That night was calm and quiet. Innumerable stars, the half-moon shining in the sky, warm wind walking among the houses of Buranikka. And there they were — the three on a raptor, along with a barely conscious winged body. Keyaruga rode his reptile through the streets, trying his best not to crash the poor animal into passersby in the dark, as Freia literally stood on the saddle, trying to shoo away almost two dozen pursuers with her magic. Unfortunately, the ice spears were too difficult to aim and conjure fast enough in such a dire situation, so the sorceress mostly just shielded the party against enemy incantations. Setsuna stood right beside her, shielding the caster against the physical projectiles — crossbow bolts, arrows, and damn boulders — the wind-powered shamans seemed to like tossing them.
Rikash gi, the raging bulls, were a force to be reckoned with; even if poor in individual combat performance, they made an excellent team. Four shamans and six crossbowmen ran by the roofs, and quite nimbly for pieces of violent hoofed meat. And while they were at it, eight ox-riders pursued the fleeing party.
"Fuck!" Keyaruga swore as he saw a bull-headed giant in his way. A colossal figure swung her axe to intercept the hero and the future me-ua, so the man got ready to use his steel-adamantine saber. Only to see a bright beam of piercing light headshot the cow-warrior, leaving a fist-sized steaming hole there.
"Ran… ba… ta… (not so rough)" That's right, the power belonged to the wanted winged maiden, who somehow overcame the poison, which would take anyone else at least a month to recover from. "BUE-E-E-E-EH!!!" Though, that didn't stop her from vomiting everything she ate on the ground. Lying with your belly down on the galloping raptor probably wasn't a good idea.
"Batuarma, du-na me-ua (glory to you, o, demon king)!" The healer chuckled, looking backwards.
There, enemy casters on the back, rushing through two opposite roofs, fired an arch of the black fire. The divine blaze collided with the Hero of Magic's protective ward, but the residual sparks made their way to the nearby house, devouring stone, wood and flesh of a family, caught in a crossfire. Freia heard their screams, the rage fueled her, but not to the point of losing herself. She retaliated with a stream of crackling lightning, but alas, the two front magicians maintained a complex geometric barrier while two others held on to the offense, along with giant crossbowmen.
The forces were not equal… Freia had enough, so when the princess raised her left arm to the sky, a couple of massive stalagmites erupted from within the earth. Breaking through the entire houses, it ignored any protections, impaled one of the shamans, and broke the formation. And when the ward fell, a wide wind sickle showered roofs with the intestines. She could do so many amazing things without even needing incantations. Only three remained up there, too demoralized to go on.
"Sorry, darling, we're a little busy here." The red-eyed lad sneered, letting the black-haired girl actually sit on the saddle. Kelly was getting out of breath, so the hero did what he could — restored the raptor's vitality with his magic. Unfortunately, one of the ox-riders took advantage of his opportunity to catch up with the target.
"Tanoutu, padara (I'll kill you, faggot)!!!" Spilling the blood from the wound Keyaruga left on his neck, he just refused to go down. First, he attempted to cut down the ice warrior on the raptor's back. The horned warrior made a wide swing, trying to cut her down, but the agile huntress jumped toward him instead. She nimbly avoided the ridiculous weapon, parried a blow with a gargantuan fist, and even prepared to retaliate for the already bleeding wound, but she was too late. The massive ox slammed Kelly against the wall. Freia and Setsuna were already in a bad position in terms of balance, so they rolled on the ground. Keyaruga and his prized girl clung on, but the man broke his left knee and shoulder protecting the future queen, and they couldn't stay in the saddle for much longer. Not that he could — the reptile steed fell as well.
"Ghh…" The lad growled, clawing his own neck with his nails. The restoration spell didn't need such an extreme touch, but either way, he stood up and dashed between the rider and his girls. The pink-haired sorceress broke her right arm, so she couldn't be much use now. The she-wolf remained relatively intact, whole enough to retreat, at least. Still, knowing her strength was not as great as her master's, the huntress stood up to protect Freia and whoever the man risked to shield.
"Hoe! Yaksi (hand over)! The massive demon, the very definition of sick tenacity, jumped off his steed. But even then, he still towered above the healer.
"Hmm…" The red-eyed lad looked back, as if considering the offer. He sheathed his alloy saber. It would be useless here. There was something strange in all of that, specifically, the fact that seven other bull-riders should've caught up with them a long time ago.
"Keya… ruga… don't…" Freia whispered, holding onto her bleeding limb. She tried mustering her own powers, but with the pain constantly clouding her mind, that was far beyond her.
"H-hey!.." Setsuna, in turn, placed the winged girl on her back, despite her struggling. At least it means she'll live.
"All right." Keyaruga shrugged, making the black-haired maiden grind her teeth. "But first, lower your axe and let us shake hands." The man continued, reaching out his hand to the oppressor.
"Grr…" The bull smirked (if that facial expression could even be called that), deciding to amuse the young challenger. Be it pride or self-confidence, the result remained equally unreasonable — the goon shook the hero's hand. Yes, the bull tried to crash it with his grip, but the purple glow was faster. "UO-O-O-R-R-R-R!!!" The demon's skin started shedding from his body, revealing bare muscles. The process wasn't pleasant, to say the least. In any case, Keyaruga saw at least forty ma-zok riders, led by a simple aging horseman in worn-down plate armor.
"We've got company!" The healer exclaimed, rushing toward Freia and Kelly to heal their wounds. And while their broken bones and flesh were restored, neither of the two could collect themselves to flee fast enough. So… "Setsuna, take these two! I'll take Kelly!"
"You what?!" The wanted maiden got dumbfounded, but the mere sight of a simple human lifting at least five hundreds kilos of mass and placing it on his back (a feat surprising even to the raptor herself, actually) completely persuaded the black-winged girl of Keyaruga's... peculiar nature.
"Where to?" Setsuna, though, remained completely unhindered by the man's raw power.
"Slums. We'll hide there. Follow me." The hero responded, jogging on his way to safety. The screaming goon, along with his unusually passive ox, remained behind.
"Yes… There's fighting going on." Freia reported, dangling from the ice warrior's right shoulder. She couldn't see who the riders who tackled the raging bulls were, but… "Think, they're local guards."
"No matter. Don't want them." The gray-haired huntress replied, dragging after the man. And although her own weight was much lighter, upholding a similar tempo to the hero's was taxing.
"Now, who are you?! How can you lift this thing?! Why… why did you save me? Are you a god of some sort?" The maiden started asking numerous questions. The crossbow bolt in her shin was still there, although broken. She tried pulling it out, but…
"Don't try. You'll bleed." But Setsuna quickly discouraged the `prowler` from such an act.
"First, I'm not a god. Not yet." Keyaruga explained, feeling his lungs failing him, even if ever so slightly.
"Ya, sure. And why would you need me?"
"Later… Don't waste your breath."
And so they ran, looking either ridiculously funky or unnecessarily heroic, Keyaruga and Setsuna, along with their astonished deadweights, made their way toward the considerably uninhabitable region of dilapidated houses and broken roads. Whatever the reason, the party couldn't spot any vagrants or squatters there, so they chose the most decent-looking building to make it their temporary base.
"Haa… Haa… Haa… Damn, this thing is heavy." Keyaruga spoke, carefully putting Kelly down on the floor. "At least they lost a track us."
"KRE-E-E-E-E!!!" The raptor, then, screeched in the face of her savior.
"Gh, hate you too, fugly." The hero answered, slapping the scaled neck. The reptile didn't seem happy, but rather tired and scared. And the girls could sympathize with it.
"Now, Freia, you should be fine, so…" The lad approached the wanted girl. A black-winged angel, sitting on a dirty floor, covered with nothing but her dark feathers. One could make a painting of her and call it a masterpiece, especially if they could convey the slow agony from her injured leg. "Girls, would you give us space? I want to have a word with my new employee."
"Hm, fine." Setsuna left first, sulking over yet another rival.
"Take your time." And the princess smiled slightly, feeling the warmth and hope in Keyaruga's actions. Either way, only two remained in the same room. The girls even took Kelly with them.
"Aro, kega wor shi (come on, show me your wound)." Keyaruga spoke, crouching next to the winged maiden. "Shachie, tanout tu (calm down, I won't kill you)." He reassured the girl by removing his sheathed weapon from his waist.
"Hishen de, mi wor tad nu tanoutat. Sila se. (If you wanted, you could have killed me with your bare hands, do what you want)." Although slightly unwilling, the queen-to-be agreed to show her injury to the man. She saw what he could do with a single touch, so there was little point in struggling. "Ugh!.. Ila (it hurts)!.." The girl gasped as the man started to pull the broken stick out of her leg. To make the pain bearable, the hero gently caressed the skin below the knee as the bleak green light shone from below his palm. The maiden couldn't see the ruthless warrior, only a kind soul attempting to assist her. At least, some part of her wanted to believe that. Other, though…
"Nanua ushig nola, kyupn (Would you tell me your name, beauty)?" Keyaruga asked as his magic removed not only the wound but also all the remaining wooden shards that may have otherwise been stuck in there. Out of pure courtesy, the man didn't delve too deeply into her memories, even if he felt something shady about them. Specifically, an empty piece in the maiden's consciousness...
"Mi… I, ah… I am Eve, Eve of the Reese dynasty. Also, your tarenago sucks; don't disgrace it anymore." That's right; just after confirming she could stand again, the black-feathered angel regained her hubris.
"Heh, you don't like my accent, Eve Reese? I thought it was perfect. Or you just don't like me speaking it?" Keyaruga sneered, taking pride in his recovering powers. Either way, judging from the lack of an answer, his wild guess proofed right.
"What do you want with me?" The maiden asked, fighting the urge to turn away from the healer. Although she was grateful, Eve remained too far away from trusting her savior.
"As I already told you, I've met me-ua, who looked just like you.. So I wanted to meet her and have a little talk." Keyaruga deadpanned, wisely deciding not to enter her personal space anymore. As far as he could tell, Freia and Setsuna tried to make use of those ruins, rebuilding them with whatever they could utilize.
"Even if you're not joking, the last kokuyoku tul me-ua died thirty years ago. Also, he was my grandfather." The girl protested, not even trying to argue if the man was old enough for that. She still suspected him of being some godlike creature, for whither the ethereal youth was not out of reach.
"Actually, I'm speaking about the future."
"Are you… fucking with me?"
"Wow, you have a sharp tongue." Keyaruga grinned, trying to make up a believable story. And he did. "We would meet in four years, and by that time you would be the one and only me-ua, although your hair would be white and you'd have two horns instead of a crown."
"That… I still don't believe you." Despite her words, Eve Reese shivered. She knew that such an outlook was connected to the blessing of the guardian deity of her tribe.
"I can see the future through my Jade Eye here!" The lad exclaimed, showing off the green light in his right pupil.
"So you are a god?"
"Damn, woman, I said…" Keyaruga nervously shook his head before swiftly regaining control over his body. "Let's make everything clear. I…" He pulled the glove out of the right hand. "…am Keyaruga, the Hero of Healing."
"A-ah!.. Yushen (the hero)?!" Now, that was the first time Eve got genuinely scared that day. She lunged in the air, her flapping wings holding her right below the rotten ceiling. "L-lumini… Luminis! Lu-!.." The maiden prepared to cast battle magic, but with her worrying so much, every spell she tried just refused to take shape. Although amused by the comedic sight, the man used his chance for something else…
Race: Black-wing tribe
Name: Eve Reese
Class: Demon King Candidate; Fallen Angel
Level: 51
Mana: 21/187
Physical attack: 133
Physical defense: 97
Magic attack: 123
Magic defense: 87
Speed: 109
Abilities:
Magic of Darkness: 2nd circle
Magic of Light: 2nd circle
Kokuyoku battle arts: 2nd level
Kindred summoning: 1st level
Skills:
Child of Chaos: 2nd level. The skill, belonging to a creature, beloved by the light and darkness. Amplifies the power of the magic of Light and Darkness.
Black cradle: 1st level. Innate skill, allows the user to cover one's body with a protective barrier of primordial blackness. Raises physical and magical potential.
Demon King Candidate: Acquired skill. Gives boost to all the stats. Allows to be chosen as the next Demon King upon the death of the predecessor.
Call upon the kin: Innate skill, allows the user to accept the souls of their kin into their wings and manifest them with the call.
Level cap: 70
Potential:
Mana: 89
Physical attack: 125
Physical defense: 90
Magic attack: 115
Magic defense: 80
Speed: 101
Summary: 600
…
Keyaruga wasn't shocked in any way. After what Bloodbringer had to offer, a simple summary of six hundred looked pale in comparison. Only…
Damn, Deimos calls them demons as well? What a jerk. Although, I could never read other people's surnames, so that's interesting.
"Well-well, looking strong there, me-ua kahul (demon king candidate), although I wouldn't suggest spending the rest of your mana on the flight. Even if you do know how to use your precious little fists, let's face it — I'm just too strong for you now."
"Yinen de linarthal (we won't know unless we try)!"
"Listen, if you want to fight, how about you rest first? Now, though, stop flapping your wings and listen to what I have to say, okay?" The red-haired lad demanded, covering his face from the substantial airflow from above. Eve wouldn't land, but at least she wouldn't try to conjure any killing light anymore. "Suit yourself, Eve. So, listen, I know heroes supposedly exist to battle the me-ua, but let's be honest, we're nothing but humans who some puny gods gave a part of their powers to, so I owe them nothing. Personally, I want to make peace with Tenanulic, so we need you. That's it."
"What do you know of me?"
"Quite a lot. Your granddad held the Obsidian Throne until one particularly nasty catty named Hakuo usurped it. First, he tried to maintain balance between the tribes, but the burden of power proved too much for him. Zorim Reese was a better ruler, and everyone knew it. And a year ago, after he found out that you have that candidate brand, Hakuo surrendered to his fear and paranoia, and such kokuyoku are now all under the threat of extermination. They offered a fortune for your head, Eve Reese, but you can rest assured, I won't harm you. I just need you on that damn stone chair. Your journey will be long and harsh, but we will protect you at all costs. By the way, Freia is the Hero of Magic."
"Curse you! Now there are two of you? I can't rely on heroes! Now listen, I thank you for saving me, but I must go. I…" Finally, the black-haired maiden started hovering down. She tried to reach the door, but Keyaruga was already waiting for her.
"Is this what you want? Look, you are strong, but without us, you'd be dead by now. How long do you think you can survive on your own? You're lacking so many things: wisdom, to know when to fight or retreat; perception of an incoming attack…
"Shut up…"
"…you lack will…
"Shut up!"
"…you need allies if you want to rule Confederation. Most importantly, you must obtain your own…" At that point, the girl stopped asking for silence. Instead, she threw a punch in Keyaruga's face. "…determination. Your blow holds no power behind it!" Obviously, he stopped her fist with nothing but an open palm.
"SHUT UP ALREADY!!!"
"Scream all you want, but your wings will only get heavier. They already hold dozens of your brethren's souls, don't they? You want to get revenge, right? I know this feeling. But you can't defeat the whole world all by yourself. And that's where we come to your aid."
"W-what do you want from me?" At that point, Eve's eyes started to shed tears. "My friends are dead, my guards were killed, and I can't even remember how I got there! What should I do?! I just… I don't want to die!"
Interesting, so the shadows she used on Flare, Blade and Bullet are actually her kin, slain by that bastard Hakuo. It makes sense that she even wanted to cut them off at some point.
"You're not alone anymore, Eve. Stay with me, and I'll give you everything you want — and even more!" The man promised, offering the maiden his hand.
"Even… more?" She didn't shake it; the queen-to-be was too scared. She was neither capable of protesting nor eager to accept the questionable deal.
"Yes! We'll murder Hakuo and drop his ass from your throne! Yes, Eve, whatever it takes, I'll make you the next me-ua! This way, you'll save your remaining brethren. And exact your vengeance." Finally, the ice on the girl's heart started to melt off. Instead, her crimson eyes now became vessels for the flame of vengeance. But… Eve still couldn't shake the man's hand.
"You're right… Right. I want my revenge. But I still don't trust you. What's your goal? I don't believe you're fighting for justice! And you don't care for me either, so unless you tell me what you want, I'll never trust you."
"All right." The Hero of Healing shrugged, after which he moved his lips toward Eve's pointed ear. "Me-ua tul shinzub (demon king's heart)." He revealed his plan in Tarenago, that way even if his girls somehow heard his words, they wouldn't be able to make sense of them. "Don't be so scared. I only need Hakuo dead. After that, I'd like you to provide me with an army so that I can claim Jioral's throne. Easy as that."
"Oh… All right. But I'll need a night to think about it." Ultimately, Eve Reese never took the lad's hand, so he instead crossed his arms at his chest. He didn't consider it a defeat. After all…
"At least that means, you'd spend a night with us, right?"
"Maybe…"
"Good. Now, girls, you may stop your eavesdropping and come in!"
Sooner or later, the black-winged maiden would surely accept Keyaruga's terms. Someday, maybe not even in this timeline, but he would conquer the Confederation, Jioral, and Eve Reese's sympathy as well. The man never forgot her words, and although now the queen was unable to elaborate on what it was she so desperately wanted to protect in that erased world, the healer already had a few plans for his new winged cutie.