When I woke up I could hear a frustrated shout and immediately I jumped back and tried to form a mana dagger, but the only thing that greeted me was pain from my body. It was then I realized I was out of mana, so I took out a magic sword from my dimensional ring and scanned the room, only to find all the monsters on the floor, unresponsive and pretty sure completely dead now.
"What did you do to me!!" A scream as clear as the light could be heard as I looked around only to find the scythe glowing red and trembling.
Piecing one and one together I fell down on my ass and laughed.
"O how the mighty sovereign has fallen, I never imagined for you to reduce to a weapon without a form" I laughed and laughed at the poor sovereign, and he seemed to hate it since there was an intimidating red aura forming around the scythe like a fog.
Laying down carelessly I had a huge grin on my face as I turned my head to see the scythe still on the ground and I let out a breath of relief. I lifted my right hand and reached for the scythe only to hold up my middle finger towards it.
"Fuck you old man" I mocked and the red hue intensified which only brought more joy for me as I laughed again, my body ached everywhere with more laughter I caught out until I finally felt my throat was sore and I stopped laughing.
I took out my flask from my ring and drank it. The feeling of the cold water hitting my dry throat was bliss as it felt as if I was in a desert and had not had anything to drink for days.
"Ah that was good" I gasped out in pleasure, even though it was just simple ice cold water, but it brought me so much pleasure for my dry throat. Standing up I looked down at the scythe and thought what I should do to it.
"Destroying it or even trying to would require so much work" I whined, but my gaze stayed at the scythe that was laying down on the floor it's red hue growing more intense as time pass by.
Hesitating a bit I hovered my palmed above the scythe that was glowing, my palm hovering above the red hue that emitted from the scythe as the scythe still trembled in rage probably. My heart rate hastened and my body shivered, even in this weapon form the aura it had up close was not pleasant. Was this what death feels like up close? Will I also feel this when my time comes?
Diving down I grabbed the scythe only to feel nothing at all. Seems like my worries were for naught, but it didn't last long before that red glow appeared again in my arms, but only for a second before it all went dark.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a void? A pit? I do not know. It was just a vacuum of space, filled with nothing and emitted nothing. No life, no flow of time, no forces of nature. Just endless quietness and nothingness no matter where I looked. No matter how far I try to sense something I was only met with nothing. Am I dead? Did I die after holding that cursed weapon?
Questions flooded my mind but none of them could be answered by me. I could only let my imagination run wild, which led to more unanswered questions in my head. But only one question stood out the most amongst the others.
Is this my end?
I had defeated death; it isn't me who was going to be claimed by death. I was the one who was supposed to claim death. I defeated death yet why was I so casual of letting death claim me? No it can't end like this. It shouldn't end like this. I defeated you. You hold no right to claim my soul.
"So will you claim me?" He asked in a deep voice and that was when I knew. I fucked up. This was a trap set by him so I'd accept him. My blood boiled for allowing myself to fall for such cheap tricks. Even after centuries of existence I still managed to get caught off guard by him. It didn't matter if he existed before my race. It didn't matter if he was almighty and all powerful. It didn't matter if he was the God of Death.
I am Razark Quinmorit. I am the last descendant of Rael Quinmorit. I am the (Nickname TBA) and I lost to such low trickery.
"I claim you as mine" I spoke begrudgingly, my voice low and hints of anger was blatantly visible if anyone was watching. I clenched my fists hard as my jaws clenched as well. Frustration and disappointment welled inside me. Not to anyone, but to myself. This was his win, but I swear. I will pay this debt tenfold.
After I spoke those words an evil laugh rang across the subspace, filling the once ever quiet subspace with a loud horrifying and crude laughter. I shivered at the sudden evil laugh, it was as if a tyrant was rejoicing in the sufferings of his people, his laugh filled with so much amusement and sadistic joy.
"Shut up" I wanted to growl, but the pressure he was emitting because of his joy crushed me. What absurd power is this? Did he hold back during our fight? Or did I catch him off guard? More questions began to swirl in my head, but that didn't last long as a searing pain began invading my hands and a black skull tattoo with red eyes appeared on my palm.
"I shall await for the day you call my name and summon me, with that the bond will complete and we will become one," Those were the last words I could hear before I was greeted with darkness.
-----------------
I woke up drenched in my own sweat, my breathing ragged and my body hot as if I had just run at my fastest speed until I couldn't run anymore. Despite all the damage I had received from that subspace I was healthy here. Not a single scratch remained from my fight with him, but to my horror the symbol he had left was certainly there. Etched to the very fiber on my skin.
Looking around the room I found a plate with a peeled and cutted apple that reassembled that of a rabbit, and beside it was a knife, my head looked back and forth between the knife and the mark. Without any second thoughts I grabbed the knife and tried to skin off the tattoo, but when my skin regenerated the tattoo regenerated alongside my skin. It felt like this tattoo was a part of me and I hated it, I hated that feeling, I hated it, I loathed the feeling. The feeling of being bonded with this unknown being. That disgusting power over death. The power that toys other people's lives.
"Oh you're awake?" A voice rang in my head and I clutched my head, the sound was so loud, as if there was an explosion directly beside my ear.
"Fuck you're too loud" I groaned and he chuckled, again he didn't adjust his voice and my head felt as if it was about to explode.
"Sorry. Sorry. It's been a while since someone hosted me" He spoke in a joking manner that irritated me. Looking around the room I found some water and stood up to take that water.
"Just shut up for a few days and don't talk to me so I can forget your existence" I spoke in a raspy voice before chugging the water down my throat.
"You will learn to accept me one day. Your soul was fated to find me and I to find you" He spoke before it all went silent. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself.
I never liked powers that meddle with the dead. It would bring up bad memories after my fight.
"You're right. It was no coincidence that I stumbled upon your lair. No your prison, and it is also no coincidence that you know my ancestor. But give me time and maybe one day I'll accept you" I spoke, but I knew it was not going to be short. The trauma I suffered in the past because of the power relating to death was one that I'd never forget.
"Just keep quiet and let me sort out some stuff," I spoke in a neutral tone and opened my eyes. I tried to sense the mana around me but it seems like I was still drained from my mana.
"I need to find a witch soon" I thought as I walked towards the tent's exit and when I got out a blinding light immediately hit my eyes and I lifted my hand up to cover my eyes from the blinding light of the sun.
"You're awake?" A familiar female voice spoke behind me and I saw our raid captain, her once bright ruby red eyes were now dim, her eyes voided from any emotions. I knew what she was feeling.
"It's not your fault, raid captain. The people we received information has a very positive reputation for their information. Which means this place evolved in that short span before we arrived. It wouldn't be the first time something like this happened," I tried to console the raid captain, but my headache wasn't helping me.
"Are you ok?" The raid captain asked me and her eyes returned to normal, I raised my hand "I'm fine, my head is just ringing a bit, it's probably because of the rage pill. I'm sure it'll get better soon," I assured her, not wanting to worry her any further. I tried to leave to get some fresh air.
"Did anyone else come looking for me?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No, I've been out here standing guard in front of the tent and saw no one came by" She replied. I nodded my head and was about to take a walk, when I turned around I realized we were in a dome.
"Where are we?" I asked, I turned around to see her nervous.
"When we tried to return home we stumbled upon this little city, but when we realized what we stepped into it was too late. This is The city Testudin. A separate space was created by mages and witches in an experiment to make more space for the population, but during the experiment rift monsters started to breach in and they had to make this barrier," She spoke in a solemn voice, but her expression turned grim as soon as an explosion was heard. "But as all things nothing is impenetrable. Every week the barrier would weaken and at that time those rift monsters would breach in and attack the city," She explained as she took out her axe from her dimension ring.
"We can only leave at the end of the month, when the crack is big enough for all of us to leave," She continued as her armor started to appear. Her body was engulfed in ashes and quickly her armor manifested.
"It would be wise for you to step back in this fight. I can barely sense any mana from you," She teased my condition and I could just let out a tired sigh, but suddenly I felt a little surge of mana flow inside me and I saw the tattoo on my hand glow red.
"Use it. My mana is your mana, what is mine is your and what's yours is mine. We will become one entity in the future so might as well start and get used to this," I could hear his voice speak in my head and I nodded my head in gratitude for his help.
"Oh. It seems my eyes were fooling me, you're so full of mana. Were you that desperate to stretch your body?" She asked in a mocking tone, bout I could still see her surprised pupils the moment I felt him giving me some of his mana.
"How did you get this mana?" I asked curious of how he gathered this mana whilst I was knocked out cold.
"People that use my type of magic need mana right? Where do you think that mana goes?" He spoke as if stating facts and I just gave him one simple answer.
"Oh" I feel enlightened now.
Suddenly I heard loud thumps and I looked to the side to see giant machines around 6 meters tall and it seemed heavy as it was equipped with various magical cannons and a melee weapon on its back.
"What are those?" I asked, pointing at one of the machines.
"A defense droid, the people here call it. They're charged with crystals the rift monsters have in their bodies. Those have been around for quite a while, but if you're wondering why they don't exist in our place. You should know the answer to that" She replied and I understood why she meant that. In our place machines like that wouldn't make a dent in the power difference, so those things were of no use, but I'm quite curious how those machines would fare here.
"Are those remote controlled or…"
"They require two pilots to function to its fullest. One of the pilots would control the movements, whilst the other would control the weapons and hand movements," She quickly cut me off before I could finish my question.
"Come on, let's help the volks a little as a token of gratitude for allowing us to stay for a while," She spoke whilst making a come here gesture with her axe.
"Right behind you captain" I replied as I took out my sword from my ring.
"Don't overuse yourself. I can't be carrying you on my back again, that'll be bad for your reputation Lone wolf," She teased me and my face turned to that of an annoyed one and was soon followed by her laughing at me and throwing me a light blue stone.
"Use that to absorb the crystals in the monsters. The volks here says that one stone could hold a lot of the crystals energy" She said, still laughing a bit. She's finally back to normal huh? It's not everyday I see the raid captain depressed.
"Come on now captain, we have a wave to slaughter. Or would you rather sit down back in the tent and prepare me some sliced apples" I teased her back, a tint of red soon appeared on her caramel face and I chuckled at the reaction.
Even though she's viewed as one of the strictest raid captains in the Astra guild. She does have a soft side.
"Wha.. What do you mean? Those rabbit shaped apples were there when I visited you," She stuttered on her words, her face flustered and actually looked like a girl that was going to confess to her crush.
I laughed and shook my head.
"Oh? Really? I find that hard to believe since you told me that no one visited me" It was then she realized how badly she fucked up.
"Arghh whatever. You and your sharp tongue. I really can't beat you in a tongue fight," She raised her hand in a surrendering gesture and I just smirked and approached her. When I was in front of her I leaned down so my mouth was beside her ear.
"Next time be wary of the words you use raid captain. We don't want anyone to misunderstand what a tongue fight means" I teased and when I pulled back I could see her face was now fully red and my job was done.
"Come one we don't want to miss out on the fun," I spoke and quickly ran away from here, in these scenarios I knew that there was going to be one ending for me.
Soon enough a loud and angry scream could be heard from behind me and I smirked.
"Looks like I'll have to deal with an angry woman as well on the battlefield" I thought as I speed up.
"You know you wouldn't have this predicament if you didn't tease her" He spoke in my head and I just chuckled.
"And where's the fun in that? Isn't making fun of your superiors the most entertaining thing one can do?" I asked him and for the first time he didn't reply.
"Ohh I see you're also a rebel," I chuckled at his shyness.
When I arrived at the front wall I could see many of those machines ready in front in a straight line, and the raid team were right behind and in front of the machines. The melee personnel being the ones in front and the mages being at the back of the machine line.
I felt an ominous aura behind me and before I could turn around I felt a hard grip on my shoulder and a female voice that was all too familiar for me.
"Ra∽zark" A sweet but deadly voice could be heard, it was as if a siren was trying to eat me alive.
"Y..yes?" I started sweating as I prepared myself for any attack that would be given from my back, but before I could react she punched my waist and I winced because of the pain and eventually fell down.
"Damn you gorilla" I cursed and I felt yet another ominous aura.
"Ara. What did you just say? I couldn't hear properly because of all those machine movements. Mind repeating it to me?" She asked with the same sweet but deadly tone that sent shivers down my spine.
"Angelica, we can talk about this" I tried to escape from my inevitable doom by saying her first name, but without a second thought she hit me on the shoulder.
"It's captain for you. CAPTAIN. C-A-P-T-A-I-N. Now repeat it." She spoke with the same tone, man women sure are terrifying.
"Yes captain" I shouted and gave her a salute. I could see that smug grin of hers that annoyed the hell out of me, but I can't do anything to her because if I did her brother would castrate me.
"Ooh. What's with that murderous look? Remember if you touch me my big bro will castrate you" She spoke in a proud tone and I was really considering hitting her and running to the edge of the world.
"Whatever it's not worth it," I spoke in my professional tone and looked back at the field to see the cracks starting to open. I turned to the captain who was also starting to get serious, but it was in my nature to do this. I was a very vindictive man.
"It's not worth my time and energy to deal with a spoiled brat who can only hide behind her brother's back anyways," I shrugged and ran off to the field and I could hear a roar that resembled that of a monster from behind me.
As I ran towards the field I couldn't help but smile a little.