Bastard Homunculus: Reborn in the Corpse Pit

"[Wind Burst]!" Exclaimed one of the Inquisitors as Raven shot towards him with a vicious snarl, unleashing an intense blast of wind to push Raven back, briefly halting his momentum, right as another Inquisitor zipped across to his right and drew out a curved dagger, swinging it across at Raven's elbow.

The blade struck the gap between his scales around his joint, cutting through his skin and slicing into his flesh before coming to a stop halfway through, before the Inquisitor unleashed a powerful burst of flames from her elbow to generate more force, the blade slicing throughand severing his forearm, blood spraying out.

His forearm hit the ground with a thud as blood poured out of the stump that was left of his arm, a vicious snarl ringing out as Raven fiercely turned his gaze towards the Inquisitor, who began to back away.

"That immense Aura startled me, but whatever he is, he's nothing more than a wild beast, we have nothing to-...," She began, before abruptly trailing off in shock as Raven's arm rapidly regenerated and reached out towards her with immense speed, grabbing the top of her head before she could get out of his reach.

She let out an alarmed yell and began to swing her dagger at his wrist as she coated the blade in flames, before a sickening crunch and squelch rang out as he crushed her skull like an egg, her body going limp as her mask shattered and fell off, blood and brain chunks flying out before Raven tossed her away and unleashed a fierce eruption of flames into the alley as the remaining Inquisitors began to surround him and charge in in unison, forcing them to scatter before he let out a snarl and shot towards one of them at a blinding speed, his movements little more than a blur to them.

"N-no, wait-...!" The Inquisitor exclaimed as Raven closed in on him, before he was interrupted as Raven sank his fangs into the man's neck and jerked his head across, ripping the man's head right off his shoulders.

He flung the disembodied head aside as blood sprayed out of the Inquisitor's neck and splattered the walls of the buildings on either side of the alley as the body fell over and hit the ground with a thud, before Raven swiftly spun around as a bolt of lightning came shooting towards him, hitting his chest but doing no damage, right as the Inquisitor who'd fired the Spell closed in on him, holding a dagger with the blade coated in intense, crackling lightning.

As he drove the dagger towards Raven's chest, Raven swiftly reached out and grabbed the man's neck, extending out his claws and piercing into his throat, eliciting a choked gasp of pain from him before Raven unleashed a devastating burst of purple lightning from his hand, the man's body stiffening up sharply before going limp, his eyes sizzling as wisps of smoke flowed out of his mouth, nostrils and ears.

"You damned Monster!" Snapped one of the remaining two Inquisitors, starting to charge up a a Wind Spell, before collapsing onto his knees with a gasp of pain as a couple of smoking holes appeared around the middle of his chest, as Raven swiftly turned his gaze that way and fired out his eye beams before the Inquisitor could even react, the beams piercing through his chest and shooting out his back.

"Sh-shit, I'm out of here!" Exclaimed the last Inquisitor in terror, who unleashed a burst of flames from the soles of his feet to launch himself up towards the rooftop to the left of the alley, zipping up as Raven let out a monstrous roar and chased after him.

As the Inquisitor landed atop the building, his eyes widened in alarm as Tacitus and Celia stepped in his way, blocking his path to escape.

"What, did you forget about us?" Inquired Celia icily, before she and Tacitus both backed away as Raven shot up behind the Inquisitor and slammed his foot onto the hooded figure's back, knocking him flat on his face before Raven pressed his foot down on his back, growling as he twisted it around, the Inquisitor desperately struggling to break free but to no avail.

"Damn it, let me g-...arghhhhh!" The Inquisitor yelled in agonizing pain as Raven fired his eye beams at the man's left shoulder, which drilled right through his flesh and bones before severing his arm as the stench of burnt flesh wafted out.

"H-hey, uh, good boy...we're not going to hurt you, so don't attack us, okay?" Remarked Celia nervously.

"Huh? Why are you talking to me like that?" Responded Raven in bemusement.

"Wait, what?"

"You're still conscious? I thought you'd lost control," Spoke up Tacitus in surprise.

"W-well, it is a bit hard to think straight right now, I'm barely keeping my rage in check...I started to feel like I was about to black out when I recognized this guy, but I just about managed to resist it," Replied Raven, his speech slightly stilted and growly.

"I have a lot of questions, but let's save that for later...more importantly, you said you recognized this guy. I'm guessing that means he was involved in the Homunculus Ritual," Surmised Tacitus, as the man continued to struggle under Raven's foot.

"Wh-what the...? Why isn't my Magic working!?" He snapped, beads of sweat pouring down his face from the throbbing pain where his left arm used to be attached to.

"Yeah, he was there...he cut open my stomach, I remember the scar on his hand, it was one of the last things I saw before I blacked out back then...that's why I saved him for last," Responded Raven with a growl, before pressing his foot down more firmly against the man's back as he addressed him, "I have a question for you, asshole, and I assure you that you'll regret it if you refuse to answer...where is my sister? What the hell have you people done with her!?"

"F-fuck off, you damned Monster...as if I'd cooperate with you after what you did! You...you killed Father Opal, I'll never forgive you for th-...arghh!!!" The man screamed in pain as Raven extended out his claws and jammed them into the stump where the man's left arm used to be.

"YOU'LL never forgive ME? H-how dare you...how fucking dare you say that to me!? After what you did to me!? After you turned me into this abomination!?" Yelled Raven furiously, his mind starting to go blank as his rage surged, the pressure of his Aura spiking further.

"Y-you Commoner filth, you should have been honored that Father Opal chose a lowly rat like you for the-...fuuuckkk!!!" The Inquisitor gasped in agony, as Raven grabbed his wrist and pulled with a violent twist, ripping off his right arm.

"Okay, then, if you aren't going to cooperate...then just fucking die. Suffer a fraction of the pain you helped put me through...and DIE...!!!" Uttered Raven venomously, shattering the Inquisitor's spine as he pressed his foot down on the man's back with steadily increasing pressure, loud crunches echoing out as Raven seethed with rage.

The Inquisitor coughed out blood with an agonized wheeze, dripping out from the bottom of his mask before several of his internal organs ruptured, his blood pouring out and splattering onto the rooftop.

"Die...die...die...die, die, die, DIE, DIE, DIE!!!!!"

Suddenly, Raven's train of thought was abruptly cut off as a figure appeared to his left, with a sword raised high.

Raven quickly turned his head across and raised his left arm up defensively as the blade came slashing down towards him, striking the spot between his middle and ring fingers, before slicing down and splitting his hand and forearm in half.

Raven let out a snarl and drove his claws towards the assailant's stomach, who suddenly vanished from sight, before reappearing a few meters away.

"Damn, I've never felt Aura pressure like this before. Hm? Hey, I recognize you, you're one of The Irregulars, aren't you, young lady? I thought this was some kind of Monster, but maybe it's another type of Irregular Magic? Whatever the case-...," The man began, before trailing off in surprise as Raven's arm rapidly healed and got back to normal.

Raven's eyes widened in recognition, his animosity and rage subsiding slightly.

"You're Hart Riner, one of the few Commoners in the Knight Order, and one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom," Remarked Tacitus warily, before glancing at Raven with a look of concern.

"Aw, come on, you're gonna make me blush! Now, then...I don't know what business you have in this village, but I'm not going to let you do as you please...for starters, why don't you let that man over there go, and-...," Began Hart, before Raven cut him off by stomping on the already-half-dead Inquisitor's head, crushing it flat as blood, bone shards and brain chunks flew out and splattered the rooftop.

"You should leave...we have no intention or reason to fight you," Growled Raven, his Aura pressure starting to slowly but surely weaken, "Damn it, why'd he have to show up now, of all times? I don't want to fight him..."

"Oh, you can speak, then you are human. Hm...something about your voice is...," Muttered Hart uncertainly, thinking to himself, "Where have I heard that voice before? It's so familiar, but I just can't place it..."

"Look out, behind you!" Raven suddenly exclaimed at Tacitus and Celia, as a chain with a blade attached to the end came whipping towards them from behind.

Tacitus quickly spun around and manifested a large hammer, the chain striking the handle and wrapping around it, before Celia charged up an Explosion Spell and fired it at the figure holding the chain, who quickly raced away before Hart teleported towards the figure, grabbed their arm and teleported several meters away, right as a powerful explosion burst out as Celia's Spell collided with the top of the building the figure had been standing on.

"Oh, hey, Ferd, you came!" Grinned Hart, as the figure pushed his hands off his shoulders with a huff.

It was a man in his mid-twenties, with medium length, straight, light red hair that covered his forehead, dark blue eyes, with a light brown complexion and an average build and height.

"I didn't need your assistance, Commoner. Don't go getting a big head just because you got promoted to Second-Class. I'm the one responsible for maintaining order in this village, not you, so don't get too far ahead of yourself."

"Well, this isn't good...that's Ferd Beryl, a First-Class Knight. Neither of them are targets, this isn't a fight worth getting into...but since one of them is a Teleporter, we need to be careful about the timing in which we make our retreat using our Teleport Spells, he could easily stop us from using them if he catches on to it," Muttered Tacitus quietly, as the two Knights turned their attention to the trio...

Meanwhile, in Garnet City...

"Damn it, stay still, you Commoner rat!"

"Heh, come on, I know you can do better than that...step up your game, give me a REAL verbal lashing," Chuckled Colt, partially evading the swing of his opponent's whip as he deliberately let it graze his arm, shuddering slightly with a wide grin as he sighed, "Ahh, that stings so good!"

"You sick insect...I'll crush you under my heel like the vile bug you are!" She snapped in disgust, which only played right into Colt's hands.

"Okay, that's a little better," Smirked Colt, before firing a rapid, piercing blood projectile towards her.

She quickly raised her hand in response, forming a barrier wall in front of herself, Colt's attack hitting the wall and splattering across it.

"Don't get cocky, you bastard...I am a First-Class Knight, you-..."

"Oh, I know exactly who you are. Junne Plore, niece of Count Ernet Plore and the Third Squad Captain's cousin. You're a Barrier Mage and a Thrasher, and a new little detail that I just happened to notice...you've got a bit of a drug problem, don't you? I can tell just by looking at your face, you've got quite the addiction," Smirked Colt tauntingly.

"Y-you're speaking nonsense, insect, I have no idea what you're talking about!" She snapped defensively, and not particularly convincingly.

She was in her mid-twenties, with long dark brown hair tied up in a side tail on the right side of her head, dark orange eyes, and a pale complexion. She had an agile build with a slender figure, and was around average height.

Her eyes were bloodshot and her body was slightly trembling and shaky, her cheekbones sunken in, her lips were dry and cracked, and her speech was a bit slurred, all signs of drug addiction, which Colt had picked up on almost immediately.

"If she wasn't a druggie, she's probably be a serious threat, she's pretty strong even in her current state. And her Barrier Magic is a bad match up for me, she has a decent level of mastery over it and she's fairly quick at casting her Spells, my attacks can't get through. Guess I'll just keep provoking her until she loses her cool even more, might as well have some fun with this," Colt thought to himself, as a sadistic smirk spread out across his lips...