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“We need supplies,” came a fatigued Fenrir, “-no more game to be had in the forest. Even monsters have stopped spawning. They’re being pulled to the southwest, I suspect there’s more development happening beyond our knowledge.”

“This is discomforting,” he stared out one of the incognito buildings set in the middle of the town, outside of the castle. The locals ran.

“We don’t have food,” complained one of the refugees.

“The merchants are charging an arm and a leg. We can’t afford anything much less those ingredients. There’s no work, we should have remained in the forest, at least we could have foraged for food.”

“Any luck fishing?” they asked a passing fisherman.

“No, the sea is rough. The fishes seem to have disappeared. I don’t know how or why, it’s strange.”

“What should we do?”

“Wait for the higher-ups,” they sighed, “-don’t think we’ll last another week. Might be time to pack up our bags and leave.”

.....

“You have a newborn to care for, don’t make rash decisions.”

“He died a few nights ago,” he said with a soft and lowered gaze, “-I thought we’d be safe. Inux is a haven, I know shelter is difficult to find… still, without provision, we’ll all die.”

“Come on man,” came a group of hunters, “-don’t despair. We’re going further out today… join us.”

Staxius turned from the ajar window, “-the situation is worsening,” he shrugged, “-I did say we couldn’t handle so many refugees. There needs to be a triage… you know what I mean.”

“A genocide?” she placed her tail on her lap and rose an eyebrow, “-will that not go against the principle of the Scavengers?”

“Principles and morale are the last things in a person’s mind when survival is a matter of life and death.”

*knock, knock,* the shoddy door rattled, “-come in.”

Hesta entered slowly, behind her were men dressed in civilian clothing. Commoner’s outfit – a little on the thin side and bad for the weather and cold of Inux. She shuffled to Fenrir’s side, “-Staxius, please meet Enji, a representative from the Resistance.” A short but broad man cut across the crowd of five. He tipped his head with an affirming gaze, pushing his aura onto Fenrir, Staxius, and Hesta; his hands and movements commanded the pace around him. “-You must be Staxius?” said a gravelly voice – scraped and torn from years of screaming, such was the impression given by the sharply squared forehead and weathered face.

“Enji,” Staxius nonchalantly returned, “-can’t say I’ve heard much of you or your faction. I did see them in action – though, they died in the end. Tell me, is Hesta your spy?”

“Hesta isn’t our spy,” he paused, “-she’s one of us. We asked her to keep an eye on the Scavenger. People often mistake our factions. Unlike the rats, we fight for what we believe in. Our members have diminished but we are very much strong.”

“What was Hesta’s purpose?”

“…” Enji knitted his brow and checked side to side. No one responded to his nonverbal cues, of which, he simply crossed his arms and stared through Staxius, “-that I cannot say.”

“Of course, you can.”

“…”

“Tell you what. I will give you a piece of information in exchange for the answers I seek.”

“There’s nothing much I want to know,” he casually shrugged.

“Not even how Inux was taken in a single night, by a single man.”

Enji blinked, “-a single night?”

“Correct,” he lit a cigarette, “-sadly, I’ve lost interest. This meeting is pointless. You came to have a look at the stage of Inux. Are you, perhaps, planning an attack?” he smirked and looked at the northeast, “-the plan changed, didn’t it. You were going to take over the Scavenger’s supplies and base of operation. Gesborrow was there when you arrived, it was already destroyed. Keeping an army on your side is difficult, especially when the land has been exhausted from its resources. Either the Scavengers or the Resistance.”

“…”

“Enji, I would appreciate it if you’d ask your spies, yes, I know they’re waiting at the Little Maiden’s tavern, to gather their information from a credible source. You had a good enough look at our defenses. I see the Resistance planning to attack tomorrow night. I welcome the battle,” he puffed, “-selling out to the enemy… how predictable.”

“KILL HIM!” Enji cried. Fenrir made a clawing motion with her right hand – a bodyless apparition of a divine wolf materialized and chomped the attackers into halves. The torso-less bodies fell with blood spilling on the wooden floor.

“So predictable,” he snuffed the cigarette and flick it onto Enji’s head, “-leave before I change my mind.”A darker sense of control held the room’s tension. Enji eventually shrugged off the traumatic display of strength and left.

A full day passed. Fireflies fluttered over a stream passing by Inux. “-are you sure they’re going to attack tonight?”

“Yeah, I have it on good authority,” he tapped his earring, “-isn’t that right, Yui?”

“Oh please, give me a break,” she echoed, “-my schedule is full as is. Not easy to run two regions at once. Where’s Elixia, tell her to return to Ragno. We’re in the crucial process of choosing the next student council.”

“Right,” the interface lit with many dots, “-my apologies Yui. Tonight’s the last night, you’re free to leave after we’ve crushed the resistance.” He casually turned and faced an empty street. The houses were mute, with no signs of life. most were evacuated into the castle, leaving the town itself barren and prime for setting traps.

“You sure we’re enough to handle them?”

“Yes, we are,” he smiled, “-Fenrir.”

“Well, long as there are things to kill, I’m not complaining.”

Facing them was the resistance’s army, a bulk of their force reaching in the four hundred. Many were volunteers and used rudimentary gear. Some had little to no training, though, as one born of Draebala, each possessed tremendous physical strength.

“Listen, men, we’re faced with a problem. The Scavengers have allied with a demon. They’ve betrayed the trust of the people. They’ve called upon a curse to cure their plight. We must do the same, and thus, we have asked our new allies – the Exions, to grant us a weapon. They have graciously brought forth an incarnation of the elder demons – a royal from the demonic realm. Hear me, man, tonight is the night we take back Inux, we will win the fight, we will win a place for our families to belong. Once we have Inux, I promise you, as one of the commanders, I promise good ale and good times. The resistance exists for the peace of the people, and for that reason, we will cross any line to make said reality possible. Draebala has abandoned us, and so have the gods we prayed to. What we’re left with is a faint sense of self-preservation. Muster whatever strength you possess, whatever you have, it will be great. For even climbing the tallest mountain, one’s journey starts with a single step.”

A cold wind tussled Staxius’s hair, “-the moon shines brightly tonight,” he looked right, Fenrir had one leg on one of the arrow slits, “-I sense someone strong.”

“You want to take him?”

“Sure,” she excitedly wiped her mouth, “-four hundred strong, sure you can handle them?”

“Piece of cake.”

A somber cloud passed over the moon. The surrounding visibility diminished, “-CHARGE!”

Pillars of fiery red shot into the sky like fireworks, ‘-mortar fire?’ he blinked, ‘-since when do they use modern weaponry,’ it arched and dove straight for town, ‘-this might be a problem.’ Fenrir leaped right in, her long bright hair floating as she met the coming attackers, “-AHH,” heads torn, limbs ripped – a gore full sight kindly censored by the low visibility. The death gasps were a symphony to his ears, *Barrier of the underworld, separation between life and death. Gate of Retribution, the land of judgment, rises from the abyssal flame, burn the opposition to ash, and grind their souls to smithereens, for there is one separation, and one separation halts all; Death Element, Deific Barrier, Abyssal Variant: Quretch,* a hand-like outline made of flames rose over the town in a cupping motion – the mortar fire exploded. The resultant shockwaves disrupted unsuspecting clouds.

‘She’s torn through them,’ *Once living now dead. O’ thee who’ve lost thine life to mine blade, thee who held regrets in the mortal world, I grant thee a chance at life. Be one with those who are to serve me, Blood-Arts: Ghoul Revival,* those slain by Fenrir’s might were swallowed by a purple stain, *Souls of the dead, thee who’ve sworn to serve me in life and death, come to my side. Blood-Arts: Ghouls Requiem.* and then spat out into different entities. Identical puppets were born for the simple purpose of killing. A muffled snap echoed in the distance, ‘-puppets soldiers born to kill, the battle’s already over.’

There was no need for tactical assistance. Staxius simply sat over the battlements and watched as those who died returned as ghouls under his control. *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* those lucky enough to slip past Fenrir and the soldiers were met with a swift death. ‘No more fireworks?’ he squinted; ‘-guess they made short work of them. Going better than I expected,’ like clockwork – Fenrir’s blue hair shot past, *Mana Control: Tempest Variant – Feather wall,* “-you good?” he caught her fall.

“No,” she shook her head and dropped from Staxius’ spell, “-fighting a prince of Hell without using demon slaying weapons is not that smart. The ghouls you summoned have been swallowed. He blocked my attack and sent me here,” she casually cracked her knuckles and shook her hands, “-I’m going in for a second round. Don’t feed him. Also, I’d check the flak just in case. They don’t seem troubled by our show of force.”

‘Off she goes,’ her dash left cracks in the wall, ‘-maybe I’m underestimating them,’ he closed his eyes, the bicolored pupils changed to one white shrouding in flakes of purples and red, “-show me the way,” he widened his gaze, reality faded in and out, “-she was right. A floating fortress,” he looked up, “-a celestial ship. I wouldn’t have noticed it using my normal sight. It transcends expectations,” the giant airship lowered – the presence it spewed forced even the strongest on their head, ‘-so strong,’ he rose his arms over his head and watched, ‘-who’s vessel is that?’

“M-m-m-master?” Yui’s voice barely connected, “-c-c-c-can y-you hear m-me?”

“Yeah, what’s the matter?”

“B-bec-c-careful. A C-c-celestial-” it ended.

“A Celestial?” he conjured his wings and leaped.

An eyepatch-wearing met his gaze from the deck, “-Staxius Haggard,” he proclaimed, “-join me on my ship.”

To which, Staxius obliged and landed, “-who are you?”

“The youngest of the Olympian Gods, son of Zeus and Semele, Dionysus at your service,” he bowed, “-I’m also known as the God of Wine, Fertility, Festivity, Ecstasy, Madness and Resurrection, all and all, I’m a swell guy to be around with.”

“Dionysus,” Staxius took a few steps forward, “-why are you here?”

“To come to see another eccentric god,” he crossed his fingers, “-I’ve searched long and hard, I followed your trail and the adventures in your realm. The Chronicles were a great way to learn about you and your exploits. Of course, it did help when Miira was asked to retell the stories.”

“One question, Friend or foe.”

“Friend.”

“Cool. Follow me then,” he jumped, Dionysus waved his hands, and the airship vanished – both landed on a watchtower and stared in the distance, “-you believe me?”

“Why not?”