Chapter 21: VOLUME 3 : CHAPTER 2 : NEVER TAKE A STRANGER AT HIS WORD

CHAPTER 2 : NEVER TAKE A STRANGER AT HIS WORD

 

“As per Master Zero’s order I finally came to the Great Tathya Labyrinth. Even Master Zero himself has explored this dungeon till floor 12, so he directly teleported me here. For the source of power he mentioned, even I can now feel its presence. Its mere existence is revolting and reeks of those stupid God’s. Its obvious Master was concerned. Then I just need to destroy whatever that is.

 It’s coming from deep below.” I took a deep sigh and used Shadow Movement Skill while activating the ring artifact to conceal my presence.

I for some reason, found myself interested in facing one of the monsters before going down, but it can compromise the mission, so I withheld myself. After all it’s for the sake of my master.

If only he pays more attention to me, after the success of this mission I am sure of it. My dreams will come true. He will surely acknowledge me then.

“What’s this I am on floor 13 but there are still no monster sightings.”

Could it be that the army cleared the monsters, what are their chances of survival? Are some of the soldiers still alive, trying to clear the dungeon? If so, then I can surely have a nice pass time, with them.

It’s getting too suspicious - I was on floor 50. No monster sighting till yet. All I could see were huge cracks in the ground, large craters, burned walls, dried lakes. But not a single being alive.

As if the existence of all life-forms was erased by some unknown.

But the concentration of this divine power, keeps on increasing at an unprecedented magnitude. If I am not careful, then this power feel alone is enough to weaken my existence. We devils stand no chance if our enemy uses powerful divine light magic. And just for that purpose this sword will help me to cut through the magic barrier, which has naturally developed around this entire region.

All to blame the source of this unique power. I cannot wait any more to get my hands on it. Only the powerful must have all the authority, and everything in this world will be soon for ours too seek.

I was now flying across the dark floor 51. But this time I saw a huge snake type monster. My appraisal skill fails on it. But I am sure that if I prolong the fight then I can win against it.

“Well, there’s no point in arguing with myself. I need to head down as quickly as possible.”

Finally, at floor 55 – I lifted up my sword and cut down through the strong magic barrier that was surrounding this place. The sudden boom of divine power that flowed into the surrounding made me miserable. All this accumulated energy – belonged to two swords carved deep inside a mountain of huge rocks.

I am sure of it; this is the cause of all the powerful energy waves Master had been feeling. But what’s up with these two swords is it possible for any weapon to do such a thing. For me it feels like if I get any closer I will be burned down with its presence alone. Even looking at the swords directly makes me blinded.

If I present these swords to master, then I will be greatly rewarded. Maybe he will promote me to the top rank and also allow me to visit this world more often. And all the fun I could have while killing those human mongrels.

“Who is there?” I readied my sword as I felt another person walk in.

Until now I couldn’t even grasp this person’s presence. Could it be one of the soldiers from the Perillus Empire?

Doesn’t matter they don’t stand a chance against me. Honestly, it felt so plain to just walk in, grab the swords and leave.

It’s just not like me. If others heard that I completed my mission peacefully, then my fan following might drop. We can’t have that, now can we.

‘Wait! ….. What…. a little girl.’ She is beautiful and has what they call a ‘Royal Touch’ in her looks and mannerism. Could she be the princess of Perillus Empire, I had heard that she was young and very beautiful. But this is beyond my expectation..

But something was off, her level was only 11, and without any soldiers accompanying her how did she cross through the previous floors, without being attacked by the monsters. Wait was she already hiding on this floor, then she must have seen everything. Her skill list appears to be hazy, maybe there’s nothing to show and the same goes for the HP, MP and SP stats.

It’s completely absurd.

Just what can you expect from a level 11, weak people like them have no right to live. How dare she even lift her head up in my presence?

Long white hairs, red eyes and a suspicious background. She is not even flinched or a bit hesitant to face my dark aura I was radiating. She is irritating me.

Am I mistaking her identity? Doesn’t matter, she is even weaker than a new born demon slime monster. I will end her misery soon enough.

I dashed in her direction, pointed the tip of my beloved sword at her. But just when I was about to reach, my body lost its balance.

In an instant the whole weight of the world appeared to befall on my shoulders. My body being crushed down under some weird kind of force, I led out a loud moan, before my face was completely shoved inside the ground.

I used shadow movement and retreated in an instant. I knew something was wrong with this kid; I cannot let my guard down around these monsters.

“No, matter I will deal with her either way. A human is no match for me.”

I took my sword fighting stance: Lightning Crescent Moon.

I lifted up my sword and while holding the grip with both of my hands, I tilted the sword in a horizontal manner, pointing it straight at my enemy’s eyes.

I wanted to finish it in a single blow. A fierce golden-yellow light with a ZZZchkZZZZzzchkzz sound engulfed the sword completely. This was my sword style which had laid the best fighter of our realm to shamble and ashes.

***

 

SACHI KONDO

After stabling her sword, the she devil swiftly bended her knees, leaned forward and made a huge leap. The large distance between us was covered in a blink of an eye. But to my surprise, this time the Gravi-Field did not have much effect on her.

I had no time to think, so using aero-kinesis I drifted back as fast as I could. In this process I tried launching Wind Cutter, several Fusion Balls, in a zig-zag manner to hit her. But instead of dodging them she chose to block them with her sword. Putting the sword forward, she throttled her way through all my attacks. Before the attacks could even reach her, the spells dispersed in the air.

She was closing in and I had yet to figure out how she was doing it. All I could use were my strings to evade her quick slashes and fend off at the same time. But to my surprise that sword of her could even cut through my webs. What a bother.

Suddenly lightning appeared to pass through all her body and she disappeared right before my eyes. My danger senses suddenly started ringing with a blunt heavy metal ching sound.

I made the right choice instead of turning back; I used [TELEPORT] and was now just below the heap of rocks where the two swords were embedded.

“AAHAAAahahah…..ahhahah… why does it have to hurt so much.”

[DIVINE HEAL]

And without any moment’s delay, white light surrounded me and my right arm grew right back. Even though I did not waste any time foolishly looking back, she was still quick enough to sneak behind me and cut my right arm. The severed right arm fell from my body and was engulfed in black threads, but it seems that my foe did not notice it. She was fully concentrated on me, waiting for me to make my next move. Even I had never been so immersed during my raid against monsters. Well you learn everyday something new, so just be happy with that thought.

It hurts so much and the feeling of the missing arm still lingers inside me. This feeling I had never had before when I was a spider monster and got hurt. Thanks to self regeneration and my healing spell, things are better if not worse that is. But it’s not over yet.

Thanks to that strike I had figured out how she is doing it. She is using principles of electromagnetism and the abilities of her sword together. She creates a powerful magnetic field around her blade, which then becomes its extension. The ability to cut through anything – even magic flow of the surrounding. That’s how she has been nullifying such strong explosive spells.

If that’s the case then all I have to do is use magic that aims directly at my enemy’s body as the target.

“Take this.” Not that it matters even if I try to speak anything.

[BLACK FLARE]

Her full body was now engulfed in my black flames, for a while I could see her struggling in the black cover, but suddenly she calmed down.

With a single lift of her sword and a free strike the black flames dispersed in an instant. This had never happened before. Sure her body looks hurt and burned at several parts.

But it was at the end useless, she would just heal herself, as for the dispersion I think it’s her ability to control dark matter too – Umbra-kinesis.

I kept on evading her attacks using teleport and as for the strikes that hit me, though fatal couldn’t keep up with my healing spells. Though invincible as I am, my attacks were proven completely ineffective against her. Against an opponent who was completely skilled in reading my attack patterns, magic structure of my spells and defeat my entire being and pride of being a self proclaimed mage.

I used my next powerful spell –

[ABSOLUTE ZERO]

It was working and maybe I had started to see things optimally. Her hands started to froze. But the women just gave a death stare back at me and chopped off her arm with the sword preventing my magic to complete itself by severing the magic flow.

That was a pretty bold move. Severing an arm without any hesitation and second thought. She had been through hell like me, if she has such a strong desire to survive.

I kept on launching wind spheres, gravi-sphere, water missile, earth spikes, ice lances, light javelin (though effective) but eventually all of them were strike down or evaded. That sword, as if it was actually made to kill mages – people who only excelled at using magic.

In other words, I was getting desperate. All my tactics had failed. Her battle experience was totally above me. Her skills were honed on battlefield, I could tell because all I had been fighting mindless monsters with fixed attack patterns. From level clearing it had now come to PVP, just like in games.

All I had left was now my physical strength. Brute strength – though I don’t think it really suits a fragile girl like me. But being a monster and fighting against colossal giants – I had realized that my body was reinforced to a level where I could punch a hole in the dungeon wall without putting much of an effort.

My reflexes were good too – thanks to kinetic vision. So as a human my next strategy would be to somehow get rid of that sword form her and then corner her.

Saying this really makes me feel like a bad person – quark of being a Secretive Plotter.

Honestly, looking at my opponent she was smiling. She knew all my techniques had failed and I was getting restless at the same time. Given my lack of interest in that unworthy barrage of random attack spells.

As usual she took a fixed stance. I don’t know anything about sword fighting so I don’t know what that is actually called – but it looks cool.

I don’t have time to spare to think about the two swords lying in wait for me, but for now my life is on the line. I must defeat her, to survive I have to kill her.

She led out a large battle cry, and seeing me standing idle. She smiled and easily took the bait, that I had accepted my doomed fate. I know you can give me points for my fake acting and the expression I made which made me look like I was in a lot of pain and wanted to end my sufferings.

She headed straight for my neck and a crescent shaped lightning slash was just stopped in its trajectory by my bare hands.

I smiled at her, while I could see an expression of complete disbelief. My hands still firmly holding on to the sword, scarlet drops fell on the dusty ground. My palm was bleeding, the incision was deep and the burning sensation which I felt was getting difficult to handle by every second.

Now all I need to do is snatch the sword and throw it away, maybe into my dimensional storage.

“GWaagHHH….ghhhg….HHHGGHH”

I kept on bouncing on the ground and finally halted after crashing into the boulder right beneath the swords. My head still in a jiffy, my eyes trying its best not to roll over and quickly adjust themselves to the surrounding. I was losing consciousness. I was bleeding from the right side of my shoulder.

Just after I caught her sword, she without any hesitation pulled me in, and used her right leg to kick straight up into my abdomen. A punch in the chin to lose my consciousness and finally the slash which was meant to finish me off. But I somehow used the momentum of the punch to drift myself away from her set trajectory and avoided the fatal wound. But even my present cut made it difficult for my right arm to move.

“Is it all over, just like this! Am I going to die here, because I was inexperienced at fighting? Maybe if only I had a weapon of my own then I might have been able to do something. What about someone who could teach me to fight. I never had a teacher in my life. The school teachers were all just about education rules and plans set by the board, so why not just let machines teach us. To call someone teacher. To admire. To thrive to live like them and follow on their path. Why am I suddenly spouting nonsense? It’s useless my mind is in a turbid to even cast any magic spell, I cannot focus.”

 Everything was turning dark. My immortality skill is still not active, so I will die here. No one will remember me, and even if someone does, they won’t know I was here. Fighting my own way, trying to give my best in whatever way I could. You think I liked killing and beating stuff. Violence was one thing I hated the most back on earth. But here in this world it was always the strongest that gets all.

This labyrinth did not offer you fundamental rights and self protection. You are on your own, and since I myself always have been – I was quick to adapt.

Things were getting both white and black in front of me, and the last thing I remember was seeing the she-Devil charging towards me at full speed, thrusting the tip of her blade and cutting through even the layers of air.

My life until now has just been like the invisible new moon, surrounded by stars, but are actually much distant and further away. And when finally light fades away from its surface, suddenly everything feels so lonely. Not even pain could stimulate this emptiness.

***

 

CLASSROOM 2-C

I was sitting on the last seat of my classroom, holding a considerably large size book in my hand, while the light of the sunset scorched the room with its diminishing reddish-orange hue.

I flipped through the pages, but all of them were empty, white as cream. I turned to the hardcover, which suddenly was stained red in colour. I squealed in panic, dropping the book back on my desk which heralded the wake of a long silence.

I looked at my hands, and the horror of blood smudged thickly over it made me scream. I searched for a handkerchief in the pocket of my school uniform which I always use to carry with me. But there was not one. Instead I felt a small stream of red fluid gushing out through a wound. I was not wearing my school uniform, but a white long tunic frock, the same design I made for myself on floor 10 of labyrinth.

“Wait! What labyrinth. I am hurt. But how? I need to call an ambulance. But why doesn’t it hurt if I am bleeding.”

Where was I before? Why everything up till now appears to be hazy. I can’t remember anything of my past.

I made a friend? Did I? And then I lost someone?

A goddess… my best friend and travel the new world with her.

“What am I thinking about? I need to ask someone for help. But I don’t know anyone at school, who would help me at this hour. Lady Athena she will help me….. Athena.”

I stopped moving, my body was slowly loosening up. I slammed my palm on the desk to keep myself from falling.

I am crying… as I wiped the tears rolling down my face. How did I end up back here on earth? Don’t tell me I was dreaming on my own.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

My eyes were drawn to the window hallway, and on the other side of windows stood several figures beating heavily on the window pane like mad people.

“Who are they? Why do they look so familiar?”

I could make out three people clearly, while several of them were in shadows. A small girl with long fox-like ears growing on head and a white tail attached at the back. Then there was a man and a woman, but their faces were covered in dark fog, I could not recognize them. Someone whom I had long forgotten and could not remember, how much hard I tried, I failed to recall them. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt so badly.

All of these figures had bent bodies and distorted looks. They were not normal; neither they appeared to be the part of the living.

Are they trying to break in? I need to leave. They are so violent. These noises I can’t handle them.

“Go away. PLEASE. Go away. LEAVE ME ALONE.”

If I open the door and run, they will catch up to me.

A window came crackling down; its shards fell inside the classroom.

Their freakish noises suddenly hyped up in intensity. Pushing each other to jump through the broken window, they leaped across the small wall.

CRACK. CRACK.

Their footsteps making even the broken glass on the fallen floor turn into finer pieces. Their feet were bleeding, their hands covered in blood for touching the sharp edge of glass still hanging at the bottom of window frame.

“AHHHHHHH….. HELP ME… PLEASE. SOMEONE. ANYONE. JUST TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE.”

The door of the classroom flung open and slammed on the behind wall. But that did not matter. Who was this new person?

Before I could collect all my courage to lift up my head to see this person, someone

CLAP.

Just like that a soft touch embraced my blood stained hand. Just who would do this for me? I raised my gaze and spotted a warm smile of a person.

A girl in black hairs, wearing my school uniform was trying her best to give me an assuring like. I stood there flabbergasted for a second,

Her innocent smile…., the gentle touch of her hand…….

It was me. I was holding my own hand. But something was different it was unlike me to keep my hairs not covering my face at school and I was smiling. A smile which was meant to lift up my spirit. To make me believe that we are safe and everything will be fine. This could have been the ideal me, if there existed one.

Confident looks, a smiling face – it was as if light had finally shined upon me. No, I was the light.

“There is no time to explain. So for now we need to stop them from getting to you. So help me.”

It was quite odd to hear your own self, or my own voice speak to me. Was it a doppelganger?

But this feeling, I wanted to trust her. Because she was me, after all. I just couldn’t deny a request from someone so pure and kind.

 

This me started pushing the chairs and benches in an arranged manner forming a circular arch barricade; while behind us was the wall and a series of windows. The sunset has still not reached its final descend stage.

In the moving sheet of light, the evident faces of people that I had killed were coming after me. The small kid that died due to my carelessness. People whom I should have not forgotten. Humans whom I killed without a second thought, just because I got full of myself.

In that crowd then there were my uncle and aunt, the delinquents of my school. I was under a complete state of panic and chaos.

“Everything will be fine, just don’t leave my hand.”

“Who…a- are…you?” My voice so feeble that it was barely audible to even me.

“I am you. Your one half, to be precise.”

The quick response left me in a complete unknown and confused state.

“My half?”

“Yes, now if you would please help me. We can talk later.” She took out two mop sticks from the behind locker, which we used to clean the classroom. She passed one to me, while she held on to one for herself.

“No, matter what don’t let them come close.”

I saw her pushing back the figures, who tried to bring down the barricade. They were mindless beings.

Was this happening for real? Zombie like creatures coming after me, and someone impersonating me comes to lend me a hand.

She was using her broomstick to push them back, but what caught my eye was that she was doing it without hurting them. Using the long stick instead of hitting them, she used her full force to simply brush them off. Even though it will be much easier to just beat them down. She chose to show kindness, because at some point these are the people I once knew. Once they were alive too!

“Come with us!”

“It’s your fault I am like this.”

“You are the one who killed me. I miss my family.”

“You killed my friends. My comrades. You monster.”

All of the moving mindless figures were saying there last words repeatedly, dragging their voice up to the last alphabet. And each time they tried to speak again, they were somehow hurting themselves.

I couldn’t hold back my tears. What I was seeing? To what was I listening?

What did I do to deserve this?

It was just too much for me.

All I wanted was a peaceful life. So how did I ended up fighting monsters. I was abandoned again and again. First my parents, then my guardians, my teachers my classmates and finally the Gods themselves.

I risked my life. I died several times. I saw things I could not understand. Number of deaths I could not count. I had hurt so many. So why was I angry?

Because there was no one for me to blame. A life in a closed empty room, with no one to come in contact with. That was what I all desired. So why these many are trying to barge in my life.

“Are you okay…speak to me.” This other me seeing me in a messed up state called out for me. But I ended up ignoring her.

 

“Just look at that.”  A third person’s voice rang in my ears. Much similar to my own voice. But it had that cold and arrogant sour taste mixed in it.

I looked up and from my seat another me, stood up and walked to the window. She gazed at the sunset and lifted up the small tassel of hair from the front of her face and pushed it behind her ears. It was a bit classic! But her face, unlike the other gentle me was exact opposite.

There was no sincerity and a haughty look in her eyes.

If the one standing beside me is my one half, then could she be my other half. “Come on, why you are wasting your time on these goons. Just kill them. You don’t want them in your life. Isn’t that true. Either way they are already dead.”

I was dumbfounded and froze up in my place. Just what was she suggesting to me, or more importantly just what was I suggesting to myself.

The person walked towards me, and from the other side of barricade, held me by the collar. I was pulled in, and my untidy face, was so close to her cold smile. Her mouth came so close to my lips that I could feel her cold breath graze them.

“You are me, aren’t you? I know how exactly you feel. You want them to disappear, don’t you? So do it.”

She them threw me back and turned to the zombie like creatures.

“You have all the power you can have in this world. So just kill them.”

“No, don’t do it. Even though some of them might have been bad people when they were alive, but now they cannot harm anyone. So you shouldn’t either.” The other me bumped in the conversation.

 

 

But I still don’t actually realize where I stand. Someone like me who was never liked by anyone and had nothing that belonged to me, how can I have all the power I want?

I wanted them to disappear. So badly…

But still I did not wanted to hurt any innocent or the people I once knew and who were good to me.

From inside of the four walls of my room, I entered a new world without you by my side.

For a brief moment I thought I could hold on to myself alone, I had to. Because I wanted to live in this new world. I wanted to reunite with her. I thought it will somehow work out in the end, if it was with her.

But I was only using her as a shield, an excuse to put curtains over my own flaws. My fears and a discriminatory attitude that I had developed towards society. I thought that everyone was bad; no one cared about each other’s feelings.

All they cared about was satisfy their own needs and make the weak colour themselves as they wanted. And if you don’t behave or look like as they want, then you are forever banned. If you don’t meet the requirements of the society you have no place living here. Contribution of those who cannot rise up to the challenges and expectation of others are not needed. Shunned forever.

The previous world did indeed reject me and showed that I did not belong there in the cruelest way possible!

I wanted to change. I wanted someone to depend on me, and someone I could depend on. Doesn’t everyone have that kind of person in their life already? Maybe your parents, your siblings, someone you admire or a friend.

But I always found myself alone. So I tried to remain quiet and kept myself hidden from everybody. Whenever I got my hopes up, I always found myself hurt. When my uncle and aunt who took me in, after sometime they started treating me like trash, as if I was not a human being. Always giving me a cold eye and feigned ignorance around others. I never asked them to do anything for me, but they forcibly pretend to do it out of greed. So if I don’t get my hopes up then I won’t be hurt anymore.

Nothing will matter to me, and no one will complain against me.

I did not expect anything from someone and had lost interest too, even in myself. I had lost my identity as a person. Instead of thinking about myself, I always tried to run away whenever I got close to the answer.

But this time, I wanted to prove something. I wanted to help. I wanted to lend my hand to someone not only because I wanted to help but because I wanted to be embraced by someone else’s hands too.

“What are you waiting for use your powers. Show them what they deserve. End it in one go.” The other me sounded exalted and fascinated by the very thought of it.

“It’s not needed anymore…” I gave my answer without any hesitation this time. I wiped the tears off me, because now I knew what I wanted to do.

“Are you refusing me? Don’t tell me you can’t do it now. Have you forgotten how many soldiers you slaughtered that time? It’s nothing new; you can do it again and again. Didn’t you enjoy it when you did it for the first time.” The face of this me had dropped with dissatisfaction and words of contempt and anger was evident from her tone.

While the gentle me, sighed a heave of relief.

“No, I haven’t forgotten those people I killed and they totally deserved it. I don’t think I have any problem killing those who try to hurt others on purpose, they are unforgivable. But I do not hate them, so I cannot bring any harm to them without any reason.”

“Then what exactly do you want to do. Tell me. What do your desire power for. If you cannot protect yourself then you know, you are going to die.”

I remember the promise I made to myself from time to time. The first time I died on bus, the first time I met Lady Athena, countless times while fighting monsters, times when I failed myself miserably – to change. To become someone strong, who doesn’t regret her own actions later.

I wanted others to feel proud of myself. I craved for companionship this time.

You are reading story When I Got Reincarnated As A Spider With My Goddess at novel35.com

To not spent my days alone, like the previous me. People did not even think that I existed. At that time I must had felt glad to be left alone, but somewhere I knew deep within, that it was driving me mad.

I had abandoned what they call the normal living norms of society – to establish companionship with those who are successful, to take pity and make the weak owe to you, to look down upon those who did not went with the flow and did crazy stuff time to time.

 To respect your elders, even though all they ask about what will be your profession for the future, your grades and finally compare us with the star kids. To behave formally in the market and not buy things that are considered suspicious or too fanatical from the onlookers viewpoint. Then what’s the point in going to the market if I can’t even buy a mini-skirt of my choice or an extra bottle of deodorant or multiple branded cosmetics.

Is the society walking on a planned route, so thin a plank that if you deviate even slightly then you fall from the beam? Are you kidding me? It’s best for me that instead of walking like a faithful machine or falling like a loser – I decided to hang from the beam tightly clutching it and stay at that same place.

Don’t look down; don’t look above, neither forward nor backward. Close your eyes and just forget everything. Disappear from everyone’s eyes. You won’t see anyone and neither anyone will see you. That’ what I decided to do.

All that was left was to just live on in a boring, colourless world.

And I just could not sit idly by and let the same thing repeat itself, not when someone is counting on me for help.

“All I want is to live happily with people I care for. I do not care for others in the least. Those who bring harm to them should just perish.”

If it’s for the sake of that, I will slay everything.

Who would even listen to my pathetic desire, it’s so clumsy ambiguous that I don’t know why I feel like this. Just the thought of such an idiotic wish can make me look like a simpleton and a dimwit.

And if this wish is that simple then why does it becomes every time harder, the more I think about it. Even in fairy tales heroes sometimes fail to protect people precious to them. Then why should my wish considered less valuable than saving the world itself.

 

The noises had stopped, so I lifted my head up just in case, to know what development finally took place.

The zombie apocalypse had finally stopped moving. They had turned into red statues for some reason.

“I am so glad for you, that we will now forever be together.” The gentle me, was now holding both of my hands and as usual, it felt like bliss.

The haughty me, was still smiling like an evil person, but I could tell it had no ill-intention from the start to begin with. After all it was me.

“I see you have not forgotten our promise. Then you don’t need me anymore. I hope that all your wishes and wishes of those around you come true. It’s time for me to leave now.” She sounded so nonchalant about it, and yet was so concerned.

This me then walked to one of the open window near my seat. We were supposed to be on the third floor, while I used to always gaze outside but I never dared to travel outside. That was not a place meant for me to tread alone. As peaceful as the scenery looked, it would never accept me.

I could only fantasize that one day someone will come to me and ask me, ‘What I am doing?’ ‘How am I feeling?’ ‘Do you want to play together?’

Just a normal chat, but with whom. The outside world could turn into hell in an instant. The accident in which I lost most of my childhood memories. In which my parents died, it really scared me.

What if it happens again and I end up losing all of my memories again. What if someone I know dies. People around me always end up getting hurt.

“Isn’t it time for you to leave too. Just go already and quit wasting your time here.” She then stared at the ground, but she was not surprised to see that the ground itself was missing. It was a complete dark pool of unmeasured depth.

Does one of my personalities really behave and talk like this. If someone falls from here then I can have an endless happy airy sleep, that’s what I would think.

She then climbed the window, and taking a final glance at me jumped. She had closed her eyes; I thought if I let her go now… then I would never be able to see her again. My heart started aching.

This is not right. This is not what I actually desire, if you leave now, then I will remain incomplete.

CLASP.

The other me opened her eyes, and she was falling at an incredible speed. But she felt too uncomfortable because one of her hand was stuck in mine.

“…And what do you think you are doing?”

“Nothing much.” I replied.

While my one hand was holding her, the other hand was still holding onto my gentle personality. She jumped with me too. That’s what I would expect from myself.

“Are you two idiots, just leave me alone. I would not be of any help to you anyway. I will just only come in your way. You can achieve your dream without me.”

“That’s where you are wrong, if you are not there, then my dream will never come true. I want all of us to stay together forever. So don’t leave me just like that.”

“I feel the same, so come with us.” said the gentle me.

“Honestly, because of your idiocy, all three of us will die here.”

We three burst into laughter; it had been forever, since I laughed. This was the first time I laughed and smiled whole-heartedly after being reincarnated.

We were gaining momentum, and were now falling at an incredible speed. Thanks to the sturdiness of my frock, it was not flowing upwards; otherwise I could have died because of embarrassment. The cool speeding air, which lifted up my ashen-white glossy hairs felt so comfortable.

I could have stayed here doing this all day, chatting with each other, but now was not the time. I needed to wake up. To do the right thing. To ensure that this time I change for good. The thing which I have been always good at, defeating enemies superior than me and survive.

I wanted to live a life acknowledged by others; I wanted to make these two me’s holding my hands proud and happy. So I will give it my all once again. Even if it is an impossible dream I want to live like this.

This was how I was destined to learn about myself.

The scenery around us bent and twisted, wrapped around our body. A thick book appeared in front of us, while we looked at it with suspicion and curiosity, its pages started to flip it on itself. One side of the pages were dark as black, while the other side was plain white.

“Let’s meet again on the outside world. Best of luck.” The gentle me passed her dazzling smile to me, which mesmerized my heart.

“Same here, don’t lose to anyone else, otherwise I will have to teach you a lesson.” The same went for her happy sly cunning smile. It kind of looked a bit arousing and embarrassing in away. Do I really make expressions like these?

From the book suddenly a red colourful portal opened and the three of us were sucked in a helical loop of red vortex.

“Thank you for your help. Let’s be friends forever.”

I finally was able to say it.

***

 

VERTIGO

I had finally cornered that little brat. All she had been but a pain, her magical prowess is terrific. She is physically able to stop the movement of my sword. But all that amounts to nothing, when facing my swordplay and battle experience honed everyday in real battles to death. Hell had never been the place of the weak and frail-hearted.

I was about to deal her the final blow, after all that regular strikes and dodging her unseen and weird magical attacks she was finally wounded.

I sped up my movement and held my blade with my hands which had gotten stiff because of the prolonged fight.

“Even though you proved to be a worthy opponent, but you are thousands of years too young to face me. But since you dared to provoke me, you have to die. I will be taking your life now. I wonder how a little girl feels when her head is severed.”

My mark was not far off, when a white pillar of light reaching the heavens illuminated the rocky dungeon floor. I reflexively shut my eyes to protect myself against the blinding flash of light, with energy levels going far beyond my comprehension.

CLANG.

A loud metal clasp, brought an end to the white light, and on my close inspection, my sword instead of piercing through my prey’s heart was stopped by two crossed swords which she lightly held in her hands.

“Just what is happening now? Those two swords. When did she….”

I was perplexed, so I checked over the top of the boulder and unfortunately the swords were gone.

I watched in disbelief, the ‘light of the Creator’ – the most powerful energy source, engulfed her from head to toe. A divine glimpse of the power of the Creator. I could have recognized those energy signatures anywhere. So warm and bright, a divine sight to behold.

The pillar of light began to flake out, revealing her in a new light. The wounds I dealt to her with my legendary weapon were now all healed, the blood stains vapourised, she held a new shining white sword in her right hand and a black sword as if it was a shadow in itself in her left hand.

“I don’t understand any of it.” I lost my chance to kill her, and now she has even received the blessings of the Creator. I have never heard of this from Master Zero. He always use to say that the Creator is the supreme and only He can truly govern the worlds and rule over all the three realms. But since he chose neutrality, it is up to us to hold that place for him, till He make up his mind to lead us to a new utopia.

If so, then why out of all people a weak naïve little girl, suddenly ended up with His power. What is the secret behind those swords?

It doesn’t matter; I will kill her and claim those swords along with her power. I need to make this as quick as possible. She lacks battle tactics, strategies, coping with enemy attacks and doesn’t know anything about swordplay as it was evident from her stance of holding the swords.

She does not stand a chance against me, and with that predominant thought I launched a quick succession of slashes, with its strength magnified with my lightning and dark matter magic. It proved effective against her the previous time, so even now she should be vulnerable to it.

CLANG.

CLANG.

CLANG.

“Impossible. How did she…”

All of my sword attacks were nullified, but I didn’t even see her body move.

A torrent of white and black glows started revolving around her, until they got absorbed by the swords of their respective colour. Her face which was up till now, clouded in light, was now clearly visible to me.

Red glowing eyes….. An expressionless face. I was terrified, the magical density in the surrounding started turning in her favour, making it difficult for me to absorb magic form the surrounding.

“Are you kidding me, a mere child cannot match my strength.” With that said, I launched another heavy down strike from above on her. For a movement there, I thought I got her. But just before it was about to split apart her head, with a loud metal strike, my attack was halted midway.

She was not even looking at me and yet, her white sword was lifted up slightly, just to parry my strike. Suddenly the white sword started giving off a bright hot golden-yellow light, which kept on increasing in intensity.

At that moment, she lifted up her head and made a direct eye contact with me. Bloody eyes, the amount of bloodlust I had never experienced before. I wanted to run, this thought repetitively crossed my mind.

FLASH.

“My body… AHHH.ahhh.” M y skin was melting, just by the slight graze of that light. I jumped as far as I could, and yet I sustained a lot of damage. M regenerative skill, doing its best to keep up. I tried to locate my enemy again, and she was standing still at the same position.

She broke in a cynical smile, and yet her face appeared to be lacking any expressions. Devoid of happiness, excitement, anger and loath it was purely filled with the intent to kill. That very evil smile, and her curled up red lips, though alluring, made me shudder in fear.

For the first time, I was afraid. I was afraid of dying. If I don’t think quick she will surely kill me. A mere kid, how can she hold such power.

I need to inform about such an existence to Master. Only he may have the ability to stop her.

I headed for the exit, but before I could take my next step, she teleported right in front of me. I knew she had such magic, but I was still then able to keep up with her with my Shadow Movement skill. I had the advantage because I could easily read her attack pattern and have guessed where she would teleport next.

But now it was altogether a different story. The tables were turned against me.

Before taking the possession of swords, she could be considered the most powerful human mage for her age group and counted as one of the best among veteran adults. But my combat skills, far surpassed her.

So why am I afraid now? I can still manage to defeat her. Then I remembered the order that Master Zero gave me. My duty, my loyalty and my love it all belonged to him. Even my life was for his sake.

I determined myself to kill her here in this very labyrinth so no one can ever know of such a being. I will wipe her very existence from this world.

“Just what was I thinking, trying to escape. Don’t make me laugh.”

{DIABOLUS INITIA}

The Dark Matter Magical energy surged in my body at a drastic rate. Black sharp claws were now covering my both hands and a pair of long black wings sprouted out of my back.

This is a special kind of transformation in which we Apostles sacrifice our blood and convert them to pure magical energy. It boosts all our stats and effectiveness of skills.

But there is a heavy price to pay, in worst case if I overdo it, then I will surely die. But even so, I know I can still make it out alive. I am going to kill her, no matter what.

My whole body was now covered in black aura and finally four long tentacles like hands grew out of my back, each holding a magical sword.

This was my ultimate form. THE DARK COUNTESS.

“Human you should be glad, that I have graced you with my ultimate being transformation. You will pay the price of your insolence with your life.”

I unleashed lightning attack in rapid succession. There didn’t exist any strategy or trickery, but just overpowering, brute force spasm.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

Intense shock waves rippled out from the point where the six blades and dual blades clashed. The amount of magical energy that was thrown off was chipping down the walls and creating vicious large holes in the ground.

From an earthling perspective, it would appear more like a war, one where several air-borne missiles had been dropped just a minute ago.

Things are not working in my favour. She is blocking my every attack, just how much good did she became in such a short amount of time.

I need to use everything in my arsenal, if I want to assure my victory.

“O, gates of hell, heed my call, open your heavy doors and let the wrath of my thunderstorm rage over this land. THUNDER CALAMITY.”

This was a multipurpose spell, that creates artificial black lightning over a large area, as well as I am able to augment my body with lightning itself, which increases my muscle movement and thinking capability.

I had made my final move, and all that was left was to strike her down.

Several black flashes surged down from above creating charred craters wherever it landed upon.

I looked back at my enemy, and all my hopes perished. Just the sight of her mad me regret my own actions.

“What’s happ…ppening. N-noooo” I exclaimed, before I was sent flying towards my own doom.

As if life itself flashed before my eyes when I tried to look deep into those bright red eyes. That smile…

Humans were supposed to be low-borne creatures who shows love and fall into despair when they follow their own compassion. Desire is the emotion of the weak. One who does not desire has the only right to be called the strong.

So why, this human wield such a power that I cannot persist against her.

Joy, harmony, excitement, fear, anxiety, anger– right now she lacked every emotion on her face. Her posture was not that of a living being but of the sword itself. She had become one with the sword. Abandoning all of her feeling and concentrating all of her flesh, brain, blood, cells and everything that reeks of power she had achieved the ultimate realm of swordsmanship. A level which I could never hopes to achieve.

She lifted her Black sword in the sky and in one fell swoop all the thunder clouds vanished. No more fitting would be for me to say, it was completely nullified and the raw magic was absorbed by it.

My high level magic spell meant nothing to her. My efforts were in vain.

She then lifted her another sword and a black sun appeared above us. She brought down her swords and so did the sun follow.

“That could be bad if I take a direct hit. All I need to cut that thing with Acies and dispel its magic.”

HIYAAAA.

I poured every ounce of my physical strength into my arm, while I jumped and made a shearing continuous slash through the large black sphere. I split the sun in half, but the magic did not dispel.

The magical energy compressed in it was too great for even a legendary weapon to show effect. Just what kind of existence I am fighting here. A being blessed by the Creator’s light right in front of me and then indulges in using Dark Matter Magic. Nothing makes sense to me at all.

Everything then that came in touch with the sliced off part of the sphere was obliterated. It was not a joke to be taken light off, nor a metaphor to mislead. Everything that touched those black masses were compressed, pulverized, turned into particles and disappeared into the wind.

The shock wave’s pressure was on par with that of a large typhoon and I was easily blown away. Losing balance and tumbling over the ground. This had never happened to me before. But it is real, covered all in blood and wounds; I rose up again to face this opponent. I wanted to know my own extent, to fix the problem I made by myself.

It was composition magic of – Dark Matter Magic, Fire Magic and finally Gravity Magic. Composition magic is considered to be one of the toughest magic to use, and she is doing it so easily and naturally. I don’t want to say this but her skills in sorcery might even rival Master Zero. That’s more the reason I need to stop her, before she stands in our way of complete dominance over this world. To be ruled by those who are worthy and can lead this world form the age of chaos into the age of prosperity and peace.

This is not over yet, all my years of training, the hardships I faced. Just to gain a bit more strength, to get a bit stronger than yesterday I had given up on all pleasure of life.

In my years of fighting I had learnt that the sword of the person who has the greatest conviction flows like serene water and can cut through even the hardest metal. So is my conviction comparatively weaker to that girl. Impossible…

I used all of my sword stances against her and all were blocked. Since the start I have been on offensive, and the smile on her face had kept on getting deeper and deeper. Before I knew it I was traumatized by her bloodlust.

She was only and only thinking of killing me. It did not matter whether she gets hurt in the process, the fear of losing or the thought of celebration upon victory. It was none of her concern. All she wanted was to kill me. So it really is true, people can really get strong when they are on the verge of dying. Now that I think about it, I wonder what dying feels like. Is there a way to return? Will I be lucky enough to evade the last blow? Or, will my luck run out in the battlefield.

There was only one way to know. To move your body, to move the sword and cut down your enemies. That is what I had only known, what I always had known and what I will always know.

The wind pressure of the surrounding was changing. The person who just stood there in a defensive stance now started slowly walking towards me. She launched her first strike, even though the blade was too far, my right arm started bleeding heavily. The wind shock waves sent by her sword swinging was strong enough to get past my magical barrier.

She kicked into the floor and throttled like a gale of wind. She moved so fast that my eyes couldn’t keep up, which brought us directly into each other’s sword range.

I thought this was my chance.

But she swung her sword first, even before I could clutch the hilt of my sword to deal a heavy strike.

A mid-level slash with the left sword. A quick thrust with the right. Left, right, left, right. Again and again. Her movements grew faster and faster. But something was new. Something I was not accepting of. There was no way.

This fighting style – the sword movement and the battle flow of the blade. It was so familiar. Its breath-taking beauty of each high-pitched slash and the beams of light shooting out like stardust. It was so close. Too close, to be precise even better than the term perfection could describe.

She in this short amount of time, while defending herself had analysed and picked up my sword skills. Not only that, she altered it to suit her own dual wielding style, her body size, her arm strength and vision.

Could I be blamed for leading to the birth of a monster, who could annihilate any of his enemy by just a single look.

I was enjoying it; no one had ever pushed me to my limits. Even though she was playing me around. Her expressionless face could only mean that she was toying with me. Fighting a weak opponent, who slowly grows stronger with time and finally surpasses you. Though it happened so fast, though I will fail my mission and though I lost my final battle. I was still content.

The Noble art of my blade which was slowly getting dull, but I was finally given a chance to take it to another level. To become one with the sword. The sword bestowed upon me by my master. His expectations from me, shattered because of my foolish desire.

 I must have been a bad subordinate to begin with. To think like this.

I was about to reach my limits. I tried my best to squeeze as much magical power as I could from my active blood and channel into my magical veins. Finally I casted a spell on myself to absorb and emit a specific amount of magical energy form my surrounding to maintain a steady flow of magical energy circulate in  my entire body.

I flew straight up and launched a frontal aerial assault. So did the person in front of me, I knew she was able to use flight magic, but even so it was advanced to the extent that it could overcome my sonic flying speed.

Wherever I go, she followed. Bright sparks of unimaginable colours and the resonant clashing of metal to metal could be heard, even if you hid yourself among the rocks closing your ears.

I wanted to fly faster, faster. I knew being free felt so good. To wield the sword I dedicated my life to hardships and free of all desires. But I now wanted to let loose. The atrocities of hell, the dark abyss where light never reached, the kingdom of fallen and the discarded souls.

Those who had been deemed unfit and unworthy of the light of the Creator.

But the person who stood in front of me could grant me salvation. Oh! If only Master Zero was here to watch this. Surely he would understand the radiance of those who were born to be the light of those who loomed and despaired in the shadows.

Finally I was sent flying down into all the rubble, under the rules of gravity, which already seemed to be altered by her.

“It’s not over yet? I want to see it once more. The light… which I had always desired. The light that can change all of our lives. To grant my wish. Do it for me.”

I concentrated all my awareness on using magic and strengthening my body. I drew every drop of magic molecule from every muscle, blood, cell and fiber of my hair. None was left. A black aurora, much darker than before giving off its own ruinous and brutal light, my body was slowly burning in it. As it dissolved my own skin and flesh. But that did not matter. I wanted to go deeper, to peer into myself, to look what’s within me. The answer we had been searching for hundreds of years, we looked everywhere but never inside ourselves.

I could barely see my enemy anymore, but the imagery of two red glowing dots and a black curled up smile, was carved deep into my memory even in all that smoke dust.

“One last swing, which had all of it in me.” The desire to merge and become a part of this light and darkness was so great that I broke past my limits. I could feels myself moving at an incredible speed, the sword of my master had become a part of me and it too was aiming at the same thing. Our thoughts aligned, I had left my past behind me, and in the present moment I was moving forward to grab my future.

My vitality, stamina, magic power, life force, fighting spirit and personality – I mustered up all that I had in me.

Right now, in this very moment I wanted to let loose my sword and end all of this in a single strike. The enemy, I could not see her, the distance between us I don’t know, but I knew I was on the right path and the right time to strike….

When the flash of lightning from the colliding steel blasted the air away and torrents of magical aura ripped the surrounding dimension leaving it in tattered black glass pieces.

A phenomena that can only be said as impossible was taking place right in front of my eyes, the room was painted white and so was I too white washed. My fear, insecurities, screams and dark desires all were washed away. The me left was pure and pristine in everyone’s eyes.

No one would discriminate against me. No one would glare at me. No one would want to hurt me anymore and I won’t be able to hurt anyone. No one would call me defeated. No one would call me the victor either. For I had lost the battle but achieved my goal.

CRACK.

In the long silence afterward, the deep sound of breaking steel echoed throughout the labyrinth. The legendary mythical sword Acies laid on ground destroyed into fine pieces.

With my right hand I touched my heart, but it was the cold of the steel that stained my hand with fresh blood. Her black sword was pierced right through my heart.

I looked at my left hand which was slowly dissolving into black threads. Was I turning into ash?

The warmth of the light was vanishing, even though I was able to witness it, I could not contain it. More of the ash drifted away gently and more of me disappeared. I was fading, and yet I thought I was merging with something even bigger.

My memories.

My fears.

My sadness.

My name.

My loyalty.

My rage.

And my smile it all merged into something incomprehensible that I could not feel anything but be grateful. The embrace of one who created us and his touch.

Time stood still and in that moment I made another wish, and hoped that Master Zero too could witness this LIGHT.

 

In that stillness another mechanical display became visible –

[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP]

[YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 12]

[ALL SEEING EYES OF THE GODS ACTIVATED]

[FIFTH FORM : EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE]

 

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