3 CH3

Chapter 3: Humanity.

"Magnificent." I said while staring intensely at the water's surface below me. More specifically, at the reflection it was giving; it was of a young man, who's appearance exudes of femininity. He possessed long braided hair, black as the night itself, that gently flowed behind him, a pair of dreamy amethyst eyes that would no doubt capture those who gaze upon it, and a cute face one couldn't help but adore.

It was none other than my own new image reflecting off the calm body of water. A creepy, yet endearing smile appeared on my face. "I'm hella cute." Indeed I was. Don't judge me, I am a true man. With my level of cuteness, men would worship me like a deity. 

What's more manlier than having other men admire your beauty and kneel before you, right between your legs, suc——anyways, for the first time in many centuries (or millennias, can't remember anymore), I've decided to change my appearance to something I like; an adorable little cinnamon roll that bore an uncanny resemblance to Astolfo from Fate/Apocrypha, except for the clothing and hair colour.

After shamelessly admiring my own appearance for dozens of minutes, I rose to my feet while dusting off my squishy bottom and took a look at my surroundings. What entered my sight was an open meadow crowded with bunnies frolicking across lush greenery, a place I somehow found while mindlessly walking wherever the wind took me.

Quite unbelievable that a place like this even exist in the first place. I mean, really? A grass plain filled with nothing but fluffy rabbits jumping around? That just sounds like Heaven to me.

I've probably spent the last few days doing nothing but interact with these bundles of cuteness (can't help it). I might be a nigh-omnipotent God, but even I need some time to relax, you know? Walking from one place to another without a goal in mind gets stale every now and then.

"Well, time to go." I tearfully bid my farewells to the crowd of rabbits, who stared curiously at my figure, before walking in a random direction, hoping to encounter something worthwhile.

And wouldn't you know it, something interesting did happen a while later (I didn't even have to use my powers, hurray!).

"Is that a village?" Far off into the distance lied what seemed to be a primitive human settlement filled with wooden huts, surrounded by a wall of sharpened sticks. However, something was clearly wrong with it. The walls of various homes were destroyed, torn down by something it couldn't handle, and a multitude of rotting corpses were strewn everywhere with blood painting the pathways like a canvas, a rather gruesome sight to behold.

'A monster attack.' I quickly concluded. If the bite marks, torn flesh, and eaten limbs weren't enough evidence, I don't know what is. Indifferent to the death and destruction, I silently entered the village, touring the place. Thankfully, no more beasts remained so I explored the place without much issue.

Suddenly, a strange noise caught my full attention; it was the sounds of a child's supressed sobs coming from within a small shack to my left. 'A survivor?' I entered the home and spotted a small girl with disheveled dark hair, no older than 7 or 8, shivering in the corner of the room, tears flowing out of her eyes like a broken faucet.

Hearing the disturbance, the little girl panicked, thinking the monsters had come back. She sat upright and hastily held her arms up defensively, she couldn't run as her legs were badly injured, and even if it wasn't, a little girl couldn't possibly escape those ruthless beasts.

So, she closed her eyes and waited for her inevitable end. Yet, the pain she was expecting never came. Unable to hold her curiosity, she creaked her eyes open. Instead of a bloodthirsty monster, she found a beautiful man wearing strange clothing, draping a smooth piece of fabric over her slumped form.

"It's okay." I spoke softly, hoping to calm the terrified child. "Everything would be fine." Though I preached about learning everything on my own, an entirely different language was a separate matter altogether, so I just willed the information into my head (who's gonna stop me?) so I could speak to the girl before me.

She lowered her arms, reluctantly accepting the blanket I've given, but still watched my every move with caution. Seeing this, my lips curved into a warm smile. "My name's Leon, what's yours?" I asked.

Her lips quivered, unsure whether or not to answer my question, I didn't force her and patiently waited. After a while, she pushed through her fears to deliver a shaky response. "Alaya…"

"I mean you no harm, little Alaya. I just want to help." I raised my hands to emphasize my point. Staring into her lustrous sky-blue eyes, I decided to rip the bad-aid off and spoke the truth. "Unfortunately, it seems you're the only one alive in this place."

She lowered her gaze, staring at the floor. "I… know." She croaked out in sadness, her body trembling slightly. Well, at least she's not denying the reality in front of her, which is good. For a child, she had a strong mental fortitude, or perhaps she was just good at hiding it.

"Well, Alaya, you have a choice here." I lowered myself to the ground. "You can either stay here, survive on your own, or follow me and I promise to take care of you."

"Can I… come with you?" She asks, a tinge desperation in her voice. Alaya's entire village had just been massacred by beings she cannot possibly triumph against, and she wanted to grab on to whatever help came her way.

"Of course," I nod. "Do you want to?" While hundreds of thousands of creatures were slain by my hands without hesitation, I wasn't cruel enough to abandon a terrified child on their own.

After a moment of consideration, she squeaked out her answer. "...yes."

"Okay. Before we go, I have to tell you something." I hovered my open hand over her wounded leg. "I'm a mage." An ethereal glow bathed her limb, healing it at a visible pace. Alaya's mouth went slightly agape, shocked by the unexplainable phenomenon happening before her eyes.

---

"There's more coming!" A man's desperate shout echoed across the field. A young woman, dressed in peculiar attire consisting of steel-plates and a sword that reflected the sun's bright rays, jumped down from a high fence and landed in front of the man just in time to block an incoming attack from a canine beast.

"Ah! Maiden of steel!" The man exclaimed. "We mustn't remain here for long, the monsters are about to overrun the—" His word abruptly halted as the 'Maiden of steel' raised her weapon aloft, her back stuck straight, and her eyes filled with unwavering determination.

With a shout, she brought her weapon to bear, swiftly swinging it downward to cleave a nearing monster in two perfect halves. She then executed a series of attacks at the following tide of beasts that came with the first, carving deep wounds into their bodies, resulting in a river of blood to flow underneath her feet.

She huffed while recovering her stance, the other people around her also doing the same. One of the men, dressed in armour made of thick animal hides, spoke as he pulled his stone spear out of a monster's corpse. "Maiden, the monsters had taken over the village center, we need to retreat."

The Maiden of steel - also known as Alaya, daughter of Leon - swiped her steel blade to rid it of filth before facing the man next to her. "Tell the others to gather at the second gate, we're crossing the river." A fire burned within her eyes as she spoke.

It had been over a decade since she'd been adopted by her oddly feminine father, and over two years since they separated due to her ambition to become a hero to shield the weak, much like Leon did during their time together. Though saddened by her decision to take up the sword and fight monsters, he begrudgingly let her go after much pestering from Alaya.

She was a big girl now, Alaya didn't need his protection anymore. So, she began her journey across the continent clad in equipment ahead of its time, she questioned her father where the items he kept pulling out of nowhere came from, and he responded with one word, "Magic", everytime she did.

Suddenly, a loud crash reverberated from beyond the forest near the village. She turned, facing the direction of the commotion, and saw a large monster that towered over the mountains looming in the distance. It was vaguely humanoid, with four arms instead of two. Gray hair, unruly as the devastated town around Alaya, covered its whole body like a cloak, preventing one from perceiving its true form.

"Where did that come from!?" A man nearest to the beast exclaimed in terror. How such a colossal monster bypassed their senses escaped them. The same person dropped to his knees and clasped his hands into a prayer. "Gods… Gods have mercy upon us."

Its head turned, gazing menacingly at the group of humans below. Its presence alone was overbearing, sending cold shivers down the Maiden of steel's spine. Alaya knew she was stronger than most, but not enough to take down such a powerful being akin to a god. "What are you doing? Pull back, now!" She screamed to her subordinates, breaking them out of their shocked states. They immediately acted, tuning around and running in the direction of the river she had spoken of earlier.

She soon followed after making sure there weren't any left behind. While rushing through the ruined landscape, she threw a swift glance behind and couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock. The enourmous beast was chasing their group at a speed that belied its size, quickly traversing the distance between them. Each stomp of its foot produced a loud rumble, causing the world around her to shake violently.

She pulled her gaze back to the people before her, whom had halted their sprint after seeing the sheer speed of the monster. A young girl with inky hair hugged her brother while sniffling. A man clad in robes blankly stared at the looming threat and dropped his staff to the ground, laughing to himself. At the pace it was going, there was no way for them to escape it.

Alaya clenched her teeth as she watched them drop in defeat, accepting their fate. She had a myriad of ways to escape, her father had taught her many things during their time together, but she would have to abandon the people she's trying to save.

She stopped and quickly thought of her options. These people must survive, that's been her whole purpose. Her happiness stemmed from watching others be happy, the child she'd made giggle, the old couple she'd attended to, the people she's helped, all gave her joy. A sense of dread washed over her, she couldn't bear to watch people die, so she resorted to something her father had given her long ago.

Alaya placed her hands over her chest and pulled her thoughts inward, searching inside her very soul. Upon pulling her hands back, a bright thread of fire manifested within her grasp, bathing the entire area with its warmth.

'The Dark Soul.' She recalled the flame's name. Leon, her ever-doting parent, had given it to her a day before her departure, claiming that it'll be her most powerful ally in her dearest time of need; granting her the power to overcome whatever situation she found herself in. And what better time to use it than now?

"I call upon thee, O' Flame of Beginning." She brought her arms up, displaying the Dark Soul for the world to behold. The flame hummed, as if listening to her words. "Let thy essence cleanse evil, let thine lost lambs find salvation." She spoke of her wish. "Prithee, Dark Soul. Let thine guiding light embrace humanity."

Suddenly, her form was enveloped by a blue wisp, a power she could not even begin to understand graced her entire being. A wave of foreign thoughts and different sets of memories belonging to a multitude of people assaulted her mind all at once, yet she understood them as if it were her own, never needing more than a thought to sift through them.

As the colossal beast neared, it released an ear piercing screech that rattled the trees. Almost instinctively, the Maiden of steel waved her hand in response. The gesture was simple, however the effect it carried was anything but. In her undying desire to protect the ones behind her, she unconsciously forced the world itself to act, bending causality itself in order to fulfill her wishes. She spoke, and the world answered. Without warning, the monster bursts into a smoke of magical energy that drifted aimlessly in the wind.

Alaya stared incredulously at her hands, wondering what kind of power she was given access to. Gradually, she realized the essence of what she'd become—the collective conciousness of humanity's desire to survive.

The gods roaming the planet gave varying reactions to her heightened state of existence. Some merely gave it a passing glance and moved on, while others beamed with anticipation. Some gods had grown rather bored of the lower world, and this new addition might just satiate their hunger for entertainment.

----

"Always a reckless girl aren't you, Alaya." I stare at the sky, noticing the world's sudden change. She's always been an odd one, throwing away her own safety in favour of securing others'. 

My adopted daughter, Alaya, had left some time ago in order to pursue her heroic ideals, which I tried my hardest to dissuade. But alas, I let her do what she wanted, a father truly is weak against their daughters, huh. (I couldn't say 'no' to my adorable little cinnamon roll, now can I?)

"Didn't think she'd use the Dark Soul that quickly. I thought she'd use it a decade from now." The Flame within her wasn't even at its peak state. The Dark Soul grew stronger as the Age of Gods became weaker, yet she already manifested it, granting her only a fraction of what she's supposed to get. Well, to be fair, not like I told her the Flame's mechanics.

I don't know the full extent of her awakened power, as it depended on her wishes when activating the Flame, but I can only hope it'll keep my daughter safe from any harm that befell her.

----

The birds were chirping, flowers are blooming, on days like these— "Kids like you, should be burning in hell." I assumed a ridiculous pose, pointing my finger at the creature before me—a gorilla that can move at super sonic speed. The ground beneath it roused, quaking slightly, before suddenly bursting outward to reveal a dozen serrated femur rising up into the surface.

The bones swiftly impaled themselves into the speedy gorilla, who was about to deliver the meanest right hook of the century at my body. The monke let out a maddened scream as it attempted pull out the femurs, only for its hands to be shredded upon contact with it.

"It's no use, monkey." I spread my arms dramatically. "You just got dunked on." A rain of sharp femurs rained from above, stabbing and slicing through the creature's body. The super sonic gorilla perished soon after with a pitiful screech.

Out of the blue, a dark figure dropped from the sky and violently landed behind me, causing dirt and dust to be hurled into the air. I turned, facing my new guest. "Hm?" A confused noise left me. Before me was a young girl, no older that 19 or 20, with a head of red hair tied to one side, dressed in a form-fitting attire consisting of a white shirt with two belts strapped just above and below her chest, accentuating her modest breasts, a short dark skirt, and graphite black stockings that hugged her slender legs firmly. They looked too modern, sleek and clean, to be of this time, unless there's some secret human civilization out there. (Which was unlikely, but who knows.)

What surprised me however was her entire being; a human yet not, a mortal yet immortal. She was indestructible, but can wither. It was confusing, her existence was all over the place.

"Who might you be—" My following word remained unsaid as I shut my mouth and quickly moved to the side, avoiding a pebble the young lass had thrown. Unfortunately for the trees behind me, they weren't so lucky (having no ability to move and all). The small fist-sized rock penetrated over a dozen thick tree trunks before halting its momentum. 

My brows furrowed. It was an incredible feat of strength for a human, to be able to turn a common pebble into a bullet, yet I remain unperturbed. I've personally seen smaller creatures with more power, so I wasn't really that surprised. However, I knew she possessed more power than that, she just wasn't showing it.

"Calm down now, I mean no harm." My dulcet voice echoed throughout the area. I raised my arms in surrender while putting on the friendliest smile I could muster.

The mysterious youth glared at me, her eyes swirling in recognition. Her previous hostile aura morphed to one of depression. "Astolfo…"

"What?" I blurted out, not expecting her to recognize the origin of my appearance. Who was this girl? Was she a reincarnator like me, perhaps? Or was there something else I'm not understanding?

"Bring me back." She spoke, desperation gripping her voice. The girl neared me and reached out, holding my shoulder with one hand. "Please… I'm sorry for what I did, I just wanted to make everyone happy… and do lewd things to Mash, she's so soft and squishy." The latter half of her sentence was said in a whisper, but my ears still caught it.

"Come again?" My confusion only grew further. What the hell was this lass talking about? It appears she's mistaken me for the real Astolfo (I don't know how) in her delirium. Now she's telling me to 'bring her back', to where?

"Please… I beg of you. I cannot live here for even a single second more without my Mash… please. I wanna fondle her so badly…" Tears slowly trickled down her youthful face, her grip on my shoulder tightening.

"You have some issues, and here I thought I was a lost cause with the ridiculously stuff I usually do." I gently pushed her hand off my shoulder. 

The expression she made after I removed her hand was that of devastation, as if someone had kicked her pet. She suddenly dropped to her knees, smashing her forehead into the ground that sprouted fissures. The girl's figure quivered, as if an earthquake had accosted her body.

"Okay, okay. I have no idea what you're talking about, but it's not like I don't have a way to 'bring you back', as you say." The youth's head shot upward, her eyes shining a lustrous amber hue.

"Please… I'll be sure to give Gudao a few of my things for you two to play with…" She tearfully said. Again, the meaning of her words eluded me.

"Well, ba-bye." I wave my hand, tapping upon my nigh-omnipotent powers to send her to wherever she wanted to go. I didn't need to know where (or even when), all I had to do was throw her where she's thinking of.

----

Gudako, the last Master of humanity, studied her surroundings carefully. It was familiar, the muted halls, sterile lighting, and the relentless snowstorm happening outside the buildings, she had seen them before.

"Senpai? Are you alright?" A young girl's voice sounded to her left. Gudao nearly burst out in tears upon seeing the girl, whom possessed a head of lilac-coloured hair, wore a jacket over a dark uniform with a small red tie, and a skirt with black tights.

"It's bad to sleep on the floor, you might get sick." The girl, Mash Kyrielight, said. Gudako, to her credit, didn't immediately shot to her feet and began molesting her favorite girl. She immediately noticed the one in front of her wasn't the same Mash as she'd been doting on for the past few years, but a wholly separate one.

How she managed to figure that out, well, living with multiple different copies of the same person had forced her to develop an uncanny ability to spot the difference between them, even down to the minute details such as how they walked from place to place.

Gudako - also known as Ritsuka Fujimaru, the 48th Master candidate - steadily lifted herself off the floor, dusting her rear, then spoke in a soft voice. "Aha… It seems I fell asleep." She doesn't remember how she got here, all Gudako remember was seeing a black-haired Astolfo, but she wouldn't be making the same mistakes twice and leave Mash ever again.

'Must not act weird… don't act weird… Gah! This is too much, but I must…' Her thoughts ran rampant. She restrained the desire to lewd the Mash in front of her, throwing Gudako into a state of agony, and continued talking as if nothing was amiss.

As soon as the two turned a corner, Gudako froze in her tracks upon spotting a familiar feminine figure at the end of the corridor (who she's sure is a man. Trust her, she knows how to spot those creatures known as 'Traps')—the same dark-haired Astolfo she just met moments prior. His round gem-like eyes brightened upon seeing her.

"Heya! been a while." The mysterious fellow greeted Gudako as small wave.

----

"Weird kid." I turned around and began walking in a random direction, my encounter with that strange lass was… well, strange, but it ain't my problem. Whatever issue she has, that's for her to deal with.

Speaking of issues; "Another random thought came to mind." I've been getting ideas from time to time that I couldn't help but realize. Having nothing better to do, I created an abandoned facility filled with all sorts of mysterious creatures for people of the future to find. I didn't think much of it, really, I just made it and went on my way.

----

"Unknown activity, huh." A man with long black hair, dressed in a fine dark-blue suit, whispered to himself while gazing at the weathered structure before him.

"Yes sir, the Clock Tower noticed strange readings coming from inside this place." Another voice answered from behind him.

Evan Spiel, and 3 others magi affiliated with the organization known as the "Clock Tower", stood in front of an old building of unknown origin. Some claimed it had existed since the Age of Gods, and the evidence pointed to that conclusion, but many dismissed such claims as nothing more than a farce.

How can such a modern looking building appear during such time? Humans weren't even at the stage of creating a proper civilization, even the Kiln of the First Flame, a sacred place heavily protected my the Magus Association, wasn't so advanced. So, most people attuned to the supernatural thought nothing of it despite the clear signs.

"Bounded field set, the place shouldn't be bothered by normal people now." A woman part of their group made her appearance from around a corner. Evan nodded and neared the double door before him. 

He placed his hand atop the cold door handle and pulled it open, producing piercing creak with each centimeter it moved, then entered the building. It appeared to be an abandoned facility of sort, metal contraptions were strewn all around, the halls were dimly lit, creating a creepy atmosphere. 

The four of them weren't worried, they'd hunted down Dead Apostles, vamparic-like beings, before and emerged victorious, a dark space wouldn't be enough to scare them. The group, confident in their abilities, decided to split up to cover more ground quicker. Evan made his way through the structure, clearing room after room and jumping over random hazardous chasms the facility had for some reason, until he eventually looped back to the entrance, finding nothing wrong about the place.

The magical energy around here wasn't rife, nor was it acting odd in anyway. "Maybe the Clock Tower mistook something…" Evan sighed, it wasn't the first time a report had been wrong, even the all-powerful Clock Tower make mistakes at times, so he didn't make a big deal about it.

He waited for about 30 minutes outside the entrance until he decided to contact the other people that came with him. He grabbed a jewel tucked in his pocket, inserted a bit of mana into the object, then spoke to it. "Hey, it's been half an hour, unless you find something, go back, now."

Magi weren't the most technology adept bunch, mostly due to their disdain in using items of non-magical origin, so they struggle to even use the most basic of electronics such as a landline phone. However, they do have alternatives, such as the jewel Evan was holding, which acted like a 'walkie-talkie' in non-magi terms.

Noone replied to his words even after minutes had passed. Annoyed, Evan made his way back inside the abandoned facility and decided to search for them himself. The sound of his shoes hitting the metal floor repeated until suddenly, it changed to a wet, splashy noise.

He looked down, gazing at flowing liquid beneath him. His eyes widened slightly, recognizing the red substance—blood. Evan was immediately catapulted into a heightened state of alertness upon seeing it, his body tensed, and his mana hummed, ready to employ his family's magecraft.

He followed the trail, turning various corners and eventually entering a room with various mechanical pieces, the purpose of which escaped him.

"What the…" He shakily said. His pupils dilating upon seeing the corpses of his companions tucked in a random corner. Two had their lower half ripped apart, their entrails spilling all across the floor, and the woman who erected the bounded field was missing her head, as if it has violently burst apart.

A little creature with a rotund body, two large eyes on each side of its face, and had curved claws for hands, was standing over them, guarding the bodies by spreading its arms to appear larger. Evan's shock didn't last long, he immediately went into action and empowered himself with mana, quickly eliminating the monster with a single overhead slash of his dagger.

Before he could catch his breath however, two large hands covered the edges of his vision. Reacting swiftly, Evan turned around to deliver a deadly strike at his adversary, but the creature was faster; it tightly clasped his head and forcefully twisted it around, killing the magus near instantaneously. The blade left his hands, falling to the ground with a loud clank.

A pair of white eyes produced a slight glint as it stared at Evan's colding carcass. The creature's form was shrouded by darkness, the only signs of its presence being the light reflecting weakly off its emotionless eyes. It firmly held Evan's body and began dragging it to the deepest part of the facility, never to be found again.

Later, at the Clock Tower, reports of missing personel had reached their ears, resulting in them sending more people to investigate the issue, only for the same tragedy to occur again.

END.