Those piercing, stained-black teeth, that wide prying jaw, those obnoxiously long limbs, and those gargantuan ashen-covered wings flocked high into the air, covering the rays of light and unleashing a ground-trembling roar.
The peaceful aura of the healed village immediately shriveled as all watched the monster approach from down the hill.
Drimi's hands trembled. Her amethyst fire flickered on and off as she watched the monster step ever closer. Her breathing quickened, her eyes darted back and forth, and sweat beaded on her face.
"B...Belial. P-Please."
She turned directly to the towering beast. Within its eyes was Belial's signature hue of emerald, glowing at the epicenter of its pupils. The tips of its slimy, sharp teeth, long, sludgy jaw, and the spine outline on its back were all covered in the same glowing green luminance.
Its tarmac mucus flew onto the ground, burning the verdure into a dark green glow. Drimi slowly stepped back and turned toward the sky. It was clear as day, filled with the sea of azure and the fleet of fluffy white cotton balls.
She realized that this beast wasn't affecting anywhere but this area. With fear, confusion, and despair, Drimi hurried across the hill, scouring the village for Sally, Belial, and The Wanderers.
Across the cobblestone roads, she noticed them all decently repaired. Wooden buckets, crates, and wagons had been placed precisely where they stood before Milmoor was demolished. She scratched her head, caught her breath, and then accelerated along the cobblestone streets. Turning left and right, she listened as Belial's footsteps sounded ever nearer.
* * * *
Scrambling across The Well, a platinum-haired woman sprinted with a rushing crowd of healthy villagers toward the fences and exit of the city. Though she cared for the poor, innocent villagers, she had more significant concerns for The Wanderers.
Her footsteps echoed over the hardened surface of the cobbled walls. Her hot pink eyes darted through each dark corner and alleyway of the village. To no avail, the Wanderers could not be found.
Her breathing quickened; she fell on her knees and pivoted toward the clear sky. She wailed in a quivering, nervous voice.
"W-Where are the wanderers?!"
She recollected her actions, calmed herself down, and took long, deep breaths. The wind whistled across the dark alleyway. She pointed her finger at her chin and formed a hypothesis.
"Have they separated from us after that beam of light struck this village?"
Sally couldn't believe that the village could be restored, and all of its damage could be reversed just by a beacon of magical light.
She bit her lip, stepped forward, and raced out of the alleyway into the bright sunshine. Suddenly, a man with long, brown hair and glowing, orange eyes emerged from the front. Sally released a sigh of relief, hoping that the wanderers were with him.
"Thank goodness."
As Phthonus heard Sally's echoing footsteps, he swiftly turned to her and asked nervously.
"Sally, do you know where the wanderers went? They all of a sudden disappeared after... that light... Healed everything."
Sally's pink eyes widened; her breathing quickened. She couldn't believe they weren't with him. As the ground continued to tremble from Demon Beast Belial's footsteps, Sally answered with a weary tone.
"N-No. I-I thought you had them."
Phthonus' eyebrows raised. He turned away toward the village's farm, pulled Sally, sprinted through the structures, and up the extending fence. The heavy gust of wind blew through the meadows, ruffling their hair. From that alone, even Phthonus felt unease grip his chest.
"Are you kidding me? They have been separated from us?"
As they raced across the tall green hill, Phthonus' glimmering amber eyes caught what seemed to be brown footprints scattered up the hill toward the forest. Immediately, he assumed that those footsteps belonged to no other than...
"No wonder. That extreme burst of energy alerted the entire nation, not just Milmoor."
Sally leaped over a boulder, turned down to the village, and saw Drimi stepping away from Demon Beast Belial, with her hands imbued with a purple glow. Sally gasped in shock.
"Drimi!"
Then, scampering further from her, a loud exclamation screamed out to Sally.
"I knew it! It's them!"
He saw, from behind the line of trees, four individuals covered in brown-colored metal armor, wearing face-covering helmets and chain mail pants. Phthonus snuck closer and saw that caressing their arms were two bright-haired individuals.
"Asahi, Aletha!" Phthonus roughly whispered as the group of Knights suddenly stopped.
The two didn't tend to budge or move. They were unconscious.
"What was that?" The first knight said.
Suddenly, The Knights hastily turned their heads toward Phthonus' direction.
"I don't see anyone." The general knight mumbled, only seeing bushes and trees over there.
After a few moments of unnerving silence, the Knights shrugged their shoulders and continued marching silently through the dense forest.
("I don't understand why they are taking the two. Why do the Knights want them?) Phthonus whispered to himself with a sense of frustration.
At a glance, he swiftly pulled out his empty, wordless book and gripped it tightly in his right hand.
"The Queen of Pladtioa might have ordered her Knights to investigate those beacons. That evil woman. Where and why do they want the wanderers?"
As he was mumbling to himself, rustling through the bushes, and tracing the knights' footsteps, Phthonus hastily pulled out the cover and closed his eyes.
"I hope this works… again."
He lifted his palm into the air, and…
* * * * * * * *
Drimi's amethyst eyes broadened in shock.
"This village… looks… untouched. W-What did Belial do?"
She stood near The Well, trying to find anyone within Milmoor. Any villagers, any sign of the wanderers, Sally, or better or worse… even Phthonus.
. . .
Yet no one was here. Only the sounds of the birds chirping, the timid whistles of the grassland breeze, and the buzzing of insects were the only things Drimi heard while standing here.
She investigated everything within the radius of The Well. The buildings, the crates, the wagons, the huts, even The Well itself. And yet even after the convoluted search, none was found.
Drimi felt unease slither up her spine. Goosebumps rose up on her pale skin as she heard the distant footsteps from Demon Beast Belial gradually grow closer and closer.
(Where are they?)
Then, as soon as Drimi knew it, Demon Beast Belial charged through the entrance, forcing roofs to collapse and pushing walls out of his way. Its two glimmering greenhorns curved and pointed up to the air like the spikes of a bull.
Drimi shivered in terror, keeping the purple flames on her palm strongly alit just in case any action was made from the beast. She knew it was Belial, but couldn't bring herself to slay him.
Even when Belial asked Drimi to slay him if he was ever in this form, she still resisted doing it.
As the towering beast inched closer toward Drimi, she clenched her fist and tried to communicate with it.
"Bebe… I… I know you're not human, I know that we had our times… b-but, please, fight it! Y-Y-You're too precious for me to slay. You're too young to die! You did so much for us! Why! Why answer me!"
The Demon Beast roared and pried its jaw open, unleashing a beam of green flames. Drimi swiftly dodged the attack, wiped slime off her face, and raised her voice.
"PLEASE! FIGHT IT!"
The beast swung its large arm at her and roared again.
"RAAAARRR!"
She willingly got tossed into the air and smiled as she was being tossed.
Drimi fell on the floor, hunched over the stone, and formed a tear over her eye, trying to cover it up with her smile. Though she was told not to cry, Drimi couldn't help it. She never wanted to see her most trustworthy and most caring ally die at her own hands.
She never wanted her guide, the boy who led and taught her the ways of Pladtioa, the one who prompted her to join the Great Knights of Pladtioa, the one who sacrificed his time to train her; he ceased under her own darkness.
So instead of fighting, she fled. She fled so much that her feet cramped.
She ran around the village and through its streets in circles, pushing her endurance to the absolute maximum. Her legs burned. Still, she ran.
Her heart ached as she continued to hear Belial's haunting cries sound out from The Demon's mouth.
"STOP! J…Just… k…kill… ROAAAR!"
Drimi's tears fell on the floor. She sniffled and mewled as she heard Belial's cries for help.
"P… please… stop…. I don't want to kill you, damn it!"
The Demon Beast pranced on the ground, tore a hole in the grass, and unleashed another yelp.
"ROARR!"
Drimi sprinted and coughed as she ran from hill to hill, losing oxygen from being chased by The Demon Beast. Drimi gritted her teeth, feeling rage consume her body. This corrupting, enchanting, bewitching emotion bloomed in her mind. Drimi's resistance pushed and urged her to…
…slay herself.
"D-D…Do I…. D-Do I have to?!"
As the beast raced up the hill, slobbering its toxic goo across the ground, Drimi slowly lifted her fist over her chest and closed her eyes. All memories of her and her life flowed into Belial's smile. The laughs. The cries, the hardships, and the training. Traveling across the seas, meeting Narcissa, being introduced to the castle—all of it, along with her friendships with everyone. She was almost killed, but Belial saved her. Still, she would have left the world on her own terms rather than slay Belial with her own fingers.
As tears of crimson flew down her face, while the beast slowly stomped closer and closer to Drimi, she closed her eyes, took one deep breath, and screamed with all her might.
"DON'T DIE!"
. . .
Her fist closed, and she lifted it into the air, with purple luminance blazing over it. Time slowed down; the beast hunched over and readily opened its jaw. Drimi slowly closed her eyes and formed a small smile, whispering.
"I'm… sorry… I let you down… father." She said as the image of him flew in her mind.
"Roar!!'"
. . .
A massive green fist pushed Drimi away and knocked Demon Beast Belial into the air.
"H-Huh?"
Her eyelids slowly parted. She thought she was dead. But something, even more, shocked her…
Standing in front of her, lunging and thrusting Demon Beast Belial, a tall, massive, green-skinned individual. Its eyes were a glowing crystal blue, its skin was covered in bruises, and its figure was swollen.
Drimi's eyes shrank in absolute shock.
"H-Huh?"
As she slowly rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up, beyond the horizon of the grassy slope was…
From a distance, a loud scream echoed over the entire area.
"ADVANTAGEOUS VINES!"
Five massive orange strands erupted from a sparkling light in the forest and flew like swift snakes racing through the air. Drimi gasped and tilted her head. She saw five brown-armored individuals flailing in the sky, their spears illuming with a yellow glow.
"Phthonus?!"
The sun emerged from the breaking clouds and beamed on Milmoor like a spotlight. A rush of adrenaline coursed through everyone. This was the moment, the moment to finally spark an insurgency.
"Take this!"
Demon Beast Belial got tossed into the pond, forcing a gush of water toward a patch of flowers. It painfully screeched.
"Arrghh!"
Drimi wiped her tears from her face and placed her dark mask over her mouth. Then, with determination burning in her eyes, she rushed down the hill. What she thought was the end was, in fact, just the beginning.
She skidded to a halt. Her eyes widened as she noticed the one who helped her was…
"The goblin… beast?!"
It nodded its head and swung yet again at Demon Beast Belial, forcing its head on the monster's chest and heaving it away FROM the villagers as much as it could.
Surprised, Drimi scratched her head. For a moment, she was paralyzed, unable to move.
(Wasn't he the one that I… fought?)
Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside. Concern for Belial took over, and she raced further down the hill.
As Drimi dashed, she saw five identical, thick, luminescent orange strands reach from the ground, grasping two dark, white-haired figures in the sky and dragging them swiftly toward the orange light.
"Aren't those the wanderers?"
One. Two. THREE.
"THE WATERNUM VISAGE!"
Suddenly, a gigantic wave of water burst out from nowhere, thrusting and pushing Belial away from the village. Drimi turned her head and saw a tall, platinum-haired woman floating with her arms lifted upward.
"Sally?!"
Running behind her, twenty-one brown-armored Knights jabbed with spears and chased Sally down the hill. Drimi clenched her fists. She knew precisely who they were and faintly whispered.
"The Knights of Pladtioa… they came here…? I must go…."
Even without much energy left, Drimi pushed herself up and had enough momentum to run across the field toward Sally.
However, as she was about to approach her, she felt a hot pain sting in her chest.
"...w…w-what?"
Hastily, she fell to the floor. The ground trembled from the distant attacks. Above, the orange strands flickered on and off, causing the unconscious wanderers to drop from the sky.
"Drimi!"
A brown-haired man fought his way past the Knights and hurried up the hill to Drimi. He knelt beside her and quickly pulled a needle from her chest.
"Why is this here?"
Sally closed her eyes and fell to her knees.
"It's all my fault. It's all my fault!"
"No, it's not! Wait…"
Suddenly, Phthonus realized he had lost control of the orange strands holding the wanderers. He spun toward them just as Demon Beast Belial tackled the goblin beast from a distant hill, knocked it to the ground, then leaped high, catching the unconscious wanderers mid-air.
The villagers wailed in horror from a distance.
"No!"
As Phthonus, Sally, and Drimi all exhaustingly attempt to chase the monster, quickly, Demon Beast Belial charged through the trees, snatched Asahi and Aletha, and scrambled deep into the forest with ludicrous speed.
Their hearts raced. Sweat slid down their faces as they panted heavily. They stood next to a cliff, near the forest, and saw a trail of smoke and footprints wriggling through the dense trees.
Sally gasped and yelled.
"It has the wanderers!"
Phthonus lowered his arms, clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes. Rage and disappointment filled him as he realized he had accidentally let the monster get away with the precious wanderers.
In honesty, the wanderers being kidnapped by Demon Beast Belial was much worse than being captured by the knights. Phthonus thought.
"N-No…"
A cold, empty feeling blistered in his heart. He heard the quiet breeze blow against the grass and felt as though he had failed Asahi, Aletha, and the world. Everything was silent, but nature continued to sing its song.
Drimi and Sally approached him from behind, concerned for Phthonus and afraid of what would happen to the wanderers. The villagers stalk quietly from a distance, nervous to even approach a meter closer to the three.
Though they were grateful for Belial's sacrifice—restoring and reversing the damage to their village—they still harbored deeper feelings of affection. They wanted to return a favor.
"E-Excuse me…?"
The villager hastily stepped back.
As the quiet breeze blew against the treetops, Sally trembled while resting on her knees.
"What can we do now? The wanderers did everything for us. They fought for us, cared for us, and saved us at times. And now… we just allowed them to die… j-just like Akwan."
Drimi stared blankly at the ground, utterly confused and stupefied by what had happened.
"Belial… even said that they were the last hope of this world. I… I can't believe it… They're not dead. They are not, I swear. They are still alive, somewhere." She expressed.
Phthonus took a deep sigh and stepped forward toward the footprints. Infuriation and determination coursed through him. Beating in his heart, and in the hearts of others all around him, was a pulsing, inevitable respect for the wanderers. An insatiable, blooming praise sprouted up inside their minds. Phthonus closed his book, opened his eyes, and raised his voice.
"The wanderers have done so much for us. They opened our eyes, made us better, and even taught us a lesson for our lives. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for them, we would all still be separated and unfound. Although they could be hard-hitting at times, I believe that the two have a heart, just like us. Even if they're considered Rulers… they still have humanity in them."
As the villagers stepped back in surprise from the instant reveal, Phthonus stomped his foot on the ground.
"They have done our part… just like we have done our's."
Drimi lightly chuckled, stepped forward, cleared her throat, and interrupted Phthonus with a confident, fierce tone.
"If they have done so much for us, why shouldn't we do something for them?! I have seen their power. Phthonus, Sally, Belial, and I have all witnessed our own potential in Dreamtoe forest. They are so much more than what we made them out to be. Asahi and Aletha are like us. They're humans; they're potential heroes. We may be weak, but if we all work together…"
The sun poked out from drifting clouds. The sea of eyeballs widened in anticipation and grace. Though shocked that the wanderers were Rulers, they knew the Rulers were weak. They knew time was running out.
"Okay… fine." A brown-haired man stepped forward, placing his hand over his heart.
Phthonus, Sally, and Drimi's eyes widened.
"Wait, you're going to?"
"If it is for the safety of our village, and if they can find a way to stop The Queen, I'm in!" A blonde-haired ponytail girl said as she took two steps forward.
One by one, the villagers stepped forward, all agreeing to save the wanderers.
"The Queen had done so little for the nation after the King disappeared." A tall woman wearing a brown hat said.
"Our crops, they don't even realize how much we did just to get here." A man with a thick beard hollered.
"This nation was and never was disgusting. The Queen just wants this nation for herself. Pladtioa doesn't belong to her; it belongs to ALL OF US!"
An uproar sparked from the crowd. It was gradually growing louder and louder.
A tall, dark-haired woman stepped forward.
"I lost half of my family due to Narcissa's unreasonable 'sacrifices.' She will pay."
A man wearing overalls and a red shirt shouted.
"All my crops were just given to the city rather than our people! She threatened our lives. She took advantage of our jobs!"
"If she actually cared for the village, she wouldn't allow that damn robot to demolish our village!"
The crowd grew wilder. Phthonus, Drimi, and Sally smiled in awe, seeing the villagers' persistent and shining spirit.
"Let's spark a union!"
"Let's spark a resistance!'
"Let's start a REVOLUTION!"
The crowd of villagers sprang to their feet in determination and excitement.
"YEAH!"
This sudden act wasn't just about saving the wanderers; it was about the faith in freedom and the hope of dethroning The Queen of Pladtioa.
However, there was a problem conflicting with the spark.
The wanderers didn't know what the Queen had done in the past and would surely not understand what the people of Pladtioa had experienced. If only there were some method for them to learn this nation's history.
In the meantime, the massive group of enthralled villagers unites as one with Drimi, Sally, and Phthonus, all raising their devotion and arms into the air, hoping to spark a resistance.
Though weak in strength, the villagers were strong in numbers.
. . .
Drimi, Sally, and Phthonus were speechless as some started to settle down. They never believed such liveliness could spark out from the villagers. Even they knew what the corrupted Queen had done to the nation.
And so, they stepped in front of the group, resisting their exhaustion and spiking their adrenaline.
Though the goblin beast was nowhere to be seen, all of them were thankful that he drove Demon Beast Belial away from their village.
Drimi closed her eyes and kicked her leg up. A surge of adrenaline left her feeling hyperactive, filled with vengeance. As the villagers stepped onward, Drimi tramped on the ground and yelled.
"I know what you all want! The Queen has done things unimaginable to us for years! And now I realize why we want resistance. Her 'disgust' is nothing but an excuse to keep the nation to herself."
Sally, though being shy, resisted and faced her fears, following the footsteps of the strong woman beside her. She stepped forward, threw the necklace into the air, and hollered.
"Let's spark a revolution! For all the lives we lost to HER hands! Saving the wanderers isn't just about redemption; it's about…."
Phthonus lightly chuckled and smiled. He, too, knew of the situation at hand. And so, in a more significant, louder voice, he stepped forward and topped everyone's voice with his loud, audacious scream.
"... It's about sparking… AN INSURGENCY AGAINST AVERSION!"
As everyone marched forward toward the opening of the forest, he turned toward the sky and mumbled to himself.
"We will save you, too, Belial. You did the right thing."