《The Great Hero》Chapter 7: Count Down To Death.
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The girl who stood before me was a demon. She is most definitely not human; no human should be able to get their hands on the methods to learn such magic. It was well hidden; as her mind magic’s primary layers of defence are old and weak human variants of our own. I need to know more about her to make any clear judgement about this situation.
I cast [Magic Suppression](A spell that supresses the signs that magic is being cast.) and then cast [Mind Bypass](A spell that decides the best method to bypass a mental defence then auto casts this particular method if the user knows it). It took only a short time before I could establish a connection to her mind, I would normally be far faster, but because I focused on secrecy over time taken it takes a bit longer than normal. I finish up with casting [Magic Suppression] and [Pseudo-mind](A high level mental defence magic that simulates a mind and redirects blocked attacks to it).
The girl again presents me with the magic stone. The stone itself was a small spherical mass with a tranquil almost mesmerising purple sheen. I took the stone and the magic was redirected to the pseudo-mind. The girl casted a magic, secretly, called [Cast Validation]. It did as it said and validated weather a magic had taken effect witch was also redirected to the pseudo mind and sent back to her. She looked happy for some reason and upon closer inspection of the degraded version of [Language Comprehension] it had a slight modification to connect the two minds. While this was happening I casted [Absolut Apprehension]. As the connection was unstable at best, and I didn’t want her finding out that I was stealing info from her own mind, I terminated the link prematurely. I managed to retrieve here post and name. Her name was Viroessa. The same as my second eldest daughter… memories I don’t want should stay in the past. No… more importantly her post is what is truly interesting. She is a [Demon General]. An existence only exceeded by [Hero],[Demon Lord] and [Demon King] class existences.
I need to get that sword off her then mediate with her over what we should do. The plan of killing the envoy of the end by using the king as a puppet wasn’t a new idea by any means. However the hero through one way or another either escapes or some random event occurs allowing him to escape; or so as the records say. In this case it seems that the Demons are trying to use the envoy of the end as a tool to annex the humans.
I allow the pseudo-mind to takeover my body and I retreat behind it to wait and see how this will play out.
The king asks again:
“Oh great hero, I implore you, Please help us kill the evil demon king!”
Vinoessa uses [Suggestion](A magic that compels you in a certain manner to do something.)
“Yes! I will do my best to kill the evil demon king!”
The pseudo-mind replies. The irony is not lost on me.
The king looks ecstatic and Vinoessa lets out a smile that can only be called angelic.
“Excellent! Great Hero we, the human race, bequeath you this great and righteous sword.”
The king excitedly exclaims. There is a disgusting implication that this is all an act to make me feel safe where really I’m only a political pawn to use for his own benefit. Vinoessa seems to not be in control of him at the moment.
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“Here you go, Oh Great Hero.”
Vinoessa said with a bewitching smile making her seem even more beautiful. Anyone who looked at her, at this moment, would be awestruck with what absolute beauty looks like. Even the Pseudo-mind was in awe and began to blush.
The pseudo-mind took the sword from her jade like hands and I felt an overbearing power befall me. It was abnormal because even though it seemed overbearing the power it gave was uncannily familiar. Vinoessa sent out another [Suggestion] to the pseudo-mind. My body, uncontrollably, knelt before Vinoessa.
She had a contemptuous smile as if victory was assured. Though this never detracted from her overall beauty. I think she has had enough fun now, I thought, as I began to get a bit tired of her shenanigans.
I removed the pseudo-mind’s control over my body and looked up at her. Her slight content turned into open discontent as she sent a signal to, the now redundant pseudo-mind, using [Suggestion] “lower your head”. I look back at her as a spectrum of emotions befalls her. Confusion and bewilderment subsides slowly for visible enragement. I raise the holy sword towards her direction in case she still has any ideas of fighting back. She becomes visibly fearful knowing the powers the sword can grant and attempts to bargain with me.
“I’m sorry for trying to control you; it seems I have underestimated your power. If you join me you can be rich!”
I raise the sword further and retort with
“I have no whim nor will to possess excessive amounts of materialistic items”.
The girl seems shaken but pushed forward “Very well … Hero”.
She begins to blush in such a manner that a goddess would turn and look at her in awe of how beautiful she was.
“If you nee.. n … to satiate your carnal desires then you are more than welcome t-to”.
I nearly coughed up blood. Forget a goddess god himself would see the being as an anomaly for how uncannily adorable she was. However my expression had been trained to remain sternly under my control, for nearly 800 years. I didn’t let my face show discontent as my entire race burned beneath my feet. I could not allow it. I had to be the absolute role model of my race and lead them in the right path, especially in the end. Alas it was all for naught.
All the men in the room had effectively been petrified in place like statues. These seemed to be the most well trained knights in the country or more suitably dictatorship. This only exacerbates the current situation. I look towards the girl with a slight blush myself but still keeping up a stern expression. Her blush only intensified for reasons unbeknownst to me. I replied in a voice of slight bewilderment
“Umm… n.. no,no,no I don’t require nor desire anything to that extent”.
She seemed to look at me in contemplation but her eyes showed a deep sorrow. She let out a sigh and with a resigned voice declared.
“Very well I surrender; I cannot do anything against you”
She seemed to lose all hope. As a single azure diamond falls from her tear duct towards the floor.
-----------------------------------------------POV Vinoessa --------------------------------------------------
I was tasked by the demon king; the mightiest and most proud standing member of my race, the demons. I am one of the weaker [Demon generals]. I am for some reason famed for my beauty and moreover my strange nature. I am seen as timid by my peers who are all members of the succubae [1]; a sub-denomination of the demon race. I am also rather young at only 50 years old and currently the youngest [Demon General]. I am known by many as “The one hidden in plain sight”. My main job is espionage and undercover operations in internal and external affairs. My combat prowess is very rudimentary as I am nearly never found out. I am very good at [Mind Magic](The system of magic encompassing anything to do with the mind including offence and defence). I also know a rare magic known as [Transformation Magic](Magic that allows the user to transform into any desired form for extended periods of time). This is the key factor in me being a [Demon General]; as it gives me a major edge over others in espionage.
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I was tasked by the demon king about a month ago to investigate suspicious troop movements in one of the other races; the humans. The humans are a race that is constantly in civil war. One power struggle after the next. What’s worrying about this race in particular is that there are legends of a ritual they can do to summon a terrifying being from somewhere far away beyond the stars. This being is known by our people as “The Crimson”. Apparently the origins of this name from the legends is because “The Crimson” will watch the world fall into ruin as the sea will turn red from deaths he causes and the skies will be died in a crimson hue as the world burns to dust; Or so say the legends. “The Crimson” is the sort of thing you expect to jump out of your closet when you are young;; the being who lurks beyond the darkness; a true monster. “The Crimson” is used to instil fear in children so they won’t do bad things. My mother used to tell me when I was young that “The crimson will come and eat you if you don’t finish your meal”. The thing that brings true terror to our race is that this being seems to be real. The last time one came was over 5000 years ago. The world was plunged into war and something that can only be described as a mass extinction level event occurred. There was once a race called “The Dwarfs”, famed for their handiwork, they were driven to extinction on behalf of the “The Crimson”.
Anyway I digress; I managed to infiltrate the upper echelons of the kingdom of Galradia and make its king, who was well known to be corrupt to the bone, my puppet. I used a favourite magic of mine [Suggestion] as it only influences a person’s free will and does not make them loose there sanity. After investigating; appears that the king is using his own people to fuel the magic used to summon “The Crimson”. Tens of thousands of people were subjected to their very being there soul in another sense being torn from them and converted into raw energy and being stored in magic stones. It pained me to see that I was too late to interject because they were sacrificing the last few people when I had got there. I am not heartless and hate to see others in pain. It also disheartens me that the humans are content with slavery. We don’t keep slaves and never have done. We help each other’s in times of need. Even other races we help out from time to time or mediate wars/peace negotiations between them.
I was too late also to stop the summoning of “The Crimson”. It takes about 1-2 months for the spell to power up and if it’s forcibly stopped a catastrophic explosion would occur; destroying the entire eastern side of the continent including a large amount of the demon territory. The best I could do is pose as the court magician and withhold the “sword of death” or at least try to kill it while it is still weak.
I am currently standing in the room where the incarnation of terror “The Crimson” is soon to manifest. The disgusting king is standing to my side. The magic formation on the floor is terrifyingly intricate and in full motion spinning with various sub formations spinning in the opposite direction within it. It was releasing an ill-omened hum with every rotation getting slightly louder. Suddenly the formation halted and a blinding sea of light flooded the room as it cascaded from the formation. I was in a daze.
After the light receded and the auxiliary lights emanated a slight green glow a human boy, by human standards, of around 16 years of age, as he stood up he released a refined, sharp, chivalrous and regal yet amiable aura. Is this really “The
Crimson” I have heard so much about?
The boy began to stand and the king said some cringe-worthy thing about plunging the world into chaos or something like that. I didn’t exactly listen because I was mesmerised temporarily by his refined demeanour. He stood glaring at me with a handsome face holding an indifferent expression. His hair was bundle of short golden-blond strands that daunted to the finest silks used in the demon capital. His eyes had an ethereal almost angelic golden hue. His irises could only be only be described as divine haloes encompassing an almost melancholic void that had witnessed the world burn.(His pupils) It was almost heart-breaking as there was an inexplicable sorrow lodged at the very core of his pupils. His face seemed to be hand crafted by the gods themselves. His physique was perfect having well-toned, steel like muscles; not enough to make him seem like a brute but just enough to say he was well trained. This, combined with is refined and wise aura, gave him an overall look the gods themselves would be jealous over.[2]
No, no, no. This is bad I should not be mesmerised like this there are more pressing issues. First I need to trick him into holding the modified magic stone I made with quite a bit of effort. It contains a trojan with the mask of a [Language Understanding] spell and a [Mind Connection] payload. I snap back from my gaze form the youth who stood before me and turned my head to look at the abomination,*cough* king, to my left. I said in the most docile manner I could.
“I don’t think he can understand us.”
The king nods in agreement. The youth that had just risen up looked at me with a glare that seem to discern my entire being and it made me break out in a cold sweat. I am comforted to know from the accounts referenced “The crimson” to be weak upon summoning and what was to look out for was his infinite and dauntingly swift growth speed.
He seems to snap out of his daze and returned back to his standard indifferent gaze. The knight from the back of the room brings me a crystal with the modified [Language Understanding] held within. I present it to the youth and, seemingly too easily, he fell for the trick and I established a connection with his mind. I tested my favourite spell [Persuasion] and it worked surprisingly well. I got the king to ramble something about the demons and I pass the youth the sword. I smiled as he took it because it seemed like the sword didn’t do too much to affect him. I said some pre-planned words:
“Here you go, Oh Great Hero.”
I let a little of my charade drop as I became contempt. Is this really “The crimson” from the legends? I [Persuade] him to kneel and he does so. Everything is going well so far. He suddenly looks up at me with a piercing almost accusing gaze. That youth is far too handsome I think as I command him, with [Persuade] to sit down. That is when it strikes me like lightning. J… just what the hell is this. When I sent the command with [Persuade], one of the more powerful coercion [Mind Magic](s), I felt like I was a child with a stick hitting against a fortress wall. I looked at him once more and could only see myself as an ant before a dragon.
Am I going to die here?
I never thought of it seriously but as he raised his sword, with every millimetre it moved, I could see nothing but my death 100 times over. I don’t want to die. Not yet. Its t.. it’s two soon…
That’s right! Maybe I can persuade him …
“I’m sorry for trying to control you; it seems I have underestimated your power. If you join me you can be rich!”
I say with the nicest and most peaceful voice I can muster but I’m instantly shot down with a look of scorn. My face pales as I begin to understand what he may b- be implying.
“I have no whim nor will to possess excessive amounts of materialistic items”.
T-That onl.. ly solidities his position. Does he.. he what th-that.. But I’m still a virgin. No if I stall any longer I will die.
“If you nee.. n … to satiate your carnal desires then you are more than welcome t-to”.
I begin to blush as the youth before me seems flustered for some reason. But he soon returns to his standard stern expression. I’m beside myself; it seems as if the last thing I can offer to him he has refused.
It is a shame to die to so soon; maybe it is my own stupidity for trying to tame a monster like “The Crimson”. I even gave him the “sword of death” .How much of an idiot can one be to jeopardize the safety of the planet itself?
I don’t want to die yet but I cannot fight him; nor escape…
“Very well I surrender; I cannot do anything against you”
He replies in a monotone deathly grave manner:
“Very well”
He begins to step towards me while raising his hand.
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
A clock to my imminent death is started; each step representing a part of my short lived life, that in the end amounted to nothing, being chipped away.
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
I close my eyes…
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
I’m sorry, mom, dad, sisters….
I close my eyes tighter and reminisce over my life. It was a short lived but well lived one. But its too soon there are so many things I want to do.
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Stop*
Farewell world. I close my eyes as he raises his hand to my head… A single tear of remorse, regret and incomparable loss rolls down my cheek as a final memo to this world that I was once something.
…. Goodbye. It was short lived but fun……………………………………………………………………
links:
[1]: http://members.tripod.com/camos_rules/modern.html
[2]: All the references to god are supposed to be a sad irony and exemplify that theses demons, apart from looks, are a more docile variant of a human.
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Well that's fun :3. It is a bit longer then normal at around 3000 words as I had a bit of free time <3 -Rizza
Please leave your thoughts or point out any grammatical errors down below :3.
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