The world smelled like iron and burned meat.
Raziel opened his eyes and the first thing he felt was the floor was sticky, when he tried to get up, his hand slipped.
He looked at his fingers and the scream got stuck in his throat.
There was blood.
Rivers of it, running through the cracks between the sacred tiles of the cathedral.
"Mmm. I thought the Clerics' drop rate would be higher, what a scam."
The voice was sweet and way too calm.
Raziel lifted his head, shaking.
The last thing he remembered was the book in his hands, the orphans in front of him, and the colorful stained glass shining.
He was in the middle of his sermon, telling stories about Zhalyr's kindness and the power of believing.
And then what happened?
Brother Thomas was a few feet away, his body twisted at an impossible angle and the choir kids... Raziel had to look away so he wouldn't throw up.
On the altar, sitting where only the High Priestess was supposed to be, there was a young woman.
Brown hair, shiny black armor that didn't look like it belonged in this world, she was cleaning a spotless sword with a silk cloth.
"Who are you?"
Raziel couldn't process it. Was she a demon? A divine punishment?
The girl looked at him and her crimson eyes had spinning rings inside them, not human.
"Me?" she smiled.
"Thou canst not pronounce my name, so call me Zion, and I'm the Player who's gonna reset this rotten server."
"Pla... yer?" Raziel repeated the weird word, not getting it.
Was she playing? With the bodies of his brothers?
"Exactly and-" Zion hopped down from the altar, landing without a sound. "You're an NPC. Filler trash."
"Enn-pea-see?" Raziel backed up, crawling away.
He didn't know what those words meant, but her tone was clear: she was looking at him like he was a bug.
"You're insane! You profaned Zhalyr's temple!"
"Ah, Zhalyr." Zion glanced at the Goddess's statue like she was bored.
"That tyrant bitch. Don't worry, little priest, when I'm done farming XP here, I'm going for her head."
"I'm the Protagonist of this world, after all and my destiny is to wipe her code."
"Blasphemer!" Raziel roared. "I won't let you talk like that!"
He got to his feet, stumbling, then grabbed a heavy iron candlestick off the floor.
"Die, heretic!"
Raziel charged her, he didn't know how to fight, but desperation was driving his hands. He swung the candlestick with everything he had, straight at the girl's head.
"Slow."
She raised one hand.
A hexagon of black light appeared in the air in front of her and the candlestick slammed into an invisible barrier and turned to dust.
Raziel froze. "Black magic?"
"It's called a Skill, grandpa," Zion said with a little giggle.
She moved her index finger.
Raziel felt an invisible punch in his chest and flew backward, smashing into broken pews as he felt his ribs crack, he spat hot blood.
But he didn't give up. "Zhalyr... give me strength" he whispered.
A golden light, warm and desperate, burst out of his skin, that wasn't a spell he learned from any book, it was just his soul screaming
"NO".
Zion stopped.
Bright red letters floated in front of her eyes, she tilted her head, curious.
"Interesting," Zion murmured, getting into a stance.
"Looks like you're a Hidden Boss after all, so I'll get serious."
Zion drew her sword and the blade turned black, eating up the candlelight.
Raziel, blinded by his own light and his tears, rushed one last time.
He wanted to protect what was left and punish that witch who spoke in strange tongues and laughed at death.
"I'LL SEND YOU TO HELL!" Raziel screamed.
Zion sighed. "So dramatic, typical filler character line."
She made one flat, sideways swing with her sword.
"[Despawn]."
Raziel's world split in two. The golden light went out and he fell on his back, hitting the cold wet floor.
He couldn't move anymore, couldn't breathe, he could only stare at the cathedral ceiling, where the night sky peeked through the hole she'd made.
'So... this is the end...' Raziel thought. 'Sorry, Brother Thomas... I failed...'
He waited for darkness.
But then, a shadow covered his vision.
Zion leaned over him.
There wasn't hate in her look, not even disgust, there was only curiosity.
"Wow," she said softly, tilting her head.
"You still have 1 HP. Your stubbornness is stupid for a low level NPC."
She smiled.
"You're cute."
Raziel tried to spit at her, tried to curse her, but only a bloody gurgle came out.
'Kill me' he screamed in his mind. 'Finish this, demon'
Zion laughed, reading the desperation in his eyes like it was an open book.
"I don't think I want you gone yet, I've been so bored in this world, killing generic mobs. But you've got that 'I'm gonna kill you even if it's the last thing I do' look."
She pulled off a black glove, showing a pale, delicate hand.
Her fingers lit up with a neon, pixel-like digital glow.
"I like challenges, little priest and it'd be a waste to loot you now when you could give me way more XP later."
Zion lowered her hand and gently touched Raziel's forehead. Her touch was cold, wrong.
"Consider this a gift from the Protagonist," she whispered, bringing her lips close to his ear.
"I wanna see how strong you can get so I can break you again."
A message flashed in front of Raziel's dying eyes.
[ITEM USED: RESURRECTION TOKEN] [CONTINUE? YES/NO]
"See you in the New Game, Raziel," Zion said with a wink.
And then, she snapped her fingers.
CLICK!
The cathedral vanished.
Raziel felt his soul get yanked out of death and dragged back by force, breaking every law of nature and gods.
As darkness swallowed him just to spit him out into another time, the last thing he heard was the delighted laugh of the woman who had just turned his life into her personal game.