--- ??? ---
Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who was very, very lonely. She had no friends to play with, no one to share her thoughts and dreams with. So, the little girl would often wander into the forest close to her home, hoping to find someone, anyone, who could keep her company.
As she walked, the crunch of leaves beneath her feet and the rustling of branches above her head were her only companions. The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled her nose, and she could taste the crisp, cool air on her tongue.
One day, as the little girl was exploring the depths of the forest, a sudden storm rolled in. The sky grew dark, and the wind howled through the trees, causing them to sway and creak ominously.
The little girl tried to find her way back home, but she was lost and afraid.
Eventually, she came upon a giant oak tree, its branches reaching up to the heavens from her perspective.
The rough bark of the tree scraped against her skin as she leaned against it, feeling its solidity and strength. The rain pattered against the leaves above her, creating a soothing rhythm that lulled her into a false sense of security.
Thus, the little girl decided to rest beneath the tree, hoping that the storm would pass soon.
But as she sat there, huddled against the trunk of the tree, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, striking the tree with a deafening crash. The little girl was thrown to the ground, her small body engulfed in a blinding flash of light.
The acrid smell of burnt wood and ozone filled her nose, and her ears rang with the sound of the explosion. But it was all over in an instant. The little girl was not a superhuman, after all. She was but a weak little thing whose life was just that feeble.
"...Where...am I?"
When she opened her eyes again, the little girl found herself surrounded by white, feeling disoriented and confused. Everything she had experienced before now seemed like a distant memory, almost as if it had been a lie.
Wasn't she dead?
She was, but.
[...Do you wish to return to the world of living, child?]
The sudden voice of a woman broke the little girl's train of thought.
Confused, she subconsciously nodded in response.
I mean, who wouldn't want to return to the land of the living? She hadn't even had the chance to experience much of the world yet, after all.
[This decision comes with a cost. You will go through sufferings no other human would ever be able to endure. Even so, are you still sure you want that?]
Without thinking, the little girl nodded again.
If you're dead, you can't even suffer.
You can't do nothing.
[In that case, just remember one thing. Lightning, the very same enemy that ended you, will now become your closest and only ally. Never doubt it, or you will die again]
The words of the woman were too puzzling for the little girl to decipher, so she simply tilted her head in confusion, not saying anything more. She understood that she would now depart, but before leaving, she had one small request.
"Could you... please tell me your name?"
Having never had the chance to properly converse with anyone from this moment, she at least wanted to remember the name of the person she was speaking to.
[It's Aurora] came the reply.
Upon hearing the name, the little girl's face lit up with a smile as she thanked Aurora for everything. Soon after, she vanished from the space.
[...I hope you will be able to find someone to play with]
After those words, everything turned silent once again.
--- Alpha ---
"So he was right, huh," I muttered as I blocked a monster's claws from ripping through one of our members.
The 'True Leaders' had shown up, well, one of them at least.
As soon as he appeared, he grandly proclaimed, "Everyone! Don't worry, I, Ragnar, 2nd Knight of Rounds, will now defeat the enemy!"
The morale that had hit rock bottom on the Cult of Diablos' side was immediately reignited, their will unshakeable.
As long as someone so formidable was on the frontlines to lead them, what could possibly be the problem? They must've thought along those lines. It's just that...
"...But for that to happen, I have something to request of you all," the man with dark hair and eyes chuckled like the second-rate villain he is, as he suddenly erupted in a dark Magical Power.
Unlike Fray's, which was of the same color, it was disgusting to even see it.
Once you grow strong enough, you can notice the subtle differences each person has attributed to their own Magical Power, something akin to a signature.
His.... was pure trash.
"Lay down your lives for the Cult!"
His voice echoed through the area, with his dark Magical Power spreading like a virus. The screams of the cultists pierced the air as they began to convulse and mutate. Their bodies twisted and contorted, bones snapping and flesh tearing as they transformed into monstrous abominations.
In the blink of an eye, the small army of less than six thousand people became a horde of nightmarish creatures. Their skin turned a sickly shade of green, red, blue...
All species of monsters could be seen here and there.
Claws and fangs sprouted from their once-human forms, and they let out guttural roars that only confirmed their sanity was long gone.
Seriously now.
I don't know if he's foolish enough to sacrifice the last few people he had left or if there are still more Cultists hidden somewhere in this world. If there are, they're going to be incredibly difficult to find since there's no way they'd deliberately come out after we finish wiping out those forces.
Instead of worrying about this, though, I signaled to the other Shadows to aid us, as I couldn't possibly protect everyone while fighting this huge army of monsters...
--- Akira ---
The strategy I had in mind was to use [Overload] immediately to get rid of this Lightning destroying my body from the inside, but with my Talent [Sword] dealing with that for me, I don't have to anymore.
Since I only have 5 seconds, I have to make them count.
"...Let's go, partner," I said, gripping my sword as I could almost feel it reply to me in excitement.
I'll have to teach that woman a real-life lesson now. It's way too lame for me to have been on the receiving end with no chance to retaliate.
As my injuries had mostly healed, I didn't want to keep her waiting any longer.
I once again called upon my [Elemental Manipulation] talent, summoning bolts of lightning that crackled and danced around my body, illuminating the area with their intense brightness.
With a thought, I activated my [Fly] Magic, feeling the wind rush past me as I soared towards her at breakneck speed. The world around me became a blur as I closed the distance between us in an instant.
"I've pondered over it while my head hit walls upon walls, but it might be a shame to let it remain a thought, so let me tell you in advance," I said, my voice laced with a dangerous edge. My smile all but gone as I continued, "After I'm done with you, not even bones will be left."
She stared at me without much of a reaction, her eyes cold and calculating. "That is why I hate beings like you. Without any effort, you are devouring my suffering, making it yours without even understanding it. I, Lilith, will be the one to end your life."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her dramatic declaration. "Oi oi, don't compare me to a cheat main character right now," I retorted, my grip tightening on my sword.
My Sword Talent is simply too strong.
---
Author's Note:
The first part of the chapter actually start to explain briefly how things got to this point.
I would be glad if you could tell me if you liked this new way of describing past events.
You must know that Aurora does not have her full memories in Eminence, so I decided to use that fact to build upon my own plot regarding the Cult of Diablos and how it was born.
The simple answer is: Resentment.
But we'll go through it in those few chapters while we explore actual fight which won't last much. I am planning to end everything by chapter 109, with chapter 110 being the last one! (I hope)
For that reason, it's advised to focus on what is written, rather than what is known, because this is when I am clearly drawing a line from the original novel.
(Calling this an AU might be a stretch tho)