In the dark of a rainy day, a humanoid figure strode with a confident verve towards two massive doors that barred the entrance to a dilapidated old castle.

[https://img.wattpad.com/531cdd8032f4c076f12cbf71314f88e58c98fa31/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f355672654a754e334e6d556546773d3d2d313139373431363832342e313732383563393938363239616463333533303238353935323737352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Clad in armour and sword in hand, they charge up a kick as they get close enough to the doors. Their leg extends with tremendous force, and as it makes contact with the wooden surfaces, the foot rips the doors off their hinges, sending them flying into the castle. The doors crush several other humanoid entities before landing next to a large figure standing in an altar. This figure had crown-shaped pupils and white eyes. As the armoured warrior approached, it grinned.

White Crown: Almost there, aren't we, redeemer?

With a hand gesture, the figure commands the humanoid entities to attack the invader. They moved like zombies, as if their mind was not their own.

[https://img.wattpad.com/ca962e4592afc709c0b10cb54286f58301554ab1/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4c4c6e616a67396d4c31762d46773d3d2d313139373431363832342e313732383564373664373433646635653132323233313738393534372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The warrior paid them no mind, easily slaying them as they got in range of his sword, while he walked steadfast towards their leader. This warrior had golden eyes, and cross-shaped pupils.

Golden Cross: Awfully cheerful, for someone who's about to spend the rest of their days imprisoned in the void.

As the warrior defeated the foes that came towards him, glowing white orbs were expelled from their bodies. The orbs were their soul... Although, these were tainted. They were empty inside, hollow. The person inside had entirely been destroyed, leaving only a mindless husk behind, to obey the commands of the crowned tyrant.

White Crown: Your over-confidence will be your downfall, Raxyas.

The figure descends from their altar, meeting the warrior at ground level. By then, all the thralls had already been vanquished by him.

White Crown: Still, it is most impressive that you could take my organization alone. It leaves me rather... Embarrassed.

The warrior stops walking just a few metres away from his enemy.

Raxyas (Golden Cross): Don't be. Nobody else in Mortmundus could best me, Zal'kator... It would be foolish for you to assume that it would be different for any of you.

Zal'kator laughs.

Zal'kator (White Crown): Nobody that you fought, redeemer... You're not as strong as you might think.

White flames engulf his hand as he finishes his sentence. From those flames, Zal'kator had summoned a weapon. A double bladed-scythe.

Zal'kator: Tell me, Raxyas... Why do you fight, truly?

Raxyas unflinchingly approaches and mercilessly takes a swing at Zal'kator, who blocks the attack with the scythe.

Raxyas: What do you want to hear? That I'm doing this to stop you from abusing the souls of the people of Mortmundus? So that I can save them from you?

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Raxyas presses his weapon down harder on the scythe. Zal'kator grins.

Zal'kator: I said *truly*...

Raxyas: Well, why do you think...?

Sparks fly from the metal grinding between the weapons.

Raxyas: ... So that I can finally be released from this mirror world. So that I can live, again...

Zal'kator deflects Raxyas' blade before launching a horizontal attack. Raxyas nimbly dodged backwards, retaliating with another swing.

Zal'kator blocks it, again [https://img.wattpad.com/1ef54dd66f8a3df4d85eb82e8dc48b80471b4a7b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f326531666532554548724d7062773d3d2d313139373431363832342e313732383565373838383138313633633233373733383139383535382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Zal'kator blocks it, again.

Zal'kator: Mortmundus isn't so terrible, Raxyas... Think positive! At least you're not in the void.

Zal'kator drives Raxyas' blade away once more before deploying a kick. Raxyas anticipates this move and grabs his leg, performing a takedown. With Zal'kator on the ground, he holds his sword up to his throat.

Raxyas: Don't give me that shit... I was honest with you, wasn't I? So be honest with me. If Mortmundus were not so terrible, the Thirteen wouldn't be corrupting the minds of its inhabitants in order to open a portal back to the world of the living. Mortmundus is a prison.

Zal'kator grins. He points one of the ends of his scythe at Raxyas without him noticing, and channels energy into it. The scythe splits in two, with one of the ends shooting forward and hitting Raxyas in the torso, forcing him to take a few steps back.

Zal'kator: You've done your homework... So, which one of us opened their mouth? It was Kor, wasn't it?

He calls the other part of his scythe to his other hand, holding one half in each hand. In the meantime, Raxyas had re-gained his balance.

Raxyas: Doesn't matter now... They're all gone. And you'll be joining them, momentarily.

Zal'kator stops. He holds one of his scythes up, in the direction of Raxyas.

Zal'kator: Isn't it amusing...? How we both ended up in this rotten place... How this universe of ours works. Neither of us asked for this, did we? One moment we're living our daily life, business as usual... And just as quickly we can find ourselves angering the wrong people. As luck would have it, they know a "friend", who has the ability to get them in touch with someone who practices dark magic... Before you know it, Mortmundus is your new home...

Raxyas: Where are you going with this, Zal'kator?

Zal'kator: It goes both ways, dear Raxyas, that's where I'm getting at. Angering the wrong people... To march back on the world of the living, to see the horror in the faces of those that wronged me, as I slaughter and destroy all they care for... I'll make them regret ever cursing me to live in Mortmundus.

He tilts his head.

Zal'kator: Don't you want revenge, too? To punish to those who sent you here to spend the rest of your days...?

Raxyas walks menacingly towards him.

Raxyas: ... My patience for indulging you has run out.

He takes yet another swing, this time horizontally. As Zal'kator prepares to defend, the blade of Raxyas' sword splits into countless sharp segments, united by a single thread of light. In this form, the weapon could be used like a whip. He uses it to grab onto Zal'kator's scythes as he attempted to block with them, and pull them from his hand, disarming him. He then rapidly grabs Zal'kator by the throat, holding him up.

Zal'kator: Don't you see, Raxyas...?! We're bound, you and I. Whether it's by dark magic, by a lust for revenge, or by fate itself... This is not the end. Our story has only just begun...!

Raxyas: MY story has just begun! Yours ends here, Zal'kator.

Raxyas wraps the whip around Zal'kator's neck, constricting it to the point where the sharp blades cut into the bone itself. Then, in a fast, powerful motion, he pulls the hilt of the sword, causing the blades to grind against the bone and cut it cleanly. Zal'kator is decapitated, and his soul expelled from his body. Raxyas takes a deep breath, and unsummons his weapon.

Raxyas: One final ritual...

Raxyas kneels down close to where the soul was floating.

[https://img.wattpad.com/bff2d35ed439cf46dca766fdddb4200fe74bbdc6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f494e5073434152665331656678513d3d2d313139373431363832342e313732383564653236323437613330343931333231343835383838392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

He closes his eyes and begins chanting, as his body glows with energy.

Raxyas:

"Hear my cleaving, of flesh and bone, of life in death.

A wandering soul, its vessel has left.

Now by my hand and master's behest,

It shall, at last, meet its final rest."

After the ritual is complete, the soul had disappeared. Moments later, Raxyas hears a chant. One he was not familiar with, spoken to him by a disembodied voice that seemed to be chanting down from the skies themselves.

Voice from above:

"The antidote.

Once, the poisoning of Mortmundus had begun.

With their fall, chains torn from the wall...

Death's shackles undone."

Raxyas smiles. He takes out a round bottle from his belt, containing an elixir. He pops the cork that was keeping the liquid contained, and downs it all with one gulp. As he closes his eyes, he sees a light. Salvation, surely, he thought. Shortly after, his body collapses on the ground, and his soul leaves it to begin its journey to re-join the circle of life.