Orcus Requiem: Episode 2 - News in Heilig Kingdom

[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

{ Earlier..... }

Kouki laid his back on the bed, tired from all the tears he let out. He did not believe that his childhood friend died so easily, and only prayed she and her classmates would be safe enough.

"Why did that even happen? Why did he do that?" He asked himself, thinking about a classmate of his.

He felt like Daisuke Hiyama was to blame for this, but right now he didn't really have a good enough clue. He triggered a trap before they were warned, but.....

Kouki grit his teeth.

Yes, he is to blame for all this. If he hadn't grasped that crystal all of this wouldn't happen!

All of them wouldn't fall down there!

However, he sighed. Sleep was needed for him to be productive, yet constant worry made him gain a little insomnia.

In the point of view of Daisuke Hiyama, he did not blame himself as he curled up into a ball.

"Kaori is dead!!!! Dead!!!!" He whispered to himself, as madness completely descended unto him. "I killed her? No, that's not possible."

"Not possible..... not possible.... fuck.... I should have fallen down with her..... I should have..... Then if by miracle we survive, I would definitely get the damn chance.... Kekeeekekekeke... But damn you, Satoru Mikami!!!!!"

He kept madly muttering to himself until he slept.

The next day, Kouki returned to the 65th floor to fight the Behemoth. With gritted teeth and a raging expression, he approached the Behemoth alone while Meld and his soldiers fought off the undead Traum Soldiers.

"Bastard, you'll pay for their lives!" Kouki yelled out, though later on he was defeated and had to retreat.

Go down, get defeated, repeat, and again. And again.

Kouki became stronger each battle, fueled by the anger and sorrow that kept bothering him day and night, thinking he was too weak to even defend his classmates.

Until their last battle at the fifth day.

"[Limit Break]! [Herculean Strength]!" The Hero yelled, thrusting his sword's tip towards the Behemoth, cutting seamlessly through its horn and even cutting off one of it's legs after seeing a massive opening.

"This is for all of my classmates....."

Slash. Another limb was cut off.

"This is for teacher Satoru....."

Thrust. Slash. The spine of the Behemoth was cut, preventing it's backside from moving.

Breathing heavily, Kouki slowly walked towards the head of the Behemoth as it struggled.

Raising his sword, Kouki's muscles on his torso began to bulge.

"And this is for Kaori!!!!"

With a roar, he decapitated the weakened Behemoth as it turned to dust, leaving behind a massive mana crystal bigger than his open palm.

He sobbed, taking the mana crystal and looking at the abyss down below, where he prayed for the deaths of his classmates and teacher. It lightened the burden that he felt on his chest

Even though they were still alive, he didn't know that.

A stone eagle caught his attention, and he smiled at it. This eagle had been following him all day and night long since his classmates fell down.

And naturally, he originally felt threatened by it until it proved to be docile and was willing to accompany him.

Of course, he named his new companion Justice.

"What? You want this stone?" He asked the eagle, whom had nodded as a reply.

He put down the mana crystal, and watched the eagle cut it into large pieces to immediately devour them.

A light shines from behind him, and Meld was now there, looking at him with stern eyes.

"Kouki! I kept telling you to stop running into this dungeon alone already!" Meld yelled out, before being silent. "Wait, you've killed the Behemoth all by yourself!?"

Times Kouki has challenged the Behemoth alone: 10

His wins: 1

His losses: 9 (barely escaped)

[ ~ Line • Break ~ ]

Later on, they have returned to Heilig Kingdom, showered with praises that Kouki's originally deflated ego and clarity seemed to have gone down the drain as his personality shifted immediately.

He waved his hands happily to the people, their cheers slowly inflating his ego, and having already moved on from his classmates' deaths (except Kaori's of course), he believed he really was the hero they need.

Well, that was until Justice began to peck his head wildly.

*peck!*

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, stop that, Justice!"

"Screeeee~!"

Eventually, the eagle halted and landed atop of the carriage before the Knights that accompanied him could shoo'd the bird away.

"Damn, that's one angry bird...." Meld remarked, staring at Justice.

"Now come on, you two. The King and the Pope are waiting."

Both Kouki and Hiyama followed Meld to the palace, more specifically, to the throne room where the Royal Family, Pope Ishtar, a nun and several tens of nobles awaited.

They immediately noticed that the hero party was missing a lot of members, and it worried most of them.

The young Prince Lundell searched for Kaori, and due to not finding Kaori anywhere, he was concerned about her.

When Eliheid commanded Meld to report, he and several people inside the throne room actually felt saddened by the loss.

"A sacrifice by your companions to make you stronger is a noble one, indeed. May Ehit bless them in their afterlife, and on this day forward, we will mourn their loss for three days."

It wasn't Eliheid who had spoken, instead it was the Pope Ishtar, who deep inside realized that the others were just too weak and Ehit had intended to summon the two of them.

This was better, they can be manipulated even more, though right now wasn't really the time. Ehit's apostle told him not to, after all.

Meanwhile, on the perspective of one apostle...

'Satoru.... hasn't returned? Why?' Hearst thought, and while she physically was in a poker face, she became worried about him. 'He's strong, however I already miss him after so long..... what is this strange feeling?'

The more she questioned, the more she was closer from the truth she was seeking for. She didn't realize it, but Satoru had already weakened her loyalty to Ehit using a rather weak drug through the tea he made that acted like a seed, consuming her mana slowly that would last for an entire week.

By then, what would indeed happen to her?

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]

A single fact in the making of this fanfic: Kouki has good grades. Around 90% with social studies being in the lowest of 75% in social studies. Yes, good.

Character Development? Kouki? What do you mean?

[ OMAKE ]

{ Seed of Envy }

While Kouki was minding his own business, somebody hidden from the crowd of nobles glared at him with rage.

"That sword and the title of hero belongs to me! Why does that weak-looking boy have them both?" This noble whispered as he seethed in rage, gritting his teeth before silencing himself.

He was the royal Alchemist, with his bloodline being thousands of years old, though right now..... he was very obsessed with becoming the perfect hero humanity needs.

And he would obtain it, no matter what!

Now here's the question: how will he be an obstacle to Kouki?