The door creaks, and there came to Chifya holding a sleeping concoction. The night was like a day, thanks to the appearance of the three moons.

Chifya sighed upon seeing Akatosh brim when he saw the sleeping potion. "Oh... Finally, I can sleep like a pig again." He implores, reaching to grab the potion.

"I won't give it to you unless you answer my query, understand?" Chifya replies, quickly pulling her hand before he could grab the concoction.

"Ugh... Fine."

"Okey then." Chifya sighed, "You do know that your friends are a bit tense."

"Um... Ugh... I... Ugh..."

"Please, no more hiding in the bush, I want to know what truly happens at the bridge."

"For what?"

"It's because I'm your better half!" Chifya shouts while blushing.

"A what?"

"Fine, if that's what you wish then you no longer have this. Go, find an alchemist for all I care." Chifya retorts, hiding the concoction.

"Wait." Akatosh implores, grabbing her arms and at the same time pulling out her family portrait. "Um... we could trade?"

To her reaction, Chifya pauses for a moment for she was more frustrated with his action. "Are you making fun of me?!"

"Ugh... No. Please, I just want to sleep peacefully."

"Then sleep on your own!" She replies angrily, walking away towards the door.

"I understand, it was me who cause that gruesome sight. I did what had to be done, I killed thousands just for this shit kingdom to have peace. Where they can continue fucking around like pigs. But oh, what the heck what's done is done."

Chifya stops, and silent conquers both them and the room.

"Well, the truth why I ask you that question was because I was still curious about you."

"There are many people that are more perplexing and interesting than me--"

"And because of you, I was relieved from the chains of my clan. It was because of you that I had a life that I wanted."

They went silent once again, and ultimately Chifya offers her potion in return Akatosh relinquishes the portrait.

Hesitating and afraid of what he underwent would return to him again. Sure enough, when he drinks a quarter of the concoction they again appear. This time the four reveal the souls pleading an aid at him, how a thousand souls turn into energy. Fueling a demon, he has yet to know.

After more than an hour, Chifya stayed in the room since it was hers. All the nostalgic emotion came back when she indulges in seeing her mother's drawing. Yet to her father, she was still a bit confounding to his disappearance. And how her mother told her he was away on a mission. Once as she suddenly saw Akatosh awoke and nonetheless throwing up again.

"Please no more, no more," Akatosh said, shivering and afraid, worst the drug was in effect but now distorting his body and mind.

With a little bit of help and conformity from Chifya, Akatosh sat down while Chifya cleans his waste.

"Sorry, for making you do this," Akatosh said before vomiting again.

"Akatosh!" Chifya implores as she again solaces his distraught situation.

The night continues, and while they are still unable to sleep. Chifya was now concocting, a special remedy for her partner's sickness.

Just as Akatosh drinks the medicine he finally tattles how he ends the war in just a day. And telling her the torments of the dead people he buried.

"Do you deal such things in your country?" Chifya asks, looking at his face.

"It's complicated, what I just did was just small destruction compared to my past home. In my home, there's a weapon capable of erasing a kingdom, a country in seconds. All you need is a touch of a button and poof, you become death destroyer of worlds. But that's not all, we have smaller types of equipment that can turn a peasant capable of killing a high tier adventurer such as your level. And I'm surprised, you aren't a bit terrified after seeing what became of those soldiers."

Chifya didn't reply but returned to her desk, fiddling the apparatus. "Try to get some sleep, I'll be here with you."

In silence, Akatosh did what she told, and when he submerges to slumber. It was not the four horsemen nor the spirits of the dead but Tosh.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"You seem awful this day."

"Yes, and what do you want."

"A bargain."

"Name it, but I don't deal if it is necessary."

"Well, it's quite simple, but to get to that I do admire your work. Savagely ending a whole bunch of people now that’s a spectacle." Tosh quote yet to Akatosh wasn't pleased by his words. "Fine, moving on to our topic. So how was it?"

"The what."

"The affliction of the dead, the guilt that sears your soul."

"It's a shit."

"Well good for you cause I'm offering you a way out of that hell hole."

"Spit it."

"I can draw out that problem of yours but only temporarily if your wife angel isn't around. She really did her best sealing the second coming. You see, she had a large role to play, but there are consequences. And you don't want that beautiful lass of yours fade away, don't you?"

"And what if she isn't around?"

"Simple... all hell will lose, but if we do a little bit of fiddling. Separating her immense white light power and kicking her out of her place. We can still prevent the unfolding and she can avoid her you know... fade away."

Akatosh hesitates and, he can see that his other half wasn't lying. "Fine but you double-cross our agreement I'll just let the scrolls open."

"You got yourself a deal." Tosh implores, and with a touch, he pulls out from Akatosh a red and chaotic soul. Lashing like a fish, Tosh slowly submerges in dark mystic energy until it disappears.

Returning to his material world, Akatosh was awoken... it was morning. Astonishingly he felt different, the guilt emotion that lingers was gone. The souls that torment his very own soul, are gone. Even then, his body was very light, the ponderous feeling weighing him down vanished like magic. And the memories of the war seem a million years had passed.

Mystified, he goes to check the house even Chifya was shocked when he saw the normal face of Akatosh. When ask about his change he only reasons out Chifya's healing medicine.

Then he remembers the northern girl he saved, wanting to know her condition. Chifya then leads him to where she was confined.

"When you brought her here, it was fortunate that Sheila was able to give her a spark of life."

Out of the ordinary, the girl is rehabilitating differently. Glowing yellow vines wrap around her arms and feet. Akatosh can tell that the vines are restoring her life.

"What are these."

"The vines of Alther tree, the ones pluck from Alther where the world tree stand. I was lucky I still got some of these in my pocket."

"Hmm..."

After seeing enough, Chifya takes him to their room.

"I wanted to ask you about my mother's brooch."

"I... Um... Ugh..." Akatosh stammers avoid gazing at her.

"Please," Chifya says, but wasn't angry at her words.

"I... I sold it to a black market... For thirty gold coins... I think."

"You what?!"

"Um... but, don't worry I'll ask the thieves guild for a refund--"

Out of a sudden, his guild's ring that Akatosh stores in his pocket glow in sky blue. He quickly pulls it out and when he does, it flashes, and there teleported an injured man.

The first impression was the man's left arm is brutally removed. Harsh wounds carved at every part of his body. Panting heavily and then speaking in a shivering tone.

"Master Akatosh, our headmaster Hawk needs your help."

"What happen?!"

"I don't know... we were doing our work reestablishing our guild when suddenly the other guild headquarters attacked us. He also said that we should warn the adventurer's guild." The man implores while Chifya heals him.

"Did they do these to you?"

"I don't know, but they were demons who attacked us. Headmaster said that the capital of Keshoval is in danger and that demons will appear if our headmaster's seal would be weakened--" Without continuing the man's eyes rolled up and suddenly dies.

"FUUUUCKKK!" Akatosh shouts as he remembers the connection of Amaragnum's word. Quickly gathering everyone he without thinking orders them.

"Chifya, go warn your guild about the danger that will arise. I'll go to the palace if I can warn the king." Akatosh ask, and without a second thought, he gave Ariendal's ring to Sheila. "Inform Ariendal de Shilvia about the message, use this ring, and he'll believe you."

Once said, they disperse to their corresponding task. Chifya, together with Sei and Riya was having a hard time convincing the guild administration. While Sheila and Reith force their way into the mansion.

"Why have you returned?" King Reigal implores with a bit of hostility.

"I came here to warn you that your kingdom is in peril!" Akatosh says, just as he was surrounded by dozens of powerful guards. Even Roland was there supporting and protecting the king like a dog they were.

"And why should we believe you?" retorts the king in a drastic tone.

"Well fuck you, let's see whose face looks like shit then." Akatosh implores before Amaragnum teleports them.

Teleported to his guild, he saw the once beautiful hermitage was no more… desolated. He could see burned demons lying on the ground, strange summoning circles at every corner. The plants that thrive through the large cave withered so was the water that turns into a pigment color. And the place was filled in a translucent purple fog.

And just as he arrived, he hears the echoes of a thousand souls. Coming from the chambers where they kept their valuables. He rushes to see, three higher demons surrounding Hawk who barrier himself.

Three humanoid demons, with wings that of a dragon and a body of a bulky man. The other one was different from the two who had four arms and a head that of a dragon.

They spoke in a different language a demon tone so to say. Right after Akatosh's arrival, the two demons were teleported. Sensing his presence, the demon dashes for a devour. And before they would get him time suddenly stops, not the stillmage but it was Hawk. Trusting a peculiar dagger, the demon smiles, and right when the demon was stabbed, it unleashes thousands of souls. Souls that Akatosh had killed at the bridge.

Just as Hawk saw the demon's intention, he immediately unleashes a spell.

Dazed by the demon's bursting, Akatosh finds himself in an odd dimension.

"Wake up," Hawk says, helping him stand up.

When recovers, he was surrounded by thick clouds. And the rumbling thunder and lightning, wreaking havoc at the far end of the dimension.

"You, okay?" Hawk implores.

"Yes, just what happen here."

"Razgothor's acolyte, I should have seen this coming."

"The what?"

"It was their doings... The war between Keshoval and Endregar. the death of a thousand for their prince to be released from its prison."

"Ah... the fifth prince of demons, Razgothor the manipulators and devourer of kings ruler of the purple realms of the abyss." Amaragnum calls. "Or I like to call it the slug."

A moment later, they felt an ominous presence a pounding that draws closer and closer. And from the clouds lies a silhouette of one of the princes of demons.

"So-- this was the bastard that you been secretly hiding."

"Afraid yes, and pardon me for mixing you up to my secrets." Hawk replies in a weaker tone.

Akatosh smiles, "Well, we all have our own secrets." He replies pulling out the mask which caught Hawk by surprise.