Part 4 –

 

The men’s prayers were answered. A black being descended from the skies like a fallen angel. The wingless human landed beside them, clad in eternal black and golden embroidery that exuded the very image of humanity’s fabled Archangels.

Archangels were low-ranking Angel-raced beings, created by the human Gods of Eastern Six Point. They were anointed humans brought back from death or chosen amongst the esteemed living to serve them with an even greater purpose. They were said to have joined humanity in countless wars as the main battle force of the heavens and played a vital role in vanquishing the Beastkin threat 30,000 years ago; a history most had never heard of.

What made them different from regular Angels was that they were tangible, highly mortal and were designed specifically for combat, whereas Angels were advisors of humanity’s Elders – the highest order of humans who were granted extended lives to lead mankind under the guidance of their Gods.

As a result – the Elders had existed as far back as 30,000 years ago, considering they remembered this… unknown event. Though they lived long lives, they were not quite immortal like Exrite.

A black mantle like the wings of a hawk fluttered behind this beautiful being, inspiring hope to blossom within their ravaged hearts. But there was no celebratory cry. Even Marlk had his mouth left agape at the verge of cheering, yet he could not utter a single sound.

As quickly as they had believed an Archangel had descended upon them – which had not appeared in mankind’s history for the last 30,000 years – they had realised the true nature of this being.

The illusion of salvation shattered. If Exrite was the incarnation of death’s maw, then this person was death itself. A Demon was too kind of a description for this person, made even more horrifying given their human appearance.

Their hunch was correct, for Black was a living weapon under the guise of human flesh.

With her descent followed a massive metal platform from the heavens. Past its metal construction, and up the countless Octanid rope that lowered it, the men of Endo finally saw the fabled ‘invisible’ airship.

An airship as black as the being standing before them surged higher than their fleet, flanked by an additional two airships which had seemingly sprung into existence. How only those three airships managed to subdue 10 much larger ones, without any evidence of battle no less, left them utterly lost for words.

The Demi-humans reacted to Black. While to an onlooker it appeared as though nothing had changed, the truth could not be more different. The Demi-humans lowered their heads, averting their gazes at all costs. All motion ceased save for their jagged breaths, the pressure of Black’s overwhelming presence devouring them like they were stranded in the eye of an arctic blizzard.

They were driven to do only one thing.

Submit.

“You’re late.” Exrite spoke first, greeting Black with only his back.

“Early, considering no one’s fucking released the Demi-humans yet. What the matter Exrite, did you miss watching the Geared suffer?”

Exrite didn’t further respond, his focus set solely onto the young Demi-human man who stared back. He was the only one unphased by Black’s presence, the older female desperately growling with a hidden voice as if begging him to lower himself.

“How boring.” Black clicked her tongue. “I expected a little more from you. But I suppose sapient garbage were never ideal as test dummies. It’s a shame.” She made her presence known as she walked at an excruciatingly slow pace before the faces of the men, their eyes never daring to look up.

“90. From 800 to 90. 91 if we include this one.” Black hummed as she approached the petrified Marlk in Khaos’ grip. “Let’s talk. Leader to leader. We have some time before our friends return from the trap – ah, sorry. I meant the town.”

The man nearly vomited. Her presence alone compressed his organs, like a crushing boulder was laid onto him. [Death’s Compass] no longer screamed at him. He was already dead.

“It must be frustrating realising that your prey were the hunters all along. The hundreds that perished in your homeland all died in vain. You couldn’t avenge anyone. How pathetic.”

The man’s chest convulsed as if he were sobbing, yet no tears fell down his filthy face.

“Tell me – what was the plan? You brought all these Demi-humans along for what? A gift~? How kind of you.” Black turned to the 90 bound men and grinned sadistically. “It would be rude to not return the favour.”

Exasperated gasps suddenly filled the air when the men realised their fate. However, Black was a… merciful person. Before they could plead and bargain with the Demonic incarnation, Black clarified.

“But, rest assured. I’m not so cruel as to string you all up to pikes and banners half-alive. I’m not like that. I won’t kill you.” Black began, her smile becoming increasingly sharp. “That’s for the people of the Red Rock Enclave. Rejoice. They’re spread thinly, no? I’m sure they’ll be happy to reunite with friends from across the mesas. If not, maybe the vultures will welcome them first.”

“M… monster…” Marlk vomited a thick crimson fluid, as if his organs had truly been crushed.

“Kindness must be met with kindness. We’ll return the favour by tenfold. All by the Demi-humans you so loathe~”

“How… how could you…? I… we have families…”

“So did they.” Exrite nonchalantly remarked. “Black, they’re here.”

“Perfect timing.” Black clapped once, the sound of her leather gloves awakening all 90 men from their trance of despair, and immediately plunging them into another when they turned to the approaching Demi-humans.

Emerging behind the body of a small hill were the 50 Demi-humans who had bravely defended the town. They marched in an organised clump, with the injured and dead carried at the forefront in distressed arms.

In combat – no matter the scale and proposed superiority of either side – casualties will emerge from both. It was an inevitability.

5 were dead. Another 10 were left mortally wounded. Half of the injuries were the result of what Black called ‘friendly fire’. The ill constructed wooden and dirt-plastered walls did little to stop the penetrative power of their newfound weapons.

The injured were wrapped with clothed bandages, with a thick fabric underneath to apply as much pressure as possible. Any wound not originating from a bullet were sewn closed, albeit haphazardly. Unfortunately, not every Demi-human were physically able to provide medical aid in the first place, particularly field surgery such as sewing wounds.

Characteristics such as having less than 4 digits on their hands, were coated in fur or lacked depth perception were but a few reasons why some Demi-humans were incapable of doctoring.

As a race deprived of magical abilities, they desperately required other means of healing. Contemporary knowledge from Black’s world were invaluable. But even so – they still fumbled with the basics, and against a race that excelled in elemental magic up to the [Sixth Tier] – even the best Demi-human doctors were but novices in comparison.

This was the unfortunate reality.

A few familiar faces lit up at the sight of Bun. The bunny girl was presumed deceased since they were unable to find her body amongst the aftermath. Or worse, was captured by one of the slavers.

Thankfully, Bun was still alive and well. And needless to say – they were elated to see her again. Who consisted of this small group were a few of the other 10 leader candidates she had met days ago alongside Cankel and Hoka.

Not friends by any means. Just comrades. At least she believed so. But to see them simply relived caused a special warmth to blossom in her chest. An ache of some sort. Far from painful. It was… pleasant.

But those looks soon twisted menacingly once they finally took notice of the enslaved Demi-humans. Black adored their looks. Their abrupt silence was a good sign, and just as they were a few metres away from the wagons – Black spoke again.

“Take a good look. Aren’t they cute? Makes you want to kidnap them, tie them up and do all sorts of things~” She motioned Yellow to step away from the bound men. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I said look.”

Black clasped Marlk’s face with a hand and pried him to look in their direction. Resistance was utterly futile. Her strength was uncontested. He felt like an insect in the grip of a deity, fearing that at any moment his jaw would be torn off, even accidently.

Countless eyes of burning contempt caused him and his men to shudder. For the first time in their lives, they felt fear towards the Demi-humans. Their combined thirst for vengeance clogged their throats with its thick miasma. They were Demons. They were convinced they were Demons. The Demi-humans in their minds were but harmless beings. Tools and lesser beings made for their whims, labour, and pleasure.

But this was no longer the case.

All they could do was mentally thank the entity called Black for sparing their miserable lives…

“Heeey! Bring the injured over there! Big muscle guy – give me a hand will you!?” Yellow called out as she rushed to the forefront, just as the monumental metal platform landed in a relatively empty field not far away.

Khaos wanted to sigh at the mention of is pseudo name, but now was not the time to be delving in the stupidity of such a matter. The reason why the Demi-humans rarely called ‘Khaos’ by his given name was because it roused confusion when his name was mentioned.

For example: “Where is Khaos?”, did not mean the same thing to them, like when Black commanded her first trained Demi-humans to ‘fire’ the main guns of the airship. Chaos insinuated that there was an attack or a battle, causing most to instantly spring into action.

As a result – Khaos was usually referred to as the ‘big guy’.

“Let the injured rest atop my shoulders and blade. I’ll carry them to the platform. The others should stay here!” Khaos called, receiving nods from the Demi-humans. Afterwards, he lowered himself slightly to Black’s height and quietly spoke.

“As you’ve come to know, or maybe never knew until now – I’m not the kind of man that enjoys the misery of others. Fighting is needless unless necessary. But I’d be insane… a joke of a man if I were to believe that I’d be able to sleep underneath the same sky as this. Black – will you kill him?”

Black only grinned at him, her sadistic smile unmoving. He did not know how to interpret this. The woman was an anomaly in of herself, and ambiguous being with motives that no man of this world could ever begin to unravel; save for her sadistic machinations.

He took her silence as an answer, albeit one he had no understanding of. In any case, Khaos wasn’t in any position to ask her of any favours to begin with, nor was Black obliged to comply with his wish.

However, Black slapped his back with the backside of her hand as he passed and spoke.

“Kill? What, do I look like a fucking saint to you? Don’t make me laugh, Khaos. Death is too merciful.” She hummed as he stopped momentarily to hear her, then began to move again. “As you’ve come to know, I’m the kind of woman that enjoys the misery of others. It’ll be worse than death. Guaranteed~ Oh, and don’t watch if you’re that soft.”

“Many thanks. But just so you know; I’m more concerned about the ascent than that. Fucking hell…” Khaos cursed at the sight of the platform. “Might be better to wait for Uru to pick us up. But then again, she’d only come for Exrite. Fuck… Exrite! You coming!?”

“Lay them out on the platform for me. I’ll heal them soon enough.” Exrite said, still staring at the Demi-human man. “I want to watch this first.”

“Whatever suits you. Just be careful of your Eye.”

“It won’t happen.” Exrite affirmed.

“… I hope you’re right about that.” Khaos sighed. “Yellow, are you able to carry two?”

“Three. Don’t insult me like that. Here – I’ll take them from your hands.” Yellow managed to carry three of the injured. One hoisted on each shoulder, and the last in her arms.

“Then I’ll take the rest. As for the deceased… my condolences.” Khaos knelt before the remaining 42 Demi-humans, expressing his sorrow through his lowered body and solemn voice. “They were brave and fought for the future of your race. It’s unfortunate that they had to die before they could see it. Please. Remember their names and cherish their spirits in your hearts.”

“… they died too early…” One muttered, clutching onto the mangled, covered body of one. “… but thank you for your kind words.”

He wondered why the world was so infatuated with war if it could only bring suffering. Surely… there was a better way to settle grudges and difference without needless conflict. But in the end – what else could the Demi-humans do against an aggressor that valued their lives no more than the dirt beneath their nails?

Khaos didn’t know and lamented that he knew nothing. Neither for the Demi-humans, or for the Frostbitten who brought to extinction so long ago, and for the world that was content in dying all in red.

But what he did know for certain was that the Maiden of Wisdom held the key to all his questions, including the whereabouts of his parents.

The Demi-humans thanked him as they placed the injured along his broad arms, resting them atop like folded clothing, whilst some were able to balance in a seated position. It seemed odd to carry them to the platform alone rather than to have the Demi-humans do it. However – there was a reason for this.

“Hmhm~ You both know me too well. By the way Exrite – when did you start to think like me?”

“Don’t make me sound like I’m as twisted as you are. I just had a hunch that you already have all the prisoners you need up there.” Exrite claimed. “247 enslaved Demi-humans for around 90 prisoners. Most are children, so around 3 on each will work. It wasn’t an accident that I killed so many off. Do what you want with them. I just want to watch.”

“Very well~” Black placed a boot onto the chest of the man beneath her, and with a single kick, he was launched straight into the side of the cage where Exrite stood. “Everyone – present these men to our new friends! Make them comfortable~!”

In an instant – the remaining 35 Demi-humans flocked around the bound men and began to drag them each: one by one towards the wagons and cages.

“Fucking trash filthy beast! Unhand us!”

“I don’t want to die! I- I don’t want to die!”

“Where are we going!? Where are you taking us!? L-let me explain myself! I’m not here because I want to! I – I needed money! Please – PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!”

“Gods! Oh Gods! SAVE US!”

The enslaved Demi-humans trembled as the shouting men were thrown into their captivities, clumping to the furthest corner as they cowered in fear of being beaten or killed.

However – the Demi-humans were cut free from their chains and bounds. Where they appeared as the incarnations of devils to the humans, they were like angels to the Demi-humans. There was no need to be afraid anymore, for these people were the same as them, bearing the ugly characteristics of animals that their human masters loathed.

Bun secured the cage that Exrite watched through, freeing the Demi-humans in quick succession.

“It’s ok now… It’s ok. You won’t have to suffer anymore. We’re here to help.” She cooed to the frightened Demi-humans, who could only barely hear her words with their severed ears, congealed with clotted blood.

A wail of cries spread through the cold night. Yet for many, it was their warmest in years. Reassurance was expressed through comforting embraces, for most could hardly hear or see to begin with.

Exrite listened to it all in silence. A part of him was surprised that the Demi-humans easily accepted the help of Black’s crewmembers. It made him feel… somewhat warm.

They weren’t broken to the point like he was. For that he was thankful of. What Exrite wished to see was how others reacted when one reached in to save them from their despair. Unlike him, who had snuffed the light out of the very person who had rescued him from his hell.

Abadel – his butler many moons ago.

Not that it mattered in particular. He had already reached catharsis within the Trial regarding this matter, so there was no risk of his Eye of Despair from digging into his old wounds. Rather… it gave him hope in a way.

Regardless, he was happy to see them relinquished of their suffering.

Although – the Demi-human in the centre of the cage continued to stare at him with empty eyes. He had not taken the hand of hope.

“Present our new friends with your blades. Freedom comes at the price of our enemy’s blood. your oppressors, your false masters, the ones who had taken all from you – you can take it all back. Drive your blades into them! They are not your gods to serve. They are your enemies!” Black announced in a commanding voice.

Metallic sounds followed as blades were unsheathed and passed into the hands of the freed Demi-humans. The screams of the bound men resonated in the air, but ultimately fell onto deaf ears. Their commands and shouts for the Demi-humans to cease, for they were their masters, were answered with the drive of a serrated blade.

“Stop it…” Marlk muttered. “You… you said we’d be spared…”

“Did I~?” Black teased, right as Exrite clutched onto his shoulders and thrust his head in between the narrow bars, trapping his head inside.

“W-wait!? Stop – STOP! I- I can – I can do anything! EVERYTHING MORE THAN THESE THINGS! You – you filths! Don’t you dare touch me! Do you know who I am!? DON’T LISTEN TO THESE DEMONS!”

The young Demi-human boy blinked for the first time as a beautiful, azure blade slid beside him. He slowly reached for it and held it in front of his face, finally seeing his dead eyes in its perfect entirety.

He looked to Bun, and she gave him a small nod. Slowly, as the man continued to scream and beg for his life, the young man inched his way towards is head with his knees.

“Unhand meeeeeee! I – I have more to live for! More than you can possibly imagine! My life – you filth thing, how can you dare to take the life of your masters!? Your Gods!?”

His shouts caused the young man to tremble as he reeled the blade high above his head, ready to plunge it straight into the man’s face. Exrite stealthily downed a vial of red fluid as his coat hovered in place, hiding his figure from plain sight.

What occurred behind caused the bemused Black to grin as she watched with great anticipation in her theatre of revenge. Even without Exrite’s hands the man could not escape if he tried. His head was wedged through the bars, his neck nearly crushed by its narrowness.

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to fit a head through without crushing it in the first place. But Exrite’s speed made it possible.

“All this blasphemy to fight against us – mankind. Your lives are already a paradise protected by the greatest race to exist! Yet you desire more!? The devastation of our race 30,000 years ago was not enough for your Beastkin fathers!? You who invoked the wrath of our Heavens who called upon the graced Archangels to save us!?”

The young boy hesitated. No matter how much he wished to plunge the blade into the man’s face he could not summon the courage to do it. In the end, his hands gradually fell, trembling as tears fell from their empty eyes…

“… exactly as I thought. So you do have some sense in you, you – you FILTH!”

However – that did not mean the others weren’t able to. The older Demi-human female swooped in and snatched the blade from his hand. With an incomprehensible scream of rage, she drove the blade straight into his eye.

“HURRGHAAAAAAARGH!”

“AAAAAGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

They both roared as she repeatedly hacked into his face, tearing chunks of flesh down to the bone. Parts of his throat were exposed now, and their tongue could only flail helplessly as their vocal cords uttered gargled garbage. Flesh clung on like leather flaps, quivering involuntarily from what little connected it to the surrounding tissue.

His face was rendered beyond unrecognisable. The Demi-humans within shuddered at the sight, leaving her as the only one who mangled the man until her voice turned hoarse. The skin of her arms turned crimson, stained to the point where it would not be surprising if they became permanent.

30 full seconds of brutal hacking passed, and all that remained were the other sounds of flesh and bones being torn apart in nearby cages, and the liberal breaths this woman took. Drool fell from her gaped lips, her eyes wavering in total exhaustion as she stared down at the human.

Her eyes suddenly widened in disbelief.

Marlk was still alive.

She strained her eyes, smearing blood across her face as she tried to comprehend the sight. It was not her imagination. The flesh around his throat flapped as his chest rapidly contracted and expanded, as if in a seizure-like sate.

Her eyes quickly moved to Black who only smiled at the other person present. She followed her gaze and suddenly met with the azure and crimson eyes of a girl dressed similarly to the man who was there just a minute ago.

The floating coat elegantly wrapped itself around perhaps the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Unparalleled divinity exuded from this person, nearly causing her to utter her awe in Ecloman tongue.

She immediately knew that the sole reason this man was still alive was because of her. A magic akin to the [Seventh Tier] was being used to keep him alive. Exrite had used [Cursed Stasis] a [Seventh Tiered] original [Healing] magic to keep him alive for however long her mana reserves could keep up, or in other words, however long she wished.

A physical magical circle in the form of orbs of glowing light surrounded the man like the souls of those he had damned, ready to snatch him away. Exrite had learnt her mistake of using half-baked magical circles which resulted in debilitating circle leaks. With her newfound knowledge, courtesy of Nav, she was able to keep her mana reserves in absolute check.

What made [Cursed Stasis] easy to use was its odd similarity to time-stopping magic. While her knowledge of [Time] was relatively weak, she knew the functions of a humanoid in excruciating detail. [Cursed Statis] only preserved a person’s vitals to keep them consciously alive. If those were struck, then the magic would instantly cease.

While the brain was certainly a vital part – only a portion needed to be retained. The brains of a humanoid, especially humans, was a mysterious object of consciousness that not even the most well versed Otherworlder doctors knew. Even a small portion was enough to keep them alive, however loose that meaning was.

[Cursed Stasis] was more closely related to combination magic. Milk’s [Preservation] magic aided greatly in the creation of Exrite’s original [Cursed Statis] and founded its very basis. Basically, it was a combination of [Healing], [Preservation] magic and, although sparse, some of her knowledge of [Time].

Additionally, Exrite employed [Ninth Tiered] [Healing] magic to regenerate this man’s body.

[Touch of the Divine] was an [Eight Tiered] magic, and the [Ninth Tiered] successor was [From Ashes to Flesh]; a magic that allowed an individual to regrow almost their entire body from the most devastating of conditions.

However, this was not what Exrite used.

[Touch of the Divine] and [From Ashes to Flesh] were not something that could just be learned. They were blessed magic given only to anointed healers in human empires by the divine, or previous renowned head priests. This was only true for [Touch of the Divine] and the lesser [Threshold of the Blessed], and [Progressive Restoration]; which was the magic that the Priestesses of Balance were widely renowned for.

[From Ashes to Flesh] was a supreme magic hardly documented in history. The closest magic to it was [Touch of the Divine], which was wielded by an ancient Otherwordly Hero of the Boric Region centuries ago. [Eighth Tiered] [Healing] magic had the ability to restore entire limbs in less than a single day.

Exrite had gone beyond this.

[Agonised Restoration]. An original [Ninth Tiered] combination magic that utilised [Time] to an extreme effect. So extreme in fact that if the person was not rendered unconscious then they’d most likely lose their mind. The agony of one’s limb, let alone limbs, regrowing in mere minutes was enough for most to lose their minds.

Physical magical circles in the form of golden gears expanded from her feet, eventually reaching 5 metres outwards. They bounced and spun, almost in a ritualistic dance. The gears continuously intersected with one another yet remained interconnected by their teeth as they bounced high enough to begin spinning around them in a completely different axis. With each passing moment the gears only spun faster and faster, creating spheres of light.

They ascended ten metres above them with a blast of wind, shredding the grass and expelling them straight into the air.

The 5 ‘orbs’ were nested within each other like, as Black described them, matryoshka dolls. A holy spectacle blessed all in the darkness of midnight, illuminating the skies like a second moon.

“… a star…” Bun inadvertently whispered; her eyes filled to the brim with awe to Exrite’s magic.

The speed in which the gears spun directly influenced how fast the healing lapsed, and the amount dictated none other than the number Exrite could heal in one given time. 5 was the absolute maximum before her mind crumbled under the magic’s immense mental burden.

The concept of this magic was one that Exrite was deeply familiar with. The destruction and reconstruction of her body formed the very essence of her understanding behind [Agonised Restoration]. The [Healing] magic simply allowed the body to restore parts that the body was naturally unable to. It mimicked the process of how the body healed ruptured muscles and micro-fractures in the bones, which over time strengthened one’s body.

These processes were slow. Far too slow.

Thus – [Time] magic was required. The [Time] portion accelerated this process. Where slowing and freezing time were an exhausting feat, accelerating time was simple in comparison. She did not have to fight the flow of time. She only needed to push it in its fundamental course of direction.

As a result – the natural processes of healing were accelerated to the point where steam ruptured from the man’s face as it reconstructed itself. His gurgled screams frightened the Demi-human woman as he felt his bones, flesh, sinew, teeth, and eyes wriggle back into place. His face was perfectly reconstructed in a matter of a single minute, his screams suddenly subsiding as his empty eyes stared blankly into the ceiling of the cage.

His mind had effectively broke.

On the bright side, his senses were likely improved alongside his facial muscles. Not that it would make a difference. It’d take a thousand more to perceive any improvements.

Exrite held a half-empty vial in her hand. The agony was not something Exrite knew how to quell through her magic. Her understanding of a painless procedure was inadequate at best. A [Tenth Tiered] variant would likely circumvent the pain, but it wasn’t like it mattered anyway.

The vial contained White’s blood. One way to combat the pain was for White to kill the person’s nerves during the process, or to at least perform on them while they were unconscious. This vial in particular was engineered by White to kill the user in the least destructive way possible. The blood forced clots to starve the brain of oxygen, as well as ceasing the heart’s functions. The drinker would then perish all in the span of a single second.

Although, it only worked within a certain proximity of White.

The purpose of this was to allow Exrite to return to her human body without much delay. With little damage to regenerate from; the days it usually took to return was reduced to only hours, or a single hour if she was lucky.

In any case – Exrite was finished here.

The dagger slipped from the female Demi-human’s hands. Whelmed with stupor, her hands were unable to hold the blade any longer. If she had ears, they’d fold instinctively, awaiting the ear-grating sound of steel clashing with iron.

Yet the sound never came. The blade hovered in place just beside the unconscious Marlk’s face. It slowly returned to Exrite’s outer garbs, joining the other 9 that patiently awaited their creator’s next order.

Reverence filled her eyes. The Exrite that stood before her exuded a majesty only comparable to a God. She – no, the Demi-humans were convinced this person was a Goddess. The holy light, their transformation into a new body and the [Healing] magic that surpassed the stories of legends.

A Goddess in their own right. The Demi-humans, who had no God, could not help but to look up to Exrite as theirs.

However, Exrite was not interested in playing Goddess for the displaced Demi-humans. In truth, none of this was her concern. In the first place, the reason why she partook in this operation was to test her newfound strength in a live environment, all in preparation for their departure into the Depths.

Unfortunately, her hunch was correct. No human could ever stand against her. Not anymore. In the past humans were Exrite’s only enemies, in the forms of bandits and bounty hunters from the Regions of Katho and the Enthoric. And never to forget – the people of Enthile.

It was obvious Exrite was too powerful for humans to face. The Trial was not something any human could conquer alone. So why was there a need to ‘test’ herself?

The answer was as simple as confirmation. Exrite wanted to see where she stood now post-Trial on their path. These answers were her closure. Experience as she had come to know, was the greatest means of attaining her much desired answers.

Hence why Exrite was satisfied with her results. Although… the path laid before her still had no end in sight, though the sprawling pillars of beautiful crystals could be seen along this dreamt path. The Depths certainly held answers… and was the first major steppingstone that would either cause them to slip into the rapids underneath or propel them forward.

Exrite quietly sighed.

“Don’t look at me like that. Please. I’m not a Goddess. A Demi-God, or anything special. We’re just here to help you.” Exrite spoke in a gentle voice.

By the confusion on their faces, and their animal-like head-tilts, she quickly realised that not everyone could hear her. But even so – they seemed to understand that they were safe. The warm company of their fellow Demi-humans in similar attire was enough to convince them.

“… Black. What do you want to do?”

“We’ll take them to the airship. Every single one of them. Including the ones in the town, obviously. You know, the ones you left alone and cold on the other side of town~?” Black began, taking a place by Exrite’s side. “Bun. Start escorting them. Demi-human friends – welcome. You’re under the protection of the Exrenity now.”

They were safe now.

Though their ears were torn and clogged, they understood her warm words and began to cry. One by one, the sentiments of warmth spread through every cage, caravan, and wagon, and eventually the Demi-human crewmembers. From the moment of their births, from every hour to every second was nothing but hell for these Demi-humans. To finally find a place where misery could not torment them was nothing short of a dream.

Exrite watched as the woman embraced the young man. Nothing changed. Even though they had found hope, he could not see it with his empty eyes. Exrite silently exchanged gazes with him, and he only reacted with the saddened narrowing of his eyes.

She slowly closed hers and turned towards the metal platform.

It’s not that you can’t see hope. It’s that you understand that this isn’t the end of it. But it’s not so bad to cling onto this kind of hope. I wouldn’t call it false either…

“You’re going to have a long night. Doesn’t this make you feel… let’s see – angry?”

“It does. But I’m more saddened by it all.” Exrite deeply sighed. “All of a sudden I feel like I’m back inside of the Trial. Surrounded by grief. Suffering. Loneliness. But – at least the Demi-humans have a future to look forward to, thanks to you.”

“Thanks to themselves.” Black corrected. “I’m a weapon… A blacksmith. I’m a weapon that creates weapons. I don’t have the merits to rule over them forever. Not yet. For now, I’m just tempering them. Over time, and with a bit of push and shove, our faction will grow large enough to have significant sway across their borders. Diplomacy~ You probably haven’t heard of it. Now – let me ask you a little question –”

“The last person who should ever engage in diplomacy is you.” Exrite answered, already aware of what she was going to ask.

“Bingo~ Weapons. Don’t. Negotiate. We’re designed to kill.” Black stated proudly. “Speaking of killing – your not-so-secret admirer Uru boasted about her slaughter of the Demi-humans. What do you think? For the same reason as the trash here?”

Black swiftly pulled the man free. His head jerked through the bars for a second, almost causing it to rip cleanly from his shoulders. He was tossed aside like the trash he as, landing with a satisfying thud.

“I’m not so sure. He mentioned a 30,000-year-old grudge. Uru might know something about it. But then again, Demons are strictly at war with every race that don’t believe in their ‘truth’ so that’s more likely the answer.”

“I feel like no one in this world knows how fucking long 30,000 years is. Hell, 6,000 years is enough for a human civilisation to enter an atomic age. A good one will hit fusion and claim those stars you all fucking want. And then you had Auga rambling about eons. Really… what the fuck even is time at this point?”

“Me, apparently.” Exrite sighed again, finally beginning to walk. “Also – Eons are correct. I watched some of it through her memories. Stars came and went. A lot of it felt like it went by in an instant but… it also felt like an incredibly long amount of time.”

“30,000 years is still a long fucking time. I’m more curious as to how they’ve managed to keep the hatred ongoing for so long.” Black said with glee.

“The Gods and the ‘Elders’ of mankind, most likely. To be fair; I’m not sure if that’d be enough time for me to forgive Enthile either.”

“Great~! I’m just as petty as you are then. Maybe it runs through our humanity~ What’s left of mine, anyway.” Black hummed, reaching for her colourless compass. “Hmhm~”

“What?”

“Nothing. I just thought you were funny.” Black crackled. “Now tell me Exrite – what do you think will happen in the next 30,000 years, oh Maiden of Time~?”

“What makes you think I’ll even reach 30,000 years old?”

“I’m sorry that asking you to entertain me just once was too much for you to handle. Should I call you the Maiden of Time from now on, Maiden of Time?”

“Alright.” Exrite cringed. “For starters – let’s hope humanity doesn’t find itself on the receiving end of this nightmare. Again, if what he said was true.”

“Good answer~.” Black pleasingly grinned as the orb on the compass’ hand turn blue. “As for me – I expect the decommissioning of a certain artificial intelligence. Maybe sooner if I’m lucky.”

“Artificial what? Like a created intelligence?”

“Aug… no, not a chance. She has a proper consciousness. Hmm… Try to imagine a machine that talks.”

“So the Biomech.”

“You know, I sometimes forget that you’re actually an inhabitant of this world.” Black let loose of a rare sigh.