章 47: Chapter 40 - The Second Gate (2)
He glanced down, from his position.
His hand inspected her hair, it was still chopped up, but the signs of growth were there, though it was dry, it would grow.
She scrunched her nose, and stared at him with her round eyes.
"Your hair will be far more beautiful than even my own. In a few years, I'll have to beat the boys away with a stick, you know?" He glanced up at the darkness left behind where the undead once stood, there was nothing there.
But, the girl would not stop inspecting that place, at every chance she got. He didn't know what she was seeing, but, he could not see it.
She had noticed the thing in the dark, before him as well.
His brow slightly furrowed.
Was she-
"-Constance Evergreen. Come here."
Argo looked from his position some three hundred feet away, he was sitting on a rock in the absolute dark, he could only see up to his hand, and far away lights of the rebel army.
He had expected for someone to trail him to kill him. And as it stood, he was still waiting for the people surrounding them in the dark to strike, but, for the moment, he was content watching.
The girl sat on his lap, atop the boulder, looking around, each place, a place that Argo duly noted.
He had full faith that she had completed her mission, as well, in the time he was gone.
It seemed like it would be Red, Raul and Karl, who would be his executioners, alongside his old squad.
Perhaps it was to break them in, and make sure that they were truly on the Rebels side. To cut off any opportunity for dissent.
He felt warm.
"Necromancy…" Constance's holy power abounded, her eyes carried a fearsome glow that made the undead weaker, "...I am the Hero divined by the Church and given authority by the Goddess. I will not change my mind."
Murphy stared at her, with the soul gem floating over his lap, he casually cast a long net of a look, at the surroundings, a slight smile rising on his lip, "...Unfortunate."
Rotten heads and rancid breaths turned.
Awick stood not far away.
Argo wasn't sure how long he had been there, but, he had been watching quietly the entire time.
It was reminiscent of the day they had first met in the forests outside of Avancia.
Argo sensed the tethering of magic around him, but pretended not to. It was not wise to react immediately, better to wait until it was halfway done, when the spellcaster would have a hard time retrieving their mana or completing the spell.
In the meant time, Awick had begun his approach.
"Our ancestors were warriors of blood and bone. Their flesh is the earth we tread upon, their blood the rivers and their bones the stones and boulders. Yet you would profane that? Your nation was doomed to fall to nothing but it's own hubris," Argo could only imagine the kind of anger that was running through Awick as he approached, " In our holy place, where our dead rest, you have brought this stain on our world to bear. For that, you will leave your life here. On my name as Chief of the Children of Avancia."
Murphy raised a brow.
Awick began his approach.
His lips parted, his voice slowed.
He wasn't speaking to anyone.
"My name is Awick Longriver. The Twenty-Fifth Chief of Avancia. Protector of the Hollow Homes. Son to Avangar Longriver. Bless my weapon, and witness my growth."
The ground under his feet, shattered with just his weight alone.
His eyes, were enough to make the very air tremble.
Murphy slowly began to smile.
A worthy opponent.
When was the last time he had seen such strength?
It was a shame, he had seldom seen so much power, in one place, but it was not complete.
How could he not notice?
Maybe Awick could trick others, but not him, not Murphy, who walked the line between Life and Death, using Necromancy.
Murphy raised his hand high.
Magic burst from his hand, into hundreds of tendrils coming together to form nearly a dozen spells!
"Your hurt, aren't you?"
Awick's gaze didn't flicker.
It gave away nothing, but Murphy didn't need a response to a question he knew the answer to.
"A shame, for a warrior like you to fall to such tricks. But, it is fate, that Dumbar should win."
Argo's pupils shrank.
Was Awick injured by poison? When? For how long? Could he hold out long enough, for Lunston to arrive?
The plan would not work, if Awick could not hold on long enough.
Argo stood up on the boulder.
Everything had been prepared.
Even if Awick failed to hold, he was still confident that at least he could bring Constance out of this place.
The little spirit on his shoulder blew in his ear.
Argo locked back into his surroundings and swiftly fell backwards, leaving the girl on the rock. She stared at him with her big round eyes.
He winked at the girl, and looked down, landing on his feet.
Chains exploded out from the dark! Raul?
Argo's draw was blinding as he cut the chains straight apart! His aura had had plenty of time to regenerate!
The little spirit on his shoulder was enchanted! A battle! This was a battle! It had only heard of them from the grandpas! It sat on his shoulder expectantly!
Argo's soul twitched, and he ducked, slicing the air, but there was nothing there, though he felt some resistance.
A wind blade? An invisible wind blade, in the dark. But that was an intermediate spell. Was there a Mid-rank mage amongst the rebels?
His eyes had been fully saturated in violet aura, the area around him had become far more clear.
Soldiers were closing in on him.
Their expressions looked difficult, but the fact that they were coming nonetheless was true. They had made their choice, even if it was a hard one.
Argo was never going to be allowed to leave alive, after seeing the Necromancy in progress, that they had, or the mind control magic.
Either one was reason enough for the entire continent to turn their blades on them, let alone both. If it was discovered, then Dumbar would never see itself risen from the annals of history again.
He had seen far too much, and had now outlived his usefulness...
"CAPTAIN!" Johan screamed as he brought his sword down!
Was this some sort of pride, that Johan had, a final mercy to call out to him, to give him a chance to react?
He shook his head.
His eyes caught long caught the swords path.
…But so had they.
Argo caught Johan's wrist with his sword. Johan was fast, but Argo was faster.
His movements were sleek, and had been refined continuously. His mind which had never stopped moving for a second, knew that his back was being targeted.
Mason and Mark, the brothers, had amazing coordination and in the time it took for Johan to lose his hand and scream, the brothers were already bearing down on him.
Lighting careened through the air!
There was no time to react… but he didn't have to.
Mage Lightning still followed some simple principles, that all mages had to learn, or learned pretty quickly.
Electricity, magical or not, took the path of least resistance always, and in that case, it flew straight into the two brothers, sending them flying!
Argo glanced over.
A hooded figure.
…Lucian?
"Traitor!" He heard a familiar shout, as icicles flew past at furious speeds!
Argo deftly dodged it, and it headed straight for Lucian's form! During that time, Argo took a fast look at his surroundings.
Johan was on the floor, reaching for his sword with his other hand.
Mark and Mason were at the least, paralyzed by the lightning.
Perhaps he should have, but Argo felt nothing for them.
They had their convictions, and had made their choices, to stand with the Dumbaran Rebels, and to stand with Murphy.
They were on one side at one time, but now, they were on opposing ones.
That's all.
At the very least, his last mercy for their help back then, would come swiftly.
Johan had his head cut open from the top down and out the bottom of his chin.
Mason saw this, and whimpered, trying to get words out, but, Argo cut his head off in front of a squirming Mark, trying to save his brother, who swiftly followed him in death by way of a sword piercing his forehead.
"How could you betray us? You were talented more than anyone! You!" Karl launched a wind blade, and Argo's pupils shrank.
It was him.
But how?
Lucian cast a defensive barrier with a corner on it, like a wave breaker, and shattered the wind blade out right before beginning to cast another spell.
They shared a look, and Argo kicked the ground, launching dead ahead.
Karl's pupils shrank, he shouted, "NOW!"
Argo looked up.
He had not sensed it ahead of time.
Had they hidden it in the great magical tethering of Murphy's spell web? Why had he not sensed it?
Raul had his hands in front of him, a magical formation had been carved into the air, he was bleeding from all of his pores, looking like a terrifying corpse.
The ring on his finger shone a blinding light.
Argo tried to close his eyes in time, but failed.
He heard the clanking of armor approaching fast.
He could feel the tethering of magic forming quickly as well.
Each unit had ten soldiers, three were dead, and he was a turncoat, so there were six left.
Karl and Lucian were dueling, Raul had spent himself almost completely, and Red was unknown. He had not seen her yet.
In response to the blindness, he kicked the earth, and sent himself into the air shooting straight at the last known position of Raul, using the tethering of magic to find him.
"NOOO!"
Argo felt fresh blood drip on his hands as he and whoever he had just ran through, fell off the side of the boulder they were fighting on.
He heard a male grunt as they hit the ground opposite the boulder. His vision was slowly coming back.
Raul's fish eyes were staring at him.
He was already dead.
But who had shouted?
He turned.
The spark of mage lightning.
He raised his sword, and as it was cast, it flew straight into him, sending him absolutely barreling away.
Red.
When he looked up, she was at Raul's side, trying to heal him. But Argo knew he was already dead.
The lighting was tingling through his whole body, he couldn't feel some of his fingers. He could only wrap them in some torn cloth, to keep a hold of his sword.
He did not want to kill Red, but, if she had chosen her side, then it was simply a matter of interest now.
He wanted to live.
And based on the look on her face, she did not want him to survive.
Argo turned his gaze over.
The soldiers were swarming Lucian, who had a defensive barrier up now. He could not multicast, and so, it was impossible for him to do anything but defend.
Argo started going over, while Red was over Raul's body.
It was an opportunity.
Karl looked back, he had long noticed Argo's presence, and was launching mage lightning, but Argo wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
The moment he saw the spark, he threw his sword dead ahead!
Karl could either finish his spell and be ran through, or he could stop casting and eat the backlash to dodge.
But either way, the lightning would not make it past the sword, which was the material of least resistance.
Karl interrupted his own casting, and threw himself aside, the sword cutting his shoulder and flying straight past, landing firmly in one of the soldiers chests, killing them near instantly.
But it was not done yet.
Karl started casting a defensive spell, for Argo had not stopped.
It was never his intention to kill him with that attack, it was to create a window of opportunity, while Red was with Raul, and the soldiers were focused on Lucian.
And he had seized it perfectly, descending upon Karl.
Argo could not feel his fingers anymore, so he didn't use them for the sword, and instead fell upon Karl, who was too late to finish his spell, and beat him utterly senseless with his hands breaking like lifeless bundles of meat.
Karl tried to block and push him off, but, no mage alive at the same rank would ever defeat a knight in strength, at such close range.
Argo couldn't clench his hands at all.
He simply reinforced his hand, and kept on hammering Karl's head into the ground.
He sensed the tethering of magic.
Red send a fireball blazing at him. But a fireball was slower than Mage Lightning, was she running low on mana, after trying so desperately to save Raul?
Argo ducked down. It flew straight over him. He looked at his work.
Karl was making some sort of a pathetic attempt to breath, but his head was pooling with blood, and his nose didn't look very nose-like anymore.
Argo got to his feet.
Karl would never move the same again, if at all.
While Red began casting again, Argo caught Lucian's look, and fell stomach to the ground, covering his head!
The barrier around Lucian exploded sending shards of it everywhere!
Argo's ears were ringing painfully, and his vision was spinning!
Detonation of a spell like that could cause devastating damage, but the blow back was equally horrifying on the caster!
Lucian fell to a knee, with blood leaking from the corner of his lip. A twisted warmth spread through Argo.
If Lucian had had any mana left, he had used it to heal Argo's body somewhat. That much he knew.
His nose twitched.
Cooked human flesh, rotten blood, and the scent of raw iron, shit and entrails were everywhere.
The air was sticky and greasy. His throat was closing up and his mouth was dry. His pupils were like pin points.
The labored anxiety causing breathing of a near death Karl was the only noise aside from the foot steps that sounded like thunder in Argo's ear.
He looked around for a sword.
Most of the corpses weren't even whole anymore.
His fingers feeling came back quickly, but it was a shaky thing. His hands protested, but he made them quiet, reinforcing them with his aura.
He held a sword in each hand.
His eyes burned with violet light.
Red stood across him.
She was silent.
There was someone in her hand.
Argo's pupils shrank.
When had she gotten up there?
The girl was stood, held by her hair hanging in the air. What kind of strength did Red have, to hold a girl of that size by the hair?
Was it adrenaline?
Or was she casting a spell?
He couldn't feel the traces of any magic.
He caught her gaze.
It was… twisted.
She looked down at Karl, who was fighting for his life, and then looked back up at Argo, who was soaked in her comrades blood.
She had hesitated to help them kill Argo before, as it had infringed on her morals, and how she felt about the situation but now… there was no such hesitation.
It had gotten Raul killed.
If she had simply been ready, and not thinking, then she could have shielded him in time.
She could have helped cast a better spell.
She could have.
She could have.
She could have.
But she didn't… and now they were all dead.
But she was determined to save at least one.
"Why?"
She didn't know why she was speaking at all.
Perhaps it was the last vestiges of who she was, holding on.
"Why did you do this?"
Argo couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Four mages. Ten soldiers. You came here for my life, and ask why?"
The hypocrisy to be so upset, when your own die, after they tried to kill him. Was she completely insane? What was going on in her head, to say that?
She looked left.
Her lips stretched.
She was smiling.
From ear to ear, she was smiling.
A strange chuckle came from her throat, it was hoarse, and lingering.
"She is important to you, right? Papa?"
Argo's pupils shrank.
Her eyes were not human.
She had gone mad.
Utterly mad.
He raised his swords.
She clicked her tongue, and shook her head, the tethering of mage lightning coiled around her arm, "If she can make it, I'm sure she will have very pretty hair one day, don't you agree?"
Her hand drew close to the girls face, while it was covered in mage lightning. Even a mistaken touch, would take her life.
Argo grit his teeth, and lowered his swords.
Red shook her head.
Argo threw them away.
"Better. Now step away."
He took several steps back, and Red got closer to Karl.
Why had she not attacked him with the mage lightning?
Did she not have enough mana, for another spell after that?
If she was on her last legs then… Argo looked at the girl, a look Red caught.
"My heart melted, when I saw that look before. I was a fool." Red gripped the girls hair tighter. She squirmed in her grip, "You don't deserve to have a happy ending."
It hurt.
The girl grabbed at Red's hand, but couldn't free herself. Her big round eyes looked at Argo. Her gaze was calm, but, Argo could see the little girl hidden behind, peeking out.
And so could Red.
She was desperate, and scared.
Her smile grew deeper.
She glanced down at Karl.
In that exact moment, her hand felt some vibration, and she looked back.
That scared little animal behind those eyes, desperate to live, had bitten her.
The little girl in her hand, had pulled a dagger from somewhere, and stabbed her straight through the hand, interrupting the mage lighting spell weave that was cast there, breaking it.
It backlashed.
Red looked up, with murderous eyes, at Argo's hulking form descending on her, with his violet eyes blazing!
She raised the little girl to block!
The earth quaked!
The girl fell!
Argo landed a square punch sending Red sprawling, and on his landing, he stomped Karl's head, putting his foot straight through.
Red laid in a pool of her own blood, back against a boulder, staring ahead, at Argo, as he picked up the girl and checked her closely.
He was so concerned.
She could see Karl's crushed head. His brain matter squished, the pieces of his skull still attached barely by the flesh and muscle. His eyes popped out, one of which was flat.
...She giggled.
Argo glanced at her. He intended to finish her off. As a final mercy, to the kind doctor he had known.
But… not before crouching in front of her.
He was close, and his hand wrapped around the dagger in hers.
His lips moved, next to her ear.
"You know... It's your fault right? That they all died so pathetically. What was it? A doctors oath? Right. Everyone fighting right now, that you've saved, will die. Leaving me as your greatest and only achievement. Sleep now, Doctor. I'll handle the rest."
He tore the dagger from her hand, but she didn't scream in pain.
He saw the tears in her eyes despite the giggling fit she was undergoing, a brief glimpse into the woman she was.
It was mismatched, and creepy, but he knew that she was destroyed in the head.
She wasn't coming back from this, and she wouldn't be given a chance to either.
He wouldn't let her go into the next life, without suffering more, for having tried to use the girl, an innocent child, in a battle like this.
He gave the dagger back to the girl.
She looked at him.
He looked down at her.
He turned his sight away.
"If that is what you want. But make it quick. We need to get moving." Argo walked towards Lucian whilst taking off his shirt, to use as bandages for his wounds, meanwhile the girl holding the dagger walked past him, and stood in front of Red.
The little spirit was on the girls shoulder, watching eagerly. The grandpas had been wrong to scold him. She was a bad person. She deserved it. The little spirit's light was a little brighter while watching.
Red started laughing.
Full on laughing.
But she was not looking at the girl, with a dagger raised towards her.
She was not looking at Argo, picking up Lucian, and helping him stand.
She was not even looking at the bodies of her friends and comrades, through her blurry eyes.
No.
She was looking somewhere behind them all.
Somewhere far.
And she was laughing....
The earth began to shake violently. Argo looked up, a dawning realization hit him.
...She couldn't stop… laughing.
クリエイターの想い 
Wordlit_Sonata
Wordlit_Sonata Good evening.
I tried guitar today. I wasn't much any good.
I've been bedridden for a while now. Though I've been feeling somewhat better, and could move enough to make this chapter happen.
I'll keep you all posted through here and twitter on my health.
Expect the upload schedule to be a bit irregular until im back at full hp.
I will try to take care of myself better, to get back to normal uploads sooner as well.
Thank you for your supports, and as always,
Enjoy.
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