Bastard Homunculus: Reborn in the Corpse Pit

"Hm? Oh, there you are. It's about time...what took so long?" Frowned Lexia, as Colt entered the alley she'd been waiting in.

After she killed the Baron, she snuck out of the mansion and made her way towards the church, before hiding in an alley that was located right across the church and waiting for Colt to rendezvous with her.

She had been waiting for about twenty minutes before Colt finally showed up just now, much to her exasperation since she'd expected him to finish up first. She'd also started to worry that something might have gone wrong, and had begun to consider heading to Baroness Amber's mansion herself.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I'll explain later. Now, then...it's time to get started with what I really came here to do," Remarked Colt, a dark look in his eyes as he turned his attention to the church.

"Right, let's get this over with and-...hm? Wait, someone's coming. I think it's just some random drunk, let's wait till they pass," Whispered Lexia, as she picked up the sound of footsteps.

"Alright, let's-...hm? Wait, hold on, that's not a random drunk...yeah, no doubt about it, that's the First-Class Knight leading the Knights in the village, Mord Plore," Replied Colt, recognizing the figure as he got closer.

He was walking unsteadily, very clearly and heavily inebriated, muttering to himself as he stumbled through the street.

"What do we do? In his current state, it should be pretty damn easy to take him out, so...," Pointed out Lexia.

"Yeah, that's true, it's a good opportunity...okay, then. You go after him. I'll handle things in the church myself," Replied Colt after mulling it over.

"I mean, that's fine by me, but...are you sure you can handle it by yourself?"

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine. If I die here, then Celia might feel obligated to come here and avenge me or something...I can't let that happen. So I won't be too reckless," He assured her.

"Alright, I'm holding you to that. I'll head back out of the village after I eliminate that guy, through the same way we entered. Meet me there once you're down with the church," She responded, as she turned her attention to the drunken Knight.

"Okay, sounds good. I'll see you in a bit. Be careful."

"Yeah, you too."

Lexia then stepped out of the alley and quietly followed after the Knight, sticking by the shadows of the buildings to avoid being spotted.

"I'll wait till he's further away from the church before making my move. Causing a commotion too close to the church will alert any Inquisitors in there and put them on guard. Tch, this guy's so slow...come on, you drunk fuck, walk faster and get farther away from the church so that I can attack you already!" Lexia thought to herself impatiently, as she continuing following after him.

"Ugh, maybe I dranks too mushch...everything'sh all shpinny," He slurred to himself as he stumbled across to his left, nearly falling over.

"Wow, he's even more wasted than I thought. Okay, this should be far enough, and the coast is clear. I'll do it here," Decided Lexia, before firing off a rapid, piercing bone projectile aimed at the back of the Knight's neck.

As the projectile closed in on him, he suddenly stumbled again, a startled cry ringing out as the projectile grazed the left side of his neck, drawing out a trickle of blood as he fortuitously stumbled out of the way of a more fatal hit.

"What the hell wasch that!?"

"A-are...are you fucking kidding me!?" Lexia exclaimed internally with a sense of incredulous bewilderment, before grimacing as she extended out a bone dagger in her right hand and shot forward.

The Knight turned around as he touched at the cut across the side of his neck, his eyes widening in alarm as he saw Lexia rapidly charging in towards him and starting to close in, before he quickly swung his right arm across...

"[Shonic Shlash]!" He exclaimed, firing out a rapid, slashing wave of sound towards Lexia.

She quickly got low to evade it, the attack slicing through the air and whizzing past the top of her head, before she flung her bone dagger forward, aimed at the middle of the Knight's chest.

He raised his arms up defensively in a panicked rush, crying out as the dagger struck his left forearm and pierced through, getting lodged in as trickles of blood ran down his arm.

"First-Class Knight Mord Plore, yet another member of the Noble House of Plore who's been given a higher rank than they deserve, thanks to the influence and nepotism of your family. In reality, you're actually closer to the level of a Second-Class Knight, am I wrong?" Smirked Lexia tauntingly, as the Knight grabbed the handle of the bone dagger and yanked it out of his arm, wincing and shuddering in pain before he tossed it away.

"I recognizhe you...you're one of thoshe Irregularsh, aren't you?" He slurred with a grimace, before putting up his fists, his left arm trembling in pain.

He was in his mid-twenties, with long, wavy black hair tied up in a manbun, red eyes, a pale complexion, and was of average height and build.

"You're a Brawler, right, not a Martial Artist?" Inquired Lexia, as she formed a couple more bone daggers in her hands.

"Yeah, sho what!?"

"Oh, nothing...it's just, for a Brawler, you don't have a particularly strong build. What a joke...you're a First-Class Knight and you haven't even properly built up your body enough to make proper use of your Combat Template. You're nothing but a-...," Taunted Lexia condescendingly.

"Shut up! I'll kill you! [Shonic Shcreech]!" He snapped, unleashing a burst of rapid, high-pitched noise from his mouth.

Lexia swiftly shot back, a cloud of dust bursting out as the blast hit the ground around where she'd been standing, obscuring her from his line of sight.

His heart rate began to quicken as the dust cleared, but Lexia was nowhere in sight, beads of sweat starting to pour down his face as a creeping sense of panic set in.

"Where did she go!? Damn it, where is she!?" He thought to himself as he frantically looked around.

His gaze then jerked across to the right as a clatter echoed out, before he cried out in pain as a sharp pain burst out across his left side...

"[Branching Bones]," Chanted Lexia, piercing his side with a small bone spike that extended out of her fingertip, which then rapidly branched out inside the Knight's body, piercing several organs.

He coughed out blood with an agonized wheeze before swinging his left fist across at Lexia's head, who easily ducked under the swing before whipping a bone dagger up and across, slicing through his wrist deeply as he gasped in pain.

"[S-Sonic Fists]!" He yelled, a high-pitched ringing echoing out around his fists as he drove his right fist towards Lexia.

She quickly stepped back and raised her elbow, extending out a rapid bone spike, which struck the middle of his knuckles and burst into his hand, his Spell fading as he yelled in agony, a violent shudder of pain bursting out across his body as she pulled the spike back with a sharp twist, tears welling up in his eyes as she then swiftly slipped behind him and slashed at his heels with a bone dagger.

He collapsed onto his knees as blood poured out of the back of his feet, before he froze as Lexia pressed the tip of his dagger against the back of his neck.

"N-no, wait, please don't-...!" He began in terror, before a gurgling, choked gasp rang out as Lexia plunged her dagger into the back of his neck, piercing through his throat as the tip of her dagger protruded out the front of his neck.

She then gave the blade a sharp twist, blood pouring out of the Knight's mouth as his shoulders slumped, his body going limp before falling over and hitting the ground with a thud.

"Okay, that takes care of that, sure was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. Alright, guess it's time for me to leave," Mused Lexia, as she turned around began heading towards the village border...

Meanwhile, back at the church...

"Hm? Oh, hello...what brings you here so late? How can I help?" A nun greeted Colt, as he strolled into the church.

He'd pushed his hair back and removed his eyepatch, to make sure he didn't too closely resemble his wanted poster.

"Hello...I'm looking for Priest Davin Petalite. Is he in?" Responded Colt in a friendly tone.

"Yes, I believe he's in the back. May I ask what your business is with him?" She replied politely.

"Oh, he did a lot for me when I was a kid, I've come back to thank him properly for that," Said Colt with a smile.

"Ah, I see. Alright, I'll let him know right away," Responded the nun, before making her way to the back of the church.

"I don't remember seeing her before, she must be new...more importantly, I can feel it, several people are watching me. I don't feel any hostility, it's more like caution and mild suspicion...it's definitely the Inquisitors. Seems they haven't recognized me yet...I'm kinda surprised that such a barebones disguise is actually working," Colt thought to himself, before turning his gaze forward as the sound of footsteps approached echoed out.

The nun was back, and a man was trailing behind her...the very man Colt had come here to see. Priest Davin Petalite, the head of the Amber Village church, and also the older brother of Baron Firth Petalite, whom Lexia had killed just about half an hour ago.

He was in his mid-fifties, with a fully bald head and a scruffy face, green eyes, a fair complexion, and was about average height with a slightly overweight build.

Colt tensed up slightly as he caught sight of the Priest, doing his best to keep his emotions in check and maintain a calm, friendly expression.

"Here he is, Father," Remarked the nun, before stepping aside as the Priest approached Colt.

"Hello, Father Petalite, it's been a long time...tell me, do you remember me?" Inquired Colt lifting his head up and meeting the Priest's gaze with a smile.

"Hm...no, I can't say I do. My apologies, young man," He shook his head in response, after taking a momentary glance at Colt's face.

"Seriously? This bastard, way to piss me off without even trying," Colt thought to himself icily, before replying, "Oh, that's a shame, because I've never forgotten about you...after what you did, there's no way I could forget."

"I see...well, my sincerest apologies, but I'm afraid I don't remember you. More importantly, I believe you came here to thank me properly for whatever I did for you, right? So, what have you got for me?" The Priest asked him with a gleam in his eyes.

"Of course, I do have something for you...and the best part is, it should help jog your memory," Replied Colt, before dropping the facade as a cold, murderous smirk spread out across his lips, tendrils of blood extending out of his palms before he added as the Priest's eyes widened, "So, tell me...do you remember me now!?"

"Y-you're...!" Exclaimed the Priest in alarm, as Colt sent the blood tendrils shooting out towards him, right as several hooded figures, seven in total, dropped down from the rafters, one of them landing behind the Priest and pulling him back.

The Priest cried out in pain as one of the blood tendrils slashed across his chest, tearing through his robes and leaving a deep, horizontal gash across his chest, before the other six Inquisitors surrounded Colt.

"I thought so...he's one of The Irregulars!"

"Do not let him get away!"

"Get away? You don't have to worry about that...I'm exactly where I want to be. Now, [Blood Mist]," He swiftly chanted, before casting the Spell repeatedly and filling the church, before chanting again to activate his newest Spell, "[Blood Mist Detection]."

"What the hell!?"

"Shit, this is so gross!"

"Quick, get Father Petalite to safety, we can't let-...achh!"

"Huh? Hey, what's wrong!? What happened-...arghh!"

"H-he can sense us somehow, don't let your guards d-...!"

"Hm? Oh, hey, I remember you. Or rather, I remember that dagger...you're the one who slashed my right eye when I rescued my sister. I remember that dagger quite vividly...after all, it was the last thing I ever saw with my right eye. Damn it...if I'd recognized it sooner, I wouldn't have killed you so quickly," Colt's voice echoed out after killing the third Inquisitor, as the remaining Inquisitors desperately surveyed their surroundings, but all they could see was Colt's Blood Mist, a veil of crimson obstructing their vision.

Blood Mist Detection, the latest Spell that Colt had created. It was a Level 3 Spell, and as the name suggests, when he casts his Blood Mist Spell and then follows it up with this Spell, he can sense everything that's within the crimson mist.

Before this, Blood Mist was a Spell he almost exclusively used as a smokescreen whenever he was in a situation where he needed to make a quick retreat...but now, it was a real weapon he could use as an offensive tactic in battle.

He swiftly and effortlessly picked off the Inquisitors one by one, while continously casting Blood Mist to keep it from thinning out...Colt's skill and prowess when it came to stealth was extremely high level, there were only a handful of other Assassin's in the nation who were on his level in that regard, Lexia being one of them.

And that high level stealth combined with his Blood Mist Spell, made him effectively invisible to most opponents.

"G-get me out of here, quickly! I...I refuse to die here!" Exclaimed the Priest in terror as the church went quiet, grabbing the last remaining Inquisitor by the shoulders frantically.

"Please stay calm, Father, I'll get you to safety, just stay close and-...," Began the Inquisitor, before he suddenly vanished into the mist with a startled yell, the Priest stumbling back as a muffled cry of pain rang out a second later.

"N-no, this...this can't be happening...!" He stuttered shakily.

"Oh, but it is happening. You are going to die here. But before I kill you, I need to make sure you know that you brought this on yourself. You tried to have me executed. And then, you tried to have my little sister executed...and then, you had my parents killed. I'm here to repay you in kind," Remarked Colt venomously, before the Priest cried out as a sharp pain burst out across his back, as Colt slashed at him with his dagger.

"Y-you have it all wrong, I-I had no choice! Th-the King himself declared that anyone with Irregular Magic must be executed, I-I was just-...arghhh!" He yelled in pain as Colt sliced off his right arm, which hit the floor with a thud as blood sprayed out of the stump that was left of his arm.

"Do you really think I'm going to accept that? Do you really believe that justifies what you did to us? Because I certainly don't...there's absolutely nothing you can say that'll result in me sparing you. Say whatever you want...it won't change the fact that you're going to die here," Colt informed him coldly.

"P-please, wait, I-...garhhhh!!!" The Priest howled in agony as Colt sliced his tongue, whipping his blade across through the Priest's open mouth.

"Like I said, there's nothing you can say that'll result in me sparing you. And I have no interest in anything you have to say...you're not getting any last words or whatever. I'm just going to keep tearing you apart, over and over...until you take your last breath!" Snapped Colt, as he slashed his dagger across at the Priest's eyes, slicing through them and blinding him, before slipping behind him and slashing at his heels as the Priest started to try and run away.

As the Priest collapsed onto the floor with a sharp cry, Colt put away the dagger and extended out several blood tendrils with bladed tips, before violently whipping them around the Priest, who screeched in pain as the tendrils inflicted several deep cuts and gashes all over his body.

Colt was careful not to cut too deeply, wanting to prolonge the man's suffering for as long as he possible could...that's why he stopped using the dagger, he didn't want the poison to kill the Priest too early.

A pool of blood began to form around the Priest as he cried out in agony, his robes steeped in red as tears streamed down his face.

Colt slashed his wrists with the blood tendrils as he began to crawl away, before he screamed in pain as several blood tendrils then pierced into his body, boring in and tunneling through his flesh, as Colt took some inspiration from Lexia and began branching the tendrils out inside the Priest's body-...

"Over here! Hurry!" Suddenly came the nun's voice, from the entrance of the church, as several more footsteps echoed out.

"Shit, I got too caught up in it, I didn't even hear them coming!" Colt thought to himself with an irritated click of his tongue.

"What the...? What's with this red mist?"

"That smell...I think it's blood!"

"The hell is going on here?"

"Looks like playtime's over...I haven't quite had my fill, but it'll just have to do," Sighed Colt, before plunging his dagger into the Priest's forehead, piercing through his skull and slicing into his brain, putting him out of his misery.

Colt then got back up and headed towards a window as he sensed the Knights entering the church, moving slow and steady...he briefly considered killing them too, but decided not to push his luck.

As the blood mist began to dissipate, Colt quietly snuck out of the window, before making his way away from the church.

Once he was a fair distance away, slinking through the alleys, he put his eyepatch back on, as he headed for the border of the village.

Meanwhile, in a small grove of trees on the outskirts of the village...

"Hm...okay, that went almost too well. I mean, it was just so easy...what an odd feeling this is. I've gotten so used to things never going according to plan that this is actually kinda disconcerting. I mean, obviously, I don't want things to go wrong, not at all, but-...," Lexia thought to herself, before jumping with a start as she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

She quickly sprang onto her feet as she tensed up and began to spin around while extending out a bone dagger from her right palm-...

"Woah, easy, it's just me!"

"Oh...so it is. Tch, don't sneak up on me like that," Huffed Lexia, as she let out a quiet sigh and relaxed, the tension leaving her body.

"Sorry, my bad," Replied Colt apologetically.

"Weird...normally, he'd start begging me to slap him or something. Guess he's still not back to normal yet...but I don't think his current state will last much longer, might as well make the most of it before he gets back to his usual, degenerate self," Lexia thought to herself, before responding, "So, how did it go? Were you able to complete your revenge?"

"Yeah, it went without a hitch. I killed the Priest and all the Inquisitors in that church, and I'm pretty sure that one of the Inquisitors I killed was the same one who slashed my right eye. Although, the Knights did show up at the end and I was forced to cut my fun short. I'd have liked a bit more time to really torture them to my heart's content, but that's only a small complaint...all in all, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest," He smiled with a relaxed look on his face.

"I see, that's good...so, what now? What should we-...," Began Lexia as she walked over, before trailing off as she accidentally stepped on his foot, "Oh, sorry, I was-..."

"Mm...do that again, but harder this time," He interrupted her with a grin.

"Aaaand he's back. Well, it was nice while it lasted, I suppose," She thought to herself in disappointment, before responding with an exasperated sigh, "Fuck off, you dumbass pervert. Now, back to what I was-..."

"As always, your insults hit harder than anyone else's," Smiled Colt with a cheerful look on his face.

"...moving on. What's our next move?" She replied through gritted teeth, doing her best to suppress her urge to insult him again, refusing to keep playing into his hands.

"Hm...let's head back to Pearl Forest on foot. That should take about three to four days, at least. We'll fight any Monsters we come across along the way, as part of our training. What do you think?" He suggested after mulling it over.

"Sure, that's fine by me," She nodded in response.

"Cool...by the way, I was thinking. Going forward, we're probably going to work together a lot now that we've been paired up, so how about we share this dagger? Like, swapping it between each other during a fight could be a tactic worth exploring, but for that to be effective, you'll need to use it somewhat frequently to get used to wielding it. We can take turns with it against any Monsters we come across on the way back, or swap it around mid-battle," He proposed as they started heading back.

A look of surprise appeared on Lexia's face, taken aback by the suggestion. The idea definitely appealed to her, since she'd been feeling left out by the fact that she was the only one, besides Raven, who hadn't gotten a Relic Armament.

"Oh, uh...sure, I suppose I wouldn't mind that. Yeah, it's worth a try," She nodded, after pretending to think it over for a moment, not wanting to appear too eager.

"Heh, you don't fool me. I can see it in your eyes, you're actually pretty thrilled, aren't you?" Smirked Colt knowingly.

"Wh-wha-...hmph, quit acting like you've got me all figured out or whatever, it's all in your head," She huffed, before a slight smile spread out across her lips as she playfully bumped her shoulder against his and added, "But I suppose I can admit that you're not totally off the mark."