9/28 - Holy Lands - east region - morning

“Richard, we on the right track?” Marie asks me, keeping her attention to the road.

“I’m sure, we need to keep going until we hit a signpost.”

“Okay then.”

Marie steers her bikes forward on a dreary road. The clouds cover the sun from view, darkening the road with a lifeless gray that paints over the trees and other facets of nature. There’s no sign of animals around here.

Recently, we’ve been approached by a chief of a village we helped from bandits. He told us about a mine not too far from where we’re camping. So, as scouts, Marie, Nunnalé, and I are going to investigate, then report back what we found.

I came because I wanted to get out on the field more, so as expected, Nunnalé joined me. And while I don’t mind darker places, this is quite the offset from the south, which was rich with wildlife, forests that were lush, and there was barely a dark cloud there.

“Is the east always like this?’ I ask Marie.

“During the war, the kingdom was trying to get a threshold over here to help with the March to Borghulda, and even before then, knights would fight day in and out to claim the west and east regions.”

“It must have been quite the grueling battle.”

“You have no idea. For both sides, it was a dreadful battle that spanned years… That must sound unreal to you?”

“Not really, our world isn’t a stranger to war.”

“I see, but you’re in peace for the most part?”

“Yeah, but other parts of our world aren’t.”

“I see… Well, at least you and Proxy are living nice lives in your world.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

A branching path, leading left or right, presents itself. A rickety, wooden signpost is in the middle of the two paths. Looks like we made it.

“Next, turn left.”

“Got it.”

Steering left, we continue our drive for the mine. Four minutes of driving later, we stop on a small hilltop to get a better look at the mine. As described, there are carts coming out of a large tunnel leading through a wall of rocks. Rows and rows of carts on their own individual tracks as they sit there with nothing inside.

“Odd, where are the guards?” Marie asks.

“Maybe they’re further inside?”

“No, that makes no sense. You need someone to guard the outside. This isn’t the Hell Mine.”

She’s right. The reason the Hell Mine never had outside guards was that the workers weren’t strong enough to deal with the guards inside, and even if they tried to escape, the Warden had cameras all over the place, so even if they tried to, he would have guards chase them via contacting them on the radio. It’s safe to assume the Kingdom wouldn’t expend that type of technology on random mines like this, unlike the Hell Mine.

“We should take a closer look. Richard, Nunnalé, we–”

Nunnalé jumps to her feet, spawning her sword to her hand as she spins around. She aims her blade at someone behind us. Marie is quick to train her spear at the person behind us, who is wearing a hood, covering their face.

“Identify yourself.”

“Or else we’ll split you half.”

“My, as cautious as ever, Marie.”

This voice, I recognize it!

“Mr. Ovan?”

He takes off the hood, revealing himself. “As polite as ever, Richard.”

“Well, I’ll be, nice to see you again.”

“You too, Marie. But where is everyone else?”

“About that…”

Marie explains the situation to Ovan, who seems shocked by most of what he’s hearing.

“...So, you’re the ones going up against the bandits? I heard of your efforts, but I didn’t imagine it was you lot.”

“Well, my brother was the one who came up with the idea, we’re just going along with him.”

“I see. I’m glad you’re all doing well then. Speaking of, where is Proxy?”

“Oh, he’s doing fine. Well, he overworked his legs during a fight. But other than that, he’s doing fine.”

“That’s good to know. Knowing his personality, I couldn’t help but worry.”

“Oh, trust me, I know what you mean…” Marie trails off. “...but what are you doing here?”

“As you might know, me and my brethren deal with the mines that the kingdom has erected.”

“Oh, yeah. So are your guys nearby?”

“Yes, I was just getting a lay of the land for a moment. I’m about to give the signal to go in. Would you care to join us?”

“Sure, working together sounds better than going in alone.”

Cooperating with one another, we make our move on the mine. One by one, Ovan’s allies show themselves, armed with various weapons in hand. Edging closer to the entrance, Nunnalé rushes in, sword in hand.

“Hey, wait!”

Why is she rushing in on her own!? Whatever the case, we have to catch up with her. Treading deeper into the mine, we run behind Ovan and his band of men, anticipating an attack any minute now. The mines have several tunnels, heading into different areas of the mine, but we can see Nunnalé heading straight inside as she follows the mine cart tracks. She stops running, letting us catch up to her. She turns her attention to us.

“Master Richard, do not come any further.”

“Is something the matter, Nunnalé?”

A foul odor penetrates my nose. God, what the hell is this? Smells like trash left to rot under the sun! I don’t remember the Hell Mine smelling anything like this!

“Nunnalé, why did you run on ahead!? We need to…”

Marie ceases speaking, her mouth agape looks ahead.

“Marie, what’s going on?”

Her eyes are swift to lock on to me. “Don’t look!”

Her warning fails to keep me from seeing what is in front of us. The air grows heavy, my eyes narrow in on the gruesome sight in front of us. Bodies, human bodies severed into pieces, shuffled all over the place as if they were puzzle pieces. Dark red blood covers the walls, floors, and bodies, who are caked in it. The foul stench grows worse, worsening my nausea. I turn around to puke, avoiding everyone’s eyes. My sick endlessly spews from my stomach, the pain in my throat ramps up in intensity as I let it all out.

“...Bodies…those bodies!”

Why!? Why are they dead!? Who would kill people like this, why!?

“Master Richard, are you okay!”

I smack Nunnalé’s hand. “Of course not! Who would be after…” No! I can’t lose it, not now. Even if this is a horrific sight, something a normal human should never have to see, I have to stomach this. “Y-yeah…actually. I’m sorry for that uproar. Did I hurt your hand, Nunnalé?”

“No, it was a weak strike, so all is well.” Geez, way to tell me that in such a way, but at least I didn’t hurt her. “...However, master Richard, you secreted a bodily substance from intense stress, are you sure you are okay?”

“I am, no need to worry.”

There’s no time to be worrying about me, I have to keep up so I don’t drag anyone down.

“If you say so, but I want you to leave with Nunnalé. We’ll investigate this place for any survivors, or if there are other attackers.”

“But I can help.”

“Trust me, it’s better if you stay out of here. Take him, Nunnalé.”

“Of course. Come, master Richard.”

“Okay…”

I hate being treated like a child, but she isn’t wrong? If I stay here, the puke-inducing smell is gonna drive me insane. My legs slack as I move behind Nunnalé, who is keeping a narrow gaze on me.

“Um, Nunnalé…it’s kind of hard to face forward with you looking at me like that.”

“I do not understand, am I doing something to cause you discomfort?”

“No, it’s just…you’re staring too intently at me.”

“I see.” Nunnalé faces forward. “...Master Richard, may I share an observation with you?”

“What is it?”

“When observing the bodies, I happen to notice that most of them were cut into pieces, however, the cuts seem to have gone straight through in a horizontal or vertical angle. Such a method was consistent for each body.”

If that’s true, then means the attackers were strong enough to cleave a person in half with one strike. Wait, are we even sure it was more than one person? If that were the case, the battle between them and the guards would have left some dead on the invader’s side, right?

“Nunnalé, did you see anyone who wouldn’t be from this mine?”

“I suspect not. Judging from how the bodies were dressed in ragged clothes, dirted from mining activity, I am 93% sure.”

Hmm, something doesn’t add up. The way they died, the feeling I’m getting from all this, these people didn’t die in a battle, they were slaughtered.

“Master Richard, I know I am overstepping my boundaries by leaving your side, but I have a reason.”

“What was it?”

“The reason I ran inside the mine by myself was due to the fact that I sensed Source.”

My body runs cold, all the hairs on my back stand up. A Source-user did this!? Could it be the same one Proxy fought…? Maybe it’s too early to jump to conclusions. First, I need to understand everything I can from this.

“What did you find out from that? Are you able to track them from this?”

“This individual did not take care to keep their Source in check, thus creating a trail. So far, all I can tell is that it belongs to a single person, and this Source correlates with the traces I spotted on the deceased.

Then this is acting like a breadcrumb trail? In that case…

“Nunnalé, does their trail lead outside?”

“Yes, it does. It’s likely that I am able to track them.”

“Then I’ll get the others. You’ll lead us to the killer.”

“Understood.”

…

Inside a wide storage shed, a boy, bathed in blood cradles his arms as he’s on his knees. His teeth jitter as he stares at the wooden floor.

“I…Everything, blank, unable to…I…can’t…I…I… KILLED THEM! TORE THEIR LIMBS, SLICED THEIR INNARDS, CUT THEIR ARMS. LEGS, HEADS, GUTS APART! BLOOD, BRAINS, ALL THE MORSOL FLEW! I…I…I…I…I KiLlDkIlIdKillDkiLlD…! Family…dead! Why…am…I…alive?”

“You live as a vessel, nothing more.”

“Please…kill…me!”

“I am not stopping you from ceasing to exist, but would you kindly leave this body behind?”

NO! mONSTWRR! yOU MOntSter!

“Me? No, I never killed your family. At that moment, I gave you control, I simply allowed you to enact your desires. You are the one who tore their bodies apart, splashing their blood all over the walls as their limbs flew everywhere… You relished the thrill.”

I…Mon…st…er…? NOOOOOOOOOOO!

The broken boy, using the last of his will, howls his despair, letting his voice permeate throughout the shed he presides in. Tears torrent from his eyes as he squirms around on the floor, thrashing his body every which way, hoping he would end his life. However, fate has already declared his life forfeit the moment he placed his hands on the sword. As such, his mind sinks into an unfathomable pit…

“Hello, is anyone here?” A curious man from the village, not too lean but not lacking in muscle, enters the storage that the young man finds himself in. “...Hey, are you alright? Do you need any help?”

The man closes in on the boy. His footsteps seem louder, the noise outside has ceased, the air has turned dull, and his hands tense up as he approaches. This man, who is not trained in Source in any way, is able to feel the devastating intensity of the Source coming from the sword, or rather, the boy, who has been consumed by it. This pressure is not heavy, rather, it’s as if one is stepping on broken glass without shoes.

“Are…are you…okay?”

The young man rolls his head, cracking the bones in his neck, grinding them together to create an awful sound like a cat being stepped on. Dread runs down the man’s spine as he faces the boy, who is caked in blood, glaring at the man without a hint of humanity in his eyes, only excitement.

“...Why yes, I am…”

The vessel no longer holds the soul of a boy, but that of a demon!