NOVEL NEXT 216. The Lesser Evil
216. The Lesser Evil
A blue glow flashed from his chest. "Zetius! Don't flirt with her!" Cubie warned in a hushed tone.
He pulled his coat over her, muffling the light. "Eh?! What are you doing?" he whispered, letting Serene walk ahead. Her constant pace suggested she was still oblivious.
"Do not trust her—"
"Calm down, I'm not flirting with anyone. I'm gathering intel!" Zetius shushed.
"I am calm. But let me riddle you this: when did you ever mention your name to her?"
Cubie was right. Zetius blinked. He didn't remember telling Serene his name, yet she had said it without fail. His lips parted in realisation. "Oh… Damn… you're right…"
"Zetius… Hurry up, we're almost there." Serene half-turned, her blue eyes glowing brightly in the gloom of the dark hallway.
"C~Coming!" Zetius tucked Cubie under his Arc coat, smiling dryly.
A guttural roar echoed from the chamber ahead, where two shadows wrestled.
"There they are!" Serene sighed with relief.
Zetius recognised one of them immediately — the demonic lumberjack he was searching for. It wrestled with another thin, shaggy creature.
The demon swung a heavy arm, but the creature evaded the blow and hurled it to the ground.
"What is that thing?" Zetius watched in shock.
The creature's glowing green eyes and husk-like frame resembled an undead. Its skin was wrinkled down to the bone, though its teeth remained somewhat human. Spectral green energy dripped from the missing chunks of flesh in its arms and legs.
Zetius glanced at Serene and saw the eager expression on her face, a small dot of green light reflected in her pupils.
This was undoubtedly the work of Necromancy, and she was the one commanding the ghoul.
"We must finish them!" Zetius moved forward, only to be hauled back by her outstretched hand on his chest.
"Let them fight to their hearts' content. Why waste your precious mana?" Serene smirked before biting her lip.
The growling and wailing of the two creatures exchanging bloody blows was like jazz to her ears.
The sounds had the opposite effect on him. His fists clenched tightly. "They have suffered enough."
"You are wrong," Serene spoke, her voice suddenly cold as her eyes met his. "Her soul has already reached the underworld. What you are seeing is just her dancing corpse."
"And your necromancy…" Zetius muttered, stepping back.
It all made sense now; why he had never found the female corpse, not even a bone, and why the demon was already injured before their first encounter. It had been Serene's play all along. She had been hunting the demon using the undead wife he had killed.
Such cruel irony.
"Jackpot!" Serene waved a small, teal orb into the air and shot it towards the ghoul.
It absorbed into the creature, causing one of its arms to convulse aggressively. A dead scream thundered from its throat as muscle expanded and bone snapped out of its limb, forming a massive blade like liquid metal.
The demon growled, lunging at her during the grotesque transformation.
But her blade solidified in time. She slashed diagonally. Blood splattered across the floor.
"AHHH!" the demon screamed, its left hand trying to gather its own entrails.
It was a gruesome battle. Zetius watched with a twisted gut.
Serene faced him fully, tapping her temple in a teasing gesture. "Fufufu, took you a while, but I'm overjoyed that you eventually recognised my masterwork."
She is very dangerous. I must tread carefully. Zetius retreated a step. "Then give it to me straight, Serene. Who exactly are you?"
A chuckle escaped her red lips. "I've told you, I'm an arcanist, of course. Just like you, I'm tasked to investigate this widespread phenomenon."
"Then which Lunarius gave the command?!" Zetius settled into a low stance, two fingers pointed at his sides.
"Lunarius? When did I say I take orders from a Lunarius—"
"Stop toying with me!" Zetius shifted, becoming a hazy figure as he pinned her against the cold wall. His fingers touched her pale, immaculate neck — so immaculate he couldn't even see the veins beneath the skin.
"Tell me who you work for! Do you serve Ignius?!" Zetius growled, his eyes arcing with electric light.
Despite his threat, Serene remained undisturbed, her smile never faltering.
"Do you even listen?! I will do it! I'm not bluffing!" Zetius spoke somberly. He meant it. He would unleash Astrapyion at point-blank range if he had to.
Instead, Serene's gaze drifted to the fight at the centre of the chamber. The female ghoul had abruptly gone limp, frozen in place.
"You know… unlike necromancy, where the soul has left the body, those damned souls nest within the host like a parasite. The host still sees every vile action but has no control over it," she said softly. "Such a pity."
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"Get to the point, lady!" He pressed his body harder against hers.
"You have seen it, haven't you? The poor man was still in that body when he begged," Serene lilted, her tune eerie.
"How do we stop them?! Is there a cure?!"
"Unfortunately, it isn't a simple affliction. Once the manifestation is complete, there is no saving the infected."
"Then there is only one way…" Zetius's gaze drifted back to the demon.
Shaking off its daze, the demonic husband seized its chance and tackled the ghoul. It straddled her, pounding her motionless body with its full force.
Each slam delivered a satisfying crunch, but the ghoul didn't retaliate.
Exasperated, Zetius hissed and snapped his attention away from Serene, extending a hand toward the demon. "Astrapyion!"
A branch of lightning shot out, hurling the demon across the room. A wailing scream escaped its lips.
Zetius drifted to the ghoul, kneeling beside her. It was true. There was no life in her, just the glowing green arcane staring back at him.
May your path to the underworld be undisturbed. He briefly bowed his head.
"Let's get this over with." Zetius sprang to his feet, his steps heavy as he approached the crawling demon, its skin smouldering and black.
"There's no saving them, Zetius." Serene's voice rang in his ear again, but she wasn't near him. What kind of arcane is this? He shook his head, forcing himself to focus.
As he lifted his fingers to deliver the final blow—
Tens of ghostly white hands erupted from the walls and ground. The wailing voices of the damned deafened him, and Zetius cupped his ears in agony.
Demonic laughter burst from the creature's throat. Its body lifted into the air and enlarged to triple its original size. The damned souls whirled around it, generating a wind as violent as a hurricane.
Zetius lifted his arms to guard his face, barely able to see.
His boots began to slip, sucked toward the centre.
"Zetius! Hang on!" Cubie poked out, projecting an Armatus hand that plunged into the ground, holding him in place.
Two black horns sat atop the demon's head like a crown. Its face tilted toward the ceiling in contentment before its red slit eyes fluttered open. It looked down its nose at him. "Ah! It feels great to be alive once more. Freedom tastes sweet, ad infinitum."
Once the wind ceased, Zetius fired an electrical discharge. The bolts connected with the demon's chest, and it plunged to the ground.
"Begone!" Zetius closed the distance and slammed his leg onto the demon's torso. The creature crashed into the wall, shattering the rocks behind it.
He followed with electric fists, grunting with each relentless swing, giving the newborn demon no room to breathe.
Right hook. Left jab. Right uppercut—
The demon's face suddenly stopped swaying from the impacts. Zetius's lips parted, his eyes widening in shock. "H~how?!"
"We know pain… and we learn from it." The demon's skin regenerated to its vibrant red colour. It straightened its back, now matching his height.
"Impossible!" Zetius launched a desperate swing, only for it to be caught in its bare hand. Long, sharp claws dug into his skin.
"I am a chieftain of this catacomb. Remember my name, Vaal, as the one who drags you to Tartarus!" the demonic voice boomed.
It opened its wide mouth, and a powerful, blacklight charged within.
Struggling with all his might, Zetius tried to yank his hand free, but he could not. He quickly punched with his offhand, but it too was caught effortlessly.
"Damn it!" Zetius grunted, pulling away with no avail.
A bright green light flashed across the room. His hands were suddenly released as Vaal screamed in pain.
"Zetius!" Serene's voice called out. Zetius turned to find her right behind him. Her lips touched his earlobe as she pulled him away, his body feeling as light as if they were levitating.
In a matter of seconds, the ghoul jumped and latched onto Vaal. Her muscles glowed brighter with each passing moment, and then—
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore through the chamber, causing a section of the ceiling to collapse. The ground trembled as rock and smoke spilled in every direction.
"Gaia… I thought I was a goner," Zetius coughed, finding himself on the ground. The demon Vaal, or what remained of him, was scattered in pieces amongst the collapsing rocks.
"No way that monster can walk away from that," Zetius analysed. He then became aware of Serene's hands wrapped around his shoulders from behind.
"You're safe now, dear," Serene said softly. "Do you at least believe me now, hmm?"
"Th~thank you," he stammered, only then realising his head was cushioned by something incredibly soft and warm — a stark contrast to the cold, hard floor.
Her... her ample chest.
The feeling was disorienting; a forgotten sensation of gentle comfort amidst the chaos.
Jerking away, Zetius bowed. "My deepest apology!" His heart hammered against his ribs.
"Fufufu, funny how hostile you tried to be just a minute ago." Serene cupped her lips, her fingernail pointing at his sternum. "Come on out… What are you?"
"Um…" Zetius hesitated, but Cubie poked her body out anyway.
"I'm, um, Cubie… his essence," she said with a pang of guilt. Their strategic plan had failed miserably.
Serene blinked a few times but didn't seem overly surprised. "A talking essence isn't the craziest thing I've seen today, so…"
As Serene helped Zetius to his feet, he smoothed his Arc coat awkwardly. "What did the green flash do?"
"It's just a green flare," Serene explained, dusting off her cloak. "Their eyes aren't adjusted to the colour, so the flare is able to daze them."
"Oh…" Zetius nodded, remarking with awe, "Well, Serene… you seem very knowledgeable about this…"
"Hm," she clipped, resting her hand on her wide pelvis.
Minutes passed as she surveyed the ruined chamber. Once she was satisfied, she spoke. "My task here is done. You must return soon. The fissure is unstable now that its power source, in this case, the chieftain, is destroyed." She gave him a pointed look. "I can entrust you to seal it, correct? It's a simple matter, much like your own portal magic."
Zetius processed this, then gave a reluctant nod.
Gathering his courage, he asked the question that had been bothering him. "How did you know my name?"
She paused, surprised, and brought a finger to her lips. "It's the girl's secret."
"Come on… I just embarrassed myself," Zetius insisted, kneading his palms.
"Nope, you did not. But I'll tell you next time."
"Next time?" Zetius frowned.
"Are you not coming back with us?" Cubie blurted out, confused.
"I've got somewhere to be… so this is goodbye…" Serene muttered, a sense of inexplicable yearning in her tone.
"The age of whispers had ended, for the world had reached the point of no return. The Sixth Apocalypse was upon us."
Her voice gradually faded as she dissolved into a small, dark mass, and the sound of fluttering wings echoed in the cavernous chamber.
"So that's how she moves around, huh?" Zetius thought aloud, fascinated by her ability.
"Duh… That doesn't explain anything," Cubie hissed, shaking her cube form.
As Zetius emerged from the dark passage, he gasped for fresh air — a welcome sign he was back in the land of the living at last.
"Zetius… Is that you?!" A masculine voice called out, surprised. Lunarius Willhelm Mae Arden stood before him, four sets of footsteps following at his heels.
It appeared the Lunarius had brought quite a crowd to perform Zetius's seek-and-rescue.