“That’s quite low of you, Maximo. Playing with your enemy is a bad habit. Please, be quick of whatever you want to do.”

“I know, I know.” He replied. “I’m wrapping this up.” Maximo nodded in acknowledgment.

“What is he doing exactly?” Alastor asked quietly, his voice is laden with dread. He’s losing confidence in the member of the so-called 10 rooks. He just noticed by now that Dorian is eating a lump of dried meat. His cheeks are red from churning.

“Every monster has its own limit, even this one, and its abilities. Exuding efforts is the problem here, it takes a rigid warrior to stand against the monster. But for Maximo, it wouldn’t be a problem if he’s kindly inclined to seriously take it down. Just like spells, the monster’s regeneration ability rooted in its prowess, in short, the abnormal mana it possessed. Nevertheless, overusing the ability will weaken the user and that is what’s Maximo’s aiming for, to strike the weakest point of the enemy. I don’t doubt that he would be able to defeat it, what I worried about is the casualties. That jerk would allow more to be injured just to have his fun.”

“Hey!” Maximo shouted. “I heard that!”

The smog of dust and grime dissipated as Maximo stepped forward at a slow pace under the neon moonlight which is partly covered by the clouds nearing over the moon. His sword held aloft and carefully as he tramped closer to the enemy. He glanced around the trees that are cleanly cut in half.

“Shit, the directors are gonna kill me for the mess I made.” He softly said. He stopped and scanned the gasping Deziun Alle. “I don’t want to get scolded again. Guess I’m gonna have to kill you.”

His heavy sword pointed forward. His speed remained unrivaled compared to the enemy. The tip of the sword pierce through but the solid body of the enemy wasn’t hit by it. The dark entity suddenly flung into a black gas spewing through the sky.

“This is bad,” Dorian muttered. “Maximo! Sorry but I gonna have to intervene.”

In an instant, the wind voluptuously scattered and disrupted their senses. Dorian already made his way and leaped to the sky. The shadowy figure overtook the moon lightens sky as it streaks havoc killing the birds and other monsters.

“What the hell are you doing old man?!”

“The monster just entered soul ripper phase. Any physical contacts will be unabated.”

“It’s my prey!”

“I know, I know. But you won’t be able to stop this thing now. It’s going to hunt souls for its strength to replenish, it might even get stronger if it exceeds the normal range of its appetite.”

Dorian’s ax began to glow and left a cloud of white dust and misty particles. Its warmth reaches their senses. The monster felt the heat from the ax and glance down. The clouds began to gather around and the shadowy figure leaped inside it.

“Useless!”

Dorian swung his ax to the cloud. He felt through the tip of its ax that it caught something, but only part of it as the cloud splits in half. The force dissipated some of the clouds and unveiled the injured Deziun Alle. The green liquid is oozing out from it as it leaped to another cloud.

Dorian kicked the air and directed his ax to the enemy.

“It’s really hard to aim with a fixed angle. Please, don’t make this hard on me. Let’s start this over again.”

The ability he performed surprises them. It’s unusual for them to see someone skyrocketing towards the sky with only the force of kicking in the air, but nonetheless, nothing truly astonishes them longer than this. All of their previous encounters, including the Arbiter left a permanent reminder to them that there is something beyond them, and this power that came from a member of 10 rooks proves over again.

Dorian squeezes his eyes shut as he felt the air rubbing and drying his eyes, but he could still feel the portentous presence of the enemy luring his nose right to its ghastly body. Other than his intense training, the hard beating from the previous missions he had, his senses were sharpened to the point where his sense of smell and hearing can hear the rubble of stones and the whispering leaves clapping over the shrill of wind.

He opened his eyes and can still clearly see the bode of black ghast hovering through the grey clouds. Dorian kicked against the air again and this time he doubled his speed. Behind the small hill and the trees, the void of light filled the mansion.

When he’s closed enough, he conjured a spell.

“Lightning made magic, lux latitudinem constringes.”

A bolt of purple lightning strikes the enemy out of black clouds that gathered together. The strikes continued and enveloped the enemy, shocking it continuously. It howls and fell down on the ground. The earth shaken and under the smoldering smoke, the purple lightning sparkled, faint yet heavy rumbling like squall wicking away the smoldering dust of the peaceful grass field.

“Now, that you’re constricted, this should be a cinch. Unveil caput verus draco.”

The ghastly figure began to change form and return back to its original state. Deziun Alle intended to resist the purple lightning but the more it struggles the more the lightning tightened and harder, it even saps its strength to maintain its closure.

“Inquiara Magic: Divine Arson.”

His white lighted ax grew brighter, blinding, and warmer than it is. He cleaves the ax towards the Deziun Alle. The moment it makes contact with it as Dorian strike down, the white light enveloped the surroundings around 15 meters, towering as huge as their eyes can see on top of the sky.

It was unfortunate to the rest of the monsters that got caught up in the blast, they weren’t spared by the holy light that burns within its range. The tower of light shone bright that it reaches the eyes of the beings from far there.

Just watching how things unfold, Alastor couldn’t help but compare himself. All of the voices in his thoughts keep reminding him how inferior he is, it doesn’t stem from jealousy but rather self-depravation. After he faced the Arbiter, he thought he can do more better than allowed the Deziun Alle control over their advantage and turn the tide of events, but instead he’s given the thoughts that he was preordained to be weak. He always keeps telling himself that he’d become better, but the more challenges he faces the more it’s harder for him to stand up for his resolve. The feeling of inferiority was proof that he’s scared of not catching up out of his wits.

His thoughts dissipated as the vicious ringing light calms down and shrunk until it disappears to no more.

Except for Linda who’s helping Kazan, they all went to the place and saw Dorian sitting down. His ax stuck on the ground and no traces of Deziun Alle.

“Hey!” Maximo shouted. “Why did you butt in? That was my prey!”

All of them felt a chill on their spine as Dorian turns to gaze, especially Maximo, he felt an intense feeling from his darting eyes.

“My interference wouldn’t be necessary if you have done the job.”

“I told you I have a plan.”

“Yet you continue to play with it. I know what you’re planning. You intend to deplete its energy so its regenerating capabilities would drop. But the only thing you did is to return to its original state. It would devour souls if it wouldn’t stop and the casualties that we swore to halt would add another more. Now, what do you think those people would think of us?”

Maximo looked down, realizing his mistake.

“Now, don’t give that damn look. You do know well that wouldn’t do any better.”

Maximo did not reproach his subordinate because he feared that any more contradictions would lead to more conflict. Maximo might be hard to handle, but at least he’s conscientious enough to see his mistake and repent for it to do better.

Dorian scanned Kazan. The more they waste time here the more his health declines.

“Pardon me miss Linda,” Dorian’s stood and came closer. “But would you please sit him down for me?”

Linda softly nodded in acknowledgment. He carefully led Kazan to lead to lean on a trunk of a tree. Dorian’s right hand was covered in a white hue as he touches Kazan. For a moment he grunts, exposed to the antagonizing pain. Although it was quick, his mind succumbed into the darkness and his body laid to rest to the ground.

“He’s fast asleep, but he will recover. Don’t worry.” He said with a pacific tone.

It seems that they survive the night, but it’s too early to celebrate, there are still 6 days ahead… 6 days they have to endure until the spiteful curse would uplift and free them to continue on their lives.

Alastor used to dislike this place, not because of the field but his memories in it, but the thing he likes the most is what would come after the long night. It is the time when the day cast away the cloak of the night while the orange light spread along with the stars. The sunrise makes its way into the sky, at first, it was small but it will surely become bigger and brighter. At this time, nature is at its best, golden rays of the sun would give a bright color of orange that will streak to the clouds, meadows, and to mountains.

They all could agree on this thought, but it was simply too ludicrous for them to waste another more minute here. There is so much thing to prepare. They walked to the path and graciously felt the rays of cool and brazing to their eyes.