Alastor rolled over as the enemy tried to graze him with its claws. The shadow leap back to the forest its green eyes flashes before it disappeared in the darkness. Glox chanted a physical barrier magic to raise his defense. Glox and Alastor stand and lean each other’s backs.

They’ve been repeating this tactic for ten minutes. Neither of them has shown fatigue.

“You have any idea what it is?” Glox asked as his eyes remained scanning within his sight.

“Nope. This is a new one for me.”

“Pharax? Kalisas?” Alastor thought.

“How the hell can you not know about this?” asked Glox.

“I’m not a damn book!” Alastor shouted as he grips his sword and saw the monster’s green eyes flashes in the dark. “It’s in front of me!” He shouted.

Glox rolled sideward at Alastor right side and twisted around, prepared his knife.

“I got this.” Alastor said. The moment the monster hovered out in the darkness. Alastor swung his sword. The monster, on the other hand, evade it like a fluid in a form of shadow. It went for Glox and was astounded by it.

“Don’t just stand there!” Alastor screamed.

“I know,” Glox said.

With knives both in his hands swung it to each other as the enemy entered his range. Instantly, the shadow kicks the ground like a loud beat from a drum and fluently dodge it and leap straight up. Like a ballerina slender leg, its right foreleg bend and kick Glox.

He could feel pain piercing like a knife through his jaw, trembled and course to his brain and to his spine, hazing his consciousness. He leaped backward and throws knives at enemy. It shouted like a warrior like his lust has been fulfilled in the battle and with just a mere battle cry, knives were repelled.

“Just what is this thing?!” Glox shouted. He hisses as he wipes the blood dousing down to his chin.

Alastor once calm demeanor was replaced by annoyed visage. He raised his sword and fortified his stature down to his feet. Out of all monsters he has faced, this one is different. Like a judge, he observed at it from its dark skin head down to its feet.

“Maybe…?” Alastor glances at Glox. “This one maybe a demon.”

“What?” Glox utter in disbelief. “You sure about this?”

“That’s why I said maybe. So, I’m not completely sure.”

Glox shielded himself against the creature and with his violet eyes shone instinctively, he saw the red smoke spewing out of its body.

“Miasma.” He softly said.

Glox lurched back and with a bountiful strike, he successfully grazes the enemy. He pulled over forward, drew out his knife and went for a strike.

“This should be impossible.”

“We’re in Vesoga Plain. Everything is possible.” Alastor replied.

“What I mean is this being.” Glox said. “They’re supposed to stay in the underworld. I don’t understand by what means this thing were able to pass.”

Alastor guarded himself from the attack. His blade flashes as he repelled the enemy.

“Worry about that later. This thing needs a beating.” Al shouted.

“If that’s the case…”

“Hey, I wouldn’t mind you help me.” Al said.

“No, you lure that demon. I shall pursue on and guard Reia.”

“What?! You can’t be serious.”

“I leave this one to you. There might be another demon lurking around and might harm Reia and the others.”

Alastor hisses as he steps back. “Fuck. Fine. Do whatever you want.”

Glox nods and throws a smoke bomb. He sprinted away with as he throws another knife to the monster. Luckily, it hit.

“For once you did something useful.”

The monster groaned as it pulled out the knife out of its back. Its expression has a tinged of annoyance. The wind howled and had the leaves from the trees’ beat against the ground in a torrential sheet.

Alastor made a leap, his sword brimming in light. He successfully cut the enemy shoulder down to its torso. The faltered enemy spurred back to the pitch darkness. They could hear the loud screech coming from the blackness.

Once again, beyond the black pit of the forest, the enemy moved – encircled him like a sharp wind, whispering in the darkness. Prepared for the worst, Alastor steeled and fortified his ground. He made a sigh out of exasperation before retaliating to the incoming enemy.

Time slowed down as the enemy quickly pressed on to Alastor. Its sharp claw reaching to him within one foot away to his. He jumps on the right side. He held his sword high. When the shadow enemy came to his line of sight, the heavy sword arch like the scythe of death, beckoning to kill its prey.

The enemy cried out and drawn backward and attempted to attack him once more, but the wounded beast’s speed had faltered. The opportunity was seized and without flinching, Alastor diagonally attack the unknown beast.

It howled in anguish as it took a step back. Mist-like blood spilled over the air. It screamed like child throwing a tantrum as it dispersed like a mist until it was finally gone.

Alastor face tinged in pain as he held his chest that is twitching. He loses gripped to muster strength and briefly kneeled. He strongly pants – followed by heavy breathing as if there’s not enough oxygen pumping inside his body.

The world became a thick haze, the field within his vision stretches as if madness had taken over his mind. He gnarls and gritted his teeth.

Images flashes in his mind like a stripling film from an old movie. Frame by frame, unknown images come to dulled his senses.

He pounds hard on the ground trying to regain his sanity. It miraculously works. He gazes at the surrounding, ignoring his fist bleeding. The enemy has long gone and it’s going to be a long way to walk back to the city if he does not start now.

He heard a loud explosion far away to his location. A tower of blaze shone under the moonlight. “This could be a doing of that monster.” He thought.

He finally stood up. His soulless eyes struggle to find support, until his hands touch the trees and he walked past the glade with a sluggish gait.

Ɵ

His eyes wander around the forest. He has been walking aimlessly for couple of hours and yet he couldn’t see the main road. He had regained a portion of his strength from the last fight and already prepared to face any anomaly but so far there is none. He could find no monster and this bothers him.

He quickly bends down as he heard a sharp shrill coming from behind him. He quickly hides behind the tree as he saw what it seems to be an odd black shape sharp object struck on the tree.

He stole a peek at the source of it. The ground rumble and the trees shook. Leaves falls one by one as the man in silver armor walk pass the bushes and Alastor, picking up the blade with a shadow in liquid form absorbing it.

“Another demon?” whispered Alastor.

His blade unsheathed and he pressed forward. His sword rang against the armor and briefly spark as it bounced back. His hand momentarily numb – shaking his stance before leaping back.

The enemy glances back and saw him writhing in discomfort looking at his hand. The sword materializes out of the black liquid oozing out of its body. He held it like its weight is equivalent to a toy.

Alastor quickly poses a defense stance. Its quick movement caught him by surprise. The moment its black sword swung towards him; he fortified his body.

With only one swing, his bones screamed in pain. His entire body was thrown like a baseball got hit hard by a bat. His face creased in agony as his back landed on a tree. The shock wave coming from the blade numb his strength and couldn’t muster balance anymore.

“Fuck.” He swore.

He struggled to find balance and held his cracked sword. With great effort, Alastor charge forward, jinking from side to side trying to confuse enemy. Its menacing demeanor had waned his confidence. He shook his head and quickly shift his position to the left.

His precision is perfect but his strength is not enough to pierce the armor and so he retreated away. He heard the grunt coming from the colossal helmet as if its disappointed to his effortful assault.

Alastor refuse to give in to unconsciousness as he bit his lips. The enemy jump forward with its sword held high.

Alastor quickly raise his palm towards the enemy and chanted a spell.

“Cinque parete invisibile!” He shouted.

Five transcended walls appeared. The great sword from the enemy made a contact to the barrier. It cracks at first and he thought that it could take it and repel, but one by one, the walls shattered like glass fallen to the ground.

For a moment, everything went bright.

Ɵ

Everything is unclear on how he managed to get in here. Everything seems to be foggy as he tries to remember what happened, but what matters now is that he survived. He traveled for almost four hours now.

He can’t still seem find the right path to the city and aimlessly walking around with a looming face. His breathing is drawn to exasperation as he walks past the forest. Any moment now, his body is going down.

The sunrise dawned him that he’s in the middle of the flower field.

The chrysanthemums flail happily along the wind as his eyes gaze away from the blinding sun. The lovely smell from the chrysanthemum had make him ease and feel relaxed – freeing him from the anxiety and from fear.

The reality was too far from that. Alastor body acclimate to it and because of that, he had fallen unconscious.