“For the crimes of failing to return home after the expiration of the pact, misappropriating resources meant for the continuation of the race, and causing direct harm to both the reputation of the race as well as the inhabitants of this land, the sentence is rebirth.” After the First Blood said that, she turned her head, looking directly at me. Unlike Indigo, she seemed to know my exact location without having to probe my whereabouts. “I assume that this punishment is fitting, on behalf of those offended?”
“U-uhm…” I hesitated, slowly standing up and lowering the hood I was wearing. “Can you tell me more about this ‘rebirth’ sentence, first?” Never agree to something without reading the fine print.
The First Blood paused, before nodding her head. “It is a process by where I destroy the being that is Indigo, and allow them to be reborn as a new kin. However, as Indigo possesses enough energy within herself to have already sired, this process will create two kin instead.”
So it’s not really ‘death’ in the way I know. Normally, I would want to accept this deal. It would result in the ‘death’ of Indigo, but her soul would never reach the Underworld. It would still be stained black by all of the evil that she has done.
I clenched my fists, steeling my resolve for what came next. “I urge the Empress to reconsider!” My voice called out, surprising both of the Martial Spirits.
“Oh?” The First Blood asked, seeming confused. “Can it be you wish to spare her, despite carrying arrows deadly to my kin?”
“That is not the case. Through a special technique, I can tell you that the evils she has performed have permeated into the depths of her soul.” I may not understand too much about karma, but it was common knowledge that it went with you into the next life… “I ask for a true death, that she be allowed to reach the Underworld and face the final punishment.”
The First Blood’s eyes widened marginally as she heard that, glancing towards Indigo. “A true death… child, my kind is far too few in numbers. If not for the power I myself possess, we likely would have been enslaved by some random nation centuries ago. To lose even one of my kin in this way is a bit…”
“I will offer myself for a pact with a spirit of the Empress’s choosing.” I spoke resolutely, understanding from my dungeon core what such a thing meant. “A life for a life.”
Her eyes snapped back to me in surprise. “You know the conditions of the pact, and still so freely offer it.” At that, she closed her eyes, seeming to sink into thought.
The few moments she spent in thought seemed to stretch on for eternity. Finally, however, she opened her eyes. “Very well, child. If it is true that the darkness has permeated her soul as you say, then allowing her to be reborn would only bring further harm to the race.”
“But I will not simply take your word as such. The spirit that you will be making a pact with shall be one of my own avatars. Through your eyes, I will confirm the validity of your words.” As she said that, she lifted one of her smooth hands.
A single drop of blood formed from the tip of her finger before flying upwards. Rapidly, it began to grow, until a full-sized replica of the First Blood appeared hovering in the air. Now, it was this new being that spoke to me. “Child of Accalia, you have chosen to enter a pact with Scarlet of Bloodhaven. I shall accompany you through life, and you shall join me in death. Do you accept this pact?”
“I do.” After everything that had happened, I couldn’t bring myself to allow Indigo to roam free, even if she was in a new form. And at the same time, maybe… just maybe I could receive the First Blood’s help. Though, I was honestly surprised when she chose herself as the spirit I would be paired with.
The avatar of the First Blood nodded her head, dissolving into a red mist that surged towards me. I had to fight the instinctive reflex to evade, and simply gasped as the mist seeped into my eyes, nose, and mouth. When it faded, I fell to me knees, feeling a wellspring of power flowing through my veins.
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Demi… demigod…? I muttered, starting to realize what she meant by her strength that had kept the other nations from enslaving her people.
That is correct, child. A new voice spoke into my mind, the voice of the First Blood. I am a direct child of the Keeper, the Demigodess of Ki. And it would be unwise to let this information spread. Now, if you would, please show me the darkness of which you spoke.
I wasn’t sure if she would be able to truly see the karma through my eyes, but I had to try. Lifting my head, I activated my karmic vision while staring straight at the collosal form of Indigo. As I had seen before, the black light completely engulfed Indigo’s body, whereas the First Blood herself still contained black and white in equal measure.
I see. I will have to collect more evidence to support this, but you have convinced me of this. She spoke in my mind, the other body of hers nodding her head. Reaching up with the same hand that had spawned her avatar, she clenched her fist towards Indigo.
The other spirit tried again, one last time to beg for mercy, before she was completely dispersed in an explosion of red. From within the red cloud, a silver bead flew out to land in the palm of the First Blood. “I shall personally convey her spirit to the beyond, and see what punishment awaits her.”
After saying that, the figure of the First Blood began to turn faint, red ripples forming in the air around her before she vanished. I let out a faint sigh of relief, glad that my gamble had paid off. It may have cost me my own chance at an afterlife, but I had gotten far more than I had expected.
Now, child, what is it that you plan to do now that we are bonded? The voice within my mind asked indifferently.
The same thing that I was doing before. I want to seek out those unforgivable souls, and send them where they belong. Admittedly, this plan only began to formulate in my mind after I had witnessed the atrocities that Indigo had caused. I knew the pain of being betrayed, of being caught in the web of those with such terrible karma. Now that I had confirmed my beliefs, it was only a matter of ensuring that I could cleanse as much evil as possible.
I see. Then, I shall accompany you on this journey. The First Blood’s voice spoke up again. And please, call me Scarlet. It is… uncomfortable to be treated so formally by the first person that I am bonded with.
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One year has passed now since I accepted Scarlet into my life. Currently, the two of us were walking through the streets of Deckan, smiling as we looked at the various individuals walking the streets. The two of us now lived a single life, and I shared with her my every secret.
Not that I could hide anything from a being living inside of my own blood, but I still did my best to be open about it all. What point was there in hiding something from her? As the thought crossed my mind briefly, we saw something that made us pause in our steps.
A kitsune male, a child by Scarlet’s standards, but who wasn’t? He appeared to be in his late thirties, walking down the street with a neutral expression. He wore simple robes, carrying with him a holstered card gun and a thick deck box. By Deckan’s standards, this identified him as a mage.
However, to myself and Scarlet, all we saw was the overwhelmingly black light radiating around his body. He reeks of blood. Scarlet spoke up into my mind. Having her around really did help me narrow down the targets we sought out, especially when combined with my own karmic vision.
I gave a simple nod of my head, turning and walking towards a nearby alley. Scarlet released a small burst of her power to teleport the two of us outside of the city, after which I retrieved my AC unit. “Let’s begin the hunt.” I said, activating the portable dungeon to connect with the one I was linked to.
A dome of stone rose up around me, blocking me off from the view of others. Meanwhile, inside, a large array of weapons rose from the ground. Spears, swords, and arrows containing many different enchantments. Over the last year, I had put my dungeon to work producing these weapons for me, weapons designed to counter any of the many strange or unusual targets I might face.
One thing that each weapon shared in common as a design imprinted somewhere along them, which was the image of a wolf’s head. Even the arrows shared this design, which had led to me assuming a long-lost monicker, once held by a terrible assassin of my kind. I was the Big Bad Wolf, who came to punish those who committed unforgivable sins.
“He’s a mage, so let’s go with magic-canceling equipment this time.” I said, walking over to grab a few arrows, along with a spear. “Any suggestions on your end, Scarlet?”
The confidence to wield a gun shows that he has ample dexterity as well as his magic. We should expect him to double as an archer, assassin, or rogue. I nodded at her advice, walking a bit further down the selection of items until I reached the accessories, equipping a few that would enhance my own agility.
“This should be good…” I nodded, dismissing the dungeon and allowing the stone dome to dissolve as Scarlet teleported me away again. It was time to hunt, time to collect the blood debt.