Chapter 60
This is a fictional story by realTensai
Alvis' body still felt weak after puking out his meals and shouting his lungs out. Every three seconds or so, one of his fingers would slightly twitch the fear in his cells not having vanished completely. However, he just took a deep breath in and out and clenched his fists, his mind now focused on his most important task.
Defeat Voyzez and save everyone.
His insane smile was still clear for him to see, though he wouldn't run away. He couldn't back down now. All his attempts up to this point had failed. And if he were to operate in the same way as before, he would fail again.
Once again, a finger of his trembled. Alvis wasn't stupid and knew what failure meant. Not only would he and his most beloved ones die, but the Devil would also take over his body, which would be a catastrophe for the entire world. Alvis could feel the weight of the responsibility he was shouldering and threatened to crumble under it.
"What will you do, Alvis?"
Lia understood the situation and knew that they were facing the Devil Cult. Without a proper plan, their deaths would be inevitable.
"Don't worry, the gears in my head are already turning."
Even amidst all this pressure, Alvis smiled. He still hadn't forgotten all his failures, all the corpses that resulted from his incompetence, yet he still smiled. It was because he had failed so often that he now knew what he had to do. As if all his past failures revealed a new piece of the puzzle he had to solve, and now he had all the pieces together. All the deaths, all the horror and suffering, weren't in vain. They were lessons that made Alvis grow.
A new master plan was forming in his head, and Alvis already knew what he had to do next.
——
It was the second day of the final loop, and Alvis had just left the beach to make his way to the temple. As always at the beach, an assassin had sent his killing intent at Alvis as a warning. This time, however, Alvis reacted by sending them a message, too. And he knew they understood what he meant. Yet, before he would focus on them, Alvis would try to get Priest Zaini on his side.
No matter how he looked at it, his strength was necessary to win the battle against Voyzez. Just by having him on his side, Alvis' strategies multiplied. Not only did his blessing make him a powerful companion, but more so his immunity against Voyzez's insanity. There was no one out there Alvis could rely on more.
However, an unpleasant memory forced its way into Alvis' mind, making him grimace. He still hadn't forgotten how their last meeting had ended. And honestly, it made Alvis shiver right now just thinking about it. As he remembered Zaini's words, his heart felt as if someone stabbed it with a needle, slowly and carefully, only hitting the spots that hurt the most. Even though he knew Zaini's reaction had been justified, a part of him still couldn't forgive him. After all, he was the one whom Alvis had counted on in his darkest hours, but got left behind.
"It's in the past!"
Alvis slapped himself before then, taking a deep breath in and out. How their last meeting had ended wasn't important right now. What mattered was how their meeting today would play out. Instead of worrying about a gone past, Alvis had to focus on the future to come. A future where he would have Priest Zaini as his comrade. While keeping that in mind, Alvis had reached the holy sanctuary.
Just standing before the Tekka temple, Alvis' heart felt at peace. It didn't make sense considering how much pressure he had, yet he somehow felt levitated by all worldly matters. He marveled at the beautiful combination of gold and blue colors decorating it. As the yearning of his soul reached its peak, he went in.
Alvis took off his shoes and his bag, in which his swimming clothes still were, and set foot on the green carpet. Last time, he had just gone to search for Priest Zaini immediately, but this time he would take his time to make a prayer. He needed it for his mind and heart to be on the right path.
As soon as he finished his prayer for everything to end well, he focused on the reason he was there. By now, he already knew where the man was whom he always asked to get Priest Zaini, so he didn't waste time and approached him.
"Excuse me, I want to talk to Priest Zaini. Is he here?"
Alvis had gone to the man he was searching for.
"Yes, but what do you want from him?"
"I have to talk to him about religious stuff."
Alvis still somewhat remembered what he had said to him during their first interaction, so this should have been the right answer. And as he saw the man's eyes lit up, he knew he had got it.
"Of course! I can call him."
The man ran off, and Alvis remained standing, waiting for their return. He rehearsed the exact words he would say, trying his best to remember the first meeting and forgetting their second one. Yet he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.
I can't butcher it.
If he failed to convince the priest now, he would end up in the same rabbit hole, leading to definite death. However, he also didn't have another chance. This was his last life. This single conversation was essential if he wanted to live.
"Sorry to have you wait."
After a few minutes, a deep, calming voice entered Alvis' ears. However, his mana tried to flee out of his mana core, pleading to get out. Alvis clutched his solar plexus as he waited for the familiar feeling to wear off.
"Oh, please forgive me. It's my blessing that—"
"Everything is fine," Alvis said, holding up a hand. "You don't have to explain yourself. I already know about your blessing."
"That makes stuff easier." He smiled as he held his hand against his chest. "I am Zaini Bidini, the priest of the Tekka Temple. How can I help you out?"
Alvis didn't answer right away. First, he closed his eyes and envisioned what he actually wanted from the priest. As visions of corpses and darkness entered his consciousness, his heart started to flame. His body tensed as he gritted his teeth, remembering Voyzez's filthy grin.
Yet Alvis took a deep breath in and out and calmed down again. He envisioned a future where he could walk hand in hand with Lia, his best friends Dane, and Sekki accompanying them, as they all smiled.
This is the future I'm fighting for!
"The Devil Cult's Priest of Insanity will attack on the festival's day!"
Zaini's eyes widened as the very air around them grew heavy. His body tensed up, his eyebrows twitching. He naturally took a step back, his face pale.
"How do you know that?"
His voice was calm, yet it had a force behind it that shook Alvis to his core. But he stayed calm, his will unwavering.
"I can't tell you."
He ignored the growing threat before him and didn't hesitate to say it. After all, he couldn't tell him.
Zaini's golden eyes pierced through Alvis' soul, reading him like an open book.
"I understand."
"Do you trust me?"
"I know that you are not lying."
"I'm fine with that."
Alvis exhaled as some of the pressure vanished. However, he knew that the hard part would come now.
"What do you want from me?"
His tone was harsh, his eyes observing Alvis' every move.
"I need your help."
"Why my help? I am just a priest."
"You aren't a regular priest."
"How should you know? If you think my blessing makes me powerful, you couldn't be more wrong."
"You will be more of a help than the entire military."
"What makes you think that? Did you already ask them for help and they rejected you?"
"No, it's because of the priest of insanity's curse. But I know that your strong faith makes you immune to it."
"I guess you really are telling the truth. There is no point in testing you any further."
Up until this point, everything was the same as in their first interaction. However, this was also the same for their second interaction. Alvis had thought he had done nothing suspicious, though he had already lost his trust. What would happen now?
Cold sweat trickled down Alvis' face as he waited for the priest to continue.
"I trust you. You couldn't know about the curse and that I'm immune to it if you were just telling a lie. Only someone who is or was in the Devil Cult or had done tons of research about them could know."
Alvis stared Zaini in his eyes, not sure what he was implying.
"I know you aren't from the Devil Cult because of your aura. It's way too peaceful for a devil worshipper. Besides, I can see that you are an Arifuner and no Arifuner would be in the Devil Cult. Or otherwise, no devil worshipper would even come near this temple."
As soon as Alvis heard this, he exhaled, his shoulders slumping down and a smile forming on his face.
Thank god, I did it!
"Tell me all you know about their attack and this so-called Priest of Insanity."
——
Alvis left the temple with a satisfied smile on his face. He had managed to get Priest Zaini on his side and could now count on his support. The first step of his plan had succeeded.
This alone would be a reason to rejoice, though Alvis knew he wasn't done yet. If he wanted to defeat Voyzez and save everyone, he still had to convince them.
A jolt of cold shot down his spine just remembering his last meeting with them. He had misjudged their true character and had paid with his life for it. Honestly, he still hesitated to contact them now. After all, one wrong step, one wrong word, and they could kill him. And if they killed him now, it would be the end.
His expression darkened just thinking about it.
Yet he would still do it. Alvis clenched his fist, regaining his resolve. If he wanted to win against Voyzez, if he wanted to create a future where he could smile together with his loved ones, he had to do it. He would use their strength to his advantage and control the uncontrollable.
Just you wait, assassins!