As Asura walked through the town, an eerie feeling swept over him. It was quiet... too quiet. He couldn't find a soul outside. "Where were the people? There had to be dogs or cats somewhere, right? Didn't humans have raccoons?" The only lively thing around were the flickering light posts on the sides of the street.
"This place is pretty run down," Asura thought as he traversed through the town. The houses didn't help with the spooky atmosphere either. Broken windows, rotting wood... were those claw marks? He felt like he was in a horror film he often watched at his house on his TV.
Turning the corner at a nearby intersection a large building came into view which caught his attention. It was a big cathedral that stood in the middle of the town as if it were a masterpiece in an art gallery. Like a monument, the large building demanded his attention. Everything about it screamed about its greatness.
It was beautifully decorated with colorful tinted glass lit up from the inside light, complementing the brick exterior. Towering above the rest of the buildings in the town, it began to resemble more of a large complex due to its expansive walls rather than just a cathedral. Asura asked while still staring at the large cathedral,
"So, where do you guys live?"
Marco replied and pointed at the cathedral.
"You see that big building, that's our home. We live in an orphanage there."
"Of course it is."
Asura thought, nothing bad ever happens in a big cathedral in a small town with no citizens walking around or cars, no dogs... "How badly could this possibly go?"
"So, you guys have no family?"
Lily shook her head.
"The nice priests are our family. Mel gives us chocolate all the time and plays with us. Ash gives us rides on his back all the time."
Asura could tell she perked up a little as she talked about the priests she considered her family. This made him smile, exposing his sharp teeth once again.
"Who's are better mine or his?"
Still scared of his appearance, Lily turned her face and cowered away. The sight of her cowering away saddened Asura, gloomily he looked towards the cathedral they were headed to. He knew he was scary-looking, but he honestly had no intention of harming the children. To him, they were kind of sacred, an innocent life yet to be tainted by the cruelty of the world they lived in.
Arriving at the front step of the cathedral, he stood before two massive oak doors. Without hesitation or thought, he pressed the large doors before him, opening them easily. He expected a little resistance, but they opened smoothly, almost as if they were welcoming an expected visitor.
Walking inside the cathedral, Asura found that it was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. The room was filled with pews and decorative candles sitting on long metal posts. Two posts on either side were lined up next to each pew, making the room feel orderly. Elaborate golden décor shined beautifully from the candlelight being reflected off its polished metallic surface.
Asura realized that it would be impossible to miss the large symbol of Judex Divinum hanging from the ceiling above the stage even if he tried. The large symbol consisted of a golden hollow triangle with seven swords lining the outside pointing towards a crown within the triangle. Three swords were on both the left and right sides, while one stuck down at the top point. The hilts rested on the outside of the triangle, with the blades piercing through, pointing towards the crown in the middle. "The Lord's seven swords," Asura thought as he studied the symbol.
"Hello? Is anyone there? I got three of your kids with me."
For a few seconds, the silence remained. However, footsteps grew louder from a hallway to the right instantaneously as if they were prepared for his arrival. Asura turned quickly to greet the priests, expecting a warm welcome, but stopped as he was confronted by a young woman sliding underneath his legs with two silver pistols engraved with roses on their sides pointed up at him.
Immediately, she rose behind him, putting one of the guns to the back of his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Asura noticed flaming red hair shining in the candlelight. He tried to turn to get a better glimpse of his attacker. However, she pressed the gun harder against his skull. From his glimpse, he noticed her hazel eyes remained unwavering, completely focused on her opponent. The hazel eyes never shifted or looked away, even for a moment. She was serious about killing him if he made the wrong move.
The cold metal up against his skin was a constant reminder of her killing intent. Asura wasn't worried about dying, though, but the kids were another story. Her outfit was composed of a black military uniform with Judex Divinum's symbol embroidered on her shoulders, revealing she was a priest from The Temple. The woman spoke with a demanding, quiet tone,
"You let go of those children right now before I fill that demon skull full of holy lead."
Asura, shocked, replied,
"Oi, I just brought three of your missing children here, and you treat me like this? Also, I am not a demon moron. Put those guns down. You might shoot a kid on accident."
Marco called out quickly, trying to defuse the situation,
"He saved us, Mel. Wait, Mel-"
She scoffed at Marco's comment. The woman did not move a muscle as she stared Asura down. It was rather impressive, like a robot whose arm did not twitch, move, or shake even slightly. Her finger remained on the trigger, ready to blow his head off at any sudden movements. Mel held the guns steady with a serious death stare.
"Let go, of the kids."
Asura sighed as he slowly put the kids down. He knew this was not going to end well...
Immediately after he set them down, he could hear the slight pull of a trigger. The slight click caused him to throw the three kids behind him, shielding them from what came next. Bullets pelted Asura's back, tearing holes in his hoodie. To her surprise, each bullet ricocheted off him, shooting out in random directions off his body. The sight made Mel's eyes open wide in shock as she jumped out of the way of the bullets rebounding throughout the room. Mel exclaimed in shock, with her heart pounding rapidly,
"What the hell is that?.... Sorry, kids, don't say those words."
Asura looked at her angrily.
"What do you mean what is that? You shot me asshole. Could've killed a kid."
Mel, baffled by what just happened, asked,
"How the hell was I supposed to know they were gonna ricochet? That's never happened before. Why am I talking to you?"
She tried to fire again, but Asura dashed at her so fast that Mel's finger never pulled the trigger. Grabbing her with all four arms, he slammed her into the nearest wall, knocking the air out of her lungs. The wall cracked from the impact while Asura pinned her against it with all four arms, slowly choking the woman as his forearm pressed against her throat. Coughing and breathing heavily, blood spurted out of her mouth. Asura let out a low growl as he began to question the woman,
"Oi, is this how you treat those who save kids?"
Before Mel responded, she spat in his face, causing blood to splatter all over his black skin.
"Yeah, demon scum like you."
Asura's face twisted in disgust. Wiping the blood away with one arm, he continued to apply pressure to her body with the other.
"Demon this, demon that. Imma start calling you all racist or demeaning names. Ya know what, I'mma call you Brittney now or Karen. Sure, act like one."
As Asura held her to the wall, neither of them talked. Mel struggled, knowing that she would not last long like this. She was running out of oxygen quickly. Hatred filled both their eyes as they stared at each other. She tried to jerk out of his grasp, but his grip was firm. The monster did not even budge as she repeatedly kicked him in the stomach.
Opening his mouth to ask her about the kids, Asura hesitated momentarily. In the corner of his eye, the glint from a metal sword flashed. Swinging his head back, Asura watched a blade fly past his face, missing his nose by just a hair. Asura was forced to jump back from the woman, releasing her from his grasp. The Ogre could not help but notice he was now facing two people. A young man now stood next to the woman named Mel.
The newcomer was taller than both Mel and Asura, towering at least a foot above the Ogre. "He is definitely taller than the average male... cause, like, I am not short. He is just tall. Too tall, some would say. Well, most... Totally..." Asura thought to himself. The man's blonde hair shimmered in the candlelight, along with his green eyes. His eyes were resentful as he watched the ogre's every move.
The lady was angry, but Asura felt like this level of hatred behind his eyes went beyond that. It was as if something personal happened between the two of them. Asura tried to remember everything, but he had never been to the human world before today. Why was he so furious with me? What drove him to this level of hatred?
In his hands, the new attacker wielded a black blade engraved with holy words that glowed with a golden hue. The man had the same black outfit style as the girl, confirming he was her comrade. They both faced Asura in stances, making it obvious they were prepared to fight. Asura let out a sigh and got into a fighting stance as the two prepared for his next move. He wanted to end this peacefully... "Well, that is a lie." He didn't really care if it ended peacefully, but he didn't want to traumatize the kids again.
Lost in thought, Asura was oblivious as Mel fired her pistols again. The attempt was laughable, though, as the bullets ricocheted off his body, causing the two humans to panic.
"You know they say if you do the same thing expecting a different result, it's insane, right?"
Taking advantage of the chaos, Asura dashed forward, trying to close the distance between himself and the woman. Before he could reach her, though, the young man tried to strike first. Swinging his sword with both hands, the young man sent the blade towards his aggressor's chest. A large smile spread across the young man's face.
"I have him. He's dead." He thought as he watched his blade travel towards the monster before him. Asura, watching this, reacted by swinging his top right arm up into the bottom of the blade, lifting it high enough for him to duck under. Carrying his momentum forward, Asura redirected his body towards the young man. With no time to react, the young man watched as the monster tackled his lower body, sweeping him off his feet.
A sickening thud could be heard from the impact of his body smashing into the ground. The man gasped at the sudden force; it was like getting struck by a horse's hoof. After witnessing the monster manage to take down her comrade, Mel becomes worried. She knew the monster would be after her next. Gloating from his victory, the ogre's dance bought her just enough time to devise a plan. His body seemed to be impenetrable, but maybe his eyes and mouth were softer. Raising her guns, she pointed the barrels toward his eyes. "Hopefully, this works..." She thought.
Realizing her plan as he rose off the young man, the Ogre raised his arms to his face. Pulling all four of his arms up, Asura covered his more vulnerable parts with his forearms, shielding them from the barrage of bullets shot by Mel's guns. "Failure. New plan, don't die." She thought as the monster charged towards her.
Mel smashed her guns together, and in a ball of amber-tinged fire, their forms merged into a single gun. Asura was stunned by the sight of the pistols shifting into the body of a gun that resembled a shotgun. It was like watching a rabbit being pulled out of a hat. Where did the second gun come from?
The shotgun's silver barrel shined under the candlelight light, revealing the same engravings the pistols were forged with. The only difference between the two guns was a beautiful dark wooden stock now complimenting the silver metal. Asura's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected development, knowing this would not end well for him. She fired the gun, letting out a spew of pellets that exploded as they collided with Asura's skin, sending him smashing through pews.
Pulling himself from the pile of wood, Asura shook his head, trying to relieve himself of the dizziness left by the concussion. Although the blast did not externally hurt him, having his brain rattle inside his head due to the explosive force was more than enough to slow him down. Mel was a little relieved that one of her shots finally affected the monster before her.
However, her small victory lasted only a few seconds as the monster emerged from the rubble, sprinting directly at her. Lifting her gun, she got ready to counterattack, but right as she shot, the monster fell to the ground, slamming all four fists against the floor. Mel tried to remain balanced, but the sudden shaking caused her to lose her footing.
She tried to brace herself, allowing for one last shot, but the round flew right past the four-armed monster into the roof. Asura took the opportunity to grab a close pew, and in one motion, he tossed it directly at the woman with all his might. Just barely before the heavy pew crushed her, Mel recovered just enough to stabilize herself. Bracing the shotgun against her shoulder, she fired at the large wooded bench, causing it to explode into fragments of wood. Due to the proximity of the explosion, the shards of wood rained down on her, forcing her to shield her face.
"Eughhh."
She groaned as the storm of wood ceased. As she lifted her head, Mel's heart stopped after realizing that she couldn't see the area around her. Dust and smoke filled the room, making it to be difficult to distinguish anything in the room. Knowing the monster was probably running directly at her, she pulled her gun up to aim at him.
However, as the dust settled, she saw nothing but an empty room. Rapidly swinging her gun around frantically, she came to the terrifying realization that she could not locate the monster anymore. The suspense slowly consumed her rationality as time passed, leaving her with only the dreadful feeling of being attacked at any moment.
A sudden tap on her shoulder made her jump out of her skin. Mel prayed she would see the face of her comrade as she spun around to face whoever touched her. Her prayers were unanswered, though, as she came face to face with Asura. Before she could process this revelation, he grabbed her hips with a big grin on his face. With ease, he lifted her off the ground and chucked her across the room.
Her guns fell from her hands and slid across the floor away from her as she slammed into the pews, crashing through them. Hearing her groan in pain, Asura stood proudly as he walked towards her.
He hesitated for a moment. "Where were the kids? Are they safe?" Before he could look for them, he was interrupted as a sudden blade ran down his back, cutting a hole through his hoodie. Although the cold metal made him shiver, Asura was unharmed by the blade running down his body.
Baffled by what he was witnessing, the man stood stunned. He noticed that his blade could not cut through the Ogre's skin. He thought a surprise attack would be enough to strike the Ogre down, but he could only cut through the fabric of his hoodie. A humiliating result that led to him questioning his skills as a swordsman.
Asura turned slowly while smiling at the young man. "It's the devil's smile." The man thought as overwhelming terror swept through his body. Like a mouse thinking it outsmarted its hunter only to realize the cat was playing with him all along, that is how Ash felt as the devilish being smiled at him playfully. As Asura turned to throw a punch, he was stopped by a booming, furious voice that shook the room.
Asura's eyes widened at the sheer authority in the voice. The command froze his body, preventing him from proceeding any further with his punch.
"Did I train you to be this way? I'd suggest you stop before the consequences worsen."
All three of them looked at where the voice originated from. An older man with a majestic white beard and long flowing hair now stood in the entrance of a hallway opposite to the one Mel entered from. Asura guessed he was in his fifties, but he stood taller than the young man, who was already freakishly tall. The old man also had an impressive muscular build, like he was still in his prime, putting his body to shame.
However, his outfit did not do him any justice, as he was wearing a baggy T-shirt with a band Asura was unfamiliar with, and jeans that made it feel like the old man in front of him just returned after a concert. Although the old man was the mentor to his attackers, Asura was relieved when he saw what was in his arms. Lily sat on his arm that rested below her butt, and with her small hands, she held on to the old man's T-shirt. Huddled around his legs were the two boys, Marco and Joel.
"What do you think you are doing... Mel? Ash?"
Both snapped to attention in a pose of respect. Nervous with sweat dripping from their face, they replied.
"Um, this demon came into the church, and we were trying to kill it... sir."
Asura stood up and sized up the old man,
"These assholes attacked me after bringing your kids in here."
The older man turned his attention toward Asura. His face scrunched in dissatisfaction.
"What foul language. You two are stuck with cleanup duty. Make sure this room is spotless or I'll make you clean the exorcism room with a toothbrush."
Like children arguing against their parents, both Mel and Ash cried out.
"Why! We were just trying to deal with the dem-"
"Silence, not another word."
The old man's eyes shone bright gold and blazed with fire as he stared at them, clearly dissatisfied with how they dealt with the situation. "Were screwed..." they both thought as they proceeded to follow his command. His voice rang through the whole cathedral. The old man pointed at Asura and commanded him.
"You... follow me."
Asura stood up and struck attention like the other two. Hearing the authority in the man's voice, he quickly replied,
"Sir, yes, sir."
Confused by his body moving involuntarily, Asura dropped his pose. He followed the old man, asking himself, "What just happened?" As he walked down the hallway after the old man, he studied the walls. The building was clearly old, with its rustic and worn-down appearance —walls that reminded him of those haunted houses you see in films, like an old cabin unmanaged.
As they reached the end of the hallway, the old man opened a door on the left. Holding the door open for Asura, he motioned for him to enter first. Complying, he walked into the room hesitantly. Asura could not help but feel that this situation was strange. At any moment, he expected an attempt by the old man to end his life. However, Asura did not want to dwell on this thought though because anything could happen in this strange new world. Instead, he was curious about everything. "What secrets would lie in such a strange land?"
The room looked like a police officer's office in the movies he watched at home. A large desk with tons of paperwork piled up, ready to be worked on, sat in the middle of the room. Metal cabinets lined the walls, which he assumed were filled with more paperwork. It was hard to distinguish, but on the other side of the paperwork was an old monitor, which many would think was the first of its kind. "That has to be the first prototype of monitors... Is he that old?" Asura thought.
Perplexed by this monster's strange behavior, the old man watched intensely as Asura simply studied his room.
Noticing the old man's constant glare, he quickly sat down in front of the desk, trying to prevent another outburst of anger. After finally deciding to sit down, the old man walked around the desk. While doing so, Asura couldn't help but notice that the old man had never taken his eyes off him once.
Shivers were sent through Asura's spine. The old man creeped him out a little. "Does he blink? Does he breathe?" Asura couldn't tell if the old man even had a heartbeat. Usually, he could hear such a thing, but the old man's stare made Asura's heartbeat boom in his ears. Unable to tell if he was thrilled by this, excited for a battle that may occur, or if he was terrified of what might come after.
Finally, the old man reached the other side of the desk, sitting in the grand leather chair behind it. Asura noticed the room was rather bland, excluding the mountain of paperwork. Only a few books and items were lying around. The only thing remarkable in the room was a mounted blade behind the old man above a window.
A grand silver sword with holy runes engraved on it, along with a brown leather hilt. Asura stood in awe of such a grand-looking blade, so beautiful and so shiny... He could only fanaticize about the great battles he could have with such a sword!