The vampire, amused by Asura's outburst, couldn't help but giggle. The sight of this seemingly adorable-looking ogre, now sputtering and wide-eyed, was a rare treat. She had heard tales of his eagerness for battle, yet the mention of Jormungandr had clearly caught him off guard. Was he afraid? she wondered. No, surely not. Who could truly frighten the mad dog? This ogre, whose lifespan was unknown, was now in the human realm... A sly smile, capable of captivating any mortal man, spread across her red lips.
"We both know the dragon race is fond of their treasures and hoarding," she purred. "He believes he is owed more than he has been given. Greed, my dear Asura, can drive even the most powerful to extreme measures. Souls are power, and Jormungandr desires to sit atop the throne." She admired her nails. "He has grown weary of the Dragon King's rule, convinced she is unworthy."
Her smile faded, her eyes darkening. "A word of caution from my own king," she added, her voice taking on a serious tone. "The Beast King is collaborating with the serpent. They seek to disrupt the hierarchy of the kings." Her voice cooed in their ears. "If you could prevent that, dear Asura, we would be eternally in your debt."
Asura frowned, the weight of her words sinking in. This was far graver than he had anticipated. The Beast King's involvement in the human realm would be catastrophic. Seeing the shift in Asura's demeanor, Mel felt a wave of apprehension. She addressed the vampire, her voice hesitant. "Um, ma'am... lady... your vampireness? Do you have any knowledge of where or how this might occur?"
Wain, meanwhile, was utterly captivated by the vampire's voice. Her accent, a lilting melody with a hint of something familiar, danced in his ears. What a beautiful accent, he thought, Where have I heard it before? A Southern accent?
"Call me Miss Valentine," the vampire replied, a playful glint in her eyes, "and you'll figure it out, dear." The woman adjusted her legs. "However, the Succubi King wishes to conclude this conversation. So, I must ask you to leave... or, perhaps, my ladies could escort you out as you came in."
At the doorway, the succubi stood poised, their eyes fixed on Ash with predatory hunger. Ash, Mel, and Wain instinctively recoiled, while Asura, lost in thought, remained oblivious to the looming threat. The situation had taken a decidedly grim turn.
Mel nudged Asura sharply, breaking him from his reverie. Without a word, he rose and headed for the exit, leaving the others to grapple with the impending crisis. To their surprise, the succubi allowed them to pass, their watchful eyes following their every move. We need to purge all monsters… Ash thought, his disgust at their monstrous forms evident.
"Thank you for the information, Miss Valentine," Wain offered politely as they departed.
"Aww, what a sweet one you are, dear," she replied with a warm smile. "You have fun now." Valentine waved farewell, her eyes twinkling with amusement as they left the club. Outside, Mel rushed to Asura, grabbing him by the collar. "I think that went pretty well," he declared, trying to sound optimistic. "We got what we needed."
"You think that went well?!" Mel exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. "To be fair," Asura retorted, "it was Ash's racism that set them off. Blame him." Mel shook her head, the stress of the encounter weighing heavily on her. Though she had more questions for the ogre, she was relieved to be leaving. The grim expressions on everyone's faces mirrored her own feelings. Exhaustion hung heavy in the air as they trudged toward the car in silence.
Asura paused, his attention drawn to a familiar figure huddled beside a car. It was the same man from earlier, the one who had been afflicted with monster aids, now a picture of misery. Tears streamed down his face as he sat hunched over, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. Asura stifled a giggle as a woman walked by.
"Hey, baby!" the man called out, his voice thick with desperation. "Uh, I wasn't crying. Just uh... it was raining, you know. Wanna get a drink?" The woman, her expression a mix of concern and pity, walked on without a word. Asura burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the quiet street, as he climbed into the waiting car.
Hours passed in silence, the tension lingering in the air. Finally, Mel broke the quiet, her voice serious. She adjusted the rearview mirror, her eyes meeting Asura's. Whatever she's about to ask, it's important, Asura thought.
"How do they know you?" Mel inquired, her gaze unwavering. "The vampire seemed to recognize you instantly. And you seemed to know Jormungandr personally." Asura sighed. He had anticipated this question, but he preferred to avoid the subject. He rubbed his forehead, and a headache began to form.
"He's a colossal moron from the dragon realm," Asura admitted grudgingly. "An Apocalypse, as she said." He gazed out of his window. "Dude annoyed the hell out of me back home. He's not someone you want to see in this realm; I can tell you that much." Asura shifted in his seat. "I forced him out a few times, but he's stronger than he used to be. I strongly recommend we don't mess with him."
"As for the vampire…" He shrugged. "I'm kind of famous throughout the realms. I fight just about anyone and everyone." A surge of pride swelled within him, and a grin spread across his face.
"I am the undefeated champion of fighting, the kicker of ass, the machine of war," he boasted. "Once you beat the tar out of enough people, they tend to remember you. That snake guy included." Before Mel could press further, her phone erupted in a series of insistent rings. She tried to ignore it, but the calls kept coming, one after another. What is happening? she wondered, her annoyance growing.
"Hello?" she answered sharply. The captain's voice, grave and urgent, echoed in her ear. Asura froze, his blood turning to ice. Across the street, huddled beside a car, was the man from earlier, the one afflicted with monster aids. But now, he was a picture of utter despair, tears streaming down his face as he clutched his knees to his chest. A woman passed by, and the man, in a pathetic attempt to salvage his pride, called out to her.
"Hey, baby!" he croaked, his voice thick with desperation. "Uh, I wasn't crying. Just uh... it was raining, you know. Wanna get a drink?"
The woman, her expression a mix of pity and concern, continued on her way. Asura, unable to contain himself, burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the quiet street as he climbed into the waiting car.
The drive was tense, the silence heavy with unspoken questions. Finally, Mel spoke, her voice serious. She adjusted the rearview mirror, her eyes meeting Asura's in the reflection. Whatever she's about to ask, it's important, Asura thought.
"How do they know you?" Mel asked, her gaze unwavering. "The vampire seemed to recognize you instantly. And you seemed to know Jormungandr personally."
Asura sighed. He had been expecting this question, but he preferred to avoid the subject. He rubbed his forehead, and a headache began to form.
"He's a fuckin' moron from the dragon realm," Asura admitted grudgingly. "An Apocalypse, as she said. The dude annoyed the hell out of me back home. He's not someone you want to see in this realm, I can tell you that much. I forced him out a few times, but he's stronger than he used to be. I strongly recommend we don't mess with him. As for the vampire... I'm kind of famous throughout the realms. I fight just about anyone and everyone."
A surge of pride swelled within him, and a grin spread across his face.
"I am the undefeated champion of fighting, the kicker of ass, the machine of war," he boasted. "Once you beat the crap out of enough people, they tend to remember you. That snake guy included."
Before Mel could press further, her phone erupted in a series of insistent rings. She tried to ignore it, but the calls kept coming, one after another. What is happening? she wondered, her annoyance growing.
"Hello?" she answered sharply.
The captain's voice, grave and urgent, filled the car. "We have a problem." His low tone perked Asura's ears. "Lily has been taken from the cathedral. Someone from inside must have gotten to her. We need everyone—"
The captain's words were cut short by a sickening screech of metal. Mel froze, her blood running cold.
In the rearview mirror, she gazed into Asura's eyes. They were the eyes of a predator, raw and untamed, guarding their territory with a fierce possessiveness. His once bright lights were dark, cold. Wain instinctively tried to calm him, but fear choked his words. His vocal cords trembled, and he looked down at his hands, his own fear seemed to hold his hands at his side. He had never felt such raw, unbridled rage before. It was almost a physical presence, suffocating the air.
Mel turned towards Asura, but before she could speak, he exploded. With a roar of fury, he punched the car door clean off, sending it flying across the town. The door sliced through a building like a knife through butter. Then, before Mel or Wain could react, Asura vanished into the night. He was barefoot, yet Wain heard no footsteps. How...? he wondered, the silence amplifying his fear.
Consumed by rage, Asura was a force unleashed. His roar echoed through the town, sending people fleeing in terror. He tore through alleys, a feral beast driven by primal fury. He propelled himself off walls, his fingers digging into brick and concrete, his body a blur as he searched for any trace of quotidian mana.
His anger left a trail of destruction in its wake. Cars were flipped, buildings were breached, and nothing was safe from his rampage. As he tore through the town, his movements became more erratic, his rage threatening to consume him entirely. It wasn't until he smashed through a car, reducing it to a pile of twisted metal, that he finally began to regain a semblance of control.
"Where is she...? Where is Lily?" he raged, his voice a guttural growl. HOW DARE THEY TAKE HER AGAIN! I SAVED HER, AND SHE WAS HAPPY! He imagined the terror on Lily's face, the chains binding her once more. HOW COULD SHE FORGIVE ME?! HOW COULD SHE TRUST US, AND WE LET HER DOWN?! He gripped the mangled car, his muscles coiled, ready to hurl it at a nearby house.
But then he stopped. Down the road, a large warehouse loomed, its brick facade punctuated by rows of windows. A dim light filtered through the glass, indicating it was occupied. Yet, an eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant howls of coyotes.
The building pulsed with quotidian mana, the smell thick and repulsive. Asura charged towards it, his body a weapon fueled by rage. He didn't slow down, didn't hesitate. He slammed through the warehouse wall, his eyes taking in the scene in a fraction of a second. There it is…
The source of the mana, the creature he had been hunting, stood before him. It was unlike any monster Asura had ever encountered. A massive black tree, its trunk covered in multi-colored eyes that oozed a viscous red liquid. The eyes blinked and twitched, sending shivers down Asura's spine. The tree's roots snaked through the warehouse, its immense size nearly filling the entire space. It was of faerie origin, ancient and malevolent.
Near the top of the monstrous tree's trunk, where leaves should have been, a gaping maw lined with thousands of teeth stretched open. Long, gnarled branches snatched cultists from the floor and tossed them into the waiting abyss. Asura watched as the jaws chomped down, the corpses of cultists visible within the rows of teeth, their bodies slowly dissolving into a gruesome slurry. Rivers of blood flowed down the trunk, staining the floor crimson. Then, from the corner of his eye, Asura saw Lily being lifted toward the maw.
Fueled by a surge of adrenaline, Asura didn't hesitate. He used his momentum to slam into the monster's side with the force of a battering ram, launching the creature into the opposite wall. An ear-splitting shriek of pain erupted from the tree as it crashed through the brick, its grip on Lily loosening. Asura, quick as a flash, caught the falling child, holding her close. For a fleeting moment, he simply held her, thanking Judex Divinum for her safety. She's safe, he thought, relief washing over him. Oh Judex, she is safe...
But the moment was shattered. A familiar presence emerged from the shadows behind him. Asura whipped around to find Malachi standing in the center of the warehouse, flanked by the Beastman and a newcomer. This new figure, a woman nearly six feet tall, had her head wrapped in ornately decorated red bandages, leaving only her mouth exposed. She appeared human at first glance, but her lower half revealed her true nature: a torn white dress couldn't conceal the long, scaly tail protruding from beneath. A Naga, Asura realized, recognizing the half-humanoid, half-serpentine creature from the dragon kingdom.
Malachi, unable to see Asura clearly in the dim light, could only make out his silhouette. But the ogre's rage-filled eyes, burning like embers in the darkness, and the distinctive stench of blood that clung to him were unmistakable. A slow smile spread across Malachi's face, and he began to clap.
"Bravo, Asura," he said, his voice dripping with mock admiration. "It's so nice to see you again. However, I require more sacrifices. So, if you would be so kind as to return the child, I would be most grateful."
Malachi extended a hand, and Asura responded by spitting in its direction. He dashed backward, protectively clutching Lily, and shoved her towards the hole he had created in the wall. "Look, you need to find Mel and the others," he instructed, his voice urgent. "I'll deal with these jerks. Just run away and don't look back."
"But—" Lily began to protest. "GO!" Asura roared, his voice laced with a desperate intensity that startled the child into obedience. He turned to face Malachi and his companions, his resolve hardening as Lily's retreating sobs faded into the distance. The sight of her, moments from being devoured, had ignited a fury within him that could no longer be contained. He would slaughter them all, a hundred times over if necessary. No, a thousand times. He would keep killing them until they chose to end their own miserable existences. No mercy… he vowed, his fists clenching, his every muscle screaming for the release of violence.
He yearned to smash Malachi's face, to feel the satisfying crunch of bone beneath his knuckles."I don't make deals with assholes who kill kids," Asura snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. "It's fucked up." He paused. "Wait, how about this deal? I beat your face in, and you let me?"
Malachi, his face contorted in disgust, answered. "Well, I did try to reason with you, Asura," he said, his voice laced with a condescending calm. "Why do you care so much for these humans? They are vile creatures, consumed by selfishness. They brand the monster races as evil, preach of purging you. The Temple peddles nothing but corrupt, hypocritical beliefs... Utter nonsense. You know this. You've experienced their discrimination firsthand…" The man raised his chin to look down upon Asura, "Yet you aid them? Why, I ask myself?"
He spread his arms wide, his voice rising with a fanatical fervor. "We are all creations of Judex Divinum, intended for noble purposes. Our purpose is to eradicate the human race. These filthy pests commit rape, slaughter one another, lie, steal, and tear each other apart. Can you imagine? Acts against their own kind! Monsters are simple. They eat, they kill to survive. There is no evil in nature. Humans torment monsters, not the other way around. You understand this, don't you, Asura?"
"What a load of poetic bullshit," Asura scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Do all bad guys have to give a monologue or something? All I know is you're the asshole who tried to kill Lily, not them. I'll make you wish I'd kill you after I get my hands on you."
Asura, consumed by rage, slammed his fists together. The impact reverberated through the warehouse like a gunshot. His white eyes blazed in the darkness. Full of such beautiful fury, Malachi mused, unfazed by the pain. Yes, I can't wait to see what you will accomplish for me! What magnificent rage, forged by years of suffering, loneliness, and madness.
Malachi's eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, eager to claim another pawn in his twisted game. Asura, after all, was the last ogre of his realm. What has he endured, alone in his desolate kingdom all this time? Malachi wondered. He could only stew in the rage that festered and boiled within him, helpless in a wasteland that was once the Ogre Kingdom. A flicker of fear, however, tempered his excitement. Those eyes, wild and unpredictable, were like those of a rabid dog, finally unleashed and ready to bite the hand that fed it.
"I will tame you," Malachi vowed, his voice a low growl. "Someday."
Lost in his thoughts, Malachi stood frozen as the Beastman leaped in front of him, intercepting Asura's attack. Asura's fists collided with the Beastman's hammer, but this time, the weapon shattered under the force of the blow. Malachi watched in disbelief as the Beastman was sent flying, her body tumbling across the floor.
Asura, a whirlwind of fury, cared nothing for the obstacles in his path. His sole focus was Malachi, the smug bastard who dared to threaten Lily. He lunged, his fists aimed squarely at the man's scarred face, a predator closing in on its prey. But as his knuckles hovered mere inches from Malachi's brow, Asura saw something unexpected in the cultist leader's eyes: stark, unadulterated fear. The fear of death.
"Afraid?" Asura taunted, his voice thick with disgust. "How ironic that the bastard who preaches of slaughtering humans is afraid to die himself. If you want to kill them all, that includes you, buddy. Go ahead, end your life!"
He strained, his muscles bulging as he fought against an unseen force that prevented him from completing his attack. The Naga's tail, strong as iron, was coiled tightly around his bicep. Asura roared, his other two arms seizing the tail in a crushing grip. With a grunt of exertion, he swung the Naga around, her body a blur of motion. Then, with a final heave, he released her, sending her hurtling across the warehouse to smash against a distant wall
Asura turned back to Malachi, ready to deliver the final blow. But as he gathered himself to leap, a shadow darted in front of him. The Naga woman had recovered with astonishing speed. Asura pivoted to strike but froze. The Naga tore off her head covering, revealing a horrifying sight: a writhing mass of dark green snakes, their scales glinting menacingly in the dim light. Four emerald eyes, filled with a chilling intensity, locked onto Asura. Her eyes are dangerous…
This was no ordinary Naga. This is a Gorgon, one of the legendary three. Unstable, vicious quotidian mana pulsed from her, and her slitted eyes held Asura captive. Fuck… He was paralyzed, both physically and mentally. In an instant, the left side of his body began to harden, the Gorgon's petrifying mana coursing through his veins. Which one are you...? Medusa? Nah, she's prettier... What were her sister's names again? I should've listened to Orthos more...
Asura struggled as his body slowed. He was turning to stone. Malachi, witnessing Asura's struggle, erupted in laughter. Unsurprisingly, even the mighty Asura succumbed to the Gorgon's power. That was precisely why he had chosen her.
From behind Malachi, the Beastman stumbled back into the room, her body a gruesome tableau of exposed bones and gaping wounds. Asura watched in morbid fascination as the Beastman's bones snapped and shifted, sinking back into her flesh with a sickening crunch. Her face, masked with blood, twisted into a grotesque parody of Malachi's laughter.
Malachi, his hands clasped behind his back, exuded an air of triumph. He would find another use for Asura's petrified body. A shame, but what can you do? he thought.
"I guess the legendary Asura will finally know what death feels like," Malachi gloated, his voice dripping with mockery. "What a pathetic waste of a strong ogre... All of this could have been avoided if you had simply joined us. Why resist? What do you gain from these humans? Comradery?" His face relaxed into a cold stare. "A joke." He turned. "Fighting? We both know you could get that on our side, even more so. What drives you to fight for them?
"Why fight for a world that hates you?"