Quickly descending the mountain, Scythe held his blade at the ready. As he got closer, Scythe recognized the banner, it was the same army that he was a slave in. "Ignite," Scythe chanted, creating a much larger fireball, throwing it into a group of soldiers. Their screams alerted the rest of the division. Immediately turning around to face Scythe but by the time they looked, another fireball was on its way.

  Scythe ran through the smoke creating blast after blast, erasing all evidence of the soldiers. letting the smoke clear, Scythe stopped. There were at least a hundred soldiers all around him, but in their eyes was fear. "I know how you treat slaves, now you get the same treatment, and you are scared!" Scythe mocked.

"The long lost sheep returns," A captain walked forward, "Don't think I forgot about you, Scythe."

"Still a captain, Seems you got the boot." Scythe spoke

"All because of you," The captain got angry

"It seems you at least got your teeth fixed," Scythe was angry, nothing would get in his way.

The captain became blood red, "Kill him! NOW!"

  But no soldier moved. Scythe pointed his blade at the captain, "This is payback."

In the blink of an eye, the captain's head was on the ground. "IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, LEAVE!" Scythe bellowed. As he finished yelling, the soldiers moved back and deserted. Continuing on his rampage to the main gate, Scythe cut down hundreds of soldiers, casting magic as if it was nothing.

  Getting to a clearing where the catapults were, Scythe prepared his magic, "Let the fire spirit, Ifrit guide my hand, Fire..." A massive bolt flew by, barely missing Scythe.

"Scythe," A massive man lowered his equally massive crossbow, "What are you doing here?"

"Getting revenge, join me, Lars," Scythe reached out a hand to his old ally.

The man thought for a moment, "You do have better food? Right?"

"Better food and shelter." Scythe lowed his blade.

"Before I help you, you have to help me get the kids out of here."

"Where?" Scythe ran to the man.

"Back there, I was the one to guard them." The man spoke

Scythe shot up a small fireball, within an instant Sol was there. "What's going on?"

"He needs help, I can't do much as one person." Scythe informed, "I'm going to keep heading to the gate after the catapults are destroyed."

"Scythe, Ignore the catapults, I can take care of them. The mages, they are using blood magic, they are preparing a large scale spell." Lars spoke, "You know my history, You know what blood magic can do."

"What is the sacrifice?"

"The children." Lars grew grim, "That's why we have to hurry."

  Scythe's magic flared, in response to his anger. "I'll take care of those bastards."

Scythe ran in the direction Lars pointed out, you could feel how wrong this blood magic was. Getting to the circle, seeing a mage cut a child in half, from neck to groin, the mages chanted "Rise... Rise... Rise and destroy."

  Something in Scythe exploded, the same black aura Phae taught Scythe to use was rushing outwards prepared to kill. But this power wasn't Phae, nor was it the mages. It was deep and hidden within Scythe. It was something beyond human, and its true name has long been lost.

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  The next thing Scythe remembers is holding one of the mages, with a hand not his own, red claws digging into the mage's throat. His hand stained red with blood. He crushed the neck and moved on, freeing the last child, but they would not move close to him. Backing off, Scythe saw another man, slowly walking towards him. "Seems the mages failed, why don't we make a deal, Demon."

"You killed innocent children." an unfamiliar voice snapped

"We do whatever we can to win," The man drew his blade, "Seem's I need to be the one to defeat you."

  The black aura exploded outward again, and it was hungry, hungry for blood. A blast went outward from his body. Scythe launched forward, trying to grab the man.

  The man dodged, expecting Scythe to do that. "Well, now that you can't be reasoned with." The man attacked only once, but Scythe was cut several times and his arm was sliced off. Scythe's arm fell with a heavy thud.

  Staggering back, Scythe looked at the wounds, his body was glowing white, with a single black core, every wound bled black blood. "Seems I was worried for nothing, a beast is just a beast." the man put up his left hand, "Take my blood, and make a contract, I promise I won't kill you."

  Hearing those words, angered Scythe even more. He would never be a slave again. Not to anyone. Scythe summoned Phae's blade, through his wounds. This time it was completely black, it even looked wrong like something that shouldn't exist but did. The man opened his eyes and his stance changed, he immediately had his hand on his blade. "You, something like you shouldn't be here." The man spoke fearful, throwing down a handful of small things, blowing up with immense light "Let us meet again." the words faded in the wind.

  Remembering his task, Scythe continued to the gate.

  Getting to the gate, all the soldiers ran off. The gate remained close, but it was close to breaking if he didn't get there when he did, the gate would have been breached. Turning around, there were no nearby soldiers. Not a soul dared to move on this monster. Crossing each blade he had in front of him, Scythe swung outward. With Phae's magic boosted, it sliced at least 400 yards of soldiers in half. A moment later, just as before, Sol showed up in front of Scythe. Scythe looked down at her, I wasn't this tall, Scythe thought. "So that's your family history and the curse." Sol had fear in her eyes, putting her hand on Scythe's chest, "It's time to rest."

  Waking up in complete darkness, Scythe heard a chain move, a massive monster took slow breaths,  

"Welcome." the massive monster spoke, causing the ground to shake, "Seem's you were forced here."

"Who are you?"

"You have no power here, I will ask the questions." the monster spoke raising its voice slightly, "Now that is clear, why are you here, on this lower dimension?"

"I don't know, I was born here."

  The monster laughed, it felt like earthquakes, "Ha, oh, you're serious. You do not belong here on this level."

"Level?"

"I suppose you wouldn't know. My name is ________. The Gatekeeper." the monster spoke in an unfamiliar tongue.

"I didn't catch that. I don't know what you said." Scythe spoke

"Call me Red," Red spoke, "Seem's you do not know the old speech."

"I know you said you ask the questions. But what happened to me?"

"That is not important, what is, you returned after that spree and wound up here," Red gestured.

"then what is this place?" Scythe carefully asked

"The void, it eats Ruun, and I'm trapped here. You do not have the power to free me. If you thought to do so." Red answered

"Won't I die?"

"No, you are within my barrier, but depending on your next answer you might be."

Scythe stayed quiet.

"I'm joking, at least I think I am." Red spoke, "So I need to impart something on you, do you mind."

"Sure, What is it?"

"Good," Red spoke, as a giant hand picked up Scythe, "Look into my eye."

  A massive glowing crimson eye opened, it's iris pattern was the same as most dragons. "You... You're a dragon."

"You got that fast," Red spoke, "Yes I am a dragon. One from a much, much higher level than this."

"What do you mean level? You didn't explain it"

"You don't know? I mean you are from here." Red spoke to itself, "Have you heard of dungeons?"

"Yeah."

"Good, makes this easier. Dungeons have floors, each floor is stronger than the last. The entire universe is just a massive dungeon. One of such size, even I can not comprehend it's majesty"

"I'm not following."

"You will find out in time, I need to share the information with you before she takes you back." as Red spoke, information flowed into Scythe's head, a path into the mountains, deep into a cave, past the rubicon. "Go there and you will get more answers." Red said, "May we meet again."

  Back in front of Sol, who was now taller than Scythe, "You did it. You made the army retreat."

"That's good." Scythe passed out from blood loss.