From Beyond The Rift

Chapter 16: Rot and Regret

[Kuriyami's POV]

I stood there, helpless, watching my brother retch out the contents of his stomach, his body convulsing with each heave, expelling a sickening mixture of bile and half-digested food, its putrid odour filling the air around us. The vomit, a grotesque blend of colours and textures, splattered on the ground with each violent gag, started draining its liquids into the dirt of the cave, leaving behind clunks of material that were too disgusting to describe! I've lost track of how many times I've had to watch a repeat of this scene. I shouldn't be surprised—it's his first time taking an innocent life and he's probably handling it far better than I ever could.

???:
Serves you right, you pathetic excuse for a General! That guy was supposed to be my kill, but you, with your "merciful" ways went and sliced his head off!

The mere sound of her voice sent a surge of rage through me! I glanced over to see her sitting on a rocky formation, wearing the same damn attire as that Rolmen prick! Her words were meant to cut deep, but I couldn't care less! Just hearing her voice was enough to make me boil!

For what it's worth, all we know about her is that her name is Alsia and she's a necromancer: a user of undead magic. Due to their lack of any sort of imagination, all members of this terrorist organisation wore the exact same cloak and mask. The only real way to tell them apart is their voice and build.

Alsia:
I was planning to savour every moment with him! I'd used up every last bit of my luck finding that corlok, and he went and wrecked so much of it that it's completely useless now!

Kuriyami:
Getting civilians involved was never part of the plan! Our aim is to draw out the General and Lieutenant before taking them down!

Alsia:
Don't even think about barking orders at me! You're not my commander or even my partner; it's you who's under my command, got it?

Tsk! The urge to end this woman is consuming me! The level of restraint I have to use is simply indescribable!

Alsia:
Anyway, at least we turned this detour into an opportunity. Authorities will come to investigate the deaths of those two, and when we kill them off, more will come and we kill them too! Eventually, Thaijou and Riece will show themselves after realising that ordinary soldiers can't handle the situation.

Yeah, now that we've taken out those two civilians, we'll have to go with that plan. I just hope Riece catches on to the situation sooner rather than later! He's our only hope for resolving this mess! Before we left Avia, the king instructed us to make it as clear as day that Kaizuma and I are involved, so Riece can piece things together more quickly! The only problem is I don't know how to do that with Alsia keeping tabs on us!

Alsia:
Ah, you made it.

Eh? Who?

I observed in astonishment as the two towering figures loomed into the cave, their sheer bulk dominating the space. Each one stood at least seven feet tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to stretch from wall to wall. Their muscles rippled beneath taut skin, exuding an intimidating aura that filled the cavern with their presence. I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but rather not doing them justice! They're basically just too damn big!

And once again, they wore that same demonic attire!

Curiosity burning within me, I discreetly activated [Greedy Glare] to gauge their strength. Instantly, the world around me lost its vibrancy, drained of colour save for the vivid hues of mana. Like ethereal wisps, traces of magic danced in the air, each shade of colour being indicative of its type, while the intensity of the aura revealed its potency.

As suspected, these two were no ordinary adversaries. Despite their efforts to conceal their magic, my keen observation skills didn't fail me. I noticed faint streaks of mana escaping from them like tendrils of smoke seeping through a crack, so thin that they looked more like strings of light reaching for the ceiling of the cave. Although thin and delicate in appearance, these wisps pulsated with formidable power, betraying their true strength.

Kaizuma:
W-Who....

I gave my brother a reassuring pat on the back, feeling the tension in his muscles as he braced himself for another round of retching. The sour smell of bile hung heavy in the air, a grim reminder of his relentless ordeal.

Kuriyami:
Who are they?

Alsia:
Your babysitters. Kaizuma will be moving to a different location with another member of ours, his name is Nel. You on the other hand are going to stay here under the watchful eyes of these two. Be a dear and behave yourself, I'll give you a treat if you promise to be a good little dog.