Doomed to Die in 3 Minutes

A Drop of Divinity

Corai was baffled that Olivia was helping him.

Sure, she didn’t know who he was but he was sure someone like her could connect the dots given a minute. Whether she recognised him or not he was still puzzled by why she would even bother helping these people.

She didn’t know them and the risk here was far greater than the reward. If she ran then he too could flee. Yet, she looked at him with piercing and passionate eyes and fired arrow after arrow to assist him.

He internally groaned but he was happy she was using a bow. It was very useful.

“Multiply.” It was a trick that was very simple and made him a real threat, at least to mid-tier enemies back when he started out. One arrow becomes one hundred.

A single arrow is deadly and without a doubt the real thing, however the remainder?

Just illusions which pose not a single threat.

When first confronted by this technique the instincts of the opponent is to try to parry away the projectiles, because dodging was seemingly impossible, it would be safer to protect a small area rather than to run haphazardly into a possible minefield of steel.

Corai already created a simple counter to that from his past experiences.

He would layer illusions in a way that would make the real arrow look ever so slightly bigger because a fake had been coated around it. The impending victim would knock away the tip of the illusion, think it's safe for but the briefest of moments and then receive the full force of the real thing into their flesh.

It was a faint enough difference that only the truly blessed in perception would be able to tell the difference between the arrows.

When Corai did this himself he’d use throwing knives or his own bow and arrow.

He wasn’t particularly good at it when he started but he became decent enough as time went on.

Still by himself in a one vs one situation he needed to finish the fight fast before the target caught on to his tricks and lack of substance. In a group situation though he could shine by working with more destructive and accurate allies… though it was rare that anyone would want what was essentially an illusionist taking up a decent share of profit and supplies.

So having a light speed rapid-fire burst of highly effective arrows from below was perfect.

The Demon Khan Zelo started to cackle maniacally as vampires fell one after another, plummeting to the floor like dolls with their strings cut and smashing against the ground like turtles dropped by vultures. Cracking like eggs, their muscles becoming a weakened mess, twitching, barely kept alive.

It was far too gruesome for Corai to look at them if he did he feared he may vomit from disgust.

These arrows did not kill them, but they would trap and paralyze them indefinitely and each passing second would fill them with agonizing pain, like venom burning their nerves into a puddle of bubbling flesh.

It was true that the undead and certain species did not die easily but in some ways that just meant people had to become far crueller and more creative with their methods of subjugation. He had learned that in a world full of magic and a class-based social structure, those with the means could quickly discover new and terrifying methods to deal with their problems.

As for the current situation… he looked at his timers with a glance of desperation.

2:20

He had to hold out a little longer. 

Even when it finished counting down the fight wasn’t guaranteed to be over.

The enemy would lose a large number of their forces but it wouldn’t be the final nail in their black coffins. Still, it would be a massive blow and if they retreated after that, well that was good enough for him.

Though looking at his current track record for misfortune maybe they’d just become extra motivated to take him down. He dreaded such powerful resolution that was opposite to his nature.

He’d run away for sure if he saw hundreds of his comrades fall at the exact same time.

“It’s futile! Useless! Give up now and I may be merciful enough to spare your lives!

“Repent for your crimes and pick up your humanity from where it was stolen!”

Thousands of Demon Khan Zelos demanded the complete surrender of his foes with echoing voices. The vampires looked at him with fear, they did look like they were going to give in.

It was natural of course. These freshly formed super-beings had few weaknesses and death often avoided them. Yet now they were confronted with the reaper and his scythe was about to claim their necks with certainty.

“Don’t you dare. Remember our cause, my children!

“And you should also remember what happens to those who earn my wrath. Or have your minds rotted so much you have already forgotten? Now kill this fool!”

Corai groaned as the lady of the castle’s voice rang out like a sonic screech at her minions, they feared her far much more than they feared him and so yet again, intimidation and negotiation were made useless due to idiocy and inflated egos.

“Very well. Shall we dance then? Just remember this is your last waltz.”

He kept up appearances as Zelo but inside he did his usual routine of endless cursing at himself, all those around him and whatever will the universe held for him.

“Actually… this is annoying.” The woman who leads the army from within her fortress had a fickle change of heart. “I’ll deal with you myself. It’ll be cheaper that way and far less messy.”

Corai smiled internally. This was perfect. He could cast Doom on the leader and then in three minutes, it’d all be over with! Finally, something was going his way! Finally, he was going to have a slightly easier time at ending this madness! Finally, he would-!

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning slammed right into the real Saviour of Shadow and sent him flying towards the city he had risen to protect. He smashed into a series of bazaar stalls, the wood, covers and produce slightly reducing the impact of the fall. Corai coughed blood as tried to keep his wits about him.

He had been struck by a clap of thunder that could smite a dragon.

He laid in the ruined mess while his mirages, while still there in the sky were now useless as he had been exposed within a single second.

If he took another one of those he would be at death’s door.

His brain began to draft out new ideas and distractions rapidly but he was unsure.

Somehow their leader had honed in on him so easily. Was it just a lucky shot or was her perception that high? If she could see right through him there was little point in fighting a futile battle. Maybe if he was at full health he could reluctantly just weather the hits until the timer ran out but that wasn’t an option.

“Demon Khan!”

A boy with cat ears walked up to him with hurried steps.

“Are you okay? Please, get up and fight! You took down a Terror, it was awesome, remember? This'll be easy!”

Corai groaned. He should have kept a strong front up but his mask was beginning to crack.

“I-I’ll… try… oof. She hit me a little hard there! She must be really mad! Don’t… worry.”

Corai stumbled to his feet. His body was shaking from the impact of his fall and the electricity that forced courses of voltage through his system.

“Take this and kick their asses!”

Corai stared at an object within the outstretched right hand of the boy and went silent.

His eyes began to flare and bogle as if he couldn’t believe what was being offered to him.

It was a crystalised red and white drop, an uneducated person could mistake it for candy.

However, Corai had been looking for these for a long time when he was young.

This world did not seem to have permanent stat boosting consumables.

Items that could fix his misaligned strengths and weaknesses did not exist.

At least not for any reasonable amount of time.

There were however objects like the one before him now.

A temporary stat booster.

They are known as Divine Tears.

When consumed a person would gain fifty points in every stat for five minutes. It wasn’t an insane amount of power but it wasn’t something that could be shrugged off either. It could make all the difference in a match between two evenly matched fighters.

For most spells, the difference between one point of magic and fifty-one would be sizeable but their power wouldn’t change too much in the grand scheme of things.

Normally anyhow. Corai’s situation was far from normal.

“Thank you! I’ll… win for sure now!”

Corai snatched the small object out of the boy’s hands and then gave him a quick expression of apology. Normally he wouldn’t dare accept something like this out of fear, this was an extremely rare item and that meant it was likely given to the boy by very rich and powerful parents.

He’d likely suffer horribly for, in their eyes, he conned it away from their naive son.

He looked up at the horde of flying immortals.

Surely they’d forgive him considering the circumstances.

He opened his mouth and plopped the Divine Tear onto his tongue. It fizzled and tasted both bitter and sweet as it dissolved and blessed him with power. He looked at his timers again and gritted his teeth.

2:00

Two minutes until the first squad of enemies fall.

Five minutes for genuine miracles.

He’d be cutting it close if they chose to fight after losing their advance force.

He didn’t have much of a choice though. He got back up despite his fears and chose to keep fighting. Demon Khan Zelo rose once more into the heavens.

“That was quite rude and unladylike! I guess it’s time I taught you some manners!”