My thoughts are racing faster than the wind. It would be a lot easier to kill them if they are just mindless zombies without faces. But, they are real, a real memory that haunts me.
For a moment, I don't even care where Xian Xi is, but when I stop, he isn't behind me.
A hand reaches out and pulls me into a tunnel.
I wonder if he can see because it is darker in here than it is outside. I, on the other hand, see better in the dark.
He holds me by the hand and keeps leading me further and further into the tunnel until we reach an opening.
"What is this place?" He does not answer.
I can see runes on the walls.
Is this an ancient demon's cave?
He lets go of my hand and strikes at the crystal in the centre with a thread of lightning. The crystal slowly begins to glow. The glow slowly spreads to all the crystals and gemstone around it, until the entire cave is lit up. Even the runes on the walls are glowing.
It's very...beautiful.
I look at him. For the briefest of moments, my mind had been taken off the guilt I had hoped to forget.
The Demon Queen should just kill me! Kill me now! Death would be better than being taunted this way. Even insanity is a welcome escape, but it seems to elude me as well.
First, Jisoo, now them. Before I get to my tenth nightmare, I hope my demonic heart would stop.
He pulls out his sword. I slowly take a step back.
There's no place to run if he tries to kill me. If I would actually die, I wouldn't bother to run, but that is not going to happen. If I want the leaderboard algorithm to start working in my favour, I can't die.
I slit my arm with my claw and my blood weapon forms slowly.
Are we really going to do this? Does he actually intend to fight me?
He widens his stance and braces forward. I gulp and also brace myself.
His hair is still pure white. I quickly dart a glance at the ground. There isn't much space to move. The crystals are not even growing in a pattern. If I have to dodge an attack, I'll have to jump backward, but I'll be vulnerable while I'm jumping.
I see the glint of a sword and quickly dart to the side. I tip-toe on the crystals till I can find solid ground again. He strikes again and I return the strike with a effective counter strike.
He is strong. Stronger than me. His blade starts glowing, so does his hair and eyes. This is no ordinary sword fight. I have to up my game as well.
My mind races. The only thing I can fall back on is my barely developed necromancy ability. I can't transform into my demon form, the fight won't be fair.
My feet can no longer hold their ground. I start sliding backward. I need a smooth way to break our contact, so I can have enough space to run and jumpstart my powers.
But...seriously, who brings necromancy to a sword fight?
Well, I do.
There are a lot of souls stored in my domain. Souls of the people in the imperial army that I had intended to resurrect.
Now, they are actually useful.
I force my own sword forward and break contact. I jump and land on the wall at the side. This is a very risky position. All I have for support is a protruding crystal. I won't be able to block his attacks from this position.
He is forming a huge lightning ball in his hands.
Uh-oh!
I jump down to the ground and start running. He follows me with his gaze, and with a smooth flick of his wrist, he spoons me to the ground. I can barely move. I smell smoke, like something is burning. I sniff.
What!
My hair?
My back is uncomfortably resting on small crystal spikes. But hey, I can move my hands.
This is why I hate necromancy. I draw my power from souls. Once I do this, there is no turning back.
I channel the dark energy into my hands. My nails become dark, until they are almost black.
The energy starts moving through my body. My broken leg snaps back into place. I start standing up, my legs moving first - of the own accord. Then, my waist follows. My hands align themselves by my sides and my head snaps into place.
This must look very creepy. I start walking towards him very slowly. My hands are glowing with the aura of unused dark power.
He does not even seem surprised.
I stop a good distance from him.
"You are the one who destroyed the entire Imperial Army". He says in a calm and restrained voice.
Finally, some dialogue!
But...not the kind I was expecting.
"I had no choice".
He looks at me like I just uttered the most inexcusable excuse.
He wouldn't understand. I don't expect him to. But, maybe, if I tell him everything, I can feel less like I am carrying the weight of the entire continent on my slumped shoulders.
"You could have killed yourself first".
"I can't die. It's part of my curse. If I die, I'll only reincarnate into another body".
He hisses.
"I can take care of that for you". He says with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Before you try... and fail, at least, hear me out. You have your secrets, and I have mine".
He gives me an impatient nod, barely.
"The Emperor asked me to do it".
His eyes widen is disbelief.
"This is not slander against the Emperor, Xian Xi. I was a well known bounty hunter. I hunted down evil spirits and...things outside the jurisdiction of the Peace Corps. I used to exorcise the spirits and free the souls. I had finally felt like I had found my calling in the world of necromancy. I wanted no part in the dark side. When the new Emperor came into power, he imposed so many laws and there was a huge uproar in the Capital city. People started abandoning the army. He was enraged and searched for a way to have control over them, whether alive or dead. When he heard about me, he sent for me at once. The fact that I was a demon was not a very hidden fact. People knew I was not a troublemaker, so everyone assumed I was running from something.
When he made me the first three offers, I refused. Each time, he added a more enticing price, but I declined. Then, he threatened to banish me out of the continent and the Empire. The thought of returning to the demon queen drove me to desperation. I accepted his offer. The wealth and position meant nothing to me. After I had killed them, I was supposed to resurrect them to obey him. But, while in the process of the resurrection, the Peace Corps showed up and transmigrated me".
He seems to be weighing out my story.
"You left us defenseless against the demon queen and her army. We are in here because you were too selfish to consider anyone but yourself. I won't kill you, because I don't want to stain my sword with your blood. I hope you know, that killing the army did not give you the escape you wanted, it only allowed you to bring more people into your prison. I want nothing to do with you. If I do find a way out of here, I'll make sure you remain stuck here".
With that, he turns and leaves.