by George Fry
“What?”
“He always had a strange fascination with watching lesser beings compete. Those who proved themselves to be the most powerful became his closest disciples.”
“Were there twelve of them?” Drifter jest.
“No one knows… this old tower is falling apart. Rotting away, much like the memories of those ancient times. The days of Lucifer’s rule are long gone and me and my master are the last remaining descendants of the guardians of this sacred ground.”
“You dragged me all the way up here for a history lesson?”
“That sword… what does it mean to you?”
“It’s a weapon.”
“Is that all? Such a mundane and simple answer. I don’t know whether you’re oblivious or just feigning ignorance. To me and my kind, that weapon was the catalyst that changed everything. It’s existence is nothing but a curse.”
“Is Lucifer still around or not?”
“Only my master is allowed to answer such questions.”
“Of course he is…”
“In order to meet with my master I must first test you.”
“Of course you do…”
“Now, en guarde!”
Ferrum’s robes tore off as he revealed the blades jutting out of his arms.
Drifter didn’t even flinch and simply waited for the knived demon to make a move.
The priest darted forward, planning to rip Drifter to shreds for refusing to even try and put up his guard, but Drifter stayed calm, his hands placed comfortably in his pockets. The second the priest invaded his personal space, Drifter’s leg instantly sprung up, booting Ferrum clean in the stomach, killing his momentum.
As the priest lumbered back in shock and agony, Drifter lifted his fist to Ferrum’s face. Without even moving a muscle, the priest was suddenly flung to the other side of the room. Drifter unleashed a force of energy from his fist, like a gun firing a blank. The force was strong enough to carry a fully grown man several feet.
“So, what were you trying to test with that move?” Drifter asked, condescendingly.
The priest was still in shock. He wished to test the power of the Legendary Demon Sword, but Drifter hadn’t even drawn his blade yet. He barely moved and yet, he retaliated so swiftly and precisely.
It all happened too fast for him to understand how much power the sword was putting out. Was Drifter holding back, or did he attack so quickly that Ferrum couldn’t even sense it?
Picking himself up, Ferrum was determined to gauge Drifter’s power. In a burst of adrenaline, the priest darted around Drifter, to attack from the back, but Drifter’s reactions were not to be underestimated. His body glowed with a white aura, as he tracked the priest’s movements, turning with him, meeting him face-to-face.
Ferrum was awestruck, Drifter followed him perfectly, but he didn’t counterattack. He simply watched, daring Ferrum to make a move. The priest obliged and assaulted him with his claws.
With every swipe Drifter ducked and with every jab Drifter side stepped. No matter how fast Ferrum attacked, Drifter was reacting far too quickly for him to land a single clean hit. The whole time, Drifter kept the same emotionless expression, as if he had seen all these lame tricks before.
Flailing wildly clearly wasn’t working, Ferrum needed to catch Drifter by surprise. In the midst of his attacks, the priest’s arm blades retracted into his body and without warning, burst out of his chest, stabbing deep into Drifter’s abdomen.
While satisfied that he had finally exploited one of Drifter’s openings with a decisive strike, Ferrum was curious as to why there was no blood. He soon looked on in horror as the visage of Drifter he stabbed slowly dissipated.
It was an illusion, an afterimage, left behind by Drifter’s ludicrous speed. The real Drifter stood casually, a mere milimeter outside the blade’s range. Drifter lifted his fist and once again, released another explosive burst of power, sending the priest flying across the room a second time.
“How is this possible?” Ferrum questioned, stumbling onto his feet.
“The Demon Sword is only supposed to enhance your power. How can a human, a being far inferior to a demon, outclass me and by such a wide margin? That strength can’t be from a human, what the hell are you!?”
“You’re no different from the rest.” Drifter calmly criticised. “You throw your weight around without any thought and expect that to be enough. Then you’re all shocked when I stomp your shit. All because you assume humans are inferior. That they couldn’t possibly stand up to a demon. You’re an idiot.”
“Idiot? A human, calling a demon an idiot? Humanity are the idiots. You’re soft, weak and entitled. You’re like insects compared to us. Compared to Lucifer! He should have exterminated you when he had the chance, but instead he fell victim to... Huh!?”
Ferrum lifted his head, he was so busy ranting he hadn’t noticed Drifter already heading for the exit.
“Where are you going!?”
Drifter didn’t even give Ferrum the courtesy of acknowledging him and kept walking.
“Stupid pillock. I’ll find his master on my own. Just stay down and shut up.”
“You… arrogant… worm! A disgusting human… and that accursed sword! You… you symbolise everything that’s wrong with our world… and you dare treat me… like trash!?”
The priest’s rage boiled, decades of seething jealousy for humanity and hatred for the weapon that ruined his land rushed into him all at once. Ferrum’s pride as a demon, as a follower of Lucifer and his disgust at being bested by a human, drove his viciousness. His muscles tensed and his power soared.
“I can’t accept a loss like this... not to a human... not to that sword! I’ll deliver you to the master in bloody pieces!”
In one final display of undying conviction, the priest lunged towards Drifter, faster than he ever had in his entire life. This was no longer a test, this was a battle for his own dignity. The human must die.
But, as the priest closed in, his body suddenly became so petrified, he nearly went into convulsions. Time slowed to a crawl as he watched as Drifter’s aura flared up.
His sword was already unsheathed, resting on the ground, held backhanded and with a flick of his arm, he swiped behind him. He swung with such force, it cut the air itself, slicing through the priest and even shattering the windows at the back of the room. The attack came out so fast, Ferrum was still in mid-run, but the force of the blow lifted him into the air, as his body was bisected.
The last moments Ferrum witnessed, before he was blinded by death’s darkness, was the back of the human who slayed him, already leaving the fight. His death barely qualified as a footnote. A wasted effort. The two bloody halves of his body slid across floor and were left to rot in peace.
Drifter continued to the top of the tower. Fighting the priest put him in a foul mood. All he wanted was answers to a very simple question, but demons always had to make things difficult, their egos always their top priority.
He didn’t have the patience for it anymore. He busted through the final stone door and arrived at the top of the tower. A strong wind kicked up dust on the hard, stone roof. Even at the top of the tower, the dirt from the desert roads still infected the air.
Dale looked dejected and confused, staring at the ground. On the other side of the tower was a demon of the same race as the priest, only he appeared more mature, resolved and powerful.
“So… you finally made it to the top.” The demon greeted, as Drifter responding with his usual glare.
“I am Rado, the master of The Tower of Heylel. I assume you passed my servant’s test?”
“Another pointless death to add to my never ending list.” Drifter replied.
“His death was not in vein. Thanks to his sacrifice, we can confirm that the Sword of Legend’s power was very real and far exceeded our expectations. It seems Locke was right. The one who unlocks that blade’s full potential will have the power to bring this world back from the brink of extinction. All we have to
do now, is take it back.”
“How many fucking times do I have to kill you dumb pieces of shit? Five years you’ve been doing this! Are all of you idiots suicidal!?”
“I have other methods of defeating you besides direct confrontation.” Rado taunted, throwing the curved blade on the pedestal at Dale’s feet. “Right, boy?”
Dale seriously considered using it, but was interrupted by Drifter.
“Touch that thing and your dead, kid.”
Drifter’s order offending Dale. “Oh, now you’re looking out for me!? I thought you didn’t care about what I did!?”
“I’d rather not kill a human, if I can help it.”
“Are you fucking serious!? What about all those humans you burnt alive!? You didn’t have much trouble killing them!”
“The moment those monsters got their hands on them, they were already dead.”
“But, you didn’t even try!”
“Did you?”
“What!? You… you knew I couldn’t do anything… even if I tried…”
Drifter paused to think for a moment. “Fine, do what you want. You’re just distracting me.”
He turned his attention back on the demon.
Dale didn’t have the drive to pursue the issue any further, he was even more lost and confused then he was before, instead opting to take a step back and let Drifter finish his business. Not that he had any power to stop him.
“I didn’t climb this godforsaken tower to listen to gay religious preaching, or take your stupid tests. I just have one question. Is Lucifer alive?”
Rado’s face grew serious, almost angered by Drifter’s callousness.
“Tell me, human. Have you noticed the wind bellowing around this tower?”
“What?”
“Have you noticed how this world has no sky? No Sun or Moon to cast it’s light upon the land. An impassable ceiling, oppressing the people with it’s impenetrable darkness.”
“You’re not listening.”
“But, how can a world with no Moon have wind? How can a world with no Sun still have light?”
“Stop it.”
“This world was once bountiful and beautiful, as the people bathed in the light of our lord and saviour, but as you can see it is a shadow of its former self, surrounded by death and decay. ”
Drifter pointed his finger as a small spark shot out towards the preaching demon. It was so miniscule in size, Rado hadn’t even noticed its presence until it had snuck right in front of his right shoulder, interrupting his monologue.
The moment it made contact with the demon’s skin, the spark detonated like a bomb, leaving a gaping wound in the demon’s shoulder, gushing blood, as he grasped at it in agony.
“Shut the fuck up.” Drifter ordered. “Is Lucifer alive, yes or no?”
The demon, still grasping his shoulder regained some footing and continued.
“This land… was once prosperous… inhabited by warriors, priests and commoners alike. All united under the rule... of our God, Lucifer. But, once he disappeared, by the hands of that accursed sword, this world fell apart…”
A white hot razor suddenly sliced through the demon’s left shoulder, weakening him even further with more blood loss. Drifter had pulled his sword, which was smoking from the projectile he just fired from it.
“Don’t give me that ‘disappeared’ crap.”
Determined to tell his tale to the end, Rado continued. “This world… had many false gods… rise to power… but none of them… held a candle to Lucifer… they became obsessed… with the power of that sword… the sword that slayed Lucifer… endless fighting… over a power… this world never needed....”
Drifter was about to make a third move until Rado mentioned something that piqued his interest.
“Locke… he is the only one... this world has left… the only one who truly understands… if he can obtain the Legendary Sword… and free him… we can begin a new world… and rebuild this wasteland…”
“Fine, Lucifer's gone.” Drifter sighed. “So, where’s this Locke guy?”
Rado remained silent, he wasn’t going to divulge such important information to a human.
“Is he the one who unleashed demons into my world?”
Again, there was no response.
Drifter groaned. “What a waste.”
He aimed his sword as it lit up, glowing a burning white, until it fired a razor sharp beam that tore through the demon’s chest, dealing a fatal blow. The blood loss from his new wound was the final nail in the coffin, as Rado coughed up crimson mucus and fell to his knees. His vision blurred, his body could barely stay up and he soon fell on his back, having lost all his energy.
Dale was enamoured by Rado’s story. It sounded genuine, like they were struggling for more than just a selfish desire for power, but Drifter didn't care. He was entirely focused on his new objective: Find Locke.
Everything else was irrelevant, including the motivations of the demons he was fighting. To him they were just monsters.
After walking past Rado’s body, Drifter mumbled to himself.
“Of course…” He slashed at the air, creating a rip in the fabric of reality. “I thought I sensed some weird shit up here… does that mean this Locke guy is close?”
Drifter entered the portal. Dale attempted to chase after him, not wanting to be left in the Demon World, but stopped when he heard the dying cry of Rado.
“...the arm blade…”
“No thanks… I don’t wanna be cursed, or die, or whatever that thing does.”
“...it is the last remnant of my kind… take it with you… so that we won’t be forgotten...”
Dale picked up the blade and examined it, reconsidering the option to use it.
“Will this thing give me demon powers?”
“I wanted to see him…. the true Demon King…”
“Hey, how do I even use this thing? It doesn’t have a handle.”
Distracted by the strange weapon, Dale hadn’t noticed that the demon had drawn his final breath. Even if he was a monster, Dale couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the devil who ultimately just wanted to play his part in saving their world.
As Dale looked over Rado’s body, the blade suddenly began merging into his arm, sinking into the skin. “Oh, Jesus! What!?”
It completely buried itself in his arm, attaching to his bone until it disappeared inside him. Terrified as to what just happened, Dale desperately picked at his arm to try and dig the blade out, only for it to jut outwards below his elbow.
Without even thinking, he could freely retract the blade in and out of his lower arm, like it was an extra limb. As if that wasn’t bizarre enough, his body felt lighter. He felt renewed and refreshed, brimming with energy. He wasn’t sure to what extent, but this demon weapon felt like it was enhancing his body’s capabilities. It gave him newfound confidence.
“I couldn’t have saved them, even if I tried…. but, now… with this blade, I can be a real hero. Maybe I’m getting in over my head, but it’s worth a try at least. Anything’s better than sitting around, praying for a miracle.”
But, before he could take part in any heroics, there was one thing he had to do first and it laid on the other side of that portal.
“First thing I’m gonna do is give that arsehole a piece of my mind.”
Chapter 4: Miss Lajioe's Bodyguards
✽✽✽
After escaping the Demon World through the portal left by Drifter, Dale emerged in a grassy plain, by the side of the empty motorway. The road was illuminated by moonlight, with the crisp, cool, night air making a pleasant change from the dusty, dryness of Hell.
Just a few feet away, he spotted the back of that familiar, filthy white coat, standing alone in the grass. With his newfound confidence, and undying stubbornness, Dale fearlessly marched straight up to Drifter.
“Hey!” He yelled. “Since when could you open up portals like that!?”
Drifter’s arms were folded, as he stared into th
e distance, distracted by his own thoughts, but not distracted enough to throw shade at Dale.
“Go be a fag somewhere else, kid.” He remarked, waving him off like a buzzing gnat.
“You know? I’m really getting sick of your shit.”
“Then leave.”
“No way! I’m in too deep! I wanna know more about Lucifer and Locke!? What happened to the Demon World!? What made them come to our world!? And who the fuck are you!?”
“Dimensional rifts linger.”
“What!?”
“Portals between worlds. Created by demons. Even after they’ve disappeared, their presence still lingers for a while. That’s how I was able to cut open a portal, because it was already there, I just reopened it.”
“Okay, we’re making progress.”
“You got your answer. Now, shut up.”
Dale was left even more frustrated. He didn’t understand why Drifter was being so difficult. If he didn’t know anything, he could just say so, but if he did, why would he hide it? If he was having trouble, Dale was willing to help. Instead, Drifter chose to say nothing, thus accomplishing nothing.
He couldn’t stand it. After being dragged to Hell and back, Dale wasn’t going to just drop everything and leave, like it all never happened. He was going to confront Drifter as many times as he needed to, in the hopes of dragging out any information he could get.
He ran ahead and blocked Drifter’s path.
“For fuck’s sake…” Drifter grumbled, already exhausted by Dale’s petulant pestering.
“Drifter… that demon said your sword lead to endless fighting and destroyed their world. Any thoughts?”
“Not my problem.”
“Really? It’s your sword, don’t you feel the least bit responsible?”
“No.”
“Did you destroy their world?”
“No.”
“Then… aren’t you at least curious about really happened to their world?”
“No.”
“Why not? Don’t you care!?”
“No.”
“But, why!? Why are you wielding that sword? You don’t help people, you don’t seem to enjoy fighting and you can’t even be bothered to at least find out why it’s even here in the first place!