Chereads / Maga’s Resurgence / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: New Beginnings

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: New Beginnings

In what was once his home, Satoshi stood atop the ruins, devastated. The sun glistened off his fair skin, and the wind blew strongly. Slowly, he traversed through the rough terrain, eventually reaching what was left of the clan's main hall. Covered with some dirt was what Satoshi believed to be a flag.

"What is this?" he said as he kneeled over to pick it up.

Wiping aside the dirt, Satoshi picked up the object. "A cloak? It has the clan's emblem on it. So much for a final memento," he mumbled to himself before throwing it on.

"Help!" a distant voice cried.

"Someone's alive?"

Satoshi's heart fluttered as he began running towards the voice. "That's right," he smiled. "Somebody had to survive!" he thought.

"Hel-" The assassin tried to make his voice heard but kept coughing up blood due to his wound. "I'm going to die, I've failed my mission," he whispered.

"Where are you!!!" Satoshi shouted. "I'm coming!!"

"There's still hope," the assassin grinned with blood covering his teeth.

"Are you okay!" Satoshi yelled.

The sound of coughing grew closer. Satoshi had finally found him—a man bloodied and rough-looking, dressed in black, sat up beside a tree. Satoshi proceeded with caution.

"You don't have to keep your hand on your blade, you kno-" the assassin let out a cough before being able to finish his sentence. "As you can see, I'm of no threat to you."

"Who are you?"

"Cut the small talk, I need you to deliver something for me," he asserted. "You'll be rewarded handsomely, and all you have to do is deliver a note. Sounds good, doesn't it?" he grinned.

"Someone sure went through a lot of trouble for just a 'note'," Satoshi replied.

"Oh, you mean this?" the assassin laughed.

"What do you know of an army that wears a rose and thorn crest?" Satoshi announced as he clung to his blade.

"What, you an idiot or something?" the assassin sneered.

Satoshi drew his blade, and the assassin felt his bloodlust choke him. "Tone it down, you're making it hard to breathe," the assassin said as he loosened his shirt's collar.

"Answer my question."

"What, have you been under a rock your whole life? That's the crest of the Valdirose family; they rule each continent."

"Val-di-rose?"

The Valdirose family, a family that suddenly rose to power three generations prior and have since then been the sole rulers of the three continents.

"Yeah, they've been the ruling factor since before the majority of citizens were born. How don't you know that?"

"Where can I find them?"

"Everywhere, they own everything."

Satoshi turned around and began walking.

"WAITTT!!!" the assassin shouted, letting out a hearty cough of blood.

Satoshi returned.

"I can offer you lodging and a good meal on top of the payment."

"Not interested."

"You haven't heard where you'll be delivering the note to."

"I said I'm not interested."

"It's a city named Valdirose."

Satoshi's eyes widened.

"It was named after Valdirose I. It's said he fought off some ancient demon from entering the city and killing off many people, which saved a lot of people from dying at the hands of the destroyer. Although he died that day, he's still remembered as a great hero to this day."

Satoshi felt pulsating from the blade, glimpses of war and destruction flashing in his head.

"Destroy! I'll destroy them all!" a faint voice of Maga echoed.

"Filth has no right to rule any domain," a faint voice of Kang interjected.

"Hey, you still listening?" the assassin asked.

Satoshi took a deep breath.

"Your job is simple: take this letter to this location, and do not open it," the assassin instructed.

Satoshi inspected the letter. It looked normal, but he felt uneasy.

"You'll have to leave now, the faster the better," the assassin said in a weak voice.

More like the faster, the safer, the assassin thought to himself.

Satoshi placed the note within his bag and left.

As the assassin's vision went blurry, his final glance upon this world foresaw the darkness that would be left in the wake of Satoshi's vengeance. With his last breath, he muttered, "Truly horrific."