Reveria pulled back on the bowstring, the tension felt just right. She aimed it at the sky, an arrow manifested itself between her index and middle finger.
Then she let it go, causing a massive volley of arrows to fire instead of just one. Each misty dart of Distorted energy turned to face nearby Distorted before they struck them.
Entities emerged from a different reality. They flooded, taking positions around Demon and Reveria. When she would've usually sensed fear and panic, Reveria felt her instincts telling her to attack.
So she did. She drew the bowstring back one more time, taking aim at as many Distorted as she could, then she let it go. Unleashing a stronger, more furious volley.
Corrupted tips pierced the skinny limbs of the steaming black creations. Inviting Demon to participate in the slaughter.
He rampaged towards them, quickly traversing through the clearing. All Distorted watched as he rose over them, shoulders turned into explosive launchers.
Like a reverse fireworks show, twenty containers full of explosive Syndicate Dust darted to his targets. Eventually making landfall and leveling the ground they stood on.
Dirt clouded everyone's vision, making it difficult for anybody to see unless they had other methods of sensing threats. In Reveria's case, she had her bow.
Arrows emerged from the debris, each one angrier than the last. Now with the newly discovered dread Reveria felt for losing Ukaley, they dealt more damage.
Instead of simply landing on targets, they began to explode and rip apart Distorted. Their tips ravaged their limbs, after impact, they'd shatter and send shards into their bodies.
The bonus explosion came from Reveria's regret merged with the Distorted's built in emotions. Upon clashing, they'd set off a black explosion meant to relief these entities of their misery.
Something Demon noticed when he dashed through several of them consecutively, before turning around and detonating them all. When the blast cleared, the world felt easier to live in.
Almost like taking one's burdens off their shoulders and resting for once in their lives. Then a little thought crept into Demon's mind.
What if each soul that he had ever consumed as his own became Distorted by the end? Just like the Distorted that consumed, when Demon died to his older brother, he came back as one.
Maybe that's how the cycle worked. The Broken Melody was just the thing one hears when the Distorted comes back to life as one, not what turns an individual into one.
Jealousy took over, causing Demon to be even more ruthless. Instead of aiming to kill them quick, Demon tore their limbs apart before killing them right away.
Deep down, Demon wanted to change positions with his enemies. So he could finally rest after a long overdue death. Yet he couldn't, no matter how much he wanted.
The Nine wanted him to continue being their Servant, so he must pretend. Until the day he kneels to no higher-ups, he will continue to play the fool and let himself get manipulated.
A sphere of corrupted energy emerged from Demon's core, it floated far enough overhead for all entities to watch. Including Reveria, who stood by, clueless.
It tethered itself to Demon, and Demon tethered it to all Distorted on the shore. A white link of blinding paranormal energy unified them as one. Before Demon crushed an imaginary object in his hand, causing all Distorted to scream in agony as they died.
Reveria emerged from her kneeling position, scanning the entire area for more Distorted. But she found none. All she could think about was how oddly easy it was to take such beings down.
Demon turned to her, acknowledging her confusion. "Easy, right? They're harvesters, that's why. The lowest kinds of harvesters the Distorted Mind has."
"There are ranks to those things?" Reveria asked out of shock.
"Unfortunately, yes. They have no names, only shapes. Each Distorted you've ever felt and been afraid of was all the lowest of the low. What exists beneath them is us," Demon explained.
A bone chilling feeling washed down her spine. Something about how powerful Distorted were really bothered her. Especially since it only takes the literal weakest to unnerve even the mightiest.
"Let's not standby. Run to Volknair and help clear the entire area of flyers. I'll run to the shore and see what I can do with those vessels," Demon ordered.
With a firm nod, Reveria took off. Mounds of dirt cushioned her boots as she ran towards her allies, this time with a huge sense of accomplishment.
In that moment, she didn't realize it, but her desperation to have Ukaley return to her was beginning to fade. The memory was turning into a memory, not a fantasy or desire.
And Demon was aware of this. He understood Reveria wasn't doing the best emotionally, so he aided her. Not out of strategy or respect, but because he needed everyone to be in their strongest.
He wasn't thinking about the present; he was thinking about the future. There was a battle in the horizon, one in Yarno. This one would be the next step taken for all involved.
The plan on how it would go continued to cloud Demon's mind as he gazed out into the bay. Vessels silent and dormant, waiting for their shipmasters to send out messages for resupply.
Just the sight of them enraged him because they reminded him of the Seeker. Somewhere off in the middle of nowhere, waiting for its next opportunity to attack.
Syndicate Dust consumed Demon's shoulders and arms as he stepped into the incoming waves. Before Demon took another step, he had the unusual urge to look down into the water.
As if something was asking him to. And he did. The water fuzzed with the visible salt before settling down quicker than it arrived. The ocean went silent too, waiting for something.
Inside his reflection, Demon realized there was another being behind him. A perfect Zegus, the very definition of their uncanny strength and unrelenting power.
Demon turned around to lock eyes with the strange visitor. Upon facing them, he realized this was a Servant. Who its wielder was did not matter, what did was the reason why it was there.
"Last time we spoke, the Distorted Mind was running rampant. And fortunately for us, something has changed," its perfect lips moved differently than the words spoken. "For that, I was sent to help."
"With what?" Demon asked.
"You'll see when those ships have been destroyed," the Servant concluded.