20 「The Scripture of the Dead」 (1/2)
Lowering his fingers from the corner of his forehead, Jack's eyes rested on the caskets resting beside the base of the Citadel. There was a large plot no too far away which was being built by the golems. It was being gated in as trees and bushes were being planted as decoration. It was the beginning to a cemetery. A cemetery that looked probably thousands of times better than the one in E-Rantel.
Those who've been killed and laid to rest here, will never raise again as a member of the undead. As it was partly because of Jack reciting the spell of 「True Death」over the bodies.
Ninya stood beside him as they were both looking over their friends closed new homes.
In the hindsight of his mind, he could still hear their voices. The friendly voices of Peter, Lukrut and Dyne. Out of all of them though it was clear that Jack would miss Dyne the most as out of all of them he was the most accepting.
”Ninya... The Slane Theocracy has made a move to the South. I'm going to intercept, will you be alright alone?” His voice was calm despite the words hidden in his eyes.
He knew he had to go, but he didn't want to leave her here. However at the same time, he knew he couldn't take her with him. Like their friends, she was much to weak to fight at this time.
”Jack...” Ninya appeared to smile up at him, emotion was overflowing from the rims of her eyes. She had wished that it be raining to hide her tears, but that be not the case. ”I want to continue my training.”
Jack stared through her with these words coming from her mouth. She wanted to continue her training? Was it because it would cause her pain, or was it because it would make her stronger? Or was it becaue of both? He understood the power of emotions and things that it could make people do to themselves or say to others.
”Are you sure?”
”I need to become stronger, otherwise even if I find my sister, I'll be unable to help her.”
Slowly Jack began to nod, understanding her plight. She understood that her friends were far to weak to go against a mere two people. The fight had been three against two, and from what she saw, Momon was the only one who landed blows on the enemy.
”As long as it is what you want,” Jack sighed as he brought a hand up to run his fingers through her short hair. Caressing the side of her head, tracing the top of her ear, before letting his hand fall back to his side she could let her cheek sink into his hand.
”Thank you,” she lowered her head to look at the ground, feeling shame and guilt. ”Thank you for asking me to stay here with you while they went ahead.”
This was indeed on her mind. She had lost great friends, but she hadn't lost her life and that was thanks to him. His confession and kindness, it inadvertently kept her alive.
”There is no need to thank me,” A shallow smile was resting on his lips as he took a step back from her, slowly increasing his distance. ”If I hadn't stopped you from going, you would've experienced death and lived through it.”
Ninya's lips parted as he said this, saying that she would have lived even if she had died.
He had placed the spell of「Delayed Revival」 in the back of her mind. It was a delayed spell that was activated subconsciously before the brain stopped working, bringing the user back several minutes afterward.
”Thank you...” She said again after the awkward pause before suddenly, he vanished upon reciting a single spell 「Greater Teleportation」. He was going alone to confront the Black Scripture which had just encountered a powerful Vampire known none other than Shalltear Bloodfallen.
…
After a quick visit to the coroner in the E-Rantel Fortress City, he made his appearance in the forest. In his hand was a bloodied brown sack. The blood was drying already, so it was assumed whatever was inside wasn't at all that fresh.
He could hear the people that he deemed his targets shouting, ”Retreat!” Several soldiers and members of the Black Scripture were making a run for the border of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Many of them were unsure if the power of the world item would even hold the Vampire at bay.
It had been capable of taking out two soldiers, bodyguards, and putting Kaire in critically lethal state.
What as their mission in this Kingdom? It was unknown what their purpose was, but it was very well assumed it was something to do with attacking the Kingdom. However that was not the case. It had something to do with the divination spell used on Commander Nigun Grid Luin which was countered.
His eyes traced over the seated members of Black Scripture which were present. This included their Captain, who had black hair and what appeared to be red eyes. He was strong compared to the others present, physically anyway.
His attire was also rather impressive.
His eyes skimmed the others though and quickly he took note of Cedren who was dead and Karie who was severely wounded wearing a world item.
”Huh...” Jack stared at the item, he already knew what it was since it was from YGGDRASIL and was indeed a world item worth getting. He'd decide right there and then that would be his target.
Yet before he left his cover behind the trees, he wanted to take in the sights of the other seated members present. Using 「Greater Identification」on all of them one by one.
They were clearly stronger than the average joe. Especially the higher he went up the food chain. However, they weren't necessarily on the level of fully fledged players or Dragons. Except for the Captain that is. Apparently he was considered a member of the God-kin, descendants of players.
The idea that they considered players Gods sounded pretty good to him. The only problem was their eccentric nature to believe humanity was on the top. To him that was a grand mistake. Though he had yet to know that the Black Scripture had a half-Elf on their roster.
「Aport」
With a single use of this spell, the dress being worn by Kaire vanished as she was being carried to safety. This immediately caused just about everyone to stop and regroup.
”Get into formation! We're not alone!”
The Captain was quick to get all the members present into one location. They took a circular formation. Soldiers would dig their long shields into the ground, while the seated members took a look around from where they stood in the center.
He had his spear at the ready.
Jack grinned as he had the dress hanging over his left arm. He then snapped his fingers, causing the bloodied sack to vanish from his own hold and reappear directly above the group.
As the bag fell from the sky, it turned and opened. And from there Jack began to whistle a tune, one from his own world and the song itself had been stuck in his head for a long time.
”Oh my darlin' Oh My Darlin' Oh My Darlin' You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, Clementine.”
The decapitated head of Lady Clementine, landed with a putt sound directly in front of her brother, the fifth seat of the group. He was a summoner and they looked quiet alike.
His name was Quaiesse Quintia, also commonly referred to as the One Man Army.
When the head landed, bounced, and rolled to his feet. He stared down at it as the head of his sister stared right back up at him.
His sister was a traitor who was attempting to escape from the Theocracy's assassins Scripture. It was clear someone else however had killed her, took her head and dropped it in front of them.
”Is that...?”
”The former Ninth Seat.” The Seventh seat seated as she pushed her purple framed glasses closer to her eyes. She observed the cut mark, it was clean. The decapitation was post mortem.
She was dressed in a female schoolgirl uniform, had light brown hair and orange eyes. She was quick to look in the direction of the male who had teleported it to their location as he stood up with the dress in hand. Yet as she went to speak, her jaw hung low as she watched the clothing vanish into a rip in space time. It was just like the Gods in which they worshipped, the inventory.
”What's with the bunny ears?” Jack asked casually as he came stepping out into the clearing before the group. The soldiers of the Scripture moved and formed a semi-circle with their weapons pointed towards the unknown man.
”You are aware that uniform is for girls who attend school, right?” His head lulled to the side as he wasn't given an esteemed response by the seventh seated member of the scripture.
Overall she looked cute, but at the same time it just didn't feel right. Out of all of them, she was wearing modern clothes and even carrying a modern bag.
”Identify yourself!” Shouted the Captain.
”Cipher. Or Ci, for short. Your not my friends, so I'm not going to bother giving you my true name.”
”Not our friend?” Laughed out the second seat known as Time Turbulence. One could only assume what kind of powers or power they're known for using from the name.
”Huh...” Jack looked over this person who was dressed in green, with green eyes and medium brown hair. ”Almost thought yo were a girl.” his eyes were stuck on the miniature hat on the top of his head.
Turbulence froze for a brief second as his hand idled on his weapon.
Two members of the group were already dead, the other was going to die if they didn't get her back to the Theocracy. What were they going to do? A battle of Attrition? This man was stronger than the Vampire that they had locked into a mind control.
So what were they going to do?
”You have the Ruinous Beauty, will you not let us go?”
”After the Sunlit Scripture attacked Carne Village?” Jack chuckled with malice, ”You'll just keep coming back into Re-Estize, and I can't have that. Your wounded will die. And your dead, will stay dead.” His chuckling got quite a bit louder as he marched towards them until he was only standing mere meters away.