Chapter 202: Wartorn Ruination. Peaceful Recuperation.

—Riner the human boy PoV—“Hang in there! I got you! I got you…!” I did not! I’m scared! Those cursetaceans had come! They destroyed our village! What happened to the fortress cities! I thought they would protect us!? Why did the guards fall?!

“Rin… Rin… I can’t…” my little sister cried! I cried too!

“Don’t worry! Just a little more! Help will come! Help will–” I took another glance behind myself, and saw the cursetaceans gaining ground!

I let go of Yinel, and pushed her forward.

“Rin…!”

“GO! I’ll be fine! I’ll be–”

The damned crab caught up to me then. My leg was crushed and I screamed.

“No! NO NO! LET ME GO!” I fumbled for my knife and then stabbed the foul creature, but the blade broke, and I somehow got injured!

“Why? Why…? WHY!?” I didn’t know what was happening anymore! I didn’t know…

I blinked, and saw the cursetaceans still chasing after my little sister.

I reached out my hand to stop them…

I couldn’t… I couldn’t.

—Back to Haell PoV—

“Here, here, make sure to eat well.” Mom said kindly to Arx as he joined us again today for dinner.

“I will! Thank you, Mahka!” And he was genuinely thankful. My friend ate with such appreciation for good food.

“I can’t believe you’ve been here all along,” Mom commented at some point. “I never noticed! It’s funny to think that you were just a wall away but we never noticed.”

“Well, I haven’t been here long. Only in the past year or so,” he said from his own cushions and table. “Sorry. Haell did want to introduce me to you and everyone, but I didn’t want to be potentially found out. Not that I think you’re untrustworthy! It’s just…”

“Oh it’s fine,” Dad said. “You’ve got way more troubles than us. I understand.”

“Okay… thank you.”

“We’ll go with you tommorow,” Mom said, referring to how Arx’s mere presence had immediately caused a scene in the city earlier. “We’re not as strong as you, but you can come to us anytime if you ever need something.”

Arx bashfully dug into his delicious food. “Okay. Thank you,” He repeated the same thing. “But maybe not tomorrow.”

I laughed at that, but didn’t protest. People did react worse to his presence than I thought they would. That was terrible. were terrible. Did they not know how much Arx had done for them–

, at least Arx could feel at ease here, around the people in my most heavily cursed home.

I took another bite of my food, and listened happily to the many conversations around the dinner table.

“So that’s your deal…” Angerly said after getting to hear Arx’s story. From his origins to his time in isolation. Our meeting, and the changes that followed. The glorious battle where we killed an angel, though that had already been told in full during Grandpa’s funeral, just as he would’ve wanted. And then Arx closed it out with the current challenges he was facing, now that he’d revealed his existence and power in full. “I’ve always been curious about the Level 80 inhex who just suddenly appeared. But we never really got to talk, with the whole funeral and all…”

“And that’s good, I think. It was a send-off to a friend. Not about me.” Arx tilted his head up, and emptied the content of one whole wine bottle, before grabbing another one. “I just couldn’t come to my friend’s funeral. Not when I have no reason to hide anymore.”

“That you don’t,” I raised my mug of beer, and my friends raised their own drinks for a toast. “So, Arx, think you can go out tomorrow? We’ll be hanging out with Angerly and she’s bringing her daughter Ragenta along. We can’t really bring babies into Pandemonium! That’s probably a bad idea.”

“Definitely a bad idea,” Angerly nodded firmly.

I chuckled. I was glad she visited again so soon. Tensions were ramping up fast because of our recent exploits, so Angerly decided to circle back here after shopping around some of the neighbouring cities. We might not get another chance to just unwind for a while. Sadly, her husband Entarin couldn’t join as he had other duties to attend to, and had already stretched his schedule to attend my grandfather’s funeral.

I appreciated the gesture.

Arx shifted. “Do I have to?” he asked, more reluctant to go out than before.

“It’s up to you,” I shrugged. “I told you before that you’re welcome here in my city anytime, but maybe that’s not entirely true. At least people here hate you. And I won’t police how they think. You should just tell them to fuck off and move on with your day in my opinion, but maybe you just want to have nothing with them. I can’t blame you.”

“It’ll be fun though,” Angerly added. “Good food, good art, good company. Trust me. I know all the best spots.”

Arx looked between the both of us, hesitating. “I… want to. I have to, at some point. So I will.”

I and my parents left the manor together. There was supposed to be someone else joining us, but he’d stalled right by the gates.

“You coming, Arx?”

He stared at me.

“Yes.”

With the last of his hesitation finally pushed aside, Arx the Angelslayer stepped out of Pandemonium and into full view.

People immediately began to notice his massive figure despite the massive clearing surrounding my manor. They murmured among themselves, but I ignored them and focused on only the ones that mattered as we made our way past the fence that finally led out of my personal land. Pandemonium’s curse had actually spread past that point, for it could not be forever contained underground.

A problem for another time.

“Whoa. BIG!” The little centaur girl in Angerly’s arms marveled as Arx came closer and closer. The red-haired toddler reached her arms out to touch my inhex friend’s sharp mandibles, and Angerly had to stop her, to which the kid pouted. “Cool! Give!”

“No Ragenta. That’s dangerous and sharp. It will slice and hurt and be painful like when you got that splinter on your hands last week. Is that what you want?”

The kid frowned, her eyes almost watering. “NO!” She shook her head rapidly, fanning her red hair all over the place.

“I thought not,” Angerly rocked her child, and Ragenta giggled. “Now. That big person is Arx. He’s an inhex. And he is indeed big and cool. He’s very nice and kind too. So what do you say to Arx?”

Ragenta thought long and hard, then started waving her hands excitedly once she came upon the answer. “HELLO!”

Arx was taken aback for a moment, but then returned the wave with his claw once the confusion passed. “Hi Ragenta! Nice to meet you.”

The little baby laughed at the powerful gust of wind, and we finally took a proper tour of the city. A few inhexes approached, but at least they didn’t come in a large and volatile crowd like before. They just had different things to say to Arx, conversations he needed to have, and I held myself back from intervening so many times.

“Hello!”

“Sorry about yesterday…”

“Fuck you!”

“Don’t mind them.”

“Do it! Kill all the angels!”

“Stop! Please stop!”

“Maybe if you turn yourself in…”

“I’m joining the army! Err, which army? This place’s army hardly even leaves the city!”

“Hi.” Arx returned their greetings with a wave of his claw.

“You’re welcome?” My friend returned the friendly words he received.

“Umm, don’t know much about how things work here,” Arx tried to answer the questions thrown his way, and then the rest of us clarified where we could.

“I see.” He just accepted the unkind expletives thrown his way.

“Die in a ditch, dumbass!” I couldn’t resist, I showed him how to respond! Although I didn’t know how he would flip someone off without fingers like mine.

Ragenta sure learned how to do it, however, and Angerly wasn’t pleased.

“DIE THIS DUMBASS!”

“No, Rangeta… That’s bad.”

“Buh why her?” the kid pointed at me.

“Because… she’s a problem child. And you don’t want to be a problem child right?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but was silenced by my friend's light glare.

“No… Not problem…” Ragenta deflated. “Solution!”

Angerly beamed. “Oh! Yes! That’s right baby! Solution! You’re so smart.”

We laughed until we finally made our way to the nearest stalls. The people knew me here, but they somehow knew Angerly even better. She didn’t even live here!

“Ah, Angerly! I see you brought friends.”

“Oh! Is little Ragenta with you today?”

“It’s 10% off, just for you.”

“Hello,” my friend responded to them with a light smile.

“Oh she’s doing well. How’s your son?”

“Thank you! I’ll buy 10% more then.”

We continued onto the markets, and sampled everything in sight. I ended up trailing behind the group for a small stretch of the journey as I took a moment to reflect.

I was joking earlier, but it wasn’t like the people here didn’t know me. I was definitely more well-known. They just… didn’t act the same way.

“Demon Queen,” I heard not even my name, but my spoken in a deferential manner.

“Oh, Haell… Hello. What would you like?” The centaur woman even bowed, when I demanded none of that.

“Tsk. What do you want?” The hostility was almost refreshing. That single ripple of my boundless hatred would’ve been enough to make a lesser person go mad.

Once upon a time, in another life, I got along with people like Angerly did–at least sometimes. But that was a life long past.

I smiled.

“Whoa hey! I hope you saved some from me!” I yelled and followed my friends into the ice cream store.

“We’re here!” I cheered once we arrived at the theater.

“Ah Miss Angerly, welcome.”

We talked to the host for a short while, and then we were welcomed inside. The doors were big enough for Arx, and so was our private booth, because massive sundertops and tyranights also existed. The play we watched was about someone reborn as a spider monster who found friends and somehow integrated into society. One of the main supporting characters was an inhex jester that loved to do pranks.

“That’s not how…” Arx began to comment, but then hesitated, “Maybe that’s how we would be, if we didn’t carry this weight, the centuries of slavery and torment...”

“You also haven’t gotten to meet the current day inhex of New Grandera,” Angerly mentioned gently. “They act… differently around you. But I can at least attest that some of them are quite energetic and cheerful. Your fight isn’t over, far from it most likely, but your people are healing. At least, some of them are, some of them can.”

I elbowed my inhex friend lightly. “Besides. It’s not like you’re all dreary all the time. You can be quite fun yourself.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. ” I chuckled, incredulous.

“Well, I’m glad the other inhexes can have fun too. I think about that sometimes, because you guys are great, but am I really allowed to have you in my life when my people are still trapped? ”

“Oh, Arx…” That was so sad, and it broke my hearts. I gave my friend a big hug, for all the ones he missed and was denied.

“,’ would be easy to say,” Angerly said while I consoled him. “So I won’t say that. But, I think of it this way, as someone who can really only look from outside: That joy is what the angels and their empire want to take from you. So if you want to take it back, then should you not start with yourself? Otherwise, what happiness will you share, when you have none?”

The play ended, but the day was still young! We had lunch at some tyranight place that had the biggest servings of meat. We rested at a park, and enjoyed this unrealistically peaceful display of nature. Angerly showed us to some book cafes after, hidden gems that I’d never heard of. Those were my hobbies, in my cities, and I didn’t know.

my

My parents then led us to some dance club, where they even participated in some of the shows. The two were even more familiar with all the fun places in my city, for that was all their life had been like these past few years. They seldom worked as adventurers anymore. They had a lot of savings, but they also lived on my dime, which I was only happy to provide. They’d done so much for me, sacrificed without asking for anything in return, and it made me happy to return at least a little bit of the favor, for how well and good they had raised me. I knew just how rare and precious of a gift that was.

“T-this is beautiful,” Arx tried not to disturb the venue with his sobs, as we listened to a beautiful orchestra. My friend turned out to have a love for music most of all, but he didn’t have a gift for instruments, unfortunately. We tried.

What he ended up having potential in was singing, and Arx secured a membership and some training in the same concert club Mom and Dad frequented.

We accomplished our one goal for the day, which was to have lots of fun!

The next day, I shared the details of my new Soul Feat to Moonwash. I was still sad about Grandpa’s death, but we’d had the funeral, and it was time to get back to work. I would remember him, but all the same, the world would forever keep spinning.

“What do you think about my theory of your extra soul feat being tied to your possession of so many of them already?” Moonwash asked as we scrutinized my other Soul Feat that I didn’t share with the others. “Or is it because of compatibility? Your whole being can be said to be steeped in curses after all.”

“All good possibilities,” I shrugged while lying on her lap along the bed. “But we can’t really know for certain. I think it’s both, or more. My discovery of my mini-rituals did make the greater magic have its attention permanently fixed on me. It actually got even worse since Pandemonium. Additionally, it could be tied to my actions and their significance. I have been slaughtering the armies of Edengar, or Angelore as a whole, for a long time. Of the four of us… I’m the only one who’s done so much of that. Killing the angel is just what finally pushed it over the edge.”

“It’s interesting that the effects of the soul feat are more uncertain. It uses language like ‘You may,’ and ‘unlikely.’”

“They’re covering their bases,” I chuckled. “I think its only real function is to create that connection between us, and a tenuous one at that. I can shut it off at will, but I bet the Angel’s Demise can too. I don’t have actual control over them, nor do they of me. Hence the wording. You never know what might happen, what if our interests one day no longer align?”

“I see.”

“One thing that does bother me, is any potential backdoor to my brain. I don’t wanna be brainwashed. But I’m very proficient at defending against that, and I don’t believe there’s anything I need to worry about. I mean, feeling raw desires and emotions can naturally bleed off into yours, but I can easily handle that much. I have the connection shut off most of the time anyway. I think I’ll only connect with them if I want to encourage them to attack something specific… Best not share with anyone that I can do that.” I giggled, thinking of how fucking troublesome that would be.

“That’s good,” Moonwash said. “I don’t think Soul Feats can really be negative. I haven’t heard of a single one from the accounts I’ve seen so far, at least.”

“Maybe you just don’t hear about the bad ones,” I shrugged. “It’d be a weakness, and people do not want to reveal those. Hell, people probably hide their Soul Feats just in general! They definitely do!”

“You’re right. It’s unfortunate that people keep so many secrets.”

“Can’t blame them. I do too.”

“At least I get to know yours.” She leaned down to kiss me. “I’m certain you have the best ones.”

I flew above the battlefield. Of Edengar and New Grandera’s forces locked in a mortal struggle. It was a war that had raged for ages, and the same war that took my grandfather’s life.

I frowned, but that was fine. This was the place to let all that violence out. I’d sat in on some important meetings, so I knew that Edengar was finally truly flagging. They were losing territory faster than their enemies could reach them. It was almost a mercy for New Grandera to take over, and truly convert the place through whatever criteria the Angel’s Demise used, so that they would not be utterly and completely annihilated.

I’d rested enough. It was time to get back to work.

I released the wellspring of rage inside of me, and immediately forced every single Edengarian there to shiver in fear. My evil eyes added to the pressure, and they began to break. They collapsed, they ran, they executed deserters and stood firm against our threat. This army was far from the strongest I’d stood against, but here I could see that they were now well and truly desperate.

I careened down to join them in the great struggle. Arrows and projectiles shot towards me, and the cursed armor that I wore suffered multiple breaks. By its origin, by the connection to my magic that made us one, by the , my vengeance came fast and powerful. All those who had shot and hit me immediately suffered debilitating injuries that tore through their bodies. Instantly, and without mercy, like how the Angel’s Demise might do it.

There was no escape, no way to block, this vengeful curse.

“ANGELSLAYER!”

“HERETIC!”

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?”

“YOU WILL PAY!!!”

I scoffed and landed among them with such force, that it made their footing falter.

Their rage was as laughable as ever.

It was time to restart the slaughter.

“I think this can help you evolve,” Moonwash mentioned on one wholesome day while doing more tests with Evel’s corpse.

“What?” My brows raised so terribly high in surprise. “REALLY!?”

“It’s still just a theory right now, but I can try to come up with a ritual.”

“It’d be awesome if it works, then!” I exclaimed. I immediately got excited. It made so much sense. If an angel was inherently mutable somehow, then of course their remains could be used for those purposes. “Do you think they used that same method to bring fountains and ishkawtans to this world!?”

“That killed an uncountable number of people. Uncountable because they didn’t want to count, and accurate estimates are sparse, but it’s definitely in the hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. So if that was them using angel flesh to make the process easier, then they completely suck at it.”

I hacked. “Hah! Yeah. They do suck. I also don’t know if they’ll be willing to make the sacrifice.” It was pieces of angel flesh they’d need to give, at a minimum.

“It might also not work as well if the donor is still alive.”

“That too.” Mutations could be very weird. “The angels will definitely not sacrifice their life for their plans.” I grinned as I stared at the dead one right in front of me. “Not on purpose, anyway.”

A comfortable silence passed as my girlfriend continued to prod her subject. I considered the evolution-enhancing possibilities of an angel corpse some more. I pictured myself getting even stronger through that angel’s death. Her body would give me better mutations, mutations, with which to kill those she once loved! I… remembered a friend who also wanted to evolve. Someone who… might need it more than me.

“Wouldn’t this…” I hesitated. I wanted it. This angel was mine. I killed it. “Wouldn’t… also benefit from this…?”

Moonwash didn’t answer for a few seconds.

“If it works, then yes,” she gave me the honest answer.

“I’ll go tell him...”

“You don’t have to.”

“Nah. I to. First off, we’re friends. So don’t be like that, Moonwash. That’s not nice,” I chided lightly. “Second of all, it was a group effort. It wouldn’t be fair for us to monopolize the Material if it’s that useful. And third, I’m pretty confident I’ll survive another evolution anyway. I even have multiple soul feats relating to that! I’ll be fine. But anyone else… who knows?” I waved my hand dismissively. “It probably won’t make my evolution stronger anyway, just safer. That’s the most likely scenario, right?”

“No. I don’t know if that’s the case.”

“Urrrgggghhhh… Tell me that I won’t be missing out on anything!!”

“But you might be.”

“Guuunuuunuuunuuuuu!!!” I rolled around in frustration, but ultimately decided to still do the honest thing and tell Arx.

I wanted him to survive his stupid plan, and thrive as the new king of the inhex.

—Adamo PoV—

I groaned as I flew across the dwindling shores of my territory. The cursetaceans had thoroughly infested it, they who now called themselves the Angel’s Demise. Those scum, they would be our demise!

A single swing of my axe eviscerated swathes of them. I felt their retaliation come despite how weak they were, unable to fight back on their own. My body heaved from the pain, and I wheezed out a sharp breath. My holy magic swiftly healed my wounds, I would not be brought down by such lowly creatures, but I could no longer get even a moment’s rest from their torture.

“AAH!” I let out a sharp scream when a stronger cursetacean got an attack through my backside. My vision blurred for a moment, but I flooded my eyes with holy mana to steady them and swept my axe towards my unthinking assailant. The crab flew away and died, and for that I again suffered.

They weren’t even real! They were just the last petty act of a cruel dragon. And then his creation proceeded to hound us for centuries, forever unrelenting. They’d poisoned even the minds of those who should be our subjects, and now they fought on the same side as these creatures! They took Evel away from us! They killed her! She was an angel! The value of her life exceeded theirs! Did they not understand that?! Did they not understand that they fought on the side of evil! Did the cursetaceans not make that obvious!? They should be falling to their knees and begging us to take them in! That was how it’s supposed to be! That’s how… it’s supposed… to be…

I flew… somewhere, and reached another city. I killed the cursetaceans in proximity, especially the larger and stronger ones. I bore through the pain… for this would not be enough to take down an angel. Even though I really shouldn’t be the one to suffer like this. My subjects should be the ones to make the sacrifice. It was their role and their duty. Not me… not me… But they were so weak! They were useless! Why did we even keep them around! Why did we protect them! They couldn’t even put down the rebels. Those insubordinate dwarves! The harpies! The elves beyond redemption! Why, why, It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!

I crashed into another crowd of cursetaceans. I fell onto the sand along with their remains. I heaved myself up, panting. My body healed, as more of them tried to tear me apart. I crushed them with my axes. I walked instead of flying. I continued to kill the enemies of the hegemony. It was just that same slog forever. Nothing ever changes. Not since I saw all my brethren be slaughtered by a native. Archangels, even. What was I compared to them? All I could do was kill and suffer. Kill and suffer. Kill and suffer. Kill and… and… kill… suffer…

I flew up high, away from their reach. A few birds tried to disturb me, but I just killed them… and they didn’t take their revenge in death. That was how it was supposed to be! How it’s supposed to be!!

“AAAGGGGHHHH!!!” I screamed my rage and frustration. I flew for where my true enemies should be!