Boom!

“DIE!”

The monster’s axe fell on the ground, spitting it in two while making a wave of liquid gold wash towards us.

“Shields!”

Together we laid down our shields, creating a protective field for ourselves.

The see of gold got blocked, but the shockwave from the collision made us disoriented for a few seconds.

“YOU FILTH! DIE BEFORE ME! DIE FEARING ME!”

As the ground kept on shaking, with each of his swings, a small amount of liquid gold entered the barrier through its cracks.

This isn’t good. If this continues, we are dead.

‘Ash, give over the control to me!’

I can’t. if the others find out-

“YOU ALL SHALL PERISH!”

Swinging his huge axe and sword at the same time, the monster managed to break through our shields, pushing us away on the floor.

The fall made me lose breath, as my head started to swirl with pain.

I need...get up... fight.

‘…Sorry. But I’m taking over.’

Feeling power coursing through my body, I was pushed out from my body, being robbed of all my senses except my vision and hearing.

‘Partner, what are you doing?’

“Stopping this.”

Standing up, Partner disabled the armor making it fall on the ground.

“It was a hindrance anyway while I am in control.”

She was right, when she takes complete control over me, my body changes. I can’t tell how much but I could tell that my nails got sharper, and my white hair turned slightly purple.

“SO, YOU SHOWED YOURSELF, FRAGMENT! SUCH A DISGRACE FOR YOU TO HIDE IN THAT WEAK BODY!”

The monster walked towards us, the liquid gold condensing around him even more, making him grow further.

“CAPTURING YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST STEP FOR ME TO BECOME A GENERAL FOR MY MASTER’S ARMY! BE HONORED!”

“Let’s see if you will keep on talking after I’m through of you.”

Clapping my hands together, a magical force spread around us, pushing away any gold, which surrounded us.

Laughing, the monster raised its weapons.

“Thunder magic: Electric Blast.”

An electric blast discharged from my palms, striking the monster in the chest. As the sparks flew its body, the monster kept on laughing.

“FILTHY FRAGMENT! DO YOU THINK I WASN’T PREPARED FOR THIS?! MY LORD, WHO GAVE ME THIS SUPREME POWER, HAS PREPARED ME TO FACE ANY OBSTACLE! I AM IMMORTAL!”

Swinging down its sword, gazing at my left side.

“Fuck! Healing Magic!”

“FORGET ABOUT IT!”

Before Partner could finish healing me, the monster grabbed me and lifted me up.

*****

I thought he was stronger. Did I overestimate him?

The monster which I sent out was my masterpiece. Speeded up demonification, steroids from other planets, brainwashing, a dope ass power. Maybe I went a little bit overboard.

Well, if he’s collected here, I will make my life a lot easier. if only I wasn’t planning something else.

Looking down from the hole of the gymnasium ceiling, enjoying the show with my new friend Steven by my side.

“Wh-What is happening here?”

“This is what you are going to miss when you are dead.”

Playing Death is fun. The look on his face as he talked to me, the flinches to each of my movements. It was hilarious.

“The gates of hell have opened by you coming back to life. You allowed these monsters to appear in this world. Not gigas, but real monsters, beings that aren’t afraid of your weapons. All because of you.”

Let’s give him a little nudge.

Controlling the subconscious of my monster, I made one of the golden tentacles reach into a nearby roble lifting the unconscious Sakura back in the air.

“MY MASTER WILL KILL YOU ALL! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!”

“Sakura!”

“Easy now.”

I grabbed him by the shoulder before he jumped in the hole.

“Here is the deal. You will be tossed back into hell, hopefully closing the hole OR you can take this sword and start killing these monsters, buy yourself some years and become a hero.”

Manifesting a sword which I stole from cultivator whose name I forgot, presenting it before him.

“What will it be? Be a hero or b- Oh, he jumped, bless his heart.”

*****

Ash POV:

“YOU ALL SHALL BE MY FOOD!”

Swinging down its weapons again, the erected shield got destroyed, zapping me back into my body.

‘I am all out of energy. We are dead.’

“YOU FILTH! BECOME MY FOOD!”

The monster slowly walked towards us, its body, a statue of solid gold, its eyes burning with hate.

So, this is how I die. Fuck.

The bull reached towards me, ready to crush me.

SLAH!

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!”

From the hole of the ceiling, somebody fell cutting the arm off.

“What?”

‘What?’

The one who fell down, the kid, spined around and aimed at his chest.

“You are dead!”

With a warrior cry, he jumped towards the beats, swords over his head.

“YOU FILTH! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME! I WILL KILL YOU!”

Forming a new hand from his armor, the monster roared as he swings his axe.

Not moving, he just lifted his sword above his head, blocking, no, cutting through the weapon as if it was made from paper.

‘What the hell is that weapon made from?!’

“HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU BREAK MY DIVINE WEAPON?! YOU FILTH, YOU LOWER THAN FILTH! YOUR SOUL SHALL BE OFFERED UP TO MY MASTER!”

“…I won’t let you.”

With swiftness out of this world, the unknown boy, jumped towards the beast, his sword swinging in the air to the point of it being invisible.

‘That sword is unnatural! How can it cut through this magical armor with such ease? ’

The monster tried to retaliate, by shifting his armor into different weapons, but he was too slow, soon, his body was shredded into pieces with his body bleeding heavily.

“YOU….FILTH… I WILL…KILL YOU! I WILL KILL…ALL OF YOU! I-I UUAAAAAAAAAAGHHHh…This is enough.”

Suddenly his manner of speech changed entirely, as the bleeding got even severe, making a small pound around it.

“So, there were three of you. Three fragments, in the same world. That boy is magic, that girl I don’t know, maybe my skills, and you, I bet you are my strengths.”

“…I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“DON’T LIE TO ME! Maybe you don’t realize who you are, but I know you damn well! You are a part of me, and I will take at least you with me!”

The blood around the monster started to float up forming a black disk over us.

‘He is creating a mirror! Stop him, before he takes us all with him!’

“Easier said than done!”

My body was almost completely paralyzed from the intense mana usage.

Damn it If I could just do something.

“Telekinesis: Push!”

Due to an unknown force, the disk got blasted into the walls of the gymnasium, splattering all over the place.

“ What?”

“What?”

‘What?’

From the robles a girl was standing up, holding her hands up before her.

“Payback.”

The monster looked at the girl, then back at us.

“As I thought, dealing with three of you is too much of a challenge. I will deal with you guys later. See you later.”

The blood on the wall flew back to the monster,  covering it, before it evaporated into a black mist, leaving no trace behind.

*****

This went well.

Ash is weakened, probably and hopefully demoralized by my monster, which makes the chances of him approaching those two more likely.

After some prepared misadventure, which I am currently planning for them, they will form a close bond and at the right time, I will take him with me.

“MASTER…WHY…?”

“Oh, sorry I forgot about you.”

I looked at the pathetic thing, barely alive on the ground. Having its blood sucked then replenished, can be taxing.

We were back in my tower, me sitting on my throne, looking through the window, admiring my creation.

“Don’t worry, I have something which will help you out.”

Connecting to some of the nearby homunculi, ordering them to take him away to the lab where I can fix, maybe even upgrade him.

Once he is gone, I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was in the head of that Phanatic Saint.

She was in the middle of praying, muttering some sort of weird incantation.

Here I go.

“Listen to me, champion of God. The time has come for our holy crusade. Allow the mountain dwellers down first, allow them to feast upon the flesh of the heretics. Once they cleansed the surrounding land, burn down upon the land!”

“Yes! Finally! We shall destroy this tainted place with the fires of hell!”

“Yeah, do that.”

Done with my task, I sent my mind to another body, the body of the serial killer, Cheaper Claus.

This reincarnated of my, was currently busy cutting an ear off from a poor bloke on the street, his mind filled with quite disgusting ideas

“Claus, it's time. You have the green light. Kill and convert whoever you want but try to stay low.”

“Hmmm, oh alright. I was getting tired of going after ruffians. It's time to have some real fun.”

“…Do whatever you want. But be as discrete as much as you can be. The plans for the purification of this world aren’t complete yet, it would be a shame for me to lose you.”

“Ahhh, do like me?”

As he spoke, he ripped off the skin of the guy's face.

“…Let’s go with that.”

After disconnecting from him, I returned to my body and sighed.

“To misadventures started. I will leave the third one alone, I need him to work on the task I gave him. Man, I worked hard again, I could go for a drink. Do I have any juice left?”

*****

Samurai POV:

Ever since Master saved me, I have been in hell, mentally and physically.

I had nightmares, where I saw my friends and family being killed and eaten by deer headed monster, while an evil being laughed in the background.

 Due to this, I was irritated, and the exercises I went through didn’t help me at all.

Guanyin, the goddess who was saved with me, became ruthless with me.

When we arrived here, a desert filled with giant rocks, with no sun or moon, only stars lighting up the darkness, she grabbed my shoulder, as if she was afraid that I would escape from her.

“You…. I need to prepare you…”

Since then, I have been training under her tutelage.

I was doing things like lifting boulders or evading her crazy attacks.

“Do you want to kill me!?”

“You need to get stronger! Or he died for nothing!”

It seemed like I couldn’t get tired in this world, so we only stop training so that I could sleep to get rid of my mental fatigue.

At first, I used to pretend to sleep more, so that I could evade the training until I heard her cry.

I couldn’t know what relationship she had with Master, but it must have really hurt her when he died.

Since then I have been earnestly preparing myself for whatever thing she and Master had in mind.

“Somebody is working hard here.”

While I was swinging the practice sword when I heard it.

On a nearby rock, a blond-haired man, wearing a crimson red suit, was watching me.

“Who are you?”

He had no presence, but knowing the monster who I had just met, I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy was a god.

“Right, my name is Lucas, and I came with a proposition for you and your guardian. The sort you wouldn’t want to miss one.”

Without a sound, he jumped off the rock, landing near me.

“Where is her anyway?”

“…She went away to meditate.”

“Huh? Meditate? Does that shit actually work? Who would have guessed? Well, I guess I can talk with her later.”

Murmuring to himself he took out a yellow envelope and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

“The current location of Melino’s new playground and how to get there.”

“Melino?”

“It’s Dealmaker’s real name, but it's not important. What is, is that with the thing in your hand, you are able to go where he is and stop whatever he is doing.”

Stop Dealmaker….

“Who are you really?”

“Just a businessman, who is afraid that if this hound isn’t taken down, it will be bad for business. Now go and tell your mom about it. Time is money.”