The New Guild Master [Chapter 4] - Born to Kill

How long has it been? Ten years? A hundred? No… looking back, it’s been a thousand years.

Before him lay the remains of a once mighty King, sitting back against a golden throne. His majestic visage now turned to bone.

Have I grown old? Could it be that the sands of time have finally begun to weigh upon my restless soul?

“May every step I make, may every breath I take, and may each utterance of my soul, bring honor to your name… my Lord Herron.” he prayed. “I, your eternal servant Aevon, will carry out your will. Even in death, do I continue to serve you.”

He bowed deeply.

Ha… I can’t even remember what it’s like to breath.

“Krik. Krik. Krik.”

He was stroking his chin. An array of phalanges scraping his mandible. It was a strange sound, even to Aevon himself, yet oddly satisfying.

What I would give for a few words of encouragement from Lord Herron.

“Massster. It isss time.” A snake hissed, interrupting his thoughts.

“Indeed. Lopaz, lead the way.”

Lopaz, a common pit viper, that had grown to a terrifying length over the course of a thousand years, led the way. It’s zigzag movements made a path through serried ranks of skeleton soldiers.

The undead moved with slow deliberation, hefting their bows, swords and spears with great care, lest a careless swipe injure a snake whose tail end they could not see.

His red cape swirling behind him, Aevon climbed a set of worn out stairs. He imagined the feeling of cold stone rubbing against the soles of his feet.

After all this time, I still yearn to be human again. There must be someway to restore my body to flesh and blood… no, such base emotion only serves to distract me from my true purpose.

Lopaz had halted in the middle of their passage. It’s head, large enough to swallow a man whole, reared back and slammed into a wall, breaking through the entryway to a hidden chamber.

As splintered rocks flew forwards, magic torches flickered to life. At Aevon’s approach, their blue flames seemed to sputter with excitement. He circled a low lying slab of stone, only a few meters in width and height.

Aevon wiped a film of dust away with the metacarpals of one hand. After a few moments of cleaning he let out an unnecessary sigh.

“Lopaz.”

“Y-yesss.”

“Leave me.”

The snake slithered away, it’s head hung low in disappointment.

He retrieved an amulet hidden beneath his robes and placed it on the polished surface of the altar.

“To restore his glory to what it once was.” His voice welled up in pride. “To bring wrath upon those who dared mock his name. And to still this heart of longing…”

He clutched at his chest, and felt a long dead heart beat with passion.

“… in exchange I offer up my life once more… at least what is left of it… to be a faithful servant. I promise to do your bidding until these bones turn to dust. All I ask of the Lords of Hell, the Benefactors of Hades: grant me this one wish. [Summon a Demon].”

A blinding white light tore through the azure frame of the amulet. A thousand years of pent up mana spilled forth. And with it, a thick mist of blue flames that quickly enveloped the summoning chamber. Aevon cowered under it’s pressure, fearing that his time had come to an end.

And then the light began to fade. The flames soon followed, slowly dissipating. In their wake lay the glowing figure of a man. Flecks of mana coiled around his naked body.

“W-what a powerful aura.” Aevon heard himself gasp.

He stared at a pair of horns that curved out of the creature’s forehead.

What type of demon is this?

It stirred.

Aevon leapt back.

“Damn.”

He chided himself, for not having superseded the reflexes he once had as an adventurer in his former life.

Indeed. Old habits. Die hard.

He strode forward, drawing courage into his hollow chest.

“Arise my Lord. It is time for you to rule this land, and all who reside within in it.”

The figure lying before him began to tremble. Soft lips parted.

Aevon lowered his head.

“Keh. Keh. Keh.”

“W-what is it my Lord?”

“Keh. Keh. Keh.”

Could the summoning have failed?

A wave of fear washed over Aevon. His bones began to chatter uncontrollably.

“H-have I failed y-you my Lord?!” he heard himself say. His voice a distant howl.

“Keh. Keh. Kei…”

Aevon knelt to his knees and inclined an ossicle to the Demon’s lips, hoping to catch every word of his dying breath.

“K-Kei… Keiriiiiimaaaaa!!! I’ll kill youuuuu!!!” He roared to life.

A muscled hand reached forward, very nearly grabbing his neck.

“I’ll never forget what you did! Keirima!”

Aevon instinctively held his breath, before realizing he had no need to breath.

W-what is wrong with him?

“I’ll tear the flesh off your bones and boil you in your own blood!” the Demon thrashed about, swearing furiously.

He is possessed by madness!

“[Mold].”

The sides of the stone slab melted, forging themselves into broad fingers that held the flailing figure down by its arms and legs.

“Keirima! You think you can keep me like this!? When I break free, you will meet your dooooom!”

Aevon fled the summoning chamber, his mind reeling in confusion.

“Hmm… who dares wake me?” a solemn voice bellowed. “Do you wish to challenge me…?”

Thick claws raked the stone surface of the dark dungeon.

“… know this then, your death is fated!”

Obsidian scales sparkled ominously against the light of a hand held torch.

“I have lived a hundred years-”

“-Shut up.”

“W-who dares speak to me in this manner?”

“Its me, you fool.”

The torch flew towards his face, stopping short to reveal the gnarled, glistening white teeth of a black dragon.

“I do not wish to argue. I only seek the comforting words of a friend.”

The Dragon let out a viscous snort. “What has become of you Heffield? Has the passing of the ages finally rid you of the will to go on?”

“Ha.” he rasped. “My folly has indeed weakened my resolve. But perhaps there is something I can still do to redeem myself… and don’t call me that.” he whined. “I’m not Heffield anymore… I am Aevon, an Elder Liche.”

“Such pride, for a servant without a master.” He sneered.

“D-don’t test me!” a fleshless hand shot forward, sheathed in blue flames.

A baleful silence settled between them.

“Had I been alive back then, your master would still live.”

“I doubt that.” Aevon replied, his tone one of honest remorse. “You are but the shadow of Temro who lived for eons before me. In this dungeon, from his dying breath, you were born. An embodiment of hate… I do wonder then, why you do not carry on the passion of your fore bearer?”

The Dragon hesitated briefly, before his reply. “I cannot long for what I do not recall. These damp walls; this dirty dungeon… are all I’ve ever known.” He curled his serpentine body into a ball of quiet shame.

“F-forgive me… I know this, yet I spoke without tact.” Aevon petted the scales of his head.

“Why now? Why this unexpected visit? Have you come to rave about your intended summoning?” The Dragon’s voice was lined with anger and frustration. “I have long since grown tired of your overlong speeches. How you wax and wane of a new master you yourself will summon. How long-”

“-A thousand years… that’s how long I waited.”

The Dragon paused, a wreath of black flames puffed out of his nostrils.

“‘Waited’? H-have you done it old man?”

“Indeed… I have.”

“T-then why not say so earlier?! I must hurry on and submit myself to my new master.”

The Dragon craned backwards, observing its own figure.

“W-will this please him?”

“Hmm…? Indeed, yours is a splendid sight to behold. I believe he will be- would be pleased if he were himself.”

“What do you mean ‘if he were himself’? Why d-do you taunt me old man? Does wiling away my time with false hope bring you pleasure?”

“I would never be so cruel to someone I consider a dear friend. Come now. See for yourself, what has become of our new Lord.”

“Keirimaaaaa! I’ll get you soon enough. You’ll see. Your death will be without mercy!”

He tore at his chains, yelling and cursing the name of his sworn enemy.

The Dragon’s mouth was gaping, a human expression that looked uncharacteristically out of place on his fierce visage.

“W-what happened to him?”

Aevon stroked his chin absentmindedly before willfully stopping himself.

Another one of those old habits.

“I’m not sure. I believe that he is not actually hell spawn-”

“He’s not a demon?! Then what sort of creature have you have summoned?”

“He is a demon. Of that there is no doubt. Look upon those horns.”

With admiration, the Dragon studied the long pair of horns jutting out the sides of the Demon’s head.

“Are all demons horned?”

“Some. Indeed, most possess markings that set them apart from normal humans.”

“Then explain what you meant Aevon.”

The Dragon backpedaled as the Demon lapsed into another fit of rage, tearing away some of the chains that kept him at bay. A dozen skeleton warriors sprang to action. Holding him down by his limbs, and tying new chains in their place. Occassionaly, loose chains would fly through the air, shattering a dozen undead upon impact. But dozens more would rush in to take their place.

“Keiriiiimaaaa! I’m gonna rip out your guts and strangle you with them!”

Aevon ignored the piercing wails. “I have heard rumors that humans from other worlds whose nature is despicable, are often punished for their crimes in hell. Upon death, they are sentenced to an eternity of torture at the hands of the cruelest of demons… and so their feeble minds often turn to madness, unable to endure the harshness of their new reality.”

“W-what kind of person would be judged worthy of hell?”

“The kind of person that would be reincarnated as a demon.”

“Keiriiiimaaaa! I’ll pull out your teeth. One at a time! I swear I’ll pierce that black heart of yours!”

“A-and what of this person, ‘Keirima’?”

“Perhaps a bitter foe from his own world? An ally whose betrayal cost him his life, or it could be a demon that tortured him in hell. Whomever it may be, they have certainly earned his wrath.”

“Keiriiiimaaaa! I’ll drown you in a vat of acid! Your bones will crumble beneath my feet! I’m going to kill you a thousand times over Keiriiiimaaaa!”

“H-how long has he been this way?”

“Hmm? He’s been at it for two weeks. He rambles on and on. Night and day. I thought he would tire eventually, being a creature of flesh and blood, but it seems nothing can wake him from the endless nightmare that has consumed his mind.”

The Demon’s wild ravings went on for another hour as they watched in silence.

“Very well then.” The Dragon bowed his head. “I see now why you have brought me here. You need only ask, and I will do your bidding.”

“Mmh.” Aevon sighed. “It seems you have divined my purpose. I must admit that I have grown tired. And this most recent folly is yet another blight upon my soul. In a thousand years I will attempt another summoning. I therefore, beseech you, my serpentine friend. Put an end to this.”

The obsidian dragon nodded, and began to draw in gushes of air from his snout. His chest ballooned, already filled to capacity. Still he waited, until it ached from the pressure, and then finally he released a parade of black flames that whirled across the summoning chamber.

The skeleton soldiers melted. The chains that held the Demon melted. The stone tablet that had survived a millennia, also melted. Plumes of smoke wafted towards them from a small heap of charred remains. And atop that heap stood the Demon. His jagged crimson hair aloft, his hands clenched at his sides, his blood eyes drenched in fury.

“Where is he?!” he roared.

The Dragon dipped his underbelly low to the ground and raised his wings to shield his face.

“M-my L-lord-” Aevon stuttered.

“-Where is Keiriiiimaaaa!” his head fell back in a howl of rage.

And just when they expected him to launch into a frenzy, he abruptly smacked the sides of his face and gritted his teeth.

“Ugh. My head hurts. Where am I? And what’s with the fuckin’ freak show huh? A skeleton man wearing cheap magician’s clothes and a black chibi dragon. Is this a circus?”

Aevon was stupefied.

“Y-you have awakened my Lord! This one greets you. It would be my honor to serve at your side.”

"Oh? Nice words little dragon. I promise not to eat you then. And this sickly thing next to you, is it a decoration or can it talk as well?

His madness has subsided!

“Ah. Yes.” Aevon’s mouth had fluttered open. “I am Aevon, an Elder Liche.” With one arm across his chest, he bowed majestically. “It is ‘I’ who summoned you. But I am merely a humble servant, eager to do your bidding my Lord.”

“I don’t like weak followers. Can you fight?” the Demon leered at him.

“Er… um… yes, of course my Lord.”

What ferocious bloodlust!

“Good. Fight me.” He spread his legs apart evenly and raised his fists.

“I-I beg your pardon my Lord?”

“What? Ya’ scared? Fight me. If you don’t come, I will.”

Aevon hesitated, unsure of the test he was about to endure.

Does he wish to engage in a mock battle? Or some game of fisticuffs?

“Can I use magic?”

“If you have something like that why wouldn’t you fucking use it huh!? Are you underestimating me Kakku?!”

“V-very well. Allow me a moment to prepare.”

What does he mean by ‘Kakku’?

A staff appeared in Aevon’s hand. He stamped the ground with it. “[White Wolf].”

A pack of albino wolves drew forth from an unseen wind, rushing towards the Demon. He easily avoided their swiping claws, and clobbered them with his bare fists. They let out whelps of pain and vanished into thin air.

His speed is commendable.

“Is that all?” the Demon sneered. His arms were folded in displeasure.

“Hardly.”

So it seems he intends to fight barehanded. Then let’s test the limits of his strength.

“[Rock Golem].” The earth beneath their feet erupted upwards into the silhouette of a giant.

The Demon did not wait for its form to fully take shape, launching a direct assault. He drove a flurry of punches into the creatures rock-hard belly.

“Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!”

In moments the Rock Golem had disintegrated into harmless earth.

“W-what an odd battlecry.” the Dragon croaked.

Aevon noticed an almost imperceptible change in his friend’s demeanor. Had their friendship not lasted a century, he would not have noticed his quivering scales.

Do not be afraid young one. Our Lord is still a [Level 1 - Demon]. And like you, he has much to learn.

“You know I’m starting to get bored.” He twisted a finger in his ear, popping out the pressure caused by the loudness of his own reckless shouts.

“But we have only just begun my Lord.” Aevon waved his free hand in the air. A blue mirage of mana trailed his fingers. “[Black Vines]. [Hollow Knight]. [Red Phoenix].”

Black tentacles sprouted from the depths of the earth, and darted towards the Demon’s legs.

“Tch. What an irritation.” He stomped his feet, crushing the vines with each movement. But where a vine was severed, it’s limb would regrow twice as long, and wrap itself around his legs.

With his eyes fixed firmly downwards, he failed to notice a dark mist swirling above him. A skeleton knight bestride an enormous black steed, slowly emerged, descending lightly. It’s silver plated armor glittered prettily as it’s skeletal horse reared back. “For honor!” it yelled, charging forward midair, a drawn greatsword in hand and a large shield emblazoned with a black skull on its side.

“What the fuck is that!? Wasn’t this a one on one fight?”

“Forgive me my Lord. For I am a summoner. Rarely do I engage in battle myself.”

His speed lessened by the entrapping vines, the Demon was unable to completely dodge the viscous charge in time. It slashed his face, tearing off a whole ear.

Thick goblets of warm blood greeted the earth.

Enraged, the Demon began to chew the vines with his teeth. It’s thorny stem bled his mouth, but he continued, unrelenting. Wherever he gnawed, the vine would not grow. He tore through half the vines this way.

Cursed blood eh? Well, that’s to be expected from a demon… but was this a part of his strategy or merely a wild stroke of luck?

The gash where his ear once was had already congealed, and a new ear began to form in it’s place.

“H-his regenerative ability is truly monstrous!” the Dragon was in awe. He could regrow his own tail in minutes, and fatal woulds would heal within hours so long as his life force was intact. But a human could never regrow it’s limbs. This was surprising even for a demon, as it is common knowledge that they possessed not just the shape of a man, but the actual physical properties of a human being.

The black steed spun on its heels, the Knight’s second charge already well under way. While the din of clopping hooves and bobbing mail from a fully armed knight would normally produce quite a racket, the Hollow Knight moved silently, gathering momentum in midair as if it rode on another plane of existence.

The Demon’s legs were still entangled, but it’s upper body was now flexible. He was able to catch a glancing blow with his bare hands. The sword cut into the seams of his palms, but rather than let go, he twisted his arms in opposing directions, shattering the length of the sword.

“I’m just warming up!” he yelled.

Unperturbed, the Knight continued to stab at his face and chest with the broken tip of his sword. His focus split between the tenacious Skeleton Knight, and the Black Vines that threatened to envelope him, the Demon failed to notice a flaming Red Phoenix soaring towards him. By the time he realized he was facing three opponents, his left eye had been plucked.

“This is nothing.” he said, grinding his teeth. “You know it will still end the same way… with your death Kakku!”

A flailing hand caught the Knight by his shoulder, flinging him off his steed. The Demon scrambled forward to retrieve the broken sword. He jammed it in his own throat without hesitation. His eyes watered at the stinging pain of metal shards flowing down his gullet. He pulled the sword out of his mouth and used its blood-coated edge to hack away the remaining vines.

He may not be aware of the extent of his own power, but his battle prowess is keen. And he will do whatever it takes to gain the upper hand in a fight.

The unseated Knight stalked the edges of his vision, trying to blindside him. He fingered the empty socket where his eye had been and grimaced when he realized that it was not healing. The Demon’s movements had become erratic. His sidesteps were unpredictable, and he kept swiveling at the waist, struggling to keep both his opponents within his line of sight.

It was not long before his frustration reached a tipping point. He lunged forward trying to grasp the Knight by his helmet. But the soldier dodged him deftly. The Phoenix had taken the opportunity to dive towards his face, aiming for his remaining eye. But the Demon’s hand suddenly reached out into his own blind spot and clasped the flaming bird by it’s shanks. He gutted it with the broken sword and knelt to pick up his fallen eye ball.

“He saw it?” the Dragon’s head was swinging to and fro. His eyes peeled open to watch the action unfold, so as not to miss even a fraction of a second.

“Hmm… that is doubtful. It was more likely a clever calculation, or perhaps a result of his finely tuned instincts.”

But more importantly, did he guess that the Phoenix would resurrect itself if he were to kill it with his bare hands?

The Demon held his own severed eye up to his face, and with a dissatisfied smirk, squished it in his palm. White goo slipped through the cracks of his fingers.

“W-will it grow back?”

“That eye would not have regenerated so long as it was intact. Even when separated from its owner. Realizing this, he may have set out to destroy it immediately.”

“T-that does sound reasonable…” The Dragon whispered. “… but could it be that he deemed it useless, and so disposed of it without further thought?”

“That… may also be true.”

Aevon felt a knot of fear where his stomach should have been.

What sort of life did you live, that you would so easily discard what was once a precious part of yourself?

The Knight had given up on tactics and instead taken up a boxing stance. He let out several swift jabs, hoping to create a larger opening. The Demon attempted to counter with his own wide, reckless swings but was met with disappointment each time.

In terms of speed, the Demon was faster, but the Knight had the upper hand in technique, and was thus able to parry heavy blows and even throw in the occasional counter punch.

But the Demon was ferocious, taking advantage of the remains of the Rock Golem by tossing large rocks at the Knight. Eventually, a single aptly thrown shot dislodged the Knight’s footing, causing it to slip forward momentarily. The Demon punched him straight in the chest. The plated armor folded like paper, and the Knight crumbled to his feet, before vanishing in a ball of flames. The Demon turned to see the Phoenix and the remains of the Black Vines also dissipate from blue flames into nothingness.

“Clack. Clack. Clack.” Aevon was clapping. He had little by the way of facial expressions, but he hoped the Demon could sense his gleeful aura. “Well done my Lord! You have bested me. Now, would you take this humble servant under your wing?”

“Oi. Did you really think it would be that simple? Huh!?”

“I-I beg your pardon my Lord?”

“You deaf or just plain stupid? Did you not hear what I said before? This fight will only end when you’re dead!” He pounded a fist into the palm of his other hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick!”

Hmph. It seems his stubbornness is second only to his rage.

“I see.” Aevon said quietly. “Let us settle this matter then, once and for all.” He disrobed, letting his hood and cape fall, but they were eaten away by flames before they could touch the ground. His staff too had melted away into oblivion.

Aevon’s human form was once that of a lanky mage, which served only to accentuate the emaciated look of his skeletal figure.

The Demon laughed mockingly. “What are you doing? Surrendering?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it my Lord. I shall now engage you in hand to hand combat.”

“Then what are you waiting for huh?! You just keep running your mouth!” He dashed towards Aevon, stopped suddenly, and turning on the axis of his right foot, executed a spinning back kick with surprising swiftness.

Aevon was prepared. He leaned back and grasped his foot just before impact, utilizing the momentum to toss the Demon into the air.

He landed on his stomach, winded.

“D-damn you!”

The Demon lurched to his feet, and showered him with punches, hitting nothing but a blurred afterimage. Aevon broke his rhythm with a roundhouse kick to the face that sent him flying.

The Demon spat out wads of blood and sprang nimbly to his feet.

“I’m going to kill youuu!” he roared.

I must end this quickly, lest I become an object of his hatred.

“W-when will this end?” the Dragon pleaded.

“When either of us can no longer fight.” He sidestepped an axe kick, delivering an elbow to the gut instead. Aevon pressed on while the Demon was still reeling from the blow to his abdomen, and hand-chopped the back of his neck.

He fell to one knee. “Ugh… I-I’m not done yet.” The demon gnashed his teeth, blood seeping through his gums.

Aevon clapped his palms on the sides of his face, rupturing the Demon’s ear drums. He followed that with a kick to his standing foot, bringing him to his knees. He ended his combo by letting loose a downward punch that sent him crashing to the floor.

“N-not yet!” the Demon scrambled to right himself, but Aevon kicked his side, flipping him onto his back.

“It ends here.”

Aevon stomped his face with the back of his heel, crushing his head on the hard stone floor.

“Ooh. W-what happened?”

A black lizard loomed above, muzzling him with it’s snout.

“M-my Lord! You’re awake.”

“Get off me.” He shoved away the dragon and made to stand. He wobbled feebly for a few moments before he fell back on his ass.

“Our match ended fairly. Did it not?” Aevon strode forward, his palm laid out. He was dressed in his usual attire. A flowing red cape and a cane of gnarled wood.

The demon clasped his hand with a grunt and pulled himself to his feet.

“You really can fight Kakku! I’ll acknowledge your strength.” he nodded vigorously, as if agreeing with himself.

“You show great promise my Lord. I believe you will be a great ruler one day. Now-”

“-We find Keirima. And kill him!”

“Y-yes. Before that, might you oblige us with an introduction.”

His mood has certainly improved since our last encounter. I’ve never seen someone recover so fast from such a glaring defeat.

“Huh!? What’s that over there?” he pointed past the Dragon into a dark corner of the summoning chamber."

“Oh, that’s Lopaz. Why are you hiding? Do come and introduce yourself to your new Lord.”

A viper wound its way across the room, its tail end somewhere past the door, curled up in another floor.

“Forgive me massster. I had lossst my mannersss. I am Lopasss. I will ssserve you, all the daysss of my life.”

“Uwah! It’s even large enough to ride!” he turned to Aevon. “Can I keep it?”

“Um… yes, he is your servant. As am I. As are all who dwell within the depths of this dungeon.”

“Yosh! A baby dragon and a huge snake! I feel so lucky. You know Ka-san never let me have any pets.”

“I-I’m not a baby…” the Dragon muttered under his breath.

“And what’s your name Dragon-kun?”

“Erm… I have never received a name.”

“Then how about ‘Kaida’?”

“Y-yes! Thank you my Lord!” he roared in pleasure.

“Hmm… I think I’ll try riding Kaida-kun first but we’ll need a saddle… why don’t we take some skin off Lopaz-kun and use it as materials? It will grow back right?”

To treat an Obsidian Dragon as a mere beast of burden, and a Great Serpent as ‘material’ - there is no greater insult! I must quickly find a way to absolve them of such shameful words.

“Nothing would pleassse me more than to provide my ssskin for your purposssesss.”

“And I will be your trusted steed. We will fly over our enemies and obliterate them with flames from above!”

Ah. It seems that I had projected my own pride onto them. Or perhaps being trapped in an empty dungeon since birth has stunted their growth. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that they have settled into perpetual childhood. Yes. That does seem likely. But all that will soon change.

“Oh? You can fly too Kaida-kun! Even with those tiny wings? You really are amazing.” He petted the scales on Kaida’s head.

“I may be of a small stature, but in time I will grow. I may one day tower over mountains!”

“I-I alssso grow with the passsage of time. I have not ssseen my tail in over a hundred yearsss!”

The Demon whistled. “Then why don’t we play a game? Let’s see who can find Lopaz-kun’s tail first!”

C-could it be that… he’s also a child!? Even if it’s a matter of age, how can such a monstrous being still cling to the innocence of childhood?

“Ahem. My Lord. We still have important matters to discuss.”

“No problem. Lopaz-kun. Kaida-kun. Let’s hear what Aevon-san has to say.”

His tone has completely changed! I shouldn’t have been so rough in our last fight. He may have suffered from brain damage.

“W-well then. First off, what name and title do you prefer my Lord?”

“My name is Nejima Mozuko. My close friends call me Neji. So, you can all call me Nejima.”

“Lord Nejima.” The three said in unison.

“Uh… um… just Nejima is fine. You’re making this awkward.”

His name is similar to that of his nemesis. Perhaps they were siblings?

“Lord Nejima. What do you last remember before waking in this world?”

His face hardened. “Keirima!” he yelled. For a moment, he looked as if he were about to lapse into a fit of rage, but he restrained himself. “I had just moved into a new school. So, I thought I’d stir things up by challenging the school boss. One on one. Mano a Mano. I spread the word, hoping he’d stake me out. But that filthy low-life Keirima showed up with two other guys carrying bokken. They jumped me behind the school theater just when I was most relaxed. I was sitting under the rafters, smoking a few puffs of tabako when they ran at me. Damn those crazy motha’fuckers. They were weak as fuck! I beat their asses down and claimed my throne as the new Banchou.”

He paused, his face solemn for a moment.

“I thought my position was secure. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. A week later, I noticed Keirima and his crew had been ducking me. You see I didn’t know anyone, so I thought they might be planning something behind my back and there was no other way to be sure than to put them to the test. So, I confronted him and his crew in the gymnasium after school. Turns out they weren’t ready to accept my rule. So I showed ‘em whose boss. There were six guys total. No big deal. I wiped the floor with them and put the matter out of ma’ mind.”

He looked away suddenly, and bit his lip in anger.

“Three days later, I was walking home when a car hit me by the side. It broke something. I don’t know what. But it hurt like hell. And it didn’t end there. Keirima and three of his thugs came outta nowhere and started kicking me while I was down. Somehow, I summoned the strength to stand up and face them. I overcame those fools with sheer strength of will!”

He placed a hand on his bicep and flexed.

“And then you wouldn’t believe it. A Yakuza with a cue ball for a head stepped out of the car. He took off his shirt and flaunted his cheesy dragon tattoo. I got tired of hearing him yammering on and on about ‘respecting your elders’ and some crap about the ‘proper order of things’. So, I smacked him right in the face. He was mad. Real, fucking mad! Uwah! I thought I’d gone and dug my own grave.”

He made an unexpected smile.

“I won! Against a Yakuza no less! I was going through a real high right then. Having beat down a bald Gorira. But Keirima. Keiriiiimaaaa!”

Aevon moved to restrain him, fearing a return to madness.

“Keirima stabbed me! Right in the back. He even twisted the knife in for good measure! I could feel it! How could my freshman year end when I’d just met so many pretty girls! I was even going to join the baseball team! It’s all that rotten Keirima’s fault! That rotten piece of shit. When I find him I’m going to rip him to pieces. I’ll kill him!”

He continued to ramble on about the evils of Keirima and the hope he had for a prosperous high school life that had died along with him on that fateful day.

Hmm… so it seems Keirima and Nejima were rivals at some sort of military training academy. He had fought them for the right to rule as ‘Banchou’ which is a position similar to that of a captain, that allows a cadet to rule over his peers. He had beaten them at their best, on more than one occasion, even when he was under the calming effects of a drug called ‘Tabako’. But they eventually cornered him outside the academy and attacked him with a wild beast known as a ‘Car’. That was followed by an ambush that very nearly succeeded. They even summoned a ‘Yakuza’, a fearsome creature that appears to be a strange hybrid of an ape and a dragon. Somehow he was able to banish the monster with the last vestiges of his strength. But Keirima, unable to accept defeat, stabbed him with a poisoned blade.

As Aevon pondered the implications of Nejima’s unusual story, his Lord turned to him for advice.

“Where do you think Keirima is now?”

“I-I’m not sure. I had once heard a human [Hero] speak of [Eternal Damnation]. Rather than return to the circle of transmigration, the most evil humans are banished to Hell, where demonic creatures spawned from the inner depths of Hell, what we know to be [Hades], go on to torture these humans without end.”

Aevon paused for dramatic effect.

“So what does that have to do with me? Is this story somehow related to Keirima?”

“B-but my Lord… y-you were sent to hell!”

“W-whaaat!?” Nejima threw up his hands in dismay. “T-that bastard! He sent me to hell?!”

“I-I am not entirely certain of it my Lord, but to the best of my knowledge demons are summoned from hell. So I believe you were sent there before being reborn in this world.”

Nejima felt faint from shock. He laid down on Lopaz’s hide, contemplating his next course of action. Aevon was lost in his own musings while Kaida licked his claws. A few minutes later Nejima broke the silence as he spoke with a deep sense of incredulity. “In other words… it’s possible that Nejima went to hell and has been reborn in this world as a demon.”

“It is indeed a possibility.”

“It’s settled then.” He stood up. “Kill me.”

“I-I beg your pardon my Lord? Surely I misheard you.”

“Kill me Aevon-san. I’ll go back to hell and find that bastard. If Keirima is still there, I can take comfort in the fact that I’ll be torturing him for all eternity. If he’s in this world, then I’ll kindly ask you to summon me again so I can kill him properly.”

Has he lost his mind? No, there is method to his madness… but I must stop this foolhardy quest!

“Keirima may have already been born to this world hundreds of years ago, lived a full life and died in peace. In fact, his soul may have already made it’s pilgrimage to the circle of transmigration. If that is the case, Keirima may indeed be in this world, but he would not be the man you once knew.”

Nejima bowed his head in thought. His stern resolve seemed to weaken, only to return once more.

“That bastard is only suited for two things. Living in hell and living under my boot. Until I confirm that he is in his rightful place, I will not rest. Even if I have to turn over every goddamn rock in this world, I’ll find that slimy son of a bitch! And then I’ll kill him. And then I’ll follow him to hell and kill him again and again until I’m satisfied! Keiriiimaaa! When I find you, I’ll drag your soul to hell! Keiriiiiimaaaaa!”