A Second Stand - Part 1

* Warriyo - Mortals (feat. Laura Brehm) (ELPORT remix) *

AN: yep...

***

"Also, are you planning to let that pile of bones run away?" asked Camilla curiously.

"Absolutely not," Raven said with a grin. The potions, together with her new skill Invigoration had made it easier for her to regain about 70% of her overall energy. And she wanted to try Soul Weaving quite badly...

Blinking twice, Camilla was trying to make sure the sadistic expression the girl was making was of her own imagination.

'Oh my, the young missy is sure quite... moody.' she thought to herself as she started muttering her arcane words.

Her aura started to condense and glow stronger with each chant.

Looking at her in action, Raven was rather impressed.

'Alright, let's not fall behind, Kayla. Start with appraising the scythe here.' she told Kayla in her mind. She had the wonderful idea of slicing the grim reaper with its own weapon.

[Appraising weapon...

[Class: Scythe

[Rank: A+

[System can't read past the weapon's disguise, however Kayla can tell that the weapon was especially made for the Dark Grim Reaper as their mana signatures are quite similar, making it possible for them to amplify each others' strength.

[The scythe had been used to reap out souls for centuries, as the number of souls trapped inside is above what the System can distinguish.

[The souls inside look to be in torment as they're always trying to escape but to no avail. The scythe is siphoning more life force, the more they struggle, the more it gains.]

What that seemed to Raven's ears was that the weapon traps the tormented souls inside and uses them as means of feeding, or acquiring life force to support its existence.

'Hm, as much as I don't want to do that, I'm assuming that if I use my skill, Soul Weaving, I might be able to consume the souls and gain their life force? Possibly freeing them from their misery.

'Hm, it sounds dangerous though.... whatever I'll just do it.' For some reason she remembered an advertisement that she's always seen on TV.

Picking up the scythe, Raven was rather assaulted by enraged souls inside. They all tried to consume her soul instead.

Noticing that, Raven instantly activated her massive killing intent and condensed it, using her new skill Advanced Mana Manipulation, on the scythe.

[Emergency!

[Raven's soul is in danger.

[Blessing: Infinity's Will has been externally activated.]

Majestic golden light, with faint shades of black, blinded the area as a serious expression appeared on her face.

"Trying to consume my soul...?" she smirked sadistically at the scythe as she saturated it with her killing intent.

That feat would've been absolutely impossible for someone else of her rank, especially against an A+ weapon. Killing intent was an extension of the bloodthirst of a person's soul.

The more a person kills, the more bloodthirsty they become, the more joy and extacy they'd have when the kill again. And the more bloodthirsty a person is, the more violent and dense their killing intent is.

Even though the killing intent wasn't actually in the air, one could still feel it. Like how a person could smell the food inside a restaurant, without being inside.

Camilla had to interrupt her chanting and focus on breathing as not to faint from the lack of oxygen in the air. It seemed that time had stopped, almost got drowned in a metallic viscous liquid that freezed anything it touched, air included.

She opened her eyes wide enough for her deep blue eyebs to fall off out of their sockets. 'How many people has she killed?' she thought in terror.

She knew the principles of killing intent, and the feeling she got from the little girl made her spine shiver in cold sweat. The dark grim reaper wasn't in a better condition.

It had spent the few seconds it had in calling for reinforcements and recovering, as it was planning to ambush the girls.

It was sure that something went wrong in their fight, maybe a spell from the S ranker that would instill fear in the soul.

But what it felt that moment made its skeletal body shiver, almost vibrate, in fear. It instinctively kneeled down.

"HAHAHAHA!" Raven laughed maniacally as she held the scythe in one hand, and used the other to cover her mouth with its back.

Cracks appeared on the scythe as a radiant gold could be seen leaking out.

"To think that dead souls would have so much courage. HAHAHA!" Her sadistic laughter filled the air and minds of those who bore ill will towards her.

"Now," she spoke to the scythe as a serious expression replaced her earlier laughing face, "You shall be my food!"

EEEEEAUAAHHAAAAA!!!!

At that, countless screams of agony could be heard. Golden light that was being corrupted by faint streaks of black could be seen all over the vast forest.

Troops of monsters that have been marching towards their king to battle the invaders, stopped, fell to their knees, and had blood rushing down their ears.

Some weak skeletal monsters had their bones shattered and fell to the ground for the last time.

Camilla and the group could hear the screams too. However, it only made them uncomfortable as they had nothing but good feelings towards Raven.

The screams disappeared as fast as they've appeared before. The golden light with black shades had disappeared a second after, leaving Raven standing alone where she was before.

The scythe has long turned into dust and dispersed into thin air.

[Blessing: Infinity's Will has returned back to its dormant state.

[Special Skill: Soul Weaving Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Soul Weaving Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Soul Weaving has reached Max Level.

[Special Skill: Soul Weaving Leveled Up +1

[Skill has already reached Max Level, commencing evolution...

[Soul Weaving has evolved into Soul Devouring (tier 2 skill).

[Special Skill: Soul Devouring Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Soul Devouring Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Soul Devouring Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Soul Devouring has reached Max Level.

[Special Skill: Soul Devouring Leveled Up +1

[Skill has already reached Max Level, commencing evolution...

[Soul Devouring has evolved into Soul Predation (tier 3 skill).

[You destroyed 10,000+ souls.

[Title obtained: Exorcist.

[You have consumed 10,000+ souls.

[Rank promoted to C+

[You have gained a new Special Skill: Knowledge of the Ancients.

[As a result of previous activation of the blessing: Infinity's Will, stats have all been boosted.

[All Special Skills Leveled Up +1

[Special Skill: Stealth has reached Max Level.

[Special Skill: Shadow Manipulation has reached Max Level.

[Maximum Energy Capacity increased.

[Rank promoted to C++

[Backlash of Blessing: Infinity's Will received.

[You will suffer from slight Soul corruption.]

All of the mental notifications flashed at once in Raven's mind as she seemed rather confused and very different than how she looked just a moment ago.

'Ah sh*t, it was a bad idea...' she said before fainting on falling into Camilla's open arms.

"Wow, two times in less than a minute..." Camilla said as she shook her head in fake disappointment, and real worry. "This lass... she must like playing the helpless maiden." *sigh*

"Raven!" Maya suddenly yelled as she approached Camilla and the unconscious Raven.

"What did she do this time?" Maya asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"Why I'm good thank you! Glad you're all doing g-"

"Shut it!" Maya replied with venom in her voice, and cold rage in her eyes. "What did you do to her?!"

Camilla bit the inside of her lower lip, she was yet treated as a traitor. She had actually thought they've all forgiven her and that's why Raven came to help her.

'guess I was wrong...' she thought as she was genuinely hurt by Maya's burst.

"Maya, that's rude!" Maria scolded the girl as she saw how deep Camilla was wounded inside. "Rain, take care of the two of them please." With Raven unconscious, she was the best next leader as everyone would listen to her.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Joey, stand guard and watch for incoming monsters."

"On it!"

Also, aside from Raven wanting to help her, she knew Camilla wasn't the one responsible for hurting Raven as she saw a huge amount of blood on the ground, human blood.

Noticing that Camilla was the only one with the wound while Raven was just unconscious, she guessed that Raven had tried to use her ability to heal her to stop the bleeding and fainted from the stress.

Of course, Maria told all of that to Maya who was still unhappy with how Raven always risks her life for others.

Ignoring her, Maria apologized on her behalf to Camilla, and asked for a quick setrip as she was being treated by Rain.

Realising what had actually happen, the group was hit with a wave of uncertainty and worry.

"You're saying there are more monster kings? How many else do we have left, and if what you call a 2nd king hasn't died yet, where is it?" Maria questioned.

"I think I can answer that," Joey yelled to the group as he readied his light sword. "Monsters attacking from the north!"