Chapter 37 – He who laughs

 

…

Sarah flew like a cannonball.

Huffing, Marakur hurried to dodge. To him, Sarah’s move was truly devious. It was straightforward, but he had to be careful of her additional sneak attacks coming from all directions. A kick to the groin, a hook in his blind spot or an uppercut right to his chin. All these strikes made his scary face swelled like an overgrown habanero!

It wasn’t like Marakur didn’t want to end this farce anymore. But his arm hadn’t recovered yet. Although possible, he might overdid it, crippling his arm. If he used his other arm instead, then he would have ended up in a scenario where he couldn’t protect himself!

And he didn’t want to gamble on that possibility. After all, Manecoon Clan would still follow the law of the jungle. And his subordinates might prey on him because of that!

So, the two individuals faced off with different resolve. One faced death with determination while the other thought about his future.

The former onslaught became fiercer and fiercer, like a storm raging across the land. The latter had to grit his teeth and welcomed these despite his hesitation.

Marakur’s decision had been correct. He just had to kite Sarah, making the latter helpless about it. She had little stamina to begin with and the amount she recovered got drained once again.

Yet Sarah remained steadfast as she poured every ounce of her. Only determination helped her to continue her attacks, spurting energies from who knows where.

Alas, it was regrettable, but everything had to end eventually.

Sarah wobbled, struggling to stay in an upright position, but her glare landed on the demon’s hateful face who was coming closer. And the demon had the audacity to place his large hand on top of her head, she snarled.

If Marakur willed it, he could crush her head like a tomato. Just like that, there would be no more Sarah Pendragon in this world.

But he didn’t want to end everything like this. He would cook her in the most pleasant way. Or an unpleasant way for this already feeble existence.

Sarah continued her glare as if she didn’t see her fate in the chopping board. This earned a chuckle from Marakur, followed by a painful cough.

“Cough. You are truly something, Sarah Pendragon. You are already like this, but your flames didn’t dwindle a bit. I’ll make sure to thoroughly douse your flames after I marinated you!”

“HAHAHA.”

“Sir. We got him!” A demon neared and reported. The two opponents looked at him, then towards his back.

There, they could see another demon dragging a body to the ground. The body was in terrible shape and his eyes closed with blood painting his entire face. Demons surrounded him, growling how much they wanted to torture the boy because of their comrades who died from the latter.

Marakur laughed. He had never been this happy!

A greatest meal with a Transcendent Seed on top, like the final cherry above a delightful cake.

He relished in euphoria. Venerable? That would be a piece of cake! With a power he would gain from Sarah, his foundation couldn’t be any better! And a Transcendent Seed which would make him unstoppable, he would be the best!

Somehow, Marakur felt pity for this guy whose name he didn’t remember.

Owning a treasure without right foundation and strength would only make one a miserable individual.

Once the treasure’s existence became known, everyone would target him.

When one had been too weak, it was the right of the strong to steal from him. This maxim, Marakur understood. Hence, his pity appeared before drowning in success.

Sarah gripped her fists. The demons saw her closing eyes, thinking she already accepting her fate.

Jed…

Ayill…

The closed hand slowly crept upwards. Little by little. A speed anyone could react and dodge.

But the demons in the surroundings continued to be oblivious to it.

Marakur shivered, and the experiences he earned as a hunter alerted him. An unknown foreboding danger was creeping, yet he didn’t even where it was coming!

He wanted to retreat, alas he had been too late. He only saw a hand landing on his side and next, heard a whisper he would never forget.

“Unlucky Stab.”

Zing. The demon’s gigantic frame convulsed as if electrified. His face went numb while saliva dripped through the seams of his serrated teeth. A layer of sweat emerged from his forehead as he knew a terrifying storm was coming!

Move! My body, move! Marakur shouted inside his mind as he saw the girl in front of him crouching once again!

This time, an overpowering aura exploded in her tiny body. A tiny sprout waved its leaves while roaring with holy demonic might!

At that exact moment, an endless amount of World’s Energy being devoured in the surroundings without stopping!

Then, a golden radiance shone her body as golden draconic scales encased her. Her bloodline boiled as five roars erupted!

Next, her other fist transformed into a spear-like claw. Just looking at its tip, anyone could feel its sharpness. The signature move of Pendragon Combat Art—Claws of the Pendragon!

And lastly, faint feathers appeared on her back and elbows. A blazing power encircled her as she danced, resembling a flaming crane.

Spell Art—Dance of the Flaming Crane!

Like an avalanche, Sarah’s aura snowballed from Expert to Grandmaster Level!

The previously lousy copies of Combat and Spell Art were also more corporeal this time!

The more she copied an art, the more she could reach mastery of it!

Although that was the case, something dangerous was happening inside her body. Two hundred combat veins had dimmed, a few even on the verge of rupturing. A crisp noise sounded and one of the six spell circles had shattered!

This was no laughing matter as this meant destruction of her foundation!

Repeating from the start would be the best outcome. The worst scenario she would become a cripple!

But none of that mattered in her mind right now. Sarah only knew that she had to find a way of survival!

Sarah grabbed her opponent’s waist before planting her feet to the ground.

“Get up!”

Marakur felt a tremendous amount of force lifting him! The only thing he remembered before passing out was when his head hitting the ground!

The surrounding demons became dumbfounded. They saw the girl briskly lifting herself alongside their young master. Their faces warped as they saw him faced planted with the earth.

Yet it didn’t stop there. Suplex, roll, body slam, throw, head bash, another Suplex, another roll, and slam once again. They kept rolling on the ground, exchanging positions. And by the time the demons reacted, Marakur was already half dead.

Roar! Sarah grabbed Marakur in the hand. She flailed his body, using it as a club to bash the incoming demons.

Facing hundreds, even a handful of Grandmasters won’t be enough. Even then, her expression continued to be fearless. She twirled the large body in her arms and like a spinning top, everyone got blasted away.

The girl jumped, making everyone scattered. Her fearsome weapon, or to be precise her strength, daunted these demons. They won’t feel emotions aside from instinctual hunger, reproduction and fear. And right now, their instinct were shouting at them to run!

Bang! With Marakur’s weight and tough body, one demon turned into a paste.

Sarah disregarded their weird eyes as she threw Marakur in front, using him as her shield.

Her enemies dispersed even more. Though, a few tried to catch Marakur but failed and resulted in their demise.

Thus, they didn’t discover the blur who passed them.

Funny enough, one demon discovered it, and because of that, Sarah punctured him with her spear-like claw.

She sprinted, this time no one got in her way. They only followed beside her, intending to encircle.

Her eyes weren’t on them, anyway. Only the quiet figure existed in her eyes.

“Gotcha.”

Sarah slid along the ground. In her arms, Jed laid there sleeping.

She had been haughty her whole life. Thus, she hadn’t looked at anyone more than necessary.

But this time, she was looking at him in great interest.

“My friend.” Sarah showed her white teeth. As if she didn’t feel the demons surrounding her, she cherished the moment gazing at her first trusted friend.

“This time, I shall carry you.”

Sarah checked his condition before running away. Cowardly for someone who kept spouting she would beat anyone. But right now, she held something important!

Thus, she didn’t hesitate to run because she knew only she could save her friend! Furthermore, her power was reaching its end.

But while running, she couldn’t help but wonder. Her mind seemed to go somewhere.

“Is there a reason for me to exist?”

“The first time I learn to walk, when I was a baby, was to run away from a kidnapper.”

“After that, was only a series of pain and fear.”

“Turtle, what do you think?”

Panting, no one answered her. Sarah could feel his heat passing through her back.

The weight. It was heavy. Even though asleep, his body had been tensed. She even thought he might wake up any second. 

How could a boy be this alert? She didn’t know, nor she could ask.

She didn’t try to understand Jed before. For a moment, she tried to recall her impression of him.

Quiet. There was so much going in his eyes. Yet he had a persona so quiet one wouldn’t even know he was standing beside you.

But looking at it, he was actually a deep well. Just hiding his feelings. Waiting.

On the other hand, when Sarah saw Ayill, she only sensed loneliness, guilt and despair. These were the reasons she felt attached to Ayill, wanting to play with him. As if she could see herself. The reflection of her feelings.

The loneliness of being in a large family, yet no one took care of her. They only served her because it was their work and nothing else. They even grew afraid as she faced them every day.

The guilt of affecting everyone when she was always being attacked by someone. She had never rested, feeling that she would die tomorrow. She didn’t know who to trust. But the child version of her didn’t want to hurt anybody nor point fingers.

And the despair of being a person who not even strangers would love. The freak from children’s mouth. And the freak from adults’ eyes.

What is so special about me? She screamed who knew how many times! No, why am I treated as special? Different? FREAK? MONSTER???

So, all these turned into hatred. Hate towards herself. And hate towards those fucking people who didn’t try to understand her!!!

Then what about Jed? She racked her brain. He had nothing. The reports said he was an orphan. Before his parents died, they made preparations for his school. Reflecting about it, he had a good parents knowing they weren’t there to teach him morality. But he was already a good person to begin with.

He never bothered someone. Didn’t speak when he wasn’t spoken to. Always smiling. He made one feel at ease.

Maybe that was why she didn’t bother to understand him. His existence resembled a shadow. Very close without obstructing one’s space.

Sarah smiled. This may be the last moment of their life. But at least she could finally understand him.

Bursting into laughter, Sarah’s lark-like voice echoed.

The girl seemed to be in the good mood even though she was standing on a cliff. Looking at her back, the fearsome running water and the steep height already answered her if she could survive the fall.

Demons had surrounded her and all of their eyes had reddened from the chase. She had wasted so much of their time.

Marakur bit into the meat in his hand, his limbs squirmed like leeches. Sarah became astounded when she saw this. She left him broken like a dirty rag. Yet he was now alive and kicking.

“I see. Manecoon clans have different innate talents. Many about sensing, others have greater strength or speed. But you have the rare type.”

“Regeneration. But the requirement is you need to eat.”

Marakur didn’t answer. But his silence already satisfied her.

“You are almost like a budget Venerable. But you don’t have boundless energy of a Venerables to regenerate so you get energy from food.” Sarah teased.

She saw no emotion on the talented demon’s face. “What’s the deal if you know? You are dead anyway. Let me eat you. And give me that boy too.”

“I’ll rather die then.” Saying that, Sarah immediately walked the talk, one foot stepping over the cliff.

Even though she didn’t ask Jed’s permission, she understood there was no choice for them.

But life always remained unpredictable.

“Sissteeeeeerrrr!”

Everyone stared at the figure falling above them. The figure had a chubby face and brown hair. His complexion looked healthier because of the sun hanging on his back.

Yet no demons took him seriously. He fell from such a height that demons wondered if he could survive.

Then he went straight to the middle of confrontation.

Boom.

With the sun’s million rays shining behind him, Ben landed with a pose. He had been dreaming this day, landing with a cool pose while saving people like a hero!

Ben flailed his two arms into a letter V before shouting with gusto.

“Hero Ben is here!”

The demons’ jaw fell. Marakur’s face crumpled. And Sarah ogled in such sight. It was fucking beautiful they almost kneeled!

But it would have been better if not for the cracking ground.

Everyone’s thought. “…”

Crash. The cliff quaked, and a piece of it separated and fell. Hundred demons rushed, scrambling and tumbling back to safety.

The trio got it worse, though.

Jed woke up, struggling to open his eyes. What he saw was too blurry, yet he could sense he was in a downward velocity. He skipped a beat, thinking that he was still dreaming. Sometimes, he dreamt he was falling, so maybe this time was the same. Hence, he closed his eyes again.

Though Sarah’s shrill voiced reverberated just beside his ears, thoroughly waking him.

“Ben! You piggish team mate!!!”

Wait a minute, the girl thought. They would die anyway, so it didn’t matter what was happening.

Ben, on the other hand, had a white face. He could see the abyss staring right at him. He just wanted to be a hero, saving a damsel in distress!

Also, he just wanted to lessen his guilt and embarrassment. But he might have done something even worse!

“I am dead!”

“Ahhhh!!!” The trio continued to free fall while Ben’s shriek accompanied them.

The boy thought he had so much to do in life. He would find his brother and probably even their parents. He also should become a great hero someday.

Or… maybe not because he was too weak and untalented.

Maybe he could stay forever in the market and became the big boss…

I have so much to do, I don’t wanna die! Ben screamed in his heart while praying that everything was just a dream.

Maybe a god heard his prayers. They didn’t fall to their deaths and only felt a slight pain on their butts.

A large stone-hand appeared and caught them. The trio looked down and saw a golem scaling the cliff with ease. With a rumble, it supported itself, jumping on top of the cliff in one swoop!

Wong. The ground cracked once again, alarming the demons to run away further. It was fortunate the cliff didn’t give in this time, and the golem roared with its success.

But Sarah and Jed didn’t feel happy.

The former saw a strange man clinging to the back of the golem. He wore a mask where only his lips were visible, and a colorful clothing like he was attending a festival.

Even though Jed’s vision had blurred, he sensed something from the man. A very dangerous aura. As if something was hiding in his shadow!

“The Clown.” Marakur muttered. “Son of Demon Emperor Baidu, the Mistake.”

The man heard him, craning his neck towards Marakur. “The Beast, Marakur. Number seven of Hades Decemvirate. Son of Demon King Meokur of the Manecoon clan.”

“What are you doing?” An unknown emotion fitted on Marakur’s hideous face.

“Nothing.” Clown’s mouth showed an ivory grin.

“They are my prey.”

“Hmm. Nope.”

“What?”

“It’s a complicated question. If you want me to answer, be ready for a long-winded explanation.”

Marakur wanted to smack his crook face hidden in that hateful mask.

Gasp! In the corner, Ben trembled whilst his mouth closed-opened. But when someone would ever near him, they could hear him whispering, I’m dupe…

Sarah stood in front, ready to guard their lives. Especially after hearing that this guy was another troublemaker. Just the golem alone would be a hard fight.

Moreover, she had heard of him. The renowned Clown. He who fought a Supreme and live. The miracle of the Demon Race. A formation grandmaster. People gave him many titles.

But one thing Sarah knew, she couldn’t defeat this harmless-looking guy with their condition.

“Anyway, you can’t kill them.”

Marakur frowned. He already invested so much, how could he accept this?

Although that was the case, Marakur had been very intelligent. He always memorized reports and data so he could use them later.

Using those informations, he cornered Sarah Pendragon, whom people considered as one of the pinnacle in this generation. Although he had used schemes; he recognized her power, so he used his all to beat her.

After all, she had a trump card that could defeat anyone under the Venerables.

As for the other two pinnacle geniuses, one had already become a hermit despite being young. However, several Beast progenies recognized his strength.

The last would be the person in front of them.

Clown. Number one of Hades Decemvirate.

Reports talked about how this guy worked. He won’t do something inconsequential. All of his action had far-reaching goals. Despite being of the same age, he already joined the grand scheme of things.

He might have a frail and comical appearance, but no one thus far had managed to lay their hands on him. A few who tried had disappear who knows when and where.

Thus, Marakur didn’t question him anymore.

“Let’s go.” The talented Manecoon descendant turned around. Although he walked away, this didn’t mean he won’t challenge this number one in the future. The rule of the demons always all about who laughed the last.

Patience. He, Marakur, had enough patience to hunt this prey.

As for Sarah and others, he defeated them once. He could do it again. There were no rules and regulations in a battle. Only an idiot would fight one on one. And next time, he would possess what they have, their destiny!

But right now, let this Clown play his game. Thinking of this, Marakur’s face softened as he used his clan members as his snack. Crunch.

Clown’s smile became larger when he saw Marakur’s retreating back. “Red-red! See, they gave me face! Looks like I’m still handsome! Why Harilde didn’t like me when I have this God-given face? Oh god, how can you be so cruel? How could no one likes handsome guy nowadays?!!”

The remaining individuals squinted their eyes. They had a look of wariness and confusion. Apparently, they didn’t quite process his comment in their head.

“My bad. I am Clown, 1st Seat. You can go now.” The speaker noticed them and bowed in a gentleman-like fashion. Planting his butt on top of the golem, he shortly brought many things out.

Ben gulped when he saw books, maps and strange apparatus being arranged in neat fashion by the former. He thought the guy was really a demon!

It appeared he was reading some information to concoct a plan to deal with them!

The other two also thought the same. There was no way he would let them go easily. He might only try to trick them to let go of their guard.

Tensed, Sarah and Jed stared at each other. They became even warier when they saw they reached the same conclusion!

Then, they saw him forgetting them as he talked to himself.

“Novels nowadays are unreliable. Girls with ugly face will found a rich, handsome guy one day. Then her bitch pretty friend will got jealous and they will start a fight.”

“Next, they can’t go back to being friends anymore! And with some convoluted plot, they will try to murder each other whilst also affecting everyone.”

“Yet they became friends once again, even though they killed each other’s relative. Where is the police by the way?”

“Absurd! Even if some rich, pretty and sexy girl wants you Red-red, I won’t be jealous. I promise! Yep. I’ll just look at you in the eye to tell you–that’s the last of our bro codes! We are finished!”

“But that is not important. What’s important… how could boy to boy love be so frigging beautiful???”

“The story has a thick plot and not cliché of heaven and earth difference between characters. Almost as if everything is happening in real life!”

“MC and ML are both handsome like me. One has sun-like personality while the other has a character as cool as the moon. See, that’s both me. And their chemistry is so cute!”

“But the ending is the worst! Who gave me that onion? Come out! I won’t bite!”

“Harilde, oh Harilde. Please save me! I’m a damsel–cough–a hero in distress!”

“That game, CM cards, is dope. Fuck, one demon noble just got lucky to get five rare cards, and he dared to swagger around me?”

“Did he think, I can’t do anything to him? Yep. I can’t!”

“So what’s rare with rare cards? I’ll torture his eyes when I got the ultra-rare card! A Demon Emperor with one hundred thousand attack! Red-red, let’s call Daddy Baidu, make him buy it for me!”

“The human county in this location has a strategic position. But their weakness… they have fewer brothels than the nearby counties! Mm. I’m right.”

“Based on the reports, Space Slicer likes to go into a brothel. Ow. We are actually brother-in-arms. I’m already itching to meet him! Then we will talk about life and our secrets.”

“Yep. I’m talking about that secret. As if I could see that scene once again. Do you remember, Red-red? Fairies and goddesses came down from the heaven just for me. Because of that, everyone has a saying in every brothel when they saw me… just call me Heavenly Beauty!”

“I am so handsome, a beauty transcended races and gender that fairies and goddess wanted to slap me to death! Hays. I could only genuflect and say sorry. I feel sorry for them for not making me warm their beds.”

“When will that bull comes? I said to fetch me from this cliff. Oops. Wait a minute. I read the map to him while upside down… Ha! There’s no way I’ll be that irresponsible. No way.”

“…” The trio who heard everything.

Ben patted Sarah and spoke with a rare serious face. “Sis, can we go now?”

The latter also had a solemn face and nodded.

And so, only a lone figure remained. His shadow stretched, almost wanting to leave him too.

…