A man with a thin beard smiled as he watched the divine vessel being successfully secured by the four loyal followers he had personally selected. Finally, the time had come for his god to return to this world.
The man known as Ted recalled memories of his past. He hadn't simply become the leader of The Red Descendant's Ostheno branch overnight. He had clawed his way up from the bottom, enduring much ridicule, abuse, and injury.
His strong dedication to the group's cause finally paid off after he was appointed to lead the Ostheno branch. Another factor contributing to his success was his rise to Gold-rank, cementing his position as one of the strongest members in the entire cult.
Everything was going smoothly until a young boy managed to infiltrate their holy sanctuary. Based on his surroundings, he deduced that this boy shared the same affinity as him: Fire-affinity.
He paid no heed and continued with their sacred ceremony. Although he was curious about the blond-haired boy's ability to kill his followers with a single touch, he couldn't afford to delay the sacred ceremony any further. Besides, he was certain that his followers understood that dying for the group's cause was a noble sacrifice.
A massive explosion shattered the secret passageway, and many "sinners" poured in, intent on thwarting the descent of their revered deity.
"Great! The more people who witness this, the better!"
Ted delivered his speech with boundless enthusiasm. He looked at the ceremonial dagger he held. Its intricate design and elegant fire lines adorned the blade, exuding a mystical presence that touched his inner self.
Long before performing this ceremony, it took years to prepare himself. According to ancient texts, one must strengthen their own soul in order to serve as the ceremony's leader.
For this reason, the worshippers of the Red Descendant gathered various artifacts from ancient civilizations across the globe, and coincidentally, the cult obtained information about an artifact related to the soul.
After stealing the artifact, the worshippers decided to break it into several pieces to be given to those who were most dedicated and full of fighting spirit. Small fragments were infused into the weapons of his four loyal followers, and he placed the largest fragment into a special dagger of his choice.
With that special dagger, he was introduced to the concept of his very soul and was able to strengthen it. Another function of the dagger was its ability to separate the soul of anyone it pierced, and this was the cult's primary objective.
They aimed to sever the divine vessel's soul using that dagger, so that the small fragment of Firnekh's soul previously carved into it would transfer to the 'empty body', fulfilling their grand ambition.
Everything unfolded until Ted felt an extraordinary chill run down his spine. He looked down and saw a pair of small hands emerging from the mouth of the blond-haired boy.
"What in the name—"
He couldn't finish his sentence as a pitch-black giant sphere engulfed the open space, reaching all the way to the altar where he stood. It didn't stop there, multiple giant hands decorated the void, clasping together and overlapping like grotesque flowers. Elongated arms wrapped around the space, forming a vast net symbolizing a "cage" that wouldn't let anyone escape safely.
Thump...
"...! This feeling!" Ted halted and instinctively clutched his chest. Something had just grazed his soul—something so dangerous it forced him to choose protecting his soul over continuing the ceremony.
And beneath the altar, he saw a blond-haired boy glaring at him with deep hatred.
***
"Wha—what was that just now? Wha—what are those giant hands!?"
The adventurers and knights took turns shouting in confusion. "I don't know... but this is really unsettling!! Is this the work of those lunatics!?"
"Millie...?" asked Emilia, seeing her teammate standing there speechless, her mouth hanging open. Millie could only manage a few broken words as she witnessed the phenomenon in the dark room that enveloped nearly everyone.
"...Sir Eric... don't tell me..."
Rudy and the bald man in gauntlets halted their fight upon seeing this strange occurrence and stepped back from each other as something touched their inner souls.
"What the hell is... this!? Wh-what about the ceremony!? Esteemed Brother!"
"Ugh....!" Rudy groaned, trying to reassure himself after experiencing that unpleasant sensation. Ferguson and James, who were not far from Eric, also wore expressions of utter shock at the sudden formation of this black void.
James was also extremely uncomfortable with something that had suddenly touched him, though it seemed like an evil force had brushed against him. However, Ferguson understood that feeling because he had experienced it before… when Eric touched his soul.
Laurene and Lucas, who were facing the barbed-whip woman, were transfixed by the strange phenomenon around them, as were the women from the cult group. "What the hell is this!?"
Dianne shivered uncontrollably as she watched Eric, who appeared calm after pulling those repulsive hands out of his mouth, and at the same time felt something gripping her very being… not to mention this entire nightmare of hands adorning the dark space.
The one to make the first move to break the stalemate was Eric, calmly touching his chest to begin his healing. "Die, sinner!" The dagger-wielding woman snapped out of her daze after looking around, remembering her original purpose. She was certain of her victory since she was still holding Eric's hair, but her entire body suddenly began to tremble, and blood gushed from her eyes, ears, and nose.
"Looks like your toys also have the effect of strengthening the user's soul." Eric said indifferently. His innate technique did touch everyone's soul within his domain, but when he attempted to alter certain souls—including the man with the thin beard and his three loyal followers—he encountered resistance, particularly from the man with the thin beard.
But that doesn't mean he couldn't continue transforming the three followers, he just felt a slight resistance.
"What… are… y—" The woman with the dagger turned into a thin, elongated piece of flesh that Eric quickly stuffed into his pocket. "I'll use you later." He felt that his supply of transformed humans was running low and intended to replenish it. The dagger the woman had been holding became ownerless, falling freely to the ground.
James, Lucas, Laurene, and Dianne stared in shock as Eric casually picked up the nauseating object and stored it in his pocket. He then sensed two people approaching to attack him.
"You fucking sinner!"
"I'll kill you!! I'll kill yoooou!!"
"Big Brother!"
"Sir Eric!!"
The bald man in the gauntlet who was fighting Rudy somehow found his opponent suddenly running toward Eric, and Rudy tried to block the bald man with his earth magic but failed.
The woman with the barbed whip spun around and, filled with murderous intent, charged toward Eric after seeing what he had done to the dagger-wielding woman. Flames engulfed their weapons, while Lucas and Laurene tried to cast their respective spells.
Eric activated his technique quickly, turning the two lunatics into blobs of flesh with two blinking eyes. He picked up the fallen dagger and the two blobs of flesh.
His gaze shifted to the altar, where he saw a man with a thin beard attempting to restart the ceremony. Eric willed the technique to target the ordinary worshippers surrounding the stone bed where Connor laid.
"Wait—"
"I feel weird—"
The worshippers bloated beyond recognition, then exploded, spewing copious amounts of blood, splattering Connor, who watched their final moments clearly. The man with the thin beard—Ted—turned his body while spreading his robe to shield himself from the massive spray of blood and flesh.
Dianne watched the brutal scene in shock, but her instinct screamed that this was the moment to save her brother. Lucas and Laurene, who had been silently watching their opponents transformed into helpless piles of flesh, finally snapped to attention after Eric wordlessly gestured with his eyes and head toward Dianne, who was eliminating the worshippers who had begun to stir.
The twin siblings looked at each other, then at Eric. Realizing Eric was no longer under threat, they both nodded without saying a word and went to join Dianne.
The cries on the battlefield resumed. James and Ferguson finally arrived at Eric's side. The braided man relaxed his tense expression after confirming his son's safety. "You… look different, Eric…"
"Shit happens, Father." Eric slowly rotated his body, confirming that at least he was healed enough to move around. "I told you to save Connor first, though."
"I… I can't deny that… my body is moving on its own." James replied stiffly. Ferguson coughed and changed the subject. "Glad to have you back, Master Eric. "What's your plan?"
He looked up, then down. Dianne, Lucas, and Laurene were almost at the altar. "Let's go after them, then deal with him."
"Sounds good. About your strange… power. You owe me an explanation, son."
"That depends on the situation," Eric answered, shrugging nonchalantly.
James and Ferguson led the charge. The worshippers stood no chance against the combination of the two Gold-rank warriors blasting the lunatics. With his domain still active, Eric would randomly kill any worshipper by exploding them or transforming them and storing them in his pocket.
Even without touching them, two worshippers near him convulsed and transformed into a molten flesh-like mass. Eric pulled two more transformed humans from his pocket and merged them effortlessly.
"Soul Multiplicity!"
"Body Repel!"
The lumps of flesh in his hands transformed into sharp, seemingly living javelins, targeting the worshippers indiscriminately. Those struck died instantly, startling the knights and adventurers as their opponents were suddenly pierced by objects that appeared out of nowhere.
Eric felt the heat and turned toward the altar. A massive fireball formed in the hands of the man with the thin beard—aka Ted. Fury painted his face, casting a terrifying shadow created by the deadly flames.
"You-! How dare you sinners disturb our gloryyy!!"
The fire crashed down onto the altar, and a massive explosion swept away anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Lucas and Laurene synchronized their spells and erected a massive wall of ice coated in water.
Of course, the power gap between Bronze-rank and Gold-rank was vast, so the magical wall was unable to withstand the firepower of a spell cast by a Gold-rank.
Lucas, Laurene, Dianne, and several knights taking cover behind the wall were flung backward. They rolled several times before coming to a stop. The worshippers advanced toward those vulnerable figures, but James saw this and quickly changed the direction of his run to help his two children and Dianne.
Eric tried to transfigure Ted's soul, but before he could activate Idle Transfiguration, powerful blows came crashing in from outside his domain barrier. Eventually, his domain shell cracked and shattered.
"Are you fucking kidding me!?"
Eric grumbled, because what had shattered his domain from the exterior were reinforcements from the worshippers' side arriving from outside. They cheered wildly after successfully destroying the strange black sphere that had nearly covered the open space.
"We did it, brothers!!"
"Thank Lord Firnekh!!"
But they were bewildered when they saw their sacred ceremony not continuing. Instead, they found their Esteemed Brother hurling fire at the 'sinners'. They concluded that their ceremony had been disrupted and grew even more frenzied.
"On me, Ferguson. Let's properly kill the fucker this time."
Silently, the old adventurer brandished his sword, crackling with electricity. The two of them climbed onto the altar, and Ferguson launched the opening attack.
The old man fired multiple electric slashes, forcing Ted to dodge while casting his own spells. A barrage of flames surged toward Ferguson, but he nimbly cleaved and deflected the projectiles with his insane swordplay.
"A Gold-rank too!!" Ted seethed with rage, realizing that another Gold-rank besides James was present here. As for Eric, he approached Connor. Using the dagger previously owned by that woman, he tore through the chain and ripped the gag from Connor's mouth.
"Big-Big Bro E-Eric...! Why!"
"Sshh...later, brat. Get out of here first." Eric produced a transformed human from his pocket and shaped it into a strange bathtub with short legs. He picked up Connor and placed the red-haired boy inside.
"Eeehhh!?" Connor screamed in surprise as the strange bathtub ran down the altar, carrying him away. Ted was absolutely furious to see the divine vessel escape, loudly commanding his followers to capture Connor.
"Catch the divine vessel, my brethren!!"
"Don't forget about me, son of a bitch!"
Eric swatted his palm at Ted, but the man with the thin beard dodged the attack. Eric smirked, Ted didn't know that he was now in a state of burnout and couldn't use his cursed technique after Domain Expansion. And Eric intended to capitalize on Ted's ignorance, attacking alongside Ferguson.
A massive wall of flames erupted, trying to block Eric and Ferguson from getting closer, then spears of fire shot out from behind the wall, trying to hit them. Eric dodged them with ease.
Ferguson charged forward. His deadly slashes kept Ted from casting his spells. The man with the thin beard could only cast a few small fire spells meant to disrupt the old adventurer's vision, but they were ineffective against Ferguson's well-honed combat instincts.
This is where the gap between a Mage and a Swordsman became apparent. Ted was completely helpless against Ferguson's rapid attacks. Finally, Ted managed to create enough distance and cast his spell quickly.
"Enough!" Ted gasped. He drew the ceremonial dagger he had intended to use earlier. "Forgive me, my lord! But for the sake of the survival of your servants, allow me to teach these sinners a lesson!!"
The crazy bastard plunged the dagger into his own chest. "Urrghhkk..." Blood seeped through his clothes. Instead of a pained expression, Ted smiled broadly as if it were something to be grateful for.
"This... power... is Lord Firnekh... ughh...!?" His body slowly began to glow red, before finally unleashing an explosion brimming with Mana. Pressure filled the room, those standing beneath the altar felt an explosive surge of Mana that sent shivers down their spines.
Smoke billowed around the ceremonial site. Once it cleared, Ted's form had transformed beyond human recognition. Eric whistled as he waved his hand, "A second phase? Really?"
His human skin had vanished as before, replaced by dried, scorched skin with glowing red veins coursing throughout Ted's body. His eyes had also turned a deep crimson, and with every breath he took, small flames emerged from his nostrils as if he were a dragon. His ceremonial robes were now tattered from the fire, with only a few remnants left to cover his upper body.
"Perish, you sinners!!"
With a casual wave of his hand, a colossal wave of flames swept across the altar, threatening anyone who dared to stand in its path. Focusing on his sword, Ferguson tilted his trusty weapon, channeling a massive amount of Mana into it and swinging it vertically with lightning speed.
"Lightning Severance!"
The downward swing, imbued with potent electric magic, managed to pierce through the tsunami of fire, creating a temporary safe zone. The flames continued rolling past them before crashing into the cave wall, leaving behind scorch marks that sent tingles down the spine.
Ted then enveloped himself in a thin shield of fire. Ferguson assumed the man with the thin beard was casting a spell and turned to attack. Ted crouched slightly, then suddenly screamed.
"Aaarrrghhh!!"
Along with his scream, a tremendous wave of burning heat radiated from him. It was so intense that the heat wave was visible to the naked eye and knocked Ferguson, who was sprinting, far away from the altar. Eric held his ground, taking cover behind the stone bed, hoping Ferguson was okay and would come back to help him later.
"Finally!" Eric smacked his fist and stood facing Ted. Smoke and dust were still billowing thickly from the earlier blast. Eric held five transfigured humans—who were now relatively stable—in his hands, three of them being Ted's loyal followers: the gauntlet-wearing bald man, the woman with the dagger, and the woman with the barbed whip.
"Let's see if you can handle your former bitches." Feeling his technique had recovered, he chanted one of the techniques from Idle Transfiguration.
"Soul Multiplicity..."
The combined flesh grew larger and gradually took shape into a humanoid.
"Polymorphic Soul Isomer!"
A faceless humanoid, still possessing two legs and two arms, stood before Eric. Then he created another one, bringing the total to two of those humanoid beings. Ted furrowed his brow, as if he knew who that creepy humanoid was.
"My brethren!! You-!!"
Without a word, the two humanoids sprinted forward to attack Ted. The man with the thin beard retaliated by stomping his feet. A massive eruption of fire burst forth from the ground, resembling a geyser but composed entirely of pure flame.
The two transfigured humanoids dodged the blast and managed to close in on Ted. The man stretched his arms forward, creating a giant fiery sphere the size of a carriage.
"Flame Cannon!!"
One of the humanoids was hit and died instantly, while the other managed to dodge at the last moment. Ted was about to launch a barrage of fire javelins at the remaining humanoid, but the creature punched him first.
"Kuaaaggkkh!?"
Even so, his spell was successfully cast and fired, striking the last humanoid and rending its vital parts, ultimately killing it.
Ted was knocked far from the altar, landing below and hitting several adventurers who were fighting other worshippers. He coughed up blood, clutching his chest, not expecting that strange creature to pack such a powerful punch capable of sending him flying.
Back at the altar, Eric recalled that he was on the brink of death and would go all-in. So he too transformed himself, even though it meant becoming a monster.
"Idle Transfiguration"
He touched his own body, bracing himself for the excruciating pain to come.
"Instant Spirit Body of Distorted Killing"
Eric's entire body was assaulted by indescribable pain. He fell to the ground, but through that agony, his body transformed. His body was covered in rigid armor, his form had completely transformed into that of a monster, complete with a tail and black tendrils extending from the back of his head and both elbows.
He slowly stood up, opening and closing his fists. He could feel the power humming within him, as if he were truly free to do anything. Eric shook his head and focused. He leaped from the altar toward where Ted had fallen.
Meanwhile, Ted, who was slowly recovering, found himself being watched by several adventurers and knights. Not only that, he also saw the divine vessel—aka Connor—escorted by Rudy, Millie, and Emilia, along with several knights from Ostheno and Videno, making their way across the battlefield.
"Come back here!! Divine ves-"
His angry shout cut short as he sensed a powerful killing intent coming from above. Eric landed with such force that it caused a massive crack in the ground. Everyone nearby witnessed the monster's reappearance.
"Who are these guys!?"
"I-I don't know!?"
"Esteemed Brother!? Nooo!!"
The adventurers and knights were bewildered, while the worshippers wept at the sight of their leader's dedication—sacrificing his body for their cause. Ted glared at the newly arrived tailed monster, finally recognizing it upon hearing its voice.
"Fight fire with fire… fight monster with monster, right?"
"Insolent sinner!!"
Ted unleashed his chaotic Mana, instantly creating a deadly heatwave around him. But those waves had no effect on the newly transformed Eric, and he decided to bring their fight to an end as quickly as possible.
When Ted blinked, Eric was already in front of him, kicking him in the face so hard he was sent flying. Not stopping there, Eric predicted the trajectory of Ted's fall and sprinted at top speed toward that spot.
Then he threw a powerful punch at Ted's back. The man with the thin beard was once again sent flying as if he were a toy ball.
"Don't mess with me!!"
In midair, Ted chanted a series of spells, forming giant fireballs and hurling them at Eric.
"Scorching Spheres!!"
The spell was deadly enough to shatter a human into pieces upon impact. Yet Eric didn't dodge or move. Instead, he spread his arms as if waiting for the spell.
Boooom!
The massive explosion shook the ground, leaving a cloud of thick black smoke. Ted was panting, a smile blooming on his face, certain of his victory. But he was forced to face the harsh reality once the smoke cleared and revealed Eric still standing, unscathed.
"Thanks for the warm wind."
"How... are you still alive...-"
Eric didn't respond and launched a close-range attack. He wouldn't bother using Idle Transfiguration because he wanted to beat the shit out of this bastard. His flurry of punches was incredibly fast and painful, again and again, Ted coughed up blood and was unable to launch a counterattack.
In fact, even when he could, even at point-blank explosions, his opponent didn't seem to feel any pain or take any damage. Eric then used his tail to strike Ted from the side, completely catching the thin beard man off guard.
Entering Ted's range, he slashed Ted's chest with the black tendrils on both his elbows, causing massive bleeding.
"Argghhh!! Sin-sinner!!"
Inwardly, Eric was somewhat impressed by how durable this bastard's body was. He'd taken multiple powerful punches from his current form and was still standing. Yet, that durable body was finally reaching its limit, judging by the blood and wounds appearing all over his body.
"No, no, no, no!! I can't let our dream be buried againnnnn!! If I can't hurt you, then these people will taste my wrath!!"
Ted's throat glowed intensely, as did his face. A small red orb manifested before his mouth, and every second, the Mana around them swirled toward that strange orb. Eric sensed a crisis, the man with the thin beard intended to wipe out the adventurers and knights who were busy fighting.
In that brief moment, Eric sensed the presence of two people approaching. He smiled, recognizing the Mana signatures of the two. He undid his transformation, returning to his original appearance.
Eric's action caught Ted's attention. He was confused as to why the boy had suddenly returned to his original form. A quick hypothesis formed in his mind: that the boy had run out of strength and energy.
"See!? Your insolence has brought ruin upon yourself, sinner!!"
Ted changed his target back to Eric. The red orb was nearly finished absorbing the surrounding Mana, ready to unleash a devastating blast of flame.
"Bathe in Lord Firnekh's judgment—!"
Before Ted could unleash his fire spell, a blistering cold and crackling sound came from his right and left.
"Lunar Frost!"
"Thunder Sun!"
A blue crescent slash adorned with snowflakes and bright gold zigzag lightning struck Ted's body simultaneously, causing the red orb to dissipate and making Ted howl in agony.
"Guuuaaahkk!?!?"
The combined attack from James and Ferguson shattered Ted's attack, which had almost been unleashed. Time seemed to slow down. Eric met Ferguson's gaze, and the old adventurer nodded. James did the same, he nodded and softly spoke his words.
"Finish him, son."
Eric blurred, lowering his stance as he clasped his right hand with his left hand. He clenched his right fist so hard, channeling all his strength into that single spot.
With his right fist, with his final punch, he would live up to his father's expectations, pave his way to victory, and put an end to this whole nonsensical nightmare.
Ted, who finally realized Eric was right up close, was astonished. The blond-haired boy's expression was terrifying, like someone who truly intended to defeat him.
In slow motion, Ted watched Eric drive his right fist forward without hesitation, without a care in the world. In that one-millionth of a second, he underestimated Eric, who had chosen to punch him with a regular fist...and that way of thinking guaranteed his defeat.
"Black Flash!!"
A thunderous boom accompanied by black lightning echoed through the cave. The sound of the explosion caused by the phenomenon spread far into the depths of the cave, making those who heard it flinch.
"Guurrrgghh!?!?"
Ted flew all the way to the back of the cave and violently crashed into the cave wall. James and Ferguson couldn't believe their eyes as Eric unleashed that devastating force with a single punch.
As for the one who performed that feat—Eric—he remained calm, showing no excessive emotion. He was simply calm, with a slight furrow of his brow suggesting a hint of annoyance.
Ted lay there, limp and helpless. His ribs were completely broken, blood was pouring from his mouth, and he couldn't even move a single finger.
Eric clicked his tongue upon seeing the man with the thin beard, confirming that Ted was still alive but on the verge of death. Eric was about to put Ted to sleep permanently when he suddenly sensed a surge in Mana that spiked rapidly.
Inside Ted's chest, particularly his heart, the fragmented soul of Firnekh was slowly crumbling due to its inability to withstand the intense pressure caused by Eric's attacks.
Ted's heart was pounding so hard that Eric could hear it. He knew within seconds after observing the Mana, the heartbeat, and the heat that began to radiate.
"Fo-for...you...m-my lord...Firnekh..."
Chilled to the bone, Eric widened his eyes and scrambled back to his father and Ferguson. "Fall back! Return to the surface!!" Eric shouted as he ran quickly.
Ferguson and Eric sensed an enormous amount of Mana behind Eric. Without being told, they understood the urgency of the situation.
"Get out of here, everyone!!"
"Huh? What?"
"Lord James!? What is that!?"
The knights and adventurers were startled by the Mana swelling like a balloon. Not only that, but intense heat was also clearly emanating from the strange phenomenon.
"Is that... thing going to explode?"
"There's no time!! Quick, grab anyone you can!!"
The atmosphere on the battlefield shifted from combat to a race to escape. Lucas, Laurene, and Dianne were helped by the knights. Connor was now being carried by a knight.
Rudy, Emilia, and Millie helped those who were struggling to stand and run. The worshippers, however, wept uncontrollably at the sight of their leader's defeat.
Those worshippers intended to die alongside Ted, willing to be consumed by the imminent explosion. Eric ran back, attempting to defuse or even delay the explosion by transforming Ted's body.
"Stubborn as hell, aren't you!?" He was startled to see Ted's soul with such extreme rejection, causing the risk of an explosion to increase with every passing second. He looked behind him, there were still people left who hadn't exited or reached the exit.
Eric wasn't out of ideas. He poured every transformed human he had onto the ground, then combined them all and turned them into a gigantic drill that gnawed at the earth. Mini-earthquakes shook the cave, but it still did its job.
A pitch-black, extremely deep excavation pit formed. Without hesitation, Eric threw Ted's body into that deep pit. Eric bolted from that spot, and seconds later, a colossal explosion of fire violently shook the area.
The deep pit only slightly mitigated the blast's impact. A brutal earthquake shook the stalagmites at the top of the cave, candles fell, and everything was consumed by the inferno.
Eric was the last one to run, and in the final moments, he managed to reach the surface and immediately slid to the ground. A split second later, the village chief's house exploded and shattered into pieces.
He stared at the ruins of the house and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Finally, all of this was over… for now.