I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"...!!" Screamed Thorian, trying to sound the retreat. Alas, no voice exited his wide-open mouth. His veins bulged on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and scrambled away in response, hoping his royal mages would follow him. Yet, the soul reaper's voice echoed, shattering his expectations.

"No one will leave this place alive," said the vile creature, condensing negative energy into familiar spinning arrowheads. Unbeknownst to Adam, Ossian liked his spells and shared what he saw with his trusted guards, increasing their projectile's deadliness by copying the shape he used.

Then, revelling in the terror dancing in his enemies' eyes, he propelled his constructs with the strength befitting a creature of the fifth tier.

WOOSH

The wind cracked in their passage as they surpassed Adam's speed despite the absence of explosions, reaching the mages in a flash.

Opposite him, the human battalion watched as death inexorably closed on them, unwillingness, defeat, and despair covering their features. Yet, a few of them didn't succumb to their emotions. With resolve hardened, they gathered their strength, using it in a last-ditch effort to accomplish their duty.

As the first constructs collided, passing through the immobile mages, those courageous soldiers jumped on their trajectories, a single thought raging in their minds. "Protect the king!"

Simultaneously, Ossian watched everything through the slave mark and gave a command. "Bring the courageous ones to me. Devour the others," he said, planning to use their souls to create and train new reapers. After all, the primary material to produce them was powerfully unbending souls.

With a nod, the evil soul reaper gazed at the carnage he caused, witnessing the once elegant royal mage's robes riddled with holes spurting fresh blood. Then, with deliberate steps, he approached them, his palm facing the sky.

Under his silent command, evil energy spewed from it like a flood, colliding with the still hot corpses and causing terrified screams to echo in the passage despite his curse of silence. Of course, since it targeted living beings, it did not affect freshly ripped souls roaring in the agony of being forcefully torn from their bodies.

"Gather," he muttered, his eyes radiating a maddened, perverted joy as the negative energy acted like steel chains wrapping around the mages' souls. With a gentle pull, he drew and condensed them in his palm into a ball before opening his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth. Slowly raising his palm, anticipation bubbling in his heart, he stuffed the soul ball in his maw.

Amidst terrified screams, he chewed, moans of bliss escaping his quivering lips as the few brave souls watched in muted horror before an icy shiver ran down their spines.

After his pleasant feast, the evil reaper gazed at them, greed flashing in his eyes. Yet, a burning sensation assaulted his soul, compelling him to halt all movements. "Lucky living beings," he spat in disappointment, turning and dragging them to the soul society, halfheartedly following his master's orders.

As he walked away, leaving behind the bloodied ground of the passage and fifty soulless bodies, a blood-curdling thought flashed in his eyes. How tasteful would the ghost who had Ossian's support be? Sadly, he was gone already.

***

Simultaneously, Adam floated at top speed behind Julius, carrying the excited Nova on his back. "We are almost out!" He shouted, noticing the ambient mist thin, letting a few sparse sun rays reach them. Despite his encouraging scream, anxiousness filled his mind. He was almost sure the king wouldn't be stupid enough to leave their horses without protection on such a treacherous trip.

And he was right. Half a minute later, he spotted fifty-five horses attached at the canyon's entrance, guarded by ten mages. "They don't wear the same uniform," he muttered, wondering why before Julius spoke.

"Their life force is much lower than the ones in the canyon! They must be apprentices," said the boy, unsheathing his gladius while dropping Morgane from his back.

Sighing in relief, Adam responded, "Let's swiftly knock them out and release all the horses to block the ones who manage to escape."
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With a nod, Julius charged in, cracking the ground under his feet, as he knew they couldn't waste time. In two seconds, he closed in, the sound of his forceful stomps on the rocks alerting them.

"Freeze! Hands behind your heads, or we'll use violence!" Screamed the oldest, drawing his magic wand from his belt. Yet, Julius ignored him, pressing forward until the ten guards' eyes narrowed. With swift motions, they all retrieved their weapons and pointed them at the boy.

However, a sudden, painful collision jerked their hands, forcing their tight grip open. Amidst the clinking noise of the wands falling to the ground, Julius reached them, his gladius already in motion towards the first guard's head.

A dull sound reverberated as the oldest screamed in pain before his eyes rolled back. Without a second's delay, the boy moved like the wind, continuing towards his next target. Deprived of their wands, he knew he had around five seconds before they could unleash their spell. But it was enough for a skilled fighter like him.

With precise movements, he smashed his opponents on the head with the flat of his blade, causing them to drop to the ground like flies.

"Well done, boy," said Adam, blowing on his finger cheekily as he gazed at the wands. "We should take them with us. If they are not usable, we can always sell them," he added, greed flashing in his eyes. After all, his rule number one was to take the spoils after each fight!

With a nod, Julius hurriedly gathered the wands before untying all the horses. Then, he secured the two girls on one and mounted another with Adam. Next, gathering Qi in his throat, he roared menacingly.

Already scared by the previous fight, the untied horses neighed in panic and swiftly scrambled to the horizon at top speed, raising dust and rocks in their mad dash to survive.

"To the Aurora kingdom!" Adam urgently yelled as Julius threw a leash at Nova to tie their horses together. Then, basking in the gentle morning light, they left the ghost-filled canyon, anticipation filling their hearts as they wondered if they would safely return to the college.