"What a pitiful existence."
Duke shook his head as he studied the hyena-like Bakai. This grotesque monster before him might once—thousands of years ago—have been a noble hero of Shurima, a warrior who bled and sacrificed for his empire with unwavering loyalty.
But now, that hero was long gone.
Under the radiance of the Sun Disc, he had been reforged into a twisted abomination—his honor lost, his self shattered.
All that remained in this ugly shell was the fractured echo of a forgotten past.
Duke reached into his inventory and withdrew a red-and-white capsule. At the same time, with a blink, he restored himself to normal size. His sudden appearance drew the Bakai's gaze.
The creature's lip curled, ferocity flashing in its eyes—but before it could move, Duke's Pym Particle Raygun fired onto the chains wrapped around its body.
A beam flashed through the air and struck the iron restraints.
The chains, forged from blacksteel and magic, instantly expanded dozens of times over, filling the underground space—leaving the Bakai freed from its bindings.
"ROAR!!"
A triumphant bellow shook the cavern. Newly liberated, the Bakai rose, but the chamber was too low; it was forced to hunch, its back scraping the ceiling.
"Mortal!"
The Bakai glared at Duke, searing white breath streaming between its jagged fangs.
"You're welcome."
Duke flicked his wrist, sending a cluster of restraining patches flying. Flames burst from the patch-launchers, propelling them forward; in an instant, a hundred patches slapped onto the Bakai's fur, gripping tight.
"Offer your flesh and blood to the hero Balkhan!"
The Bakai lunged, its foul breath rushing ahead of it. Duke sighed and pressed a button.
Click.
In an instant, Duke shrank to the size of an ant. The Bakai's gust of stench-laden wind blasted him away.
The towering creature charged mindlessly through the chamber, smashing forward in a frenzy—completely unaware that its target was already gone.
Soon, the Bakai halted. Confused, it sniffed the air repeatedly, trying to locate Duke's scent. It snorted.
"Gone?"
"Gone!!"
It slammed the ground in frustration. The roars echoed deep into the darkness
and at that moment, a crooked staff extended from the void and tapped lightly against the back of its head.
Ding.
The Bakai's eyes glazed over. Its focus shattered. The staff lifted—and with it, a tattered, dazed spirit was forcibly pulled from the Bakai's body.
Just as most of the spirit was drawn out
ZAP!
A burst of electricity exploded across the Bakai's skin.
The restraining patches flared violently, releasing arcs of lightning. Needle-like injectors extended, pumping heavy doses of anesthetic into the creature.
In that very instant, the Bakai shrieked in agony. The half-extracted spirit spasmed—and was yanked back into its body.
"GRAAAK!!"
A furious croak reverberated through the void.
The Bakai convulsed wildly under the barrage of current, white foam spilling from its mouth.
"A moment of mindlessness… Is it because its sanity is already gone?"
Duke emerged from the air, landing beside the thrashing beast. He felt a gaze of pure hatred upon him—watching from the unseen depths.
This meddling mortal had ruined its one chance to claim the soul.
And that was the only chance.
If it failed again, the Void Vulture would seize its mask, and its existence would be erased entirely.
Duke stood beside the restrained Bakai, completely oblivious to what he'd interrupted.
Without activating his Spirit Vision, Duke couldn't see divine or spectral entities. He usually kept most functions of the God-Eye sealed—constantly running it would overload his brain.
The Frog Spirit's existence was faint and nearly forgotten; unless it revealed itself, most mortals wouldn't notice it.
So Duke had no idea he'd just ruined the Frog Spirit's harvest.
"Be good and get inside the ball."
Duke pulled out another red-and-white capsule, pressed the center button, and tossed it at the Bakai.
The capsule traced an arc through the air, scanned the Bakai, expanded, and deployed its internal capture field—dragging the Bakai inside.
"No!!"
A sharp cry ripped through the void as a green figure leaped out, slamming its staff against the capsule mid-air.
"He is my duty! You cannot take my purpose from me!"
Duke blinked, baffled.
Why was a frog jumping out to interfere with his capture?
Wait—
A frog?
Eyes widening, Duke took a closer look at the figure swinging a staff at his capsule.
Wasn't this Shurima's death god for failed Ascendants
the Frog Spirit?
So it was here to ferry the Bakai's soul?
But wasn't it supposed to be on the brink of extinction, hunted by the Void Vulture?
Duke tilted his head. Something didn't add up.
But remembering the chains that once bound the Bakai, he began to understand.
Shurima's ruins and dunes hid many Bakai—
but those were free, lurking in shadows, dangerous and near unstoppable.
Despite being failed Ascendants, Bakai had strength and speed comparable to fully ascended beings—minus magic.
In Shurima's golden age, even executing a Bakai required assistance from Sunborn warriors. Their faith had been immense, their power overwhelming.
But this Bakai was fading—its faith gone, its body barely holding together.
Swish!
The Frog Spirit's staff pierced the capsule.
The capture field flickered and died; the device fell silent.
"Boss," Edith reported, "the capsule just shut down. Signal lost."
"Lost?"
Duke's eyelid twitched. The capsule fell to the sand below.
The Frog Spirit stood upon the Bakai's body like a claimant to a throne, barking:
"Mortal! Do not interfere with a god's duty!"
"He is my charge—my mission! You will not take him from me!"
"Those who disturb the cycle shall know calamity!"
Its voice overlapped in eerie harmonics like two beings speaking at once—but Duke felt no fear.
A death god on the verge of disappearance could only roar threats.
If it were Kindred, things would be different.
Two sentences, at most:
Do you want the arrow—or the bite?
No nonsense.
No theatrics.
Submit to death, and the Lamb gives peace.
Flee from it, and the Wolf chases forever.
In shōnen manga terms?
Kindred would be the unchallenged Captain of Squad One in the Soul Society.
Unlike this creature—resorting to warnings like a cornered animal.
Duke sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"You're really embarrassing yourself."
The Frog Spirit trembled with outrage.
"What did you say?"
"To be honest, you're the second death god I've met." Duke flicked out a new capsule. "I've met Kindred. Both Lamb and Wolf."
"Compared to them, you're a mess. A disgrace."
"Silence, mortal!" the Frog Spirit shrieked. "What do you understand?"
"You know nothing of my past glory!"
"I don't care about your past." Duke pressed the capsule's button. "One sentence: Move. I'm taking this Bakai."
"Impossible! He is my duty! His soul must enter the land of the dead by my hand!"
"Last warning. Move."
The capsule clicked open in Duke's hand—ready to throw.
"Those who defy gods will suffer punishment!"
The Frog Spirit shrilled; its croaking voice surged.
Duke suddenly felt a sharp slap of dizziness hit his soul.
"Hmph… Sonic attacks on the spirit?"
He shook off the vertigo—just in time to see the Frog Spirit appear in front of him, its staff jabbing into his chest.
"Pay the price!"
As it shrieked, Duke's eyes narrowed. Magic surged violently through him.
He lifted his hand—and slapped the Frog Spirit across the face.
The force of the blow sent the mask flying from its head, revealing a gaunt, aged face underneath.
The moment the mask left its host, terror contorted its features.
"You… you can touch me?"
"That's impossible!"
"My mask!"
"My mask must not fall—Mother of Masks said so! She said!"
It scrambled to grab the falling mask
but a vulture's talon jutted from the void and seized it first.
A colossal vulture lowered its head, staring down at the now maskless Frog Spirit.
"The time has come."
"No!" the Frog Spirit screamed, flailing. "Give me another chance! One more chance!"
"The bell has tolled. This time, it tolls for you."
The vulture's eyes spiraled into swirling voids—
a black hole of devouring force that pulled the Frog Spirit inward.
Moments later, nothing remained.
Only the mask—clutched in the talons of the Void Vulture.
The creature gave Duke a long, heavy stare.
"Mortal. Tell me your name."
"Speaking my name to a death god doesn't sound wise."
The Void Vulture lifted its head, looming over him.
"No matter. You will tell me… eventually."
With that cryptic remark, it spread its wings.
Unnatural feathers drifted from the void, obscuring Duke's vision
and when the feathers faded, only the unconscious Bakai lay in the dust.
"These days, even gods need to show results, huh?"
Duke lifted his visor and scratched his nose, sighing helplessly.
End of chapter....
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