Chapter 12: Darkness from within

"I'm Emma, Emma Kurumi well I guess I'd also like to call myself the Goddess of the hunt, Atalanta." Emma said while giving the two are kind smile "The one in the Red Wolves squad?." Dorothy asked while containing her excitement "Well are there any other women who'd call themselves Atalanta?." Emma replied with sarcasm, as Dorothy got her confirmation she quickly jumped off Arthur arms and ran towards Atalanta with excitement "It's an honor to meet the Goddess of the hunt right noww AAAHHHHHH." She couldn't hold her happiness and just let it all out "Well the honor's all mine young one." Emma said while giving Dorothy a pat on the head

while the two were having a conversation Arthur was smiling to seeing Dorothy happy like this "(Well thank god we went here on a Sunday huh)." and he chuckled at himself.

A few minutes have passed and Arthur was sitting alone at the bench while Dorothy and Atalanta were talking to each other "It's good seeing her like this." Arthur said to himself while drinking a soda can "Oh hey it's Arthur!." Gon said as he saw him "You guys came here to use the gym too?." Arthur asked out of curiosity "Well me and Febby wanted to spar with each other since she wants to try out her new sword technique and I wanted to try some defensive moves so we're a perfect match for each other." Gon said with a smile "Are you alone Arthur?." Febby asked "Well Dorothy's over there talking to someone named Atala-." "You mean the Goddess of the hunt!?." Gon and Febby both asked out of curiosity "Ummm yeah why? you guys knew her too?." Arthur replied "By any chance you don't know who she is Arthur?." Gon wondered "Well I lived in a small village and only had one friend and my sister with me so no I'm afraid I don't know any news outside my village." Arthur replied "Well after we all graduate from this school there's an event every year that if we're lucky enough we get to be in one of the seven squads in the kingdom and Atalanta is one of those people who's in one of those squads." Gon explained to Arthur everything about Atalanta's backstory on how she got in her squad and all her accomplishments "Hmmm joining a squad seems really interesting." Arthur smirked at the fact that he had a new goal "Didn't you enrolled here just to get there?." Febby asked out of curiosity "No I haven't heard of the squads until now, I just wanted to become stronger to protect the ones I love." Arthur replied as he took a sip from his soda can again "I see, well if you ever get in one of the squads one day Arthur I'm sure you'll be a great her-- oh yeah I forgot to mention this they're known as heroes by the way." Gon said, after hearing that Arthur got even more riled up and was more eager to become a hero one day.

and while Dorothy and Atalanta were talking "Hey umm." "Name's Dorothy, Dorothy Ritsu." Dorothy replied.

"Hey Dorothy do you know this person?." Atalanta asked as she shot an arrow to the wall, Once the arrow hit the wall there was a figure trying to escape but couldn't because of the arrow

Dorothy was silent as Atalanta went in closer to the assailant "What are you doing here? what do you want?." the Assailant was quiet but tried his best to escape then a fireball was launched leaving him unconscious.

"Hey Atalanta I'm going to tell you something." Dorothy said as Atalanta agreed they both took a seat and talked while Arthur was heading towards them until a random person was running towards him "This brat will do!." the man said as it got close to Arthur, something came out of the man and went inside Arthur.

and Aiden arrived "Shit! it went inside the kid." Aiden said while catching his breath "Well looks like this kid'll do." Arthur was already possessed by the Unknown entity "Now it'll be you doing the running now!." "You scum! get out of that student's body right now!." Aiden exclaimed

while in Arthur's mind he was standing at an empty room facing the entity "My My My quite a lonesome boy you are." "And who are you? what makes you think you can posses my bod-." Arthur was stuttered for he couldn't move as the entity wrapped around him like a snake "You seem to have a future that's going to be a pain for villains everywhe-- or maybe not." The Entity refrained itself and let go of Arthur, It then released a smog that would release Arthur's alter self

Atalanta's comm was beeping..

"Ummm Hey Sis we have a problem." Aiden said "What? it escaped?." Atalanta replied with a sarcasm voice "Noo it just went inside a student's body." Aiden said "(A student's body?)." Dorothy was curious "Alright where are you?." Atalanta asked "I'm at the field of WordBagon academy." Aiden replied, as Atalanta and Dorothy rushed towards the field a battle was already in motion.

the now possessed Arthur was battling Aiden, as Aiden leaps from one place to another Arthur just kept on following him "Ar-Arthur?." as Dorothy was frozen to see Arthur's eyes darken and filled with despair, his aura changed it's like it's a different person "Sis the boy's been possessed." Aiden yelled "Is there a way to save him?." Dorothy asked out of concern for her boyfriend "There is a way but it depends whether the entity gives up first or your friend does." Atalanta replied while grabbing an arrow.

"That's fine by me, I know Arthur won't give in that easily." Dorothy was confident over Arthur surviving the procedure, She then used her threads to capture Arthur, but because of the sudden change Arthur could easily cut up the threads and was heading towards Dorothy and Atalanta.

meanwhile inside, Arthur was slowly falling into a dark abyss as he is watching what's going on outside through his eyes "Am I-- going to die here?." Arthur said while he is slowly falling deeper "This isn't how I want this to end." Arthur said and then as he continued descending down he kept on hearing voices.

"Hey wanna be friends?."

Two pistols can be seen

"I'm sorry Arthur I have to go my friend needs me for a defensive mission."

"Take care Father."

"No fair Carla, You use guns while I have a sword."

"You always have to be prepared facing other people Arthur it's a big world out there, and you're not going to be fighting Swordsmans alone remember there are a lot of people with other classes you have to be ready for them, let's go again!."

"I'm sorry Arthur my parents are making me move to another village."

"Can I see you again?."

"(Nods) Of course you will, we'll meet again one day I know it."

As Arthur was still falling deeper "How could I forget about you, you were my only friend that time." and then that same girl appeared in front of Arthur, Arthur thought it was the same girl he made friends with years ago but as he clearly saw who it was he was bursting in tears knowing that it was Dorothy who was in front of him "Arthur snap out of it, this isn't you." Dorothy talked to him "I'm sorry I gave in despair, to darkness and I don't know how to fix this." Arthur replied.

"Then take my hand." Dorothy lent her hand towards him and Arthur was trying his best to reach her hand.

Meanwhile on the field Arthur stopped moving and was shaking, he was immobilized for a bit thanks to that Atalanta fired an arrow to stop Arthur's movements and Aiden hold Arthur down to do the procedure "Begoneee Entity!!." Aiden then punched Arthur's back and shocked the body "This is what you meant on who'll give up first?." Dorothy asked "Yes now stay back." Atalanta replied.

Arthur was screaming from the pain, until the Entity went outside of Arthur's body but..

"Oh no! Dorothy looked out!!!." Atalanta yelled (Without a body the entity is as fast as the eye could see) and it went inside Dorothy..

"Do-Don't I'm sure she can handle it." Arthur said while flinching on the ground as the entity was looking for Dorothy's conscience "What the???." the entity was shocked to see

Dorothy's conscience chained while every weapon in her mind was circling the chained conscience "This?? couldn't be!." it was shocked and terrified from seeing Dorothy's mind.

Her conscience woke up and stared at the Entity, and once he knew it all the weapons were already around the entity

DIE

And the entity was killed "Did she do it?." Aiden asked.

"I don't sense any malice coming from her, perhaps she did." Atalanta replied she became even more curious about Dorothy "I knew you could do i-it." Arthur said "Well I'm telling the captain you failed on this mission." Atalanta said "H-H-Hey now Sis please don't do that come on." Aiden said begging to Atalanta.

Arthur was slowly standing up and heading towards the unconscious Dorothy. he then carried her and caress her cheek "You've done great love, I can't believe she defeated an entity all on her own." Arthur said to himself.

*Meanwhile on what happened*

As the entity was loosing hope from seeing all those weapons targetted him, the Entity's tactics involve the smog he emits to release the darkest side of the person inhaling the it but in this case Dorothy's conscious was way out of reach for the smog to reach in time.

and from the moment her consciousness was awaken from her slumber the entity didn't stand a chance, he felt iment pressure, a barrage of despair against him

the Entity thought to himself "This is even more frightning than despair.. She is Darkness itself." he said right before getting impaled by all the weapons

and as the Entity was killed her consciousness was smiling menacingly.

End of Chapter 12: Darkness from within