A Rattling Monster

I approach slowly and carefully the other group in front of me. I mean, since I will try to betray them and kill them, why are they not doing that same thing? The potential of an attack will be higher after each of my steep. Right now, we have still a distance of 200 meters between me and the Prophet of Krieg. That's too far to catch by surprise, someone. And they are clearly slower than me, so if they try to play a trick at that distance, it will be futile. Like my number one that has been turned into a statue, no one moves inside the group of the followers of Krieg. No Chosen, not the two lucky humans. I wave at Daryl while I walk, that makes everyone, even the Prophet, turn his head toward the poor Daryl. I think he is even beginning to turn into sand, just in case. That wouldn't be the first time he does that, but I hope it will be the last.

Just barely a hundred meters now. I can see the impact of my spells on the armors of the Chosen. Some have the steel of their shoulder melted on them, instead of a regular piece of armor, it has the shape of the body under it. One had part of his helmet gone, and I can see behind the rest a face that will make even some undead have nightmares. Qualifying them as a human is not really making justice to the human race. At least Daryl is looking exactly as a human, and except the part where he can turn himself into sand, that's ok. But the Chosen? Without their armors, everyone would flee in terror.

I can only see his left cheek and a part of his mouth, but I have to say that they are both gone. And not because of my acid, I know the power of my spell, that I definitely not my doing. First of all, he has no lips, only a rotten flesh maintaining in place some deadly razor blades. That's what happened to his teeth, it's not looking like a tooth, really like a razor blade. Well, more like the end of a sword, you know, the part where you can pierce with. And that's for every tooth, not just the canine, like a vampire, for example, no everything is gone. As for his cheek, it has a hole, and only the nerves are visible. Not a pleasant sight.

And finally, I am one step away from the distance required. I stop right before, to observe the surroundings. I can see the Prophet getting impatient since I am delaying whatever plan he has.

-Ratman, please, move. No one has really the time to do something. You are just delaying the departure of our two groups, that will never meet again, I hope. And if you think that I will try something, well, it's true, but you are doing the same. So, it balances the entire deal, we make the oath while both of us try to kill the other.

-Fine, let'sss begin, sleek sleek.

I walk for one more meter, effectively putting me at less than fifty meters away from the Prophet of Krieg. Now, I have no idea of what will happen during that oath, Oslo?

(Well, basically, you will both state your conditions, you will both repeat them, if there is a problem, you will just have to say them again, from the beginning. After that, I and Krieg should use our power to swear on the Nine Heavens. If only one of us swear and the other doesn't, you will be sure that the deal is still considered as complete, and if anyone breaks it, it is totally his fault. But if none really swear, that means the entire discussion was just a smokescreen. That happens more often than you would think.)

So, the two Heroes have to recite an entire list of conditions, the exact sentences each time, and then, even if only one god seal that oath, it is considered as complete? That's really interesting and smart, that way you can introduce an error during the conditions to cancel it legally, but if you don't do that and your god swear on the Nine Heavens, it protects you from evil intentions. So let's start the discussion, to lower the suspicion.

-The forcesss of Krieg, alive and dead, wi-will leave Forslo. I, Sleek, and an-any of my subordinatesss will never attack you ag-again, sleek sleek. The troopsss of Krieg on Astria or th-thoses that will come will not at-attack me. Isss it fine?

-Can you repeat it without the stutters and the weird sound, the thing that goes skelk or something like that?

Did he just insult me? Or did he insult my very name?

-No, but because like I said, for the oath, we have to say the exact same things, so with you add your weird noises, well that screw the oath.

Ok, so in that way, that is reasonable, I mean, I understand that he doesn't want to repeat my sentences like I said them.

-It's SSSLEEK, not skelk, sleek sleek.

-Skel, you say? And what are you saying that?

Ok, never mind, a part of me thinks he is really doing that on purpose. But the majority thinks that he is just not used to the speech of ratman, or he doesn't make the difference between some small words.

(So you are going to play his game for how long? Because, you know, you will kill him anyway. So you can spare yourself the humiliation of your stuttering speech, and just go directly to the part where you kill him.)

Well, that's true, I can just go to the part where I kill him. I cast twenty-two bubbles of shadows directly on the head of every follower of Krieg. And directly rush to the Chosen, my main priority. Of course, during this time, the Prophet isn't waiting patiently.

-WHAT? BLOOD RITE!

I can see all around him waves of blood surging, turning into a tornado. But his blindness prevents him from really harming me, I just have to dodge the different blades of blood inside the spell. A poor plant that was a little too big was cut in multiple parts. And when the spell is close to a member of the Order of Krieg, it just goes through them.

Even if it's a dangerous situation, it is still relatively safe when I am away from him. The delay between two blood blades is of a few seconds, and I have enough speed to dodge them. After a few seconds, I arrive next to the Chosen at the end of the group. Even with his sight removed, he can still hear me apparently, because he swings his axe in my direction. But our two speeds are incomparable, and this time, I use [Cursed Winds]. The moment he finishes his attack, I get close to him and activate my aura for a second. The sudden fall of the armor clearly tells me that the plan is working.

I dodge the incoming blade and keep going. One after the other, I melt them from inside their armors, dodge their axes and escape from the deadly spell of the Prophet. Hearing my dark deeds, the Prophet is clearly panicking and trying to destroy my [Nightfall]. But no matter what he tries, the moment I see my spell failing is the same moment where I cast it again. Preventing the help of his god. When there is only half of the Order of Krieg still breathing, the Prophet tries something new.

-Gustav, I need your blood!

-Yes, it will be done, my lord.

The sudden interaction between the two of them puzzled me and I stop for a second what I am doing to get away. That kind of sentences is never good for the attacking side. I can see the remaining Chosen get close to the prophet, and this time, I can see their blood flow through their helmet. As for the two hunters, one is already dead, and the white-haired man is nowhere near us, I guess he escaped once again.

My choice to do a tactical retreat was the good one. Thanks to the new supply in blood, my [Nightfall] was canceled, and no matter how many I cast it, it was instantly removed. The blood rite was strengthened too, even a fly would die inside, so a ratman like me have no chance. As for the Prophet himself, well, from the previous human appearance, he has now been turned into a monster with many tentacles and maws. He should be taller than 3 meters and is even bigger than the drake inside the fairy town. Of course, while thinking that, I have discreetly take my leave. But that was thinking that escaping would be easy. I stumble on a strange invisible wall, preventing me from getting away. And when I turn to see the hideous monster, I see him laughing.

-THIS IS THE PART WHERE I KILL YOU!

(This is the part where he kills you.)

This is the part where he kill… wait for a second, it should be the part where I kill him?