Even though my body felt heavy and aching, I hurriedly ran through the spiraling stairs of the tower as if there was no tomorrow while my party was behind me, shouting why I was running so fast. There was a good reason for it.

I heard Risa’s voice. In my head. This meant she was close. I only heard it once then I never got a reply.

What is she doing here anyway? She knows that it’s dangerous here.

“Terrin, wait!”

“I don't have time to wait!”

When I came down the tower, all I could see was chaos. The Wanderers were still battling with the people who, for some reason, were fighting us against their will. They were crying out for help as they swung their swords on the Wanderers. Poor people. But I wasn’t really concern for them at the moment as I was looking for a child in the middle of an ensuing battle. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?

My party immediately helped the other Wanderers as I looked for Risa. I didn’t saw any kasaks lurking around, so the other Wanderers must have taken care of it. I also didn’t saw Kris and the enemy leader. They must have gone to the forest.

“Risa, where are you!?” my shout could barely be heard throughout the screaming, crying and shout of other people.

“Risa?” Merry was in disbelief. She was the only one who stayed beside me as the rest helped the other Wanderers.

“Terrin, I’m here! To your left!”

That’s Risa’s voice.

When I looked to my left, I saw Risa. She was wearing the same dress when I left her to the orphanage, although a bit dirty. But that didn’t matter. I was just happy seeing her safe but the feeling was fleeting as I saw her being surrounded by three undead people, ready to use their weapon on the helpless child.

Move, damn it!

I really wanted to move but my body wouldn’t listen to me. Just when I needed it the most, it gave up on me.

“Merry!” I shouted so loud I thought my voice was going to break. “Risa’s over there! Save her!”

Merry was still hesitant but when she saw Risa and that I wasn’t being crazy, she immediately went to her.

Thanks, Merry. Ouch, my body really hurts.

As I watch Merry ran to her, I didn’t notice the undead person that was going to attack me. Maybe I should have stayed up in the tower.

I can’t move. My body won’t let me.

I readied my dagger but I was slow. I could barely hold my dagger still as I prepare myself. My body wouldn’t move the way I wanted it to.

I just have to dodge it. It’s okay. As long as Risa’s safe, I’m happy.

The undead swung its sword at me. He was a boy, probably a bit younger than me, although we were the same in height. Tears run down on his cheek as he swung his sword at me.

I closed my eyes. I wouldn’t be able to avoid or block his attack. Maybe it was because he was being controlled because their strengths were clearly not of a human.

I just hope he wouldn’t kill me with one attack.

I prepared for the worst. But then, seconds passed and nothing happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw Merry. But instead of being happy or thankful, something else came out.

Risa?

“Where’s Risa!?”

“She’s over there —“ I immediately looked to where Risa was. The undead people were still going to attack her.

“Then what are you doing here!? Why did you come back for me!? Damn it, Merry!” I shouted at her from the top of my lungs. I was so angry at her that I shouted at her furiously. You could even say that I was ready to hurt her for what she did as my hands were up in the air.

Merry looked away and shielded herself with her hands. It was the same thing she did when she got heavily chastised at the orphanage.

What am I…doing?

I wanted to apologize but I didn’t have time for that. I have to save Risa first. But it turned out she didn’t need any saving as the rest of my party was there to save her. That must have been what Merry was telling me. Of course she wouldn’t abandon her, Merry wasn’t like that.

“Merry, I’m —“ I froze. She looked at me coldly. She always had been looking at me like that ever since we met but this time, it was deeper, like I was seeing another part of her for the first time.

“It’s okay. I understand. Let me carry you.” Merry carried me on her back and then we went to my party.

“Terrin!” Takana shouted, “Get a grip, man! I couldn’t care less about Merry but I’m the only one who shouts around here!”

So they heard that from here, huh?

“Ignore him. What happened?” Fuyuki asked worryingly.

“It was nothing,” Merry said. “Just a little fight.”

“Onii-chan!” Merry let me down and Risa ran over to me. Just like a child, she innocently embraced me. “Don’t leave Risa by herself again!” she bawled as she clung to me. She must have been scared. As for me, her touch alone was enough for me to calm myself. Not only my heart but my body also felt light as if all my worries were being squeezed away.

“You’re safe now, Risa. Onii-chan is with you.” I said as I caressed her hair.

“What is she doing here, anyway?” Kihana asked.

“She’s…she’s anthropophobic. I left her in an orphanage and she went here for me.” The tower was not that far from town, so it was possible to get here, even for a child.

“You idiots!” Takana shouted as he kicked one of the controlled people. “Let’s talk about this later! Right now, we have this problem! Terrin, what should we do?”

“You guys hold them off with the other Wanderers. Tell them we’re finding Kris and if we’re not back within fifteen minutes, kill them all.” Takana understood the gravity of the situation, so he nodded. It was either them or us, and I would choose us at any moment if it couldn’t be helped.

“Risa,” I started. “Stay in the tower. You’ll be safe there.”

Risa lightly hit me in the head. “Are you deaf!? Risa just told you not to leave me alone!”

“But you’ll be safer there…”

“I said I don’t want that!”

“Just take the stupid kid with you, Terrin! That kid is like me, she’s stubborn.”

“Risa’s not a kid!”

“All right,” I sighed. “Do you have any idea where the captain went?”

“Nope,” of course they wouldn’t know.

“Risa saw two people fighting over there when Risa was going here.”

“Good. Merry, let’s go.”

*

Risa held my hand while Merry carried me on her back as we walked through the forest. As we got closer to the place Risa was saying, we could hear the clanking sound of metals. There were no enemies to where we were going, so maybe I was wrong about the tower being the safest place. The sounds of battle could be barely heard as we progress through the forest.

In the distance, we saw two silhouettes. As we approach closer, we could see that the trees were cut in half, leaving the trunk intact while the upper part of the tree lay lifelessly on the ground. The ground had craters on it as if a meteor decided to visit Dlimor and crash here. There were also signs of blood, though it was unclear whether it came from the captain or the enemy leader.

What the heck happened here?

“Onii-chan, over there!” Risa pointed her finger towards the glowing spear. Merry let me down.

In the middle of the trunks and fallen trees, there were two beings fighting each other. One had a glowing spear and the other one had a colossal black claymore, similar to what Takana had.

Kris, who had the glowing spear, thrusted his spear countless times to the enemy leader. It was too fast for me to even count but the enemy leader dance effortlessly as he dodged it.

That’s amazing. They’re like on a different level.

“Spear of Tehon,” Risa spoke but it was on my mind. She didn’t want Merry overhearing this. “That’s the Spear of Tehon. A famen that was bestowed to a boy named Tehon whose fire was so bright it could disintegrate anyone who came near it, although the only ones who were affected were the undead.”

“What about the other one?”

“Shakna knows him, too. That’s Pokkun. Despite his menacing face and creepy appearance, he’s actually a loyal and loving undead. Huh…the last time Shakna saw him, he wasn’t a famen holder. Anyway, it looks like his famen is The Crown of Control. Do you see the little crown on his necklace? That’s his famen. It allows him to control beings to his will.”

So that’s how those people are being controlled. And how can a monster be loving? That just makes no sense.

Kris had blood on his face and armors. It looked like he had taken some damage while Pokkun had also taken some hits but he looked perfectly fine. It looked like he had thrown away his shield but for the reason, I didn’t know.

Kris dashed in, his glowing spear leaving a faint light as he ran. He leapt on one of the trunks and jumped off of it in order to thrust downward. Pokkun blocked it with his claymore. With a screeching sound, the spear hit the middle part of the blade of the claymore. With that, Kris stepped back.

Pokkun was now on offense. He dashed to Kris and wielded his claymore like it was nothing. Kris blocked it but the force of the attack caused him to be blown away to a tree, leaving a huge mark on it.

If I take that hit, I would surely die from the impact. But Kris didn’t. He stood up and courageously charged as he shouted. There was no fear or hesitation on his face. He thrusted his spear again but Pokkun blocked it again with his claymore. Again, Pokkun retaliated by swinging his sword at him and again, he got blown away.

What is he doing?

“The outcome of this battle is already decided.” Risa said.

“What do you mean?”

“Watch.”

Kris stood up and did the same thing all over again but this time, something changed. We heard a crackling sound coming from the colossal sword. It cracked and if Pokkun decided to use it again, it would be destroyed.

“You lose, monster.” Kris said as he pointed his spear at it. “Release those people and I shall grant you an easy death.”

Pokkun slowly laughed as he bore his gaze into Kris. “Human…not bad…but still weak…”

“Still weak, huh?” Kris then raised his hands and yawned. “Yeah, that was a boring match. That might explain my sluggish actions but enough talking. If you won’t release those people, I’ll just kill you and make it stop!” Kris charged forward but then he immediately stopped. His body shook and not only him but us and the very ground as well.

“Foolish…human…I’ll let you…play with…my pet…” Suddenly, a giant worm-like creature appeared from the ground. The trees that was once there went flying as the creature surfaced. Its roar was so loud, I felt like my ears were going to explode. The worm-like creature was gigantic, it could probably swallow a whole house on its own.

“Huh, Shakna never thought Shakna would see one of Onee-chan’s pet again.”

That’s her sister’s pet!?

“Merry, we need to help him!” She nodded. “Kris, we’re here to help!”

“No!” Kris shouted. “I can take this one!”

“No, you can’t! You need help!”

“Trust me.” he grinned broadly.

“Die…!” Pokkun ordered the creature to attack. With its deafening roar, the creature swallowed Kris whole.

He’s dead. Now, we got no way of defeating that monster.

Pokkun looked toward us. “Humans…if you don’t…want to die…tell me…where she is…”

She? Who is Pokkun talking about?

“Terrin!” Merry shouted. He was pointing at the creature. At the same time, the creature was making…weird noises. Suddenly, a burst of flame came out of the creature’s body. Clearly, it was painful for the creature. The creature trashed its surroundings as the flame continued to slice him all the way down his body.

“What…is…happening…” Pokkun was in disbelief. In front of its eyes, its gigantic pet was being split into two.

After the creature was split, a man came out. A man with a red glowing spear. “I thought this one would put up a fight. Now, look at me, I’m all slimy.” Kris said as thick and dense liquids cling onto him like it was his very clothes. Damn, that was kind of cool.

“Impossible…you should…have been…crush…” Pokkun still couldn’t believe what happened.

“Thanks to the Spear of Tehon, it was easy to escape.” Then his face hardened. “Now, let go of those people.”

“Damn…human…”

As a last attempt, three humans appeared besides Pokkun. Pokkun took one of their swords and took one of them as hostages. The person that was being taken hostage was familiar. He was the boy who tried to kill me before at the tower. The three of them was still crying and begging to be saved.

“Humans move…I kill…”

“Monsters are really worse than scum, huh?” Kris didn’t move as he faced a dilemma but his threat wasn’t only for him but also for us.

“You…cannot save them…under my control…” Pokkun said as he slowly backed away. “They belong…to me…forever…”

“Please, save —“

Suddenly, Pokkun stopped. It looked down, probably trying to look at the hole at his throat. “You…” then Pokkun was swept away by the wind and vanished, leaving everything that wasn’t in contact with him falling to the ground.

Kris had thrown his spear. Since Pokkun was holding the hostage in front of it, the hostage, too, got hit. The spear went through to his face, leaving nothing but a hole on the boy’s face, and into Pokkun’s throat, only stopping at the third tree it hit.

The other two that was being controlled attacked Kris but before they could even get close to them, Merry had already killed the both of them. Kris silently went to get his famen.

In the distance, we could hear loud footsteps coming this way. It turned out the other people that were being controlled came here and they were aiming for Kris.

“What a bad day,” with a blank expression on his face, Kris killed each one of the people that were being controlled. From woman and man and from boy and girl, he killed them all. Their cries for help were silenced with the sickening and grotesque sound of their bodies being skewered and sliced apart. It was too horrible to watch.

As people were being killed in front of me, I thought of something.

Who truly is the monster here?