"Cheers!" every foreigner and every resident of Satbury village toasted on the night of the full moon. They joyously drank Gravida from their stemware glass, tasting the bittersweet, dry, and tangy flavor of the new ingredient that the villagers used on it.
Karma was taken aback by the elderly's words. He was a peculiar man who was a rumormonger; but his level of peculiarity tonight was far worse than before, not to mention the blood that was trailing down from his eyes.
Dagen's spine snapped in half. He bent backwards, upper torso dangling like a puppet. He charged onto Karma with eyes overspilling with insanity.
The speed of the possessed old coot was sinister and uncanny. He didn't give time for Karma to retreat. As soon as Dagen's knees bumped against Karma's legs, his torso returned to a proper and humane stance a second before his chest ruptured, splashing blood onto the teenager with a part of the appendix smacking onto his face. Two eyes that resembled black and shiny orbs blinked at Karma from the ruptured flesh of Dagen's chest. A few of the busted ribs were exposed, showing that he was sheltering a sheol inside of him. The baby was holding the man's tongue in its small hands, chomping on it with his razor-sharp teeth and devouring it with a slurp. It burped with satisfaction.
"Peek-a-boo!" the infant piped, giggling right after.
Karma scoffed yet his head snapped when he heard a chorus of harsh coughs coming from the foreigners. The villagers who Karma sees everyday and came to know carried broadened smiles. They watched the foreigners with wicked amusement as they choked on the special ingredient put in each bottle. Their bloodshot eyes, nose, and ears trailed with bright red blood.
Salem was calmly watching the diabolical events unfold. The stage 1 vessels had successfully infected the entire population of Satbury village and sent bottles of Gravida which contained the demonic parasite to different parts of Canaan.
The excom whistled; a white eagle with silver-blue beak soared in the obsidian skies.The eagle landed on his anticipating arm and it leaned its head closer to Salem's face. Once it heard his message, the eagle flew away, cuing Salem that it was time to stand. His left arm throbbed severely, stopping him in his tracks.
'He's awake now.'
Kou sensed another vessel within the village. The parasites that were implanted inside both the villagers and the foreigners were now activated. He had no clue on how to save the already possessed. Their lives were long gone and absorbed by the parasitic infants. This was his first time witnessing this kind of occurrence. Clearly, with the emergence of a new demon lord, the vessels strayed away from their usual behavior. They became more aggressive.
He leaped from roof to roof to get to the source of the dark sensation. Once he reached the origin, the Stage 3 Juvenile vessel from El'Azar was attacking demon-possessed corpses. There were newborns that either peeked from their chest or completely sprouted from their wide-stretched jaws.
"Must report to Sir Salem," Kou told himself. He had seen the man seal this vessel so why was it out?
"Kou…" His king's voice whispered in his head.
The kingless knight spun to find where the voice came from but there was no one there. The eyes watching him felt near but the person seemed to be unreachable.
Wails, laughter, and screams created a harmony of horror. Kou decided to leave the juvenile loose before slashing it down. Sir Salem might want to observe the creature.
Karma didn't wait for orders. The villagers were a threat to the entire Canaan. He raised his hands up; the motion pulled purple crosses from underneath that shot up from the skies before skewering the possessed to the ground. Salem placed his hands on Karma's head and said his blessing.
"May the Spirit of the Elysians be with you."
"And also with you," Karma replied.
Strings bridged from the teenger's fingertips which connected to the crosses that staked the villagers and the foreigners. A burning light surged through the strings, purging the demonic infants of their rights in the mortal realm. Screeches pierced through the supposed quiet night and ashes signified a successful banishment from the living.
The crosses disappeared, releasing the bodies to the ground. Salem sauntered towards the corpse of old Dagen, stepping on the ashes of the once living.
"Journey well old man. May God set aside your gossiping tongue and admit you to heaven."
There was a tradition in Canaan that before a corpse could be buried, a body part that perpetrated the most sins should be severed and buried separately. The reason for this tradition was for the soul to be permitted to enter Elysia. Salem was supposed to severe Dagen's tongue but the baby already ate it.
"There will be more, prepare yourself."
"Understood, master."
Every house and store was searched and turned upside down. While Salem and Karma became the duo of the night, Kou was a single player who vanquished the possessed all alone.
He moved with the speed of pink lightning that was alluring and blinding to the eyes of the vessels. He was like a gigantic wisp that came with a booming entrance. He struck each figure with his spear, leaving a connection of long-lasting rays of electricity that burned the vessels one by one. Just when he had thought that he was finished, a sickle came flying towards him. Kou scaled his neck that deflected the neck-cutting slash of the weapon.
"You have served your purpose," Kou said. The vessel had aided in this battle, however, vessels cannot be controlled. They acted on their own free will. The sinister creature was coated with both blood and black goo. The vessel disappeared in a flash, emitting the same pink electricity as Kou. It appeared in front of him, aiming to split him in half with the sickle.
Kou dodged the attack, vanishing from sight. The cheerful Satbury village turned into Satbury grave. The place was embellished with sparks of pink lightning coming from different beings from different origins. A tall snake-like figure that happened to pass by in hopes of getting a human meal got curious about the little sparks of pink that were visible from the forestry. Once he was closer, his eyes beheld such a unique event.
One loud and powerful explosion erupted, causing a separation of the two creatures. The demon and Kou slid apart from one another. Basil snorted.
"Having a hard time, old general?"
Kou slightly grinned.
"It is just the beginning."
Light engulfed Kou's body. A wave of luminesce flared before calming into the scenery of the ivory moon behind Kou. Multiple howls of wolves came into an orchestra. A pack of white hungry wolves scampered towards the vessel.
The knight's eyes burned into scarlet, leading the carnivorous mammals with just his presence alone. The wolves seized the demon with their teeth, mauling on the disgusting flesh. Basil hummed in amusement, turning away.
Kou and his group of puppies could handle that. He didn't have to go that far though. He guessed that his old general was merely showing off, but if someone would ask Basil if this was already the extent of his powers, this was just a mere inch of it.
There was more to the knight than anyone could ever imagine.
With the demon kept in place by the hungry animals, Kou lifted his spear, tossing it with much ease and confidence. His ancient weapon spiraled with lethality.
It was a clear and perfect aim. There was no escaping from it. A whirlwind accompanied the toss but an interfering hand held the shaft before it could pierce through the juvenile's chest.
"Why?" Kou asked.
Salem's amber eyes were narrowed in graveness.
"This juvenile...is my subordinate."