Chapter 9: Chapter 8: First Blood

Aleph sat alone in front of the portal as he considered his next move. All of his pupils had fully developed their mana heart over the past three weeks, in addition to their quickly growing martial prowess. He had slowed down their mana absorption, not because their body couldn't handle it, but to favor the creation of more artifacts. 

He had created half a dozen spears for himself, as well as some protective gear for his students. Aleph had modified their equipment similarly to Iona's glasses, allowing their mana hearts to be the mana source. 

In short, they were prepared for battle. Aleph made sure that his pupils are more than a match for the invaders' mana hounds. His students weren't nearly as skilled with the spear as an average soldier, and they were complete novices at magic, but they are more well equipped than both, owing to Aleph's godly skill at creating artifacts.

If there was one area of critique, it was that the children were sorely lacking in experience in battle. Too much sparring would give them bad habits, such as subconsciously pulling their punches in life and death situations.

The second main hole in his preparation was that his own mana heart lagged behind significantly. Regardless of its effect in his fighting capability, Aleph really valued its versatility, allowing him to operate artifacts without crystals on hand as well as spells. The problem was that his absorption rate of crystals was so low that the excess mana would be a beacon for the hounds to attack once again.

It's been three weeks since Iona left for the capital, close to the month she had predicted that the enemies' main force would arrive. Several platoons of soldiers had made their way into the city, shoring up their severely lacking defenses, but Iona was delayed. Each day that passes increases the likelihood of battle with a stronger sort of enemy, so after agonizing for a time, Aleph decided to take his students to fight the hounds while he absorbed mana.

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Aleph took his pupils far away from his home. Rayse and the others were puzzled as to the purpose of this.

"Today, you will be tasked to protect me from the hounds." He opened up his palms to show them the crystals in his hands.

"What? Mister Aleph, are you going to take in mana?"

"Correct, Lacey. You've all developed a mana heart the past few days, and though I have no need for one, I should still take this opportunity to develop my own." He slowly crushed the crystal in his hand as he talked.

"This will alert the mana hounds to our location. Your task is to protect me as I absorb the crystals. Get ready."

Rayse and the others got into position, still a bit shell shocked by the development. It was their first battle, and Rayse wasn't sure of anyone else, but he was nervous as heck.

"Alright, guys, stay calm and protect master." Brandon said.

Although mana smoke billowed in the air, The first mana crystal was absorbed without much issue.

"Be ready. They're coming." Aleph warned. As if on cue, the  defense team noticed the massive dogs that were circling them. They snarled and bared their fangs in intimidation. They were completely surrounded. Without warning, the dogs charged from all directions.

Rayse batted away the dogs as they came forward, but they ignored him and went straight for Aleph. "Arghh, they're ignoring me!" he heard Lacey say from behind.

"Make a tighter circle!" He said. The three made a smaller perimeter around Aleph, who was making no effort to defend himself against the mana hounds. The little time that it took them to regroup was enough time for the enemy to wound him.

Rayse shouted frantically. "What are you doing!?"

"I should be the one asking you. Can you not protect me?" Aleph's body was full of shallow scratches. Rayse attacked the hounds with urgency, protecting his friends and mentor from their powerful jaws and sharp claws. The hounds began focusing their attacks on him, acknowledging him as a threat. There's too many of them! He thought, as his wounds also started to accumulate. His armor was working well, but his extremities were exposed.

Brandon threw Aleph over his shoulder and ran towards the tree. He shouted, "Mister, please stand against one of the trees! We can use the woods as cover!"

Rayse and Lacey repositioned towards them, killing the hounds along the way.. Aleph had deep claw marks all over, as well as a nasty cut above the eye. Aleph paid them all no mind, solely focusing on crushing the mana crystals and absorbing the mana within.

Rayse attacked wildly, heedless of his growing number of injuries. Aleph's gone mad! He stuck the spearhead onto one hound's eye, and then spun to slit the throat of another. He grew tired, but he dared not let up. 

He kept going until someone blocked his path of attack. It was Brandon. 

"Enough, Ray. You've cleared them all out." He said quietly. Rayse looked around and saw the carnage he'd caused. He belatedly noticed that the hounds stopped attacking him, growling from a safe distance. There were only a few of them left. Rayse calmed himself down, going down on one knee as the day's wounds caught up to him.

"See, Rayse? You're a born warrior. You just needed someone to protect." Aleph said behind him. He turned back to see Aleph no worse for wear. Aside from the blood, he wasn't even breathing heavily. He nodded towards the enemy, reminding him that the fight is not yet over.

The remaining hounds parted ways to make way for someone. It was a group of people with grey skin and strange clothing. He held Brandon back, not letting him charge forward on his own. "Stay calm, Bran. These guys aren't normal."

Rayse felt a strange energy from the newcomers, who were four in total. The three at the back had a horn sticking out of their heads, while the other one had two on each side of his head, curled downwards like a ram's.

The hounds stood back, hiding behind their masters, cementing them in Rayse's mind as the invaders they were anxious about facing. The one in front stepped forward, raising his hand in what he assumed was a friendly gesture.

"Hello, humans." He said leisurely. 

Rayse looked at the one speaking. His garb was more intricate than the others' loose fitting robes. A high ranking officer? He was all but certain. He kept staring as the man talked.

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"Oh, forgive me. I've been so used to seeing your kind on the battlefield that I've become accustomed to being known by sight. We-" He gestured to his companions, "Are emissaries of the void. Our god has handpicked your world to join countless others in the eternal void." 

He paused, looking around as if expecting Rayse and his friends to thank him for blatantly threatening the entire world with destruction. The only reaction he received was Brandon getting in stance.

"Patience, disciple." He heard Aleph from behind. Someone held out a flask toward Rayse, which he gratefully drank.

The emissary's shoulders dropped in disappointment, making him seem even more menacing somehow.

"I should have known. I know heretics don't value the void's invitation, but it's still a shame. No matter," He clapped, suddenly happy again for some reason. "For I am here to hand you the gift of the void regardless. The lord of the Abyss is magnanimous."

"That bastard still lives?" Rayse heard from behind. It was Aleph's voice. His tone was unreadable.

"Truly? Erebos, god of the Abyss? That's who you serve?"

The demon lit up, "Finally, someone I can talk to! Yes, though no one has spoken his name so brazenly in millenia, the god of the abyss is indeed my master." He bowed deeply to Aleph, as if the mere knowledge of his god deserved respect.

"You didn't answer me. Is Erebos here to swallow another planet? Did that filth crawl out of his hole once again?" Rayse was startled; Aleph hardly ever shows aggression like this. He knew him as a kindly man. A bit aloof, but compassionate. This new side of him is terrifying, so much more than the demons before him.

"Know your place, human. Your insignificant planet is not worthy of his presence. We are here to guide you to his embrace."

The emissary raised a hand, signalling the continuation of the fight. His companions drew their weapons; massive cleavers that looked like they were made to split horses into two. Rayse sensed their mana accelerate as their body grew larger, filling up the loose robes in a horrid mutation.

He made to stand with his friends in formation, suddenly aware that his wounds had healed. Whatever was in that flask, it worked wonders. They stood in formation with Aleph in front, who now seemed eager to join the fight. His face was a mask of calm, but Rayse could barely look him in the eye. He suddenly felt sympathy to whoever those eyes were looking towards.

"If you wish for an audience with his Majesty, I will happily send you to him." The demon's mana went wild, like a cyclone had manifested itself around him.

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"Attack." One word, and chaos resumed. Aleph was in the midst of the demons at once. 

Erebos is alive. He spun, and the spears on his back flew in all directions. The big demons were sent flying, but he focused his attacks onto the so called emissary, who had defended somehow. The demon screamed and clawed the air, sending sharp wind blades in his direction.

Aleph recalled his spears and stabbed them into the ground, creating a steel curtain to shield him from the wind.

The wind dispersed when they reached the spears, earning a disbelieving grunt from the emissary. Aleph charged in once again, a spear in hand while the rest of his weapons trailed after him.

The emissary blocked his thrust with both of his arms, stopping the blade mere inches from his face. Aleph tripped him into the ground, pushing his spear even deeper. The spearhead pierced through his arms, slowly but certainly making its way through the demon's skull. He screamed once again, summoning the winds, but to Aleph, it may as well have been a refreshing breeze.

"Who are you?" The demon asked, clearly not prepared for the death that is about to claim him.

"Ask your god when you meet him. He knows me very well." Aleph plunged his spear deep in the emissary's head, ending his life. He then stood up and looked around, assessing the battlefield.

Most of the hounds are dead. Rayse and his friends were dealing with the two remaining demons, and they were being pushed back.

Aleph scanned the battlefield, spotting the third demon pinned to the ground with one of his spears. He slashed its throat and put it out of its misery, then turned back to see how his pupils were doing.

Brandon has decided to take on a demon by himself, allowing Lacey and Rayse to gang up on the other one. It's a good strategy, Aleph thought, although it might have been a result of his disciple's vengefulness. 

We have that in common at least. He was certain he had killed Erebos that time. Did his followers continue his work regardless? Aleph wasn't sure. The emissary knew next to nothing as well. He'd need to hunt a higher ranking demon to know for sure.

He resumed his mana absorption, looking on as his disciples struggled with the enemies. They were fairly evenly matched, after all. The mana heart gave them just enough strength to not be overwhelmed, but their nimbleness made up for their lack of strength.

Lacey had already caught on. She was quick on her feet, swiftly attacking the demon while Rayse kept it busy. He locked weapons with the demon, not being pushed back at all despite Aleph's earlier assessment. 

He's stronger than them, he realized. Rayse was growing in real time, first from killing all those hounds from earlier, to now standing his ground against a demon. Lacey hit a well placed thrust to the neck of the demon, bringing him down for good.

The other battle had already concluded. Brandon's technique made swift work of his opponent. He's had the most practice with the spear, after all. His disciple roared victoriously before checking in on his companions.

The three walked over to where Aleph was sitting, exhausted but glad to be alive. Aleph nodded approvingly. "You all did well."

The three smiled even wider, and Aleph realized he was smiling too. This world belongs to them, and seeing them land their first blow to a god? Aleph could not be prouder.

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