Chapter 61
This is a fictional story by realTensai
Crackling branches resounded in a harmonious melody as Alvis made his way through the Mana Forest. He held the card he had received from the assassins in one hand, Lia's hand in the other. Just holding her hand made his heart relax. Her warmth gave him the strength to keep going.
"Thank you for letting me come with you."
"No, I should be the one who thanks you," Alvis said while looking into her eyes. "Your support will keep me sane."
Alvis smiled, knowing that taking her with him was the right choice. It wasn't just because he needed mental support. If he wanted to negotiate with the assassins, she had every right to know what was going on. Alvis would never agree to something she wouldn't want. After all, they were in this together.
They kept walking, holding the letter high in the air so the assassins would notice them. As they wandered deeper into the mystic forest, Alvis felt something.
"Stand still."
Alvis was just about to turn around, yet he was a second too late. He and Lia had been caught off guard, their lives now solely depending on him.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I'm Alvis Silva and this is my wife. We're here to talk to your boss."
The eagle man didn't answer. The silence extended to several seconds and Alvis could feel his blood pressure rising. But then he felt a hand on his back and before he could even think about turning around, the scenery changed and he found himself in a dark hall.
"What the—?!"
Lia gasped as their scenery changed in an instant. The forest was nowhere to be seen, men clad in white replacing the trees. The flickering glimmer of the torches dimmed in comparison to their radiant yet dark appearance. They stood arranged on the side, creating a straight path to the throne. Once again, Alvis laid eyes on the black throne, the man sitting on top of it giving him chills.
Gravity increased, his knees unable to bear the pressure emitted by all the assassins. If he hadn't mentally prepared for it, he would have taken a bow just like last time. Confronted with a higher might, every cell of his pleaded with Alvis to run away. Even if he had respawned, his body still remembered the pain of being burned alive. With just a glance, the leader could kill him. And this time, he would be dead for good.
Alvis couldn't hear anything, his pounding heart drowning out every sound. His unstable breathing hindered his brain from operating at its highest capacity. The fear of death once again found its way to Alvis' heart.
However, before it could grip it, someone took Alvis' hand.
His vision returned, and he saw Lia smiling. As his sweaty hand embraced Lia's warmth, his heart calmed down in an instant and oxygen now reached his head.
Now Alvis' eyes met the gaze of the boss, his suffocating aura not enough to break Alvis. This time he even dared to use Assassin's Eye on him.
Error. The opponent's power is too high for you to estimate.
Just as I thought.
"Speak. What do you want?"
The man spoke, his dark red eyes, which seemed as if they had bathed in the blood of countless enemies, piercing through him. Yet he didn't cower and matched his intense glare. With Lia on his side, he could never forget his purpose. If he wanted to protect her, he couldn't falter right now. If he wanted to negotiate with the boss of an army of assassins, his willpower had to equal him. No, it had to surpass him!
"I'm here to talk about your offer."
Alvis' answer brought about a heavy silence. No one dared to even breathe audibly as they awaited their leader's answer. However, in this situation, the man who had brought Alvis to this place made his way to their leader. Just like last time, his dark brown wings made an icy shudder course down Alvis' spine. The eagle man arrived at his rightful place, the right side next to their leader. With an estimated power level of 4000+, he was second in command. A force to be reckoned with.
"Alvis Silva," the leader said, making Alvis go stiff. His voice carried so much authority that everyone in this room held their breath whilst he was talking. "Are you ready to take over the part of my organization that you have destroyed?"
He posed the same question as last time. However, Alvis' answer had been the wrong one at that time. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"On that day, when one of your vassals approached me, I was surprised. I would be lying if I said I didn't know that some kind of consequence would arise after defeating one part of your organization, yet I wouldn't have thought that you would want me to become their leader. Why? Why me?"
The boss just looked at him, his red eyes widening just a tiny bit.
"Isn't it obvious?" he said, his voice containing a mocking tone. "You are the one who destroyed them. Who else should become their leader?"
"I thought so."
Alvis snickered, the boss' straightforward answer only confirming his assumption.
"At first I wanted to reject the offer straight up. I didn't even want to think about it for one second. This organization has caused my wife immeasurable pain. Never would I let her become a part of such an organization again."
Lia's hand was trembling just by remembering these days. Alvis firmed his grip around her hand. He would never let go.
"This opinion hasn't changed. I would never lead such an organization."
As soon as those words left Alvis' mouth, the atmosphere changed. The killing intent of all the assassins increased as if one had let loose the chains of wild beasts. And the one who was the subject of this fearsome rage was no other than Alvis. No matter how much he had resolved himself, confronted with this compound of pure malice, even he had a hard time breathing. His sole life was on the line. However, his intense gaze never wavered. He stared right into the leader's eyes, awaiting his next words.
The leader just looked at Alvis. If he had wanted, he could have killed him already. Yet he didn't. He was the only one who understood what Alvis had meant.
"So, what is it that you want to do?"
This was the question Alvis had been waiting for. It was the question that had haunted him all that time. But now, with only one life left, he found the answer.
"I will take over the part of your organization that I've destroyed. However, I will change it fundamentally."
The killing intent that had been weighing on Alvis vanished, replaced by genuine surprise.
"What are you planning?"
Alvis couldn't read the leader's emotion, his state of mind hiding behind his cold red eyes. Still, it didn't matter, anyway. Alvis would keep moving forward. He clenched his fist, finalizing his resolve.
There is no way back now.
"The part I will lead will still do what assassins want to do the most. And this is killing. However, we will only have one target. The Devil Cult!"
Silence.
Not a single person spoke after Alvis had said this. He didn't even have to look around to know what kind of expression the assassins were making. He already knew. The weight of the words he had just uttered. What it meant to mention the Devil Cult. Yet he had to do it. He would use an assassin's nature to his advantage!
As Alvis looked at the leader, he could see the eagle man who was standing next to him and how his fist shook. His killing intent rose, his eyes seeing something no one else saw. Alvis noticed the man's jaw tensing and blood dripping down his lips as he tried his best to suppress those boiling feelings.
I knew it.
"Pu-p-puhahahah!"
However, the boss just laughed. He held his stomach, his mouth wide open, and laughed. Alvis' brain still hadn't caught up to his out-of-place reaction, but he wasn't the only one. The other assassins also looked at their boss with widened eyes.
"Haha, you are an arrogant brat!"
His laughter vanished, replaced by killing intent that far surpassed everything Alvis had ever experienced. Just going by pure menace, it was more intense than Voyzez's! Alvis clutched his chest, his heart refusing to keep beating. It was his willpower that kept him standing.
"No, this is far beyond arrogance. This is sheer ignorance! Do you know what it means to mention the Devil Cult? And now here you are telling me you want to wipe them out! Puhahaha!" He looked at Alvis, his dark red eyes tearing him apart. "Do you know how many members of mine have lost their families at the hands of the Devil Cult? You should better watch your mouth and never talk about something you don't know about!"
"I know," Alvis said, his eyes cold. "I know more than enough about the horror of the Devil Cult."
As the leader looked into Alvis' eyes, he gasped. Within an instant, his entire demeanor changed. He leaned back on his throne and breathed out.
"Those eyes… you've seen things far worse than death."
Alvis didn't respond.
"Then tell me, how do you plan to defeat the Devil Cult? Resolve alone is far from enough."
Once again, the eyes of the assassins widened, their boss's response confusing them. However, this time their mouths widened too, as they dared to object. Yet the eagle man just stared down at the crowd, his intimidating glance destroying all their doubts. All they could do was follow their boss' lead.
"I know that resolve and willpower aren't enough," Alvis answered, his past failures still engraved on him. "So let me prove my worth. I know the abilities and the location of one of the Devil Cult's leaders. If you hand me some capable men, I will hunt him down and return with his head. Then you have to accept my terms and leave the control of the part I lead completely up to me."
"Hohoo, and what if you fail?"
"Then you can do what you want, and I will be your obedient servant."
This was Alvis' offer. An all-out gamble. He would embrace the dark side of the assassins but use it for something good. He wouldn't reject their true nature any longer. It was the opposite of his last offer, though he still had to see if it also had a different result. Now everything depended on the boss.
Seconds went by, yet he didn't respond. Alvis' heart pounded, a vision of him catching flames appearing in his head. As the silence grew heavier, the vision became clearer, almost turning into reality. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as if his body was already preparing to extinguish the incoming fire. However, Alvis suppressed all his doubts and clenched his fist.
I will win!
"Fine, I accept."
As soon as Alvis heard these words, his heart started beating again, and he could finally exhale.
Thank god I did it!
He immediately looked at Lia, who turned her head towards him at the same time. Seeing her beautiful smile was victory enough for him.
"Clap!"
Suddenly, a loud clap resounded throughout the hall, forcing Alvis' attention back to the leader. However, just one second after the leader had clapped his hands, a flock of assassins spawned before Alvis and Lia. And before Alvis could even process what was happening, they all bowed down before him. Alvis' eyes widened as those fearful men who all boasted incredible strength went to their knees.
"Those 500 men are now under your command. You can use them as you want. All of them have a past with the Devil Cult and can't wait to pay them back. If they get their revenge is now up to you."
As Alvis looked at the boss, his brain coming to terms with what was happening, he noticed the eagle man's odd reaction. Even though he didn't know him, he knew what he was feeling. One look at his eager eyes was enough for Alvis to understand him. The way he looked at his leader told him he couldn't suppress those boiling feelings any longer. Still, he didn't say anything.
"You will get one more," the leader said. He then turned his head to the eagle man and, for the first time, the boss smiled. "I know how much you want to go, and I won't hold you back. You can go, Adler."
"B-Boss, I-I.."
"What? Do you want to let this chance slip by?"
"No! Thank you, sir!"
He lowered his head and upper body and bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle. Everyone, Alvis included, could only stare in awe as they witnessed this graceful moment.
Time continued, and the eagle man raised his head again and then faced Alvis. With one mighty flap of his wings, he cleared the distance and landed right before him. He then went on one knee and bowed before his new leader.
"This is my most capable man," the leader said, referring to the eagle man. "No one wants to destroy the Devil Cult more than him. If you fail with him on your side, it simply means you never had what it takes, anyway. Now show me, Alvis, show me what you're capable of!"
"I will!"
Alvis watched over his 500 men, all of them bowing before him. This sight was something Alvis would never forget, no matter how often he would respawn.
"Give me your strength and I will lead you to victory! From now on, you all are part of my faction. Our first goal will be the Devil Cult's Priest of Insanity, Voyzez Knaxius. But we won't stop there. We will hunt down the entire Devil Cult!"
"YEAAAHHHH!"
Thus, Alvis had become the leader of 500 assassins.