Arthur_Inverse
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Chapter 128: The Monster you Wanted.
🕑 Added 2023-04-10 22:15:34 +0000 UTC“What are you talking about? I haven’t asked for anyone to be here,” Shigure said, his face filled with confusion, “What is this about?”
“Adam said you needed me to talk about the future and Shot?” Bjorn said looking over to the pale man.
Adam laughed, his hand going to his forehead as the laughing got louder. Soon he had a congregation of Ghouls at his side, along with many of the other Coalition Leaders, including Darius and Savannah.
“I just took the matter into my own hands!” Adam shouted, “You were slipping Shigure, you allowed some stranger to come here and slowly take over your camp bit by bit. Something had to be done, and I’ve done just that.”
Bjorn and Shigure’s faces twisted into scowls.
“What have you done..?” Bjorn asked, his pressure beginning to press down on the group of people and Ghouls in the tent.
Shigure flinched under the sudden pressure but he stood steadfast as Uta appeared in front of him, her kunai at the ready.
“Adam! You couldn’t have been so foolish? And Darius, Savannah! I expected better!” Shigure spat.
“Please.. Enough of you and your high horse Shigure. We all knew the game when we came together,” Savannah said, “As long as we were in control we got what we all wanted. Power. And now that is slowly slipping away thanks to that Shot character and you being too soft to kick him out.”
“Agreed, we must do something. And Adam has given a solution,” Darius nodded, many of the other leaders agreeing.
“Besides….” Adam said leaning forward, “We all know you don’t like the guy either, not to mention he took your dear precious friend Bear away. Now we will have him under my control, and everything will go back to normal. Just with me at the top now!” Adam cackled.
Bjorn stepped forward, but was stopped by Adam’s open hand.
“Ah ah ah… Not so fast… You wouldn’t want to kill innocent people would you?” Adam said, snapping his fingers as three magic circles formed next to him, three more Ghouls holding hostages slowly emerging from them.
Bjorn stopped in his tracks, his eyes turning fierce.
“Shigure… If only you let me just kill him…” Bjorn said, his shoulders slumping as he walked back towards the end of the tent.
“Where are you going Bear!” Shigure asked.
“I won’t be part of what is going to happen. You brought this on yourself bro,” Bjorn sighed, as he opened the tent flap exiting.
“Well, that was no fu-” Adam tried to say casually, but was stopped by the chill that overcame the air in the tent.
The blood of everyone inside ran cold as the air was choked from them. None of the ones living or dead spoke, moved, or breathed a single puff of air. The tent turning dead silent.
Through the entrance that Bjorn exited, another person walked through.
His hair was as white as snow, save the blotches of red that spattered it here and there. His eyes a stunning deep and clear blue that radiated power as they shifted to a striking yellow then a serine shining green and back.
The man’s clothes, although tattered in some places, still gave an intimidating form to the man, pure black embroidered and trimmed with gold. His hands covered with bright white flames cascading across his finely toned muscles.
In one hand the head of a Ghoul, in the other an unconscious man.
“S-Sir Shot..?!” Shigure said, his voice almost a whisper and his tone cracking as if it refused to make noise in the situation.
He threw the man to the floor, burning the Ghoul’s skull in his other to nothing but ash in a flash of white fire a moment later.
“This prick told me I could find Shigure here,” Drake said, “Sir Shot now that you fucked up huh…” Drake continued his voice even and cold as ice, “Where is she?”
“Wh-where is who?” Shigure asked.
Drake looked Shigure in the eyes holding the gaze for a moment, then Drake’s eyes shifted to one of the leaders of the Coalition.
Adam.
“Marked.”
Drake without warning shot a jet black earthen spike into the man’s chest, opening up a hole the size of a bowling ball.
“Where is she?” Drake asked again, looking back into Shigure’s eyes.
“I don’t know who you are talking about! Please stop this we can talk this out!” Shigure said, his mouth agape as he looked at Adam on the floor his innards and blood on the ground pooling around him.
Drake raised his hand again.
“Your little vampire isn’t dead. But what about the next one I try this with. Where. Is. She.”
This time Darius somehow obtained the nerve to speak.
“You can’t just come here and demand something like that! What kind of monst-”
Darius didn’t get to finish his thought, as Drake somehow moved from his position to Darius, his hand now wrapped around his mouth.
Drake pulled him in close. Close enough to see the pores on his skin.
“So, you know what I’m talking about then. You have five seconds. Where is she?” Drake said coldly, his eyes sharpening to points.
Darius mumbled in Drake’s grip, unable to speak.
“Ah, you can’t speak like that can you? I’ll fix that,” Drake said, moving his hand to grip his skull from the top, “Now, Five.”
Drake’s hair shifted to a crimson red as he began slowly gripping tighter down on the man's head.
“I don’t know! I swear! Please! I’m sorry, please! Stop this!!!” Darius pleaded.
“Four.”
Drake began tightening his grip, the sound of bone cracking and bowing under pressure filled the room, everyone’s eyes shakily on Drake, as he one sidedly began punishing the Coalition Leader, and one of their most prominent fighters.
“Pleash! Ahhhh, ahhh!!!! I donsh no anyshinggg!!!”
“Three.”
“Sir Shot! Please, he doesn’t know anything! You’ve made your point!” Shigure shouted trying to step forward.
Drake conjured a lightning bolt, flying instantly and spearing the ground in front of Shigure.
Shigure’s eyes went from the bolt to Drake. Drake’s eyes were cold as he continued to lock eyes with Shigure, his hand gripping the now shaking man above the ground as he lifted him into the air, his fingers' visibility beginning to pierce skin.
“Two.”
A laughing began again.
Drake paused his tightening of his grip, looking down at the body of Adam, as it began shifting and convulsing.
The body laughed and sat straight on the ground.
“Oh that was a trip! Did you intentionally not kill me and leave me with just enough health?” Adam said, the hole in his chest beginning to mend right in front of the others.
Drake dropped Darius to the ground. The moment he landed he squirmed in pain gripping his head, as blood spurted from the finger holes Drake had put there.
“Where is she, I’m done asking,” Drake said, repeating himself one last time.
“She’s right where I put her. WHere you will never find her, unless you do what I say,” Adam said, standing up.
Drake moved forward, getting within Adam’s space in an instant, plummeting his hand into the man’s stomach, and lifting him into the air.
Adam spat and coughed blood, but kept a smile on his face.
“Ow… But you won’t get anything out of me like that. Not to mention if you keep this up, I might just tell my little goons to kill my hostages,” Adam sneered.
“Go ahead,” Drake said coldly.
“W-what?” Adam said, surprised.
Drake threw Adam to the floor still holding his intestine in his hand before burning them to ash.
“I’m here for Claire, and I’ll kill every single one of you until she is returned,” Drake said, his voice bringing the temperature down several more degrees as he began freezing the ground below him, a white magic circle forming and expanding to encompass the tent.
“You can’t really mean that?” Adam said, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he began to realize he had miscalculated.
Drake raised his hand, pointing it at the still dithering Darius. Drake’s hair shimmering back to white, a crimson red magic circle forming on his fingertip.
“Heretical Endowment. Single. Fire Bullet,” Drake chanted.
A flame sparked to life at the end of his fingertip, soon conforming and spinning into a ball as it roared to life and condensed, shimmering to blue, then paling to bright white.
Drake fired the bullet it piercing through Darius and into the ground, the sound of water evaporating from the heated ice hissing into the air with vapor. The ground beginning to steam as it warmed a pool of magma beginning to form as the body sunk and began to sear, the bystanders scrambling to get out of the area.
Drake looked coldly at Adam, his face saying it all.
Where is she?
Adam looked back, his face contorting into fear. But he should have no reason to be afraid, he had the upper hand. He also had a trump card with her as a hostage.
“Y-you don’t scare me. I kno-” Adam started to say but was silenced by the sound of thunder hammering down in the tent.
A flash of light blinded the room and when visibility came back, half of the onlookers had turned to black char.
“W-what have you done!?” Shigure screamed, “They had nothing to do with this!”
Drake turned his head to Shigure.
“Don’t be an idiot kid. They chose what side they were on the moment they were behind him and not you. I’m done being nice. No more mercy, no more excuses,” Drake said, taking slow measured steps towards Adam who was still aghast on the floor, his arm covering his healing stomach.
“Does it hurt?” Drake asked.
“W-what? Of cours- Ahhhh!!!” Adam shrieked, his hand where Drake gripped him turning slowly to ice.
“Good. Now you’re going to make me repeat myself. Where is she?” Drake said, gripping tighter as he shattered Adam’s hand, using fire to melt the stump so it could grow back.
“I w-won’t tell you!” Adam spat, “What are you all doing?! Get him!” he shouted.
The remaining Coalition Leaders hesitated after witnessing what Drake had just done to the others in the tent. But the remnants of the Ghouls within the tent rushed forward mechanically at the word of their master.
Drake didn’t even have to turn as he embedded his hand into the ground.
“Dug Haut,” Drake whispered.
The ground shook and cracked as spikes of black earth shot upwards, skewering the Ghouls in an instant, putting their attempts of a counter attack to rest.
Drake then gripped Adam’s shoulder, his hand beginning to heat up and melting through his clothes and flesh with crackles and pops of the fire searing through.
Adam howled in pain as he tried his best to wrench himself from Drake’s hand to no avail.
“Where.”
Drake then placed his hand on his kneecap.
“Is.”
Then the other.
“She.”
Adam continued to howl in pain, unable to pass out due to either his skills or his race not allowing him.
Adam’s limbs didn’t reform though after being seared, so Drake took a blade of ice, severing them once again, waiting for them to heal.
“Sir Shot… No one deserves this,”
“Shut your mouth. What would you know of what he deserves?” Drake said his aura flexing again in anger, “You didn’t see her face. The fear in it. You didn’t promise her you would keep her safe!” Drake shouted, his control slipping as both his aura and mana leaked from him.
“This sorry piece of shit is mine to judge! Do you want to try and stop me?!” Drake scoffed, his face turning into a sneer.
Drake turned back to Adam, disgust in his eyes as the man finished healing. The moment he did, Drake gripped him by the throat, pulling him from the tent and back to their camp.
—--------
A few moments later Drake arrived with Adam in tow, the group coming to meet him.
“Did you find her?!” Chelsea, and Harley asked in tandem.
Drake looked down grimly.
“No. I need Jacqueline’s help,” Drake said, tilting his head back up scanning for her.
“Yeah?” Jacqueline asked, stepping forward.
Drake didn’t beat around the bush.
“You’re the only one who has direct healing spells that I know of. I need you to do something for me,” Drake said evenly.
“What’s that yeah?” Jacqueline asked, raising a brow.
“Heal him,” Drake said, pointing down to Adam.
“What? Are you mad?”
Drake shook his head.
“It’s going to either cause him immense pain, as he’s an undead. Or it will keep him alive long enough for me to torture him into giving me Claire back.”
“My Lord…” Theodore muttered from the side, “Thou doth not hast to bear this burden alone…”
“No, this is my responsibility Theo. I’ll get her back and keep her safe just like I promised her.
Drake looked back to Jacqueline who was still pondering, her mouth trembling.
“Well?” he asked.
“I-i don’t know how I feel about this… He’s a piece of shit tosser, but torture…?” she answered back.
“Fine. I understand,” Drake said, pulling the man out of sight and into his own tent, the sounds of screaming continuing.
“He’s really torturing that guy..?” Tom asked aloud.
“What do ya expect him to do? Claire got snatched up and he doesn’t have many options…” Hudson sympathized crossing his arms.
“Drake…” Chelsea muttered from behind them, her arms wrapping around herself as she grimaced.
A warm embrace coming from behind her as Harley hugged her.
“Don’t worry Chelsea, Mr. Drake is going to be fine.. He’s always alright after, right?” Harely consoled.
“Yeah but, this seems different.. I’ve never seen him so cold.. Even with the Goblins.
“My Lord, is stout of heart. This one is sure he will prevail over this trial as well,” Theodore added, putting his hand on Harley’s shoulder.
The only ones not present were Sherry and Amir, as Sherry was still recovering, and Amir had taken it upon himself to watch over her.
Megan and Julia had come out from their tent, finding the rest of the group talking amongst themselves. Both moved to Chelsea hearing the story of the last couple of minutes that had transpired, then consoling Chelsea as well as they heard the news.
A few minutes of the group hearing the screams from Drake’s tent, Bjorn stepped into the camp.
“Sir Bear?” Theodore asked, surprised to see him coming from outside of the camp.
“Hey there Theo… Where’s Drake?” Bjorn asked, but shook his head when he overheard the shrieking and crying suddenly come from his tent again, “Nevermind…” he sighed, “Looks like he's still at it..”
“What doth thou mean, Sir Bear?” Theodore asked.
“It happened pretty fast, but.. He went on a rampage in Shigure’s outpost.. Killed more than half of the Coalition Leaders,” Bjorn explained.
The groups faces widened in surprise.
“And it looks like he won’t stop until he gets what he wants out of Adam,” Bjorn added.
“You didn’t stop him?” Chelsea asked.
“Why would I? I knew Adam was a bad apple when I met him, and I warned Shigure what might happen. I don’t want to see people die, but everyone in that tent knew what they were doing. And any of the hostages.. I overheard him talking. He might say he didn’t care, but I saw how he saved them regardless,” Bjorn said, giving a forlorn grin, “I’m not sure how Adam communicates with his Ghouls but hopefully that’s the last of the hostages besides Claire that he has…”
More screams came from Drake’s tent as the group’s head all turned to it.
—------------
“I-i can’t… Please just kill me…” Adam moaned, his body slumping on the floor.
“Then Give her back,” Drake sneered.
“I….Ahhhh!!! Pleaseee enough!!” Adam screamed as Drake embedded a spear of water into Adam’s thigh.
Drake had been using all of his elements to torture Adam, this time he had impaled him with a spear of water, allowing the water to flow into his veins as he slowly ballooned them until they expanded, and popped within him, only to slow the flow, allowing them to heal to do it all over again.
“Bring her here,” Drake said tersely.
“F-fine! Promise me you will just kill me after! Promise me!”
Drake didn’t answer, only glaring back.
Adam, shrunk back but waved his hand, a silver magic circle forming and a woman with a Ghoul behind her emerging slowly from the circle.
The moment once they were fully out of the circle, Drake quickly dispatched the Ghoul, crushing it into the ground and catching Claire as she fell to the ground unconcious.
Drake held her close pulling her into his embrace, his shoulders shaking slightly.
“I’m sorry…I’m.. I’m so sorry…”
Comments
BobpleTheGreat
Now let's see where this leads.
TheGreenKraken
Up to you. It's not like it would be a cliff hanger in a book setting, so if you plan to release it like that in the future it would be entirely unnecessary to mention it.
oh true, she's alive though, it wasn't meant to be a cliff hanger, just that she was still unconscious. so isn't a spoiler that I mention it lol. I'll write that in for the RR release.
TheGreenKraken
No closure if she's alive or dead huh
Pratish Sungum
Just as Claire was overcoming her trauma :|
lol I think Drake would say otherwise but its still good cathartic release that's for sure haha
James Faulkner
Goddamn that was satisfying lol
M van Dongen
Mistakes were made.....many many mistakes.
