World Declaration (pt.4)

The 12 Generals collect themselves as they head out through the open gate. The view was peaceful, and in the distance was the edge of the forest. Their goal was to traverse the forest and head to the capital located somewhere three days of walking in.

"So, you think that Great Devil will show himself?"

"Don't wish for something like that, idiot."

"Let him be, if that Great Devil does show up he'll be the one to fight first, and alone."

The 12 Generals exchanged a few cheery words to set the atmosphere down a little. It was tense, of course, because this year's Conquest is a lot different than the past ones.

'May the incarnation of Luck bless us.'

Almera prays for some kind of luck to be by his and his group's side. He could feel an ominous feeling of decay and death in the air for a while now. He hopes it to be just superstition, but it seems like his gut was right again, like always.

'Great Devil…'

He'd seen records, even studied about the beings originating from the place that's called Hell from the books in the library. They are savage, yet cunning and skillful. They are much like humans in a sense, though more physically and Magically gifted.

'A Great Devil is a title given just below a Monarch, a ruler of a singular Hell.'

There are 7 records of different Great Devils appearing in the war ages ago. Only three of them are slain while only one manages to make a name for himself.

"Lukif Faro."

"Huh? What was that, Orashiki?"

"Oh, nothing, don't worry about it, Rogan."

"Well, if you need an ear to listen to your troubles, then don't hesitate to ask me."

"Huhu, sure, will do."

Rogan Roframe was, for a lack of a better term honestly, a nice and reasonable guy. He's serious, studious, hard-working, and always seems to be a people pleaser. Though, for the soldiers training in Fort Elinor, he's a strict man with a rare kind side to him. He excels at teaching archery, able to take someone who has no interest in the bow, to someone who can snipe targets from 100m away with almost perfect accuracy.

At the beginning, however, he wasn't like that.

'You think you're better just because you have the distance advantage?'

'I'll prove to you, to all of you, that archery is more than just a coward's game!'

'...Was my speech a little too far, sir?'

From such an ambitious kid, to a kind grown man now on the right path. A path that he showed him.

'I must do everything to protect everyone… everyone.'

Scars you can't get rid of, so the next best thing you can do is to prevent others from getting those same scars.

...…

'Ah, they're here.'

From a distance, inside the forest and hidden amongst the now darker shaded trees, a figure was standing on one of the ferocious beasts of Hell famous for its Breath that can melt rocks and metals in one second flat. His purple eyes, glowing ominously in the dark.

'Sky Eye, always a good Spell to have in any arsenal.'

His glowing eyes soon fade and he gently lifts his foot up and then down on his stead. It lets out a grumble, and then walks with its wings folding in to avoid the trees. The shaded trees then return to their normal wood color as he moves away, and wherever he goes the trees there go black and dark to a certain extent.

'Ahhh, such a relishing feeling to be able to be weak again.'

Someone would've punched him in the face for that sentence. Someone would've tortured him for days, weeks, months, maybe even years if he had said that near them. But no, for someone like him who's at the top for so long, being weak once more to be able to get closer to the smaller things is always a 'relishing feeling' as he puts it.

And he isn't wrong, as if he wasn't suppressed, everything else around him would decay and die due to his numerous Passives.

'Let's stay here and meet them.'

"Domain of Undeath."

The ground below becomes softer, and the towering trees withered in appearance and their leaves fell in droves in a matter of seconds.

"Death Ward."

A stick, slender in shape with a purple flame at the top like a torch, materializes and floats in his palm. He floats it upward into the sky, the temperature taking a deep dive as it almost felt like an air conditioned room after a few hours and set at the lowest temp possible.

"Sigil: Ongrif."

A sort of large marking draws itself across the soft ground. A unique rotting smell becomes more prominent as it finishes.

'Alright, that settles with the preparation.'

He took out his Weapon for today's fight, a staff made with bones, specifically large spines as its body and three different skulls, a ram, bird, and bear skull.

"Urrr…"

"Shhh…''

The staff, like most of the things inside his Inventory, is very much alive with its, or in this case their, Souls intact. Three Souls, all belonging to guardian spirits of a now meaningless and forgotten forest.

[Guardian Spirit Trinity Staff]

[Item Rank: SS]

[Item Effects:

+60 Domination

+8,050 Magic Power

+The Guardian of Wind, Fel, increases all Wind attribute Spells by 40% and adds a Homing effect on projectile based Spells

+The Guardian of Earth, Ber, increases all Earth attribute Spells by 40% and adds an extra Knockback effect

+The Guardian of Fire, Kar, increases all Fire attribute Spells by 40% and adds a long lasting Burning effect on anything with fire in the vicinity

+(Special Effect) You have controlled all three of the Guardians, their effects can be used without the need for switching

[Item History: An Item designed as a prison and trophy by the malicious God of Death, Saurosh Koravek Solomon. It imprisons and enslaves the three mighty Guardian Spirits of Wild Forest, and in recent times the three Guardians have given up hope for freedom]

'Alright, now, let the performance begin.'

"Dawnless Sky."

And so, the sight of the sky itself lost to a pitch black darkness, and our little group being the one who's stuck inside.

...….

"What happened to the sky?!" Kreg shouted.

"Shit… I have a bad feeling about this." Regus said with squinted eyes toward the dark, pitch black sky

"You too, Regus?" Elcham said as he prepared his two-handed battle axe.

"Everyone, eyes peeled. Rogan, can you see anything in a 400m?'' Orashiki said with a stern voice.

"...No, whatever this sky is doing, it's hindering my vision massively. I'm almost like you guys in terms of sight now." Rogan replied with a dry laugh.

"Great, now we're screwed." Greg said, though his smile entails a different reaction to the situation.

"Could this be… that Great Devil?" Elinora suddenly said.

The 12 Generals, the mightiest Humans the kingdom of Ran called them as. This will be their stage to prove that their title, grand and noble, will stand tall as the Humans see it as. Or crumble down and be swallowed by an abyssal, endless void.

"For now, let's advance. Keep your senses high, everyone."

Orashiki has a bad feeling, a very bad one. His skin, which is very sensitive to environmental changes, is tingling like it's having an earthquake across his body. Chills continuously go down his back, now drenched in sweat.

'How strong is this Great Devil…'

He can make a rough comparison with his knowledge, and if he's right then this could be another Great Devil on the same level as the Blood Marquis, Lukif Faro.

'A stench of Death… very awful…'

As they venture in, with nothing relatively big or noteworthy happening, their guard loosens up a little.

"Is this it? Just the sky darkening? Fuck! Damn, coward!"

Kreg, seemingly bored for a long time now, shouted angrily towards the sky. This prompted Regus to smack him on the head, Elinora to shake her head, and Alphonso to distance himself a little from the drama.

"Ow! The fuck was that for, old man!?"

"Don't say nonsense, do you want everyone to die? If so, then I'll kick you out of the group for you to fend by yourself."

"Urk… fine, whatever."

Kreg loosened up, and his mouth shut tightly. But then, a laughter resonated across the forest. It felt like it's an echo in multiple directions as everywhere they try to focus, the sound just keeps changing place.

"What the fuck?!"

"Oi, what is this?"

"Guard up, back against one another!"

Everyone followed Orashiki's command and stood back to back with the nearest person. Then, the laughter became more and more sedated and eventually silence came back. And following that short brief of silence, a voice resounded, hoarse and sent chills down their backs.

"Greetings, Humans."

"..."

"I am Saurosh Koravek Solomon, an Undead with the ambition of snuffing out every Life I can find. I've had my eye sockets on your little Humanity for a long time, and I must say your grandness is intriguing me. The elves were a nice touch, though I guess they won't compare with a big as a number as your Race."

"What do you want with us?"

Regus said, his voice slightly cracking under the intense pressure of the foreign voice.

"Oh, very simple, really. I just want you all to die. Kill each other, yourself, overthrow each other, lie and deceive each other, so many colorful ways to die, kill and be killed. An almost endless possibility, since of course you all are too weak compared to the others."

"Like hell we'll go out without a fight! Come!"

"Tch, don't say rash things, b-"

"Oh, fine then. I am waiting, and if you don't want to rot away under my Curse, then defeat me and earn your freedom. Though, let me be frank. A life, in exchange for others. A hero, is what I wish to witness. Your songs and tales speak of so many, and I wonder, how spectacular…

Can a Human Legend be."

With that, the voice ceases to speak further. And then, in the dark-swallowed sky lies a set of shining dots that looked like stars. Regus was the first to notice this, along with Elcham and Rogan.

"Hey, everyone."

"Above, are those… stars?"

"They must be leading us, since they're in a straight line."

And so, with no other choice for freedom, they ventured out and into the jaws of Death.

...….

'This is… certainly interesting.'

Outside, a woman was knocking her knuckles on the black barrier that's reflecting her image on its surface. The knocking created a ripple effect, and another audible hum resounded from her mouth as she inspected it closely.

'This looks like something that old hag might know of. I should ask her quickly.'

"Oii, you good over there? What's with this weird ass black dome?"

A man floated down with a reddish aura around him. He looks at the black surface that reflects his image like a mirror with curiosity.

"Shh, shut it. I'm examining it, though I can't figure out what it might be. Our best bet is to ask that old hag about it, she'll know something for sure."

And just like that, they both left as soon as they arrived.

...…

Now, the sight and smell in front of them was very bizarre and atrocious to say the least. The stench of Death, so foul and awful that it would make ordinary people puke.

'...'

And in the middle of this rotten open field, a Skeleton, no, an Elder Lich from its two glowing eyes, stands domineering atop a giant reptile dozens of times larger than him with its wings folded to its sides.

"Welcome, challengers. Have you decided your fate?"

"..."

None of them spoke a word, and this made the Elder Lich cackle sinisterly. The stench of Death intensifies as he stops laughing, making the atmosphere tenser and colder as well.

"Well, let's not delay anymore. I'm a busy pile of bones, so show me what I want and I'll be on my merry way, if I think it's up to my expectations."

"..."

Still, none of the 12 Generals spoke. They just exchanged glances with each other, and almost like some kind of hivemind, they began moving with a hidden intent behind it.

"Hoohh, no words, interesting…''

Elinora went to confront the Elder Lich head on. Her greatsword moves towards his neck at a similar speed it needs for one to blink.

"Childsplay."

However, it wasn't much of a surprise that she'd get blown away since she was just running toward him.

'No… name?'

There's a very interesting mechanic that both exists within this New World and WSO. All Spells, Skills and everything that's a Cast, the user has to call upon its name in order for it to take effect. It was an annoying mechanic when it comes to PvP however, for the obvious reason being 'who in their right mind would shout out their attack beforehand'.

And that's when certain Items or Racial Benefits come to effect. For this fight, an Elder Lich, and Skeletons in general, has no vocal cord so they speak via Mana usage to make sound waves, mimicking coherent words. This takes a small toll on their Mana that adds up overtime, but the benefit of not saying anything when Casting is astronomical.

"Come."

With a single wave of his staff, the ground beneath erupted up with bony hands and arms. Skeletons raised up from the ground with lifeless eye sockets and a rattling sound that puts chills through every living being.

"Attack."

The skeletons rushed to the nearest sign of Life with their jaws opened and sharp fingertips primed for ripping and tearing. However, they were quickly killed and shattered into bits by the 12 Generals.

Hordes and hordes of Skeletons swarm each of the 12, disrupting their concentration and flow.

"...Shit, this ain't getting anywhere!"

Kreg said as he swept away 5 Skeletons, making two pieces of them fall to the ground and sink below. The Elder Lich chuckles, as if it was funny. He tilts his head to the left, one could feel like he's smiling at them even without the ability to make facial expressions.

"I propose we group up! Two with one another, and advance!"

The 12 all nodded in line with Kreg's proposal. They stuck to their closest ally and defended each other's backs. They advance slowly and steadily, making their way through the hostile Undead threatening to claw their flesh from their faces. But, when they were almost there, they suddenly converged to one group.

"Umm?"

"Now!"

"Surekill Arrow!"

And the reason was revealed, an arrow coated in a blood red aura shot out and towards the Elder Lich's skull. His pupils were shaken for a moment, Orashiki could see it for a split second, before it became hollow and black.

'??!!'

Then, in front of their very own eyes, they saw the arrow that had never missed before stopping in its flight. It was a surreal sight, one that made all of them stop thinking for a moment before the voice of the Elder Lich rang out.

"A very well coordinated attack, I must say. Though, you failed to notice one crucial piece before you made this attempt."

Slowly, the arrow was tilted upward with seemingly no interference from anything. And then, its shaft snaps in half, withering slowly into black ash.

"Phantom Reaper, commence the Day of Reaping."

Then, a shadowy wave formed in thin air as a figure draped in black, tattered, and very old-looking robes appeared. From the sides, two black and thin, twig-looking arms emerged and clasped together. Then very slowly, it opened to the side and a black rod manifested.

Its hands grab the two ends and continue to extend it. After about a dozen seconds or so, with nothing interfering in the dramatic moment, the Phantom Reaper let out a very chilling, hoarse groan as it grips the black scythe.

"Urrhhhh…"

Fear was planted in the minds of the 12 Generals, intense, gripping fear of Death as they stared at what looks to be a rotting corpse underneath the hood of the Reaper.

"Everyone…"

But, even in this intense situation, with Death's audience in front of them, the 1st and strongest still speaks with a resolute voice and determined face.

"It is nice to know each of you, even if we don't formally greet each other in private."

With that, a Hero is born to save the day.

.......

'Let's see, can they take a Level 480 at least?'

It was what I thought at the beginning, but now though, it's another story.

'Can he take a Level 480?'

I was watching a display of either arrogance, or determination mixed with intense resolution to meet me in another plain of existence. Either way, I guess this'll be an interesting sight to see.

"His head, give it to me."

"Urrhhhh…"

The dark figure beside me let out a groan that's a Passive, Intrusive Fear. It inflicts a subtle Fear debuff, though it's almost unnoticeable unless one pays attention to their body reactions.

"This will be my honorable resting place. Come, Death. I do not fear you, not anymore."

"Oh? Interesting choice of words…"

I look at the valiant figure of an Eastern man, his black matte hair waves slightly in the breezy air and gives him a sort of cool vibe.

"Anyway, let us see. Show me what I want, a Hero's Glory."

This makes me reminisce about the past, a specific moment. Within my World, there was an Event that sparked out of nowhere.

'Hero's Descent.'

A Hero from another World, a very rare occurrence that only happens once every thousand Worlds or so I've heard.

He proved to be quite a hard opponent because the World aligned so well for him. He met the right people at the right times and got power-ups left and right. So, with this information, I went to confront him directly to put a stop on his growth. I've seen an example of him already, and I won't let another one rise up through the ranks to confront me again.

'Let's see, can you reignite my passion?'

The Phantom Reaper twitched its head, and with that twitch it went out like a loaded gun to the target.

'...'

But, contrary to my low expectations, the opponent was able to stop the scythe from decapitating him. The Phantom Reaper's head twitches and slightly turns, probably because its first attack didn't kill immediately.

"Razor Wind."

Darts of rapidly swirling wind go off from my staff and home in on my targets. The others, instead of accepting this show, go to intercept it. But, I couldn't allow that now, could I?

"Gah!"

"W-What?!"

"Upturn Earth."

I raise my staff into the air and focus on the place where I want to Cast. Just behind the struggling fight, the earth itself became upturned and cracked, making the rude spectators fall down.

"Swallowing Earth."

Then, it softened to the point that it almost felt like they were on the surface of an ocean. They sank quicker than they could respond.

"Harden."

Earth Spells are made to be used in combos, with relatively low Mana Cost and rather simple applications. Only 5th tier and above is where more intricate and complex Earth Spells can be attained, though most Players only get some basic Earth Combos unless they want to make Earth their main focus as a Magic Caster.

"Now, stay put and enjoy your soon to be possible freedom."

I focus back on the fight, though it hasn't changed much. They were still struggling to overpower the other, and it doesn't seem there'll be a definite winner soon.

'...'

So, to spice things up, I whispered a cryptic sound into the ears of the opponent.

''...Brother?"

An unexpected word came out of his mouth. I raised my nonexistent brows quizzically, and continued to watch.

"Brother, you're…"

"You failed me, left me for dead."

And then, the Phantom Reaper also spoke, though not in its hoarse tone. A man's voice, rough sounding and angry from the tone of it.

"You deserved to be in my place, you're useless, worthless, fucking disgusting! You're a disgrace for the family, just by surviving. Die, make up for your family with your lifeless body!"

The battle was shifting fast. The Phantom Reaper's scythe was inching closer and closer to his neck, and I let out a sigh of disappointment.

'Hahh, he's too fragile mentally. Just one Twisted Word is enough to corrupt him senseless.'

"No."

'???'

[Twisted Word has failed to corrupt the target]

"I've had enough, brother. You won't let me die, so why should I die when you tell me?"

Strength was coming back to him, and he pushed forward with an even stronger force. The table flipped almost dizzily, and this development only piqued my interest more.

'...Hmm.'

They disengaged. The Phantom Reaper goes to my side again while the opponent is on his knees breathing hard. His eyes, however, were anything but tired. It was fierce, filled with a determination that was rare to see, and that comes from someone who plays a hyper realistic game for all his life.

'Ohhh.'

My interest grows by the second, and so, I try my hands on him for myself to see.

"Razor Wind Shredder."

A puff of air gathers in front of my staff and expands, growing bigger and bigger with visible slashes of wind materializing. I watch the opponent's expression carefully, and a series of shock and determined looks flash through his face. He turns back to his comrade, and his resolve seems to reach its peak.

''This is a tier 8 Spell, Razor Wind Shredder. I don't know if you'll survive, but if you do, then it'll be great."

I swung my staff down and sent the ball of death hurling towards the opponent.

"A tier… 8?!!"

"Orashiki, get out of the way! Dodge it!"

"..."

He doesn't reply, though I would think he'll just say one of those generic hero lines. Like, 'No, I won't' or 'I can take it!'.

"...Dragon Sword: Unbreakable Will!"

"!!!"

A large spike in HP, Aura, and Stats. His body glowed a bright golden color that shimmered and shone brightly. He gets up quickly and spins his body, coming in with a wide slash to counter my Spell.

"..."

"Graaahhhhh!"

He was having issues in being able to do anything, but it seems like he was able to pull off a Hero's Miracle in the end. He completely vanquished my 8th tier Spell, and he came through with only a few beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and cheek.

"Congratulations."

"Hahh… hahhh…"

His breathing was slightly rough, but it doesn't seem like he'd expended all his energy yet. I smirked, though inwardly.

"Fire of Purgatory."

A searing, intense black and red flame erupted in the air. The ball of concentrated heat was making the atmosphere hotter.

"This is another tier 8 Spell, capable of lasting until all of your being is extinguished to black ash."

I gave a brief explanation, and fired it off. The golden aura, instead of fading away after use, was shining brighter than last time. It was a peculiar sight, to say the least.

'Could it be a Passive Effect?'

"Dragon Sword: Fearless Charge!"

He places his sword to his side with both hands holding it. A head of a dragon seems to manifest around and enveloping him, with the same color as his fantastic aura. He lunges forward towards certain doom, or not as he pierces through and continues on with his momentum.

"Ohhhh?!"

I could feel it, the power was enough to even rival my Phantom Reaper. The blade that's heading my way, if I decide to sit and tank the hit then I would undoubtedly suffer massive Health-based damage.

"Illusory Night!"

I casted my fail-safe Cursel, Illusory Night. A particularly powerful Curse that bypasses 9th tier Spells meant to intercept Mind Spells. Like the name implies, it puts the target in an unconscious state outwardly, but in their Mind they're still fully awake and able to make decisions too.

It's a favorite of mine, effective in an instant and since I can also view their inner thoughts, dreams and nightmares alike through some simple Curses, it's also a great way to gather information on how they view things and what their aspirations are.

'Now…?'

The body of the opponent falls, but surprisingly I could see him twitching his head and his fingers didn't let go of the sword yet. I catch his body, and then that proves to be my silly mistake.

"Aura Art: Burst!"

A coating of golden aura envelopes his body. The next second, I casted a defense Spell to mitigate the damage. A black mist takes hold of every crevice in my body, and a cold sensation runs through my Mana senses.

"Ku…hhh."

[You have suffered 1 Physical Damage]

The burst of golden aura pushes him away, though it did little damage to me. Black Coat really is effective for weaker enemies.

'Though it is nice, it has a nasty Mana drain to keep up.'

With 185 MP/s, it's ranked in the upper middle tier in terms of Mana drainage. It's a safe card, cool too, but not one that you can play for long terms unless you're a Mana focused Cursemancer type.

"A marvelous display of Willpower, and tactical thinking. You surprised me, though next time won't be so easy."

I let out a hearty laugh, it truly amused and upset me at the same time. Amused because of the well executed maneuver. Upset because I don't usually allow such a stupid mistake.

'He's able to resist Illusory Night… he must be a strong person.'

I was tempted, but didn't try anything just yet. I wanted to play this act a little more, give them false hope and build them up, to only take one piece out for them to topple from high above the sky.

'So, he's able to deflect 8th tiers with a little difficulty, resist one of my most used Curses, and I should take this fight more seriously to avoid that fatal mistake again.'

Undeads, especially Skeletons, are very fragile in close quarter combat if they're running a Magic Build. The exceptions to this were the standard Curse Paladin and Death Knight Build, where they have a Passive to decrease their Blunt Damage, Holy Damage, and nullify Instant Kill Casts.

'I need to become 'that' guy again.'

Although I hate it, because now it's real, I'll need to tap into that repressed calculative man from way before. The guy who ruled the Battle, calculated every 10 moves from both the opponent and how I'll deal with it.

'...tch.'

"Playtime's over."

I cast several Curses to me, enhance my surrounding Undead, and summon forth several more Special Undead to my side.

"I'll do a little experiment, to make this more… interesting for me. To push some buttons, and if you live then so be it. This'll be the final stretch, so head up, arms raised, and grip tight."

I make it brief, and unleash my first wave of Experiment.

"Undead Fusion: Goliath of Bones."

The inactive Skeletons that only stood to watch were now put to use. I wanted to test how Undead Fusion, a Necromantic Spell that all Necromancers have, functions in this New World. Undead Fusion is a sort of System in itself. Sacrifice a fixed number of Lesser Undead, then pick and choose from multiple types of Enhanced Undead variants.

'Nothing changed much, though I don't get the System Menu…'

A large number of Skeletons numbering in the hundreds grouped up and rattled, almost like amalgamating together from how it looks like watching from afar.

"So, for introductions, this is the starter of the first experiment. Goliath of Bones, slow and hard hitting. Level 300 currently, based on the amount of Skeletons sacrificed and their individual Levels combined. Best of luck, challenger."

The amalgamation completes after the quick explanation. In front of our Hero now is a roughly 13-15m tall white giant that has several hands and arms poking out from its ribcage. Cracks were everywhere on its surface, and its skull looked nothing like anything normal.

"Ruuuhhhhh."

It lets out a rumble, probably from rattling the small bone fragments in its thick neck section.

"Ruuuhhhhgaaa!"

The low rumble turns to a shout as it raises its hands up. An overview of its appearance, its body has a few parts being hollow, while some are hardened and stuff full with grounded bones. The parts that're fully boned are the legs, which are very thick and golem-like, arms and hands, and skull. The only exception is the chest, which is full of still moving Skeletons trapped in the ribcage.

It slams down at our Hero, of which he blocks with little to no difficulty.

"As expected."

He repels the hands away, still not letting a bead of sweat down his forehead.

"Cleaving Sword."

A basic Skill, he raises his sword up and angled it to come down diagonally.

"Aura!"

A golden hue shines from the sword. As it comes down, an arc goes off into the air. It cuts a line across the giant's chest, eliminating a few of its living Skeletons and making the thing scream out loud.

"Guuwaahhh!!"

It falters in its steps. He aims for this gap to quickly make a major move. He leaps up into the air, scales the body of the giant and dodges the grab attempts of the living Skeletons masterfully. He makes another jump, this time with a flip in the air as a repositioning attempt and style move. He waits for the right moment, then slashes toward the giant's thick neck.

The reason for the living Skeletons weren't for aesthetics, no. It was to prevent small enemies from scaling it and decapitate it, the only weakness of the Goliath of Bones really.

"Aura: Sharpen!"

One final move to put the nail in the coffin, the sword lights up yet again as he's in the slashing motion.

"Exceptional work, challenger."

The Elder Lich gives a round of applause as the Goliath of Bones wither into black flakes. He lands on the ground with a thud, and looks up to the Elder Lich with a defiant gaze.

"Second, this one'll be a little unique."

Now, instead of Skeletons, spectral ghost-like existences fazed through from the ground. They have nightmarish appearances, and they let out bone chilling shrieks as they float and fly in the air.

"What the…"

"Undead Fusion: Spectral Bride."

The spectrals gathered and swirled together, forming a small green-colored tornado. Then, from inside the tornado was the color white.

"Spectral Bride is a tricky opponent as it uses one's Love of flesh, tricking and even enslaving them under their Illusion. So, how determined are you to the Present?"

With his words ending, the vision of our Hero shifted. From the dark and despairing battlefield, to a wonderful hill with a great sight of a small town.

"This is the place that you proposed to me, right, Shiki-chan?"

A girl with black as night hair stood underneath the shade of a very big tree. Her hair blends in quite nicely with the shade, and her emerald eyes captivated our Hero of the past.

"Erushia…"

"So, do you have our rings?"

Her voice was soft, endearing, and warm. But, however, this warmth was unfamiliar to him. His trance state was slowly being lifted by his consciousness, and this makes the view of his shaky and slightly distorted. Though, he answers anyway.

"Y-Yes, I have our rings. This… doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't feel right, silly?"

"You… Erushia, you don't feel right to me."

His consciousness overpowers the illusion, his head turns to the sides, his body shakes and his breathing becomes heavy. Then, seeing this, Erushia comes closer to him with gentle steps and put her small hands on his cheeks.

"Shiki-chan? Are you alright? You're scaring me."

"Erushia… Erushia!"

Suddenly, he lunges his hands forward and with enough force, he squeezes her head and pops it like a balloon. Though, blood didn't come splattering out all over him. But instead a terrified shriek filled his ears enough to make it bleed.

"Raeeeehhhhh!!"

"Argh!"

His vision shifts and becomes unsteady as he just escapes the illusion. His sights slowly set itself back normal, to see the Spectral Bride hiding behind the Elder Lich.

"Now, you wouldn't do that to your newlywed wife, would you?"

"You… How dare, you. Erushia, you dare!"

"Judging already? It is not of my will, it is hers."

"Kreeee…"

The Spectral Bride let out a disappointed and sad whine. She was even shedding what looks like tears from her eyes.

"Shhh, don't worry about it."

"You…"

Our Hero, with contempt and anger in his eyes, gripped his sword tight. His vision was shifting by the second, mixing reality with false fantasyland. He shakes his head furiously to disrupt these thoughts.

"Now, for the last part of our first experiment, I would like to ask you a question. Would you like to lose yourself, or have your body brutalized in all ways possible?"

"Huh?"

A strange question, but one that he answers with his own custom made answer.

"No matter what you throw at me, I won't falter. Try your best, and I'll continue to rise to the challenge."

"...If I were at my best, I don't think any of this would even be remotely possible. But anyway, sure. If that is what you want, then let's see if you have the resolve to complete your words."

Our Hero grips his sword with both hands, a golden aura bursts and lets out waves of invisible energy, pushing the dust and dirt away as he seems to power-up.

"...Death Force, Mana Strengthening, Freeze Aura, Thought Acceleration."

All sorts of Buffs empowered him. Now battle ready, he came down from his mount and stood proud and domineering. His eyes glowed with more intensity as the Spectral Bride served as backline, a very unusual sight for a Necromancer.

"Come, I shall take you on myself. If you pass this first experiment, consider the rest of my planned experiments an unnecessary procedure."

A dark aura emanates from his frame. It was thick enough to be considered a gas, and it clouds the background completely.

"Then, can we have our names exchanged? If this… is truly my finale, then I want to remember the name of my killer."

"Cap…tain?"

"Boy, what are you…?"

"Oi oi! What the fuck are you saying, old man!"

"..."

"Dude, tell me you're lying?"

"Don't go dying without us! Aren't we supposed to stick together?! What were those words back then, huh?!!"

Every one of the Generals shouted their pleas after hearing the Hero's wish. His head tilted down, eyes on the ground, but with a smile.

"Oh, well then, if I do give my name, what shall you do with that knowledge? Curse me in the Afterlife?"

"No, nothing of the sort… it's just a superstition."

'...Reincarnation.'

"I see, then, my name is Saurosh Koravek Solomon, and my true name is Sora Kuroka. Pleased to meet you, name to name."

"My name is Orashiki Jingen, a proud swordsman of the East, son of a royal family, an outcast and wanted man… and I am ready to face Death."

"Ohohoho… well said, though, before that…"

The Elder Lich Sora angles his head down a little, and his eyes gleamed and sparked, almost like there'll be fire coming out of his glowing eyes.

"Let me show you despair, the disparity between a Human, to the Ultimate Undead."