There was nothing to say. When I noticed, my vision blurred and wind struck me from the front.
The sounds of leaves rustling. The storm of footsteps. The shaking world. I realized Fei was running in maximum speed like a rabbit fleeing after exchanging eye-contact with the wolf. The scenery blurred and yet I felt warm light around me. He used protective spell on both of us? No… this isn’t it. This aura didn’t feel like mana at all, but……
“AHA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA! So that’s how you want to play it! Fine then, let’s see if you can escape from my minions!!”
Soon after, I heard various roars and the earth trembled. Fei clicked his tongue as he glanced to the back.
“Ogres, huh…? And rare variant of the three-horned too…!!” He spat out.
What…? I looked at the boy but he was too absorbed in his own thought. What is he thinking? My heart throbbed with an unpleasant ring of sound and—
“GRRROOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!” An inhuman roar tore apart the blurry world.
Coming out from the darkness in front of us, a monster 20 heads taller than me raised a giant sledgehammer. Covered with steel, dented armors, it was like a gladiator handing out final blow upon a lion which was his opponent. Fei’s hold over me tightened.
“Close your eyes.” He muttered right above my head. “It will be over soon.”
“Eh—uh, right…” I responded, faltering in the process.
I tried to close my eyes but an exploding sound stung my ears. With a vibration enough to twist my sense of balance, I felt like I was blown away by a bomb and flying in the air it forced me to open my eyes.
“Variant Arts—” Fei muttered silently as his grips over my legs disappeared.
What I saw was the blue moon radiating with slight gold behind his back. As if bearing the round satellite of Magnis, his eyes shone with silver light as he drew up his black sword. His left arm holding me, and he raised his right arm upward as we descended down.
I shrieked out of reflex. Then I heard a roar and it brought my gaze down to where the Ogre was. It was right below us…!? Wait, is this guy trying to—
“RRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!” The Variant Ogre howled as it brought the sledgehammer with two hands. Anticipating for our descent into his range of attack.
“It’s no use to try stopping me, you lump of malevolence…!” Fei roared as he sharpened his gaze to the limits. It could no longer be called a gaze but a glare and it held an oppressive amount of murderous intent.
The sledgehammer was swung. The black sword was swung. As the two weapons clashed—
“Steel Cut!!”
I heard the grinding sound of metal. Then my eyes shot open as the black blade of Fei’s sword sliced the sledgehammer into two with blue trail of light following the blade. Fei howled as his muscles rippled, his body trembled for an instance but…
As if watching a slow motioned video. As if time had slowed down. I witnessed it.
The black sword touched the helm of the Ogre. It struck it yet there was no resistance as the blade touched it. Instead, glowing blue line appeared upon contact and the blade ran down from the helm to the face before running down its upper body.
Fei landed softly and my feet touched the ground. Everything was death silent until a grunt was heard. I looked up and—
The Ogre let go of the handle of its weapon. Its body convulsed, then a spray of dark red blood burst into the night sky. With a death throe, the monster fell backward, followed by a powerful shockwave.
“It… died…? Just like… that…?” I looked at the dead monster in disbelief.
The upper body was cleanly slashed. A pool of thick liquid reeks of rust widened from the wound was in and the body did not even flinch before showing any last sign of life. The body was truly dead but I heard an anguished groan.
“Fei…?” I stared at the boy whose complexion was as pale as drowned corpse.
Then I looked at his right arm only to shriek in surprise. The arm was full of wounds and blood flowed out like a downpour rain. What the hell…!? It’s as if his right arm burst out blood—
“Wait… Don’t tell me… Was it… because of that technique…?”
“……It’s nothing much. This meant little.”
“You… you’re… lying… Why are you…”
“I’m fine, Charlotte. More importantly…”
He glanced around and I felt cold sweats running down my back. Various murderous growls of the same kind petrified me and I realized.
“We’re surrounded…!” I shouted.
“No we’re not. Over here.” Fei pointed his sword beyond the corpse of the Variant Ogre.
“Go that way, Charlotte.” He said. His voice was too calm to be true and yet he added. “There’s nothing beyond there. You can exit the forest with this path.”
Huh…? Me…? Wait… Wait a moment…!
“What about you!? Fei, you’re coming with me right…!?”
“…that would be counterproductive.”
He let go of me and turned his heels. As he brought up his sword, the boy muttered.
“This is a task for me. My job is to guard you so I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He exuded radiant blue light. Was it mana? Or was it a different energy? The blue light Fei emitted was warm and wavering like a flame and it attracted noises from the monsters. They’re… they’re drawn in by the light……
“Go. Leave this up to me. Regroup with the others and notify everyone about that Demon General.”
“No… no! I don’t want to…!!”
“Just shut up and go! You’re of no use here!!”
I jolted after hearing Fei’s shouts. My feet trembled and brought me to turn my back against him.
What…? Why…!? Why!? This can’t be happening…! Am I so scared I have no choice but to run away!? Doesn’t this make me looking like a coward!? Stop moving, my body!! I don’t want to flee like this!! I don’t want to…!
”It’s fine. Everything will be fine so… go.”
“………!!”
It was the last straw. My quivering lips could not utter any word and—before I realized, my feet brought me away. Further. Further away from him. Distancing myself from him……
All I heard was the sounds of winds going against me. All I heard was my footstep and a distant howl full of agony. I dove into the dark path, going over many bushes, escaping for my life. And…
My cheeks were wet. My throat was burning along with my chest. It hurts… It hurts…! Why… is this happening…?
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All I could see was darkness. My shoes torn off. My clothes in tatter, and I was still holstering a broken sabre. The scenery was the same everywhere I went to. Thick dark bushes, confusing trees, and deathly silent air. Panting and completely dehydrated, I looked up at the dark sky.
All he ever did. I remembered them vividly as if it all happened yesterday. When we first met I punched him unknowingly. At that time, I realized that I can never grow accustomed on encountering people that I hate.
But behind that arrogance, coldness and stiff personality—the boy is actually a kid that knew nothing on how to socialize with people. He spoke rude. He meant harm and he’s a hopeless closet pervert.
I remembered that father said he has a great future. Of course he is. He’s stronger than me by very wide margins. Like heaven and earth. Unlike me who probably could only live half my life by staying as a sickly person, the boy named Fei Cruelheart is capable to become a hero. A legendary figure who saved the world in countless legends.
I was jealous. I was jealous and envying him. His talents, his looks, his blessed health and his uncaring attitude toward what people said. I have been living my life like a prisoner. I had to fight. I had to suffer. And I had to die only to know that my fate had been sealed up from the beginning.
No, maybe it’s even worse now. Yet Fei…… Fei is different. He can live like he wants. He can become anything I cannot become. The figure that dashed through the scenery effortlessly. The appearance that will make him loved by women. The power and ingenious techniques to resist even the fangs manifesting from both Stasis’ madness as well as Blaze’s byproduct.
And the Will he has within his eyes.
I wanted to become like him. I wanted to become strong and I wanted to prove myself to him. That I could do the same thing. But when I gained a new way to do that, my eyes were clouded. Again and again. I faced great failure and was saved by him again.
Even now, I could do nothing amounting to his good wills. I could never be able to repay him for what he has done for me, even if he didn’t intend to.
Was I… such a weak person?
Am I this powerless? Am I just a show-off that has been getting cocky only due to my deeds? Why… why……? Why am I alive then…? Why me—
“—Onii…….chan……”
“……!” A recollection resurfaced in my head. The memory I have about my previous life. About my previous home world. About her whom I vowed to protect from everything that may cause her harm.
Her soft black hair which was tied into two. Her adorable face and her small figure dancing in the hazes under the blue summer sky. Wearing a one-piece dress which melded to create a scenic art.
Her childish smile felt like a thousand flowers blooming together. Her bright amber pupils similar to our mother’s, and her impertinence which resembled our father.
She never let me go off from troubles. Yet, at the same time, she’s just a child about to reach middle-school when I was struck by truck. Would she be sad over my death? Was she lonely when I was no longer with her?
I always fought with delinquents who wanted to have her. She’s such a lovely and fair girl that would attract any pest regardless of their ages. My pretty little sister that was always pulling pranks on me. And yet whenever I won a fight with injuries, she always cried and blamed herself.
Why? Why do you cry? I won. I protected you. I asked her and told her those words but the little girl rejected them. She would blame herself again and again despite my idiocy for interfering in her own problems.]
What did she see in her eyes? What did she feel when I left her in my friends’ care to sweep the misfortunes daring enough to follow her? Even though I told her it’s fine for me…….
[center“—It’s not….. That’s not it…… Onii-chan…….! It’s because I… I……!!”[/center]
Because…… It’s because…… Her words echoed inside me. I replayed the meaning of her words over and over when I soon realized what I am feeling now as.
Because I’m powerless. Because I couldn’t do anything for you—that was my sister’s truest feeling when she watched me leaving her side to protect her. It was her regrets for allowing me to be wounded in her stead.
“This…… Is…… What Arika…… Feels……"
Incapable of doing anything. Incapable of lending even a hand. Incapable of even stopping someone that is very important for us to leave. Only watching them leaving our sides as we grieved helplessly……
This hopelessness. This weakness. This powerlessness. This despair which driven my sister to even giving up herself to her fates…
“…….Could it be…”
I looked upward at the night sky covered with dark clouds. Even though Irnia was seen beyond them, I still had to look upward. The moon looked like a rippling illusion, and it felt as if my eyes were tricking me as the color resembled the red of blood. Still—
“……..is it the reason why? Because of my stupidity……… Now I am forced to know how they feel……? Having someone close to us leaving us behind…….? Having to live without strength…? ”
In order to know that, was I reincarnated? All for the sake of notifying me how much they felt when I disappeared from their life…….?
All…… for this…….?
……………….
“……ha…… ha ha…… hahahahaaaa…………!”
I want to laugh. I want to laugh so much. All of my suffering and sadness……. I ignored them and I yelled with the maximum strength of my vocal cords.
“HOW MUCH OF AN IDIOT CAN I BE!?”
I only see what was ahead but not to them! I only did whatever thing I feel right yet I didn’t even let myself notice how they feel!! I put myself in troubles and endless pains but not even Arika was allowed to tell me what she truly felt!! All because of my stupidity!!
I blamed nothing but my own foolishness for trying to become a Wanna-be Hero. I blamed none but myself for giving up when I realized the ideal I sought was but a mirage. As if I can allow this…… as if I can allow this to happen! Not to my sister! Not to my parents!! And not to Fei who is already fighting for my sake!!
Whatever being that demon was, she must be an extremely powerful opponent. I don’t think I can stand a chance against something like that. But… I remembered.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
On the riverside, that day… When I thanked him… his lips crept up a fleeting smile. That person who showed me such smile as if he was saved from pains… As if he was saved by those words…
I want to go to his side…! Regardless of how much wounds I will receive! No matter how many times my soul and body be broken… I will stand up and fight! I’m going to fight with the person who treasured me more than his own life!!
Not for the sake of saving. Not for the sake of paying back a debt. Not for the sake of helping. All I want—is for us to stay alive and live through the perilous future that will await us.
“I will fight with you, Fei! And we will definitely survive this ordeal!!”
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-Fei’s POV-
Corpse. Corpses after corpses. Everything was dyed red and I stood in the middle of a land full of dead bodies and rusty scent. The thickness of the scent was enough to kill ordinary people since there was something special in the blood of demi-humans and monsters. Still, someone like me could never be touched, much less stopped by it.
I’m not like her. I’m not like everyone else. There’s no one other than me here and this place… is the place I truly belonged to.
I heaved a long sigh with an obvious hint of exhaustion. No matter what I did, my current state allowed me little to no power at all. Other than my inborn physique which was a match to Ancient Dragons, I could not expect myself to not strain myself. I mean… My body is that of a human and humans… They are too easy to break apart.
I looked at my right arm. It was dangling like a thin, nearly torn apart cloth. With just a little push and it may fall off. Other than the broken claws, fangs and weapons lodged in my body, my heart and head was left untouched. For a reason I knew too well I was disgusted by it instead. But, as I observed the darkness surrounding me, I heard laughter.
”Very impressive. As expected of a Vagnalos, but your power didn’t seem to reach my expectation.” The Demon General whispered from the darkness.
“It’s more than enough to kill you, Ivory Vermillion!” I muttered out loud.
Yet, the laughter did not stop. There was venom and lust mixed together in it and I recognized her maniacal attitude to match the rumors. A playful Demon General who liked to toy with her opponents. She saw everyone below her as toys and she always planned something to torture them before using them at her disposals.
Most of her victims—were of course, humans. She loved to break their mind, violate their bodies before killing them in the most grueling manner. I thought demons were mindless barbarians but she’s no different than a lowlife. Even her presence wasn’t quite welcomed among her peers but only if what the King said is as close as the truth itself.
“Oh well. You’re a fun toy but you’re just a puppet. You’re not humane enough to be called as their imitation.”
I furrowed my eyebrows upon hearing that line. What does she know, this fickle bitch…? As expected, I really hate those who prided their pure bloodline and flaunted it. However, her presence was fading away. Why?
“Have fun while you can, boy… And show me your despair!”
*BOOM!* with a tremor as a start, a presence loomed in to me and I inclined my head up.
“……A black Ogre with dragonskin claws. I see… a demi-human crossbred huh?” I said with a sense of disgust.
Ogres were monsters. They were mindless, the same as their distant relatives orcs and kobolds who relied upon raw strength. However, their reproductive behavior was the same and it was with one method—mating with sentient humanoid races.
Humans, beastmen, elves, dwarves, demons… They were indiscriminate when capturing women and holding them captives. Beasts unable to contain their lust and greed to dominate other species. And this giant even taller than three horned ogre… Well, it’s safe to assume Stasis’ blessing upon it was enormous in exchange of rational thoughts and its mother.
I looked up at the giant and then glanced to my right arm. It’s probably no longer usable so I snatched the black sword with my left hand and poised a stance.
“I don’t have time to deal with you… Get out of my sight.”
As long as that Demon General is around, I doubt Charlotte will find safety. I will use everything I have left to destroy this monster and subdue her next!! Even if I have to burn out my life!!
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The monster charged to me and I evaded by leaping to the right. Leaving behind a smooth cut at its leg.
The ogre stopped and turned around. Because of the slippery land, it tripped over dead bodies. Yet, it wasn’t enough to show its weak points. After trampling over corpses and running to me, I decided to take a drastic measure by closing in to it.
“Assassination Arts…” I muttered as I willed mana to flow to my right hand. Even if the arm was disabled, I could still use it.
Glowing blue light was concentrated on my right palm. As the light increased both in intensity and density, I focused at one point.
“GRAAAARR!”
“Mana Weaving Technique: Severing Strands!!”
In an instant, azure thread burst out from the tips of my fingers and flew toward the flying punch aimed to me. They flew in unison, entwined together and becoming a sharp spear. Easily slicing apart the punch and severed the Ogre’s left arm from its shoulder.
“RRROOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!?”
To demons, this technique could be said as a nasty reminder of their defeat a few hundred years ago. Around the time where there was no alliance, there existed mighty heroes and unparalleled geniuses in combat.
One of them being my teacher, Jonathan. He who was known as the String of End was a notorious assassin that defeated and assassinated several Arch Demons and pureblooded demons to prevent invasion from Daemonia.
He lurked like a shadow. Unblemished like the darkness. Ever so silent and yet masterful in the arts of assassination where no one would expect. And what weapon did he use to kill his target?
Threads. From the thread of an arachne or perhaps others such as thousand years silkworm, he was so skillful in manipulating threads to an extreme degree. But sometimes, there would be a time where objects ran out of supply and having nothing to use for assassination.
To that end, teacher chose one way to use and manipulate threads infinitely. It is by controlling mana to form a physical form and manifesting it as threads. Once mastered, one could create thin to thick threads, dull to sharp ones, or even fragile to the strongest threads that could block a falling fortress head-on.
However—
“Nggh!?” I exasperated as my right arm sprayed blood everywhere. Even the nerves around my legs popped out and I fell to my knees. It forced me to realize I was still not experienced in tuning the correct proportion of mana to materialize in physical form.
“Damn… it…!” I cursed as I bit my lips. Using the sword as my support, I glared at the monster which had stopped to care about its injury and decided to rampage by hurling its body to me. “Don’t… underestimate me……!!!”
I ran to the right and slashed its side, I encircled and slashed the joints of its legs and feet. I jumped up to slash at the back, the neck and the face, yet there were only slight cuts. Fuck, this bastard is tough! But I’m not done yet!!
“UWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
I jumped from one place to another, dashing through the darkness and cutting the black ogre with everything I have. Pour it all! Use everything at disposal to kill it!! All of my experience, skills, and strength…! Obliterate this obstacle and claim victory!!
The black sword danced in the air. The red blood scattered around like a rain. My speed increased further and further as the wounds carved on the monster deepened as well as multiplied. Despite going beyond the limits of what my body could endure, I swung the sword without stopping for a moment.
After five minutes which seemed to last for eternity, the black Ogre fell to its knees. So many wounds were carved on its body and it was blinded in one eye. Even if it was left alone, it would surely die due to the wounds but…!!
“This ends here—!?”
*crack!* I heard a cracking sound from my sword. I glanced at it and my eyes widened at the spreading signs of destruction on the lackluster blade. What…!? How—
“RROOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!”
*SMASH!* In my dismay, the Ogre sent a punch which struck my abdomen squarely. My consciousness faded and I snapped back as my back struck a huge tree before going over it. I broke through the tree to another tree, repeating the process for several times and bouncing on the ground.
Once I stopped moving, my back was already stuck in a sea of roots of a tree behind me. The black sword was no longer in my possession, and—
“Ghak……!!” I vomited blood in a large amount.
I wheezed. Thick crimson liquid became a puddle below me and I slid down the tree. Ah… the world seemed to distort around. Why…? Even though… I was so close… to kill it…
“Could… it… be… it waited for… this moment…?” I gazed at the approaching figure of the monster.
There was fury. There was irregular breathing interval. And yet… there was a row of uneven teeth as if the monster was in a glee. Huh… it must have waited for this moment. So I didn’t read the flow of battle good enough to know its plan. It did well to play as a powerless, wounded prey.
Now we’re both a step away from death…… Truly laughable.
As I stared upward, my vision flickered. It was the Tree of Eons’ influence.
-*WARNING!*
The damages to your body have gone past the limits Lagnaris could heal passively! Harmonization is needed to repair your body!! Do you wish to Harmonize and become a Vagnalos?-
……Ah. I see… So it’s here again… Looks like fate is trying to test me again, or… Is this it…? I couldn’t lift even a finger, and my mouth tasted like iron. It was clear that the direct hit pulverized my ribcage and damaged my internal organs……
…If I were an ordinary person, my life has already ended. Even if I survived… As if I could live long when my ribs sunk in to my body like this……
“Well… I’m not a human anyway… What am I thinking…?” I cackled.
Somehow… I wanted to sleep. But I can’t. Not like this. If… If this is all what I have left to retaliate, then… I raised my left hand. It was trembling, and I couldn’t muster any power to reach the Root in front of me. Yet, bits by bits… Surely……
*DON!* Shadow was cast over me. The enemy had already reached me… huh…? Somehow… I felt at peace. Aaaah… Maybe, this is resignation…… Guess that… I can’t become myself till the very end………
Just as I closed my eyes midway, I heard a faint sound. What… is… this…?
“Foot…step……?” I murmured when the sound vanished.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
With a jump, a shadow flitted in the darkness. Propelling herself, she leaped from the ground, used the large back of the monster as a mean to gain extra speed, kicked its head and flew to the sky with a roar full of desperate will.
But, I heard it. I clearly heard it. This familiar voice… It was her voice and so I looked up.
“Variant Arts…!” She shouted. As she spun in midair, the girl’s golden hair glistened with the moonlight.
Her skirt danced along with her hair, her hands holding a black sword I knew too well and her emerald green eyes shone with bright, dazzling light. In the next moment, her small body was enveloped with a burst of azure light which was a clear Fighting Aura only possessed by those who Awakened for the first time as a Warrior.
Wrapped by the uncontrollable, pure and yet abnormally dense Aura, the girl dove down. A sword in hands, she descended like a battle maiden sent from the heaven.
Like an Angel with golden wings.
The moment the ogre turned to face her, it was too late. It’s way too late as the sword was already brought down with a blinding momentum.
“Steel Cut!!!”
Blue light rained down from the sky. The monster stood silent as an azure line traced over its body vertically. The girl then fell into a tree and landed on the ground with a dull sound worthy enough to be described as painful. But—
*CRASHES!* The black hybrid ogre, known as the toughest of its varying species…… fell down as a dead body cleanly sliced into two.