The snow crunched under my boots as I ran, my breath sharp and shallow, stabbing at my chest like a dagger. The battlefield stretched endlessly in every direction, blanketed in white, with only the faint snowfall breaking the silence. It was too quiet. No cries, no clash of steel, just the faint whistle of the wind and the whisper of snow landing on corpses. My nose burned from the icy air, and the metallic tang of blood lingered in my throat.
My chest tightened, each step heavier than the last, like the ground was trying to pull me down. My armor, polished and pristine this morning, now felt like a cage. I could hear faint cracks in the silver plating, and with each one, it felt like my mind splintered with it. Tears blurred my vision, hot streaks down my frozen cheeks.
I couldn't stop them. I didn't care.
The snow tugged at my silver cloak as it whipped behind me, blending with the storm. My legs were trembling, my lungs screaming, but I couldn't stop. Not yet. Not now. My pace faltered, my boots slipping slightly on the frozen ground, but I forced myself forward.
Around me were bodies—so many bodies—some half-buried, others twisted into shapes I didn't want to look at. I couldn't think about them. I had to keep going.
And then I saw him.
I stumbled, falling to my knees in front of the giant form. He towered even in death, his golden hair fanned out against the snow like the halo he once had. His face, once so full of life, was eerily still, his closed eyes hiding the brilliant gold I'd looked up to for so long. His armor—armor I thought unbreakable—was in ruins, shattered completely. Blood pooled beneath him, stark red against the white snow, spilling from gashes too large, too deep.
I reached out a trembling hand but stopped just short of his face. My throat locked, and the words I wanted to say wouldn't come. My lips moved, but only a choked gasp escaped.
"No… no, no, no…" I croaked, my voice breaking as I tried again. "You can't… you can't—"
A sob ripped through me, my hands clutching at the snow, the cold biting into my fingers. My mind screamed at me to do something, anything, but my body wouldn't move. I stared at him, hoping—praying—for some sign, a twitch, a breath, anything.
But he didn't move.
"I—" My voice cracked, tears falling faster now. I couldn't string the words together. They caught in my throat, tangled in the pain clawing its way up from my chest.
The memories of his laughter, his strength, his voice—they all hit me at once, crushing me. I clenched my fists, shaking my head like I could force it all away like this wasn't real.
But it was.
I tried again, but all that came out was a broken, "Please…"
As I knelt there, every ounce of strength drained from my body, I saw something. At first, I thought it was just the snow playing tricks on me, but then it descended, graceful and terrifying. A woman. Her beauty was beyond words, unnatural and unearthly, like something carved out of light and shadow.
It wasn't right—it couldn't be. No way… it was her…
Every emotion inside me vanished, replaced by a raw, boiling rage. My hands clawed at her as she floated closer, but they passed through her form like she wasn't real. She didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge me. My blows meant nothing.
Her focus was on him—the man lying in the snow. She descended silently, her arms opening wide, her smile warm and tender. It made my stomach twist. She embraced him like a mother holding her child, her ethereal form curling around his shattered body.
"Get away from him!" I screamed, my voice breaking as I swung again, my fists passing through her once more. My strikes were savage and desperate, but nothing worked. She held him tighter, ignoring me completely.
And then, I saw it. His wounds. The gashes, the broken armor, the blood—it all began to mend. His chest rose, just slightly, a faint sound of breath escaping his lips. My anger turned into something far worse: disbelief.
His eyes, still closed, moved beneath pale lids. And then they opened. Two golden orbs of light stared back at the world, brighter than any sun.
He grunted softly as he sat up, his golden hair spilling across his chest and back like a river of sunlight. His movements were slow, and carefuly, as if testing his strength. I sat frozen, unable to process what I was seeing, my mind torn between awe and grief.
The rage I'd felt was gone now, replaced by a crushing sadness. My lips trembled as I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come… as I knew what was going to happen next.
His golden eyes turned to me, and I froze. There was so much in them—vigor, life, emotion. It overwhelmed me. The weight of that gaze made my throat tighten, and I could barely breathe.
"Eizum," he said softly, his voice dry but steady. "Take care of yourself, kid."
I couldn't respond. My chest tightened as his eyes dimmed. They lost their light, their life, until nothing remained but an empty stare.
My lips quivered, the words I needed to say dying on my tongue. I couldn't stay. I couldn't bear it.
I turned and ran. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, carrying me away from him, from her, from all of it. The snow blurred with my tears as I sobbed into the silence, my cries swallowed by the falling flakes. I didn't stop, couldn't stop.
Not until the battlefield was far behind me.
…
Eizum's eyes snapped open, their dark red hue swirling with restless energy as they darted around the abyssal void that stretched endlessly before him. His breath hitched for a moment, but his face remained steady, scanning the plane. He glanced down at himself, realizing he was completely naked, though his genitals were obscured by a shadowy black shroud that clung unnaturally to him.
He spun around sharply, his muscles tense, only to freeze briefly at the sight before him. His eyes widened, just a fraction, before narrowing. Looming in the darkness was a monstrous silver grub, its massive form glistening faintly in the void. Hundreds of silvery eyes dotted its grotesque body, while two enormous gray antler-like horns jutted out from its head, their jagged edges gleaming faintly.
"It's been a while, Parasite," Eizum muttered.
The grub began to slither, its massive bulk curling around the abyss as it circled Eizum. Its movements were unnervingly smooth, the sound of its body scraping against the unseen floor sending shivers through the silence.
It suddenly stopped, its coiled form unfurling in one swift motion as its head loomed directly in front of Eizum. The grotesque, face full of eyes came so close that he could feel an oppressive weight in the air between them.
"You should kill yourself right now," the Parasite's voice reverberated telepathically, the tone venomous and cold. "Surviving with the power of demons is not only shameful but utterly torturous."
Eizum smirked, tilting his head slightly as he crossed his arms. "You really want me to die, huh? Maybe if you hadn't rejected my offer earlier, I'd believe you. But now, the only thing I believe is that you want my body. I don't know the difference between you taking me alive or dead, but I know damn well I'd rather stay alive."
The Parasite remained silent, unmoving, though its many silver eyes seemed to watch him intently. Its massive head easily doubled Eizum's height, and it hung just before him, motionless. Then, with an eerie grace, the creature reared back, its body coiling into itself before stilling entirely.
"You are quite clever," it said at last, the telepathic voice colder than before. "However, did you truly believe I could not kill you myself?"
A chill ran down Eizum's spine, his body tensing instinctively. His hands tingled, a strange prickling sensation spreading through his fingers. Before he could react further, the Parasite launched itself forward like a coiled spring, exploding toward him with terrifying speed.
Eizum raised his hands reflexively, and a dark purple mist erupted from his palms. The mist expanded, hissing violently as it engulfed the Parasite mid-attack. The monstrous creature dropped to the ground just before reaching him, writhing and thrashing in agony. Its inhuman screeches echoed through the void, piercing and disorienting as if they were tearing through Eizum's very mind. Clutching his ears, he staggered, fighting against the splitting pain.
Through blurred vision, Eizum saw the purple mist consume the Parasite's flesh, the silvery exterior melting away in chunks. The mist hardened suddenly, condensing into vanta black chains that snaked around the creature's massive form. The chains tightened with unnatural precision, their surfaces foggy with the same ominous mist.
As the Parasite's writhing body was bound to the abyssal floor, a massive stake materialized in the air above its head. The dark, jagged weapon shimmered ever so slightly before slamming downward with a deafening crack, impaling the creature straight through its head.
Despite the blow, the Parasite did not die. Its body continued to convulse, its screeches turning into distorted howls of torment. Eizum shivered as a cold seeped into him, biting through his skin and chilling him to the core.
The dark purple mist suddenly swirled furiously around Eizum, clinging to him like a living entity. Its tendrils licked the air as his breath came in shallow bursts, each exhalation visible in the growing cold that gripped him. The temperature dropped further with every second, sinking into his bones as the mist tightened its hold.
His body trembled, but not from pain—he felt none—only the numbing chill.
However, as the mist took away his vision, he heard one more thing from the parasite.
"Struggle all you want… your death is inevitable in this fight."
Finally, the mist settled, coalescing into a cloak that draped over his shoulders. It shimmered faintly, a foggy, unnatural shroud that pulsed like a living thing.
Soon, he glanced around, finding himself standing within his fortress once again, his surroundings snapping back into sharp focus. He glanced down at his body, taking in the horrifying state he was in. His arms and legs bore deep gashes, blood seeping from torn muscles. His chest, caved in where ribs had shattered, rose and fell in uneven breaths. The injuries should have been unbearable, but all he felt was a dull ache, numbed by whatever force had saved him.
A shadow flickered above. Eizum's head snapped upward just in time to see Edwin descending from the sky. The golden lion trailing him stretched its form into a massive arc of feral power, claws extended as it roared toward him. Eizum tried to move but felt his body sluggish, heavier than he had ever known. He barely avoided the lion's fangs, diving to the side, only for Edwin to meet him mid-dodge.
The golden blade slammed into his ribs. The impact reverberated through his body, and though the cloak absorbed the sharpness of the strike, the force sent him sprawling. Eizum staggered upright, his legs shaking beneath him. He touched his side, his fingers trembling as he felt the unnatural stillness inside. He couldn't feel pain, but he knew. His ribs were shattered. His organs, vital and weak, had begun to shut down.
And yet, despite him practically vibrating from the cold surrounding him, he rose to his feet.
Three minutes had passed.
15 years had been shaved off of Edwin's life.
Rage coursed through him. It wasn't the calculated fury of an experienced warrior but a primal, unrestrained wrath. A torrent of memories surged in his mind—his youth, his helplessness, the seething rage that had defined him as a child. His hands shook as adrenaline flooded his veins, his body thrumming with the unrelenting drive to act.
Drool dripped from his lips as his breathing grew heavier. His eyes were an inky black that consumed him. One thought screamed louder than any pain, louder than the storm raging inside him:
"I can't die yet. Not without curing him."
Eizum's gaze locked onto Edwin, who approached with the casual confidence of a predator certain of its kill. Edwin's golden sword gleamed faintly before he tossed it aside, disappearing into sparks of light, while his armored footsteps echo in the snowy expanse.
"As a knight, I still have my chivalry, even on the brink of death. That is the pride I hold as a Holy Knight Captain."