Requiem Of A Failed Hero



"The way you speak of him... like you know him very well" Kaiser looked at the serious-faced Absalom, admiring the conviction that tightened his gaze upon saying that Raith cannot die.

There was a hint of unwavering assurance that he could see.

"Then do you plan to enter the gate?"

Ryou looked at Absalom, his face was already clear on his answer. But he still had a few contemplations.

They had left Tokyo as soon as they could with a long flight to Germany, he also spoke with the association president that he was going to protect the young hunter no matter what. He feared if he would be able to fulfill that promise if they should enter that gate.

'...well, it's not like this brat would back down if I say no.' He sighed.

Absalom was a handful, he knew not to stop until he gets what he wants, sometimes he seems like a manipulative baby.

"Alright... you will contact your association right?" He asked Kaiser.

"Trust me."

Both of them were association hunters, they were all about the formalities.

Kaiser brought out his smartphone and was on it typing something for a minute, then after he was done he switched off his phone and walked to the tent to give one of the agents. He briefed them on what would be happening and came back to meet Ryou and Absalom.

"Are you ready?" Absalom inquired eagerly.

Kaiser observed his excited composure before nodding to his answer. He began to wonder if taking Absalom really was a good option because he seemed like a troublesome kid through and through.

Both of them would probably shit their pants if they find out they were talking to a ninety-something-year-old vampire.

"Alright!" Absalom exclaimed and the three of them walked into the gate.

Qrrinnnggggh

Absalom shivered as the rush of goosebumps ran through his body upon entering the gate. He couldn't help but shrink back as if he had caught a cold.

"Absalom," Ryou called, concerned.

Absalom's eyes were shaking and his lips were muttering 'How? How? How is this possible?'

While Absalom was shaken and Ryou was dealing with it, another thing attracted Kaiser.

He opened his eyes widely in marvel as he observed the large holes and corpses of ants that were piled here and there.

"Hold yourself together... what is wrong with you?" Ryou nagged.

But Absalom did not mind, he was feeling what he was feeling and was dealing with it.

'...how is fiendish energy in this place. It is faint but I can feel it. And this unsettling feeling in my stomach, something is not right.'

Kaiser led them forward and they began to check the whole place, starting with the surface, avoiding a fall into the large holes was easy for these three skilled hunters.

But after searching the whole surface and there was no sign of living there was no other choice but to go down. They all agreed to go down the same hole.

All through, Absalom was still wearing this uncomfortable and extremely cautious face. But he went in regardless and didn't voice his suspicions, it was about matters regarding Felfhiem after all, there's no way he would tell a bunch of hunters about it.

Upon reaching the bottom of the hole they chose, they could see different carcasses used to decorate the ground. These ants did nothing but eat all day, there were no signs of any development attained from using the materials and carcasses of the human they ate.

"I thought chimera ants were supposed to be innovative and intelligent. Did we get ourselves nothing but foodmongers?" Kaiser put forth, his voice putting a brief relaxation to the deafening silence.

"This place is indeed devastating. Do you feel anything Absalom?"

Kaiser's attention went to Absalom as Ryou asked the question. Absalom was absorbed in front, investigating the scene, he finally paused after a minute and looked at the channel that was in front of him.

"Perhaps this hole is interconnected and it would lead us to the boss monster's room." He turned back to the two of them, "...if Raith would be anywhere it has to be the boss monster's room. He goes straight for the head."

That was backed up by his experience from the few times that he and Raith had trained while Volmak was trying to teach both of them. Raith was a quick finisher, he would aim straight for Absalom's head although it was futile because of Absalom's inhuman speed.

"I see..." Kaiser nodded. "Then will you need the way?" He asked, his voice was polite despite having been rude to them earlier before.

"Sure." Absalom nodded.

He was the best choice for the situation since he could feel that faint fiendish energy and he could feel something little of Raith, although it wasn't enough for him to be certain that Raith was there.

They proceeded forward with a keen observation of their surrounding, it was surprising still that there was still not one life left in this place.

'Did he do all these in just 20 hours?' Kaiser was filled with more admiration.

The ants number that they had gone through was much, and it seemed like the entire population of the world had gathered in one place, and it'd probably require over fifty strong hunters, strong hunters meaning at least A ranks– it'd require that much to do this kind of damage that Raith alone had done to the ants.

'To be able to do this? He must have a power equal to that of a thousand hunters, maybe a hundred.'

Kaiser felt like he was exaggerating it in his mind but he still couldn't fathom Raith's strength. Of course, Raith's main ability was kept hidden by the association.

The ability to extract the soul of dead people and make them his soldiers.

It's amazing because that wasn't even Raith's main ability, it wasn't the reason why he was going stronger.

They came to a stop as they reached the boss's room. Kaiser looked around, beholding the dents on the floor, from where he stood he couldn't see it in full scope yet but as he began to walk further into the palace the destruction on the ground and wall, the scraped-off parts on the wall by the impacts of attacks, the ground, here and there.

"What in the world happened here?"