Vol. 3 CH. 13 - The one who ate the reaper

 

PART #1

 

"Ugh!?"

 

Lucinda groaned as her belly ached. The young lady who had golden strewn hair, with unclouded blue eyes, worried caressed her the place where a dear life was currently residing.

 

"It seems that the rumors were true Onee-sama"

 

Aria, Lucinda's younger sister, only watched coldly on her bed as Lucinda was being assisted by Niya. "Are you alright Lucinda-sama?" Niya worriedly asked while applying healing magic on Lucinda.

 

"What do you mean? Did... Didn't I tell you I decided to be with my beloved?"

 

"That is nonsense Onee-sama. You were raped and yet you delude yourself with such foolish thoughts"

 

Aria had just lost her hero. Unlike her Lucinda was able to earn the love of the person she loved and right now, she bears the offspring of that person. It was so different from how Aria and Taiga were.

 

Because Taiga was sent to the deepest floor of the castle dungeon while Aria was locked in her room.

 

"These are not delusions Aria. Just why do you hate Kyoushiro-sama so much?"

 

"Then do all of you hate Taiga-sama so much?! Is he not a hero too?!!"

 

Aria burst into tears as she couldn't hold in her emotions.

 

"Taiga-sama worked so hard to fight the Demon General's in the 1st Demon Lord's domain yet no one even sings of his accomplishments! No one tries and reward him for the things he have done for the country!!"

 

Sure enough, Taiga was a hero. He went out on a quest to vanquishe the evil Demon Lord of the night king Vlad, fought his army and came back with many accomplishments.

 

That much, no one could deny. However, there was one thing that Aria didn't count. That was the things Taiga did to accomplish those deeds.

 

In order to fight the 1st Demon Lord's army, he took half of the kingdom's soldiers to domain of the 1st Demon Lord. He took along many provisions given by the nobles supporting him and the merchants that were currying his favor.

 

To keep the morale of the army up, they went to villages and towns and had women serve the army and Taiga's party day in and out even while they were on their way to their destination.

 

Each village they pass through they stole villages crops, raped the women and leave.

 

Then Taiga and his party came back. They lost the army they brought, left the other half alone fighting an unbeatable battle and even had gall to take another country's possession.

 

Aria was young and innocent. She sees Taiga as the hero of her dreams. Just and mighty, like a prince on a white horse sweeping her off of her feet.

 

It was hard to understand why Aria was protecting such hero.

 

"He fought for our world's sake even while being alone!!"

 

"Did you not hear what Leticia-sama had said? Are you going to ignore the one knight that protected you with the cost of her own dignity?!"

 

Lucinda was swept along by the flow of the conversation and raised her voice.

 

It was obvious. This sister of hers was denying the valiant sacrifice the very knight that decided to protect her since she was young. Even now that person was in a room inside the castle alone, probably weeping because the person she wanted to protect let herself be taken away.

 

"........."

 

"I do not know what sort of journey you all had gone through. However, I made sure that every action of Kurosawa-sama was followed and reported back to me. The nobles that sided with him are now in prison because of what they did to their people"

 

A grief filled face, Lucinda stared at the innocent young girl who merely followed what she believed.

 

"I wish that I had protected you sooner. It was my selfish actions that brought you to this mess......"

 

Indeed. If only Lucinda followed what her father said and stayed away from Kyoushiro, Lucinda might have prevented Aria from ever joining Taiga's party. The mess that involved many lives was also because Lucinda couldn't control her own emotions.

 

Just like Aria, she too was an innocent girl that wanted to follow her wishes.

 

"I hate you.... Onee-sama"

 

"......."

 

"You were always the best. You were always the one who gets praised. Why does mother only wanted you to be the next Queen..... I too wanted to help mother since I was a child and yet...."

 

"Aria...."

 

"No, I do not need you anymore. I won't stand behind you anymore Onee-sama. I—"

 

*Boom!!* A loud explosion outside cut off Aria's words.

 

"What was that?!"

 

"Lucinda-sama, please stay here! I'll what's happening check outside!"

 

Niya rushed to the window and checked the situation. Smoke were rising from the city beyond the walls and sounds of crowd clamoring below reached her ears.

 

"Just what—"

 

"Protect~!"

 

"Onee-chan...!"

 

Just as Niya was about to get heat by a debris that flew from the sets of explosion outside, Rea and Lea appeared and destroyed the debris. They then entered the room with a beautiful landing.

 

"People are fighting~!!"

 

"It's dangerous. So we hid nearby....."

 

It seems that the two have been watching over Lucinda and Niya since they left the two kids sleeping.

 

"What's happening outside? Rea?"

 

"Bonemen! They appeared out of nowhere!"

 

"Un. There were zombies and Skeleton knights too...."

 

Rea and Lea reported what they have seen outside. Apparently, there were mass of zombies outside the gates and Skeleton knights appearing on the grounds in the castle.

 

The soldiers were doing their best to repel the enemies but they were being overwhelmed by not only the undead but the crowd outside the castle gates wanting to enter.

 

Lucinda frowned upon hearing such thing. Immediately, she tried contacting Kyoushiro but... they were too far apart.

 

Lucinda glances at Aria, who was sitting quietly on her bed with her head down.

 

"Aria, let us go. We need to find shelter"

 

"I don't want to"

 

"Aria!!"

 

"No!!"

 

Aria refused Lucinda adamantly. Rea and Lea tilted their heads as they watched the two and as though a light bulb flashed over their heads, the two children smiled at each other and went to Aria's side.

 

"Keepsafe~?"

 

"Un. Onee-chan's sister is to be saved too....!!"

 

"Wai— Just what are you two —!?"

 

Rea and Lea carried Aria with one hand each on Aria's back. The flustered little girl tried go flail around but there were mysterious strings that suddenly wrapped around her small body.

 

"I carry~"

 

"I fight....."

 

It looks like Lea intends to fight alone while Rea carries Aria.

 

"Wait a minute. Shouldn't the Magic Iron Knights be doing their jobs? Their here to protect Lucinda-sama"

 

Niya raised a valid question. There were no Magic Iron Knights outside, much less even inside the castle right now. Even though they were ordered to protect Lucinda, they weren't around.

 

"Outside~!"

 

"They are occupied outside. Those explosions are from them"

 

Lea pointed outside the window where smoke were rising.

 

"I'll contact Kuro-sama on the way. In the meantime, I'll help protect Lucinda-sama and Aria-sama"

 

Three nodded at each other before everyone left the room.

 

 

 

———

 

 

King Verdik and Queen Isabelle were surrounded by a large mass of Bonemen and zombies. The zombies were normal citizens outside the castle however, they had swords and knives in their hands.

 

"Make sure to protect His Majesty and her Highness!! Don't let a single one of them pass through!!"

 

Gaius was standing at the front of the fight. The soldiers were making a defensive wall around King Verdik and Queen Isabelle.

 

However it could be easily seen that they were truly outnumbered.

 

"That's...."

 

Queen Isabelle spotted a familiar face.

 

Limping with an open chest with his innards out dragging at Hus feet was the Royal Adviser Welmner. It was painted on his face how dreadfully painful he was killed.

 

"I thought there were guards at the dungeons? How come he is here?"

 

"Unfortunately, we thinned out the number of soldiers in the castle in order to accommodate the civilians receiving provisions the other day. I forgot sending someone to man the station there but...."

 

One of the security division of the castle failed to place someone at the dungeon door. There being many soldiers sent out not only to give out provisions but also raise the security in the city to avoid the civilians having conflicts with each other.

 

This backfired with someone entering the dungeon and killed the prisoners there.

 

"I'm sorry your Highness"

 

"It couldn't be helped. There is no need to get angry at this situation"

 

"I'm truly sorry"

 

The soldier showed a regretful expression while swinging down his sword and taking down a zombie.

 

It wasn't a good situation to fight with each other. Queen Isabelle used her skills to support the her knights and soldiers behind. King Verdik was using his magic as well to take down the bonemen increasing every moment.

 

Fire, wind and Holy magic. The clerics purified the undead as well as healing Gaius and the others. However, it was only a matter of time before they could be overwhelmed and be taken over.

 

"Your Highness!!"

 

"Rembrandt-dono?!"

 

Leticia, with full armor, rushed through the crowd of the undead from a door on the left side of the room.

 

"Please head this way! We need to get somewhere high!"

 

"Follow Leticia's lead! Make sure none of this bastards reach the Queen and king!!"

 

"Oouu!!!"

 

Gaius didn't spare a second thought. He quickly ordered the others to protect the Queen and King while they escape.

 

"Be severed by my will of Tempest!! - «Tornado Assault»!!"

 

Gaius took the front stage with a powerful attack that tire nearly everything around him.

 

Then on the back....

 

"Quickly your Highness! Your Majesty!"

 

"Thank you Rembrandt-dono"

 

"You saved us"

 

Leticia nodded back and sent «Water Blades» at the enemies, cutting them in half. Soldiers followed behind Queen Isabelle and King Verdik.

 

From the door where Queen Isabelle and King Verdik ran, Gaius and his group followed suit. Leticia taking charge at the front lead everyone to the quickest route to the highest tower.

 

Queen Isabelle then turned to Leticia and asked.

 

"How did you find us so fast? Also, why is there ice walls blocking some of the hallways?"

 

"There was a Mist Spider that helped the maids and other staffs to a safe place. I was guessing it was an ally because it didn't attack anyone"

 

"Mist Spider?"

 

"It was probably Mikoto-sama. She is the only Tamer among the heroes"

 

"I see...."

 

King Verdik answered Queen Isabelle's worry. Thanks to the Mist Spider Mio-chan, some of the paths with undead crawling behind the ice wall preventing anything from coming at civilians.

 

Furthermore, added by Cro-chan's support, the duo of bird and Spider managed to protect the lives of the staff members inside the castle.

 

"Queen Isabelle?!"

 

"Kuro-dono?!"

 

Kuro ran into Queen Isabelle's group.

 

"What are you all doing here?!"

 

"There are undead monsters this way, please come with us"

 

Queen Isabelle invited Kuro to come with them but Kuro wore a conflicted expression. It was like he was hurrying but he failed to do something.

 

"Alright. I've also been contacted by Niya and they are on their way to the east tower"

 

"Good, that's where we are headed to. Please assists us along the way"

 

Leticia nodded at Kuro before they quickly ran upstairs. The east tower was the nearest one to the main part of the castle. The south Tower is where the staffs were hiding while the others were hiding somewhere in the storeroom in the kitchen.

 

Thanks to Mio-chan making routes that quickly leads up to the east tower, there wasn't any issue while they climb up but....

 

"That's.... Clint and Darius"

 

There was Clint the archer and Darius the thief. The two were a pair of undead with their hearts gouged out right out of their chest. The chest cavity itself was exposed and it seems that they were killed in a very gruesome way.

 

Leticia tightened the grip on her sword as she stares at the pair that given her life misery.

 

"Kuro-dono, I'll take care of them. Please guard her Highness and his Majesty upstairs"

 

Leticia wanted to get revenge for how she was treated by these two. If only Riccardo was included, she'd have the full set.

 

However...

 

"I don't take orders other than my king and Arianne-sama. That knight with one arm is enough for them to reach the east tower"

 

"........."

 

Kuro nodded at Gaius before the rest quickly ran up the stairs. Leticia took a quick look at Kuro's face and smiled.

 

"I see. At this point, I cannot believe someone would even try and help me"

 

"Hmph, even like this I am still a decorated knight. Well, I can guess why you want to handle this on your own though"

 

Kuro grinned while taking out the pair of «Lion King» Gauntlets from his storage ring.

 

All beastmen have keen sense of smell. Though there are tribes with more keen senses, Kuro was one of the common beastmen that have good sense of smell.

 

And the scent coming from Leticia was from those two as well.

 

"My thanks lord lion"

 

"Just call me Kuro. Let's end this fast so that we can chase after the others"

 

"Understood"

 

Kuro and Leticia prepared for a fight. Though their opponents were undead, with veteran senses as warriors, two couldn't let their guard down.

 

Why?

 

"Nghhh....."

 

"Grrrr...."

 

The zombies, Clint and Darius took their stance like they were a lived and was preparing for battle....

 

 

 

PART #2

 

Casper was watching a battle where big bulky golems were shooting beams right out of their finger tips from above the roofs of the buildings.

 

He couldn't help but watch closely as this was his first time seeing such thing.

 

"Who the hell made those things?"

 

Aside from being able to tell which were undead and which wasn't, they were also capable of taking down large undead monsters on their own.

 

Because of that the undead monsters that Rhodes prepared were easily getting destroyed. It was an unbelievable seen where even the undead form of a Tyranno beast head it's head blasted off from it's neck.

 

Not only dead orcs, there undead ogres, goblins and the ones that Casper killed as well. The civilians running in panicked to save themselves were trying to get inside the castle gates.

 

Some sane soldiers were taking inn the civilians while the others were fending off the mind control ones.

 

Mind control. They were Jill's expertise.

 

"I'm guess those golems were the ones that been taking down the wraiths. Because of that though, the curse that should be placed on the Queen got on the soldiers themselves.... what a nice outcome"

 

Casper snicker at the battle happening below him.

 

"It's a good thing that large magic ship left huh?"

 

"Rhodes? Where the hell did you come from?"

 

Rhodes came out from an open window on the rooftop. Casper narrowed his gaze at the rude fellow who was interrupting his perfect viewing spot.

 

"Did Barth contacted you yet?"

 

"No. Jill's out to find him though. I came here since I've finished my job"

 

Rhodes had been tasked to take some of the monster corpses collected by the black army and turn it into undeadm Luckily, there were some places that had mountains of corpses that hadn't been collected then. Taking advantage of that, Rhodes had an easy job gathering corpses.

 

"Where's that client anyway? I hadn't seen him since he gave us those orders"

 

"Dunno. Don't find him in this chaos too. You'll get killed"

 

Casper warned Rhodes who was sitting right next to him.

 

Right now it was impossible to move with all the monsters and mind controlled soldiers fighting and killing each other. It was also impossible to locate the client that hired him to do this sick job.

 

There was also those golems firing beams from their hands. It was just impossible to move on their own.

 

"Let's just watch this until it settles"

 

"Right. Our work here is done anyway"

 

Thus Casper and Rhodes silently watch chaos unfold in the capital of Travestin.

 

 

———

 

 

The place where current base where Mordred was being serviced was a flat land. There almost no trees around and the mountains and hills were far from there. As such, it didn't hold much hidden materials needed for the base to be created nor supply Mordred with its magic stones that fuels the Magic furnace inside.

 

The whole base was already constructed. Beams and strong metal structures were made to hold Mordred in place.

 

There were barracks and warehouses just below the bay area and the [Gate] artifact that acts as the doorway between Ambrosia and Travestin was built just a next to the loading area where the materials comes in.

 

Captain Grimwald was making last minute checks inside the bridge when the Area detection sonars as well as the Radars of Mordred caught some suspicious movements coming from the northeast direction.

 

"Those are...."

 

"It's hard to confirconfirm if they are merely monster hordes. Judging by the anomalies on the screen, there are over a thousand sir"

 

"Hmm.... check again. Send some scouts over the area to get a quick view of what those are"

 

"Understood"

 

Captain Grimwald left his crew to his devices and went back to work. However as he gazed outside the window, there was an inky black thing that had a shape of a human. All over his body were wiggling eyeballs.

 

By such sight, Captain Grimwald froze.

 

However as if it saw through Captain Grimwald's exterior and peered right through his heart with it's many eyeballs, the unknown creature twitched.

 

The next moment, every eye on that creature was staring right at Captain Grimwald.

 

"C-Contact the Commander"

 

"Sir? What are yo—"

 

Like a sudden drop of temperature, the whole room turned icy cold. Everyone who was inside couldn't move from the sheer coldness inside the bridge. Furthermore, there was a strong pressure grating down at their bodies.

 

"M-Message sent. sir"

 

"Yeah....Good work"

 

As though everyone already understood what will happen next, they left their seats and forced their bodies to move weapons in hand.

 

"It's been great working with you all"

 

"Likewise sir"

 

For those last words, a great big flash of light suddenly burst. Right after that, a powerful explosion erupted at the base taken by the Black army for the sake of resupplying and servicing Mordred.

 

Mordred, along with it's crew and staff officers, disappeared in a foreign land without anyone knowing......

 

 

PART #3

 

In this world monster mutation are sometimes different from another. Some monsters mutates into stronger versions of themselves by simply because of their living environment. Others mutate through natural selection. Feeding on other races and gaining their skills and traits in the process.

 

However there are rare cases where accumulation of a single organism causes a string mutation. This then turns a, for example an ordinary worm, into a different lifeform.

 

In the case of the 9th Demon Lord Kakal where he was an accumulation of a single organism that fused the same organism again and again under the influence of powerful force or an unknown power like magic and miasma, can a Demon Lord be formed.

 

Naturally a Demon Lord cannot be born instantly. One needs to grow in order to achieve a final form.

 

Because in this world, even monsters strength are determined by their levels and skills, they undergo through a difficult phase of survival. Where, unlike humans which were made to much of everything, monsters have to fight for their survival in order to grow.

 

This type of environment will then lead to an end where the monster would be categorized in ranks by the Adventurer guild to determine their levels of difficulty.

 

But the 13th Demon Lord was born differently. He was a sickly man who merely wished to extend his life more. His family had left him for dead after they discovered he wouldn't last longer than a year.

 

Then this man who laid in his bed, for some reason, even without eating, was able to live for more than a decade.

 

On a certain night where not even moon nor the stars can be seen shining so beautifully in the sky, came the reaper on the sickly man's bedside.

 

"I have been waiting for your death. Why do you refuse to die?" The reaper said, holding a completely still pocket watch.

 

"I wish to live more and wander the outside of this room" Replied the sickly man with a forlorn smile.

 

"That is impossible. Your time is already spent. I need to collect your soul now" Replied back the reaper showing the pocket watch with all of its hands point at 12.

 

"You have overstayed in the land of the living. Time to rest in the land of the dead"

 

"No, I won't go"

 

The sickly man angrily refused to die in peace.

 

"If I were to die like this, then I won't have peace in the afterlife"

 

"Foolish. No mortals can refuse death. It is the natural law of life"

 

Born only to die and die only to be born. That was how life cycles work. You live your life once from the day you were born then die in peace at the day of your death. Refusing this means your refusing to born once more and die in your next life.

 

"Immortality is but a sin. The longer you live the less you become yourself"

 

The reaper slowly hides the pocket watch, showing a bit of sadness in his voice.

 

"That too is what it means to be undead"

 

As though speaking from experience the reaper turns around and walked to the other side of the sickly man's bed.

 

And at sickly man's ears, the reaper whispered.

 

"You are no longer amongst the living"

 

*Fwah!* The blanket rose from the bed, pulled by the reaper. Then laid bare was the rotten corpse of the sickly man. The white bed sheet had turned dark with the organs inside his body rotten with maggots eating squirming inside. His skin had melted along with the muscles of his legs.

 

A strong and pungent odor was drifting inside the room. Flies flew and buzzed at the sickly man's face.

 

With the horror of reality sicking in, the sickly man finally realized it. He was long since dead.

 

And right now, just like the reaper somehow smiling in ridicule beside him had said.....

 

He was no longer part of the living.

 

Sadness, rage, despair, madness; all sort of negative emotions pour out from the sickly man's rotten heart and up to his empty shell of a neck and let out a deathly cry. Dark sludge spilled from his melted eyes from the months of endless days and nights, cheeks tore off as his jaw went down so low as he screamed in madness.

 

Then at the peak of the night, where moon and stars weren't visible, where darkness filled the outside and a single wicker of flame shines in that small room.

 

The reaper of souls was gobbled up like the wolf eating the red hooded little girl......

 

 

 

———

 

 

Taiga caught glimpse of the 13th Demon Lord's past. His madness and despair felt through the barrier of memories and managed to influenced Taiga's heart.

 

The moment the cage broke, Vraheim's power entered Taiga's.

 

That mere drop of power from a being that transcends human understanding gave Taiga a feeling of delight.

 

"So long as you follow what I say, I shall grant the power you desire"

 

Vraheim, the 13th Demon Lord who appears to be in a form of the Grim reaper, muttered so as he looked down on Taiga.

 

Slowly Taiga stood up. He dusted off his clothes and turns to Vraheim.

 

"I'm going to need some weapon and armor"

 

With only the inner wear of his clothing before, Taiga doesn't have much defensive ability. Although he can use magic, it was all too different when it comes to fighting.

 

Vraheim raised his right hand and with one snap of his finger, dakr mist suddenly covered Taiga's entire body.

 

Shortly after, came a dark knight. His armor was pitch black and was laden with spines and bones. Shoulder pads and knee pads were skull shaped. The gauntlets and boots were scaly like a snake and on his back was a mantle of pure black cloth.

 

The former [Paladin] was replaced by a Knight of Death.

 

"Hoh.... this feels stronger than I wore before..."

 

"It is made with remains of the strongest Knights and swordsmen I have fought. Their souls resides in that armor that will give you more of a decent power to even match the 9th Demon Lord"

 

Vraheim turns around as soon as he finished explaining.

 

"There things that are needed to be done. Do what you want here but do not take the life of the mother bearing her child"

 

"Huh? Wait, what do you mean by that?"

 

"Keep your promise and I'll reward you plenty"

 

Ignoring Taiga's words, Vraheim melted into a black mist and disappeared completely. Snorting at the rude bastard that didn't even provide any sort of information, Taiga leaves the dungeon and climb out.

 

As he ascended from the lower floor of the dungeon, the scent of blood thickened. Sounds of battle ongoing outside echoed right straight from the entrance and vibrations from explosions can be felt even from the stairs of the dungeon.

 

Taiga grinned. If this was how Travestin was going to end, he would have had front row seats to watch the whole chaos.

 

A Demon Lord was attacking the capital of Travestin. Moreover, it seems that the lord of the dead had planned things out to work out this way.

 

Moreover, Taiga had been granted a small portion of that Demon Lord's power.

 

The feeling of empowerment rising from the depths of his body made Taiga feel elated.

 

Now it was time to take back what that bastard lion had stolen from him.

 

"Now then..... let's make sure they don't look down on me again"

 

With killing intent pouring out from his body like a gushing fountain of black mud, Taiga walks straight to the rumbling battlefield of Knights and soldiers.