Issei's Wild Journey through Arad (DFOx Highschool DxD Crossover)

[Broken_Mirror93]

"Would you die for me?"

A question he didn't expect.

Two pitch-black wings, a lance of light.

A flash of searing pain through his abdomen, the feeling of his insides boiling.

"If you want to curse someone, curse the God who hid that Sacred Gear within you," she told him, a mocking edge to her speech, a far cry from the sweet voice he had heard again and again during the day.

His legs gave out.

'Am I... going to die?' he wondered, tears stinging in his eyes.

Lying in a pool of his cooling blood, a hand drifted toward the hole in his stomach. Red. For all matters and purposes, a beautiful color.

'At least, let me die in the arms of a beautiful girl...' he pleaded, prayed.

Darkness crept into his vision, the faint light of the streetlights growing dimmer and dimmer.

A voice, at the edge of his hearing. Gentle. Wonderful.

His head rested atop delicious warmth and heavenly softness. He felt something slip into his chest: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.

The pain faded. He tried reaching out, towards the indistinct face that filled his vision. A halo of red... Hair?

Soft...

And Issei Hyodo, Future Harem King, knew no more.
-

He awoke with a start to Green and Birdsong. Healthy trees and grass and plants he couldn't begin to name surrounded him. His right hand shot towards his stomach. No pain, no blood, no hole. He was alive and well.

He stood up.

A nightmare? No, the pain had felt too real.

Had he gotten... Isekai'ed? Was this some kind of dying dream?

He pinched himself. Pain. Not a dream, then.

Issei looked around. It seemed that, indeed, he got transported towards another world.

For a moment, the thought of busty elves, poised lady-knights and shy princesses crossed his mind... Then something far more important reared its head: His parents.

"I have to get back!" he shouted at no one in particular. The idea of his parents learning of his death made him shudder. No matter how much they disapproved of his tastes and fantasies, they still loved him!

But despite his outbreak, all that answered him was the bird song.

Then, something else tore through the tranquility of the forest he found himself in: A cry for help. A girl's cry for help.

He broke into a run. Whoever that was, he had to help!

Then, he caught sight of his arm, his left arm, to be specific. Some kind of gauntlet, Crimson with a sizable green gemstone on the back of the hand. What the heck was that thing?

He shrugged. A question for later. First, he had to help!
-

The first thing he literally stumbled over was a corpse. A man's corpse in black robes and a weird hat, a sizable gash in his side. The boy winced. The wound was dealt by something with a huge blade. And in the distance, he could hear more fighting.

Maybe this was a bad idea. He wasn't a fighter, as much as he loved Dragon Ball.

A voice piped up. 'Running away, are we?' It chided. The stopped. The desire for safety warred with the wish to help whoever called for it.

The wish won and he approached the sound of battle.

A giant, a punk, a walkway model and a female knight were fighting a large group of men and women, clad in the same clothing as the man he stumbled over.

"You there!" the giant shouted, and Issei jumped. "Save the girl, We will take care of the cultists!" he continued as he backhanded one of his attackers before sending several flying with a shoulder charge.

Save the girl? What did he mean... Issei's eyes drifted towards the girl lying on the ground, above her a... purple-black smoke cloud with evil-looking eyes.

Issei nodded. However, the giant's shout drew unwanted attention in the form of one of the cultists. "May Chaos take the world!" the man in black shouted as he swung his weapon at the teenager. Issei brought the gauntlet up... and the weapon shattered when gauntlet and blade met.

'Huh. Must be my cheat item.' Issei marveled and punched the cultist in the face. Staggering backward, clutching his nose, he was cut down by the punk. "Come on! There's more where that came from, ya bastards!"

Issei ran for the girl on the ground. 'Now to do what?' He asked himself as the battle raged around him.

Once again, the crimson gleam of the gauntlet caught his eye. Closing his eyes, he thrust his left hand into the smoke cloud... and his hand found purchase. The cloud hissed and screeched as it dispersed.

The girl stirred awake and looked around. She winced as she saw the corpses of the cultists sprawled about. Then she rose to her feet.

She shook her head and smiled. At him. at the four who fought the cultists. "You have my thanks for saving me." Issei started. This was the girl that called for help!

"My name is Seria Kirmin. May I know yours?" she continued and curtsied.

The Four approached the two. Now that Issei got a closer look at him, he realized why he trusted him: He looked like someone that Irina-Kun would have trusted!

"My name is Johnathan Cross and this is my companion of the inquisition, Sister Agnes." The giant bowed deeply and the woman with the axe crossed her arms.

"Val Lorin." the punk ground out, an odd smile on his face. There was a shackle around his left arm, which looked like it was covered in dried blood and the fingernails were pointed, like claws.

Next was the walkway model. "You may call me Sinestra." She said with the kind of tone that reminded him of the great Ladies of Kuoh.

"Uh, um... My name is Issei, Issei Hyodo!" he finally said.

Seria giggled. "Once again, thank you for saving me. I'm certain that Vetala would like to thank you personally. Please, follow me to Silver Crown."

Carefully stepping past the fallen, she started walking.

One after another, the gathered started to follow her.

"So, Issei Hyodo. Are you from Suju? Your name sounds like it belongs there. Are you perhaps a traveling martial artist, seeking to grow stronger?" The giant, Johnathan Cross asked, not unkindly.

"Suju? What is a Suju? No, I'm From Japan. A nation... very, very far away from here." Issei told him. The holy man nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "I see. I must confess, I never heard of this 'Japan', but I can't help but feel curious about it, please, once we are safe, would you regale this humble priest with tales of your homeland?"

Issei nodded and smiled. Irina would like this guy.

They sunk into personable silence as they marched towards 'Silver Crown' whatever that was. Some city, a village?

Then, they arrived at a long hanging bridge. In the distance, surrounded by fields was the single biggest tree Issei had ever seen. The crown shone like polished silver in the sun and there were several houses built into its branches.

Seria giggled. "Welcome to my home. Welcome to Silver Crown!"

A/N: I decided to post my story here as well.
Comments would be very welcome.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

A large gathering of people caught the youth's eye. Before a bigger building made out of wood, many were shouting. They looked like farmers and hunters, and in the middle of the gathering, there was a young woman in a blue dress with long black hair and... horns?

She was talking, but whatever it was, it was drowned out by shouting. He saw Seria grimace.

"So... Would you like to explain? There seems to be a problem." Agnes asked their guide. Seria nodded. "The fairies that live in the forests of Abnova, surrounding Silver Crown are normally kind and helpful, some even helping with the harvest, guiding people to interesting things and more. But... the last few weeks, they have grown restless. Some are even malicious. Spirits that used to help with the harvest now burn crops, others that brought a pleasant, cool breeze after a day of fieldwork now freeze everything they can reach."

"I left the village to investigate what was happening, but then, that dark smoke caught me and... well, you know what happened afterward.

The five she was talking to nodded. "So someone has to take care of the fairies before they cause more harm to the village." The woman Johnathan had called of the Inquisition summarized as she reached for the axe slung across her back.

"Now wait a second! From what Little Miss Ruby eyes here told us, the fairies used to be non-threatening, even good-hearted! I get it, at the moment, they are dangerous, but something is wrong! Maybe they are cursed, or enchanted or who knows what!" Val protested.

Issei couldn't help but be surprised. The punk... No, the swordsman looked like a typical thug. but the fact that he defended the spirits from the scary lady with the axe suggested he was more than just what he looked like.
Despite the situation, Johnathan smiled. "Thank you, but Miss Agnes is correct, they need to be subdued. Not slain, as you pointed out, but sadly, force needs to be used before they cause greater harm."

"So the plan is to go out there, subdue the fairies and find out what made them change?" Sinestra spoke up. Seria nodded. Johnathan, Val, Sinestra and Agnes turned to leave... and the red-eyed girl turned towards Issei. "You aren't going?" she asked, a look of surprise on her face.

Issei grimaced. "It's not that I don't want to help but... I'm useless in a fight. I'd just get in the way..."

"Don't say that! It's just... I thought you were like them, an adventurer seeking to make the world a better place. With that gauntlet..."

Issei clenched his left hand and brought it up. Crimson and green between boy and girl. Seria took the gauntlet into her hands, and Issei felt her warmth as if it were his actual hand. "I believe, from the bottom of my heart that you can be someone great, if you dare to believe in yourself, Mister Hyodo."

And the self-declared harem king... stared. This girl had known him for less than an hour and said something like that? When was the last time someone told him this? Ever since Irina left...

A look of determination crossed his face. He nodded, smiled. Then he ran past her. "Hey, wait for me!" he shouted after the four that left, hurrying to catch up.
-
"What exactly are we looking for?" Val said as he and the others left the safety of Silver Crown. "I mean, beat the fairies into the ground until they can't move anymore I get, but what else? We can't just stumble about and search the whole of Abnova, hoping to trip over whatever is causing this mess." He pointed out.

"First of all, find a fairy king." Johnathan answered. The four others turned to look at him. "From what I have read, the fairies of Abnova are led by the greatest of their kind, more powerful and more intelligent than a run-of-the-mill spirit. If one of them is as aggressive as their lesser kin, I might be able to use whatever made them like this to pinpoint the source."

"You can do that?" Issei questioned. Johnathan laughed. "In my monastery, I was taught a great many different skills to perform my duties, one of them, curse-breaking."

Something jumped out of a nearby bush. It looked like a squirrel but with a flame for a tail and the size of a large cat. "Would you look at that, a minor fairy." the priest pointed out.

The creature reared back and spat a fireball the size of itself at the gathered humans. Bringing up a hand, the holy man spoke a single word and a barrier of golden light sprang into being. The fireball impacted the field of light.

Agnes charged and swung her axe in a vicious ark, hitting the minor fairy and sending it flying into a nearby tree. "To think that people have problems with these things..." the inquisitor groused.

"You have to remember, we have combat training, unlike the villagers." Johnathan pointed out, and Val snorted. "Not me. All self-taught." he pointed out.

"Me neither. It's just... I want to help." Issei confessed.

The whisper of steel being drawn from a sheath caught their attention. Sinestra had drawn her sword.

"It's not alone. Get ready." More of the fire squirrels jumped from the bushes, their eyes gleaming with malicious light.

For a moment, no one moved. Then, the clearing descended into chaos. The five of them dodged and weaved the hail of fireballs.

Issei's leg lashed out, sending a fire fairy flying and thrusting the gauntlet into another one. He lost sight of the others, so focused on dodging. He could hear them over the sounds of battle.

One fire squirrel jumped for his face and breathed out a cloud of flame instead of a ball. He brought the gauntlet up to shield himself... and he couldn't help but marvel at the fact that it didn't feel like fire. It felt like a pleasantly warm breeze. Punching through the cloud, Issei knocked the critter unconscious. He looked around. He got slightly singed, as did the others. But the ambush of fire squirrels had been beaten.

"Not even close." Val boasted.

Issei broke into laughter. For his first fight, that was... strange. Attacked by fire-spitting squirrels. He looked around. "Uh... Not to complain... actually, I'm really glad... but why isn't the forest on fire?"

Johnathan smiled. "You see, these trees are elementary aligned towards fire. They need fire like other plants need water. You would need the flame of a dragon or the power of a fairy king to set them alight."

The future harem king nodded. Weird, but he just got ambushed by fire-spitting woodland critters.

Agnes now spoke up. "Is it just me or is it getting hotter?" she pointed out. She was correct. it was indeed getting hotter.

"Speak of the devil. Seems we found our fairy king of fire." Val groused out.
-

The forest was burning and dancing among the flames was a girl. She giggled and waved her hands. More and more flame sprung from her hands as if they were flamethrowers.

"So pretty, so pretty! Yellow, orange and red!" she sang as the trees became charcoal.

Issei and the others were sweating the blistering heat.

"We have to stop her before she incinerates Silver Crown!" Val shouted.

The girl's slitted eyes caught sight of the five.

Her carefree smile turned into a scowl, her slitted eyes narrowed. "Are you here to spoil my fun?! You will burn!" she snarled and a white-hot stream of flames leaped from her hands.

Issei dove to the side, as did the others.

Even with the resistance to fire the Gauntlet granted him, this wasn't something he would like to be hit with!

"Burn! Burn! Become beautiful and burn!" the fairy king screamed as fistfuls of fire were thrown in their direction. But the rage made her clumsy.

Sinestra was the one who made the deciding move, jumping forward, she rammed the pommel of her sword into the face of the fairy, knocking her out.

Immediately, the spirit collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut and the temperature immediately dropped, turning from blistering to hot.

"Is it over?" Issei asked.

Sinestra gave a thin smile.

Then, the fairy king stirred. "Ugh... What happened, why does my face hurt?"

Once again, she rose to her feet, her face no longer the rictus of rage and hate. "Who are you? Why are you here? The last thing I remember is falling asleep..." the fire spirit told them.

The five shared a look. "You remember nothing? Setting fire to the forest? Trying to burn us, torch Silver Crown?" Johnathan questioned.

"I would never do that! At least, I think not... Maybe it's the fault of the nightmare?"

"A nightmare?" the priest approached, his hand glowing. Brushing over her shoulder, the hand came back with some kind of crystal, fire-red with veins of black.

"Uh... What's that?" the brown-haired teen asked.

"A small fragment of her essence. If I manage to separate what is hers from what isn't, we have our first clue what is wrong." the holy man explained.

"So... Let's return to Silver Crown for now?" Agnes suggested.

A/N: Part two. I need to get better at fight scenes, but that's why I'm here.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

When the five returned, the crowd had dispersed and both Seria and the horned woman in blue was talking to a handsome man with pointed ears, which Issei noted with envy.

The woman suddenly looked at him directly, an odd look in her eyes. She approached as did Seria and the pointy-eared handsome man.

She curtsied and smiled. "Greetings and Welcome to Silver Crown, adventurers. My name is Vetala, the Guardian of Blue. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving Seria." she spoke gently, and Issei couldn't help but blush. When was the last time a girl thanked him? He couldn't remember.

"Seria already told me you agreed to help us with our crisis." The pointy-eared man cleared his throat. "Morgan, Royal Alchemist of Fennes, at your service. I might be of help. regarding your quest. I was told by Seria that you might return with a clue?"

"That would be correct." Johnathan handed the alchemist the crystalized essence. "Straight from the fairy king of flame." A grimace spoiled Seria's face. "Poor innocent Stera, she didn't deserve something like this happening to her..."

The alchemist hurried off to perform his duty. "While Morgan is at work, may I invite you to tea?" The horned woman suggested.
-
Issei stared into the cup before him, the amber liquid reflecting him. Then he shrugged and took a sip. Immediately, he felt revitalized. "Huh. That's..."

Vetala smiled and Seria giggled. "My favorite blend. I expected that you would enjoy it." The blue guardian gently explained.

The horned woman, the red-eyed girl, Issei, Johnathan, Val, Sinestra and Agnes all sat around a table, a wide spread of sweets and teas before them. An honestly wonderful smell filled the room, and Issei felt...calm. For the first time since waking up in this strange place, he felt as if everything would be okay.
Taking a slice of apple pie, the boy dug in, looking at the others. Seria was playing the maid, pouring more tea when it ran out or bringing replacement sweets once one of the plates were empty.

Val seemed to be somewhat lost, as if this were his first tea party. It probably was, the way he looked.

Johnathan, on the other hand, was focused on the tea, seemingly at peace with himself, a cup of tea in his hands and taking slow, deliberate sips, clearly enjoying the taste.

Sinestra, on the other hand, was primarily eating cakes with poise and grace. Once again, Issei thought that she would look right at home with the great ladies of Kuoh. That thought drifted to imagine her in the uniform of the school. Shoving that little fantasy aside, Issei turned towards the next of the group, Agnes.

There, with arms crossed she sat, without touching the food, not really glaring at the peaceful gathering.

And finally, Vetala... was looking at him. It was an odd look: Curious, almost reverential... Was it because of the gauntlet? As much as he tried to remove it, it seemed to be fused to his arm. More he felt everything touching it as if it were his own skin. On closer inspection, it didn't seem to be metal, or bone or leather...but something in between.

He...couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. There was no conversation, just the clink of forks on dishes and the rather pretty lady was looking at him like that.

Then, the door was thrown open, and Morgan entered the room. "Success!" he called out, bearing two flasks in his hands, one filled with red...stuff, the other pitch black. "I managed to separate the essences! I can say with certainty that whatever is causing this isn't elemental in nature, but more necrotic. I might be able to synthesize a cure or a vaccine if I had more..."

Val and Agnes were the first on their feet, relieved they had something to do again.

Meanwhile, Johnathan and Sinestra were far more reluctant to end their short break.

The horned woman smiled. "Thank you for your work, Morgan."

"So, we have to find the next Fairy King?" the swordsman asked eagerly.
-

"So, what is the next one we have to look for?" Issei asked no one in particular as he and the other marched towards the next forest of Abnova.

"Ice Fairy King Zeluth is his name. He looks like an old man with a beard and a crown made out of ice. According to what Seria told me, he has the personality of a pleasant grandfather, but right now, he freezes everything that catches his eye." Agnes explained.

Issei grimaced. There goes his wish for another female fairy with large boobs...

Then, they felt the temperature drop sharply, and the trees and the plants were covered in rime.

The figure that drifted into view was stout and did indeed look like an old man, a stout old man with blue skin, wearing a deep blue robe.

"My Kingdom, my kingdom! I should have made this place my kingdom a long time ago!" he ranted as he turned several trees into ice sculptures.

A shout of rage and a wave of ice. Before it could reach them, Agnes unslung her axe from her back and struck the ground, making it catch fire. Swing for the ice wave, it melted.

"Fire, fire, in my kingdom?! Did that brat Stera send you?! She must have! I'll freeze you solid!"

The inquisitor didn't bother to reply. Instead, she charged, smashing the sprouting icicles with her burning axe until she reached she was in reach of the fairy king. With a mighty heave, she brought her axe down like a guillotine. The Ice King enveloped himself in an ice cocoon, blocking the axe.

Agnes grunted, lept backward and tossed a bottle of clear liquid at the icy being. The bottle shattered, drenching Zeluth's barrier. Once again she charged, the burning axe's blade making contact with the liquid.

In an impressive explosion, the ice barrier shattered and sent the fairy into a tree.


All this happened in thirty seconds.

"So... do you think that he calmed down?" Issei asked. Val shrugged and Johnathan approached the groaning blue pile.

"Ugh... what happened?" Zeluth complained. Issei nodded. Just like that fire princess, he seemed to remember nothing.

"You tried to freeze the forest, us and Silver Crown," Agnes told him.

"I... I did? But why. All I remember was going to sleep... Thank you for stopping me..." With these words, the spirit fainted once and for all.

-

With a shard of the Ice King's essence, they returned to Silver Crown, where Morgan was already waiting for them.

"So it happened to Zeluth as well... thank you for bringing this to me. Now, I might be able to create a cure. Please wait until I'm done."

Once again, there were left with nothing to do.

"One question, Issei." Val said out loud. Issei turned to look at the shackled swordsman. "Who taught you how to fight? Because, no offense, you don't fight, you flail."

The brown-haired youth winced. "No one did. I just... do things." Val stared.

"No training?"

"None at all."

Johnathan approached and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "I can help with that!"

"Are you planning to teach an outsider the style of your order?" Agnes hissed, her eyes narrowed. the much taller priest shook his head. "Not at all. But...I know the very basics of Suju style after a priest from there taught us back at the monastery."

The inquisitor looked at her kinder counterpart and sighed. "Very well, but just those basics, nothing more."

The holy man gave a beatific smile and pulled Issei along.

And the future harem king couldn't help but wince.

"Oh, this is going to suck..."

A/N: Part three. Once again, need to get better. At everything, to be honest.

Comments would be welcome. Any comments, really.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

'This isn't as bad as I thought it would be.' Issei marveled. Instead of getting beaten down by the mountain of muscle that was Johnathan, the priest had Jury-rigged a training dummy behind the inn of Silver Crown.

"Again." the priest demanded.

Exhaling, Issei struck the barrel with his left hand, and the wood groaned.

"Again."

Once more, Issei punched the wood, the gauntlet impacting where he just struck the wood.

"Again." came the repeated demand.

With a deep breath, Issei's fist impacted the wood. It splintered and broke.

'I should not be this strong.' a part of him noted. He just punched through inch-thick hard wood.

"Are you certain you don't have training? You are awfully strong for someone untrained..." Seria approached, bearing a flask of water, which the brown-haired boy gladly accepted.

Issei laughed after wiping his mouth. "I'm certain it's the gauntlet. I never was in a real fight until today."

Seria gave him an admiring look and smiled. "Then you were incredibly brave, coming to my aid."

"You might be forgetting some people" Johnathan gently chided her. "But you are correct," he added after a second.

"So... Where is the rest?" the teenager said after a moment of personable silence. The priest hummed. "I'm quite certain that Agnes is in the nearest chapel praying or sharpening her axe, or praying while sharpening her axe." Both Seria and Issei stared at him for a moment. "What? I have been traveling with her for some time. Her devotion is second to none."

'Okay, note to self, watch out for the scary lady with the big axe... and don't look at her while she's naked. I can't become harem king if she beheads me.'

"And where Val and Sinestra are... I don't know. I don't think they left. They don't seem to be the kind who abandon people in need." Johnathan continued. At this, Seria raised her hand. "I think they agreed to spar, something about learning from each other."

An amused snort from the priest. "Swordsmen..." he muttered under his breath with a smile on his face. He started walking, and the other two hurried after him.

-​

It didn't take long for the three of them to find the two sword wielders, they just had to look for a cheering crowd.

"Twenty Cera on him!"

"Fifty on her!"

"Knockout or bust!"

All these and similar shouts were heard as the two adventurers fought in the main plaza of Silver Crown. Wood met wood as Val and his female counterpart clashed, again and again. They seemed to be evenly matched: while he had the advantage in brawn and mass, Sinestra was faster and her swordsmanship was far more refined, as far as Issei could tell. Who would win, however, he had no idea.

And they seemed to enjoy the match, judging from the smirks on their faces.

Val stabbed his wooden sword forward, towards her chest, to be deflected by her weapon, She countered with a leaping kick for his face, but he jumped backward to dodge the blow. They began circling each other before they leaped at each other. Wood met wood again, as Sinestra angled her training sword, turning her opponent's greater weight against him, making him stumble. Immediately, she capitalized on the moment of weakness and thrust her sword into his back. She was rewarded by a pained yell, followed by groans and cheers.

Despite the pain, Val smiled at the woman who had bested him. "You win." He stated. A smile bloomed on Sinestra's fair face as she helped her fellow walker of the way of the sword back to his feet. "I hope we can keep doing this in the future," she answered.

Someone cleared his throat and the crowd parted. Alchemist Morgan stood there, Agnes at his side. "I see you spent the time productively. I am glad to announce that the cure is finished. Please come along now to my house."

-​

Surrounded by devices he couldn't even begin to make heads or tails off, Issei sat down at the sole table that wasn't covered in papers, ingredients or manuscripts. Several sealed glass bottles were in the middle of the table, containing some substance that wasn't solid, liquid or gas, but something in between of all those things.

"This is the cure?" Johnathan asked the alchemist. The man with the pointed ears nodded. "Indeed it is. Add some elemental crystals to the substance and pour it over the subdued fairy in question: It should restore them to their usual temperament." The five gathered adventurers rose from their seats, each taking two vials.


The grim-faced inquisitor turned to face the teenager. "I think it would be wise for you to remain in Silver Crown. You are not a fighter, unlike the rest of us."

Issei grimaced at that. She had a point, and part of him wanted to stay here, where it was safe but...

The idea of disappointing Seria...

"No. No, I'll join you. Make myself useful, and..." he flexed his gauntleted hand. "...Maybe I learn why I awoke here, near Silver Crown..."

Agnes shrugged. "Suit yourself," she said and marched for the exit, axe at the ready. Val gave Issei a pat on the shoulder with his normal arm, Sinestra gave him an encouraging smile and Johnathan spoke up.

"That was admirable Issei, wanting to help us, And... I can't help but be curious about the gauntlet."

"You and me both. I just awoke with it on my hand and have no idea where it came from. I... I think that the lady in blue might have an idea what it is, the way she keeps looking at it. So... By helping her, she might tell me what she knows."

The priest nodded and smiled. "Then let us hurry. The others might be waiting."

The giant priest and the much smaller teenager both hurried after the departing others.

Back into the forest of Glassfey, beyond the safety of Silver Crown.

A/N: This story isn't dead, even if it took far too long to write this. Some character building for the others, and the first big quest for Issei, to learn about Boosted Gear.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

Glassfey was bright—painfully bright—and the light of this place stung Issei's eyes. And he wasn't alone. Both Val and Sienstra were covering their eyes with their hands. Agnes marched onward, as grim-faced as ever, and Johnathan... was wearing a pair of sunglasses.

For a moment, Issei's brain came to a halt. 'They have the technological base to produce sunglasses?' he wondered. He didn't know how long shades were produced back home, but seeing the robe-wearing holy man with those was... rather strange. He thought this place was a stereotypical fantasy world, with elves, dragons, dwarves and similar.

As he was trying to wrap his head around the priest wearing the modern-day commodity, something caught his eye. There, in the middle of the clearing, hovered a prism the size of a man's torso. It sang and chimed beautifully, reminding him of a wind chime.

Johnathan reached out and stopped them from approaching. "A light spirit. At the moment, it's passive, but if we approach, it will awaken and, probably, become aggressive."

Issei grimaced. Something about that thing... made his skin break out in goosebumps.

A blur of motion and two shapes dashed past. Before anyone could say anything else, Val and Sinestra struck the fairy. It screeched, its beautiful chiming interrupted. It fell to the ground and remained still.

But that wasn't the end of it. More and more chimes echoed from the forest changing in pitch until it resembled nothing more than the buzzing of an angry swarm of bees.

More of those prisms emerged from the radiant underbrush. Val and Sinestra shared a look. "That might have been a mistake." The female carefully observed. Val just nodded in reply.

Then, the clearing descended into chaos.

The buzzing crystals charged, firing light beams, but The two sword wielders dodged and weaved. 'That should not be possible', Issei observed. Lasers moved with light speed and here, these two were dodging them, while he, Agnes and Johnathan waited behind a barrier. The Inquisitor charged through the barrier, axe raised and aflame. 'What am I waiting for?' he chided himself. There was a... pulling within his chest. It wasn't a conscious decision. He broke into a run, arm raised for a punch.

The strike wasn't picture-perfect, it was wild and unpolished... But it was effective: the light fairy was sent flying back into the bush where it had emerged from. It made an odd drawn-out chime that reminded him of a pained groan.

An itch behind his brow and he ducked. A light beam seared the space above him, only to be punished by a vicious axe blow from the black-haired woman.

Issei saw another of the fairies charge her. Again, it wasn't a conscious thought that made him move. Leaping forward, the red gauntlet lashed out and spiked the prism into the ground.

Slowly, the chaos subsided. They were surrounded by dozens of fallen light spirits, and, from what the future harem king could tell, none of them were seriously injured. A burn here, a bruise there.

Johnathan approached, his hands glowing with golden light. The few injuries they had suffered vanished one after another.

"That was... reckless." he chided the two white-haired people present. "We are lucky that no one was seriously injured." he continued. There was no malice or rage in his speech, just worry.

Val chuckled and Sinestra nodded. "The way is clear, isn't it?" she suggested. A sigh from the holy man. "That it is. Come on, then. Let us find the fairy king of light."

-​

"What does the king look like, anyway?" Val asked. "From what I know, very similar to his subjects, just with a crystalline crown and a scepter." Johnathan gently replied.

"So it would by rather easy to pick it from a crowd." The female swordwielder concluded. A nod from the priest.

A sudden itch behind Issei's brow. "Dodge!" he shouted and threw himself to the ground. For some reason, it just seemed to be the right decision.

They didn't dodge, and Johnathan took a rainbow of light beams to his chest. The priest went down.

Hovering there was the fairy king of light. He did indeed look like his subjects: A prism of solid light, just with a crown and a scepter. "Who dares to enter my radiant kingdoms without my permission?! Punishment is due!" it chimed.

Scrambling back to his feet, Issei stared back at the priest. At the first friend he made in this fantastic world.

Rage.

Incandescent rage welled up in his chest. Issei charged with a roar, the green gemstone on the back of his hands glowing with furious intensity. An itch behind his brow, Again he dodged. The rainbow of lights that had brought the priest low missed him.

"Subjects, attend...!" further did the kingly prism not come. Issei jumped and drew his hand back. An enraged straight punch met the crown of the crystalline spirit.

He chimed in pain and Issei seized the fairy. Again he punched. Again. And again. The crown fractured, but the teenager didn't stop. A flurry of strikes fell upon the fairy.

The spirit tried to escape the furious youth, but couldn't break the hold.

Something touched Issei's shoulder. He whirled around, a snarl on his face. Johnathan looked back at him. The rage flickered away, and the boy dropped the spirit.

"Don't you think that's quite enough?" Johnathan told him. There, beneath the robes was scorched metal. A breastplate. Issei's eyes widened. Of course, he would wear armor!

Issei smiled weakly. "Guess I overdid it, huh?"

"Yes, you did. But..." Johnathan looked at the pained mass of light that was the fairy king. "You thought I had been critically injured."

Again, his hands glowed with that golden light.

The Crown became whole and Agnes poured the cure over the recovering spirit.

Slowly, the living prism started hovering again. "Dear me, I feel like Darklex jumped me and beat me up, but my head feels so clear!" The fairy king looked at the gathered adventurers. "You must have brought me back to my senses! You have my thanks. Now, Please, I need to care for my subjects."

The spirit king bowed to them and hovered away, muttering to himself. Agnes, Sinestra, Johnathan and Issei looked after him.

"I guess the next spirit king would be the one of Darkness?" Sinestra carefully observed.

"Correct. Darklex. The only King of the Abnova Fairies that you could consider evil. Also, the biggest clue we have. Come. Let's go."

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

It was like a wave that passed over the five adventurers. One moment, the searing light. The next, an oppressive darkness that smothered the light. The future Harem King couldn't help but shudder. This wasn't the pleasant darkness of sleep, but... it reminded him of the darkness he fell into after...

He shook his head, to shoo away the memory of black wings and pain.

The priest removed his shades. "It appears that Darklex is spreading his influence." He carefully observed as all of them watched one of the crystals turn from shining radiance to fathomless murkiness.

"I thought the four fairy kings were equally strong?" Sinestra commented.

"They should be. it appears that... whatever is causing this empowered the fairy king of Darkness."

Then, something drifted into view. It was a suit of armor, at least the upper half, wielding a long halberd. Between the metal pieces, smokey darkness filled the void.

'So that is a spirit of Darkness.' Issei thought to himself.

Then came another. And another. More and more emerged from the bushes in orderly lines.

And behind them all was Darklex. Taller, wider, in far more ornate armor, wielding a shield that looked like a demon's head and a sword that seemed to be made of equal parts solid darkness and molten rock.

"What have we here?" the king of the dark spirits began, overlooking the five. "Mortal fools, come to witness the beginning of my empire? Or to stop my glorious march onto that accursed tree?" A sinister chuckle from the demonic being. "It doesn't matter. Soon enough, you all will be dead." he pointed his massive blade at the five of them, and the subjects obeyed the unspoken command of their king.

As one, they advanced, weapons at the ready.

Johnathan brought his hands together. "Lord Michael, Prince of the Host, I beseech you: Grant us your might!" He prayed.

Issei felt a faint ache as his entire body glowed with light, as did the others. And the dark spirits halted their advance.

"You brought light into my realm?! Slaughter them, but leave the fool alive!" the dark spirit hollered.

But the lesser spirits seemed torn between obeying and fleeing.

And that was when Val, Sinestra and Agnes struck. The three charged and crashed into the faltering lines of possessed armor. The burning axe painted flaming arks in the air and the two swords lashed out left and right.

Issei shook his head and moved as well, gauntlet raised to strike. His fist shot forward, and the breastplate that made up the dark spirit cratered. He marveled at this strength. If that was steel, his fist should not cause this much damage. Again and again, he struck, until the armor came apart and the smoke that filled it dissipated.

He turned to face his next opponent, only for a halberd blade to be driven into his stomach. But instead of blood and guts, only his breath was driven from him.

'I should be... No. Fight first, think later.' Issei told himself. Again, he punched until the spirit's metallic shell came apart.

Looking up from his latest kill, Issei found himself surrounded by dozens of fallen spirits. Neither Val, Sinestra, or Agnes had suffered any injury.

Johnathan approached and looked around. "Has Anyone seen Darklex?" he asked the other adventurers. Issei looked around as well. No trace of the fairy king.

Val scoffed. "Must have run away the moment he realized he had no chance. The coward."

Agnes groaned. "And there goes our biggest clue..." she groused.

The other woman present raised her hand. "Maybe Vetala or Seria know where he fled." she suggested.

With no other idea, they returned to Silver Crown.

---

They found Seria waiting for them at the entrance. She smiled, relieved to see them safe and sound. "You're back!" she cheered.

"It's good to be back in the village... But Darklex escaped us before we could interrogate him. Do you have any idea where he might have fled?" The tallest of the group told her, a gentle smile on his face.

She nodded, her smile gone. "Darklex is... he's greedy. He always looks for easy ways to get stronger... And there is a place of Suffering and Evil here in Abnova. Perfect for an evil spirit like him." She swallowed, then she whispered, as if afraid that merely speaking that name out loud would bring bad luck.

"That place... is Ringwood Penitentiary." she shuddered.

"Did... did you just say, Ringwood?" Sinestra pressed, and Seria nodded.

"What is with that name? Is there something wrong with it?" Issei asked, and noted how the white-haired swordswoman tensed.

"Someone who chased me, tried to arrest me many times is of the Ringwood family. I'm not surprised that what our friend here calls a place of suffering is named after that bitch." Sinestra hissed and her grip around the hilt of her sword tightened.

Everyone present winced.
"Why is that prison so bad?" Val asked.

Seria nodded. "When... When the Great Metastasis happened... The Empire abandoned it... And they left the prisoners in their cells. When some people from Silver Crown went to investigate..." Her voice drifted off.

Once more Issei winced. "You don't have to tell us. We can imagine just what happened." He quickly told her.

'Okay. Mark The Empire as the bad guys..." he told himself. The fact that they wanted to arrest a kind person like Sinestra was another strike against them.

"Can you mark that place on our maps? If Darklex is there..."Val suggested.

The kind girl took a deep breath, then she nodded. "Yes, I will. Just... come back safe, will you?" she pleaded. And all five of them agreed.

---

Five adventurers arrived at the gates of Ringwood Penitentiary, the ruined prison casting an oppressive shadow over them. The very trees seemed to be sickened and twisted as if the suffering of the prisoners had poisoned them. Issei couldn't help but shudder. He... he could almost hear screams in the silence.

Val approached the gate, wide open and with a long rusted lock in the grass.

He didn't draw his sword. Instead, he winced and grabbed his blood-red arm. "This place... It makes my curse act up. It's... evil. There is something deeply evil here." He stated. Johnathan, Agnes and Sinestra nodded, and Issei drily swallowed. As chunni as that sounded, he believed it. Part of him wanted to run away, back to Silver Crown.

But Darklex might be here, their biggest lead in learning what was wrong with Abnova.

Issei clenched his gauntleted fist, and walked past the punk-dressed swordsman.

He turned back, to face the four others. One after another, they nodded. And together, they entered the prison.

It was dark. But for some reason, the future Harem King could see just fine.

Then, Johnathan whispered a prayer causing a small globe of light to form, and Agnes made her axe catch fire.

The light and the fire drove back the oppressive darkness, and everyone heaved a relieved sigh.

Prison cells, the smell of rust and fear. And beyond the light cast by fire and faith, a hungering darkness.

And together, they would brave whatever lurked here.

A/N: Comments would be appreciated.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

The ruined prison was silent, safe for the wind's howling through abandoned cells and their footsteps. 'I should be grateful...' Issei thought as he and the four others walked through the hallways, the welcome glow of Johnathan's light and Agnes' fire keeping the darkness at bay. His eyes drifted to the side, and he caught a glimpse of Ivory in one of the cells. He shuddered. No one deserved to die like this, starving in their cells.

'...but this place freaks me out...' he finished the thought.

"Something is wrong. There should be... swarms of angry ghosts. But there is nothing." Johnathan observed. Issei blinked in surprise. Ghosts were a thing? Good to know.

Val winced. "The evil presence grows stronger, the deeper we go in. I think... whatever rules this place... might have devoured the ghosts that haunted the ruin."

Next, Sinestra spoke out. "Didn't Morgan mention something about the energy causing all this being necrotic in nature? Maybe... this is the root of the problem."

"So there is something evil in here that eats the souls of the dead. Just... great." the future harem king groused. Then he caught sight of something in the distance. A faint light in the oppressive darkness that ruled the empty prison. And it was getting closer.

He turned to look at the others. from the look on their faces, they saw it too.

Carefully, they approached.

It was the fairy king of fire, Stera, if Issei remembered her name right. With a blank look on her face, she hovered toward them. With a blank look on her face, she raised her arms. With a blank look on her face, she attacked.

A wall of flame shot toward the investigating adventurers, only to meet a barrier that the priest conjured with a quick prayer. Sinestra darted through the flames and, once again, slammed the pommel of her sword into the spirit's face. But this time, she didn't collapse. An explosion sent the swordswoman flying into the darkness.

And the blank look on the face of the spirit didn't leave.

Then, Issei caught sight of her eyes. They were... empty. Devoid of everything. Not a flicker of emotion or awareness. These eyes reminded him of a doll.

At the edge of his hearing, he could hear a chorus of screams.

He swallowed. "I think... whatever rules this place... got to her," he told the others.

More fire leaped from the spirit's fingertips, only to meet more of Johnathan's barriers. Then, something emerged from the stone walls, screaming. It resembled a skull made from pale green mist. It screamed a scream of utter suffering and lunged at Issei. It passed through him, but... he felt fear. A cruel chuckle filled his ears, and a familiar pain tore through him, a piercing and boiling pain.

He dropped to his knees, heart beating like it was about to burst from his chest.

Suddenly, golden light washed over him, and the chuckle, the pain, it all disappeared. He looked around. More and more of the screaming skulls emerged from the walls, but... a glowing circle kept them at bay.

Johnathan stood in the middle, hands brought together in prayer, eyes closed and speaking a language he couldn't understand. Agnes was swinging her axe in wide arches, dispersing the skulls. Val tried the same, but his sword was passing right through them, a look of frustration on his face.

Issei rose back to his feet, he shook his head. Then, he saw the spirit king bring up her hands once more.

His eyes went wide. A wall of flame played out before his mind's eye.

So he charged. Out of the golden circle, into the swarm of screaming apparitions. He heard Agnes and Val shout something, but he didn't care. He had to stop the spirit.

The skulls lunged through him, once more, the cruel chuckle and the pain filled his world. His heart thundered in his chest.

He jumped, drew his fist back...

At the edge of his hearing, he heard something.

And he struck.

His fist shattered whatever spell Stera was weaving. Then, it buried itself into her chest and out of her back.

He... he had just taken a life. A thinking, speaking person just died. Because of him.

Stera sunk to her knees, face still perfectly blank, eyes void of any hint of pain.

He felt sick. He drew his fist out of her chest. Thankfully, no blood, no bone or organs. Just a red light.

And like a flickering flame, with sparks dancing, she faded away.

He didn't know how much time passed. Maybe a second, maybe a minute, maybe an hour, maybe a day.

Then, he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He whirled around. It was Johnathan. The giant gave Issei a sorrowful smile. "First time, taking a life?" he asked. gently. There was no blame in his voice. Issei could only nod.

"When we are safe and dealt with the evil that lurks here... let's talk." the priest gently suggested. Once more, Issei nodded.

Val and Agnes approached the priest and the traumatized teenager.

"We got bad news. The floor gave out and Sinestra, she's... she fell into the underground part of the prison." Val reported, then winced. "Whatever is the boss here... it's down there." he continued.

Taking a deep breath, Issei forced himself to calm down. "We have to help her." he declared and clenched his fist, the fist that killed Stera.

Everyone else present nodded, and as one, they continued deeper into the prison.

The future harem king spoke up after a moment. "Do you think... the other fairy kings might also be like... Stera?"

"I fear you are correct. That whatever caused this might have turned the others into its enforcers." Johnathan answered.

Issei shuddered, and the others sighed.

Then, Val stopped walking. "Quiet!" he hissed.

The four of them went silent.

...

There, at the edge of hearing, they could hear something.

The sound of battle. "That might be Sinestra!" Val shout-whispered. They broke into a sprint.

---

Sinestra staggered onward, leaning against a wall. With her sword and her ribs broken, she continued on. With each step, pain flared through her body, but she couldn't stop, wouldn't stop.

"I'm not dying here!" she hissed. "Not until I see Justice done!" she forced herself to take another step. Then another. Then another.

Lost in utter darkness, with those damn apparitions forcing past pains to the forefront of her mind.

"I have to find the others," she told herself. Johnathan, Agnes and Issei should be able to disperse the wraiths hounding her.

She took another step.

Then, she saw something in the perfect blackness. A faint blood-red glow.

She followed the glow until she found something. Stabbed through a skeleton and into the ground, a sword: a jagged thing of black and grey and red, with fuller of blood-red light.

A magic sword. Something to defend herself against the apparitions.

With step after painful step, she advanced toward the weapon.

A gloved hand reached out and grasped the hilt.

Then, everything disappeared in blood red.

A/N: More from me. Tomorrow the next part.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

Through the abandoned hallways of the prison, they ran, toward the sounds of combat, the thought of their comrade always on the edge of their mind. More of those screaming skulls tried to bar their way, but Agnes' burning axe swept them aside. But the skulls weren't alone. Fairies barred their way forward as well, mindlessly clawing at them.

It made a cruel amount of sense: If whatever caused all this could do it to the kings, the most powerful of their kind, what chance did the lessers of their kind have?

Val's sword and Johnathan's fists made short work of them as they dashed deeper into the darkness.

And Issei felt pity. None of these fairies deserved this fate, to have their sense of self stripped away, leaving nothing but an empty husk.

Part of him was glad that the swordsman and the priest took that burden from him.

There, an open door with the faint light of a lantern littering through.

Through the frame, they went... but beyond wasn't Sinestra.

The woman who was fighting Zeluth had white hair as well, hers in a ponytail. She was dressed in far more punk clothing and fought with a pair of claws instead of the sword that their lost comrade wielded.

The ice fairy king breathed icy mist at the unknown woman, who leaped over the cloud and planted her claws into the fairy king's head, which shattered like ice. The slain spirit tumbled to the ground, giving off glowing blue-white sparks and soon enough, nothing remained of him.

She turned around, saw them and scowled. "What the hell are you doing here?" she shouted at them and raised her fists, ready to attack them as well.

Johnathan brought his hands up, clearly trying to calm the harsh woman down. "Peace, peace. We aren't here to harm you, we are just investigating what caused the fairies to rampage and got separated by one of our own."

For a moment, the woman's scowl deepened, then she lowered her fists, still with a sour look. "Let me guess, you were hired by Silver Crown?" she asked.

Issei, Agnes Val and Johnathan all nodded. "The root of all this is something called Amne. Used to be a gravestone of one of the inmates. Turns out, it was so soaked full of grudges that it developed an awareness. Me and a friend, Thelma, were investigating as well when we stumbled over it. It sent so many of those skulls at us that she remained behind so I could flee. Since then, I have been fighting and running, trying to find my way out."

Issei winced, and the woman glared at him. "Don't need your pity. All I need is to get back down into the underground part of the prison and save Thelma." she hissed, turned heel... and collapsed.

Immediately. the priest was at her side. "Don't need your help, so piss off!" she shouted, only for Johnathan to shake his head.

"How long have you been fighting those grudges? They drained your endurance and you are close to your breaking point. You help no one, least of all your friend if that Amne thing enslaves like it did with the fairy kings. It would be for the best if you retreat for now." the holy man chided her gently.

Once more, she glared at the gathered adventurers. "Fine! I'll leave. However, save Thelma and break that damn gravestone for me, will you?" she relented.

Carefully, she rose back to her feet and hobbled out of the room. Then, she stopped. "By the way: Name's Faris." she groused out and disappeared from sight.

For a moment, no one said anything. "To think someone else would be here..." Agnes marveled for a second.

"She was rather harsh, don't you think?" Issei added.

"Now, to be fair, she is under a lot of stress, but we should continue. The longer we wait, the more danger Sinestra and Thelma are in." Johnathan suggested.

Without further conversation, the four adventurers turned and ventured deeper into the ruins.

---

They found a set of stairs downward, probably the same that Faris and Thelma had used.

Issei swallowed. This darkness... it actually seemed to have mass, The light cast by Agnes' flames and Johnathan's sphere seemed to reveal less and there were crystalline growths all over the place, but unlike the beautiful crystals Issei had seen in Abnova, these... He could almost see black wings in them...

He shook his head. This was a fantasy world, which meant they were probably crystallized grudges or something.

Why the others seemed to be unbothered, he didn't know.

What he knew was... he was scared. But he kept on walking. For Sinestra. For Thelma. For everyone that Amne thing had hurt.

Then, they opened a door. Inside, both Darklex and the fairy king of light stood guard. The dark spirit raised sword and shield, while its radiant counterpart brought its scepter to bear.

A barrier blocked the rainbow of lasers, and Issei charged the dark spirit. He drew his gauntleted fist back, struck. The demon head shield blocked the strike. The dark blade arched towards him, only for Val to parry the weapon. Issei jumped, again drawing his fist back. This time, he aimed for the... head? Helmet?

Trying to raise its shield, the dark spirit found itself bereft of an arm, thanks to a vicious slash from the swordsman.

The strike found its target and the plumed helmet was crushed. Purple-black sparks began to rise from the armor and the husk that had once been Darklex was no more.

Issei turned to face Agnes and Johnathan. He found them praying where the fairy king of light had fallen.

He grimaced. Come what may. Amne would die. That he promised.

---

Sinestra dashed through the underground prison, her new sword, the Heaven Cleaver, in her hands. The Darkness no longer bothered her, she could see bright as day. Neither did the apparitions. A single swipe of the blade in her hands was enough to destroy them.

"Mistress. There is something living ahead.' Daimus, one of the demons that made up the sword in her hands dutifully reported.

She smiled. She could sense it too: another gift of the Heaven Cleaver. Alive. Not as strong as her, but strong enough to slake her thirst for the time being.

The living thing, a woman with black hair charged, screaming.

"Are you here to stop Amne?! I'll kill you!"

The blade in her hand stretched and became long and flexible as a serpent.

She shouted and the blade whipped forward, eager to taste blood.

A/N: after this, the final boss of the Silver Crown arc.

I welcome all criticism.

 

[Broken_Mirror93]

Following Val's guidance, they journeyed deeper into the darkness of the ruin, and Issei couldn't help but admire the swordsman. It was obvious that he was in pain, and with each step closer, his pain intensified.

And yet... he kept on walking ever closer to the source of his pain. Idly, the brown-haired teenager wondered how the curse came to be. Did an evil witch cast it, or did he touch something that shouldn't be touched? In the future, once they were save, he would ask. Just ask, not press.

"...Does anyone else hear that?" Agnes asked no one in particular.

And there, at the edge of his hearing...

A chorus of whispers slowly became audible. No, not just whispers. Sobs, screams, pleading, praying—a maddening cacophony of noise.

No answers were needed. They all heard it. Issei felt goosebumps all over his body.

"Amne... must be close..." Val hissed out, clearly in deep pain, leaning against the wall, grasping his blood-red arm.

"...Maybe it would be best if you stayed here. We will find Amne without you and spare you the pain." Johnathan gently suggested, clearly worried for the swordsman.

Val barked a mirthless laugh. "I came this far. I won't let my aching arm stop me from seeing that abomination die screaming," he said through gritted teeth. He forced himself to stand on his own two feet.

Despite the situation, the future harem king smiled. "I agree and I'll come too. I must see that thing end if I ever want to sleep again," he told the others.

Agnes shrugged. "Suit yourself." she said and continued walking.

The priest smiled. "I can tell, she's impressed by your courage."

Val and Issei shared a look. That... had sounded more dismissive than impressed. They shrugged.

That didn't matter right now. Right now what mattered was saving Sinestra and Thelma and destroying Amne.

They entered a hall, what use it once had, Issei didn't know. What he knew, however, was that they had found the source of Abnova's troubles.

It didn't resemble a gravestone at all. More an uncut hunk of obsidian the size of Johnathan that hovered in the air, covered in shifting runes that Issei couldn't read.

And through the background noise of the whispering, countless voices speaking in unison.

'Why do you seek to stop me? I am just rage. I am innocent suffering. I am closure for the prisoners that were left to rot, Kneel, swear fealty to me, and you shall be forgiven.'

Val scoffed. "Fancy words for a tyrant, but what about the innocent spirits that you possessed? Were they guilty? No, they were just living their lives when you took it all away!"

'My cause needs an army. All are guilty. Silver Crown, the Empire, Fennes, the church. I will bring judgment to it all.'

"There is no reasoning with a Grudge like that." Johnathan raised his voice, and Issei nodded. He knew nothing about all of this, but from what he could tell, Amne would never stop, ever, until the world was just as empty as this prison.

Then without a warning, something shot at Val out of the darkness, something gleaming.

Just barely, the swordsman brought his arm up and deflected the projectile with the shackle. There was a loud crack and a curse from him.

Then, something descended out of the darkness.

He resembled a human, but with light purple skin and a pair of odd wings on his back. "Everything for Amne. My life. Your lives. Everything."

Then came a mournful wail from the hunk of stone and a swarm of apparitions manifested.

Once more, Johnathan prayed and once more, that golden circle of light appeared, keeping the grudges at bay.

Then, the gleaming object returned, this time hurtling toward the priest. Just barely, Agnes deflected it with her axe, and Issei could finally see what it was.

It was a sword without a grip. and the crossguard resembled the wings of the attacker. He and the sword were far too pretty to be Amne's creations. Maybe another fairy?

The pervert shook his head. That didn't matter now. Right now, Amne needed to be destroyed, for everyone's sake.

Val charged the fairy, snarling and swinging his sword which the purple-skinned being dodged gracefully. The hovering sword thrust itself at the warrior, and blades clashed.

Meanwhile, Agnes and Issei were busy dealing with the apparitions. Axe and Gauntlet struck, again and again, dispersing the manifested grudges. But more were emerging from the Tombstone by the second.

Sooner or later, they would be overrun.

Just how many people were left here to starve? A hundred, more than that? As long as those things were blocking the path, the best bet on destroying Amne was too busy protecting the rest of them.

Issei felt frustrated as his hand crushed another one of those smokey skulls. He promised that Amne would fall, maybe not by his hands, but the threat the tombstone posed would end.

Then, something was thrown into the hall. For a moment, he stared at it. It was a pretty woman with black hair, but her beauty was marred by the countless tiny bleeding wounds all over her body.

"Amne, forgive me... I failed..." she choked out before fainting.

Then, there was the noise of high heels on the stone floor.

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

A pair of crimson pinpricks at eye height bobbed up and down and someone followed the wounded woman.

Sinestra. With her clothing ruined and an odd sword in her hands, she strutted in as if it were a walkway.

She saw her fellow adventurers and smiled. "Sorry for my late arrival, but this poor woman turned out to be a bigger headache than I anticipated."

Then, her eyes drifted over to the tombstone. "And this is the source of the problem?" She didn't wait for an answer and she swung that blade in her hands. It extended and snaked its way through dozens of the skulls.

Agnes screamed. "Johnathan, now!"

The circle vanished as the priest stopped praying. He charged, jumped, drawing back his hand as if to throw something.

And light took shape in his hand.

A long, shining spear manifested in his hand.

For a moment, all was still.

Then, the spear became a blur, bound toward Amne.

There was an infernal screeching as solidified Grudges were pierced by the spear of light. The whispers faded, the darkness became less oppressive.

And Amne's voices filled their heads one last time.

'Do you think that by defeating me you could stop the darkness? You already lost your light...'

The purple-skinned fairy collapsed to the ground, trailing multicolored sparks.

"Thank... you." the spirit gasped, finally free from Amne's control. He reached into his chest and pulled out a small marble. "Give this... to Vetala." Val took the marble. The fairy gave a final smile... and faded away.

---

With Johnathan carrying an unconscious Thelma, the five adventurers left the once-haunted prison behind. None of them felt like celebrating their victory: Amne might have been stopped but too many innocents had died, all of them by their own hands.

Then, the inquisitor spoke up. "Sinestra. That sword you are carrying..." she said, glaring at the white-haired swordswoman.

"Yes, what about it?" the unarmored woman asked.

"It's demonic in nature. And from the wounds that Johnathan had to heal, it influences you. It should be destroyed, right now." Agnes hissed, one hand grasping the axe slung across her back.

Sinestra turned to face the black-haired woman, her eyes narrowed. "And me with it?" was the curt reply.

"For the wellbeing of your soul..." the armored woman said.

"Then, what about the Avengers? Should they be exterminated, because of circumstances beyond their control?"

Val put himself between the two arguing women. "Calm down, both of you! Agnes, without Sinestra, we would have died fighting Amne, so give her the benefit of the doubt!" Val interrupted the fight.

"And Sinestra, please, see things from Agnes' perspective: You might have saved us, but you did it with a weapon that just screams demonic origin! Of course, she is on guard!" he continued,

For a moment, both women kept on glaring at each other. Then, they turned away. "The moment that sword draws the blood of an innocent, she will burn." Agnes threatened.

Sinestra snorted. "When that happens, I'll bear my neck to your axe."

Both scoffed and they continued to walk towards Silver Crown.

Issei sighed, and Johnathan turned to look at him. "Is something for the matter?"

Once more, the teenager sighed. "There is... just so much I don't know. If I tried what Val just did, I probably would have made things worse." he told the priest.

"Hm." the holy man nodded. "How about I teach you about Arad? You seem to lack common knowledge." Issei laughed. "No kidding. And is Arad the name of this continent?"

Now, Johnathan shot him an odd look. "It's the name of this world. What do they teach you in Japan?"

Issei shrugged helplessly. "Math. Languages. A lot of things." Maybe he would tell them the truth in the future.

"I see." the giant answered, not really convinced. "For now, let's get back to Silver Crown. Thelma here needs treatment."

---

Once more, Seria greeted them once they arrived, but she wasn't alone. Vetala and Faris were with her, along with a man with black hair, clad in leather and a massive sword on his back.

The red-eyed girl smiled. "You're safe! Faris told us about what happened! Is everything..." she saw the expression on their faces. Her smile wilted away and she clasped her hands together in prayer.

"So you killed that piece of shit Amne? Good. One less thing to worry about." Faris said, her arms crossed. Then, a faint frown appeared on her face as she saw Thelma. "Will she recover?" she asked the priest.

He smiled. " She will. Amne took control of her, but ever since it was destroyed, she has been sleeping. All it will take is some rest and she will be right as rain." A sigh of relief and the frown turned into a relieved smile.

Vetala frowned and the black-haired man kept his face blank. "As saddening as it is that the fairy kings were slain, we should be thankful that a great danger has been stopped. Sir Aganzo, do you wish to say something?" she asked the man next to her.

Val's eyes went wide and he gaped. "Aganzo, as in Greatsword Aganzo?!"

The now-named Swordsman looked at the five adventurers before him. "So... you motley crew did my job for me? You have my thanks, but... I fear your troubles have just begun. What happened here is happening all over Arad. I have been running myself ragged, trying to keep it contained and I would like to ask for your help."

He nodded. "We call it the Black Nightmare."