Chaos Rising (Season 1: Heroes Rising) Final Chapter up (2024)

Destruction Returns​

It was the day of Infinator’s next attack. Celtic and his party had made it to Skyburt a few days ago and had purchased the necessary items in preparation for it. The party was gathered at the center square of the village, making final checks, while Celtic looked at the Infinity Hourglass. His eyes narrowed as the sands rapidly decreased before putting it away in his Tek-Pak.

He turned to the party, “Okay, the first order of business is to evacuate any civilians that may be nearby. We have to keep the casualties to a bare minimum, so prioritize the people’s safety first. We’ll let those other nitwit ‘Heroes’ keep the boss busy while we deal with protecting the civilians. Once they’re safe, we can focus on defeating the boss, as I highly doubt those dim bulbs will have done so by that point.”

Leon quirked an eyebrow, “You have very low faith in the other Heroes, Celtic. I’ve heard from the High Priest and the other Templars that they’ve been doing a less-than-stellar job, but I’m surprised you’re speaking so negatively of them as well. Are they really that incompetent?”

Skye rolled her eyes, “Leon, you have no idea. Not only are they incompetent, but destructive. Celtic has had to clean up many of their messes because they treat this world like a big game and not a matter of life-and-death. So, yeah, Celtic has every reason to doubt the other Heroes’ abilities, as we’ve seen their destructive ‘heroics’ first-hand. They’re more dangerous than the creatures they ‘protect’ the world from. Trust us, you’ll see for yourself.”

Suddenly, the sky went red, indicating it was time. Celtic and his party were suddenly teleported to the location of the attack. They took a quick look around and saw a village nearby, along with the other Heroes and their parties.

Viola tapped Celtic’s shoulder, “Cel, we’re near the village of Sizanu, and I can see the people haven’t been evacuated yet. It’s a sizable village, so we have our work cut out for us.”

Celtic nodded, “Fine, let’s do this. As soon as the other bozos and their parties head for wherever the boss is, we’ll make a beeline for the villagers. Leon and I will pick off any monsters that get here first, like flying monsters, with our ranged attacks, while you and the others evacuate the civilians as quickly as possible.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice stated, “Shroud Hero, sir!”

They turned to see Ike and a small band of knights and mages run up to them.

“Ike!” Celtic said, surprised.

“Shroud Hero, sir, allow us to help evacuate the civilians,” Ike volunteered. “The mages will assist you and Mr. Templar Knight by picking off the faster aerial monster while we can help the rest of your party shuttle the villagers to safety. If you’ll allow it, sir.”

The redhead smiled, “I’ll more than allow it. That’ll make things much easier. Please, do so, as it’ll increase our odds at success. You do good work, Ike, so I know you’ll be a huge help here.”

Ike saluted, “Thank you, Shroud Hero, sir!”

A mage then yelled, “Here they come!”

They all turned to see what looked like a massive ghost ship floating in the distance, along with a swarm of aerial monsters, with some land-based monsters following. The other Heroes and their parties charged ahead. Celtic turned to his party and Ike’s party.

“Move out! Protect the people at all costs!” he instructed.

With a nod, the groups split into two factions. Skye, Ike, and the rest of their parties hurried to the village to evacuate them while Celtic, Leon, and the mages stood their ground to stop the fast-moving aerial monsters from approaching. Celtic had switched his arm to Gatling while Leon, surprisingly, summoned up energy arrows for his bow, taking aim at the incoming horde, while also revealing himself to be left-handed, as evident by how he held his bow.

“Attack!” Celtic instructed.

The mages fired off powerful area-of-effect type spells that took out swaths of the flying enemies while Celtic and Leon picked the others off one by one. At the same time, Skye, Ike, and their respective parties were quickly shuttling the villagers to a safer location, striking down any monsters that came their way. Within an hour the flying monsters had been shot down, but this allowed the ground-based monsters to finally come within range. Celtic transformed his arm into Fighter Sword, preparing for the next wave of enemies. At that point, Skye, Ike, and their parties had returned.

“Cel!” Skye stated. “All the civilians have been evacuated to a safe location! It turns out they have a special magical bunker nearby for emergencies like this, so that made things much easier.”

Celtic nodded, “Good! Now, get ready, team, as the next batch of enemies are here! Battle formation! Don’t let those scum-suckers anywhere near the village!”

“Right!” everyone said in unison.

The two groups charged in, striking down every monster that came their way. Slowly but surely, the wave of monsters dwindled down until the last of them was dead. Celtic looked up at the sky, where the floating ghost ship was, as well as noticing a timer in his stat vision. His eyes narrowed as he saw how much time had passed.

“Dammit!” he spat. “I knew those morons wouldn’t get the job done! This wave has been going on for more than three hours, and they STILL haven’t killed the boss yet! Guess we’re gonna have to get over there and show them how it’s done. Ike!”

Ike ran up to him, “Shroud Hero, sir!”

“I’m leaving protecting the village in your care. My party and I are going to that ghost ship to see what’s taking the other Heroes so long in killing the boss. If this keeps up, more monsters will spawn, so we have to end this now before we get overwhelmed. Can you and your party handle that?”

Ike saluted, “You can rely on us, sir!”

The redhead smiled again, “You’re a good soldier, Ike, and a far more reliable ally that those halfwit Heroes. I’ll leave it to you. Team, we’re heading for that ghost ship! Move out!”

With a nod, the two parties split, with Ike’s band remaining at the village while Celtic’s party charged toward the ghost ship. As they ran, Leon became level with Celtic.

“I’m beginning to see what you meant about those other Heroes, Celtic,” he said. “We’ve been at this for over three hours and they still haven’t succeeded in their task. I’m beginning to worry about this world’s fate if it’s left in their hands. I can now see why you have virtually no faith in them, and I can also see why the High Priest hasn’t been happy with them lately. We have to stop the wave now, as we can only handle so much, even with that Ike lad helping us.”

Celtic rolled his eyes, “Yeah, you can see why I feel those other ‘Heroes’ are nothing more than morons. And I assure you that you’ll be seeing just how incompetent they really are shortly.”

“Don’t look now, but I see Jerry and his party up ahead!” Rupert stated.

Jerry and his party were trying to strike down the ghost ship from afar. They seemed to be aiming specifically for the bow of the ship, where a demonic-looking mermaid figurehead was positioned.

“Jerry!” Celtic yelled. “What’s going on?!”

Jerry turned to him, “Celtic? We’re trying to spawn the boss monster! Something called a Soulavore. I believe the Soulavore is hiding in the figurehead, within that mermaid statue, but we can’t get it to appear!”

“What about the other Heroes?” Skye asked.

“They refuse to listen, believing that the Soulavore is hiding elsewhere. They’re just making things worse! Uh… say… how’d you get so many party members? And… such a variety, too?”

Celtic grit his teeth, “Time for that later, Jerry. Team, we need to get up onto that ship! My Yo-Yo attachment can get me up there, along with the Moth Wing Shroud, but what about you?”

Tyroe bumped his chest, “Leave that to me, Celtic. My Earth magic can create a pathway of rock that’ll get us up there in no time flat.”

The redhead nodded, “Good, do exactly that. I’ll get up there first to gauge the situation. But hurry, as we can’t let this wave continue much longer!” He then stated in a strong voice, “Moth Wing Shroud!”

The Shroud transformed, completely changing shape, now looking like a set of moth wings with the same patterns as the Moth Demon’s. With a powerful flap, the Shroud granted Celtic flight, much to Jerry’s surprise, while Tyroe slammed his hands onto the ground, causing a pathway of rock and dirt to form, allowing the rest of the party to follow. Celtic landed on the crow’s nest, giving him a chance to look around. Ryan and his party were fighting off what looked like the captain of the ship: a zombie-like pirate. Lucas, on the other hand, was fighting the demonic claws that lashed out from the ship’s sides. Eric and his party were fighting off the kraken tentacles that came from the underside of the ship. None of them were making any progress, as every time they killed something, it just regenerated and resumed attacking. Celtic grit his teeth again, gaining a very annoyed expression.

“Idiots,” he said to himself. “They’ve been at this for the past three hours and it never occurred to them that it isn’t WORKING?! Why are they being so stubborn about it?! If this keeps up, more monsters will spawn and the village, the villagers, and even Ike’s crew, will be overwhelmed, as we can’t do this indefinitely. Time for me to step in and end this.”

He flew down from the crow’s nest, landing in the middle of the deck, surprising the other Heroes. At the same time, Skye and the rest of his party appeared, jumping onto the deck, all showing annoyed expressions at the lack of progress.

“Celtic?” Lucas asked. “What are you doing here? I’ve got this covered! Go and protect a village which is suited for a nobody like you.”

“No, I’ve got this covered!” Eric countered. “The Soulavore will spawn from the kraken in the hull!”

Ryan lashed out, “Correction! I’m the one who has this under control, as the Soulavore will spawn from the ghost captain.”

“Here’s a more accurate explanation,” Celtic snarled. “NONE of you have the situation under control AT ALL!!! You’ve been doing this for more than three hours and you STILL haven’t gotten the boss to spawn!? Did it ever occur to you that your various ‘strategies’ are failing miserably!? If the boss doesn’t spawn soon, more monsters will spawn and overwhelm the village! Can’t you see that this isn’t working?! So, why are you being so stubborn?!”

Lucas countered, “Yeah, like the weakest of us can figure it out. Leave this to the pro, aka: me.”

Veronica nodded, “Yeah, since you and your garbage Shroud are so incompetent, you might as well sit back and watch how a real Hero takes care of things!”

Celtic was about to snap back when he noticed something. What looked like a sinister face was hiding in the shadows, nowhere near the various enemies that the other Heroes were fighting. He gained a smirk.

“I’m about to prove who the real incompetent ones are, and they’re not me or my party,” he said, giving a toothy grin. “Skye, use some Light magic to light things up! Fighter Sword!”

His arm transformed into Fighter Sword again. Skye nodded and started to channel energy.

“Light Burst!” she stated.

A blast of light erupted from her hands, illuminating the area. The face in the shadows flinched as it did. Celtic then charged over and slammed his Fighter Sword into the shadow’s face, causing it to screech in agony before a pillar of energy erupted from that very spot, stunning the other Heroes and their respective parties. At that time, Jerry and his party had jumped onto the ship via the same earth walkway Tyroe had made earlier, only to witness Celtic succeeding in flushing out the boss. The energy started to gather in a sphere before taking form, revealing the Soulavore.

“How the hell did you get it out so easily!?” Eric sputtered.

“Because I’m smart, unlike you dipsticks,” Celtic replied snidely.

The Soulavore looked like a cross between a demon and a salamander lizard. Its body was snow white and reptilian in structure, with a long, thick tail with fin-like frills, short legs ending in sharp claws, a set of frills on each shoulder, spines on its back, and a large head with a flat face, two sets of hellish yellow eyes with a fifth vertical red eye on its forehead, and a mouth full of fangs with what looked like a black void for a throat.

“Skye, give me the details! What’s a Soulavore?” Celtic instructed.

“A Soulavore is a Low-Tier demon, as it has three hearts!” Skye explained. “As their name states, they eat souls, causing whatever soul they ate to vanish forever, though they also eat magic, too. They are Light-attribute demons with a strong resistance to Light and Holy energies, but a weakness to Dark. They’re generally neutral in terms of natural allegiance, but they can be domesticated to serve various purposes, like devouring the souls of war criminals to prevent them from reincarnating, something that the Shadokor have successfully bred for that purpose. Despite being Low-Tier demons, they’re very beefy in terms of stats, with high Hit Points and very solid Attack, Defense, and Speed, making them tough opponents. They can also act like puppet masters, controlling other creatures nearby while they hide in the shadows, awaiting fresh prey. They use a variety of Light-based attacks, while also using their fangs, tail and claws for physical strikes. And judging by the stats of this one, Infinator beefed it up even more, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“H-How do you know that?!” Veronica sputtered.

“Simple. I studied, something that YOU should’ve been doing instead of scheming! Small wonder why I’m still leagues better than you despite my Level Up ability having been stunted for the time. And I’m still sexier, bustier, and better looking than you, to boot, despite me being the younger sister.”

Leon then stated, “Because a Soulavore is resistant to Light and Holy energies, I worry that the Legendary Gear, with the exception of the Shroud, will have their effectiveness cut down to size, as the Sword, Spear, Axe, and Bow are full of Holy energies, making killing it even harder. Infinator picked his boss monster well, as, by terms of elemental advantage, only the Shroud has the advantage over it, due to it being full of Dark energies.”

“Then I’ll just prove that wrong!” Ryan stated confidently.

“No, I’LL prove that wrong!” Lucas spat.

“You’re both wrong: I’ll be the one to beat the Soulavore!” Eric stated.

“No, all three of you are wrong, as I’ll be the real hero here!” Jerry snapped.

“Meanwhile, back at the battle,” Celtic said, completely deadpan. “That Soulavore is about to attack! So, stop arguing and fight it before it eats you, you morons!”

Too late. The Soulavore took advantage of the situation and lashed out its strong, thick tail, knocking the other Heroes off their feet, except Celtic, who jumped out of the way in time.

Leon turned to Rupert, “Okay, I’m really starting to see exactly why Celtic has no faith in these goons. Our world’s future is very much in doubt if left to these idiots. I’m really beginning to believe that the Shroud Hero may be our only hope, and just how wrong the Four Stars Church’s teachings are at this point.”

Rupert nodded, “Be thankful you’re on the winning team.”

Skye became level with Celtic, “We have to take that thing down, fast! Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of Dark-related abilities on-hand, so we’re gonna have to do this the old fashioned way.”

Celtic turned to her, whispering, “Skye, we do have one very potent Dark-attributed attack… Wrath Fire. I’m going to have to use it, as it may be our best bet.”

Her eyes widened before whispering, “You do know it’ll reveal what you really are, right? Especially since you have yet to break it to Leon. And I just know that the other idiot Heroes won’t take that well at all, especially Lucas. Are you really prepared for that?”

“We don’t have much of a choice. They would learn of my possible half-demon heritage soon enough, as I can’t hide it forever, so I might as well just let it out and be done with it. Besides, I don’t care what the other Heroes think, and maybe it’ll give them a reason to think twice about crossing me, as a demon’s wrath is one to fear. I’ve come to accept that it doesn’t matter what anyone feels about it, because if it gets the job done, then so be it.”

Skye looked stunned before nodding, gaining a smile, “Go get ‘em, tiger. And know that I’ll stand by you to the very end. I’m your right-hand woman and loyal comrade; I will follow you through fire and brimstone until the end of time. Just… please be careful, okay?”

Celtic nodded before directing his attention to the Soulavore, who had just swatted Lucas and Eric away again. He casually walked up to it, making it fix all five of its eyes on him. However, when it gave him a sniff, all five eyes widened in horror, as it clearly knew something was different about Celtic. Celtic gained a sinister smile, showing off his fangs, before his pupils became slits and the facial markings returned.

“Time for a barbeque!” he snarled. “Eat this! Wrath Fire!”

Celtic slammed his hand on the deck of the ship, causing the cursed black flames to erupt from underneath the Soulavore. This caught the Soulavore completely by surprise, but the dark energy of the Wrath Fire’s flames were even more vicious. The Soulavore screeched in pain as the black fire cooked it alive, clearly feeling the power of it. This surprised the other Heroes and Leon.

“W-Wrath Fire!?” Leon sputtered. “Celtic knows Wrath Fire?!”

Lucas looked stunned, “W-What are those flames? And since when could that loser use such an attack?”

Annoyed, Viola reached down from her perch on one of the mast’s sections with her long arm, grabbed Lucas by the back of his head, her sharp nails clawing him, and hoisted him up to her level with surprising strength.

“You might want to watch who you call a loser, Pointy Stick Boy!” she hissed. “After all, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, since YOU failed to do anything of worth in this fight, making you the loser here.”

She then roughly dropped him, causing him to crash on top of Veronica, much to the Princess’s protests, making Skye snicker darkly.

Ryan looked unnerved, “Whatever that Wrath Fire is… it feels… dangerous. Like it’s cursed or something. But… it also seems to be doing the job, as the Soulavore is taking some decent continuous damage. But… what is it?”

Leon ran over to Skye, grabbing her shoulder, “Skye, how in hell is Celtic able to use Wrath Fire?! That’s Demon magic! Doesn’t Celtic know that Wrath Fire is a very dangerous spell? It could hurt him as much as the Soulavore! So… how? And why?”

Skye took a deep breath before sighing, “We always planned on telling you about this, Leon, as you’re the newest recruit, but Celtic didn’t know how to break it to you just yet. As a Templar Knight, he was worried about what it meant to you, but he knows we don’t have much of a choice, as it is our best weapon against the Soulavore. You see… Celtic is, most likely, half-demon. Specifically, an Advance-Tier demon, as he has seven hearts.”

“W-W-WHAT?!!!” the other Heroes’ and their parties sputtered.

“Celtic has DEMON in him?!” Jerry choked. “H-How?!”

Lucas growled, “I knew that bastard was evil!”

Celtic stomped his foot down, causing a small pillar of Wrath Fire to erupt under Lucas’ feet, forcing him to jump back in alarm, crashing into Veronica again.

“Hello? This ‘bastard’ has ears, Pointy Stick Boy!” he hissed. “And not all demons are evil, unlike that witch who uses you as her meat shield. Besides, I don’t see YOU coming up with anything useful in this fight, so you’d better do something productive or shut up and sit quietly in the corner, where you belong! Otherwise I may just turn my flames on you! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Soulavore to roast!”

Celtic returned his attention to the Soulavore, launching another burst of Wrath Fire on it, making it screech in agony as the cursed flames roasted it.

Viola then stated, “It’s not all bad. Celtic most likely also has Druid in him, which may be restraining the more… problematic traits that his demonic side has. And we suspect that his demon half is none other than Shadokor, the most noble and heroic breed of demon in existence.”

Eric turned to her, “What’s a Shadokor?”

Rupert quirked an eyebrow, “Don’t tell me those backstabbing Light Elves didn’t give you the whole story? The Shadokor are, as stated before, a race of demon. They are, however, a heroic race, and act as both a government and police force for the Demon Realm, keeping other demon breeds, like Infinator, in check. The Light Elves summoned Infinator to this world in hopes of enslaving his massive Light energies and ruling the world, but it failed miserably and Infinator started the Great Demon War. Delgunner Kingdom, the true royal powerhouse, in a last-ditch attempt to turn the war around, summoned the Shadokor, who gladly fought for us, completely flipping the war and dominated it, easily crushing Infinator’s forces like flies. They even destroyed Infinator himself, leaving only his godly soul, which they planned to finish off.”

Skye then added, “However, the Light Elves, attempting to save face and make themselves look heroic, got in the way and sealed Infinator away, much to everyone’s protests, as well as erecting a barrier that prevents any species that doesn’t naturally possess the Light element from entering. However, that allows Sylph, Infinator’s right-hand woman, to freely enter and exit the barrier, as she survived the Great Demon War, and possesses the Light element. This whole conflict is the result of the Light Elves not only summoning Infinator in the first place but sealing him away instead of letting the Shadokor finish him off. This whole issue could’ve been avoided if the idiot Light Elves hadn’t summoned the damn demon in the first place, all in another get-more-power-quick scheme. As punishment for their role in the war, the Light Elves were bumped down several levels on the royal pecking order. The Shadokor colonized in a mountainous area to the north, creating their own kingdom, Shadoria, so they could await Infinator’s return. And don’t bother asking Veronica if it’s true, as she never bothered to study, but every other Light Elf, as well as the rest of the world, knows the truth. But I guess it’s no surprise my backstabbing father never told you everything. Not only upsetting the balance of power by summoning all of you Heroes for himself, he is making many nations furious with him, risking a world war for a petty power struggle. But he will do anything to make his race seem like the good guys when in fact the Light Elves are the reason this whole problem exists in the first place!”

Veronica huffed, “Still, some ‘Hero’ he turned out to be. The only good demon is a dead one.”

Leon glared at her, “You’re a fine one to talk, you wench. From what I’ve been told, YOU are about the furthest thing from a hero yourself. I can see it as clear as day; you give off an aura of evil, selfishness, and lust for power. Being a demon isn’t the worst thing in the world, as not all demons are created equal. But being someone like you, on the other hand, who has not only caused death and destruction in your wake, but hasn’t done a damn thing in this fight. You seem pretty content just sitting back and letting your precious ‘Hero’ do all the fighting, acting like a glorified cheerleader. You really have no room to talk about being a ‘Hero’ when all you do is cause death to anyone just to amuse yourself. Man, I had heard from the other Templars that you were a vile one, but you’re worse than I could’ve ever imagined. At least Celtic being part demon is better than anything you’ve done, as even demons can be noble. Even I know that and I’m a Church of the Four Stars Templar Knight who was raised to hate all demons, though I know it’s not that simple. I may have only known Celtic for a few days now, but he’s far more noble and heroic than YOU’LL ever be, you vile fiend. And if he has Druid in him, too, then that only further proves he’s a Hero of the highest caliber, unlike the rest of you. Besides, I doubt you could kill that thing, so you have no room to criticize about heroics. At least Celtic is doing everything in his power to end the attack and save lives, unlike you! Even if it means tapping into the murky nature of demons. Though, from what I can see, you’re far worse than any demon, even Infinator himself. So, shut up!”

Veronica gained a nasty look, “You dare talk to me like that?”

Viola’s scythe suddenly appeared from above, the blade resting just under Veronica’s throat, making her freeze.

“He’s got a point, you know,” she said simply. “If even a Templar Knight from the Church of the Four Stars can see that not all demons are bad, then you can’t be critical of anything. Especially since Delgunner and Shadoria are not pleased with you and your family for your most recent stunt against the Shroud Hero. And, just like Leon said, since you’ve done nothing to contribute to this fight, then you really don’t have room to talk about ‘incompetence’ and ‘heroics’, especially since you fail to realize that Celtic, who is within earshot of us, could just turn those cursed demon flames on you at any time in revenge for your actions. And your precious Pointy Stick Boy won’t be able to stop it. Besides, Celtic’s hybrid blood is actually a valuable weapon against Infinator’s forces, unlike you and your kind, who started this who ordeal in the first place.”

Tyroe then said matter-of-factly, “So, in a sense, Celtic being both the Shroud Hero and a potential demon/Druid hybrid makes him the perfect counter to Infinator. Essentially he’s fighting fire with fire. And considering all of your messes he had to clean up, it says a lot about how ‘competent’ you lot are.”

“What are you talking about?” Ryan asked.

Skye huffed, “Well, you killed a dragon yet failed to dispose of the body, causing it to decay and create a plague that nearly wiped out a village, along with the fact it reanimated into a dragon zombie. Then there’s Lucas planting a cursed set of seeds in a famine-ridden village’s fields, creating plant demons. Followed by Jerry committing regicide on an innocent lord who was taxing his people, without asking why it was so high: so he could buy the necessary resources from Delgunner to fight off Mountain Trolls. Said Trolls trashing the box canyon city because they sensed the city was in panic after the lord’s assassination, taking advantage of it. And, last but not least, Eric helping a disguised Moth Demon crush a rebellion, allowing him to enslave the men into the mines while planning on eating the women and children during the Double Blood Eclipse. All of those events took place, and all of them were cleaned up by Celtic because of your shortsightedness and refusal to realize that this world is not a game. Have I painted an accurate enough picture for you or do you need more proof of your incompetence?”

Ryan and Eric looked horrified while Lucas and Jerry looked angry.

“M-Me killing the dragon but leaving its corpse behind nearly wiped out the village?” Ryan sputtered. “Along with it reanimating into a dragon zombie!?”

“A-And I helped a disguised tyrannical Moth Demon crush a rebellion, resulting in the men getting enslaved and the women and children nearly EATEN?!” Eric choked.

“Don’t change the subject!” Jerry spat. “I’m a real hero, so you must be lying!”

Viola reached down again from her perch and picked up Jerry by his head, “Then why don’t you go back to that box canyon city and ask them yourself. You’ll see that the people are not pleased with you. Lucas already knows what happened on his end, since the villagers threw rocks at him and his party after Celtic fixed that mess. You and the other Heroes are not heroes. Only the Shroud has proven to be a real hero, while you lot leave a wave of destruction in your wake. So, I suggest you either get with the program and wise up or you’ll find out the hard way that this world will come to hate you for your screw-ups. This isn’t a game, Bow Boy, this is reality. And the reality is… you and the other Heroes… are zeros.”

She dropped him roughly, though he landed a bit more gracefully than Lucas did. At that time, Celtic was getting worn out, which the Soulavore took advantage of, firing an energy ball, forcing the redhead to jump back and end his fiery barrage. Skye ran over and helped support him, noticing he was panting heavily.”

“Cel, are you okay?” she asked gently.

“Yeah…” he panted. “Just a bit drained. But… my Wrath Fire managed to shave off about 2/3rds of the Soulavore’s Hit Points, so I suspect most conventional attacks will work well enough now to finish it off. Plus, the flames have inflicted a curse on it, weakening it further. It’ll give me a chance to catch my breath, too. Don’t worry about me, just go in for the kill.”

She nodded before turning to the other Heroes, “This is your chance to redeem yourselves, you know. Celtic has done his part, now it’s YOUR turn to do something productive, for a change of pace. You claim to have the power to be Heroes, then prove it right here and now!”

Ryan and Eric, who were both shaken at what they heard, charged in without a second thought. Lucas and Jerry hesitated, however, both angry that their pride had been bruised. Skye rolled her eyes.

“Fine, be egotistical jerks if you want, but facts are facts. You. Screwed. Up. Deal with it! So, shape up or ship out, as this world needs real heroes to defend it, not egotistical jerks like you. What will it be, boys?”

Jerry, although angry, loaded up an arrow on his bow, channeled energy into it, and fired it, the arrow striking the Soulavore in the side. Lucas, however, refused to move, clearly livid.

“I guess we know who the biggest loser on this ship is,” Rupert said snidely.

This seemed to do the trick, as Lucas charged in, channeling his anger into his spear and striking the weakened Soulavore, much to Veronica’s protests. Viola took advantage of the situation and with some quick motions with her hands, ensnared the Soulavore in strong silk.

“That should keep it from getting around freely or lashing out for attacks for a bit,” she said. “It can still fire attacks from the red eye on its face, but I’ve clamped its mouth shut which will prevent it from being able to use most of its Light-based moves. My silk won’t last forever, though. This is an ideal time to attack while it’s weak and inflicted with a curse from the Wrath Fire. Move out!”

She, Tyroe, and Rupert charged in while Leon loaded up energy arrows and pelted it from his spot. Skye gently moved Celtic over to the main mast so he could catch his breath. Leon, noticing Celtic’s exhausted state, rummaged through his pockets before handing him a tonic, much to the redhead’s surprise.

“Leon…” he said.

“Look, I’m a bit annoyed you didn’t tell me right away about your demon heritage,” Leon said with a sincere smile. “But I understand why you were hesitant about it, as, like you were concerned about, Templar Knights hate demons of all types, even Shadokor. But… I’m not like other Templar Knights. I know every species has a reason for existing, even demons, and I know that Shadokor are trustworthy ones. I agree with the gang that you could very well be Shadokor, as you’ve got a noble spirit despite seething with hatred and anger. Though it’s not hard to see why. And, if what the others said is true, you’ve been going out of your way to fix the other Heroes’ mistakes. That’s the mark of a true hero. Besides… I see you as my best friend, so I can’t be mad at you, especially since I understand why you didn’t tell me right away. Now, drink this. It’s a Soul Soother Potion. Not only does it restore MP, as I’m certain you ate up a lot of yours with that Wrath Fire, but it soothes the body and soul, restoring the user’s strength and stamina.”

Celtic smiled as he took the potion, “Thanks, Leon. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I’m glad you understand why I was concerned. But, given the situation, it was our best bet, so even though I had to reveal it in a rather… questionable way, I’m grateful you’re taking it so well. I was always going to tell you, it just got forced out of me before I had a chance to figure out how to explain it. But… thanks for being understanding about it.”

“That’s what friends do, right?” Leon smiled again.

Celtic chuckled before downing the potion quickly, feeling his strength, stamina, and MP being restored in one swift motion. He then turned his attention to the Soulavore, who was being assaulted on all sides by his party and the other Heroes. He grimaced as he observed the situation.

“Still, despite being bombarded from all sides… that thing is still not going down,” he said. “Even all those combined attacks are only doing scratch damage at best. At this rate more monsters will spawn and could potentially overwhelm Ike’s group and destroy the village. I’d use Wrath Fire again, but it’ll take too long to finish it off, and I doubt Viola’s silk will hold it forever.”

Suddenly, in his mind, what looked like a stat screen appeared. It showed an octagonal object that read “Wrath Fire”, followed by a line that seemed to activate another octagonal object, indicating that something new had just been unlocked. His eyes widened as he read the name of the new ability, along with what appeared to be an incantation written in an unfamiliar language underneath it, yet he could read it fine.

He turned to Skye, “I think I may have the solution to finishing off that Soulavore.”

She looked elated, “You do? Great! What is it?”

He took a deep breath before replying, “I seem to have just unlocked a new spell… one of the Demon magic type. It’s risky, but seeing how Wrath Fire did so much, I feel that this one may finish it off and end this wave before any more monsters spawn.”

Skye looked worried before nodding, “Do it. And I’ll be right here for you, like I’ll always be.”

Just then, the Soulavore managed to break the silk that was binding it, forcing everyone to jump back and out of the way of the now-enraged demon. Celtic’s eyes became slits again, getting the Soulavore’s attention again, making it hesitate.

“First things first,” he said. “You’re gonna be a bit tied up for a moment, so I can give you your final verdict. Yo-Yo!”

His arm transformed into the Yo-Yo attachment, followed by launching the bladed disc on a cable toward the Soulavore. The Yo-Yo seemed to automatically wrap around the lesser demon before the bladed disc latched onto it, tangling it up in the cable. Celtic then raised up his left hand and started to channel energy.

“From the depths of the Demon Realm I call upon thee! Entrap my foes in your cold virgin ore embrace, piercing them from all sides, their cries muffled, as your bloody iron spikes skewer them until death beckons them! Iron Maiden of Demon’s Wrath!”

The clouds above started to swirl, lightning flashing and cracking, thunder booming, before a portal opened up. Out of it emerged something that made everyone freeze in shock. It was a colossal iron maiden, rusty gold in color, with a demonic woman’s head on top, sturdy chains attached to all sides of it, and dark energy seemingly pouring out from its cracks.

Celtic then gave a sharp jerk of his right arm, lifting the Soulavore up before swinging it around multiple times. He then snapped his left fingers, causing the red eyes of the iron maiden to light up, opening up its inner cavity, revealing large, sharp, blood-stained spikes. With one final thrust, Celtic hurled the Soulavore toward the iron maiden’s gaping embrace, while the Yo-Yo quickly retracted its blade and unraveled itself from the Soulavore. The Soulavore could only screech as it was hurled into the iron maiden’s awaiting grasp, the doors slamming shut quickly as it did. Celtic snapped his left fingers again, causing the iron maiden’s eyes to light up, followed by it cackling, lightning striking the chains, sending electrical energy into it, more dark energy pouring out of the cracks. The Soulavore’s cries could be heard and it was brutally assaulted on all sides by the combination of spikes, lightning, and darkness before it went quiet. Celtic clenched his hand, causing the iron maiden to cackle one last time before disintegrating, revealing the skewered, bloody corpse of the Soulavore. It plummeted to the ravine below, with a loud thud being heard as it hit the ground. Everyone waited a moment, as if expecting it to rise again, but nothing happened, indicating it was over. Celtic then fell to one knee, panting, his eyes returning to normal and his facial markings vanishing.

“W-What the hell was that?!” Lucas sputtered.

Skye, although surprised, smirked at him, “That’s a warning for you. Play nice with Celtic or you’ll be in there next. Although I think Veronica deserves that honor more. Right, dear sister?”

Veronica, who was clearly traumatized by what she saw, quickly retreated behind Lucas, not answering, though her face displayed her thoughts clearly.

Leon then noticed something, “H-Hang on, people. We have a problem. The wave isn’t ending!”

Ryan looked around, “You’re right! But the Soulavore is dead! It’s over, right?”

A voice then giggled, “Not quite, oh incompetent one. You still have one more round to play.”

Everyone looked up to see a figure descend to the ship’s deck. It was a woman, with long dirty blonde hair that reached her knees, pale skin, leathery wings, a devil’s tail, clawed hands and feet, curved ram horns, pointed ears, glowing orange eyes with slit pupils, and a fang-filled mouth. She seemed to be naked, with only what appeared to be large scale-like structures covering her feminine parts, which also covered her lower arms and legs. As she landed, Leon gained an enraged expression.

“Sylph!” he spat.

The demon woman giggled, “It’s nice to see you again, too, Leon. A shame about Abbot Joseph, but business is business. Nothing personal.”

Leon was restraining himself from launching an attack, clearly infuriated by her presence, making Sylph giggle gleefully.

“So that’s Sylph?” Jerry asked.

“She’s Infinator’s right-hand demon, right?” Ryan asked.

“She doesn’t look so tough,” Lucas huffed.

Skye shot him an angry look, “Don’t be foolish, Pointy Stick Boy! Sylph was the only member of Infinator’s army to survive the Great Demon War 2500 years ago, and she’s much more powerful than she lets on. She may only be a Mid-Tier demon, a Succulite, to be exact, but she’s had 2500 years to refine her skills. Don’t underestimate her or you’ll die today.”

Sylph smirked, “She’s right, ‘Pointy Stick Boy’. Go ahead and scan me with your stat vision and you’ll see just what she means.”

Lucas tried before replying, “I… I can’t get a reading! All I’m getting are question marks!”

Sylph giggled again, “Figures. Now… the real battle begins.”

Next Chapter: Sylph