Chapter 281: The Dead Are Here (1/2)

A lone old man walked amid a mountain of corpses. The stench of blood and decay filled the area, illuminated under a single silver string of the broken moon. Wolves howled in the distance, lamenting the loss of their dearest, as monsters growled in rage. The lone man took small steps and turned his head left first, then right, as though he was afraid to miss some detail from the horrifying view surrounding him.

A crow, with feathers so black it melded into the darkness of the night, flew down and settled on the right shoulder of the lone man.

”All are dead! All are dead!” it croaked incessantly into his ear. ”All are dead, and you're next!”

The lone man paid no heed to the taunts of the crow and continued to walk in a straight line, the line was easy to follow as on both of his side, as a mountain of corpses blocked his sight. He could only go straight ahead.

”The dead come looking for you! They wish for you join them!” The crow pecked the cheek of the lone man until he started bleeding. As the sudden sharp pain overtook him, he turned his head in a daze and caught a glimpse of what lay behind him. Dead men and women, adults and children, covered in blood and filth crawling ever so closer to him. Half a step separated him from the next body crawling towards him, and no matter how hard he tried, his feet couldn't walk any faster.

He tried to calm himself down by taking deep breaths and focusing on walking down his lonely road, but his head would always turn sideways, catching a glimpse of the horde following him.

However, much to his relief, he had finally exited the lonely road. The sky shone brightly all of a sudden, and the crow had turned silent. In front of him was a blue lake, the sun reflected on the water and green vibrant grass swaying at its side. The lone man dropped down in order to take a drink. He was thirsty, so very thirsty. He didn't know how long it took for him to cross the lonely road, but he was relieved it was over.

As he bent down in order to scoop the lake's water, he noticed ripples in the blue water of the lake. Taken aback, he stood back up quickly and waited to see what would come up.

Bodies, dead bodies, surfaced. It was the lone man's family, dead yet peaceful looking; unlike the bodies in the lonely road. However, their peaceful faces were no comfort to the lone man. His heart beat faster as his tears rolled down his chapped cheeks.

A white raven came out of the reflection of the sun; its feather wet but capable of flight. It settled down on his left shoulder and said, ”Death is here, but so if life! The one who raises the dead and the one who heals the sick, he who controls both, holds the key to the world. The one who feasts on worlds and the one who rules the elements, he who controls both, controls the fate of men.”

The lone man listened to the rabbles of the white raven until he felt a hand's hold on him. He heard the crow squeak into his ear saying, ”I told you the dead are coming for you!”

He turned around and found a familiar face staring down at his, a scarred face and eyes filled with sadness and regret. It was a dead man as well, and it told him, ”You took my wife, my daughter, and my son. I will take you with me.” The dead man's hand released the lone man, and instead approached his face.

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Ryuunosuke Nakamura woke up in a jolt as soon as the dead man, Erykytos, touched his face. He was drenched in sweat and breathed weakly. He was getting weaker and weaker every day, ever since the Battle of Generations. It was no secret that he was going to die soon, and it was a miracle that he held on for so long. The technique he had used on the day of the battle wore him completely.

”We thought we lost you, great-grandfather,” Hayato called out to him.

Ryuunosuke looked around the brightly lit room, and his eyes landed on the faces of all of his family members, as well as his guest, Edward Avalon. Only after seeing their faces filled with tears and worry did he realize that he was on his deathbed.