Chapter 44 — Sent Servant (Part I)
The Stone Fields had become a graveyard that refused to stay silent.
Jagged pillars of rock spiraled inward toward a broken center, forming a warped arena that seemed almost intentional—as if the land itself had bent to cradle the madness unfolding within it. Cracks ran through every surface, glowing faintly with residual ether where battles had scarred the terrain beyond healing. The ground was blackened in places, vitrified into glass in others, and soaked—everywhere—with blood.
It did not fall cleanly.
Blood streaked across stone in violent arcs, dried into dark patterns like the memory of slaughter painted across the battlefield.
Above it all, ash fell.
A slow, endless rain of grey that drifted from the sky like the remnants of something long dead. It clung to skin, to wounds, to breath itself—filling the air with the taste of ruin.
And at the center of it all—
He stood.
Ludris.
The Mad.
The God That Should Not Be.
His laughter rippled through the broken arena, not loud, not explosive—but constant, like a quiet crack in reality itself that refused to mend. It carried beneath the sound of wind and ash, beneath the labored breaths of the dying, beneath even the tremor of fear clawing through the hearts of those still standing.
It was the kind of laughter that did not end.
Lucy Liana rose.
Or rather—
She forced herself to.
Her body trembled as she pushed against the ground, fingers slipping in blood as she dragged herself upright. Every muscle screamed. Her vision blurred. The world swayed as though she were standing inside a dream that refused to stabilize.
Four days.
Four days of this.
Four days of being broken—again and again—only to be allowed to rise again.
Her breath came ragged as blood dripped from her forehead, sliding past her eye and staining her already ruined face.
"For four days…" she whispered, her voice raw.
Her gaze locked onto the figure at the center of the arena.
"For four days straight… this thing…"
Her jaw clenched.
"…it's been toying with us."
Her voice grew sharper, cracking under the weight of it.
"It beats us to the edge of death… then stops."
A step forward. Unsteady.
"Lets us recover."
Another.
"And does it again."
Her eyes burned now—not with ether, but with something far more fragile.
Rage.
"It doesn't kill us."
Her voice dropped.
"It wants us to break."
To shatter.
To become like it.
The small white snake coiled lazily around her neck, its body smooth and pristine—as though untouched by the carnage. It slithered across her shoulder, its tongue flicking out once, tasting the air heavy with madness.
Lucy barely noticed it.
Her focus remained fixed on the monster.
Ludris' form had changed again.
It always did.
Each day he wore a different shape, as though reality itself struggled to contain whatever he truly was. But today—
Today he resembled a man.
Tall.
Lean.
Perfectly proportioned.
His skin was grey, but not lifeless—streaks of dull gold ran across his body in jagged patterns like primitive sigils or scars carved into flesh by something ancient and deliberate. His hair fell to his shoulders in pale strands of white, shifting faintly as if stirred by a wind that did not exist.
He had no eyes.
Only smooth skin where they should have been.
And from his head rose two curved horns, elegant and terrible.
Power seeped from him.
Not in waves.
Not in bursts.
But like rot.
A slow, inevitable dissolution of everything around him.
Lucy's gaze shifted.
Across the broken field—
Bodies lay scattered.
Adam was stirring, barely.
Lilan knelt motionless, her head bowed, her body trembling with the last remnants of strength she refused to spend.
And then—
Bale Ardani rose.
He did not rise gracefully.
He dragged himself upward, blood pouring from dozens of gashes across his body, his muscles screaming in protest. His breathing was heavy, uneven—but his eyes…
His eyes burned.
There was no fear in them.
Only defiance.
Only fury.
"Hey—Lush!" he shouted, his voice cutting across the battlefield.
Lucy turned toward him.
"This thing won't go down!"
He spat blood onto the ground.
"Even if we go all out—it just… keeps coming back!"
His fist clenched, trembling with barely contained violence.
"And it won't let us die fighting it!"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"We don't have too many options here…"
His gaze hardened.
"…we're done for."
The words struck harder than any blow.
Lucy felt it.
Deep in her chest.
After everything.
After the war.
After surviving this long—
Only four days remained.
Four days.
Her hand twitched.
Above her head, faint and unseen by most, the crown trembled.
Its functions—sealed, suppressed, restrained to grant her freedom in battle—reacted instinctively to her despair. A subtle vibration, like something ancient stirring in response to her unraveling mind.
But even with it—
Even with all she had gained—
It wasn't enough.
Not for this.
Thoughts spiraled.
Plans.
Failures.
Impossible odds.
And across from them—
Ludris tilted his head.
"Will you not come at me?"
His voice was smooth.
Almost gentle.
"Share in me the joy of battle."
He took a step forward, ash swirling around his feet.
"Prove yourselves."
Another.
"Prove yourselves worthy…"
The air thickened.
"…to dance to death with me."
His lips curled into something that might have been a smile.
"Ludris the Maniac."
His head tilted further.
"You remind me of myself."
Lucy's stomach turned.
"All of you do."
His voice softened.
"Just as I once danced to death… with my brother."
Silence followed.
"For mother's praise."
Something flickered across his face.
Something broken.
"And yet…"
His voice cracked.
"I was cursed."
"Ashamed."
"Shunned."
The laughter returned.
Soft.
Endless.
Lucy stared at him in disgust.
None of it made sense.
None of it mattered.
This thing was insane.
That was all there was to it.
Adam coughed as he forced himself upright.
"…Hey."
His voice was strained—but deliberate.
"Oi… you whacky bastard."
Lucy and Bale both turned toward him.
What the hell was he doing?
Adam wiped blood from his mouth.
"What's your deal?"
He squinted at Ludris.
"What tickles your panties so much that you gotta keep fucking us up like this?"
Lucy blinked.
Bale blinked.
Had he lost it?
Had the madness finally gotten to him?
"Is there something we can offer you?" Adam continued, his tone absurdly casual.
"Anything at all that'll make you leave us alone?"
Silence.
Ludris stopped.
The air shifted.
And then—
He began to speak.
Not like a man.
Not like a beast.
But like something remembering itself through broken glass.
"A long time ago…"
His voice echoed.
"…in the distant future…"
"…before the dream ends."
He raised his head.
"That is how all great tales begin."
The ash slowed.
"I was the second of three brothers."
His voice deepened.
"We were gods."
"Or so they called us the lesser people of these distant worlds."
Lucy felt something cold crawl up her spine.
"The firstborn was cherished for he was divine perfection itself."
A pause.
"The rest of us… were not."
The ground trembled faintly.
"Our mother—"
His voice faltered.
"—only acknowledged greatness."
The laughter returned.
Soft.
"I waged war across the twin galaxies subjugating and culling worlds."
His body twitched.
"To earn her love."
His tone shifted—warped.
"My youngest brother grew jealous of my successes and favors."
The air darkened.
"He made pacts."
"With filthy forsaken dark creatures."
"Demons!"
"He created weapons… gave them to his children."
His breathing grew erratic.
"And she loved him for it."
His body distorted briefly, as though something inside him struggled to remain contained.
"He forged crowns."
"Eight."
"Eight sons he blessed and cursed and whom mother found a sacred favor."
His voice cracked.
"Despite everything I still hoped she would…"
"…she did not choose me."
The laughter became a scream.
"I descended into lunacy!"
The ground split slightly beneath his feet.
"My daughters—"
His voice broke completely.
"My dear daughters—what did I do?!"
He collapsed to his knees.
Screaming.
Wailing.
The sound tore through the battlefield like a living thing.
Adam blinked slowly.
"…Well."
He scratched the back of his head.
"We were going somewhere with that…"
He glanced at Lucy and Bale.
"…but I still think it's nonsense."
Then his expression sharpened.
"…but maybe not."
He pushed himself upright.
"Listen."
His voice dropped.
"I have a theory."
Both of them turned toward him.
"When a strong enough mage—"
He pointed at Ludris.
"—gets overtaken by mana madness…"
"And becomes a Riven…"
He hesitated.
"…something else takes over."
Lucy's breath stilled.
"Something old."
"Way older than us."
"Like a curse."
He raised his hand.
Ether flickered weakly.
"I've been holding onto this…"
"…but I think my shard can reverse it."
Bale frowned.
"You wanna explain that better?"
Adam nodded.
"A few days ago, I awakened something."
"It works like Purple Rain."
Lucy stiffened.
"And when Lilan and I fought earlier…"
"…this thing copied it."
He pointed again at Ludris.
"That's why it can absorb everything."
A pause.
"But if I activate mine…"
"…it cancels his."
Silence.
"And then," Adam finished quietly.
"…you three kill him."
Bale stared at him.
"You had this the whole time?"
Adam grimaced.
"It's unstable."
"Half-baked."
"But if I use a Death Dealing…"
His eyes hardened.
"…I can push it."
Bale exhaled slowly.
Then turned.
"Lilan!"
His voice cracked across the field.
"You ready for one last run?!"
Lilan lifted her head.
Her eyes were distant.
Broken.
Then—
She began to whisper.
"Divine Spear…"
Again.
"…Thunder."
Again.
"…Thunder."
Again.
"…Thunder."
Her voice grew steadier.
Stronger.
Ether gathered in her palm—faint at first, then violently, sparks condensing into a spear of crackling lightning.
"Doing the same thing…"
Her voice steadied.
"…and expecting different results…"
She stood.
"…is madness."
Her grip tightened.
"So let's try something new."
Lucy stepped forward.
"Say the word, Adam."
Ludris rose.
Slowly.
"You plan to slay me?"
His voice twisted into amusement.
"Have you learned nothing?"
Two more pairs of arms tore from his sides.
Six arms total.
Each one crackling with violent ether.
He began to levitate.
"With these hands—"
His voice boomed.
"I held the six blades of malediction."
His arms spread wide.
"With these hands—"
His tone softened.
"I held my daughters."
Then—
Rage.
"With these hands—"
He vanished.
"—I will bury you!"
He appeared before Lilan.
Instantly.
Death.
But Lilan moved first.
Not toward him—
But toward herself.
The spear drove through her chest.
Time stopped.
Then—
She exploded.
Lightning and flame erupted outward in a catastrophic burst. The shockwave tore through the battlefield, blasting Ludris backward as the air itself screamed.
"NOW!" Adam roared.
He thrust his hands forward.
Rings of ether formed instantly around Ludris' body.
"Hollow Rain—"
His voice strained.
"—Drain!"
The effect was subtle.
But real.
The monster's power began to leak.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Adam trembled violently.
"I can't move!"
His voice cracked.
"Finish it!"
Lucy moved first.
She blurred forward, grabbed Ludris by the arm, and hurled him toward Bale.
Bale was already there.
His fist—
Burning red—
Connected.
The impact erased Ludris' head.
Gone.
Dust.
But it came back instantly.
LEAK is the mastery of mass, density and kinetic energy.It allows the Hornblest to not just grow larger, but to instantly manipulate the density of their body, making them heavier than stone or lighter than air. Its origin is tied to the Hornblest's innate physical mass and strength.
Bale had not mastered his races abilities to their fullest extent but due to being pushed to his limits by this battle was able to access these powers in their most crudest of forms.
He had not only enhanced his physicality with ether he'd manipulated the very mass of his fists, so when that punch connected with Ludris' skull it was instantly vaporized and turned into dust.
Bale didn't hesitate. His limbs stretched unnaturally, warping, bending, striking again and again in a relentless barrage that twisted the battlefield itself.
Lucy gathered power—
Fired—
But her release lagged.
Just for a moment.
And in that moment—
Ludris struck.
His claws split her head apart.
Her body fell.
Broken.
Bale roared.
Rage ignited.
He slammed Ludris into the ground—
But then—
Lightning exploded outward.
Bale was thrown back.
Lilan stood.
Burning.
Not with ether—
But with something else,something wrong.
A shriek tore through the air.
Lightning erupted.
Her body burned with raw ether, lightning consuming her form from within. Her face twisted—half hers, half something ancient and monstrous.
She laughed.
"Adam…"
His voice trembled.
"…that's not her."
Lilan laughed.
A voice layered over her own.
Ancient.
Rotting.
She laughed.
"Oh… how long it has been…"
Her voice was layered, wrong.
Ludris rose slowly.
"…Brother? Wait no!" he murmured.
Then his expression twisted.
"Disgusting thing."
The possessed Lilan grinned.
"Please spare me you inbred little shit the name of the Thunder God may not be sang no more but its still something more than yours! Better than the son of a corpse fucking whore!" Shouted the possessed Lilan.
"Better pathetic than forgotten."
And then—
They charged.
The battlefield exploded once more.
Adam stood at the center, barely holding Ludris' draining field together.
Lucy lay broken on the ground.
And the small white snake slithered to her ear.
It whispered—
"Wake up."