Doomed to Die in 3 Minutes

Forbidden Force

Vis sighed. They hadn’t noticed him yet. Olivia had fired several arrows to assist the illusions so her cover was blown. Her adversary was the sniper Kuiz. It seemed like the obvious thing to do. In this scenario full of fog the best counter to one another were each other. So they quite quickly ran off and began to exchange shots between the rooftops. They fired a few volleys between them but Kuiz began shooting his famed straight shots and was getting slowly but surely better at figuring out her position. That duel was one that could easily have a lot of innocent casualties even if Olivia tried her best to prevent it.

It had all gone to shambles in mere moments. Not due to any major fault of theirs but because their target was quick on the uptake. If he were simply a normal brutish man he’d be scared to death of the scene of dead rising from the earth. Unfortunately, he was a competent caster. It seemed that this assassination would go the road of bloodshed. Vis sighed again. He could at least say he tried. Many of his jobs ended up like this, but once in a while he could meet a truly repentant person and he could help in resolving the issue peacefully. So for the sake of those rare but precious moments that remind him that all people are mortal, he couldn’t in good conscience simply resort to cutting his way through every problem.

Even if Vis has unique circumstances beyond everyone else, he couldn’t just be reckless with what he has. He felt he’d lose something very valuable about himself if he did. Hopefully, Corai had been able to escape from Yarul’s clutches and Olivia could halt Kuiz. Vis waited and waited in complete silence bar his occasional mumble or sigh. He would be undetectable until he made an open act of aggression, it was a truly versatile and helpful ability to have. He was waiting for it. The usual argument whenever something threatened Lord Phonom… and there it was.

“My lord, if I were to leave your side then you could be susceptible to a more direct attack. Please, reconsider.” Zard knelt on one knee and begged as he always would to the man who did not deserve his loyalty. “You’ll always ask me this tiresome request, won’t you…? Fine, this time I will allow it, but you do not act in my defence in any way without my orders. Do you understand?” A minor jolt of surprise ran through Zard and Vis. This was rare. Was it simply a whim?

Vis had wanted Zard to leave as he usually did in circumstances like this so he could try to take the lord and his weaker retinue on his own. He would have drastically better odds taking on a few D-Ranks and a single B-Rank but taking two B-Rankers would be a tall order for a C-Rank like him. He sighed again. He might be forced to use the ace up his sleeve as usual. Well, if he could end the lord now, he’d save Corai and Olivia the trouble… he leaps off the roof he was resting on and landed perfectly in front of the carriage holding the man he was paid to kill. There was no sound as his feet touched the ground. As if he was a feather that had simply floated down from above. Still, they could barely make out his silhouette in the mist. He hadn’t gone in guns blazing. 

This was a direct challenge to Phonom’s authority this way. Perhaps not the way a true assassin should act, but in truth, Vis viewed himself more as a handyman who dealt with any and all problems that would usually be solved by expressions of force. He slowly drew his standard and unimpressive steel sword and point towards the carriage holding his target. “Lord Phonom, you have ruined the lives of the people in this city for the last time. Today is the day you die. What are your last words? I will hear them.” There’s dumbfounded silence from the entire group by the carriage, despite everything Lord Phonom has done the fact someone would say such a thing with such sheer confidence was something they couldn’t mentally process... but as usual the tyrannical lord himself was the one to break the silence.

“Aahahaha. This day just gets better and better! More toys to break. Let it be known though, making such a direct threat to my person means you will suffer the most of all among your compatriots. Though, I’ll give you a chance at life. Simply sell out your collaborating conspirators and I’ll simply let you rot in my dungeon than-!” Thud. Ding. The monologue was cut off by a dagger being thrown towards the carriage and it is deflected by Zard’s massive shield. There’s silence again. “Apologies my lord. I disobeyed you.” There’s a clicking sound from the carriage, the tongue of a man suddenly filled with fury.

“I will not reprimand you this time. This fool has no manners nor flair for the dramatic. Do not act to kill him, stay by my side. I will not allow him to even entertain the idea he can even make me jump with his pathetic excuse of an assassination. Guards, bring him to me alive!” When their lord begins barking orders the men knew better than to disobey him, anyone who did, even for a second would be met with beatings at best and a fate worse than death at worst. The foot soldiers screamed a battle cry as they tried to expel all fear and remorse from their souls and charged at Vis’ figure within the mist… and stopped when they saw a second shambling figure walk to his side. Coria had limped his way to the main stage again.

“...You look, horrible amigo.” Vis looked at the bloody and broken ally by his side. He was clutching his left arm with his right. He had claw marks and puncture wounds all across his body but it seemed he wasn’t bleeding. “You should see the other guy.” Corai let out a weak laugh and Vis returned it. “I set you up for that one, huh? ...Well that’s good to hear. Why did you come back though? You could have gone into hiding and healed your wounds. There was no need to force yourself back here. You could die you know?” 

Corai’s already hanging body lowered even further. “Yeah. I’m honestly wondering that myself now. I’ve only known you for half a day but I couldn’t help but feel I needed to be there. To help however I can. For some bizarre reason. If that old man didn’t stop my bleeding though, I don’t think I’d have bothered making the trip here. I’m guessing he’s our client. Seems like a tough nut to crack. Alright, time to see if I can do anything to…” Vis raised his left hand and pointed his left index finger over Corai’s lips. “Thanks, amigo, but I will take care of the rest. You’ve done a good job. Just watch the show. Blood is not my thing but it may be yours. You can rest easy. I’ve got this.” Vis’ smile was one of complete confidence. He gave a quick thumbs up to double up on it.

Corai blinked a few times. Vis must have one hell of a plan to take on 16 D-Rankers and 2 B-Rankers… “Idiots! Get him!” The soldiers squealed in fear as their slave driver cracked the whip of his voice and charged towards the two men. A flash of silver light cuts through the fog. Thud. Thud. Thud. Clang. Clank. Clang. Clank. Clank. Clang. Three heads are severed from their owner’s necks in a single s***h without even a hint of resistance as if their flesh was water before the blade that had brought their demise. Their bodies collapsed to the floor with their spears, rattling across the ground and sending out metallic ringing sounds across the city.

The other guards reeled back and quickly became frozen in terror. Corai’s jaw was wide open. For a man who had such a revulsion to death and violence he had ended three men without hesitation, all he needed was a flick of the wrist. That was it. Dead without a single chance of retaliation. Not even a word of pain as they left this mortal coil. They had been erased so swiftly. Even if Vis was a C-Rank, the idea of one instantly killing one D-Ranker let alone three without even trying? Unheard of. Had Vis lied or was there something else at work here?

“...I will not tolerate those who do not obey me. Continue your attack!” The frozen men jolt back to life when pain itself demands it. They charge together with shrill yells of terror. Thirteen men making a wall of spears to skewer a single man. Another sweeping s***h. The points of the spears are cut off from the shaft. Again, it was incredibly accurate and quick that it barely registered to anyone watching. The men panicked as they stared at the splintered sticks in their arms. “Go. Run. I’ll spare your lives. Please, don’t make me do this.” Vis pleaded with his eyes and the heavy tone of his voice, but alas… they howled with tears in their eyes and continued moving forward with their broken weapons.

“He terrifies you that much? Or does he have your friends and families? No matter the reason… I guess I must free you of his chains, one way or another.” Vis blazed passed the men like a shooting star and in a second ended up right behind all of them before they could do a thing to him and just like before… the sound of bodies hitting the floor and heads rolling filled the foggy district. Corai could swear he could hear gasps from around the windows of the houses nearby. Were people watching this? It would be difficult to see anything clearly but they could probably hear it without a doubt. Vis had taken the lives of sixteen men in total without batting an eye. Corai couldn’t figure out how he did it. Statistically, it shouldn’t be this one-sided…the now blood-stained assassin began to take heavy steps with his back straight towards his target.

“Come out and face me Phonom! I detest this. Only one man has to die. So get out here now. Before I lose my patience.” This was the first time Corai had heard anger from Vis. Before it was just flirtation or somberness. It shook him to his core. Something told him instinctually that he shouldn’t make this man his enemy for whatever reason. The lord cackled. “Like I’ll listen to anything you say! I’ll hang you by those huge cuts you have for the world to see! Crush Atmosphere! Summon Minions!” 

The fog that Corai had worked so hard on was ripped apart. Some clouds of white smoke stayed but they had lost the backing of Olivia’s magic that had given them an actual blinding effect and if that weren’t enough… suddenly the pair was surrounded by what must have been about fifty new footsoldiers. “Men, if you don’t beat these two black and blue and drag them to my feet, you will suffer consequences like never before. Now advance in my name!” 

These freshly brought soldiers looked at the corpses before them but quickly remembered the consequences for challenging their lord was far more severe than this. They pressed the attack, hoping numbers would solve whatever issue their dead co-workers had faced.

“Corai, sit down and stay absolutely still. I can’t guarantee your safety otherwise.” Corai did as he was told, he felt it hit hard, the realisation he still had a long way to go. Don’t question the man who can kill dozens of men in the blink of an eye. The fifty men came from every direction. A swirling storm of steel began as Vis dashed from man to man. He deftly sidestepped any attempts at his life while taking the souls of those who tried with a single cut each. It was surgically precise. He was dismantling his enemies one by one without pause or hesitation. It was as if he was the reaper himself with his scythe that brought death at a touch, creating a vacuum that coming into contact with brought about an individual’s absolute end, no ifs and or buts. He jumped from man to man in such an array of movement that any that even got remotely close to Corai were promptly dealt with. After about half their number were slain the soldiers began to halt their attacks and back away from the tornado of blood. 

“Are we done here? I am sorry to say you don’t stand a chance.” Pure truth left his lips. The soldiers began to break down in terror. Bawling their eyes out but never letting go of their weapons. Their fear pushed them to go back into the fray much to Corai’s surprise. Had these men been displaying their loyalty it would be a touching and epic sight, but these men were forced forward despite the insurmountable odds by the knowledge that death would be a quick relief from the torturous life they’d endure from that point onwards should they refuse to challenge the foe of the lord they had been bound to. 

“So be it. I’ll make it quick.” Vis continued to demolish the ranks of the enemy with frightening unearthly power. In total this battle against the guards all together had taken just three minutes. The centre of the workshop district was coated in streams of blood that practically formed a massive rose upon the ground. Vis hadn’t even broken a sweat. Taking a total of 66 enemies had been as easy as breathing for him. Corai could feel it. The gazes of the hidden audience peering from the windows were stuck to the sight unfolding before their very eyes. For them, the reaper had finally come to collect his due upon the man that had terrorised their entire lives. Shackled them to the idea that pain was the purpose of life. Now, they dared to believe that this devil would meet his end just like all those he had killed. That death comes for everyone as naturally as the rising of the sun at dawn. Light pierced the windows as the day had come into full being. It was now morning and these people desperately wanted to seize it and the tender touch it promised them if this light could vanquish the darkness once and for all…

“I thought so when you killed the first batch but I just had to know for sure. You’re blessed with Supremacy. What a lucky bastard you are… but I could see clearly. You’re not a B-Rank. You don’t stand a chance against Zard, let alone me.” Phonom grit his teeth but his voice continued to not have a hint of fear. For Corai, these words were a revelation. Supremacy was an ability that made the user automatically have complete control in combat against a weaker opponent. The men Vis had slaughtered were all D-Rank or less so since he was C-Rank they… literally never stood a chance. It’s an incredibly rare ability and oddly enough no Hero has ever held it. It’s such a fabled skill that no normal person would even consider it when assessing battle power. Yet, Phonom had sent 50 men to their deaths simply to confirm his suspicions while knowing that if he was correct that they would die for nothing but to sate his curiosity. Corai’s rage at this began to cause his mana to overflow. He could end this with one word-! A steel sword stopped him. Vis stared down the carriage while talking to his ally. 

“Stop. He doesn’t deserve to die so peacefully. He will know full well the consequences of his actions. I’ll teach them thoroughly. Don’t worry… oh and uh… sorry, it seems your victory came up short amigo.” A crashing sound. A bestial roar. Yarul rushes in on all fours and halts right between Vis and the carriage. The primal looked pissed. He was covered in dirt, bruises, and small cuts. “You…! Mage! I will have your head on a stick…!” Corai grimaced. So the fall must have dealt some significant damage but nowhere near enough to take him out of commission. 

“Well, Yarul too does not deserve a simple end. I’ll make him beg for mercy.” Vis stabbed his sword into the ground. The earth began to rumble. Thunder began to drum in the heavens above. The sword he had spiked into the world began to glow and was surrounded in gold and dark which began to swirl around it until a pillar of light and shadow stood before Vis. “I don’t like doing this on principle but let me tell you, my friend, it is a most amazing feeling when you see a villain lose all semblance of control. I guess even I have a cruel streak, but I think that is what it means to be human, no?”

A bolt of lightning struck the sword and blinded everyone in view for a good few seconds. When vision returned to Corai, Vis’ had removed his cloak and all that was left was a thin shirt and trousers that made him look like a normal bystander, the man sat down by Corai’s side and smiled while turning his gaze forward. Then he noticed someone standing where the sword had once been and Corai’s eyes grew wide with unbelievable shock. 

A woman standing tall with raised fists. Her slightly curly scarlet hair dropped to the back of her neck. Her eyes were the blue of the ocean at sunrise and were sparkling with the radiance of diamonds. Her skin held the gentleness of snow. She was wearing a boyish and confident smile on her face that carried infectious tenacity. She was wearing a big brown cloak that covered everything below the neck and much resembled a poncho. Said clothes began to warp and wrap around her, altering their shape, separated into two separate pieces until it had created clothes that fit and covered her perfectly. Even their colour changed before the eyes of the people until it was a magnificent shade of lavender. 

Again, pure silence, but this time there wasn’t even a peep from the carriage. Corai couldn’t believe it. The woman that had materialised before him as if she had stepped into the world from a book of fantasy was someone he had seen before but had never met. The deceased hero of the city. The woman who had without a doubt died a grisly death. A woman beloved in life and whose demise had brought despair. She was standing before him in the flesh. She cracked her neck and fists as her brilliant shining eyes locked onto those who had killed her. 

“I hope you’re all ready. It doesn’t matter if you have hostages this time. I’m going to finish what I started. I’ll kill you. Hundreds, not thousands, no! Millions! I’ll make you die a million deaths for what you did to me and everyone you’ve ever laid your mitts on you freak!” 

The Rose That Feeds On The Blood of Dragons, Alisa Raunehart takes the field.

Corai could hear it. Sobbing tears of joy from every corner of the city quickly were mixed in with cheers of relief and awe. The roar of the crowd was unlike anything he had ever heard before. He was a performer who had many a raving audience but this was something else. There was no veil of fiction that separated the actors on stage from the watchers. This was love. 

Love from the very bottom of their hearts. Unmatchable. A power that nothing could corrupt. If Vis was a gale then Alisa was a bullet. Yarul’s right eye popped into a visceral mess before he could react. “Looking for this boy? Fetch.” Alisa throws the pulp she had ripped out of him into the sky and then followed up with a crushing attack. Crack. Crack. His hands were both broken with a single kick. She didn’t even need a weapon to obliterate his force. Corai who had struggled tooth and nail to get a temporary victory from the primal couldn’t believe his eyes as a short girl had removed the threat he used every card in his deck to deal in a single breath. “No way.” 

Yarul’s left eye began to move frantically in every direction. His body began to shake and break into a cold sweat. He was powerless. He quickly tried to turn and run but Alisa grabbed his tail with her right hand and his feet dragged across the ground in place before his body couldn’t hold itself up and he fell flat to the ground. Alisa walked over and rolled him upright with a kick. 

“You really had a good time, didn’t you? Here’s the bill. Oh? What’s that? You can’t pay? Looks like I can do whatever I want with you then? That’s the line you used on everyone who couldn’t do what you said, right? Well, now it’s your turn.” 

She kicked him right between the legs. Corai and Vis grimaced. That’s got to hurt. Then she did it again. Again, and again. Until her right leg became a blur of violet violence. She was working out quite a bit of rage and taking out a vengeful grudge. A weak whimper came from the animal when she finally stopped. She got up and literally walked all over him. She planted her foot on his neck and began to slowly push down with pressure. Miniscule gasps of air leaked from the dying beast until… crunch. One final wheeze of life before life left his body. A fountain of blood sprayed over Alisa who didn’t even bat an eye as she was showered in red.

“You’re next.” 

Chills ran down the spines of all present...