Asura and Wain walked through the town, searching for lingering remains left behind by the quotidian mana. Asura could recognize the scent from miles away, but for some odd reason, he could smell nothing. Other times, the scent was so strong that it left a staining presence.
"Hmmmm... I wonder if the cultists have been taking lessons from the shadows on concealing their scent... It's the only way I could see the humans developing their skills to this level." Asura thought to himself as he walked beside Wain.
The orb began to burn brightly as they followed it up to an abandoned church. Wain looked over at Asura. The ogre's eyes were sharp and focused. "I can't get over how strange this monster is sometimes... One minute, he's eating ice cream like a child with slobber all over his mouth, then in the next moment, he looks dialed in... focused at such a level he resembles a professional Paladin..." Wain thought as he watched the ogre begin to pick his nose. A sigh escaped his lips. "And we're back to the child..."
As the orb approached across the street, it suddenly began to vibrate. Asura opened his mouth to ask about its behavior but stopped as he watched the orb fly across the street and slam into the side of the rotting building. Wain whispered,
"This is it."
The church looked vacant, as if no one had entered for a while. Vines wrapped around the walls of the building, making it hard to distinguish where the entrance was. The weeds and tall grass formed a barrier that made it difficult to approach the decaying building. "Whoever is responsible for cutting the grass is scamming the owners... Oh shit, that's us! We're fucking getting scammed!"
Asura walked forward without a word, and Wain followed. A wave of quotidian mana poured into the ogre's nostrils. "They were definitely in the right place... but now they needed to get inside." Wain thought as Asura's eyes focused once more. His response to situations seemed lax on the outside, but when Wain studied Asura, he felt as if a dog whistle was blown and ordered a command. For some reason, Asura followed a few commands and rejected others.
As Wain and Asura traversed the jungle built up around the church they found a giant tree protruding from the entrance. The large trunk towered before the front doors, blocking any entrance into the building... "Oh yeah, why wouldn't there be a perfectly giant tree in the direct path we need to go? Totally not suspicious at all and very normal. We should go somewhere else to look for cultists trying to hide out in an area and kidnap children for sacrifices."
Asura walked subconsciously without regard to his surroundings as he argued with himself in his head,
"Let's go check behind a dumpster... Oh, or how about in a cathedral run by a nun who is meant to protect the children and keep them safe from the real 'demons' lurking amongst the humans they can't even see, pretending to be reasonable people yet hiding behind a mask of 'kindness' and say 'Oh I did it for us. I did it for you. We need better. We deserve better.' and use it as an excuse. But I'm a demon. I can't be trusted. I-"
Wain grabbed Asura's fist, snapping him back to reality. The two paused. Silence remained for a few breaths before Asura began to hear Wain's erratic heartbeat.
"Are you okay, dude?"
Wain's flickering eyes made it obvious he was studying Asura's face. Without realizing it Asura touched his face and found a deep scowl. He relaxed his features, trying to return them to their resting position. However, a deep rage seemed to fester inside, one he could not quell.
"I'm fine."
"You don't-"
Asura snapped at Wain. His dark eyes made it clear that Asura did not intend to discuss this topic further.
"I'm fine. Let's get inside."
Wain paused for a moment.
"O-okay."
Wain knew that look. He'd seen it before in the Captain's eyes many times. They were eyes that had witnessed something no person should. Eyes that relived one of the moments they hated and feared... "Eyes that cannot face their trauma." Wain thought as the ogre walked away. He watched as Asura gripped his head. The ogre lightly tapped the side of his skull with his fist momentarily. However, it didn't last long before he snapped out of this unusual mood, reverting into the playful ogre Wain recognized.
"So even you struggle with complex emotions, huh? Guess we aren't as different as we make it out to be... To think we brand every monster with the title 'evil,' yet an ogre displays more acts of humanity than even we do..." Wain studied the shattered, colorful stained glass above, and although it was barely intact, the light still twinkled throughout the shards, creating a beautiful flow of colors.
Asura gripped his waist with his two lower arms in anger. A fog of rage clouded his judgment before he finally managed to calm himself down. "I can't do anything irrational here, or these fucks won't get caught. If I ever get my hands on that fucking four-eyed scar-faced, cowardly son of a bitch I'll rip his heart out!" Asura began to work himself up with the thought of Sarah and Malachi but slowed his breathing to prevent his blood flow from pumping faster.
A whiff of human stench stained by quotidian mana blew past Asura's face.
"Three men... Corpses... lots of them. Hm... No monsters, though."
A slight smile spread across Asura's face.
"Guess I don't need to spare them. I can blow off some steam."
A breeze blew past, rustling the leaves of a large oak tree behind him. Its large trunk towered high above, creating an umbrella that enveloped the church in its presence. The branches stretched far over the small, decaying church as if it were shielding it.
However, the large tree wasn't left without blemishes, and large chunks of its beautiful body withered away. It was rotting... but not by normal means. Asura had lived in the forest for a long time and recognized the signs of death a tree experienced. This wasn't from an insect, a disease, or old age...
"To think the humans discard such a place just because they find no use for themselves... A great way to show respect, huh? Now, it's a slaughterhouse used to butcher their own kind... I bet you're angry."
The wind grew rougher and more intense. The sounds of glass cracking alerted Asura to an Asura-sized opening created by the large branches piercing through the glass near the top of the church. Only one issue remained.
Wain ran around the building, finding Asura standing alone. The two acknowledged each other momentarily before Asura pointed up at the opening.
"What about the hole?"
"It's the way in."
"There's no way I'm getting up there dude..."
"Hm, not my problem, is it? Guess you'll be waiting out here then."
Asura gave Wain a concerning smile. Worried that he would get into more trouble, Wain put his arms in front of the ogre, stopping him from moving.
"We need to get information. You can't just kill whoever is inside, got it?"
With a deep sigh of regret, Asura whispered back,
"OK, Dad. I won't kill them."
Jumping up into the tree, Asura climbed to the top easily, as if he had been born in a forest. Upon reaching the top, Asura grabbed the window frame and peeked inside. Within the dark room, light peaked through multiple holes created throughout the walls of the building. Cracks from vines and roots ripped through the walls, flooding even the insides of the worship area.
The four wooden pillars holding the ceiling up were rotting and appeared hollow, and it became apparent that it was a miracle they even remained standing. In the middle of the room stood three men, just as Asura predicted... Although being right wasn't something Asura could take pride in at the moment, as corpses littered the worship area surrounding the three men.
Their brown cloaks disguised their identities, but Asura wasn't interested in learning any further about them. Instead, punishment was due. Before Asura could drop, the furthest one talked as he kicked the head of a nearby corpse.
"What are we waiting for?"
"We are waiting so we don't get caught. Those priests have been prowling searching for us."
"Malachi will have our head if we don't show up with any blood or sacrifices. That nun is supposed to bring us some more. So be quiet while we wait for her to leave the cathedral! We need-"
Asura's heart began to boil with rage as he watched the man play with the body of a woman whose hair color resembled Lily's. Without hesitation, he pushed through, crashing through the stained glass. The remaining shards shattered into pieces that fell through the air, twinkling and reflecting the light, sending an array of colors throughout the room as if it were a prism. The three men were startled by the sudden intrusion and froze as they watched the black figure descend into the room amongst them.
As Asura hit the floor with a loud thud, the three cultists watched as the monster squatted momentarily before rising. In the moment, they were left unable to decide whether to flee or remain.
Asura was astonished as he looked around the room. It was filled with corpses scattered all over the place. He was unable to look anywhere in the room without a corpse being present. Laying in pews, piled up on the ground, hanging from the rafters... Many of them were burnt or dried up as if they were failed sacrifices.
Drained of all their blood, they were useless to the cultists now... Piles of trash that needed to be discarded at a later date. Once people with lives, families, dreams... They were all slain by their own kind for greedy, vile reasons. The three cultists were perplexed by the sight of such a monster. One of the cultists asked,
"Are you the monster we summoned? What is your name?"
Another cultist excitedly replied,
"It must be! Why would a monster be here anyway?"
The third one put his palm to his forehead, shouting,
"Shut up. Of course, he isn't you dimwits. Look at his clothes, Judex Divinum's symbol is on it but why is a demon helping God!"
Asura glanced behind him to try to catch a glimpse of Wain but found no sign of the priest. "He must be looking for another way in." A wicked grin spread across Asura's face.
"Now look here, guys. We can be friends, right? It's not like you are horrible, terrible, appalling, disgusting individuals who would sacrifice children, right? You know? Not the type of person to use people's lives as playthings for selfish desires. Certainly, not the type of people I should gut and feed to the wolves."
"What?"
"Where's Malachi?"
The three cultists trembled at the sight of the devil's appearance before them. Asura's eyes were filled with disdain and hatred. He did not blink, look away, or move an inch forward but eerily stood motionless. The ogre's chest didn't rise. His fingers never twitched. As if caught by a predator, the three cultists refused to move, knowing if they did, it would be their end.
"You seem wiser of the three."
Asura's eyes moved to the cultist on the right, but his body remained still.
"Smart enough to recognize the symbol of Judex Divinum. Still stupid but wiser. I'll tell you why I'm with the priests. I abhor those who harm the innocent who can't even defend themselves. I abhor those who defile the sanctuary created to pay respects to the creator who made all. I abhor those who use cowardly tactics to win by any means they find necessary."
His bright white eyes glow intensified,
"You, and those similar to you, would strangle a pup just brought into the world if it meant you could get your hands on the wolf. I have lived in the world you wish to create. It is a place that rots the mind and eats everyone alive. A place with no victor. A place with no purpose. I'll tell you another thing, too."
Asura paused. The resentment radiating from Asura sucked the air out of their lungs. Their knees seemed to buckle as if the gravity suddenly increased. Frozen in fear, they could only see Asura's silhouette as the light cast onto his back. Only his eyes pierced through the shadows covering the front of his body. They shined like bright, burning stars in the void of space. Unstable and warping, his eyes locked with the other three men's eyes.
"I don't know why humans keep calling me a demon. It is a title not even Judex Divinum would place upon our heads. A crown fit for only the worthless vermin who plague the world with their existence. Tormentors who yield nothing but thorns."
Asura jumped at one of them before any of them could react. Terrified, the man pleaded,
"I'm sorry I did-"
Asura grabbed him by the ankle, lifted him, and slammed his back on the ground. The cultist could only gasp for air as all his bones broke instantly. Blood spewed from his mouth as Asura dropped him on the floor, leaving his twitching corpse on the floor. Watching their partner's lifeless body squirm before their eyes left the other two cultists terrified. Begging for their lives, they fell to their knees. Asura grabbed another by the neck, lifting him high. With a sigh, he stated,
"What a boring fight. You slaughter. Murder your own kind, yet you cry for mercy when faced with the consequences of your actions. I fuck around a lot, but I cannot show mercy to people like you. Rats that need their necks broken."
Asura squeezed. The cultist's eyes filled with tears.
"Spare... m-me ple-ase."
"I bet all of these people pleaded the same cries you utter now. This crime is not one I can forgive. To be merciful to you is to spite the dead."
Suddenly, a back door shot open, and a large wolf exploded into the room. The smoky form was indistinguishable from Wain's. Asura sighed at the sight of the beast, knowing his fun was over. The smell of the corpses filled Wain's nose first, overwhelming his senses. Wain grabbed his nose as his face twisted in disgust at the horrific sight. However, he quickly took notice of the familiar brown robe a dead man was wearing near Asura's feet.
"I thought you said no killing?"
"He was totally like that before I got here. Like I came in, and boom, he was just there. Wild, right?"
Asura shrugged and put his hands up, dropping the cultist.
"Ah fuck it, what else was I supposed to do? I mean, look around the room. Fucked up, right?"
The cultist's body smacked against the floor as he gasped for air. Without hesitation, though, while gripping his neck, the cultist jumped up and ran towards the back of the church. His peer followed along, desperately shoving anything out of his way as he struggled to fight against his trembling legs. Running through the door in the back, the two men escaped past Wain, who stood dumbfounded.
"Did you really just let them go?"
"I mean, you just let them go?"
"Why the hell did you release him?"
"I thought you wanted that?"
"WHY WOULD I WANT THAT?!"
"Well, you were pretty mad when you walked in."
"What is wrong with you!?!"
"A lot. Too much, to be honest."
Asura shrugged once more, irritating Wain.
"Really dude..."
"I'll go get them. Don't worry. They can't get far with the piss running down their legs as they shit themselves, struggling to make it back to the rat hole Malachi created."
Wain quickly pulled out the herb of creation that had been previously lit. Asura watched as the small whisps of smoke left from the previous use were breathed in through Wain's nose. From his mouth, the smoke blew out in a large cloud that swirled in the air. The fading wolf was reborn in the new cloud, extending its life. Wain gave no command but immediately it darted off, following the cultists out the back door. Asura's eyes lit up as they both chased after the wolf and cultists.
"That is rad! So, cool every time I see it."
Wain wanted to stop and turn around as he followed after the wolf but couldn't. Asura's tone, mood, nonverbal responses, and other reactions left Wain uneased as he pursued the cultists. He caught a portion of Asura's discussion with the cultist's before entering... Asura was either faking who he was or going mad...
In pursuit of the cultists, Wain burst out the back door, hearing the cries of a man as a wolf snarled. He instantly whipped his head to his right, finding the wolf chewing on the man's leg while thrashing around as he attempted to break free. "Thank the Lord that the dog caught him... If they somehow managed to get away, he would never hear the end of this." Far out in the distance, Wain caught a glimpse of a brown cloth flapping in the wind. The man was about to hop over a fence several yards away.
"Damn it! He was getting away! If he warns Malachi, it will all be worthless..."
A small rock flew over Wain's head.
"What?"
Wain watched as the rock flew like a baseball, soaring in the cultist's direction. To his surprise, it slammed into the back of the cultist's head, causing him to fall over the fence. He waited for the man to get up but nothing, he was out on the ground. Laughing, Asura walked past Wain to collect the bodies as the priest let out a sigh and asked,
"How come I am the one stuck with you?"
Asura looked at him with a loving smile.
"You know you love me. It's always fun and interesting."
"That's why I hate it!"
As the two walked over, Asura grabbed both of their ankles, collecting the cultists. Screaming from his leg being gnawed on, the conscious cultist swiped at the wolf biting his leg.
"Stop it! Agh! Stop him, please!"
With the wave of Wain's hand, the wolf's body dispersed as the wind swept, carrying the smoke into the sky. The ogre leaned over with a smile, beaming with joy at the man crying out in agony,
"Keep being so loud, and you will end up like your friend in the church."
The cultist ceased crying immediately at the threat, terrified of the thought of his possible fate. Asura rose and elbowed Wain in the side, looking for approval.
"We still have two. If we need, we can kill one if the other doesn't talk."
Disgusted by Asura's thinking, Wain shook his head as he sighed again. After returning to the church, Asura propped up the two men next to the corpses on a nearby pew. The one holding his leg in pain looked at them, exclaiming,
"If you think I'll give you Malachi's location, bite me."
Asura looked around the room at the corpses rotting away. The unpleasant sight even made Asura's skin crawl. He may enjoy fighting, but this... this was horrific. What a terrible thing to do to your own people. "Leave their corpses rotting away in a shit hole like this... Crap hole. Man, I need to stop, or I'll do it accidentally, and the old man will kill my ass. Damn it! Da- This sucks." Asura looked at Wain and motioned to the corpses.
"Well, what do you think? He won't talk. He killed these people. We don't need him? The other one will talk, right? The other guy was crying earlier to be saved."
Wain looked around the room at the bodies lying in the shadows. These beautiful people were once walking and talking like him... He was disgusted by the men's actions and angrily waved at Asura, giving him approval. With a swift movement, Asura grabbed the man's shoulder and arm, dislocating it with a loud pop as it shifted out of place. The man screamed in pain.
"Aghhh. I... I won't talk!"
Asura became annoyed by his steadfast will.
"Don't you have that truth incantation thing you can use on him?"
"I can't use it. Also, just kill him like you said you were going to. Don't torture the man."
Asura ignored Wain's disgust at popping the man's shoulder out of place.
"Why not? Don't you have those coins?"
"Fuck it hurts. Ahhhgghhhh."
"The coins do not have enough mana to make it strong enough to bind his soul. No luck. I texted Mel. She should be heading here soon so we could have her do it."
"Aaggghhh."
"Ah, no time. I don't want to waste time with these filthy rats."
The unconscious cultist jolted upward due to the other's screaming. Grasping at the pew, he looked around frantically, trying to get a sense of his surroundings.
"Whats-"
"Oh, good morning, sleeping beauty!"
The barely conscious cultist watched as Asura slammed his fist into the chest of the cultist next to him, killing him swiftly. After witnessing what happened, the cultist's eyes widen in terror. His chest rose and fell swiftly, leaving him struggling to breathe.
"I'll talk. I will. I swear!"
Asura stared at the cultist, expecting more,
"Go on then."
Wain squatted down in front of the cultist,
"Where's Malachi going to try summoning Jormungandr next?"
"He plans on summoning it in Stoliagate City, where the Arch-Knight resides. He wants to destroy the main cathedral and kill the Arch-Knight."
"Why the main cathedral? The Arch-Knight is there and would hold off the Apocalypse. Wouldn't that be foolish?"
A dry laugh escaped the man's lips. The man replied,
"It won't matter how strong the Arch-Knight is. Unless he is the Knight of God himself, it'll be too late. You hide behind your so-called righteous Judex Divinum. What will you do now that he has abandoned you?"
"What do you mean too late?"
Looking at Asura, the cultist could see the monster was eager to kill him as he pounded his fists. Fearful, he quickly replied,
"Jormungandr wants to kill the Paladins, priests, and the citizens. By then, he will be strong enough to rival even the monster kings. Not even your God could help you then."
Asura snorted at the comment. Noticing the two let their guard down, the cultist tried to make a break for it. Jumping up from the pew, he dashed around the Ogre, trying to evade being captured once again. However, Asura didn't try to catch him this time. Instead, he grabbed the large pew, dumping the other bodies off it as he lifted it high. Tossing the pew, it slammed into the cultist's back, crushing him underneath the large wooden furniture.
"Galhgnm!"
Wain watched as the man collapsed under the weight of the pew. Asura shouted as he smiled proudly.
"He dead."
"Was that necessary?"
"Were we even considering letting him live after all this?"
"Is he dead?"
"Yup."
"How do we know he didn't lie?"
"I can tell he was truthful."
"What do you mean?"
"His heartbeat didn't change significantly. When humans lie, it spikes."
"You can hear our heartbeat?"
"Every beat."
"That's creepy and concerning..."
Wain pulled out his phone and dialed Mel's number to inform her of the sudden recent events. Turning his back to Asura, Wain gave a recap of the conversation they had with the cultists as Asura poked the bodies for fun. Uninterested in the adult's conversation, he grumbled to himself,
"Why can't you be stronger? I want a good fight, dammit. Stop being so weak."
After finishing up his phone call, Wain turned to Asura,
"Mel wants us to regroup back at the Cathedral. We need to report this to the captain."
"Can we fight there? You've gotten good with your smoky crap. Let's fight."
He pounded his fists while getting amped up from the thought of a fight with Wain. He was the only one he hadn't fought yet. Although his excitement was cut short as Wain shook his head, dismissing his request,
"We have other things to focus on. We need to report it, and then we need to go immediately to the main cathedral."
Asura slumped, depressed that he was rejected once again by Wain. After confirming their deaths, Wain was dissatisfied with leaving the church the way it was. It was a shame he would have to leave such a holy place in such a state, but urgency was required. If what the cultists said were true, then the main cathedral was in danger alongside thousands of citizens' lives. The two rushed back to the cathedral.
"How come we didn't drive the fancy car?"
"Because it's missing a door."
"Damn, cars do be missing doors nowadays, huh?"
Asura could only nod at the blunt response from Wain. "Touché Wain... touché." Approaching the cathedral, the two raced inside towards the old man's office. Mel and Ash were already inside with the old man, discussing the current situation. As the two stopped in front of the doors, Asura watched as Wain began to pant after losing his breath.
"Hold... Ho-hold on. Give me... a second."
Asura turned to the old man, prepared to give his statement. However, no one even glanced in his direction.
"Hey, I was there too, you know. I can tell you what happened."
"Since you're eager, go for it, Asura. Educate us on what happened."
The old man leaned back in his grand leather chair, prepared for whatever was about to come out of the monster's mouth.
"Ok, so the snake dude-"
Finally catching his breath, Wain interrupted Asura, reporting the situation to report the correct information accurately.
"Jormungandr is going to be summoned to Stoligate City. He wants to kill as many as he can and cripple the cathedral's paladins there. If he kills enough, it will be too late for the Arch-Knight to stop him before she arrives."
Asura sat baffled as everyone turned away from him. Wain stole his thunder...
"Your next assignment is to go to the cathedral and prevent Malachi from completing the summoning. It will take too long to get there on foot or by car. You will need Wain to transport you there. Once you arrive, you must report everything to the Paladins running the cathedral. It appears that Malachi knows the Arch-Knight is away from the cathedral. If you can figure out how he managed to get his hands on that information, that would benefit The Temple. It appears we have rats amongst every division within our ranks."
The old man's response confused Asura. He tilted his head and crossed his arms.
"If it's so urgent, why aren't you coming? That punch you hit me with would make Jormungandr cry."
The old man looked at Asura while rising from his chair,
"I need to stay here to make sure Malachi doesn't have any more plans. It is unusual that he would be active in a small town for so long and then change locations. If the cultist lied, then maybe Jormungandr is being summoned here, and someone needs to be prepared. I can handle the situation alone if one arises. With several paladins there and the rest of you, there should be no problem dealing with Jormungandr. Lydia will take charge while Mary is away."
Asura nodded in confirmation,
"Obviously, obviously, the Old man is pretty smart. I just wanted to make sure you knew why you were staying. Although you're pretty confident in taking on an Apocalypse of his caliber by yourself. That's risky, you know."
After shooting a glare at Asura, the old man ignored his dumb comment.
"Grab whatever you need to and go before it's too late."
Mel, Ash, and Wain bolted out of the room to gather their belongings needed for the fight. All three disappeared within seconds, leaving Asura alone with the old man. The awkward atmosphere made Asura fidget as he stood alone. He had no belongings to grab, leaving him without reason to leave the office.
"I should totally grab... something I own. That I have somewhere. On my bed."
"Now is the time you prove your worth, Asura."
Turning around one last time as he shut the door, he could see the old man's eyes locked with his. They seemed to plead with Asura, pleading that he take this seriously for once. Asura understood the gravity of the situation and nodded. He knew that it was no longer a playful matter. Lots of lives were at stake here, and failure would result in the death of all of them. Giving one final salute to the old man, he shut the door and exclaimed,
"I won't let you down, old man."