"Everything and nothing are but the words Ana spoke first. It is the past, the present, and the future all at once—the threads from which our life is woven, the fate itself that we walk upon. That is Ana's will." [The Testament, Chapter 01: On Ana and Life, page 01]
Shioo!!!
"Hieek!?!"
Through the ever-expanding plains of grass that were illuminated by the moonlight as far as the plain eye could see, the sound of rough, rusty metal clanking out pierced the calmness that resided in the area. As expected, it was none other than the rail wheels of the Orient Express—the only rail in the northern continent, Petalum Septentrional, that connects the three kingdoms together.
Inside one of its carts, where the source of light was the gas lamp hanging from the roof, three men were sitting facing each other. One of them was fixing his glasses with his left hand while his other held a red-covered book with a weird sigil under its title, which was The Testament, that he was reading out loud. The sigil could be described roughly as a circle with a silhouette of a man pierced by a great sword in the heart—or so it seemed. The letter "A" inside that circle—was it just a coincidence, or was the letter purposely drawn that way? Aurel questioned as he fixed his glasses.
"You see, Lunav… I've always pondered."
"You won't believe it, but so did I."
"Really?"
Aurel was quite skeptical about Lunavayne, the brown-haired man who was sitting in front of him. Could it be true that they were wondering about the same thing? Such things seemed far from true. After all, he knew him for enough time—or so it could be guessed from what they were wearing: the same long black trench coats with the same sigil that was on the book cover engraved into the chest area. They both wore a well-designed leather Breton cap with two small stars at its side.
Such a uniform indicated that they were working for, or belonged to, the same organization, and the two stars could be a reference to their rank in this organization—meaning they knew each other for a particularly long time, not to mention the friendly way they addressed each other.
"What were you pondering about, Lunav?" Aurel decided to be cautious so as not to embarrass himself. I already had enough of it, he thought.
"Why in the world are you holding that book right now? Are you trying to distract me or what?"
As expected, he closed his eyes as he thanked himself for being cautious.
"First of all, you shouldn't disrespect this book, it is the book bestowed…"
"Just pick a card for Ana's sake!!"
Shoo!!
"Ieek!!"
As gray smoke found its way out through the smokestack, a high-pitched shrill that could pierce the ear if it was close enough sounded, making the poor third guy, Jonas, shiver in fright.
He was wearing the same outfit as both of them, except for the fact that instead of the two stars there was a single three-leafed flower woven—three petals surrounding a black spot.
"No need for hurry, don't you know, in waste there is haste… and I chose this one."
It wasn't the joker. Well, that was expected since Aurel was the one to actually have it. He picked a 2 of hearts, which he already had one in his hand. After tossing the two cards on the table, he turned to Jonas.
"Your turn, little guy."
Observing the end of the small quarrel between the two of them, Jonas adjusted himself and reached his hand to pick a card from Aurel's as he voiced his irritation.
"What do you mean by little guy, I am actually taller than you."
"Being little is a state of the mind, not the body."
"Hah!?"
Jonas started getting more irritated. Aurel chuckled, then said calmly while observing the book he was just reading:
"Well, as I can read here. Ana…"
"Wait, wait, wait… what kind of psychological warfare are you implanting? This is just an old maid game… nothing deep."
Jonas expressed his thoughts as he realized the trick that Aurel was trying to put, starting with the fact that he started reading the Testament to put in stress more than the one he already had.
"Of course it is deep, people like you who take those games lightly are destined to fall…"
"Just let me pick a card…"
Interrupting the words of Aurel, Jonas finally reached for a card and picked it. He turned it around, and a great disappointment was drawn on his face. It was the joker. Aurel's little ploy worked as his smug was shining.
"Being this mentally fragile won't help you, Jonas. Remember, you are soon to be a vessel."
"Stop with the preaching, would you? I'm starting to understand why you're still a virgin."
Suddenly Aurel's facial expression stiffened. It seems that Jonas struck a sensitive chord. He fell silent at first but started to get irritated when its sound echoed.
"Arghahahahahha." It was the hoarse sound of Lunavayne's laugh. For it to be described, one must imagine a mix of a donkey's honks and a rooster's morning call with a little of footsteps in the background—a laugh that no one wished to hear. Well, except for her.
Not being able to take it, both Jonas and Aurel stomped on Lunavayne's toes under the table at the same time, leaving him confused about who the perpetrator was. He stopped the laugh though.
"Stop with the horse laugh, that is why I hate making jokes in front of you."
"Come on Jonas, don't be harsh on your big brother… you're making me sad."
Hugging Jonas around his shoulders, Lunavayne said with a sad tone. It was obviously sarcastic.
"Anyway, speaking on girls—"
"No one spoke of them." Aurel cut Lunavayne's attempt to touch on that topic. However, Lunavayne just feigned ignorance and continued:
"Anyway, speaking of girls, how did it go with that little girlfriend of yours… it's been two months since we came back from the war… she must have missed you a lot."
Dragging Jonas closer to him, he started poking his cheeks while demanding an answer.
"Am I right? Am I right? Am I right?"
With each time he repeated that phrase Jonas was getting closer and closer to his limits, as shown by his frustrated expressions that grew stronger and stronger… until he pushed him with his hands.
"Make a goddamn distance, I can't breathe."
"You're hurting me… but I am a cool big brother, I understand you're going through puberty."
"What!!?? You are only three years older than me."
"Well, three years means a lot."
"Yeah, three makes a lot of difference… also, how is it going? Do you plan to propose to her?" Aurel asked.
"Propose!!?" Jonas was surprised by his statement.
"Aren't we still too young for this? Like, I am only 15."
"Not really, I am 18 and I've already proposed to—" Lunavayne's words were cut by the dreadful gaze, so he did what he did best—he feigned ignorance and left the room in silence.
"Well, to be frank," it was Jonas who broke the silence.
"We actually talked about this. She's been nagging me lately about it and blabbering about how she is 19 and can't wait no more, but she needs to understand that I am yet to be stable… but she's cute, you see…" With an awkward smile and a little blush, he spoke.
Hearing him, Lunavayne nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes… we really are brothers, we even think the same way."
"Hmmm… hmm… that is it, that is really it… such a brotherly bond." While nodding his head gently, Aurel closed his eyes and said before lamenting with an Ahh~: "How I wish to have a brother…"
"But you are my brother."
"I see, so this is how you consider me… our friendship is really that strong."
"No, I meant you are my brother-in-la—"
Tap!!!
"Take back what you said, Lunav."
Before Lunavayne could finish his words, the sound of heavy metal slamming the flattened wood surface shrilled. It was a leather-wrapped, gear-brass revolver with the crest of Ana engraved in it. With a stern look and a serious tone that was a clear sign of how Aurel really hated that kind of joke—the jokes that involved his sister—that attitude made Lunavayne speak with the same serious tone:
"Who said I am joking? I've already proposed to her."
"You fucking peasant, she's only 17!!!" Grabbing him by the collar, Aurel spoke angrily, driving the same reaction out of Lunavayne:
"So what if I am just a goddamn peasant!! And fucker, I am only 18!!"
--- ---
Outside their cabin, a young, elegant-looking lady—no, she looked more like a girl at the edge of puberty—walked by. She was startled by the screams coming from the quarrel between Lunavayne and Aurel, but quickly regained her composure, murmuring with a soft smile as she walked back to her own cabin:
"I see… so you two are riding the same train as me after all…"
"What is it, my lady? What draws such a small smile from you?"
Opening the cabin door, she was greeted by a young man wearing white gloves, which complemented the black trousers and vest he wore.
"Nothing. Just an old acquaintance…" she said as she sat down.
"The way you phrase it, my lady, makes you sound like an old geezer. You're only fifteen."
"Ah, yes… must be some sort of memory damage. To be precise, you could call it a new acquaintance…"
"Now you're not even making sense, my lady—but that sounds more like you."
She laughed gently at his remark before asking:
"Anyway… where is my tea, Sebastian?"
"My lady, I have already explained thoroughly—being a butler does not make my name Sebastian. My name is Crispin. Those books you read have really corrupted your brain, my lady."
"Screw that. Where is my tea?"
"That is not language a lady such as you should be using—" Before Crispin could finish his words, Laura grew more and more frustrated as she stared at the empty tea cup before her.
"Where is the goddamn tea, Sebastian!?"
With an awkward face, he replied:
"It seems I've already drunk it all, my lad—"
SLAP!
She slapped him.
"That was unnecessary, my lady. I could've just ordered you another one."
"It is extremely impudent to drink another's tea… sigh. Just give me the newspaper."
While rubbing his red cheek, Crispin handed Laura the newspaper.
"Let's see… July 20th, 986 of the 3rd Era… isn't this yesterday's?"
"We've been riding this train for a whole day, my lady. They don't sell newspapers—there's no way to get them since the distance between the stop we boarded at and the next one is an entire day. Also, you didn't read it yesterday."
"Enough with all the blabbering. Is there anything intriguing?"
"Nothing much. Just that one of the four main parties in the Eirenthal Kingdom has disbanded."
"I see. So the Willhielm family has been slaughtered."
"Yes. Being one of the four main noble lineages in the Eirenthal Kingdom—and also the main contributor to the Wisdom of Tempest party—their demise sent a stir through the kingdom…"
"Yeah… and for it to be caused by a single person—that is really incredible. But this is no news for us since I already knew this would happen. Haven't I explained it?"
"Yes, you did, my lady. My job is to find that person. But what are you going to do after we split apart?"
Hearing his question, Laura laughed with an Aha.
"Questioning your lady, are we? Since when did you get so cocky?"
"I apologize for my absurdity—but can you take it as a sign of my concern?"
She sighed at his reply.
"No need to act so professional and formal—you're killing the mood."
"I apologize, my lady, for my inability to read the mood…"
"Whatever. I've already explained it though… I'm gonna go kill myself over some random church organ in the capital city of Florayer."
"I see… I just find it a little hard to accept. But why an organ, exactly?"
Puffing her chest with pride and taking a deep breath of overblown self-esteem, she replied while patting her chest:
"Because I am a musician after all—the poetic type. I will even die holding the notes of my last piece of music that I wrote. Isn't this romantic!?"
Hearing her speak with such forced excitement and sarcasm, Crispin couldn't help but look down with sorrow. He could tell she was faking those emotions, as her eyes told him everything he needed to know: soulless irises that conveyed nothing but hopelessness.
"I understand, my lady. I hope we meet in the next life."
Suddenly, the smile she had been faking broke as she heard him. Gazing blankly out the window, she sighed:
"Do not worry. By Ana's will, we will meet."
---
---
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've arrived at our Pond of Life station... Ladies..."
As the voice kept repeating, Aurel Siderus, Lunavayne, and Jonas disembarked from the train into a station that could only be described as weird. Well, it gave weird vibes, but not really weird... there was naught but a great church beside a great lake—that was the central Cathedral of Ieayer.
"Isn't it weird for it to be named a pond when it is actually the largest lake in the whole Petalum Sept—" Aurel's words were cut short by Lunavayne.
"We are late. We need to hurry," he said while checking the time on his copper pocket watch. The watch looked kind of cheap.
"So, it is the church of Ieayer we are heading to?" Jonas asked.
"Yes, it is," Aurel replied.
"It is the Tear of Nature wyrm—" Jonas asked.
"Yes, it is," Aurel replied.
"It is the—" Jonas asked, but—
"Yes it is, but we've already explained this, Jonas," Aurel replied.
"I know, it is just that I am a little worried—no, I am a little hesitant and scared, to be frank."
"No need to be scared, Jonas," Aurel replied, and Lunavayne continued:
"We already ran the trials with the limbless wyrms and you came out compatible… also—"
At that word, both Aurel and Lunavayne, with a little smile, slapped Jonas on the back. It wasn't as strong as a real slap, but it could be looked at as if they were giving him a little push.
"If anything happens, we're here with you," Lunavayne finished his words, hoping the little dread in Jonas' heart would no longer be—and it really helped him steady his steps. Jonas showed a faint smile and no longer looked to be that scared.
---
"Gentlemen, may I hold your coats? It is hot, I suppose."
They were greeted by a priest at the gate of the cathedral. They took off their coats, revealing their trousers and vests—although different colors, they were all on the darker side of the spectrum. Aurel was wearing a body holster, where he kept his polished wooden revolver and a case containing a couple of black iron, glass-tipped bullets that were hand-forged with the crest of Ana drawn at their tips, as well as a couple of coins that belonged to the Eithernal Kingdom's currency. In contrast, Lunavayne had a sheathed sword around his waist. Like the others, the scabbard also had Ana's crest... The sword seemed slim and long.
As for Jonas, he was holding nothing—just wearing his black trousers and vest over his white shirt.
"You two sirs are gonna have to wait outside, and Mister Jonas... please follow me."
As Jonas followed the priest toward the dim hall, Aurel called out.
"Jonas."
He turned. "What?"
"Don't shit yourself," Lunavayne said, smirking. Jonas froze, dumbfounded.
Slap! Aurel smacked the back of Lunavayne's head.
"Ow—ow—ow! That hurt!" Lunavayne rubbed his head like a scolded child.
"What we're trying to say is…" Aurel began.
"Do your best. We'll be waiting for you to join us," Lunavayne finished, grinning as he gave a thumbs-up.
Jonas chuckled softly. "Yeah… see you guys." He returned the gesture before vanishing through the door.
The two watched him disappear into the dark hall.
"The air feels… tense today," Lunavayne muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Aurel asked.
"Nothing. Just…" Lunavayne stretched his stiff shoulders, forcing a yawn. "…why in Ana's name did he take our coats if he's leaving us to freeze out here?"
"Tell me, Lunav..."
"What is it? Aren't I just a peasant? Mister nobleman... Mister royal blood!!" Lunavayne was still irritated by that conversation from earlier.
"Come on... you know I didn't mean it." Aurel tried to brush it off.
"So does that mean you will bless our marriage?"
"Over my dead body... hhh." With a strained expression, Aurel forced a laugh before continuing to gaze at the Pond of Life blankly.
"But seriously, have you ever wondered about the first lines of the Testament?"
"What lines? I never read anything apart from Chapter 3..." Hearing his reply, Aurel laughed a little.
"You should really take it seriously. It is the gift the gods bestowed upon the hero..."
"What can I say? After what happened in that war, I am a little bit skeptical about the existence of the gods..."
"That war... I see." With a sigh, Aurel sat on the ground, not paying attention to the dirt. Lunavayne followed him.
"Grab one..." Aurel took out his leather tobacco bag, pulled out two cigarettes, and offered one to Lunavayne, who took it gladly.
"Thanks, I have been dying for a puff... You see, Jonas has always hated smoking, and I didn't want to stress him more than he already was back on the train."
"Yeah..." Nodding, Aurel lit the cigarette, then took a puff before he sighed again, removed his glasses, and rubbed the space between his eyes.
"I don't know what to say... We saw things we shouldn't have at that war... It was a mistake done by the humans, and I believe—t!!!"
"...t!!!"
Suddenly, Aurel cut his words, and both he and Lunavayne showed a weird expression before standing up and throwing the cigarettes out of their mouths.
"Did you feel it too, Lunav?"
"Yeah, these strong goosebumps and the eerie cold atmosphere... as if something or someone—!!!"
"Argh!!!" Suddenly, a great headache fell upon them. The pain was strong enough to drive both of them crazy as they grabbed their heads, trying to surpass the excruciating agony. Aurel even started screaming.
"...?" However, it didn't last long before it disappeared, leaving them both confused as to what was happening—but there was no time to think.
"Hah—hah—" With erratic breaths and unsteady steps, a man—a priest carrying a little girl—was running outside the cathedral, both of them covered in blood. He wore a horrid expression—no, it was more like the expression of a frightened baby witnessing the death of his favorite pet or friend. The girl, who looked no older than eight years, was clinging tightly to him, shutting her eyes, refusing to open them.
"Hey, what is going on!!?" Lunavayne screamed, demanding answers.
Nevertheless, the priest just ran between them, not caring about his surroundings—running as if his life, their life, depended on it, as if wasting any second would mean death for him and the girl would meet the same demise, as if there was no way out of the situation they were apparently facing—or about to face. But...
"Argh!!!"
"...!!?"
He was too slow, as a giant mutant arm—or was it a tentacle? Some kind of disfigured, boneless, colorless limb—penetrated his back, all the way out of his chest, killing him instantly before returning back inside the cathedral... but only for a few seconds. Fortunately, the girl was missed—a couple of millimeters was enough to save her—before she fell with a scream of pain and fear.
"Urhj!!!"
"Aurel, watch out!!" They were both discombobulated by the spectacle in front of them, which left them open for any attacks. It was Lunavayne who grasped the situation quickly and warned Aurel before suddenly disappearing and reappearing out of thin air high in the sky. It was as if he jumped, but there was no process of jumping, and the height was far too great to be the result of a quick leap.
Cutting the cathedral walls into halves of halves, this time three mutated limbs appeared. The way they easily cut through the hard cement and metal was a sign of how inhuman their strength was—they ran rampant and attacked wherever was in front of them.
"Argh!!"
Aurel, who was bewildered for a couple of milliseconds, jumped, trying to save that poor, helpless little girl who was just sitting there with tears running down her cheeks, screaming with a sore throat. However, those milliseconds made him pay a great price, as one of those inhuman limbs managed to hit him in his right hand, cutting it cleanly—but he was able to save her.
"Shit..." Up in the sky was Lunavayne, who grasped his thin sword's hilt firmly while cussing. He had an eerie look—his green eyes lost their color. Literally, his irises were just black, plain black with no hue, making them colorless. A couple of electrical sparks with a white blueish hue started swirling around the silver blade—no, it was not silver; it looked like it, but it was definitely another metal—and also around his feet before he was launched like a lightning bolt in a stormy night... He slashed through all the limbs, making them tremble as blood splurted out of them. They started shrinking back inside the cathedral.
"Hey, Aurel, you okay?" asked Lunavayne, approaching Aurel, who was sitting down, trying to stop the bleeding from his right arm by wrapping a piece of cloth cut from his sleeve around his wrist.
"The fuck is okay!!? Look at my hand!!" he screamed, pointing at his amputated hand thrown on the grass over there.
"Shit... what in the name of Ana is happening!?" Lunavayne yelled, grabbing his head before his facial expression distorted as he realized.
"Wait, where is Jonas? He was there with him, wasn't he?" Hearing the questions thrown at him, Aurel avoided eye contact before speaking with a sad tone.
"I think that it is either Jonas has failed in absorbing the Wyrm or—"
"what you mean by that!!?" Lunavayne was so enraged he cut Aurel off.
"Didn't he pass the trials with the limbless wyrms? He was supposed to only absorb a single wyrm, nothing hard!!"
"I know, that is why... I think there was a demonic intervention."
"Demon—" Before he could finish, Lunavayne's words came to a halt as both of them started hearing steps—the sound of high-quality leather shoes, steady, slow steps coming from outside the cathedral that was left in chaos.
They both turned around quickly as the silhouette of a person—no, it wasn't a normal person. The split eyes shining red, the pale colorless skin, and to add to that, the disfiguration of his face and limbs... clearly, that wasn't a human, or to be more precise, it was no longer a human, just a mutant monster with multiple limbs coming out of his body. They were like hands but not actually hands.
"Jonas!!!" With a distorted expressions of disbelief and shock, Lunavayne yelled as he realized that his younger brother had turned into a monster.
"Lunav, he is no longer your brother," Aurel said through gritted teeth, trying his best to wear his glove on his left hand using only his mouth. After wearing the glove, he pulled out his revolver and swiftly opened the bullet chamber.
Six black bullets. Since I can't reload the chamber with one hand, I need to use them wisely, Aurel thought before putting the revolver back in the holster and reaching into the case to take out all the circular coins he had stored there.
""...!!!""
Multiple limbs were launched like spears toward them.
Aurel, who grabbed the girl up to his chest tightly, gave those limbs a quick look before his golden eyes turned black—just like ink spreading in water, his golden eyes became colorless, just like Lunavayne's.
He was able to avoid them. However, Lunavayne, who was just standing still, unable to accept the fact that his dear little brother was already gone, didn't move an inch as one of the limbs pierced his left shoulder and came out of it. He showed no sign of pain or resistance as he just sprawled on his back while his eyes returned green.
what is he doing!!? Aurel thought as he was running, trying his best to duck the multiple limbs that kept following him even if he jumped or crawled, until he reached a certain point.
"So, this is your limit..." he said as he put the girl on the ground.
"What is your name?" he asked with a soothing tone.
"Qian Qian," the girl answered, trying her best to form a coherent word through her total stuttering.
This is a very foreign name... huh? With a relaxed smile contradicting his real thoughts, he took off his glasses and handed them to Qian Qian, then patted the little girl's head and asked her to run away.
"Can you hold this for me and run as fast as you can?"
"umm.." the girl, Qian Qian nodded then started running far.. he quickly turned around to face the monster. Now, before he starts stepping forward—
Aurel threw one of the coins high in the sky toward the monster. He waited until the coin was at the perfect distance before he disappeared, leaving only a mirage behind him, and reappeared next to the coin he threw earlier.
I have to end this quickly. Thinking so, he threw half of the coins after he collected the one he threw earlier, then he closed his eyes and the coins started turning into some sort of liquid phase before they started taking the shape of knives—small ones, but the edges were sharp enough.
The monster didn't hold still and fired his limbs toward Aurel, who just reciprocated by firing his knives that were able to hold the limbs for a certain amount of time, but this wasn't enough as they kept regenerating—
tsk!! I just need to get closer.
He said as he threw a coin again, but closer to the monster, and disappeared to reappear next to the coin. However, this time, he grabbed his revolver and aimed at the monster's heart.
Bang!! Bang!!
He shot two bullets, but the monster tried to block them using two of his limbs that ended up blowing up severely—not just like any normal bullets would do; it was as if they didn't just pierce the limbs but instead the bullets chemically reacted with them—and against the expected, they didn't regenerate.
Fucker, those bullets are designed for the likes of you. He then quickly cocked the hammer for the cylinder to rotate for another shot, but the monster was faster to recover from the shock of his limbs not regenerating. He used another limb that sneaked under Aurel's feet and wrapped it around his leg to lift him and toss him around before throwing him toward the lake.
Splash!! I am about to throw up, he thought while swimming up, fearing the water would trigger the bleeding of his right wrist.
As he walked out of the lake, he opened his left hand, and simultaneously, all the coins that he lost while being spun around by the limb came back as if he was some sort of magnet... well, to be more precise, he did create a magnetic field around his left hand.
"Lunav, you fine?"
"..." Aurel ran to Lunavayne, who was lying down, to check on him, but it was clear that Lunavayne was in a state of shock as he just kept staring blankly at the cloudy night sky while being drawn into his own thoughts.
So Jonas is dead? No, that can't be… he was more than ready, all the limbless wyrms were—and he already… he already de—
"damn it, Lunav, listen to me! We've already went through a Lethargic state two times in a row not long ago… we are both exhausted and can't afford to go through another. What I am trying to say is that I can't get rid of that thing by myself. Jonas is already dead. I feel as sad as you are; he was also like a broth—"
Before Aurel could finish his words, a limb was aiming for his head, but he was able to duck it by leaning backwards ,. but at the cost of his balance, making him fall on his butt.
"Hear me, that thing is no longer Jonas, just a demon. I am sure Jonas would've wanted you to kill him and end his suffering rather than acting like a little bitch right now. Here, keep this coin with you. I believe there is no need for me to explain. After all, this is not our first mission together," Aurel said as he stood back up, walking to the demon, who simultaneously started moving forward as well.
So this thing decided to finally take a step.
Aurel started running slowly before he lunged like a bullet towards the demon, who was using the limbs as if he were some sort of spider—and as they got closer, many other limbs started emerging from the demon's body while darkish-green fluids were leaking out of it.
no! no! no! I didn't sign up for this.
Shortening the distance between the two of them, many limbs were coming at Aurel, so he jumped after throwing three of his coins up in different directions and then reshaping the rest of the coins as one single knife—
It was supposed to be an easy mission… accompany Jonas to the Florayer kingdom, and that's it. We were both exhausted from the war, we entered the Lethargic state two times in the same week, and now not only do we need to exterminate a demon, it happens to possess my dear friend.
As he kept jumping instantly between the three coins he threw, Aurel was cutting the limbs that kept coming at him, trying to confuse the demon and push him back with his knife—this hurts.
They both kept at it, but the number of limbs that kept regenerating and multiplying was the one to actually push the opponent. Aurel was unable to get any closer, which left him in a state of despair. Nevertheless, he didn't step back but kept on slashing those limbs, even though he missed some that inflicted a lot of injuries around his whole body. He kept pushing forward until he found a little opening; he quickly threw his knife and grabbed the revolver, aiming at the demon—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Three black bullets were shot and, sadly—
"Tc!!!" All of them missed as the demon sacrificed three of his limbs to protect his heart, thus leaving Aurel with only one single black bullet left… one single bullet.
Aurel put back his revolver, but he was too slow to grab his knife as the limbs grabbed his legs. But instead of throwing him away this time, the demon decided that it was wiser to break the bones of his entire body, starting with his legs all the way up to his arms, before throwing him as if throwing a bag of trash. To be fair, at that point, Aurel was literally just a bag of broken bones as he was no longer able to move or even stand back up.
What in the name of Ana is wrong with me!!!? I came unprepared, lost my right hand, and now I only have one single black bullet left… I really need that fucker.
"Lunav!!" Aurel screamed with all his heart.
"Are we still on the little bitch act!! Stand up!!" He didn't expect any reply, and that was the norm—or so he believed. Having your own brother be possessed by a demon… Aurel couldn't say that he understood, but he knew that it was hard to be the one to slash your own brother. He just hoped for a little help. He was ready to be the one to make the final blow but needed a leeway through those limbs—
Sigh… After he lost all of his hopes, he heard a sigh—a sigh he was wishing for…
It was none other than Lunavayne, who was walking slowly with a large amount of electrical sparks roaming around his whole body and especially his thin sword's blade—
"I will make you an opening, but I don't think I can do the finishing move… hhh," he said with a small laugh that he forced out himself, as the welled-up tears in his now black eyes were enough to tell how devastated he was to lose his little brother. He explained before just disappearing and reappearing up in the sky facing the mutant disfigured humanoid demon..
Slowly, he started falling down, and the demon didn't let such an opportunity go to waste. Ignoring Aurel, who he no longer considered a threat, he launched all of his limbs towards Lunavayne, trying to attack him, knowing well that there was no way he could move freely while falling—
Damn! My shoulder hurts.
Grabbing his sword tightly, the electrical sparks kept getting denser and denser before Lunavayne took a breath and instantly was launched like a flying disc.
As if he were some sort of chainsaw, he was like a lightning bolt, slashing, cutting, cleaving, and teleporting many times, trying to cut all of the limbs. His speed was getting faster and faster until it surpassed the speed of the regeneration process and finally created a perfect opening—there stood both Lunavayne and the limbless body of Jonas, surrounded by a great amount of slashed limbs. That spectacle made Lunavayne helpless as his brain flashed all the memories and moments he spent with Jonas.
Jonas… I am sorry.
Facing his little brother's distorted face, he could do nothing but apologize, then with a hoarse voice tinted with sadness:
"Do it, Aurel!!!"
Throwing the coin Aurel gave him earlier in front of the demon, the limbs started regenerating quickly, and one of them was able to attack Lunavayne's left hand, almost cutting it clean if it wasn't for that small piece of skin that kept the hand attached to the wrist—but drawing himself to metals was on par with teleporting for Aurel as he appeared holding his revolver with trembling hands.
It hurts.
The broken bones weren't gonna be an excuse for Aurel to miss such a golden opportunity. He had a single black bullet—a single bullet that both his life and Lunavayne's relied on… a single shot that he couldn't miss, and letting his broken arm be a hazard was not optional—
Bang!! And he finally made it—a shot through the heart that led the demon's body to explode and decay.
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Three Weeks Later , Capital City of Eirenthal , Sideria
"What do you mean by that?"
Inside one of the professors' offices in the First University of Sideria, Aurel and Lunavayne were having a conversation with what seemed to be one of the professors lecturing at the university. He was old, with a few wrinkles on his face alongside a small scar—it was Lunavayne who asked, frustrated.
"Like I said, after a thorough investigation, we couldn't find any evidence to prove that the incident was due to cult activity, and there were no decaying wyrms to emit enough chaos resonance for the demon to pass to this realm," the professor replied calmly as he adjusted his glasses.
"As for the little girl—cough cough," the professor's words were cut short by a sudden urge to cough.
"What was I trying to say again...?" After he adjusted himself, he apparently forgot what he was trying to say.
"But, Jonas—" grabbing his knees tightly, Lunavayne was devastated.
"I understand. As the reports said, Mister Jonas..." the professor paused a little, waiting for Lunavayne to continue by saying the family name, but he just wasn't able to, so Aurel took the lead.
"There is no family name. They were raised in an orphanage."
"So they aren't blood-related?"
"No, we are," Lunavayne answered.
"I see. I will add this to the notes... anyway, there is no perpetrator as such. Maybe this just happened by Ana's will."
"By Ana's will?" Lunavayne was speechless, tired from just witnessing the death of his brother being brushed off as a trivial incident.
"There is no need to be all worked up, Mister Lunavayne."
"Huh!?"
"That was to be expected. In fact, your case is just one of the many that keep piling up on my desk every day... cough cough." He coughed a little.
"Excuse me, what I was trying to say is that—" suddenly his eyes turned sharp, his voice turned solemn.
"The act of meddling with wyrms has its own consequences."
At those words, Lunavayne realized something he should've already known, his eyes shut tightly as he fell into silence.
"And for you, Aurel Siderus—we couldn't find your amputated arm..."
"I see..." Aurel muttered, but he wasn't that focused on his missing hand.