Chapter 24: Wrath

The bicorn was drastically weakened by the pact, yet even so, it left sonic booms in the wake of its great momentum. In the split second it closed in on Alicarde, who couldn't even begin to react, its body glowed with the flash of countless runes as it plunged its three malevolent, dagger-like horns toward him.

The impact should have blown him to bits. Unfortunately for the bicorn, the pact was reducing its great power with each passing moment, and that very pact had protected its new master from its wrath.

However, the damage was still disastrous as Alicarde's chest caved in, crushing his lungs and heart. The impact sent him flying, and he coughed up blood as his body was launched through the air.

The ground cracked and broke from the impact, sending minor shockwaves rippling through the area.

Argint and the night shades were about to charge in to subdue the creature.

"Refrain from interfering. If you attack before it is sufficiently weakened... you will all perish," Carissa commanded, her tone cold and authoritative as she stopped them.

Alicarde tried to stand up but fell back down. His chest was already beginning to heal, but the pain was excruciating. His ribs were crushed, his heart eviscerated, and he couldn't even breathe.

His flesh and bones, however, were knitting back together, thanks to his regenerative abilities.

The bicorn tried to charge at him again, but the runes on its body intensified, causing it to fall to the ground momentarily. Alicarde finally managed to get up. The bicorn charged once more, but it was visibly slower now, and its dreadful aura had weakened.

"Now! Strike it now! We must weaken it further," Carissa commanded with precision.

Without hesitation, Argint and tens of night shades charged at the creature. The bicorn was still a force to be reckoned with. It teleported out of the way, weaving between them with precise movements, body-slamming against any who stood in its path.

Argint's claws could not tear through its hide as it pushed her away with its horns. It blocked blades with its fangs while filling the air with violet infernal flames spewing from its mouth.

Even as it was assaulted by so many, it still held the advantage. But this was a battle of attrition, and with each passing minute, it grew weaker. The pact was beginning to engrave itself into its infernal soul.

The bicorn was making its way toward Alicarde, teleporting around its attackers. It came face to face with him.

Alicarde stood still, then with a roar, he dashed at the beast, unleashing his body enhancements and mana as best he could, along with his fear ability. Its power had grown, and now his fear was mildly potent. The bicorn ignored the other "insects" and charged at him.

As it approached, a small light flashed from behind him. The light made Alicarde's shadow extend and cover the advancing bicorn. As the creature stepped on his shadow, before it could react, it was pulled into the darkness. It roared, trying to resist, but it was futile. The bicorn was dragged into Alicarde's shadow, now bound as his familiar.

Alicarde was confused, as was everyone else except Carissa. The truth of the matter was quite simple. Despite her doll-like demeanor, Amena had actually been worried about Alicarde. She did not approve of her mistress's cruel plan, even if it was necessary.

Realizing she could not stop her mistress, she devised her own plan. When the idea of using a pact to tame the powerful beast had arisen, she had put her mind in overdrive, thinking of ways to assist. Amena had been moved by Alicarde's concern for her, and she felt satisfied with the way he treated her.

She had employed a simple trick. She knew that if the creature were to touch his shadow, the pact would drag it into its master's shadow. So she had ignored the commotion, using her phone's flashlight to shine light behind him. The creature, which had been intelligently avoiding his shadow, was caught by surprise and trapped in Alicarde's shadow.

Alicarde might not have been with them long, but if she had to choose between like and dislike, she would say she quite liked him.

There was never a time he wasn't being snarky, but she thought that was part of his charm. She also liked that he got emotional about the things and people he cared about but became largely indifferent to those he didn't. Most of all, he didn't treat her like a tool. She knew it was because he didn't really understand the concept behind a homunculus.

But that was fine because she enjoyed his company, and that was enough. She also liked playing games with him. He always made funny and snarky remarks. He was good company, and it made her quite happy to be around him. Seeing him depressed really saddened her. She had no idea what had changed between him and the half-werewolf called Argint, but it was a welcome change. He had grown, and she was happy for him.

Alicarde looked at his shadow. There, deep within, he could see malevolent violet eyes gazing at him. The creature was a wrathful one, that was certain.

And to be honest, he was a little scared of it.

"Alicarde, bestow upon it a name. It is still too uncontrollable, but with a name, you will gain some degree of command over it and could summon and unsummon it in time. However, I do not guarantee that it will obey," Carissa advised, her voice carrying an ominous weight.

"Wow, that is so reassuring. I'm just thrilled to have a demon horse in my shadow. Yay me," Alicarde replied with his usual snark.

"If you are done being a drama queen, you can proceed to give it a name," Argint remarked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Alicarde grumbled.

He didn't think too much about it. Looking into his shadow and remembering its rampage, he decided on a name.

"Well, this mean bastard is too unhinged. Guess I'll... call you... yeah, that's a good name... yeah, your name shall be Wrath."

As he said that, he felt his connection with the bicorn—no, with Wrath—deepen. Alicarde was quite pleased with the name he had chosen.

He turned to Argint. "Pretty sweet name, right?"

"Wrath? Seriously? What are you, an eighth-grader? Shall I fetch your old middle school uniform?" Argint teased.

Alicarde felt a twinge of embarrassment. She was right. He had a bit of a penchant for maladaptive daydreaming, and so what if he had been through several story arcs in his head? And so what if he was a little "chunni"?

"Why do you always have to bust my balls, Argint?" he muttered, gritting his teeth in a low tone.

The night shades erupted into cheers, hailing their lord who had bested and tamed the foul monster that had slain their brethren.

"The lord has tamed the beast of Dread!"

"All hail Lord Alicarde, master of the infernal steed!"

"His might is unmatched! Truly, he is destined for greatness!"

Honestly, some of the words they uttered made him a bit embarrassed, so he had to lower his head to hide his blushing face.

"Wow, are you blushing, young maiden?" Argint teased, her tone playful.

Alicarde realized that the werewolf girl had now taken to teasing him. He wondered if this was divine retribution for all the times he had harassed Amena.

He glared at her, pinching her arm, but that did nothing to stop her. Still, he was happy that he had overcome the obstacle known as guilt and had become friends with Argint.

The village elder proposed they feast to celebrate.

Alicarde was feeling a little woozy and hungry, while Carissa was as pale as a sheet of paper. But they accepted nonetheless.

They quickly gathered a scrumptious feast. Though not extravagant, the spread was impressive succulent roasted meats, fresh fruits and an assortment of freshly made snacks. Wooden mugs overflowed with mead and other brews, while the night air was filled with the scent of spiced herbs and freshly cut vegetables.

The elder hosted a banquet, with Carissa and Alicarde's group as the guests of honor. Each of the night shades addressed him as "my lord" with reverence.

"Lord Alicarde, your power knows no bounds!"

"My lord, your victory will be sung in our village for generations!"

"Truly, you are a beacon of strength, my lord!"

"Lord Alicarde will be the victor of wars to come"

The children looked at him with pure admiration, bragging to one another about his prowess. Their words were so filled with awe that even Alicarde started to believe he was some sort of overpowered protagonist straight out of a work of fiction.

"My brother said Lord Alicarde could take down a dragon if he wanted!"

"No way, he could take down a whole army!"

'Damn, I've never seen anyone glaze me this hard,' Alicarde thought inwardly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and joy.

The feast continued. Alicarde struggled to stay awake, not because it was boring—on the contrary—but because he just had difficulty keeping his eyes open.

He occasionally glanced at his shadow, where the menacing eyes of Wrath continued to watch him.

As the celebration wore on, the elder soon called Alicarde and Carrisa to a secluded cabin in the village, where he presented her with the Nexus fragments.

They were two large, obsidian-like stones, each radiating an faint energy signature. Their surfaces were etched with ancient, indecipherable runes that seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie glow. The fragments, though separated, exuded a tangible sense of power, as if they yearned to be reunited with the whole.

Carrisa examined the fragments with a critical eye.

"I see, you possess two core pieces here. It is only a matter of time before the other pieces make themselves known and attempt to reconnect with the core."

The elder nodded solemnly. "Yes, but we know not how many fragments the core shattered into. What we do know is that this fragment sent out a wave, drawing the attention of the other pieces, which now lie hidden within this city.

Even more concerning, the world's most formidable forces have sensed this wave. We are also missing one critical core fragment and the Nexus key itself."

Carrisa sighed, her expression hardening. "It is as I suspected. Evergreen City is destined to become the epicenter of the impending conflict."

Alicarde, still reeling from the events of the night, was confused. "Why though?"

Carrisa turned to him, her voice steady and authoritative. "Because, Alicarde, every power in this world will covet the Nexus, and they will stop at nothing to seize it. For now, I expect they will move in secrecy, each wary of revealing their intentions to the others. However, we hold a distinct advantage. With two of the three core fragments in our possession, we need only secure the remaining pieces and the Nexus key."

She then turned back to the elder, continuing her explanation. "Once we complete the core, we will have the ability to summon all the fragments, provided we gather enough of them. Even if another faction obtains a fragment, we will be able to recall or track it. Do you now comprehend the gravity of what lies ahead?"

Alicarde nodded weakly, his vision blurring as vertigo began to overtake him.

As dawn broke, casting a warm glow over the horizon, they made their way back to the mountain retreat, only to find it in ruins—reduced to ashes, though the helipad remained intact. The elder assured them that the retreat would be restored and bade them farewell as they boarded the helicopter.

The Nexus fragments were carefully wrapped in wards and secured within the helicopter. As they lifted off, Alicarde glanced down at his tattered, bloodied clothes, realizing with mild annoyance that he was rapidly running out of normal attire. At this rate, he would be forced to wear the brand-name clothes in his walk-in closet.

Finally, he voiced his frustration. "I really hate how my clothes get ripped up every goddamn time."

Seated beside him, Carrisa sighed, sounding both amused and exasperated. "Very well, cease your incessant complaints. I shall arrange for an enchanted armaments, made for you."

Alicarde narrowed his eyes, feeling somewhat slighted. "I wasn't complaining."

"You were, drama queen," Argint quipped teasingly.

The helicopter soared higher, and Alicarde could barely keep his eyes open. Before he could muster a retort, his eyes fluttered shut, and his head gently fell onto Carrisa's shoulder.

Carrisa's lips curled into a faint smile, though her violet eyes darkened with a chilling resolve. She leaned in closer to his ear, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Well done, Alicarde. Everything proceeded according to plan, all thanks to your efforts. With this, my goal of acquiring the Nexus has been achieved. Now, the true battle begins."