As there was still some time before sunset, the group tried to get as much sleep as possible, which turned out not to be a lot. Not everyone can sleep on command, even less when it’s right before a mission full of uncertainties.

The three youngest, Azrael, Alize and Cascade in particular were unable to get a wink of sleep, it was their first time being active in the field and to make thing worse, their formation was far from done.

Right before sun down, the eight met again all slightly drawn, although for different reasons.

“Okay,” Said Ignis who was the team leader, much against his will. “we separate into three group and go there, there and there.” He pointed three positions about half radius. Ideally, it would have been better to use four team, but with the current climate he didn’t feel safe to leave youths without combat training walk in pairs at night, unlike him the had no familiars to look out for sneak attacks.

“It sounds like you’re more worried about us running into some bad crowd than whatever evil spirit is roaming the city.”

“That’s because I am. People do some insane thing when they’re afraid, and this city’s order has never been that great.”

“I’ve lived here for years,” commented Govad. “it isn’t that bad.”

“During the day, maybe, but at night and with trouble brewing it’s a different story. Prioritize your safety and avoid drawing attention as much as possible. Be sure to wear a mantle or anything with a hood, really.”

“Yes.” “Okay.” “Sure.”

“I don’t have one.” Muttered Azrael.

“What? Why?”

“He blushed.” Before answering in an even weaker voice. “Because it looks lame.”

It was such a teenage boy’s answer that no one felt like pointing it out. “You can have one of mines.” Said Ignis who had different sets of clothing for his nightly activities… and no, they didn’t involve girls but rather spirits and shady clients.

“Thank you, sir.” Muttered the boy in response.

With that last point settled, the three teams went to their appointed position. Thankfully, their mighty leader’s fears were unfunded, as there weren’t any villains roaming these streets that night. They’d been the first to connect the dot and predict where the future event would occur. And really, what point was there in going out if everyone else was staying home out of fear?

Hours passed without much happening. Here and then, a rat or a nocturnal bird would start them but that was about it… until it suddenly happened. Scream and laughter, even stronger than previous night near somewhere south for Zhivago, Oliver and Alize.

The girl levitated a scarf with her wind, to point the direction for the other two parties before following after her two companions. Right on the street, they found the translucent figure of a sharp featured, bearded man with an impossible large build cutting through a spirit with a massive double-sided axe. Almost half-as-large as the was tall, the giant was laughing like a madman while doing the deed.

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Ignis and Azrael were second to arrive at the scene, with the elder carrying the other one on his back. More than the run, it was the scene that left him breathless. Spirits shouldn’t be so well defined, and even more than that, they shouldn’t be able to kill other spirits.

Yes, rather than join the afterlife, the spirits cut got absorbed by it, as it grew louder and more corporeal with each and every kill. The very sight disgusted the necromancer, but the eleven years old reveled at the sight: it was exactly what his home country needed!

“You,” Screamed the child putting much of his necrotic power in his voice. “serve me!” It was certainly an unusual way to recruit a familiar, but the circumstances were certainly unique themselves.

The giant turned to the child with a demented smile to answer. “Make me!” Before rushing at the child swinging.

Ignis jumped in front of the youth with a wind barrier around but was sent flying by the hit. Apparently, the ghost intent wasn’t to kill as unlike with his previous victims, the giant had struck with the side of blade. Even so, the impact was very physical, and strong enough to knock the mage on the ground. “What strength, is that thing really a ghost?”

The young mage hadn’t stayed inactive either, something like pure darkness poured out of his hand to strike at the translucent man with enough force to send him flying. The downstruck mage rolled away in panic: this black stuff was bad news.

Getting up, he ran towards the others screaming. “Those who can, put barrier, the others draw a protective circle. He knew the kid had potential, but what he was doing was insane, it was pure uncontrolled necrotic power; efficient against the ghost, but deadly for anyone around.

The giant was already up and laughing, “Yes, that’s it, come at me with all you’ve got kid!” right before being served what he asked. The second blast could only be compared to the first in the way a breeze and a tornado are, if you get down to it, more or less the same thing at a different scale.

‘Shit, shit, shit!’ wailed Ignis internally as he madly casted whatever protection spells, he could think of. Hidden, behind their wards, all that the remaining seven could do was watch as the youngest of them pushed beyond the limit of his power.

A third, and a fourth blast hit the giant, but even that wasn’t enough to put him down. “Yes kid, you’re almost there!”

‘This is bad.’ Analyzed the fearless leader, ‘if it continues, we’re going to end up with a site on par with the Cursed city.

Formerly known as the fortress of light, it had been the home of those who fought against the elemental lords and later the wight kings. So much death and destruction had occurred in this place that it had been deemed irrecuperable hundreds of years ago. Although the scale was much, much lower scale, the pollution created by Azrael was still comparable.

Ignis didn’t like the idea much, but he combined the three elements inside him into raw null power: it was a gamble that’d either nullify all magic into the area, or blow the whole block.

A sixth and last blow sent the ghost flying again, but this time, it laid down smiling. “You’ve won kid. Be proud, you’re the first opponent I haven’t been able to lay a finger against. Although, my opponents have been trash like that for the last five thousand years.” Even though it was still lying down, the ghost somehow managed to throw his axe at an evil spirit attracted the necrotic power still flowing into the air.

Having absorbed the power of its kill, it stood up to face the child. “I Thracian, emperor of the known world, recognize your strength. I swear to serve you until you grow weak and old.”

That was probably the best promise the child would ever get from a monstrous self-titled emperor who had managed to hold on his personality for thousands of years… assuming the ghost really was who it thought it was.

“You guys wanted to learn how to deal with curses, right? Well, you’re in luck because thank to this moron” He stopped to point at Azrael. “we’ve got dozens to dispel.”