Eastern region - anti-bandit campsite - midnight

We finally returned to camp. The overall atmosphere of the camp is dismal. I can’t blame them. With what happened, of course our morale is going to be bleak. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Getting Marie back comes first! That sword is the cause of all this. Getting rid of it will probably return her to normal.

“Richard!”

My heart jumps inside my chest. Chip shouted my name from behind. Ovan doesn’t seem surprised in the least. How didn’t see him? Although, he sounds panicked.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, anticipating the worst.

“It’s Alexander. The guy went after Marie!”

What!? Why would he… Why wouldn’t he? I’m an idiot! Of course he was going to go after her! Even if it isn’t logical, his sister is in danger; logic be damned!

“There’s no use sitting around. Let us go after him,” Ovan, acting as the voice of reason, sorts out our next objective.

If we’re going to go, then we’ll need to do it on foot. I’m not as adept at tracing Source, so traveling in a car is a no-go. However…

“Ovan, can I ask why you want to help us?”

“Because I am grateful.”

“For what?”

“...For Marie taking in the slaves of the Hell Mine. Not just her, but you, Proxy, as well as Alexander, gave these people the chance to live outside again. Most importantly, they have a purpose, a reason to live. I must repay their kindness.”

So heartfelt… When I think about it, most of the people in our band were slaves. Some of them seemed lost when they started living with us. I know what it’s like to lose yourself, to wander around, unaware of what you want out of life.

“Come, Richard, there is no time to lose.”

He’s right. We’re wasting time standing here. I don’t know if bringing Marie back is going to fix everything, but we have to hope!

We rush to the other side of the glade, where Zeal and I lost track of Marie’s body. The medical tent catches my eye. Of course, my only thoughts are on Nunnalé. Even if I couple in her auto-heal capability, she’ll need some time to recover. It’s not that I’m underestimating her, I just… Forget it, it doesn’t matter right now. All my focus should go to saving Marie and making sure we get there quick enough to help Alexander.

Eastern region - Ashen village - midnight

This village of ash, from a war that has long passed, will serve as a battlefield once again. Fighting here is nothing but disrespectful to the men, women, and children who perished here, but the circumstances are dire. Please, accept my humblest apologies.

The palm of my hands releases sweat. My knuckles wrapped around the hilt of my sword. I await the enemy, looking out for the first move.

Shadows stretch forward, swimming through the ashes. Standing idle will lead to death. My enemy is capable of attack from all sides, with beasts spawning from the ground at any given moment. What will emerge from the ground? Caution is my weapon. I must use it accordingly and advance.

A throng of monsters claw out of the ground, narrowly grazing my skin. No matter the size, they’re easily brought down with a single swing. Such frail bodies are easily dismissed. However, they still bear great power. A single misstep can be the end of me. Press forward without sacrificing my momentum. This is my stratagem to victory!

“Not bad. Your swordplay is honest, yet yields no openings. But I can sense anger in each of your swings, pulling you forward into battle.”

Do not focus on his words! I need to keep pushing. Slashing away at the beasts in front of me gives me an opening. Our swords interlock, telling me that my enemy saw the same opening. Steel grinding against the other scrapes the inside of my ear.

“It has been a while since I’ve gotten to duel someone with swordplay. That doll was strong, but she lacked the qualities to be called a proper swordsman.”

Making the first move is crucial. I tear away from our deadlock. The sound of steel rings aloud, constantly elevating in volume as our fierce contest to best the other continues on. Marie’s blows are powerful. My arms are practically turning to mush. Each blow could knock the blade out of my hand if I do not keep a firm hold on it.

Whoever this person controlling my sister is, their swordsmanship should not be taken lightly. Swift, sharp reads, powerful, and decisive blows are the crutch of their attacks. If I linger with the same moves, I’ll be easily countered. One blow is all I need, enough to deliver a non-lethal blow. However, another opening is required, and with how this clash is going, I’ll lose my arms before I can strike, and if that happens, I will– No! It is okay! Focus, all I need to do is focus. Time my swings, watch for their blade, be careful of the shadows below, and for other foul play.

“If we don’t break out of this soon, you will die! Come on, what are you–”

There! A second that could pass without so much as a thought behind it. However, I observed that second. I kick up ash from below my heel, clouding the enemy’s vision. My blade pierces the cloud. I place the tip of my blade at Marie’s shoulder.

“Surrender, or else you’ll lose mobility in your shoulder.”

The fiend chuckles. “You’re a terrible gambler…”

Wearing a grin brimming with evil, Marie’s shoulder pushes into the tip of my blade. Lightning runs down my spine. I leap away from her. A shadow chases me through the ashes. Sharp rods jut out from the ground. Taking an extra step back keeps me from being skewered. Those rods extend, pursuing me without pause.

Pivoting to the side, I bring down my sword before they could reach me.

“What reaction speed. The first part should’ve killed you. But I wouldn’t laze around if I were you.”

The shadow launches another monster. What the…!? Its humongous body overshadows me from the sky as it rapidly descends from the air. It will crush me if I do not evade! I barrel out of the way. Its body smacks the ground, spreading the ashes around. I ignore it to make for another assault on the enemy.

“Wise decision… But.”

My ankle suddenly tightens midway to my opponent. A hand? Slicing it apart required no effort on my part. However, more fly out of the shadow. Dodging proves to be the best course of action. An excess of arms greets me, clambering over each other to reach me. Cutting them all down takes incredible skill, coupled in with accuracy to see where to cut.

“I am truly impressed. Your skill with a sword is nothing to scoff at…”

The dozens of arms press against the ground, lifting something out of the shadows… W… What is this abomination!?

A monster that shatters my sense of reality. Hands were misplaced all over this mass of flesh. Its skin is nothing more than a black ooze that drips onto the ground, soiling the ashes. Faces emerge from every part of the body. Each of them writhing in various forms of agony, sorrow, and anguish, begging for a release.

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What possesses a person to create such…such horror!?

“Let me guess, you thought my ability was to create monsters, correct? If that’s the case, then you’re right, yet wrong. I don’t create them. Instead, I give them form.”

“W-what?”

“My ability isn’t creation, but devouring inner monsters and giving them form!” Inner-monsters? Then those other monsters were from people. “...I won’t give too much, but in short: I used to fulfill conditions to devour someone’s inner monster, whether born from fear, anxiety, panic, or bloodlust, as long as it takes form into a creature that represents these feelings, I can snatch it up and use it. I’ll tell you, I took a shit-ton of them back in my day. But this! This thing takes the cake.”

The monster shrieks. Its painful cry resonates throughout this deserted village. Using its hands, it swipes the ground. I rush to evade it, but its hands cover more ground than I can hope to cover. Shielding myself is all I can manage from suffering too much damage. The attack smacks me into a ruined home. Luckily, I broke nothing and did not sustain too much damage.

“Such strength…”

If I am struck again, I cannot say I will be okay. To defeat this monster, I’ll need to do it with haste. Leaping out of the broken house, I sever the limbs darting at me. But no matter how many I destroy, another replaces it. No matter how many I cut, I cannot close the distance.

“But even with your skill, you’re simply human.”

Hands gathered in masses, layered on top of the other, surround me from all sides. They grab me before I could react. Numerous sections of my body are constrained, suspending my sword from any further use.

“You know, that sword of yours, it looks familiar… ‌It annoys me whenever I look at it. Oh well, it doesn’t matter.” The beast lifts me to the sky above its body. “Before you die, allow me to tell you something. Whenever I devour someone's monster, it usually comes at the cost of their soul. But don’t worry, your sister will still be alive, technically. So don’t worry, big brother, I’ll be fine.”

How dare you? You dare steal my sister's body and now you make fun of our bond. Inexcusable! I summon all the strength in my body. With all the force I can manage, several arms fly off my body, freeing my sword hand. I cleave the remaining arms from my body, leaving me to plummet through the air. A sea of arms stretch toward me. All of them fail to touch me. My sword sinks into the monster's head, splashing the black ooze all over myself.

“Forgive me, but I must!”

A wet noise follows my blade, which tears through the side of the monster as I repel from its head. Landing on the ground, I separate my sword from it. Sharing the same fate as the others before it, it becomes a formless black ooze…I’m sorry. I do not know who you are, but whoever you are, hopefully, that put your spirit to rest.

A straight path to Marie presents itself. Before any more monsters show up, I have to reach her. Sprinting, I am quick to close the gap. Instead of using my sword, I will tackle her. Forgive me, Marie, but with this, I will–

“Brother?”

My body freezes, ceasing movement completely. Marie’s voice, without the malicious presence that took hold of her, calls for me.

Flabbergasted, I drop my sword to hug my sister. “Marie, is that…are you, you?”

“Yes, brother. Thanks to you, I was able to break free.”

My hand loosens around my sword, dropping it to the ground. Tears begin to well up in my eye. “That’s wonderful, that’s truly wonderful.” I take her hand in mine. “...I am so sorry. It forced you to combat us, but I could do nothing.” The tears roll from my eyes. Her face blurs from my tears. “Can…can you forgive your brother!?”

“Of course…”

Her delicate smile warms my heart, helping me to let my guard down. That smile drudges up fine memories of when we were children. A smile that held only innocents. When she used to smile like that, I thought of her as a beauty for the world to behold. That smile was lost to me seven years ago, right as the war came to its conclusion. No matter what, I shall protect it, now and forever.

“Come, Marie. Let us–”

A blur flies past my eyes. There’s a burning sensation spread across my chest. Reality strikes me when blood gushed from my chest. My legs lose the strength to support me. I collapse on top of the ashes. Breathing stabs at the back‌ of my throat. My thoughts are in disarray, desperate to come up with an answer for this sudden shift of tones.

My eyes narrow their gaze on Marie’s face… The sinister stare I expected to look back at me, boasting how they were able to deceive me, does not surface. Tears rain down from her beautiful face, witless from the sight before her. The one who towers over me is not an enemy, but my sister.

“Brother?”

…

The smell of blood enters my nose, clouding my sense of smell. It doesn’t bother me more than it sharpens my focus. One after the other, more enemies show up, trying to kill me in a plethora of ways. But no matter how many of them show, I just cut them down. Their blood spews all over, sticking onto me, my spear, and fills the already blood-soaked ground that travels farther than the eye can see.

One of them managed to survive for this long. He keeps blocking, evading, and deflecting whatever I do. Of course, I’m able to do the same. Each strike leaves an impression on me, telling me this guy wants to kill me as quickly as possible. Their style is brutal, wielding their spear masterfully, making no unnecessary movements. Yet, in this master-level of spearmen ship, it’s dirty. Dirty in the sense that there’s no grace, it lacks beauty, only seeking victory at any cost; if I wasn’t so good with a spear, I’d be dead by now.

How long has this been going on? The thought plays in my head over and over, but nobody and nothing can answer this question. Only one thing matters, when is the other gonna make a mistake?

“What the!?”

Metal smashes against the other, creating a hypnotic sound. My spear flies out of my hand, sinking into the red liquid. My enemy’s spear flies past my head. Each thrust leaves no margin for error; one wrong step and it's all over. There’s no way to grab the spear from the shaft… Screw it!

Using a thrust aimed at my heart, I catch the blade with my right arm. It pierces my hand, sparking pain in my arm. Every part of my brain tells me to scream and thrash around to subdue this agonizing pain. But this is my only chance to kill him! Grit and bear it!

Grabbing the shaft, I tear it from my opponent’s hand. Pulling out the spear, the scent of blood grows stronger, almost intoxicatingly so. The simple motion of pushing the spear forward tears through my enemy’s stomach like a knife through a fruit. There was little thought out behind it. Even the pain emanating from my arm suddenly faded like a fleeting memory.

Flexing my muscles, I rend the enemy’s chest wide open. Gallons of blood fill the sea of blood beneath my feet. Like rain falling onto a body of water, it ripples across the blood, traveling with no end.

“It’s over… Finally.”

Finally, finally! It’s all over. I did it; I won! I protected everyone, me. As disgusting as I am, I saved them. Even with blood on my hands, I can still protect people, right, guys?

I turn my head. Their bodies float in the blood, showing no signs of life. Drifting in this endless sea of red… Why…? Why are they still dead!? I thought I protected them! I thought I saved them, so why!? These bastards, covering their faces! Let’s see what you disgusting, malignant, horrid monsters look like!

Their faces… No… My heart beats faster. Each beat pounds harder than the last, getting louder and louder, becoming the only sound that breaks the dead air. Their faces…it’s me? No, no, no, no, no! Desperation takes hold. I rush to the others I killed. No, this isn’t right. This isn’t right. Impossible! All of them, every single one of them, is me!

“No…I…Oh…I…!”

Their faces ravage my head, remaking the scene where they stabbed everyone drowning drifting in the blood. The images pick at my brain, similar to how predators pick apart the meat of their prey.

“None of this is right! I wouldn’t do this, I wouldn’t!”

“Sister?”

That voice, a voice that pulls a string in my heart. It belongs to someone precious to me. I run to the voice. If they’re alive, then that means I didn’t fail! Running along the endless sea of blood is grueling. Each step I take sinks me deeper into the crimson that spans miles.

My feet sunken into the blood, barely able to move them any further, I finally made it to the person that voice belonged to. A young blonde boy stands in front of me, greeting me with a probing stare; as if he can see through me; seeing all there is to me. I motion my hand towards his.

“Miss…” His quiet voice strikes me to the core of my being, stopping my hand from going any further “...May I ask for your name?”

Hesitation bites at my tongue, but I give him my name anyway. “Marie…”

“No, that’s wrong. My sister is not a killer.”

Killer!? What!? No, that’s– These bodies, where did they come from!? Their names, their faces, I can’t remember, but there are so many!

“W-wait! No, I was forced to! I swear. I would never do this! You know I wouldn’t!”

“Liar.”

“I’m not, I mean it!”

“You only care about yourself!”

“That’s not true!”

“It is!”

“No, it isn’t!”

“Yes, it is!”

“I said it isn’t!”

Stab… That sound shuts off my brain for a moment. A disgusting sound thunders across this endless sea of red. Warm, my hand feels warm… This familiar warmth blankets my hand. The sea of blood disappears. Houses burned to the ground, turned into nothing but black ash lays everywhere in this small village. An enormous cliff overshadows me, acting as a veil for the darkness that overlaps this village. In my hands is a sword, trickling with fresh blood. Below me lies its victim… My victim!

No… No, this is a nightmare, nothing but a nightmare! Please, please, please, please, please! This can’t be real!

“Brother?”