62 A Tarnished World (2)

Gwen and Reynold fought viciously among the hordes of monsters that seemed to come endlessly. 

The light within Reynold's blade seemed to dim each time blood was spewed onto the ground. 

But the hatred within him did not. 

Gwen on the other hand was hailing bullet casings everywhere around her. 

Her Glock-19 resembled the scythe of a reaper as her bullets cleave through the scales and hides of the monsters around them. 

But she knew her mana was running out and wouldn't be able to make more bullets if the monsters continued to swarm them. 

But then a light that seemed to swallow the battlefield blinded her eyes. 

Reynold as a way to kill all the monsters around them with one move. 

Raised his greatsword up in the air. 

Gathered all of his golden aura within. 

And released it. 

In an instant, the blinding light turned the legion of monsters around them to nothing but ashes. 

Reynold immediately plunged his greatsword to the ground so his body wouldn't fall. 

His eyes were now again set upon the Sovereign. 

The cinder light inside his sword was starting to die out.

But his raging hatred did not. 

His aura was tired making his right arm and left leg seem heavy. 

His original arm and leg were cut down when he fought with the traceless terror years ago. 

So they had to make him a new one that he could only move with aura. 

The gaze of the Sovereign and the 4 other archdemons befall him. 

His hatred grew as the sound of laughter encumbered his ears. 

The five of them were laughing at him. 

"This!?" 

"This was the one chosen by Aether?" 

The red demon at the Sovereign side mocked him. 

He soon jumped in the air and landed a few distance away from Reynold. 

He then started to clench his fist. 

Hybris one of the archdemon descended onto the battlefield.

With hands full of thorns and a body that rivaled the sturdiness of a mountain.

He towered over Reynold looking down on him like he was nothing but an insect.

He wielded no weapon for he did not need one.

For he was the sin of pride. 

But in Reynold's mind, there was no longer any despair. 

Only fury. 

"Reynold!," 

Gwen tried to run after Reynold but then gold chains started to cover her body. 

Her eyes then gaze at the archdemons. 

The golden chains belonged to one of them. 

Full of jewelry and wealth. 

She stood with a golden grin for even all her teeth were gold. 

Avaritia. 

The archdemon of greed. 

Held Gwen tightly with her golden chains. 

"N-No," 

Like a snake, she was slowly suffocating Gwen.

Reynold immediately turned his head his face went pale as she saw the sight of Gwen locked in golden chains. 

He was about to rush at her to free her from those chains with his sword but. 

*THUMP* 

"Where do you think you're going?" 

Hybris stood in his way.

Without replying Reynold swung his sword with all of his might. 

Hybris chuckled at the sight and responded with his fist. 

*BOOM* 

A deafening noise crossed over the battlefield.

The shockwaves made the jewels of Avaritia flutter. 

And as she opened her eyes. 

Hybris no longer stood in Reynold's way.

He was sent back. 

He was rolling on the ground and as it stopped he opened his eyes.

The bloodied sky met his gaze.

"Wha-" 

He quickly stood up and looked at the one chosen by Aether. 

He could no longer see the golden aura from the blade of radiance that Reynold wields.

A scarlet red aura different from the humans and orcs wield. 

Hybris's mouth started to slowly open as he felt the aura even more.

It was familiar, full of loathing, anger, and hatred.

It was wrath. 

He too felt the same emotions as he remembered that he was pushed back by a mere human. 

"YOU DARE TRY TO WIELD THAT POWER?" 

"I AM BETTER THAN YOU, STRONGER THAN YOU," 

His ego has been hurt so without thinking rushes at Reynold. 

Reynold merely looked at him and readied his sword.

"A MERE HUMA-"

One swing. 

It was all it took for his body to be cut in half. 

"Hubris was your downfall," 

That was all Reynold said as he looked at the body of the archdemon on the ground as he turned into dust.

Without wasting another second he forced his worn-torn body towards Gwen and severed chains holding her. 

"Re-Reynold" 

She was on her knees trying to breathe as if another minute passed by she would've died from suffocating from those chains. 

"Gwen, are you okay," 

"Reynold wh-what is that aura," 

Gwen was terrified at the scarlet red aura different from what she was accustomed to. 

"Please, Gwen, you have to run, you have to warn the others in Tyresia," 

With battered breath, Reynold urged Gwen to run. 

He couldn't see another one of his friends die before him. 

"Ple-please Gwen, Run," 

"No, Reynold, What about you?" 

"Don't worry about me Gwen, The others you have to go -"

Then a burst of laughter interrupted their heartfelt moment. 

As Reynold looked back. 

A tailed demon met his gaze the laughter came from her. 

She was smaller than the other archdemons holding nothing but a staff. 

But that tail resembled that of a shadowkind yet her skin was of demonic nature. 

"You're talking about these people?" 

She raised her hand to the sky and soon. 

From the ground. 

Corpses started to form. 

Reynold and Gwen could only stare. 

Their mind went blank. 

Gwen's hand could not stop trembling while Reynold's mouth almost reached the ground. 

The corpses that came from the ground. 

They were the people they were trying to protect. 

Now rotten and screaming in anguish. 

Even in death, the archdemons denied them rest. 

The tailed demon let out another laugh. 

It was Aergia the archdemon of sloth. 

Reynold's mind almost broke. 

He tightened the grip on his sword and charged. 

Through the living corpses of the ones he was trying to protect. 

Through the ashen battlefield.

The corpses fought back swinging their swords and casting their spells at him but he did not care anymore.

The misery in his mind was stronger than the aching of his body.

He carved his way to the point of his armor was bloodied red. 

His appearance was that of a red reaper. 

Gwen could only watch, 

She could not move her legs anymore. 

Despair engulfed her mind. 

"I WILL SLAUGHTER YOU DAMNED DEMONS, I WILL NOT RE-" 

The blood that came out of Reynold's mouth made him unable to speak any longer. 

As he looked down a spear of crimson dread pierced through his body. 

"That is how far I will allow you to go," 

As he looked up he saw the eyes of red of the Sovereign. 

The spear pinned him to the ground making him unable to move. 

He felt his strength weaken and the grip on his greatsword loosened. 

It finally fell from his hand onto the ground beside him. 

"Aergia, kindly call Hybris back," 

"As you wish my liege," 

Aergia then gathered the dust remains of Hybris from the air and raised her staff.

And in front of Reynold. 

The demon with hands of thorn. 

Soon started to materialize in front of him. 

It was like he was never cut in half. 

Anger was in his eyes as stared down at the pinned Reynold. 

Reynold let out a small chuckle. 

Blood was coming out of his mouth. 

There was not a tinge of hope in his eyes. 

"You," 

A powerful punch met his face. 

"Dare," 

Another one. 

"To" 

And another one. 

"Cut," 

And another one. 

"Me" 

And another one. 

"Down!" 

Gwen could only watch from afar. 

Reynold met all of the punches of the Demon of Pride. 

Hybris treated Reynold as nothing more than a punching bag. 

The handsome face of the one blessed by radiance could no longer be seen. 

As it was reduced to a pulp.

Gwen knew that Reynold was no longer in this world. 

Her mind and will were broken.

But then Aergia raised her staff.

And soon the body of the man she loved started moving.

He took out the spear that pinned him from the ground. 

And started to approach her. 

As she looked into his eyes. 

That was not the man he knew. 

Devoid of any life. 

A puppet wielding the same crimson spear that plunged his chest. 

Soon her eyes started to water. 

She saw Reynold raise the spear and not a moment long after. 

She then closed her silver eyes for the very last time.

And felt the cold blade of the spear strike her heart.

And just like that. 

The last drop of her tear. 

The last beat of her heart.

Echoed within the wasteland. 

*************

In a room with the smell of lilac, a girl with silver hair was lying on her bed in her room at the academy as she read the news on the holographic screen of her bracelet. 

'Assassins infiltrated the Coldfeather!'

It was about the event that happened a night ago. 

She was diligently reading the news as apparently one of the assassins was using a gun but then tears started to form in her eyes. 

"Huh?, why am I crying?" 

Gwen was shocked for she did not understand why she would randomly start to tear up.

Thinking nothing more than dust getting in her eyes she quickly wiped them off with a cloth and continued reading the article.

But somewhere in a place close by. 

"WHAT THE F*CK WAS THAT," 

Troi, woke up from his bed, full of sweat and breathing rapidly.

He could not help but swear and scream.

"WAS THAT THE F*CKING BAD ENDING?"