The Artifact of Sun and Moon

Super Full Moon is a phenomenon where the moon becomes more enormous than usual. It is said that the moon occasionally does this because, at the time, it got closer to the Earth due to gravity. Before the worlds between beings collided. To humans, this was treated as an ordinary occurrence. However, to Beast-kin, the moon influences their mana, which could fluctuate more if there is a full moon. It can even be said that their strength grew two times than usual on a full moon. But what if there's a super full moon? Then that means their strength is likely doubled. So around 400% percent than the usual strength. However, the white elf's documents suggested that, in fact, their strength could increase up to 10 times stronger. It is required, however, to perform a particular ritual in the event of a super full moon to amplify the mana intake from the moon properly. This required an artifact, which would absorb the sunlight that is reflected and filtered by the moon and spread the mana pool toward the demi-humans. 

Even if that's just hyperbole by the elf about the strength of a demi-human, it cannot be taken for granted. Elves are considered one of the wisest among the fey creatures, after all. That's why today, Zeta and I are preparing for an upcoming attack against the demi-humans.

"Miss Lilitha, do you ever feel lonely?" 

"Eh? What do you mean?" I was startled by Zeta's question.

Currently, Me and Zeta are at the new headquarters set up in the former white elf region, which is now known as Neoshiro region.

"I mean. Do you sometimes feel lonely when Revival-sama is not around? While His Highness is doing something alone without you?" Zeta continued.

I understand what she is feeling. The feeling of not having the great lord by my side is sad. I mean, I was the closest and the most trusted out of the NPCs to Lord Revival. Yet, whenever he is not here beside me, I feel like I am being left behind. I feel a bit lonely.

"Yes. I do feel the same way.." I said as I looked down while still managing to read more documentation about the super full moon.

"It's the first time for me being dispatched, not with Death-sama. Even though he said, 'I will join you all.' I thought we were going to together!" Zeta spoke with a noticeable tone of complaint.

"Zeta. You need to understand. Unlike my situation, Lord Death don't have that many chief or trusted being. He treasures you greatly, hence why he doesn't want you to join on this risky infiltration mission."

"Ah, I see! That means Death-sama loves me very much, right!" She said, getting all excited.

"I don-" Well, I'll just let her be. I shut my mouth and smiled at Zeta's happy expression.

***

"Great Demon King of Death! I'll be your assistant assigned by Miss Zeta on your mission today. I am number A-217!" A woman wearing a black jumpsuit with purple stripes said towards the demon king.

Today, The Demon King of Death was not wearing his usual armor. He was currently taking the form of an average human with long black hair, wearing a black suit and a simple domino mask. "Do you have a name?" The Demon King of Death said.

"Ee? Um.. Yes... great lord. My name is Aira." A-217 said as she bowed her head.

"I see. Aira, from this point on until the mission ends, please refer to me as 'Umbra.'"

"As you wish, my lord," Aira said.

They both then moved swiftly as if disappearing from thin air. Their goal tonight was to find the artifact located below the entertainment district of the Demi-human region. "Umbral Fighters unit B has said that the artifact isn't in the Astrea Academy's basement. As we thought it was."

"Astrea Academy... The famous academy of beast-kin scholars?"

"Yes. You are right, lord Umbra. Surprisingly, someone tipped us off that the artifact is stored beneath the entertainment district of the Demi-Human region. The source also told us about the specific entertainment district since there are many. They said it was the closest one to the Astrea Boarding House."

"The Scholars of Astrea must have thought for a fact that someone might steal their artifact, hence moving it to somewhere else. The fact it is located near the Astrea boarding house just proves it to be the right track since the scholars can reach it very fast."

Suddenly, Aira stopped her movement. She was now standing on one of the roofs of the city buildings. Noticing her expression, Umbra spoke, "They caught on, huh?"

"L-lord Umbra... Unit B has been ambushed."

"By a beast-kin?"

"No... by an elf with white hair.."

Umbra grabs his chin, "It must be the defected group of the former white elves. No matter, we shall be there soon." He continued moving while Aira followed him.

Meanwhile, inside the secret labyrinth beneath the entertainment district. A figure wearing a black trenchcoat was walking in a pool of blood. His coat was decorated with the blood of his enemy, which was all lying down on the floor. His enemy mostly wore a black jumpsuit with purple stripes.

"Good warm-up," He said.

"Lord Ruin, as always, your sword arts are very divine," An elf with white hair said as she smiled in awe.

"The fact that you're all so weak. It is enough to make an old man laugh." Ruin said to one of the surviving members of the Umbral Fighters Unit B. "What did you call yourselves again? Umbral Fighters?" he continued.

"It's useless to have high numbers if you're all just a motley crew."

"FU*K YOU!!" One of the survivors said as she aimed her blade at Ruin.

SHRUST!

"You are not even worthy of having arms at this point. What a joke," Ruin said as he casually dismembered both her arms. As blood spurts, the survivor's eyes become white.

"Lord Ruin. Shall I cremate the corpses here?"

"Not even the fires could relieve them of their shame. It's pointless," Ruin said as he walked away from the remains of Umbral Fighters. "We will continue onward to the place of the artifact."

Journeying into the labyrinth guided by the scent of mana dispersing, Ruin and Sierra finally arrived at the place where the artifact was located.

"Who goes there? GRR" A wolf demi-human spoke in an aggressive tone.

Ruin puts his right hand to the front, conjuring a blue fire on his hand, "We are Ebon Heralds. The ones who oversee the world and control it from the darkness." He then crushed the blue flame on his hand as the particles were extinguished. "You will be erased."

"I've never heard of such a bullcrap," The wolf demi-human spoke as he stretched his arms as if preparing a stance. "If you are looking to take the artifact, go on and try. You won't get through to me, though."

SLASH!

The head of the wolf demi-human was sent flying.

"HUEKK!!!" The wolf suddenly puked. "What? What the hell happened?" Something is not right, the wolf demi-human thought. Was the sensation from before just an illusion, or was it a reality? He couldn't be sure.

"What did you just do?" The Wolf shouted to Ruin in anger.

"Heh." Ruin shrugs it off with a condescending laugh. "You still wish to fight? Even though you know how far apart we are?"

Sweat drips from the wolf demi-human's forehead as he feels an overwhelming presence that is enough to cut someone. He quickly went and grabbed a circular object in the pedestal that was located near where he stood.

"You won't beat me once I use this!" The wolf demi-human grabbed and lifted the circular object from the pedestal, which turned out to be a scepter that held some sort of magical energy at the uppermost part of the scepter.

"A scepter?" Sierra said as she looked at the wolf demi-human lifting up into the air.

Then, the light began to emit upwards from the scepter.

"The Scepter of Sun and Moon," Ruin said as he smiled.

"I see you are familiar with this artifact. I am starting to believe you are a real organization!" The Wolf Demi-human said in confidence. "This scepter will draw mana from the moon and make us demi-human far stronger than how we are now! Even if there's no super full moon now, we are at least-"

The limbs of the wolf demi-human suddenly got dismembered as they flew away.

"Heh. More illusions, huh? I am not falling for that."

As if knowing the moves of the opponent, the wolf demi-human is confident that the sensation he felt was again just another of his opponent's illusions. The illusion of himself was dismembered. That's not possible. He is now stronger than before. Therefore, this must be an illusion.

"Why... why am I on the floor?" The wolf demi-human said as he could see the scepter falling to his now limbless body. "You bastard!!!" The wolf demi-human howled in anger as light suddenly fell on him. The previously dismembered limbs suddenly were regrowed.

"He's using mana from the scepter to heal his wounds!"

"I see he still could put up a fight."

FWOSSH!

BOOM!

The Wolf Demi-human suddenly gained and moved swiftly, aiming to hit his opponent using his now enlarged fist. The body of the wolf-demi human is now two times larger than it was before. The strength, however, was about four times stronger.

"I am not impressed," Ruin said as he held the wolf's fist with just his left hand.

The wolf demi-human had a crazed expression as he said, "We are just getting started!" Smoke appeared from his breath.

"Sure. I'll toy with you until I am bored." Ruin said as his eyes glowed blue.