The gentle breeze and sound of birds chirping finally woke Elliot as he lay on the battlefield. He sat up to see the land was devastated, but the animals seemed to continue as normal, understanding the danger had passed. As he let out a sigh of relief, images began violently attacking his mind, Elliot held his head and began grunting in pain as he saw long serrated appendages, Jericho's face overcome with fear and a mouth on his chest unleashing complete and utter destruction. As the pain subsided, the boy took steady breaths and looked at his hands.
"What have I become?" he asked himself, still in disbelief from the images or memories he saw in his head.
"Strong. You've become strong." Lilith said as the mouth on his neck reappeared.
"Strong? I really did make a deal with the devil." Elliot said as he smiled weakly and his hands started shaking as the true reality of his current predicament hit him.
"Look at yourself. You barely survived a fight against what I assume were at least tier four mages, my assumptions are very correct by the way. Look at your body, not a scratch." Lilith said as she continued to tempt the young lad with power. Elliot stood up and looked around.
"You said you're interested in how much of myself I am willing to lose for power, right." Elliot said calmly as he looked at the devastated environment.
"Yes." Lilith replied intrigued.
"I am willing to lose everything for power like the one I felt in those flashbacks. I have too much to do in this world to remain weak. Lilith, I had given up on my life as I believed I could never grow but this is a golden opportunity." Elliot said as he picked up his dagger.
"Which I do not intend to waste." as Elliot uttered those words, Lilith let out a chuckle.
"Are you sure, boy? You're barely human as we speak, would you be willing to become a monster?" Lilith asked Elliot. The boy simply chuckled and said.
"Lilith what you fail to understand is that. In all known time, there is no greater monster than the human being." hearing this Lilith's interest in the boy piqued.
"Very well Elliot. Let's see you maintain that sentiment." Lilith said ominously.
Elliot began walking as he hoped to leave the forest. While walking he realized his body felt heavier.
"Lilith what's going on, I feel odd. Is it a by-product of your power?" Elliot asked.
"In a way yes. Your body could not adapt enough to the demonic energy mixing with your magic, so if I did not restrict all magic present in your soul, your body would be ripped apart. Until everything stabilizes, you're functionally magicless." Lilith stated.
"Magicless. But it did not feel like this before." Elliot exclaimed.
"Well you weren't magicless before, just that your body converted all raw magic into power that enhanced you, making you superhuman." Lilith explained.
"That explains a lot. I just thought I was the peak specimen of a human." Elliot joked.
"Well your body used magic in a pretty animalistic way as creatures do use this form of enhancement and early humans did too but it was forgotten as it was inefficient unless you had good reserves. Which you have slightly above average reserves." Lilith explained.
"Mad. Guess it's going to be one hell of a walk home." Elliot said as he continued his walk home with his heavy body.
In the church's infirmary, Jeremiah was being treated by a young girl, about the lad's age range of about nineteen years old. She had long jet black hair like wires and pale skin, accompanied by beautiful purple eyes like amethysts, a common trait of humans who carried Nephilim blood. She was as beautiful as she was kind. As she gently cleaned Jeremiah's bruises and wounds, she spoke.
"Jeremiah, you've become awfully reckless as well. Now I have to worry about both you and Elliot." she said as she helped him.
Jane, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to me, I can't make promises for Elliot." Jeremiah answered.
"Do you even go home Jeremiah?" Jane asked Jeremiah as she stopped treating him and stared him dead in the eyes.
"What home. Zarnia is gone, Elliot is mostly in the streets, that empty house isn't home." Jeremiah said coldly.
"How can you stay here and keep training, keep breaking your body and you don't even know what is happening to your brother? If Ms Zarnia were here you would not act like this." Jane reprimanded Jeremiah.
"Me worrying about Elliot won't keep him off the streets, he's a loose canon and he won't stop because I don't appreciate it." Jeremiah said. Jane simply sighed and continued to treat Jeremiah.
Father Cranel entered the room, he walked over to the two and motioned Jane to leave him and Jeremiah. Jane quickly bandaged up Jeremiah's arm and left.
"You're far more ruthless than I anticipated. You should pray for forgiveness for your sin of wrath." Cranel said softly.
"I pray every moment I get, father." Jeremiah answered.
"Jeremiah. You were outmatched, it seems I've been failing you as a teacher. Now you'll have a choice. I can give you a letter of recommendation, you'll attend a priest school, graduate. Get a good post in a big city and live a pretty decent and well off life or you can stay with me, undergo rigorous training and become an exorcist for the Vatican. You could possibly gain great power and influence within the Vatican. My boy, but this road will be tough and I will break you, every step of the way. It's your choice." Father Cranel said as he stared at Jeremiah with his crimson, piercing eyes
"Father. When I prayed after the fight. I did not pray for God to forgive my wrath, rather I prayed he forgive me for enjoying the power I felt as his blood stained my fists, as his bones cracked under my force, as his breath left his chest under my very body. I enjoyed all of it and I pray for forgiveness. I do not believe a life of preaching and convincing people they can be holy is for me. I want to kill enemies of my faith, father. I want to answer when the demons and monsters start knocking." Jeremiah said with deadly conviction. A slight hint of approval took over Father Cranel's face.
"You are a monster Jeremiah, but it is precisely us monsters who keep human civilization afloat. By killing our kind." Father Cranel said as he got up and walked to the door. The priest opened the door and turned to the boy again.
"Rest and we'll begin your actual training on the morrow." Father Cranel said as he left.
A carriage slowly made its way to the huge gates of the enormous castle that housed the Astronomer's Guild's sub-division deployed in this area. As the gates opened, people walked out greet the man in the carriage. The carriage came to a halt, as the carriage door opened, all the helpers took a bow. A young man stepped out, his violet hair almost glowing. At the door stood Oras as he stared at the young man.
"Captain Ursa. I assume the mission was a success." The young man said as he smiled and walked past the crowd of people bowing.
"We retrieved the artifact Luke, but we encountered someone, no something." Oras said as he scanned Luke's face for a reaction. However, Luke remained stoic.
"Something? Do tell more, Captain." Luke said as he walked up to Oras.
"It was a monster, energy so demonic it had a stench. Power so wild it seemed to augment its body as it fought. A possible multi-city threat." Oras said, his face dead serious.
"I see. Do you believe we can take this foe on my dear comrade?" Luke asked as his face remained stoic.
"It only drove us to retreat because we were unprepared and we underestimated the situation, especially Jericho. Killing this thing isn't the problem but how well it was concealed scares me, what else might be lurking in this land, we need to retreat from this land. We must go back to our nation." Oras said with strong conviction in his eyes.
"I hear your concerns but that we can not do. The Vatican believes they rule Europe, I will not let that insolence go unpunished. I have sent word to our primal headquarter. If they agree, we will have to prepare for war, Captain." Luke said as he tapped Oras on the shoulder and walked past him, entering the building.
"War. We have only three high-level fighters here and that thing is loose out there. We can not afford to wage war on the Vatican." Oras said as he turned to look at Luke. Luke simply stopped walking and turned to look at Oras, his eyes beginning to glow in an almost mythical deep yellow color.
"Believe me Oras. I will kill all who are our foes or pose a threat to us." Luke said.