a
“Y-you! What did you do to Morris!?”
Like I would know! As far as I’m aware, nobody in our party is capable of-
“O-oh my Lord.”
“W-what on Aren i-is…”
Not even I can fault their bout of shock, as I find myself equally horrified by the blood suddenly seeping from the patch of earth where he last stood. All of a sudden, a black, gloved hand bursts from the ground and pulls the rest of its body to the surface. Soil falls from his jagged antlers as the features of a bloodstained deer greet the starry night. A sickening mix of blood and earth cover his pitch-black cloak, enveloping the wearer with the scent of death. In his other hand, a long, silver sword stands in stark contrast to his ghastly visage, although the crimson coat on its cold edge tells the same gruesome tale.
For the longest instant, I couldn’t identify the thing before me as it crawled out of the ground like a ghoul from its grave. Its aura was so chilling and trenched in bloodlust that I didn’t dare look away. Yet, in that moment of absolute dread I remembered something similar in the past, although it was nowhere near this imposing.
“E-en… Enbos?”
He doesn’t say a word, and instead extends his open palm to grasp me. To my shame, I almost shrink from his touch as he firmly grabs my shoulder.
“
For a second, I lose sight of everything as a mysterious force presses from all sides and a bitter cold envelops me. In the next instant, everything returns to normal except we’re now in a dark alley. I collapse on my side and begin gasping for dear life.
W-what happened? Did Enbos
“T-thank you, Enbos. I owe you my life. I want to say more, but right now we need to save Norf! I'm still shackled, so-”
No, he’s not done. I can still feel his murderous intent.
“Enbos?”
“…”
“N-no way. Don’t tell me you’re going back.”
“…”
“By the spirits, you’re really- You don’t have to fight them, Enbos! That’s just suicide! I don’t care how powerful you are, you’re not going to get out of this unscathed.”
“…”
“Turn around and say something, goddamn it! I’m not letting my friend throw himself into the dragon’s maw! Think about Hachirou. He wouldn’t want you to-”
“No, Sen, I must. No more mercy. No more mistakes. This time, I’ll finish things properly.”
“You’re making a mistake right now! You can’t go alone. At least wait for everybody to-”
“I don’t need your feeble flesh to distract me. Every second wasted is a second more than those blights on humanity deserve. If you want to help me, stay out of my way.”
Without ever looking back or missing a step, he condemns my weakness and leaves me to lament it. Unable to reach him, I watch as the outline of my good friend disappears into the darkness.
----------------------------------------
“Curses, he took the hostage! Why didn’t anybody inform me he can use earth magic sooner!?”
“W-what in Maleosis’ name was that!? W-was he even human?”
“He pulverised Nill, gutted poor Morris, and left like a damn shade. I-is he planning on picking us off one at a time?”
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“Don’t let your resolve be shaken, my brothers! He may have some ability, but he’s only a man. God is on our side, and in unity, He shall preserve us!”
“Yes, Father.”
“Should we spread out and search? The other end of the tunnel can’t be far.”
“No, fetch the other captive. As long we have him at a knife’s edge, they won’t dare leave. Ed, John, go fetch the big one from the gaol.”
“By your will, Father.”
Although I am keeping a level tone, there is no denying the situation is growing worse. By the hands of an adventurer, an accursed cleric, a shifty mage and a child, months of careful planning and work is on the brink of destruction. The worst loss has been the near utter destruction of our undead arsenal and our fully-fledged necromancer. His Holiness Tascus will not be pleased. I must handle this disaster aptly and prove my worth to the hierarch.
Bang!
“Huh, that flare…”
“It belongs to Brother “Kell” and it’s coming from the gaol!”
“Curses, they found the prison! Come on everyone, we have to-”
“None of you are going anywhere!”
A voice filled with malice stops us in our tracks and demands our attention. Soon after, terrified screams fall upon our high-strung ears: the screams of Ed and John. With bated breath, we watch as the sound of hurried steps draw ever closer, only to find a blood-soaked John scrambling for safety.
“H-he’s coming! He swore to kill us all!”
“Spread out! Defensive formation, now!”
With me and my fellow spellcasters Joseph and Theodore at the centre, four shield bearers spread out along the village square while the remaining five form a defensive circle around us. Each of us are well equipped with magical items at our disposal. In case he attacks from underground, I activate an enchanted orb that creates a sensory web. Meanwhile, my fellow spellcasters quickly cast arcane barriers to counter his spells. For several moments, all is calm as we uphold our vigilant watch. At this point, it would be reasonable to assume he has left to save his friend, and yet…
(D-did he leave?)
(I don’t know. I guess that would make sense, but… I-I can’t shake the feeling he intends to keep his word.)
(Maybe he’s watching, w-waiting for the right time and place to strike.)
(Stay your ground and he won’t have a chance to-)
Drip, drip, drip…
Huh, did a few droplets of rain land next to me? Is it going to shower?
One of the droplets lands on shoulder, but to my alarm… it smells of iron. Dread stirs my imagination as I immediately look up to find a more chilling sight than I could dread: a raven-winged reaper with a deer’s head. With arcane wings made from the blackest mana, he hovers against the sickle-shaped moon with blood dripping from his silver blade. Noticing his presence, his aura beats against me like an invisible, frozen sun, making me break into a cold sweat and a stutter.
“A-above us! Spread out!”
I’m too late. Descending from his starry throne, he wraps himself in a cloud of darkness. With little resistance, he crashes through our anti-magic defences and envelops everyone in a billowing shade. Torches are snuffed and
“I can’t see anything!”
“Get out now- Uaaagh!”
“H-huh, why can’t I move my- Aaauuuggghhh!”
He’s picking us off one by one! I have to track him!
“Theodore, focus on dispelling this haze! Joseph, protect me while I use the sensory web!”
Concentrating on the orb, it projects a map of all living beings within the immediate area. It can’t identify the detected souls, but by observing their movements, I should be able to tell which one is Enbos.
“Oh God, help me Father! I-I can hear him behind me!”
“Huh, John, is that you?”
Damn it, everybody is either running away or staying in place. I can’t tell which one is- Wait a minute… the orb isn't sensing anybody coming from John’s voice.
“Joseph, don’t-!”
Sadly, I am unable to finish my words as Joseph deactivates his barrier to let his comrade in. To his shock, a face made of hardened clay emerges from the dark instead. In one swift swing, he slashes Joseph’s throat before he can utter another syllable. Blood ruptures from the cut, turning Enbos the Black into Enbos the Crimson.
“
Out of desperation, I conjure a barrier between myself and the blood-drenched fiend. He strikes my barricade without care, but triggers it to explode in his direction. As he flies back from the force of my spell, Theodore dispels the darkness and exposes the devastation he has wrought.
“Oh my God.”
“J-jane! Ed! Trevor!”
“Damn it, Joseph is also beyond saving. I can’t believe he can use air, earth, fire, lightning and darkness skills. Is he an elementalist?”
“No Theodore, he’s far too apt with the sword. He may be a Spellblade, but given his use of stealth, I suspect he’s a Shadow Stalker. Either way... Gather yourselves, brothers and sisters! Strike now and do not let him recover! Deliver him to Maleosis!”
With the exception of Theodore and myself, the remaining seven engage Enbos in close combat. However, he’s already back on his feet and ready to receive our attack. As the shield-bearers charge in, Theodore casts
“
“What!?”
What did he do? It looked as if he was swinging at thin air, and yet our shield-bearers are crumbling to the ground in agony! Somehow, he managed to bypass Theodore’s protective spells without a hint of mana.
After a few more enigmatic swings, the frontline collapses, leaving the unarmoured combatants behind them exposed. With berserker-like ferocity, Enbos leaps in while wearing a mantle of lightning. Each of us are capable fighters in our own right, each of us have sworn to give our lives for God, and yet, in the face of this relentless enemy that carries the stench of our fallen brethren, I can see my brothers starting to falter.
“Damn it, they won’t hold! We need a plan!”
“Although most of the undead were destroyed, Terry’s Risen Demolisher is still intact! I just need to find it and put under my thrall.”
“Go Theodore! I’ll hold him here!”
While Theodore departs, I kneel next to Joseph to check his condition. Fortunately, he’s still alive but only by the barest thread.
“Joseph, can you hear me? I need your life for a ritual to stop Enbos. You must hold on until I’m done.”
He gives a weak nod and I immediately go about drawing the magic circle with my own blood. It’s a skill designed to trap magical beasts, but it takes time to prepare. However, the death throes of my comrades continue to haunt my ears as I work on the spell. T-they’re not going to last. I can reanimate the corpses, but I need to conserve as much mana as possible for this ritual.
“Father Alan!”
“Cory! Did all of you return from fighting the fire?”
“We saw a flare from the gaol, but what's going on here!?”
“Now is not the time! Brother Kell can handle himself, so help us hold Enbos back!”
With twelve more reinforcements entering the fray, I put my faith in them and focus on completing the ritual. Through sheer will and with barely any breath left in his lungs, Joseph is doing his best to hold out for the sacrifice. I need to do it now. God help us in our endeavour.
“[O mighty Maleosis watching from yonder, please hear my prayer!
Accept this man’s soul into thou domain and impart a miracle in his earthly absence. Let his flesh feed thy magic and his bone become one with the soil. On thy command, let him arise from the earth and embrace the accursed with arms of white.
O mighty Maleosis watching from yonder, I deliver him to thee!]
Plunging my knife into Joseph to complete the ritual, my mana flows into him and then unto the circle around him. He sinks into the ground as if it were quicksand. To my relief, Maleosis accepts my offering as a blood rune manifests in my right palm.
Having finished my preparations, I look up to find a distressing sight. Despite facing so many of our kin, he’s still fighting with the vigour of a healthy man. With sharpened metal and exotic magic, he’s moving between targets with barely a pause while our own forces are growing more haggard. Using
“Somebody hold him down while I activate a spell!”
“Yes, Father! FOR MALEOSIS!”
Casting aside his shield, one of our brothers rushes in to grapple him. Enbos swiftly decapitates him with
“
… I turn him into an undead and command it to grab onto our target. Enbos prepares to cut off its arms, but with great valour, one of our fighters manages to disarm his electrified sword before he does. While he’s pinned in place, I quickly muster my mana to activate the ritual.
“
I clap my palms, and at once, hundreds of long, ivory spikes erupt around Enbos in a small perimeter. While he pushes aside the reanimated cadaver, layers upon layers of earth and bone construct themselves into a tomb. As a final touch, my magic flows into the spiny structure, making it resistant to magic.
The prison... is complete. With bone walls extending even underground, Enbos is wholly sealed within.
“H-he did it. Father Alan did it!”
“T-thank Maleosis, we are saved!”
“D-don’t celebrate so soon! I can only trap him for as long as I can hold my focus.”
“T-then, what should we do, Father?”
“Theodore will be back soon with the Risen Demolisher, but it may not be enough! Go find Brother "Kell" and- Huh?”
All of a sudden, the bodies strewn on the village square begin to stir. While it is not an unfamiliar sight, we have no idea who is doing this or why. With the obvious exception of myself, Terry was lost in the fire and Theodore is still absent. Who could have…
No. I-it’s just not possible…
“Kill.”
That silent yet insidious voice slips from the bone prison, filling everyone with a horrid realisation. Although I can’t see within, I know he’s pointing at me right now.
“Oh my God, Enbos is…”
“He’s a Necromancer! Protect Father Alan!”
Half a dozen corpses charge towards me, trying to push pass my guards with undying persistence. In all this chaos, I find myself at a loss to Enbos’ true nature. However, now is not the time to be distracted. Regardless of what he may be, right now, he is our enemy!
Crack!
“Huh? Arrrgggh!”
Something grabbed onto my leg! Damn, did one of the risen get past everybody? I can’t maintain my concentration like this-
Falling onto my back, I look at the perpetrator and discover… it’s Morris, the one Enbos had dragged underground. His corpse had dug all the way beneath me!
“
Blowing away Morris’ body, I immediately return to reinforcing his cell. However, by then I was already too late. A dark miasma is corrupting the ivory walls, and with one firm blow, it crumbles like sandstone to reveal the dreaded prisoner within.
“Kill them all!”
Changing the scope of his command, the battlefield is now in complete disarray. Worse, he plunges the area into darkness once more, a-and with no mana left to counter it, I watch as he emerges from the veil before me. With uncharacteristic strength, he grabs me by the throat and lifts me with his thin arms.
“You’re acting alone, yes? What’s to stop us from killing you in the flesh?”
“There are three- well, two flaws with your idea. One: removing me will be an affront to our mutual acquaintance, Mr Terrace. Two: what makes you think dealing with me is any easier?”
He really wasn’t bluffing in the end.
Spellblade? Shadow Stalker? Necromancer? No. All I see now… is a monster.
I'm sorry, your Holiness Tascus. I have failed you...
Snap!
----------------------------------------
… It is done. I’ve killed the innkeeper by my own hand. I do not feel satisfaction, only regret that I didn’t do so sooner. I’ve been far too naive, but now I feel as if I’ve been enlightened. They are not men but monsters like the countless kinds I’ve already put down, and they must be curbed.
My
“Deliverance!”
“For Maleosis!”
Two fighters intercept me, foolishly believing they’ll stand a chance now that I’m unarmed. Their shields have been enchanted to resist magic, but it's of little concern. I cast
“ARRRGGGHHH!”
“M-my eyes, my skin! They burn!”
Of course it burns. I increased the concentration of hydrogen ions in that pseudo water, putting it on par with super acids. While they writhe in pain, I grab their faces and electrocute them with
Ding!
Intimidate (Greater) has evolved to Horrify (High)> Tch, that’s the second time I’ve levelled up since the beginning of the battle. Are their rotten souls really worth so much “experience”? It seems their only worth is in death. These “people” don’t deserve to live. They don’t deserve to appreciate the wonders of breathing or the comfort of warmth. They don’t deserve to take such things for granted. Why is it that scum as irredeemable as them get to live while I’m trapped in this undead form? It’s frustrating, it’s unforgivable. I will purge them from this world, and partake in the embers of life that I was deprived. Picking up my blade, I return to decimating their number. These suicidal fanatics are now rightfully cowering from my presence, although they’re too loyal to their god to turn and run. Using “Kill Enbos!” Answering my mental query, I turn to find he has returned with that abomination from the inn. Irritatingly, the cultists begin to cheer at the sight of their misshapen champion. How annoying. Eager to crush their hopes, I walk up to the undead with my sword sheathed and wait to receive its attack. I calmly raise my hand and activate “… N-no. That’s- H-how can this be!?” “O-oh God, please give us strength…” With a single hand, I’ve stopped the hulking undead’s hammer and dragged them all into despair. Maintaining my grip, the dumb fiend is unable to pull away. Since dropping from the sky, I’ve equipped the Mellivorath’s soul until now, achieving a hundred percent synchronisation. I now possess thirty percent of an A-rank monster’s defensive ability… and offensive power. “R-retreat! Fall back to-” “I WON’T LET YOU!” Using “ As I furiously pummel its rotten flesh, the entire village square begins to shake and concave as I replicate the Mellivorath’s earthly arena. Copious amount of dust fills the air as the cultists slip closer to my blood drenched fists. I stop pulverising the long silenced undead, but to my great dissatisfaction, I realise two signatures are missing from my kill list. No matter. I’ll finish these guys swiftly before giving chase. Examining everybody's signatures, I single out the mage Theodore and impale him from behind. Next, I reanimate some dead to suppress them while I go about cutting them down. “*Cough, cough* W-where is he? I-I can’t see any-“ Shiiick. Thud. “Shari? Shar-” “ “A-ARRRGGGHH!” “Damn it! I swear to Maleosis I’ll-” “ Nearly there. The purge is almost complete. Only a few more blights remain in this village, and once they’re gone, I’ll finally apologise to Sen. So keep dying… and help me hate myself less. Cutting down the last one in the pit, I suddenly detect three spiritual signatures arrive at the edge of the crater. It seems those two brought Mr Kell. Good, it’ll save me trouble of finding them. As the dust cloud settles, one of them conjures “A-ah…” … I realise the souls belong to Lili, Minna and Hachirou. H-how did I not recognise them sooner? Their expressions are filled shock- no, genuine fear, as they gaze upon the bloodshed I have caused. I try to speak, but to my horror, I find my undead are shambling towards them. “Begone!” I quickly deactivate my necromancy, but it’s hardly any consolation as I begin to gather my thoughts. I look to them for solace, but find they are staring elsewhere: at my feet. Hesistant, I slowly look down and realise the last victim of my rampage… was the teenage girl from the inn. She’s quickly fading with blood filling her throat. S-she looking at me like some kind of… monster. I try to reach out to save her, but one look at my blood-covered hands instead makes me stumble back and trip over the men I've murdered. Lili quickly descends the pit to save her, but by then, she was already gone. “W-wh…. What have I done? I-I-I... T-they…” “E-enbos, get a hold of yourself!” “It’s alright. I-it was inevitable. You did it to save us all.” “N-no, I didn’t do it save anybody! I killed men, women a-and children without a second thought!” “What happened to Sen!?” “I-I rescued him, but because of my lenience, h-he... Wait, was it wrong to kill the innkeeper? W-was there ever a point I could stop? Oh god, i-it all felt right, but now…” “E-enbos.” “I’m sorry, Hachirou. I-I… I don’t know any more.” As I’m hanging my head in lament, dozens of souls suddenly appear around the village centre. Glancing up, it seems the captives are taking in the aftermath of my killing spree. “O-oh my god, they’re all dead!” “W-what happened here? Did a magical beast run amuck?” “Look, one of those accursed cultist is still standing! Kill him!” “No, you’re wrong everyone! He’s our companion Enbos!" "Oh, so he's the infamous Enbos the Black..." Please, don't look at me… "Wait, w-was he responsible for all this!?" “Unbelievable. Did he really kill them all by himself!?” "Y-yes, but..." "By the spirits, it's a miracle." “He saved us all! He’s a hero!” "Hurray for Enbos the Black!" Ding! You have been bestowed the title of Scourge of Cultists!> No, I’m not a hero… “ENBOS! ENBOS! ENBOS!” Stop it. I-I’m nothing but a… Ding! ----------------------------------------