The Dark Gathering [Pt 8]

There are two major kinds of fear.

There is the kind that arises as a result of that which is deemed uncertain..

Fear of the future, fear of failure… fear of the unknown. Many argue that this is the greatest kind of fear.

But there is another.

It is the one grounded on the nature of the Absolute.

The kind of fear that leads to despair and brings about nothing but never ending dread.

An example… the FEAR OF DEATH.

*******

'I'm going to die… I'm going to die!'

As Fenrir heard the squishing of flesh and the spraying of blood, he waited for his turn to come.

He was a dead man kneeling, and he knew that well.

Nothing but death occupied his senses. The Black Magician, Enry, also seemed to share the same sentiment.

Ladon, who was trembling due to the power being displayed by the man in the mask, was next.

The man he was protecting had just been killed by an invisible slash, and before long, the Head of the Noir Militia followed.

Only death awaited the Obsidian Blade.

'Is this it? Is this how everything ends?' Fenrir asked himself.

No… no, he had come too far for that to be his fate!

'I've had to struggle with all my might to reach this level! I can't just die like this!'

His instincts went into overdrive as he sought a way to live.

Then—

"Lord Rebal Blanc, Lady Kara Verte… please spare me and I will devote my entire existence to serving you!"

—He came up with the perfect card.

It was the only move he had left, but it was his trump card.

The two Councilors looked at him from where they sat, their faces exhibiting surprise by his proposal.

"I am willing to bind myself with the Curse Enchantment or get the Slave Rune embedded on me. Anything to make you trust me and to prove my loyalty!"

His plea was genuine, but it wasn't due to some sort of ignorance or far fetched optimism.

Fenrir knew fully well that begging the masked man would be a foolish move.

'He's being hired by the old man and that girl. If I can convince them, it's possible they'll call off the killing spree.'

Besides, Fenrir figured it would be a lot easier to convince the two who actually seemed like humans compared to such a cold hearted killer.

'I wonder… is that other one like this too?' Fenrir gazed upon the black knight.

If that one was also equally a monster, then they never stood a chance to begin with.

Fenrir wondered how the Blanc and Verte House were able to get such powerhouses, but he soon realized it was a foolish thought to have at the moment.

Right now, what he had to be most concerned with was survival. As such, he repeated his offer to the two of them at the top of his voice.

"I am not as powerful as your guard here, but I can assure you that I have my uses. I have slain a Dragon Commander before, and I can attest to my might and connections throughout the entire Alliance!"

Fenrir went on to list out all the benefits of having him as a subordinate.

All he wanted was to be spared.

'I'll think of the details later! Right now. My life comes first.'

"Please accept my loyalty."

He bowed his head and awaited their response, swallowing his saliva as he prayed for the best.

The next thing they did, however, shocked him.

"What should we do now, Sir Ralyks?"

'H-huh? Sir Ralyks…?'

Fenrir raised his head and looked in the direction of the two he was pleading with.

They were currently staring at the man who was supposed to be their guard,

'D-did they just call him Sir Ralyks…?'

Ralyks was the name of the man who fought and humiliated Fernand. He also went by 'The Reaper.'

So what in the world was going on here?

'But… he said he was the one who killed Anukus. Does that mean he was also the one who handled Fernand? But…!'

Fenrir's confused mind was still trying to process the meaning behind why the masked man was being called Ralyks when another thought came to him.

'They're calling him… Sir?' To Fenrir, that meant only one thing.

'H-he's their superior! I fucked up!'

Instead of appealing to the actual man in charge, he made the mistake of pleading with those who were lesser than him.

'I should have known! He's too strong to be their subordinate!'

Fenrir didn't know what to do at this point. He already saw how this Ralyks figure had acted to the surrender made by Noir.

He was clearly a monster with no conscience at all.

'W-will he even consider my proposal…?!'

Fenrir knew there was no other way he could survive than to plead for mercy, so he decided to try his luck and hope to survive.

"Sir Ralyks, plea—!"

"I refuse." The man's response was swift, without hesitation in the slightest.

"I already have a capable subordinate, as well as Allie's with decent enough prospects. Compared to them, you're pretty much a useless bag of bones."

"A-ahh…!?!"

"The only way you can be of use to me is by dying. You can do at least that, can't you?"

'I knew it…' Fenrir's eyes widened as he stared at the crimson eyes of the one who looked down on him.

'… He's the devil!'

"P-please reconsider…"

Fenrir didn't know why he still persisted. He was just so desperate, and he knew it was useless to fight.

He just wanted to live.

"Didn't you hear me? You're really of no use to me. All your subordinates have probably already been killed by my subordinate, and once this night is over, everything about your legacy will be gone."

At this point, the man called Ralyks appeared right in front of Fenrir.

"Besides… weren't you the one that said this a while back?"

As Ralyks drew closer, the stench of death became stronger.

"Your time is up. There's no need to whine about it."

Fenrir's eyes turned bloodshot, with hot tears coming out of them, the moment he heard the words that Ralyks whispered to him.

"… Just take it like a champ."