A day later, the possessed Julian landed on the wretched dirt shores of Fershingan
The Perfect apex predator is here. He thought inwardly, remarking on himself. He wore no shoes, so his toes wriggled on the black sand.
Julian's contacts were off. With piercing red eyes, he marched on forward, with strong intent. In his hand was a shabby sword, tough enough to at least slay. There was nothing too special about it, a black hilt of leather, and a sturdy steel blade.
There will be many other nights like this.
Julian knocked on the shabby door. Three times, then twice. Then three times again. This was the code that had been learned by Julian, and now utilized by Hubris.
It opened, slowly.
"Julian?! You're— how did you even manage to get here? We were looking for you so long, we thought you'd never come back!"
Rosette answered the door. It was that grey-skinned demon, that Julian was quite fond of. Her jet black hair had grown a bit longer, now tied into a bun.
"Haha… this is a bit embarrassing, but I tried to embark on this travel. I ended up getting lost at sea, and the currents managed to redirect me back here."
"…"
It seems like I've said the wrong thing. That doesn't sound quite the bit believable. I guess I just have to kill her now.
Rosette grabbed Julian, pulling him into a cold hug.
"We were really worried. Me and Doctor Vaen!"
"…"
Julian embraced her quietly. Slowly, the sword at his waist was pulled out of it's holster.
Julian stepped back.
Slsh!
A deep cut traveled diagonally, from Rosette's right shoulder to her left hip. Her face was pale. The white in her eyes could be seen from miles away.
Her body shattered, reverting to a white color.
"You don't look to be surprised that it was a clone. Who are you? What have you done with Julian's body?" A voice from behind Julian spoke, a little shaky.
Julian quickly turned around.
[Cast: Perfect Flashstep]
Dust flew into the air, as his foot slid backwards. He lunged toward Rosette, standing nearby a tree.
Instantly, she braced.
[Cast: Vine Overtake]
From the ground, thick vines shot into the air. They moved with minds of their own, wrapping around Julian.
This was nothing but a minor setback; while Julian was still in motion, he spun around, slicing the vines before they could wrap around him.
Rosette's eyes widened. Julian was heading toward her, and he was moving quickly!
Damn it!
[Cast: Blaze Blade]
In the palm of her hand, a sword of energy, burning hot, manifested.
Her sword met with Julian's, just in time.
The heat of her blade so close to her face, along with the desperation, made her perspire.
"You're skilled."
Julian pushed forward with his blade, sending Rosette back a bit.
But Rosette pushed on forward.
Slsh!
Her hands moved quickly. Her hot sword struck vertically.
Julian raised his blade to block the attack. But the metal melted, and was split in half.
Ktchk!
A small cut was formed at his cheek. Burning incredibly hot.
"…
"It's been quite some time since I've felt pain. Thank you for that. I guess your worthless existence has proven value to at least me."
[Cast: Perfect Flame]
His hand shot forward.
Whoosh!
Intense flames shot forward!
They burned hot, and burned continuously, with a wide range. The attack was cone shaped. The closer you were to it, the more lethal it would be.
Rosette was unlucky. She was incredibly close.
Screams of agony could be heard from miles away. They were coming from her, pleas of desperation, barbaric grunts.
She was burning alive.
This smell… the smell of cooked meat is really making me hungry.
The fire dissipated. All that was left in front of Julian was the shape of what appeared to a be a human, dark and featureless.
Julian sighed, rubbing his stomach for a moment. Then, he ripped off a piece of his shirt.
. .
.
Deep within his facility, The reptilian man, Dr. Vaen, was consumed by his studies. Along with worry. Julian had not shown up for several weeks, and he knew that Julian was tough, just as he built him to be. Despite this, he could not help but wonder.
Julian… please be safe.
It would be horrible for something to happen to you. He thought. He placed his papers down, rubbing his face. He let out quite the obnoxious sigh, as if he was trying to rid himself of all the negativity stored deep within his body.
His hand slowly lowered.
Then, something strange was felt.
Tightening.
Around his neck, a cloth tightened, restricting his airflow.
His eyes shot open, and he tried to turn around.
Long nails clawed at his neck.
"Relax. Just relax, Dr.Vaen."
The familiar voice made him slowly lose all power.
J-Julian?
At this point, his vision was starting to get dark.
"I'm sorry. Well, I'm not. I don't want to lie to you, now that you're dead. But I just wanted to let you know that Rosette is dead as well. Don't have any regrets dying, saying useless things in your head like 'I should've saved her', or 'What happened to my poor boy?'. These thoughts are pointless. There's nothing you could've done to stop this. You've unfortunately met an unstoppable force, or rather, inevitability. So, pass away peacefully."
Julian tightened even harder.
Naturally, Dr. Vaen's body would resist, and wriggle around. Even after all of his urge to live disappeared. Saliva dribbled at the side of his lips.
Then, he stopped moving.