"It's been a while.." I said, my voice calm but filled with authority. "Malokos."
The creature's mouth faltered for a brief moment, replaced by a look of curiosity. It tilted its head, its glowing pupils narrowing as it studied me.
I remained still, my gaze unwavering as the full moon cast its light over me.
"Or should I say...Apostle of Gluttony." I said, my voice cutting through the stillness of the forest like a blade.
Malokos' hollow pupils narrowed as he observed me, his body straightening as if to project dominance. Yet, the faint twitch in his expression showed his unease.
"How do you—" His voice faltered, but then his eyes widened, realization dawning upon him like a thunderclap. His breaths grew erratic. "You… No… It's not possible."
"So," I began, kicking a small stone to the side as if it were the only thing worth my attention, "how are you still alive?"
"You awakened from your slumber," Malokos said, ignoring my question as if speaking the words aloud would make them less real.
"I asked you something," I said, raising my eyes to meet his.
He gulped, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet forest. "I don't… know." His voice quivered.
"You don't know?" I repeated.
"F-few months back, I suddenly got up from the tomb," he stammered, his bony fingers trembling.
"And you also got your body back?" I pressed.
"Y-yes…"
A sigh escaped my lips, long and weary. "I see… that's weird. I don't know what the fuck is even happening anymore."
Malokos took a hesitant step back, his feet scraping against the dirt. The fear radiating from him was almost clear.
"And you're still hungry for souls in the same way?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
His lips parted, but no words came out, only a hesitation that told me the truth clearer than any confession could.
"Children dying from 'accidents,'" I said, my voice dripping with mockery. "Pfft*. Not the first time I'm hearing it."
"You wouldn't understand," he hissed, his voice now showing defiance.
"Shut up." I commanded, my voice low but firm, and he flinched as if struck.
I took a step closer, and he froze. "And because you can't walk freely out there, you used a priest desperate for power to do your dirty work. Sigh… You're as pathetic as ever."
Malokos' expression hardened, and his lips curled into a sneer. "Watch your tongue, Esther. You speaking to a being far beyond your comprehension."
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. "Better than being a mere apostle who preys on kids… you coward. You even used a hypnotizing butterfly to lure a child to his death. That's your style, isn't it? Cheap tricks and cowardice."
His face twisted in fury, and with a guttural growl, he raised his hand. A jagged, curved sword materialized out of thin air, its blade pulsing with an eerie, crimson glow.
"I have consumed enough," he said, his voice resonating with power, though his fear was still evident. "Unlike last time, this time things will be different. It would've been better if you had focused on your sleep and stayed out of this."
I tilted my chin up, staring at him with a calmness that only seemed to confused him further.
"Ohh, is that so?" I said, my tone almost amused. I removed my right hand from my pocket and with a faint shimmer of black energy, my sleek black dagger materialized in my grip, its blade gleaming under the moonlight.
Six fiery dots materialized in the air, glowing brighter with each passing second. Their energy radiated outward, thickening the atmosphere with an oppressive weight. Malokos's fiery eyes glaring at me with fury. The flames crackled and hissed.
"You think you can do anything you want?!" he said.
I tilted my head slightly, meeting his glare with an unbothered expression. "I'm the one who stopped you before. So yes, you could say that." My tone was casual, almost mocking, as I kicked at the dirt beneath my feet.
His anger exploded. The six fire dots suddenly condensed into blinding plasma rays that shot toward me. I moved my body into motion, evading the first two with a swift step to the side, then twisting midair to dodge the next. The beams scorched the ground where I once stood, leaving charred craters behind.
"You missed," I said, my voice calm, landing lightly on my feet.
Without hesitation, he charged toward me, his jagged curved blade materializing in his hand. His heavy footsteps crushed the earth beneath him as he swung the blade down with incredible force.
I dodged again, leaping into the air as the blade carved through the trees behind me.
Massive trunks splintered and fell like dominoes, shaking the ground as they collapsed.
"Same old tricks," I said, vanishing before his eyes just as he lunged at me again. My voice echoed around him like a ghost. "And you say you're stronger now?"
Malokos growled, turning on his feet, his fiery eyes scanning the forest for any sign of me.
He turned sharply to his left, his glowing eyes narrowing at what he thought was my shadow. But I wasn't there.
His breathing quickened. "Enough of this!" His eyes turned crimson, glowing like molten lava. With a feral roar, he unleashed his energy in a devastating blast. A ring of fire erupted around him, expanding outward in a violent explosion. Trees disintegrated into ash, the earth scorched black, and the force sent animals running for safety.
He stood in the epicenter of destruction, his chest heaving as smoke rose around him. "Huff… huff…" He looked at the area with a smirk. "That should be enough to take care of you."
"That's it?"
The sound of my voice froze him in place. He turned around slowly, and there I was, sitting casually on a fallen tree just behind him, my dagger twirling lazily between my fingers.
"Huh?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he stumbled a step back.
"I don't know how, but you were given a second chance at life. You could've gone somewhere far away, started over, and lived in peace. But instead…" I paused, letting my words linger. "You chose to repeat your stupidity."
Malokos's lips parted, but no words came. He hesitated, his hands trembling slightly as he clutched his blade.
"I—"
His hesitation gave way to anger, his fiery eyes flaring brighter. "I am the Apostle of Gluttony!" he declared, his voice booming. "I vow for my master and live for him!"
I sighhh* deeply, my shoulders rising and falling as I shook my head. "A dog barking for a master who doesn't care. How pathetic."
His teeth ground together in fury. "Enough of your mockery!" he roared, lifting his jagged blade high.
I began walking toward him casually, my dagger still spinning in my hand.
He lunged toward me with his blade raised high. But I was faster. In five quick steps, I was in front of him before he could react.
His eyes widened in shock as I slashed my dagger in a single, precise motion. He stumbled backward, his hand instinctively reaching for his neck as his head began to tilt.
The world spun for him as his vision blurred. His head fell to the ground, rolling to a stop as his body collapsed in a heap.
I stood over him, watching the light fade from his lifeless eyes. My dagger dissolved into black mist, vanishing from my palm.
Without another word, I turned and walked away, the forest eerily silent around me. The moonlight bathed the scene in its cold glow, and the air felt little lighter.