Chapter 54: Captured

The cloaked figure attacked relentlessly. Silver, bloodied red chains flying through air, clashing with a long blue sword that was covered by sharp raging wind.

The sound of the weapons clashing resounded. Arcuied pursed his lips, his hand grasping the hilt of Wavedancer tightly. He closed his eyes, mumbling a name quietly.

At that moment, wind converged at the blade, reinforcing Wavedancer considerably. Without a moment of rest, Arcuied swung Wavedancer, this time more faster and stronger than before.

The cloaked figure exclaimed in suprise, caught off guard from the sudden power up. Before the figure could react, mixed elements of water and wind hurled onto their body, tearing apart their scarlet cloak as they staggered from the force, revealing the person's face to the Arcuied.

Contrary to what he expected, the person behind the cloak has a normal appearance. Well, almost. If not for the frenzied and maddened expression on the man's face, he had thought that the man was just shy and embarrassed to show their face.

The frenzied man wore a maddened expression on his face, with eyes unusually wide and a grin that reached the ends of his face. From a distance, he looked like a person having a seizure.

"What an ugly wretch," Eugene spat out, his hand grabbing onto his spear tightly. He always had a personal distaste over the things he find unsavory to look at.

"How are you holding up?" Arcuied asked, relentlessly attacking his opponent, hurling out attacks and attacks one after another.

"A bit difficult," Eugene answered, brandishing the long blue spear, "But nothing a Pendragon can't handle."

As soon as he answered, he dashed in. He advanced towards his two opponents gracefully, a water mirage of a dragon forming on top of his spear, striking the two garbed figures without mercy.

A torrent of sharp, magical water rained down onto the two cloaked figures. Their body staggered, unable to withstand the pressure. The sharp water cut through the garbed cloaks, ripping apart their clothes and revealing their face to Eugene.

Their expressions were the same as former. Frenzied. Mad. It was almost like they were fanatics of some kind.

"Are they perhaps..." Eugene pondered, his eyes narrowing. He took a step back, retreating to Arcuied's back, "Cultists?"

Then, behind him Arcuied suddenly trembled.

"Cultists...?" Arcuied mumbled, his eyes hazy. Oh no, this was bad. He was losing control of his instinct again.

"Right, Cultists," Eugene said, frowning, "there are only seven cults in the world, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. I wonder which cult these madman are from?"

"No," Arcuied said, shaking his head while clarity returned to his eyes, "What's more important is, why are they here?"

"Now that you think about it..." Eugene muttered. It didn't take long before a dawn of realization struck his mind, "Could...could it be!? The Nascent Bead was a trap all along?!"

Hearing that, Arcuied eyes flared in anger. They were lured in. No, not only them, but also groups of myriad Miracle Invokers that also tried their chances on the Nascent Bead.

"Didn't you verify the information?" Arcuied asked, his eyes never leaving the cultist opposite to him.

"I did. It was first posted on the public forums and was later confirmed by a reputable, trustable source..." Eugene answered, shaking his head, "Bu—"

However, before he could finish his words, the two cultists opposite to him suddenly dashed in. They swung their bloodied silver chains, hurling it to the blonde haired noble.

Before it could hit Eugene, he raised his spear to block it. The weapons collided, and the clanging sounds of metal hitting metal could be heard. The chains, however, suddenly sped up, catching him off guard.

The chains slithered like a snake. Eugene gasped in suprise, barely being able to block them. He was sure if he didn't react in time he would have been severely wounded.

Eugene staggered from the impact. The chains sped up once more, this time encircling his spear, and constraining it. He flailed his arms, trying to struggle against the tight binds. However, it was for naught.

From behind, Arcuied didn't notice Eugene's situation. His focus was kept directly at his opponent. They were Cultists. When he saw their frenzied and maddened expressions, there was only one thought that echoed in his mind.

'Kill them.'

His heart throbbed, quivering in desire to destroy them. It seems...he couldn't quite hold back the monster within him.

His body moved, dashing in to the maddened cultists. He grasped the hilt of Wavedancer, reinforcing it with magic and wind once more. But this time, a white snake erupted from the blade.

In that instant, the cultist screamed in agony. Before he could even react, the blade already struck him—a sliver of blood erupted in a flash. A small white snaked encircled his neck, opening it's fangs and biting his flesh.

"Ah...!" The cultist screamed. Why was it so painful? It was only a sliver of a wound. A small, fleshly wound that just grazed him. However, it was like a venom slinging through his blood. Inflicting him agony, and excruciating pain that tormented his mind.

"So you are fanatics of Greed..." Arcuied spoke, his eyes closing. This time, he reinforced his body with magic. The wind raged before converging around his body. It stilled.

Soon after, he attacked once more. This time, more faster than ever. More stronger than ever. In his every movement, wind followed him like a pet. He swung Wavedancer, slashing his opponent at every chance.

The cultist shouted in agony. His flesh was slowly being ripped apart. Before he could even recover, he was already attacked once more. Worst of all? The pain. The agony. The venom. It coursed on his body like a curse.

A second later, the attacks stopped. His eyes slightly opened, however the moment he did, terror took over his mind.

He saw a being purely of white. It was unfiltered and clean, devoid of anything, even emotions. Contrary, what stood out most was the golden shine of person's eyes, flashing brilliantly like all virtues was contained within the kid's pupils.

Then, a flash of a long blue sword followed. Striking his body, and piercing through him. Blood gushed out, yet the terror of his eyes never left even after death.

Suddenly, a rustle resounded from the bushes. Soon after, a shadow of a figure walked out. It was a man with a mature charming face. His eyes closed while he hummed a tune.

Eugene couldn't tell what was up with the intruder. The moment he set his eyes to the man, a shiver went down to his spine. In the man's every movement, a bone chilling air spread, making him tremble from terror.

He tried to sense the man's power, but the only thing he saw was a depth with no end. It was an infinite, large aura of power. He knew exactly what rank this person was. He had seen this type of vastness before.

The Realm of True Miracles, Rank B.

His eyes shifted to the others. The cultists were the same as him, shivering and trembling from the man's presence, only their reaction was out of excitement and pleasure lest of terror.

However, Arcuied—!? Where was Arcuied?!

"I never knew how pure virtue is..." Aza said, his eyes opening, "Your eyes. They are devoid of any emotions. Merciless like a judge. Yes, a judge."

"W—wh...o are...you...!?" Arcuied shouted, his body unable to move. Something was constricting his body. He couldn't move a muscle.

"My child," Aza spoke, his head shaking, "Greed exists within you. You desire something unobtainable. It flourishes within you."

"I can see you have the potential to be something greater. But for now, you are but a failed judge," Aza sighed, "Your eyes desire to slay and kill, yet your powerlessness prevents you to kill me; the ultimate evil."

Arcuied tried to struggle, however it was for naught. His muscles couldn't even move in the slightest. His mouth couldn't even open to talk back. He was like a chained prisoner.

"Do not fret," Aza said, his body walking forward to Eugene, "I will not kill you both. You two will be the sacrifice to mankind's true salvation."

Eugene was silent. His hands slithered onto his pocket, holding onto an object of sorts. He grasped it and tried to break it, however no matter how much he tried, his body wouldn't move.

"Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to call for help," Aza said, his head shaking.

He couldn't help but marvel how truly miraculous his power is. In a single thought, as long as all the conditions were met, he could control anyone's movements.

His eyes stared at the two kids, familiarity brewing within his pupils. He had seen them before, but where? Then, realization dawned him.

How could he forget? It was within his God's divination of the future. They were the two kids within the vision, both of them were accompanied by a brown haired man.

Perhaps he had forgotten because of the joy enrapturing his mind at the moment. Regardless, if the man was truly the same with the man on his vision, then he hoped he would come to join him through seeing the conquest of joy itself.

A man with an uncanny similarity to him. He was eager to meet this "so-called" man. However, he had already searched the whole area with the formation and he had found no such person.

"Where is the brown haired man accompanying both of you?" Aza asked, his eyes staring deep into Eugene's soul, "Don't try to lie. I don't fancy liars."

"..What?" Eugene asked, barely being able to open his mouth. Brown haired man? Unless his father had sent someone to follow them, there wasn't anyone that came to mind.

"You don't know?" Aza wondered, his head shaking, "No matter. What will come, will eventually come. I will be waiting for him. Now, follow me."

"Yes, Lord Aza!" The two cultists exclaimed, their heads bowing in respect

"As for the dead one..." Aza ordered softly, "For his glorious sacrifice, we will put him as an offering to Qrqvitiq."

The two cultists beside trembled in envy. How they wished to be the catalyst of their God's descent.

"Now, let us prepare everything at once." Aza ordered, his eyes shining brightly within the darkness, "Salvation is now within the reach of mankind."

Behind him, Arcuied and Eugene tried to struggle. However, they could only stare at each other helplessly as their bodies were dragged along the cultists unwillingly.

Inside the SilentDemon Forest, a man walks upon a path of "salvation". Yet, their goals are anything but. If no one stops them before dawn, only death and damnation is left for the destiny of mankind.