Arc 1: Coda Village Part 6: End Curse

Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.

Arc 1: Lands Of Rodenius:

Coda Village Part 6: End Curse

The windy, humid weather did not help to alleviate the situation.

A great deal of worry filled the atmosphere, and especially for this certain group of Recon Members, who were in charge of managing the safe zone. Sergeant Nishina took a glance at his wristwatch before overlooking a huge number of Coda's Villagers, filling up the green open fields.

The young Japanese Sergeant had not expected to be this of a huge crowd that still continued to gather and adjust. Furthermore, the recon members assigned in this task were only him, Private Wataru, and Private Tousee Daisuke. An impossible number to control such huge crowds.

He could feel a little cold sweat of nervousness drop from the back of his head and towards his neck. How he wished that Sergeant Kuwahara was here to assist, yet the latter had been called to handle an unexpected situation back at the village hall.

To which they haven't received any updates so far.

The atmosphere surrounding the field of many of Coda's evacuated villagers was pretty much in a stabilized situation. It was a bit fortunate for him and the guys since they don't have to do as much and experienced the struggle that his superior had to endure prior to all of this.

Nishina's thoughts were interrupted while observing the current situation by the laughter of village youngsters, who had found the time to play during this difficult period that he had been going through as the team's acting leader for the time being. In fact, he was nearly struck by a very antique and ancient-looking leather ball that he had seen in a museum back in his homeworld. He only observed that these youngsters were playing a kind of early soccer game, complete with improvised goal posts made of wood and a net constructed of light ropes.

In the midst of the situation trying to calm him down, His walkie began to come to life.

"Nishina, this is Wataru speaking." The voice of one of his fellow recon members came through.

"Copy that, How's the situation at the west end?" He asked.

By then, he had noticed that a large number of the Villagers, mostly adults and the elderly, were entering silent prayer one by one. He sensed dread in the air, and it didn't come at a bad time. He had no idea why he had that feeling.

"Everything is going smoothly so far, but some of the villagers have started kneeling and praying." Wataru's voice explained, also claiming to have witnessed the same events.

Nishina raised an eyebrow, his own curiosity began to peak.

"Interesting, so what's the reason?" He asked again, as he began to walked towards the field to investigate further. Not knowing that the air was slowly changing.

"I'm not sure, sir, but they keep telling me that the "Evil" in this land had returned and that they needed to pray to the Gods for protection." He explained, looking as perplexed as he was." It's giving me the creeps, to be honest." He added.

Hearing that statement, Nishina came to a halt in the middle of an open path, surrounded by Wagons, Horses, and small temporary camps set up by the villagers themselves. The young man's memory jumbled as familiarity struck; he had heard a certain story from one of the elders when the Recon Team first arrived in the land. It wasn't just the elderly; he also heard children telling the same story to scare or prank each other for fun. Some even told them not to mention it, as if it were an urban legend.

He found it odd that the people here were treating this as if it had actually happened, and that they were living it off and coexisting with it.

Even up until now, it had begun to become a more serious issue.

"Uhh, Nishina, I think you better look up right now man."Tousee Daisuke's voice spoke with a sense of urgency and concern this time.

It didn't take long for the young sergeant to come to his senses, as he found himself glancing around at the villagers, who were now all solemnly praying to their respective Gods. Out of terror, the youngsters had also stopped playing their games and ultimately joined in.

"What in the world?" He thought to himself surrounded by the eerie silence and tension in the air.

Eventually, he followed his friend's advice and directed his gaze and attention to the semi-grayish sky, with some of the sun's rays penetrating the forest and the source of it all.

Right in the heart of it all is a dark intense crimson beam of light that has thrust into the sky.

"Hey man, Can you see it, I think that's the one that the villagers are somehow referring to." His fellow Recon member spoke through the walkie once again.

"Hey Nishina, do you still copy?"

Nishina couldn't respond to his comments since awe and shock had overtaken him. He almost dropped his walkie-talkie on the ground since his mind was on one thing. He could sense death in the air and began to get concerned. At that point, the young man was able to say a few words.

"I hope you guys are safe."

The young Sergeant stood there, observing a scene that could only be equated to the supernatural.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He wouldn't call it false or just any rumor that would appear and then fade away.

The old farmer had spoken about it as though the fable was absolutely true and had occurred a long time ago. Al couldn't just dismiss it as gossip and move on; the young man was literally in another world where anything could happen.

Hoaxes were at the very bottom of the tier hierarchy in this situation.

The Laws of Physics to which he had learned from his high school teacher and professor did not fully work here as it chose to head out of the window, not more than any second he had passed through the Gate, months ago.

The sky had begun to darken slightly, and grayish dark clouds had begun to appear, as if there would be rain in a few minutes, but this did not occur. The sun was still there, having found a spot in the midst of these clouds, and a few of its rays shone down on a specific LAV.

A depiction of a battle between light and darkness in the sky.

As he finally dropped his wrench to the grassy ground, Al gasped for air. He sighed in relief as he finished the remaining tasks at hand, leaning against the driver's door. He couldn't even feel his own hands due to exhaustion and numbness that had spread all over his back, forcing him to remove his vest and gear that had kept the heaviness in him.

It was finished. The man had finally finished repairing the minor issue that had plagued the LAV. He had to admit that he was quite impressed with himself for being able to repair a model that he was unfamiliar with.

He did have a slight regret about the procedure; it had taken more than an hour of going back and forth to put the parts back together, and this had caused his entire body to suffer the minor consequences, and he now felt like an old man throwing out some cusses here and there due to the aches he could feel all over his body. It wasn't a great experience to begin with.

The fresh air flew by him as a sign of his reward. He'd been trapped in this heat that he couldn't explain, and thankfully, he was able to survive it all and get some well-deserved rest.

Al began to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His mind was set on obtaining another leather jug of water that was placed on top of what was remained of a cut-down tree just a few meters away from him.

However, the problem that continued to annoy him was the unforgiving body and muscle aches that made its presence known, every time he made a single move. As a result, it was that small struggle which brought his morale down and to brink of giving up.

"Oh come on! Why now?"

Inside his head, the Californian grumbled. As he returned to lean on the LAV, he did not hesitate to utter a defeated sigh.

"Brian will kill me if he sees me like this."

He let another one of his thoughts slipped passed through. Being one of the guys that was perceived to be quiet, firm, and mentally strong, He did not expect to be placed in a situation where he is actually suffering.

He couldn't move his entire body at the moment, except for his hands and arms, which he used to raise up and pretend he had Mr. Fantastic's ability to stretch his arms or even a Jedi's powers, and grabbed the item that would eventually make him feel better.

Al could only close his eyes and fantasize about such a scenario. Unbeknownst to him, a presence had arrived in the area in an unexpected form. While the darkness engulfed his vision, he could hear the sounds of these small footsteps. A short time later, the presence was right beside him.

"Kweh!"

He immediately opened his eyes, only to be confronted by a familiar tall and massive yellow bird peering down at him.

Al, who was startled but quickly regained his composure, tried to sit up straight to see what was going on. Initially, the man was concerned, but he soon realized that the yellow bird's intentions were simply to retrieve and deliver the leather jug of water to him.

In surprise, he widened his eyes. The old farmer was telling the truth when he said that these birds have the same emotional aspects as humans. These birds truly understand what people are going through.

Meanwhile, the Chocobo lowered its head as it offered the tired American the leather jug of water, which it carried by slightly biting it with its beak.

The yellow bird gave a small grunt afterward.

"Oh sorry about that!"

Al said as he grabbed the jug of water and began to drink the fresh liquid to quench his thirst once more. He was overjoyed at the opportunity. He was not expecting this kind of scenario to occur for him.

"Thanks by the way! I thought I was going to die of thirst but you really saved me there." The man commented, smiling for the first time.

"Kweh Kweh!"

"Oh, really? Thank you so much! I really appreciate your assistance; fixing this type of model literally gave me a headache..." Al scratched the back of his head.

"Kweh"

"Oh, the others? Well, they are kind of a rush awhile ago, There was some trouble back at the Village and they were needed as reinforcements if you know what I mean."

"Kweh Kweh!"

"Yeah, I hope things work out for them." Before continuing, the man said. "Especially with this Land being cursed and all, I'm hoping we can get out of here as soon as possible." He went on to explain.

"Don't want to be killed by monsters or demonic werewolves ya know?" He let out a small chuckle.

In an unexpected turn of events, Al found himself enjoying the talk since he was anxious to get his views out. The old farmer had returned to the farmhouse to complete a few last-minute tasks, and the man had remained silent for the entire time. He had no idea he'd been conversing with a massive yellow bird who, he assumed, couldn't speak any human language all along.

"Kweh!"

The Chocobo said as a sign of a temporary farewell, as the giant yellow bird finally left the area and headed back towards the farmhouse to assist the farmer himself.

"See you around!" The American grinned and waved his hand briefly. Having no idea that the bird emitted a light greenish aura, revealing that a certain someone had already placed a kind of magic that eventually raised down the chances of any communication barriers with the man.

"Ahh, what a nice fellow to talk to." He remarked as he sat back down on the LAV once more. However, it did not take long for him to realize that certain truth he had been missing for the rest of the previous conversation.

So the man opened his eyes and sat again, with a shock and amused expression on his face.

"Wait, did I just talk to a bird?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Forgive me Hodor."

The old man shivered as he finally got out of the shed.

His concern and worry for his wife had taken over his mind, that he eventually decided to leave the place that was keeping him safe and undetected from the demons, that were finally released from their own prison.

He himself was shocked and terrified to learn that the so-called myth of the Lykos was true. Another one of those legends which were often reserved for bedtime stories.

Eldar thought that the winter season had arrived. Everything in his surroundings was enveloped by this unusual coldness, even though there were no signs of any snow. The Thick reddish fog only contributed to making the environment more intimidating and hellish.

The old man, on the other hand, paid no attention to it. He pushed open the gates of the deserted courtyard and ventured outside, his only protection being prayer, with the goal of reaching the main area of the village.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I think this should do it."

Illustrating a certain symbol on a larger scale was not an easy task for the blue-haired teen. Her hands were slightly tired by the time she had finished drawing the last details on the ground. How she wished she had brought that book here, to get things quickly, but fortunately her own sharp memory had a role of helping her complete it.

The small shockwave that had spread throughout the area and vicinity had somehow transported them to various locations within the ruins. Until now, she had been perplexed as to how that kind of mysterious energy had managed to produce a little teleportation magic that had gone unnoticed.

Except for the stories told by her teacher, she had little knowledge of such a power. Certain experimental artifacts were deemed dangerous and even labeled as a failure to protect this land.

Fortunately, the rest of them were only separated by short distances, so they were able to find each other and reunite as a group once more. However, there was one Man in Green who was taken to the far side. Furthermore, as soon as they realized that one minor issue, the tension in the air began to rise as the Evil arrived at the location.

Hence, the young mage found herself alone on a particular spot located somewhere in the northern part of the village plaza and near the fresh ruins of the village hall itself.

The circular symbol with a massive triangle in the center, along with other incantations, had taken up much of the place she was in. It was the only precise position facing the previous area she had passed through. If a creature with nefarious intents emerged from that spot, it would theoretically but successfully infiltrate the symbol's domain, and the magic would work from there.

A backup plan of some sort.

Lelei felt the worry within her began to rise. Looking at the small knife which the elf girl had provided, she placed the small white chalk down and picked the sharp object up from the ground. Bringing her left hand over, the girl readied herself to inflict a small wound on her palm.

In reality, the only way for this type of magic to work is through the use of one's own blood. A spell that is practically forbidden to use due to the effects of draining a person's mana or, worse, endangering one's life. At least, that's how the story goes from the people who carried it out.

Filling the sharp edge of the knife made the girl's skin hair rise up in fear. She was nervous about injuring herself, and sweat began to fall down her cheeks as she waited for them to emerge from the ruins.

She eagerly awaited that moment, and by the time a strong gust of wind passed by her neck, she sensed a presence that had arrived in the area, but not in the direction she expected.

"Oh my, you have certainly learned well my dear Lelei."

An eerie yet familiar voice rang through her ears.

The young mage quickly shifted her attention towards the source of the voice and to her shock and surprise, widened both of her eyes.

From the desolate space filled with the thick fogs, came a familiar man that had emerged. He walk calmly as his identity was slowly revealed. It didn't take long for the girl to recognize him. He had an eerie smile on his lips, tense eyes, as he kept his gaze towards the girl.

The blue-haired adolescent quickly grabbed her knife, stood up, and stepped back from the newcomer. As the girl observed the former village official, who did not appear to be what she had expected. He was pale, with blood covering and dripping from his hand and black markings on the bottom of his eyes.

Silence befell for a few moments before, the man gave an odd chuckle.

"You don't need to be so vigilant, so don't worry, I won't hurt or kill you," Marcus explained as he took a few more steps to approach the girl.

"I merely want to inform you of the obstacles and the dangers which you are going to face."

Lelei, on the other hand, noticed this kind of transparent aura all over the man after further observation. It didn't take her long to realize that the person in front of her was the spirit of the man, now bound to the curse that afflicted this land.

A semi-horrified look slipped across her face, as it could only mean one thing.

Sensing some truth in his eyes, the young mage slightly calmed down, though she still kept her guard up, determined to get the whole truth out.

"What have you done..?" She asked, wanting to know the truth of it all, Her eyes giving a hint of sorrow.

"I'm sure it's all for the best." Before continuing, the man said. "In fact, this land has been missing its final piece, and I'm glad to see it reunited with the place where it began."

"A Perfect Ending to this Urban Legend."

"You released those demons in this world just to slaughter many innocent lives again!" Lelei angrily exclaimed, horrified of what the man had done." It won't really do you any good." She added as she wondered the man's true motivation for letting this happen.

"I should have known."

Marcus smiled again.

"You are mistaken, Lelei; even if I return to Sadera without fulfilling my obligations, my chances of returning to the royal courts have already been diminished." He explained while looking down at his bloodied hand. "I begged the old man and even offered safety to his home if he would only cooperate with the plan from the start."

The blue-haired mage narrowed her eyes at the mention of that certain place, where her sister currently resided. There was worry that filled her eyes.

She had been suspecting it for a long time and that only fueled her own resistance to the idea.

"Yet, he rudely refused and even tried to harm me and escape, leaving me with no choice," Marcus bitterly said as the man raised his hand to demonstrate what had occurred prior to the explosion.

"Knowing that it was inevitable, I rather move away from this forsaken world, than live a life of ridicule and shame."

"And Besides, Sadera can take care of its own affairs."

"But what did it all cost?" The girl replied, seemed to be unfazed and unaffected by the latter's persuasion. She could sense something amiss throughout, the tension in the air rising.

"Your so-called noble actions."

The man didn't say anything this time, but he did give the girl a confident smirk. He was going to stick to his principles and even expressed pride in his actions. No matter how many lives are lost or put at stake.

They will all be buried here along with the secrets and the real truth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He really didn't plan on going this out this way.

There were times the young man imagined himself dying in different scenarios. Be it from sickness, accidents, or even suicides, yet he did not expect that he would be meeting his end like this. A kind of death which was very unique for him, such death that he would be willing to accept.

A questionable action yet he considered it as the only solution.

The last thing Kurata felt was the sharp pain in his shoulder, and the last thing he saw was Shino and Mari's tearful eyes. Seeing the young woman's eyes was reason enough for him to smile. At least, he mustered up the courage to look at her straight.

A smile that can be considered as either a greeting and farewell at the same time.

The young man was now slowly being swallowed by this blinding light. He wasn't sure if this was part of the grenade he'd hurled at the beast's mouth. His mind continued telling him that this was part of the process by which he was gradually being moved to the afterlife, therefore he couldn't feel any pain or discomfort, despite the massive explosion he had heard earlier. At least, he was going out in a blaze of glory.

He almost laughed to himself. The thought of him being the first of his peers to die, as well as the youngest, was surreal. He had always assumed Tomita would be first, but here he was, in his final moments in this other world. He sincerely hoped that he would be reincarnated as a slime in the next world if such a concept existed as many claims.

The question that continued to bother him throughout was, was he really dead?

There was this cool and comfortable feeling that had filled him, he was still in the light, suspended, and floating. It was a different experience overall, and in truth, he was just in between worlds.

In the midst of the silence and windy echoes, he began to hear the previous chaotic environment around him. A cacophony of gunfire, inhuman screams, and various voices calling out his name. Not long after, he felt an intense heat emanating from the spot where he had been impaled, as well as a force pulling him from behind. He was separating from the light.

And by the time he could fully realize what was going on, a female voice suddenly spoke through the light.

"It's not your time yet."

And just like that, the Otaku soldier felt the powerful force that pushed him on the chest and he was suddenly sent away to the farthest ends of the light. The light itself began to fade away, revealing the world once more, as his eyes caught a glimpse of a hand that touch his shoulder and pushed him away from the huge claw and the grasps of the beast.

"KURATA!"

He heard his name being called again, this time by a very familiar voice, which finally brought his sense back to reality.

Moments later he found himself landing on the hard ground as the explosion continued followed by a small shockwave that engulfed the area. He cringed as he felt pain return back on his shoulder once more.

"Crap! It hurts!" He exclaimed from the top of his lungs as the dust and dirt began to fall around him.

Even if he was out from the monster's claws, he was still in a bad condition.

The area was filled with dirt, dust, and smoke as a result of the small explosion. The scent was a strange combination of burning meat and feces. Shino and Mari were forced to cover their noses to avoid inhaling any of it.

Their thoughts are more focused on trying to make sense of what they saw. They just couldn't believe what has transpired in front of them. As if it were to happen only in a dream. The two stood there frozen and couldn't bring themselves to move. Their faces varied from confused, horrified, and to shocked.

Slowly, the smoke began to vanish and the visibility was now clearing up to their wishes only to reveal a very disgusting and grotesque scene.

Right in the middle where the explosion took place stood the same beast that tried to kill the man. Though, it's been missing half of its entire head, left with only its teeth and jaws which were still hanging and dangling. Apparently, it turned out that the monster didn't fully swallow the whole thing hence its current appearance. A fountain of blood was currently on the top of the exposed jaw.

The beast fell down to its knees as if it was finally on the verge of dying, though that was not exactly the case, much too the high hopes of the rest.

Higashi, who has finally recovered was the first one to witness its rebirth. He wasn't that far from the exact same spot of the beast. He saw huge chunks of flesh, some a mixture of meat and bones scattered all over the ground. Some managed to land on a portion of his vest, to which he did not become accustomed to.

The JSDF soldier almost puked, and it smelled absolutely revolting. From his perspective, It was shit disguised as thick, sticky, and gooey blood.

His own thoughts, however, were more focused on what was going on around him at the time. He quickly began surveying the area and immediately spotted his fellow Recon Member, who was curled up on the ground, holding his shoulder in pain.

"Takeo!"

Higashi exclaimed as he recovered his rifle and dashed towards his still-injured Otaku friend, ignoring the incapacitated demon. He dashed as quickly as he could and arrived at his destination seconds later.

'Hey, man, are you okay?' He inquired as he checked on the young man's condition.

When he heard his friend's voice, Kurata forced a small smile while still fighting the pain. "You took a long time, man." While trembling from the effects of his injuries, he said.

Higashi breathed a sigh of relief as the man took a quick glance at the creature before assisting the younger JSDF soldier from the ground. They were soon on their way back to their original path.

Meanwhile, Shino and Mari had finally taken note of the unfolding event, much to their amazement that the Otaku soldier had somehow escaped the impossible. The two women felt like crying with tears of joy, but their mini-celebration and revelation were cut short.

Mari was the first one to shift her focus back towards the beast and noticed the immediate changes that had begun to transpire. Her eyes widened in horror afterward.

During these occurrences, the beast, which had been seriously injured and damaged by the blast, began to reclaim its life. Blood began to rise and build many muscles and organs from the remains of its exposed lower jaw, while white tissues began to regenerate to form bones and, not long after, a skull. The demon's body gradually rose to its feet, while its head began to regenerate at a faster rate.

"Shino, we gotta do something!" Mari worriedly informed the young lady, pointing to the beast's rapidly improving condition.

The short-haired JSDF soldier simply nodded in understanding and quickly moved her gaze towards Higashi and Kurata, who were doing everything they could to flee the area as quickly as possible.

She took a deep breath and surprisingly yelled out.

"Guys! Get your asses here right away!"

Her abrupt outburst surprised her companion. Mari eventually sighed, recalling how feisty the young woman can be in these kinds of situations. She was a unique of friend.

Typical Shino just being herself.

However, words won't really solve the whole problem as the young woman proceeded to load her rifle once more and headed towards the main area to give protection to the two men.

"Mari cover me!" She exclaimed afterward.

The taller JSDF soldier nodded as she too followed behind.

Meanwhile, Higashi struggled to carry his friend across the open area. With the beast fastly regaining its former life, it only added to the anxiety of the situation at hand.

Another disadvantage was that the young man experienced aches all over his body as a result of being shoved aside and smashing against a wall. There was also a visible bruise on his cheek. He had hoped that the bomb would have killed the opponent, but he was greatly disappointed.

As the beast's own regeneration was nearing completion, it could now be heard laughing.

By this time, the two men had arrived at the destination and had taken several steps up the very small and short cobbled staircase. At the same time, the beast had fully recovered and had set its sights on them once more.

"You foolish humans! Whatever you do I cannot be killed!" The demon taunted again as it began to charge once more at the two men.

He was just a little closer this time than he had been before. But, just as the beast was about to strike them with its gigantic claws, he was struck with yet another torrent of bullets, this time aimed primarily at the head.

"Get behind!" Shino exclaimed as she and Mari continued on firing their rifles at the beast to incapacitate him yet again and also to give the two men time to flee the scene.

The beast roared again stumbling backward, though this time was much more annoyed than in pain. The little metals that continued to pierce and penetrate every part of him felt as sharp as needles or even stings of giant bees.

As for the two humans, he was pursuing, they were able to finally passed through the danger line.

"Just head straight towards that path! Tuka is waiting for you at the end."

Mari exclaimed, before focusing back on firing at the enemy.

"Got It!" Higashi replied, the man still continuing to assist the injured soldier as they entered the path leading to a specific location.

Seeing the incident firsthand, the beast's fury boiled inside him. He sneered at their arrogance and continued to defy the barrage of bullets flung at him. Their weapons that haven't been seen before.

" You still believe that you can kill me with your puny magic!? " He exclaimed, using the strength he was gifted to withstand their attacks.

As a result of the firepower, blood began to splatter all over again. Higashi and Kurata were almost slipped off their feet as a result of this. Sensing the demon's proximity, the two women took several steps back to maintain their advantage, as range was their only hope of fending off the beast.

Unfortunately, their ammo began to run out, and the two were forced to reload again.

During those brief moments when the gunfire stopped, the beast took advantage and accelerated his charge.

"Watch out!" Mari yelled out.

The two women anticipated it immediately and were able to avoid it before the beast crashed into their former locations, eventually causing the two to go their separate ways. Furthermore, giving their adversary an advantage because it could easily pursue one of them.

The demon smiled evilly. Knowing how much easier it was for him to capture and devour them one by one. Its only problem was deciding which of the humans he would pursue. Though not long, he did express interest in the short one, because he thought she was very unique and had bravery that exceeded his expectations.

That certain human might possessed a mysterious power that he had not seen before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the large and quick footsteps that alerted the JSDF woman.

Shino's doubt was eventually confirmed. She could tell right away that the thing piqued her interest in an odd way. She did manage to take a quick glance at the creature while it was in the middle of chasing her. After that, she gave a disgusted look.

"Fucking Perv!"

She did blurt out from what her mind had provided her, and not having a clue as to why she gave that kind of statement. If she were to be asked, she would just point directly to the expression of the beast, as if it wanted a piece of her butt.

It reminded her of the old perverts who would literally sneak into the middle of a crowded train just to touch and feel her buttocks out of their lust and perverted desires, and they all ended up in the hospital.

Currently, the tough young lady was fleeing for her life while trying to figure out how to deal with the messed-up situation she was in.

She was no longer confined to a single location as she made her way through the maze-like path. She gasped for air and expressed her dissatisfaction with her gear and vest, which had become a liability by slowing her down due to their heaviness. In addition, her adversary was closing in on her.

Every village house or complete structure she passed was instantly destroyed by the beast, who paid no attention as it smashed through the obstacles in its path. Second, its lust and desire grew by the second.

"Fuck! Where the heck am I supposed to head to!?"

Shino complained. Treating the current matter at hand, as more of an annoying thing than something that should be feared for.

Though in the heat of the moment, a faint voice suddenly whispered through her ears.

"Turn Left!"

The voice instructed, to which the latter had agreed upon out of pure trust.

The young lady then widened her eyes and turned her directions to the left. At the farthest point, there was a massive stone arch between two ruined structures. A thick brown rope tied in a specific manner to have someone hanged was left dangling mid-air in the middle of the arch, enough for someone to jump and reach it. Shino forced herself to run as fast she can, passing by a small deserted horse stable.

At that moment, she had an idea and realized she could use it to her advantage. It didn't take long for her to arrive at her destination, and just as the beast's claws were about to snare her, the Japanese woman jumped towards the rope and successfully grabbing it in a nick of time. She did, however, drop her rifle on the ground as a result.

The demon was taken by surprise by her sudden move.

Shino, on the other hand, found herself using the rope to navigate her way, swinging and making a huge U-turn that brought her to the beast's back. Her instincts kicked in, and she pulled her knife from her pack. She landed precisely on its neck and stabbed the beast in the neck with the knife in less than a second.

The young woman yelled in rage while the demon roared in pain as it struggled to get her out of his back.

Shino tightened her grip and stabbed the beast as hard as she could. Because of her actions, the knife successfully penetrated deep into its flesh with one more stab, and the young woman found herself sliding downwards while the knife, still stuck on the flesh, began to move downwards and sliced its way through. She continued to push and forced enough strength to achieve the damage she wanted to inflict.

The young woman landed on the ground and immediately turned to see that her actions had had an effect on her adversary. Her work had been done when the beast's back was split in half, exposing its corrupted insides, organs, and ribs.

Sensing the rare opportunity, Shino drew a specific grenade, automatically removing its pin, and threw it like a professional baseball pitcher towards the large hole. The grenade itself entered and became stuck on the massive chunk of flesh.

Not a moment too soon, the grenade finally does its work as it released another powerful force which engulfed the recovering demon, this time, it brought fire along with it, as the flames quickly spread all over his back.

"THIS IS NOT OVER YET!"

It screamed and roared in anger, hating the fact that it got outsmarted by a human and her mysterious weapons. The fact that it could not sense any remnants of fire magic being performed, and the bravery that this woman possessed.

It tried to follow the lady once more but couldn't fully charge through since the flames were very unbearable.

Shino was able to let out a quick smirk as she immediately grabbed her rifle, and proceeded to leave the area before it could fully recover from the lingering fire. Though, before leaving, she gave her own bitter taunt of her own towards the demon.

"Yippie Ka Yey Motherf*cka!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It is almost as if they have been running for hundreds of years already. Furuta and Tomita tried to gasp for their breaths each step they took, just to get out of the forest. Their eyes still locked on the floating blue orb in front of them, as it led the two men to a specific destination.

Hitoshi was drenched in sweat, not having any single moment just to even wiped the cold liquid on his forehead. As it did the same for the bigger man.

Both of them could feel numbness all over their bodies, and the weight of their gear and armor had been affecting their performance throughout the anxious journey, but they chose to persevere, and not long after, they emerged from the forest looking drained and exhausted.

The fresh air was their reward for temporarily escaping their pursuer, time slowed down for them to gather their own composure. It was too late for them to regret what they have been through just now.

"Hurry, there's no time!"

The blue orb spoke once more, encouraging the two to continue on.

Furuta was the first one to look up and saw a very familiar scene. As the small entity had promised to both of them, they were led back to the main area of the village, particularly the spot where a certain LAV greeted them.

The young man's eyes widened as he realized what the blue orb meant by its previous statement. It made sense that such a creature could withstand their firepower, but what if a different weapon, such as their own M2 Browning machine gun, which was attached to the back of that LAV, could do the job?

"Tomita, the blue orb thingy is referring to the LAV." He informed the bigger man, who was still recovering.

"W-What?" He replied seemed confused regarding the situation.

Furuta slightly sighed." The Browning! It's our best bet here!" He rephrased his statement again, with his confidence booming that the hairy bastard could not intake bigger and powerful bullets to its body.

Tomita nodded in understanding, as he took a deep breath, and pushed himself once more just to reach the LAV.

"Come on fellas! Let's go!"

The blue orb gave another encouragement as it was the first one to reach the LAV itself.

"Damn! Finally!" Tomita exclaimed with all his breath, as he breath took a small time to give the LAV a quick hug.

This particular LAV, to which the older Sergeant Kuwahara had been using during the evacuation, had been left alone, undamaged, and in one piece from any violent ongoings through the land.

"This is far as I can go."

The blue orb then said, using its power once more to magically open the driver's door of the LAV. Prolonging both of their amazement. Although, there's seemed to be a hint of worry in the entity's voice.

"Thank you very much! But at the very least, could you tell us your name?" This time, Furuta was the one who inquired. Everything just happened so quickly that he didn't have time to ask his own personal questions.

Unfortunately, the blue orb vanished in a flash of light to attend to other equally important matters, leaving them alone to deal with the next situation, and that their enemy had finally caught up to them.

Moments later, three huge trees were instantly brought down simultaneously, signaling the arrival of the demon, who was still craving to devour them and fulfill its vengeance.

"You'll Never Escape!"

"Oh shit!"

Both of the men yelled in unison as they began to occupy the LAV as fast as they can, with the Hitoshi entering the driver's seat, while Tomita choosing to hop towards the back of the vehicle in order to control the heavy machine gun itself.

Furuta, who fortunately possessed the keys immediately closed the vehicle door and began starting its engines. As for Tomita, the man began to prepare as he brought a certain box to his side, containing the powerful ammo of the attached browning on top of the LAV.

However, their biggest enemy was now time itself, as the beast grinned ferociously and made another charge at the two men.

Sensing that they won't be able to fully complete their tasks in a nick of time, Furuta, who brought the engines back to life, immediately stepped on the pedal thus allowing the LAV to burst from its current position before the beast could reach it.

Tomita was greeted by surprise as he almost lost his balance if it weren't for himself as he tightly grabbed the supporting metallic stand of the browning.

"Hitoshi! "What the hell?!" As he found himself on an unexpected roller-coaster ride, with the LAV heading in every direction it could find, his thoughts within his mind were instantly translated into actual words.

"Sorry about that...!" The young man yelled out, as he began to navigate different streets of the village, in order to evade their enemy, who was still pursuing them up until now.

What started as a cat and mouse chase on foot, has now been turned into a literal giant Demon Werewolf chasing a light armored vehicle at a deserted village in another world.

The engine roared louder than the beast as the vehicle smashed through empty wood stalls, sheds, and abandoned wagons. It was literal anarchy as more structures crumbled one by one. The LAV has destroyed more property than its enemy itself.

"Hitoshi, will you slow down!?"

Tomita, who was in the middle of loading the heavy machine gun with ammo, couldn't help but yell and complain once again. He was also on the verge of getting motion sickness due to the subsequent change of turns and directions. But when he took a glance from behind, the beast was still closely tailing them.

Unfortunately, the man didn't hear his voice, so he had no choice but to adapt to the situation at hand.

"I didn't sign up for this!" He secretly thought to himself as he continued to work on loading up the weapon.

By then the LAV had reached into a more dense area with rows of colonial-like shophouses surrounding them. An advantage that the beast immediately took as it stopped its tracks and jumped towards the roofs in hopes to execute its other plans.

Furuta, whose eyes kept looking at the side mirror to keep the enemy in track was greeted by surprise.

"Damn, where did that bastard go?" He gritted his teeth in frustration.

The mood had shifted abruptly. The silence returned, but the tension persisted. Both of them have been placed on high alert as they scan their surroundings. The enemy could be lurking in every corner they turn.

Hitoshi had no choice but to continue on driving, if he chose to stop, then it would be all over for them as the enemy could emerge from any spot and quickly surprise and ambush them.

Apparently, it didn't take long for the LAV to reach the endpoint of the much wider street, which was revealed to be that of a dead-end, that consists more of shophouses.

The vehicle had still been going at a fast speed.

By the time, the LAV was close by, that the enemy made its presence known once more. From the rooftops of the dead end, the beast emerged, with a triumphant smirk.

"You're all mine now!"

The beast exclaimed as it immediately jumped from its former position in an attempted to dive and crash onto the metal moving box.

The world slowed down once more.

Tomita was the first one to notice it and widened his eyes in shock and horror.

"FURUTA!" He internally screamed inside his mind, knowing that they were nearing a possible collision course with the demon.

Furuta's instincts took over, and he quickly adjusted the clutch and brakes, as well as stepped on a specific pedal. As a result, the LAV began to turn sideways, moving and drifting gracefully to avoid trouble, and as a result, it also produced a large amount of smoke that covered the entire area. Tomita had finally loaded the weapon by this point.

It was power over technique.

The beast suddenly widened its eyes in surprise as it eventually missed its target by a few inches, landing on the ground instead, facing the LAV, which was now covered in a big smoke.

The big thick smoke quickly dissipated, revealing the LAV, with its light on and engines roaring much louder as it faced the creature with unending rage.

On top of that, Tomita gripped the handle of the Browning, as he prepared to unleash hell.

"About fucking time!"

The bigger man exclaimed as he finally press the trigger.

The beast was initially perplexed but soon realized that the moving metal box was attempting to appear more intimidating, which it eventually dismissed. What it didn't realize was that the oncoming bigger, sharper, and stronger caliber bullets were heading straight for him.

Before the beast could fully react, the first several bullets struck him in the chest, instantly piercing through its skin and creating multiple massive holes as blood splattered everywhere. The second wave of bullets managed to sever its arms and legs, and the third wave went for the head, destroying and disfiguring its face until it was unrecognizable.

The beast roared in agony, proving that even though it was thought to be unkillable, it could still feel pain. The two men's damage had now sent the creature diving into the depths of its memories as it remembered its forgotten past, how it had been brutally tortured by his kind before being executed.

However, for the two men, it was not over yet.

Furthermore, Furuta immediately pressed the pedal as the LAV accelerated and burst from its current spot directly heading towards the beast. Not more than a second, the vehicle reached its target as the metallic hood smashed into the center of the demon's body, fully crushing it into pieces, severing more of its body parts as its giant paws legs, and torso, flew into different directions.

Only the upper body remained with its unrecognizable head.

Pools of blood were now strewn across the main road, reaching the wheels of the LAV.

Both Furuta and Tomita could still feel the tensity of the situation as they gave all their might to finally end this so-called torment and nightmare, even though, one of the beast's claws was slowly and faintly moving, indicating that no matter what they do, it won't really be killed.

Although, the two men still couldn't believe that they manage to survive this ordeal and at least inflict the most inhuman and brutal move they have ever performed yet, that they couldn't even describe the actions that they have taken except for a certain word.

Fatality.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She really couldn't believe to be partaking in this kind of ceremony.

Tuka shivered due to the coldness of the environment. She hugged herself as tightly as she can to keep herself warm as possible. The elf girl sat on a lonely rock awaiting the rest. She placed the small knife on the rock surface just beside her, knowing that when the time comes, she would just grab and head to the giant circular symbol located in the middle of the open area.

She did not expect herself to be left alone here.

She was a little apprehensive about performing this type of blood ritual for the first time. Of course, she had heard of it before, and she was familiar with many accounts of how the more experienced mages successfully cast this type of magic, and although there were also several individuals who had suffered the consequences of their own hands or legs being cleanly severed.

The Elf girl did show a little doubt and resistance to this idea, yet the blue-haired teen was just too persuasive and stood with her own plan. It was literally the only way they could help the Men in Green, who they assumed are currently searching for their missing comrade.

And the young mage elected to proceed north to the village plaza, where she would draw another symbol that could serve as a backup if everything else failed. Despite her concerns that she should not go there alone, she proceeded, convinced that the plan would work no matter what horrors awaited her beyond.

She had never seen such bravery in a human before.

As time continued to pass by, Tuka could feel the drowsiness catching up to her. She really wanted to take the available time to take a nap for herself. It seemed that this process will take more than just an hour to complete.

She couldn't help but yawned.

She did resist her urges, but the temptation was just too strong. The girl could feel her eyes slowly shutting down, and for the first time, she actually felt comfortable and all she needed was a soft and squishy pillow. Moments passed she was already on the verge of snoring, though if it weren't for a voice that called her name.

"TUKA!

The elf girl jerked awake and opened her eyes. She quickly took up her knife and assumed a defensive stance. She looked around, only to notice the Men in Green rushing towards her location. Only that there was a problem that she had taken notice of.

She widened her eyes in surprise when she saw that there were only three of them who had made it to the area, and she immediately rushed to them.

The two individuals turned out to be Higashi, and the injured Kurata, who had barely made it through the journey.

The elf girl showed concerned for the man that she had accidentally flipped over prior to all of this happening, by the time she saw him.

"By the Gods! Are you alright?" Tuka asked as the rest placed the injured man under the shade of a certain nearby big tree.

The young man holding his bloodied shoulder as he tried not to show any signs of him in agony or pain. In fact, the man did let out a few chuckles and a smile.

"Yeah, Don't worry, It's just stabbed wound on my shoulder." Kurata replied, forcing himself to grin." Where's Shino by the way?" He added, giving more concern to the young woman.

"This is the serious man! You barely even escaped the explosion and that hairy bastard." Higashi spoke this time around, albeit giving his friend a scold.

"W-Where's Lady Shino and Mari?" The elf girl slightly stuttered and asked, to which the older Man In Green, struggled to answer.

Higashi nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Well... Mari-san and Shino-san are still dealing with the demon werewolf, I'm not sure if-" He was about to finish his sentence when a familiar voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Higashi!"

All their attention shifted towards the certain individual, who turned out to be Mari herself, holding on to the tree and gasping for her breath.

A small wave of confusion had filled their minds as they try to comprehend the panic expression of the young woman. As for the Medic herself, she didn't reply right away except raising her hand to point in a certain direction.

Just then the atmosphere began to change as they could hear a horse's steps and the smell of burning flesh. A light suddenly emerged from a distance and they were all greeted by an unexpected surprise..

"Guys! I'm bringing the fucking party to you now!"

Shino exclaimed with all her might as she pushed the horse, that she had stumbled upon on an abandoned stable while being chased by the same beast, she had a deal with earlier. She thought she was already passed by that point.

A big mistake on her side. Luckily, life was forgiving this time so it gave her the only saving grace, in the form of that horse.

The beast itself was in a rage as it dashed its way to devour the young woman to exact its revenge. The only difference was that the creature was covered in huge flames as a result of the grenade that exploded on its back.

It now looked more like the stuff of nightmares, that everyone would often see in a fantasy horror game.

Seeing this ongoing trouble, Tuka quickly rushed towards the top of the circle, though not before eyeing Higashi to come along.

"Sir! I need your assistance for this!" The Elf girl exclaimed, much to the confusion of the man.

"Wait, What am I supposed to do!?"

The JSDF soldier widened his eyes, suddenly taken by surprise that he now had a role in this kind of stuff. Without any hesitation, the man left the injured Kurata to Mari, as he rushed himself towards the weird symbols.

Once there, the man gave a worried face, shifting his gaze between the elf girl and the oncoming threat. Furthermore, He had not participated in any occult or magical activities, further exposing his own lack of knowledge.

"Uhmm, Tuka, I really don't what I'm gonna do here, I mean..." The Man trailed off once he saw the girl's serious expression.

"Okay, I'll do what you say."

Tuka sighed but gave a small smile of comfort and encouragement.

"Alright, If you have a knife of your own, please bring it out quickly," She said calmly but seriously.

Higashi nodded, as he immediately drew out his own combat knife. "What now?" He asked again.

The Elf Girl did not reply this time, but instead brought both of her hands, one hand holding the knife and the other fully relaxed as if it were ready to be wounded at will. Realizing what the girl had meant, Higashi could feel his hair standing up, and for the first time, he expressed his own hesitation.

"Hold on a sec! I'm not going to cut my wrist like that!" The man slightly protested, but in truth, he was just afraid of seeing more blood again.

It was a hidden phobia that he had been managing all these years.

Tuka noticed this and eventually deduced the man's problem. "Just wound your finger or palm, we need more blood to speed up this magic ritual!" The girl responded, her voice slightly irritated.

"Please!"

Time was running out for them, as the trees finally started crashing down and the demonic beast on fire was now closing up to them.

The decision was on the man himself, fortunately, Higashi was able to gather enough courage, and with just one simple glance at the elf girl's eyes, signaling the start of the ritual.

"Now!"

Tuka exclaimed as she and the Man in Green finally wounded their palms, and their own respective blood dropped simultaneously on the ground, and with that, the main symbol and other incantations suddenly glowed brightly, as the magic began to take effect.

"Get out of the circle now!" Tuka instructed.

Both of them left the circle as quickly as possible, and By the time Shino arrived, the young woman had quickly controlled the horse as it galloped as high as it could just to pass over the circle, and when the beast followed suit and jumped just in time to reach the center of the circle, the magic had reached its peak, and the circle produced a bright powerful magical barrier that beamed through the sky, with its edges reaching and cutting a large portion of the beast's tail and eventually trapping it inside.

Higashi and Mari were left in awe as they finally got to witness the kind of magic in this world, being performed in front of their eyes. It really did look like the type of magic they have seen in every fantasy film. It looked more majestic than they had thought.

The demon's eyes widened as the magical barrier triggered some of its memories to resurface, particularly the day when a band of brave individuals worked together to seal them away using eerily similar techniques to those used by these humans.

"NO! Release me from this cursed barrier!"

It continued to release its demands while still, the fire was still burning on its back. It was now desperate and suffering for the first time.

"In your dreams a*hole!"

Shino, who unloaded from the horse, took the time to approach the creature and released her own frustrations at it.

"You freaking pervert! Got the guts to eat my ass so badly?"

Instead of being provoked, the beast was filled with confusion, not understanding what the human woman had said, while the rest just gave a cringe.

"You think this is all over? Even if you trapped me in this puny barrier, You humans will never escape this land!"

As much as the burning beast tried to inflict terror and intimidation, the creature had no chance of escaping the powerful barrier that imprisoned him.

Shino, for her part, ignored the beast's ramblings, taking a deep breath to finally release the pressure that had been building up inside her. Surviving and dealing with supernatural demonic werewolves like this was not an easy task. She was at least glad for overcoming this.

The rest had the same thoughts. According to mage girl, this barrier is strong enough to keep even the stronger types of dragons and demons.

Her thoughts eventually shifted to Kurata, by the time she laid sight of him, quickly rushing to his side.

"Crap! Kurata are you alright?" The young woman expressed her own concern with the latter, who was now eventually on the verge of going into a deep slumber.

Mari, who was still treating the Otaku soldier's wounds flashed a small smile.

"He'll be alright Shino, don't worry." She assured her friend.

The busty young lady sighed in relief as she heard her statement. She felt a twinge of regret for not being there in time to save the man. She considered herself to be a member of the Third Recon family. She had every right to be relieved to see the Otaku alive and well.

Higashi, also joined the scene as the three recon members finally reunited together.

Though there was one thing that the man had noticed, and that is the horse that his fellow Recon Member had brought.

"Uhmm, Shino, I was just wondering, but where the heck did you get the horse from?" He asked, pointing to the brown creature itself, which was resting from a nearby tree.

Shino simply raised both eyebrows and gave a lazy shrug." Got it from an abandoned barn while I was running." She said.

"Okay...?" Higashi slightly gave a puzzled look.

The busty young woman shrugged yet again.

"Lucky I guess?

Tuka flashed a small smile seeing the genuine reunion, though her own celebrations would be cut as her mind quickly reminded her of the blue-haired teen.

"Oh no, Lelei!"

The elf girl immediately dashed and left the scene in order to save her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spirits weren't supposed to have the ability to influence the course of history.

Lelei had been skeptical throughout this time. The girl doubted the man's spirit, who kept discussing his own actions as if it were the crowning achievement for the village. Blurting out so-called secret information that sounded too far-fetched.

Even in death, the man retained his delusional character. She already had an idea of what the man had done when he activated the scroll. She just had that feeling since the beginning.

Does she really need to bring that question out right now?

"It's all up to you Lelei."

Marcus flashed a smile. He had apparently told the girl everything that was needed to know or she should know, that even her teacher would express his own guilt regarding it.

"To believe or not to believe, It will happen, no matter what."

It was the root cause of why vengeance was prevalent in this whole continent.

A neverending cycle.

"I'm afraid, this will be the last time, you'll see me." The man said, expressing his own sadness.

"I wish I could tell you more about it, but you'll learn the truth soon enough."

The wind grew stronger as the spirit showed signs of finally fading away, but before he could fully leave, he finally reached the blue-haired teen and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's if you could survive this nightmare."

In just a few moments, the spirit of Marcus vanished into thin air, leaving the girl alone once more. But at the same time, a heavy and overwhelming presence had finally arrived in the area, and it was just right behind her.

Lelei's body froze as she noticed a gigantic shadow looming above her, and not long after that, a faint aggressive sound resonated through her ears, followed by a huge sharp dirty claw that was slowly positioned near her throat, and followed by what appeared to be an evil chuckle.

"I could devour you right now girl, but Marcus is just persuasive as he is, even in spirit."

The demon spoke as he finally revealed his identity.

Lelei remained in the same position, as any of the slightest mistakes or moves could result in death. Though, she was taken by surprised as it turned out that the whole thing was actually not an illusion, but the real deal.

"What is your true purpose here?" She asked, before adding." Why are you murdering innocent people all these years?" She demanded.

There was slight silence that followed, the beast had not heard such questions in centuries. Though, It chose to respect the girl's wishes before its main decision to kill her right away.

"Vengeance." It simply said, triggering memories from the past.

"Once you have been consumed by it, you'll never go back to your old life." The Beast explained, expressing this small sadness." No matter how good your intentions are or your principles, you'll never escape this kind of imprisonment."

"The villages that have settled here, and to the people that ventured in this land, they don't know what true pain is, and they just endure it for another hundred of years to come."

The rage was returning again, the intensity in the air had risen, and the time has come for blood to be spilled and the legend to continue.

"And as for you child, you'll be a part of this suffering!"

As the beast proceeded to make his move in order to slit the girl's throat. The latter quickly reacted, drawing out some kind of glittering dust from her small pouch, as she threw it all out onto the ground.

A large smoke-filled that certain spot, as the young mage vanished from the creature's grasps and in quickly appeared on the other side of the circle. As for the beast, it was caught by surprise and attempted to lunge at the girl.

Lelei, who successfully had performed a small improvise teleportation magic, immediately brought her knife and her hand to the incantations, illustrated on the ground, and she quickly wounded her palm, causing blood to be released and after that, she brought that bloodied palm of hers by smashing it into the ground colliding with the symbols.

The magic had taken effect as the circle began to glow brightly, afterwards, a beam of powerful magical energy shot through the sky.

The demon widened his eyes in shock as it tried to escape the so-called trap that the girl had set up. It did manage to evade it but as a consequence, the beam had severely eviscerated both of its hands.

"Clever Girl!" It commented as the beast was now determined to even the score.

It did not scream or roared in pain, as it only saw his hands regenerate at a faster pace.

As for Lelei, her chances of reaching the village ruins were reduced, so she quickly went to her backup plan, and began to cast several spells.

Once the beast had his hands regenerated, the ground began to shake on where he was standing, and not too long, huge giant roots of trees began to emerge and attempted to bind and tie the beast. However, the enemy quickly anticipated it and it used its strength to break free.

It quickly proceeded to charge at the girl once more, who then cast another spell.

The wind grew stronger in one area as a couple of mini-tornadoes formed in front of it, and it collided with the beast, trapping him in that position, preventing him from moving forward, and delaying its goal yet again.

Lelei proceeded to run towards her destination again, with brewing confidence that the spells she had cast would give her time to fully escape, but things didn't fully turn out as she had planned it to be.

"You are persistent, I am impressed."

The demon evilly chuckled as it raised its right hand and gripped it to summon more of his little henchmen.

The young mage suddenly stopped her tracks as the ground in front of her erupted, with another demonic wolf emerging from under. The same scenario happen in nearby surroundings as three more made their presence known, and quickly charged at the girl.

"There is no escaping now!"

Lelei was quickly placed into a major disadvantage as all four beasts went to charge at her at the same time, a girl a bit surrounded ponder on what she should do next, and as the enemies were reaching him something had interrupted their attacks.

The ground shook again as giant sharp rocky stones burst out from under, quickly impaling the four wolf beasts at the same time.

"What!? Impossible!" The demon exclaimed, who also proceeded to dash at the girl again at a blinding speed, in an attempt to catch her off guard. Ignoring another powerful presence that had entered the scene.

The ground erupted again as another giant boulder blocked his path when he was about to reach the girl at point-blank range, sending him a few distances away.

"Run Lelei!"

A familiar voice was then heard.

The young teen shifted her attention towards a certain sage.

Cato had finally arrived.

The old man having recovered much earlier was in time to prevent the beast from catching up to his student. His staff glowed as he began to cast multiple spells, a wave of energy manifesting in front of him that directly hit the demon, further losing his control.

As for Lelei, she paid heed to the old man's advice and proceeded to head towards the village hall ruins as fast as she can, where the source of its power was located.

The battle continued to rage on between the old sage and the main demon.

Cato seized every opportunity now that its focus had shifted to him, and he began to manipulate his surroundings. His staff glowed once more as he cast a spell that lifted the beast into the air. Meanwhile, the old man cast another spell, causing a portion of massive rock-like spikes to form on the ground. After that, the old sage hurled the beast at the rocky spikes with all his might, smashing the creature back and forth.

Cato knew that this would eventually waste more of his mana, but more practical compared to his original plan on summoning an earth golem to combat the demon, by doing so that it would fully drain him once again. So he had to make use of every aspect of the environment he was in.

Although, the beast had its own plan as darkish violet flames filled one of its hands, and by the time he was about to collide with the giant rocks, he used his strength mixed with fire magic to hit the rocks as hard as he can, resulting it to be smashed into bits.

"IT'S THAT ALL YOU GOT!?"

He gave a menacing grin as he continued to charge at the old man with blinding speed, covered in blood, but still wanting to get the task done.

Cato proceeded to his next plan as he attempted to gather enough mana to bring forth lightning, but unfortunately, the beast was too fast, so the old sage had no choice but cast a spell to form a magical sphere magical barrier around himself and braced for impact.

Just as he expected, the beast collided with the barrier yet again, using the same brute force and dark fire magic that quickly dispelled the barrier, sending the old man away from a few distances, to where he accidentally let go of his staff during the mid-air.

The old sage crashed and landed on the ground in pain. A few moments later, the enemy proceeded to approach the old man, and by the time he had reached him, it gave an arrogant laugh of its own.

"Your efforts are noble old man, but sometimes, everything has an end."

The beast taunted once more as he went on to grab the old sage by the collar, and as he was about to lay his claws on him, he suddenly felt heaviness on top of his shoulder.

A certain elf girl had managed to sneak around undetected and as she stood on top of the beast's shoulder, she raised both her hands towards the grim sky and utter the word.

"Medvedi ubit !"

Soon after, a strike of lightning came down from the clouds as it merged with her hands forming some kind of yellow bolt. Tuka immediately used that bolt and stabbed the creature on the back of its neck, spreading the powerful sparks and electricity throughout its body.

The beast finally roared in pain, it forced itself to grabbed the elf girl with its own bare hand and tossed her towards debris, crashing into it.

Tuka grimaced in pain for the first time, as she unexpectedly drove the beast's attention towards her.

The demon had set his sights on the injured elf, but as he was about to charge at his new prey, a small gush of wind passed by him, and by the time he turned to his right, he caught sight of a strange small green object followed by an arrow with a silver tip heading straight for him.

The small green object and the arrow collided with each other causing yet another big explosion right in front of his face. The demon was sent several distances away, with a now severely damaged face, that started to regenerate once more.

Cato and Tuka were caught by surprise as they turned to face familiar faces.

"Tuka!"

"Mister Cato!"

Sergeant Kuwahara and Hodor had arrived just in time to save the elderly man. When they saw the current situation, both of them acted immediately, with the Japanese Sergeant throwing a grenade and the Elf man firing another arrow at the same time, which was a suitable combination for stunning and incapacitating their enemy once more.

Tuka nearly burst into tears while Cato sighed in relief seeing the two men alive and well.

Sergeant Kuwahara quickly rushed to the old mage while Hodor rushed to his injured daughter.

"Sorry, we're kinda late Mister Cato." The Japanese Sergeant said as he helped the old sage recover his staff and himself from the ground.

"Thank you, sir, but we need to help my student, she needs more time to disable the scroll and its power." The old man explained, encouraging the rest to fight the beast in order for the girl to reach the source in time. He forced himself to stand and headed to confront the enemy again.

"Are you alright Tuka?" Hodor worriedly asked." I'm sorry we didn't arrive in time, but I'm glad your safe." The man expressed a sigh of relief for her daughter.

"Father, the scroll must be destroyed!" The elf girl exclaimed, desperately wanting to head to the village ruins.

"I know," Hodor nodded and replied, bringing his eyes towards the source, though his mind focused towards the current enemy.

As for the Demon, his own rage had reached higher levels but at the same time, it took delight that more prey had entered the area. Knowing that these individuals would be capable of standing toe to toe against him, He eventually decided to enact his final move.

As his horribly damaged face began to regenerate, the beast widened its eyes as it began to gather all the power that he had accumulated all over the countless years of slaughter.

The ground began to tremble once more, which immediately alerted the others. Moments later, a massive demonic hand burst and ejected from the soil, followed by ten more of the same kind.

The demon laughed, commanding the giant specter-like demonic hands to crush his shocked enemies.

"You will all die here!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Village hall was just a shell of its former self as described by the young mage.

Lelei had finally reached her destination and came face to face with a powerful beam of reddish dark energy that filled the place with impurities. It was so overwhelming that with each step she took, she felt her life force being pulled away.

Furthermore, the wind had drastically increased contributing to preventing her from reaching the desired location.

Her body began to tremble at the same time as she forced her way through the strong obstacles. She felt weak and exhausted as she started to hold on to the damaged walls.

As she was about to lose her consciousness, a voice called her out.

"Don't Worry, You'll be safe."

She opened her eyes to see a bright floating blue orb appear beside her. Moments later, the small entity had cast some kind of energy around the mage, shielding her from the impurities and as well as the overwhelming dark energy.

Lelei suddenly felt her strength returned, she stood firm and trusted the blue orb out of familiarity and headed towards the source.

"Go and end this nightmare," It said, encouraging the girl to continue on with her journey.

Despite her confusion and the questions she wanted to ask about the entity's identity, the young mage continued on.

The mysterious blue orb also accompanied her throughout the journey prolonging the energy barrier surrounding the blue-haired teen. If it weren't for its intervention, the girl might have already died for absorbing this many impurities.

A few steps away to finally end the nightmare that plague this land.

Not long after, Lelei reached the dark red beam of energy and effortlessly pushed her way through, finally coming face to face with the source. The girl now held the scroll, which was revealed to be completely intact throughout this time.

Lelei kneeled down on the ground as she brought her knife once more. Sensing that she still had some of her Mana left within her, she immediately channeled the remaining Mana through the knife, causing it to be engulfed with light blue flames.

With that, she brought the fiery knife down and pierced the middle of the scroll, damaging the main symbol.

From that point, the young teen began to recite a prayer that would signal the end of a curse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was that specific dark magic that became the turning point of the battle.

Once the main demon had gathered all the precious souls that were killed in this land, it grinned as with its power, it began to summon a terrifying entity from the deep recesses of the underworld itself.

The ground erupted once again and came out scores of gigantic hands with massive sharp claws that fully resembled the main demon's hands. These dark otherworldly hands began to do their bidding as they attempted to reach and crushed the ones that continued to resist him.

Cato raised his staff and immediately cast another spell, as yet another magical barrier appeared around them. Protecting them from being grabbed and ripped to shreds by these massive demonic hands for the time being.

Sergeant Kuwahara's jaw almost dropped having to witness this kind of horrifying monstrosity. This was already beyond his power, to begin with. He doubt that his own grenades or rifle could resist it.

"Whoever thought that this demon would have the power summon a creature from the underworld." Cato, who was just beside the Japanese man, had said. "We cannot fully defeat this without the help of Emroy or his Apostle." The old man added, as he secretly whispered a certain name.

"We need to get out here quickly!"

Hodor stressed the fact that the barrier was only temporary and had kept reminding the rest, as he carried an injured Tuka on his back, despite her protest not to leave and to save her blue-haired friend.

"Dammit!" Cato cursed for the first time in his life, as the dark energy began to overwhelm him. He was not prepared to face someone who had somehow managed to summoned a type of creature that only belonged to the deep depths of the beyond.

The barrier was slowly breaking away.

At that very moment, one of the enormous demonic hands appeared from the ground just a few meters in front of them, smashing the barrier and finally breaking it. Its claws quickly tightened again, and its size increased, and it proceeded to crush all of them.

However, at the same time, their world began to slow down as a certain dark smoke-like aura began to manifest. By then, as quick as their eyes could notice a silhouette suddenly passed above them and that figure, wielded an absurdly massive weapon.

In a blink of an eye, the demonic hand suddenly found itself being instantly severed and destroyed, disintegrating in just mere seconds as the figure headed towards the main enemy. No matter what these creatures attempted to do, they all fall one by one to this powerful presence that moved so gracefully.

No Theatrics...

No Showboating.

Only Complete Annihilation.

The main demon was confused and frustrated at first, but soon as he finally caught sight of its identity, it widened its eyes in horror and shock as it immediately recognized the presence it was dealing with, and at the same time, that this was all happening, a teenage girl began reciting a certain short prayer.

"In the name of the Sun God, I pray that this land be fully delivered from the curse that has afflicted it for hundreds of years"

The power of the scroll began to dwindle, and as the summoned creatures from the underworld were all vanquished leaving the beast to finally see and recognized the presence that approached him. The massive ghost-like halberd, the dark aura that surrounded her, and the powerful ethereal eyes were enough for him to fear.

"I pray in the name of Emroy, that these demons would finally see the light and be purified by your Oracle."

The presence had finally taken shape and revealed to be the Angel of Death herself.

"Rory Mercury."

The demon muttered aloud as the massive halberd finally reached him, plunging through his shoulder and into his chest, before he could react to it. His eyes widened as he fell down to his knees, still staring at the demi-goddess herself. Furthermore, the dark red energy beam emanating from the village hall had finally vanished from behind.

Silence befell for a few moments, the demon was struck with confusion.

"You should have gone for the head." He told the black-haired lady, sighting one mistake she had supposedly committed.

Rory simply smiled.

"Oh, that's not part of my plan at all."

The young lady spoke as her weapon began to shine brighter summoning the power of her God, and moments later she yanked the gigantic halberd from the demon's body, causing a huge deep wound. At the same time, it finally unleashed the hundreds of souls in the form of this luminous blue-green essence that the beast had taken for centuries, out of him and towards the recovering sky. Furthermore, a massive tremor and shockwave had erupted and burst through the wreckage of the town hall, signaling the end of a powerful curse.

The demon roared in pain, he could feel his power gradually disappearing, his form was slowly changing, as he himself was being engulfed by the same ethereal essence.

The once hellish sky began to clear, the dark clouds slowly fading away, and the sun finally able to show itself fully.

The thick fog had finally disappeared, revealing what is left of the village, damaged houses, debris everywhere, and a somewhat sorrowful image of what was once a lively scene.

During that time, Yuji, Itami, the American Rangers, and the rest of the team had finally arrived at the place, emerging from the forest alive and well, with them riding the Chocobos.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, a similar scenario also happened in different spots of the land.

Not only that the environment around them was changing but so was the forest, the former ruins of the previous villages, and even the old forgotten graveyards, the same blue-green essence began to emerge from those places.

"What's happening?"

Higashi was the first one to ask, being amazed at what was happening around him. The hair in his body began to stand up, having sensed this comfortable presence throughout.

Shino and Mari were more worried about the situation, while Kurata had fallen asleep failing to see the wonderful scenery to which the group hadn't realized yet.

"At long last!"

"We are finally free from the curse!"

"Thank you!"

They could hear the multiple voices coming from the essences themselves. All of them immediately remembering that these were the spirits of the tortured and forgotten villagers and that they were finally moving on to the next life.

It was then when the beast which was currently trapped in the barrier, had suddenly calmed down, as his power was dwindling away. He also found himself being filled with the same ethereal essence. The pain to which he had felt was now gone, replaced by this comforting and peaceful presence.

When the group tried to approach him, he did not attack or violently reacted, rather than gave a genuine smile.

His appearance was slowly changing.

What was once a menacing and demonic wolf-like being, a man appeared right in front of their eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hitoshi and Tomita couldn't believe what they have went through.

They did all their best to defeat the demon that has been pursuing them for what looked like an eternity. They even go to lengths just to brutally damage the enemy just for him to never kill or murder innocent lives again.

However, upon learning that the demon kept on regenerating no matter what damaged they dealt it with, they were seriously placed in a very troubling situation, they weren't sure if their ammo would last long to fight another battle, other than flee once again.

The shockwave that passed by the premises had somewhat changed things for the better or to it seemed.

The two men were in awe at what they were seeing right now.

Unbeknownst to them that a familiar old man slowly approached them in order to ask for their help.

For the demon in front of them, who was suddenly enveloped by this mysterious floating ethereal substance, the creature's appearance had drastically changed from a being to be feared and destined to kill, to just a simple village man, who wanted nothing more than peace and to move on from this nightmare he was trapped in for a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So this is your true form."

Rory said as a soft smile crept upon her lips. She stood as she witnessed the demon now purified and restored to his original appearance.

The Demi-Goddess could now sense humanity in this man. It was reasonable to conclude that the latter had finally been released from whatever dark world that he had been imprisoned in for all these years. The Vengeance and Rage to which had overtaken his heart, transforming him into the horrible creature that would eventually slaughter and devour countless innocents.

And He wasn't the only one.

The spirit of the man didn't say anything, but he was nevertheless shocked at what was happening to him at the time. The reality had struck him, shocked by the cruel crimes he had committed with his fellow companions, and a great deal of remorse had finally overwhelmed his mind.

Tears slowly formed in his eyes as he started to let his emotions take over, and for the first time, the man cried.

"I was not aware of what I was doing during those times, I devoured women and children, and killed their husbands for the sake of my own demons that I couldn't even control." His lips began to tremble as he looked down.

He continued to release his emotions. Repenting for the sins he had committed.

"I only wanted justice for what these people have done to my wife and children."

The man then looked up again to face the Oracle.

"Even if I am condemned to suffer the consequences for my actions in the afterlife, It would be alright for me, as long as my family will get the peace they deserved." He explained, expressing a sad smile, as he appeared to be open to accept whatever fate he may befell unto.

"Please forgive me, Great Oracle"

He concluded his statement as he handed the young girl the final judgment in his case.

For Rory's part, the young lady smiled as she really did understand what the man had gone through and suffered. People like him were just victims and he didn't deserve that kind of punishment. It was a curse that fully took him away from what he used to be. She felt sorrow in him instead of vengeance and anger.

She simple nodded and placed a hand on the man's shoulder and said:

"You don't need to worry my dear, You will see your family once again and be with them in peace in the next world."

Along with the souls that continued to emerge, the man finally smiled as he fully embraced the blessing that has been given to him. His whole body slowly fade away as he was now becoming part of the ethereal essence that rose up towards the now beautiful sky.

He finally found the peace he had been searching for all these years.

It was a magnificent spectacle, as the souls of the past were finally laid to rest and had found their own peace once and for all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is everybody alright?"

Things were now turning for the better as it seemed.

It was the first thing that Lieutenant Brian had said as he unloaded from the tired Chocobo. He gave the yellow bird a gentle pat as a sign of his own thanks for and he would never forget the incredible ride that he had experienced.

Carl and the rest of the JSDF recon members were more traumatized and incredibly happy that they were out of the previous situation, which nearly killed them.

"Chief! Are you okay?" Itami rushed towards the older JSDF Recon Member, he too was filled with worry, and disappointment took over him as he wasn't able to be there in time for them.

"Barely made it out alive sir." Sergeant Kuwahara replied in a jokingly manner, as the older man finally expressed full exhaustion after what appeared to be an 8-hour long nightmare of twists and turns.

"What about the others?" Itami asked once more, showing his own concern for his fellow recon members, who he considered as family.

As Sergeant Kuwahara was about to relay the news regarding the communication problems he had encountered, his walkie finally came to life and various voices from the rest of the Recon members were heard.

"This is Sergeant Nishina from the Safe Zone, is everyone alright there?"

"This is Lieutenant Al, finally fixed the issues with the LAV, and now heading there as we speak."

"This is Leading Private Daisuke, just survived an encounter with ghosts, now heading to the safe zone with Mrs. Elena and Ms. Aurra as we speak."

This is Sergeant Furuta speaking, Tomita and I are on our way back to the village plaza, also crossed paths with Mr. Eldar along the way."

Hodor cringed hearing the village chief's name being mentioned. He could only give a sigh in the end, as he already had told the old man not to venture outside of the hiding spot, and that he will come and get him once this was all over, yet still he went against his wishes and warnings.

"Shino Kuribayashi here! Otaku boy is injured, Higashi got his palm wounded for a ritual, and Mari-san is freaking exhausted from running an hour straight...and Crap! I did not sign up for this!"

Hearing their voices gave relief to both of the men. Knowing that everyone was safe and had survived the ordeal, They couldn't believe that there were actual zero casualties for this kind of horrifying adventure. Though, they still kept their vigilance and alertness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lelei!"

Tuka exclaimed as the elf girl dashed towards the blue-haired teen, who had finally returned from the wreckage of the village hall. Despite her minor injuries, she was relieved to find her friend alive and well.

Oh, how she was so worried for the girl's life and well-being.

The young mage who had emerged from the ruins as she limped her way towards the rest, she could feel tiredness taking over and she was on the edge of falling if it hadn't been for her blonde elf buddy, who was able to catch her in time.

"What happened out there!? Are you all right? Did you get hurt?" Tuka peppered the teen with her own worried questions. Without realizing it, she was channeling her late mother's characteristics through her.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Lelei was able to muster more strength to speak before succumbing to her own exhaustion. She collapsed on her friend's arms, releasing all the negative tension, stress, and anxiety that plagued her all throughout.

Her task was finally done.

Oh, How she wished this was all just a dream and this nightmare didn't exist.

She didn't want to think about anything, other than taking a long nap for the rest of the day; she'd had enough of magic, folklore, myths, ghosts, dragons, and demons for now.

Overall, she was relieved that it was all over, and for the time being, she will enjoy the rest of these tranquil hours and simply be a normal teenage girl from this point on.

Seeing that everyone was safe, and especially her father figure, the girl finally smiled after all the things she had been through.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a wonderful scene to witness. Yuji looked around as he observed the majestic ethereal-like streams that continued to emerge and head towards the sky.

May they all find their peace in the next world.

The peacefulness and Tranquility that the current atmosphere had possessed was a welcoming change, and everyone was pleased to see it once again.

Seeing Rory in the middle of it all, was somehow a sight to behold. The young lady just standing as she finally finished a long overdue task that was centuries in the making. The Aura that she had projected, convincing him that she was really an Apostle of a God.

He caught a glimpse of the small blue floating orb that was making its way towards the young lady herself, whom she had cheerfully greeted. Moments later, the blue orb began to transform, eventually revealing its true form as a small cute cat-like anthropomorphic being with large spherical heads with small ears, narrow blue eyes, and a white snout, its limbs are quite stubby, lacking distinct digits, and its tails are quite stubby as well. The small entity was dressed in a gold and blue cape that concealed its sigil on its back, as well as a small pink purse with an emblem around its neck.

Rory happily conversed with the entity, as she patted its head, and expressed her proudness to it, due to the being completing its task and preventing lives from being lost in vain.

Aside from the Demi-Goddess, the young man noticed the village's overall state of devastation, as if a war had recently occurred. The Village Plaza and its surroundings were littered with debris, wrecked wagons, carts, and stalls, and the Village Hall was reduced to its foundations, with nothing but the remnants of its former glory.

He could finally see the agony of it all. A once vibrant village destroyed by a battle between good and evil. It was now nothing but more than a wasteland, a far image of what it has been.

His attention shifted to the rest of the others who were recovering after a tumultuous situation, and a smile of relief crept upon his lips because of that.

As the nightmare came to an end, a question lingered in his mind, prompting him to utter a few words.

"What now?"

CHAPTER END