"Well we have it planned out... Sort of. Something feels lacking, like a... Yeah we don't have weapons, I mean I can just use blunt force from my fist and legs alone, but you both of you... I just don't think we should rush in there with no incentive." 

Samael paces back and forth in the room as we discuss the plan and how it'll turn out. He has doubts, that much is clear already. 

"I just can't have you two die on me tonight... Fine! I give up! Sion, Fafnir. Come with me outside for a while." Samael gestures for them to follow him. 

(I'll only tell them the things that I think won't affect them too much. But not about him transforming into that and about Marchosias dying because he gave his life to Fafnir, or that I am a daemon of hell. Just to be on the safe side.) Samael ponders to himself on what kinds of words he should say.

"Fafnir I've been meaning to tell you this for a while and it has become a hindrance to keep this kind of secret under wraps... I'm no ordinary man, I can conjure magic, but only minor ones." The two are speechless staring into the empty space in front of them and Samael too.

"Wait... You can do what!? Magic. I-I can't really believe what you say until you prove it, although part of me doesn't doubt you as I do think you're the type of person that keeps secret to himself." Fafnir puts his hands on his waist as he tells Samael his doubts.

"Magic? Isn't that a forbidden taboo by the gods? Or something only mentioned in books as 'pure fabrication' I don't think magic exists nor does anyone in this world." Sion crosses his arms while he wears a puzzled expression.

Well I do know that magic exists, seeing that I've used it a couple of times in the past, but Samael using it? Well, this is a surprise. I've been traveling with him for a time now, but now that you think about it I know very little to none about Samael.

"But why tell us now all of a sudden? I can't understand how you think." I ask Samael as I can't shake this feeling off of me that something big might happen since he's revealing something that I never thought he would.

He opens his hand, igniting a purple ball floating inches from his palms. He calls it a part of the void, which made no sense to me as I knew very little about magic and the only thing I've ever conjured was a ball of flames.

Samael speaks. "Just so we are clear, no hesitations. If it becomes too hectic, then depend on me however you can.

"A stick might be enough for me if worst comes to worst."

We all agree to leave but not before Sion saying goodbye to Sofia. "Please wait for me. I shall come back and give you the life you always deserved." Sion kisses Sofia on her forehead and she smiles gently. 

We begin to depart for the village as Sion leads us to its location. The night becomes darker and darker, the atmosphere becomes eerie and uncomfortable. Sion notices this and speaks. "We must be close. From this feeling alone, it is clear that they are there."

We approach a road continuing to the east and from our position, you could smell something disgusting and rotting away decaying the air around the entire location. 

"It feels that I might faint from the smell alone." 

(Sion) "It has become more corrupted than I last left."

(Samael) "the smell seems familiar... I have a bad feeling.

Suddenly, villagers emerge from behind the trees, lifeless, eyes glowing red. Samael adds something. "They're lifeless, dead. That Weiss must be the one responsible for conjuring these restless souls.

And in the middle of the numerous crowd of zombie like villagers stands a man more crooked than all of them combined. That must be dr. Weiss.

Sion charges in recklessly hacking and slashing away at anyone who dared to block his way, easily knocking some of the zombies down, Sion finally reaches Dr. Weiss.  "You monster! I'm here to end this now!"

But with a flick of his finger, Sion is sent flying by an invisible force crashing him into a tree. 

Samael instructs me. "Sion will come too soon enough, but for now. Let us handle this by ourselves." 

I nod. Though we don't have any plan in particular, but to slay the source of the spell. And that would be dr. Weiss. 

I charge at them, but they surround me and I am forced to fight my way through the hordes of lifeless villagers who get up every time you knock them down.

Samael approaches Weiss calmly as anyone that can near him burned away mysteriously, as if he was emitting that kind of power. So those are the other forms of magic... 

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

No time to think, as I stop to look at Samael yet another horde comes running my way, my weapon is close to breaking. I need to find a replacement.

While Fafnir struggles to break free of the lifeless mob of villagers surrounding him and Sion still unconscious from the blow of Weiss's attack. Samael faces off with Weiss.

"I think I recognize you from 4th circle of hell. I mean, you seem familiar or maybe... You're her spawn." With Samaels words, Weiss staggers back as if caught in the act.

"Hmm you seem to know more than you look. Who are you to know of my master?" 

(Samael) "ahh it seems that I am correct." Well this seems terrible. We can't make this a prolonged battle. It is a very bad idea to do just that. 

Samael conjures up a dark ball of flames and changes his expression. "Alz, mei'r, caul! Demons of greed, take what I desire! 

With Samaels chant a pitch black circle emerges from below him where red small goblin like monsters holding pitchforks and they levitate from it. Samael points at dr. Weiss and they come charging at him, surrounding him with their sheer numbers. 

Dr. Weiss yells in terror. "Wait! I know that chant. You're that demon who fought in there at wa-" Samael feeds him to his demons  before dr. Weiss finishes his sentence.

(Samael) "take that minor daemon back to hell and torment him for eternity. I order you!" They vanish with the command that Samael invoke to the daemons.

~meanwhile~ 

(Sion) "Ugh what happened? I've been knocked out?" Fafnir's being surrounded! I pick up  my makeshift axe and charge at the horde, keeping them off Fafnir who's slightly injured with minor scratch and bruises.

"Are you alright Fafnir?" I ask Fafnir, who nods in response, but from the looks of it, he doesn't even seem tired of fazed that he's fighting hordes of them.

I help Fafnir stave off the lifeless hordes. This is a bit difficult, I know people here, some are the ones who became slaves to dr. Weiss and some are the ones burnt alive by him. 

And among them is my wife... 

I can't hit her... I know that she's gone but, she still my wife. 

~from fafnir's perspective~

"Sion! You've recovered." Sion knocks down the one bearing down on me. I hit them with all I have but they still manage to get up.

I hit them left and right while I'm slowly being backed into a corner. To my side, Sion stopped moving suddenly, he's going to get attacked by the villagers! "Sion! Stand aside!" I rush the villagers trying to attack Sion at breakneck speed.

But before I even get to them, they suddenly collapse as if puppets with their strings cut. I see Sion now holding the villager on her shoulders... And he's crying.

I could hear Sion's words. "I protected Sofia... Are you proud of me? I tried my best, I really did. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you. I've become slightly stronger than I was in the past but it wasn't enough for me to overcome this alone. I had brought harm to these two people who had nothing to do with our problems and they stayed to help me.

The villager that Sion was talking to does not respond to his heartfelt words. But her entire body loses all strength as her arms and legs flop down. She has been released from the curse. "That must mean that Samael's successful in his end."

Sion still carries her in his arms as he slowly weeps once again. "Have nice rest my dear. Guide me from up there alright?" And with that Sion ends his sad reunion. 

We hurry to Samaels side where we see a desolate scene, horrific where it reeks of corrosion. "What happened here?"

Samael turns around as if he was expecting us to come at this very moment. "The deed is done. Although I thought that it would become a challenging battle but my doubts were wrong."

"What do you mean Samael?"

"I'll tell you both on the way back, we may have run into something or someone we shouldn't have but we'll cross that bridge when we get there." We both have puzzled looks as we listen to Samael, but we return to the cabin as fast as we can. I didn't have to look at Sion to know that he is anxious to know the results of our victory.

After running for a while, we travel alongside the sunrise over our heads and we arrive at Sion's house once again.

Sion rushes inside and we follow only inches away from each other. He enter the room from where Sofia is sleeping in and...

To be continued~