ROTLE- Chapter 177- Red Left Hand

The world was blotted out. Darkness filled it.

Clerent turned as he felt the effect of it. Two of his four greater enchantments were gone. He gritted his teeth at that. His manifesting skill gave him two greater enchantments to work with, but his divinity had granted him two more.

[You have entered an area of high Demonic mana density]

Clerent was not surprised. Still, this was not how it was supposed to go.

It’s impossible, he thought, staring at the absence of his divine light. I am a [Saint].

The church was obsessed with their [Saint]s, so much so that they tested them, pitting them against demonic mana as often as they could. In fact, a [Saint] was required to stand in a room dipped in demonic mana for no less than twelve hours a year. It was compulsory. Within that room, they would unleash the divinity of their patron god, suppressing the mana within the room.

Every single year he suppressed it without any strain. This much was not supposed to be enough to blot out his divinity.

Demonic mana is not greater than the gods! He snarled at himself.

Still, he had two greater enchantments, and he had a child in front of him. But could he call the [Demon King] a child?

We knew too little, he thought. The church was wrong.

Every single kingdom, be they with a system sanctioned king or not, the church knew they combat prowess. But the things and skills that the [Demon King] was displaying fell outside what they knew of the kingdom of Bandiv…

Unless he brought his skills from the world he came from.

It does not matter, Clerent thought with a finality. I’ll kill him here.

[You have used Divine skill Sword of Light]

His sword blared out immediately. Clerent channeled as much of his mana as he could into it, forcing it to grow, to shine, to blaze. If it was bright enough, he could banish the darkness.

[You are currently in an are of high Demonic mana Density]

I fucking know! He hissed.

What was more enraging than his failure was Aiden standing, patiently waiting for him. It was an insult to his position—an insult to the church.

[Demonic mana density is too high]

…

[You have fallen under the unique effect of Demonic mana]

[All Divine skill effect are reduced by 50%]

[Aiden Lacheart has used Manifesting skill]

[You are under the effect of Aiden Lacheart’s Manifesting skill]

…

[Skill Willpower has been detected]

At ninety-six percent, skills that required [Willpower] to subdue you rarely had any effect on Clerent. It was part of the reason the church grew the [Willpower] of all their soldiers. Sadly, it was a difficult and delicate skill to grow, so it didn’t grow fast enough and they couldn’t push you too hard for fear of losing your life.

[You have insufficient Willpower]

[Manifesting Skill takes effect]

What in the actual fuck? Clerent bared his teeth at Aiden in a show of rage. The boy remained there, waiting. For what? Clerent did not know.

[You have been afflicted by a Manifesting Skill]

[Manifesting skill has inflicted debuff Mana fluctuation]

[Your mana stat is in a state of instability]

[All ambient skill desired effect will vary]

[All Enchantment of Lesser effects are reduced by 50%]

[All Enchantment effects are reduced by 25%]

The sword of light guttered out as Clerent’s hold on his mana slipped. This was too much for him, the weight was overbearing. Infront of him Aiden watched him with his head cocked to the side, as if confused by something.

Aiden’s lips pressed into a thin line that wasn’t really an expression. It irked Clerent, drew his ire.

“You’re over level one hundred,” Aiden said.

Only when he heard the words did Clerent realize that the boy was not looking at him. He was looking above him, just over his head.

I didn’t feel [Detect], he thought. There was no way Aiden knew his exact level. And even if he did, it would make no difference.

“You’re weak, aren’t you?” Aiden said. There was something wrong with his voice. It was like three people trying to say the same thing at the same time.

There was a heavy level of dissonance. And his eyes, Clerent was vexed just looking at them. Anyone who saw Aiden now would know what he was.

Clerent wasn’t wrong to declare him the [Demon King]. With eyes as black as night with no touch of white, he struck a horrible visage. Eyes so black that they could be seen from where he was even in the darkness.

For the first time, Clerent considered a thought. Aiden had called him weak as if it was a matter of fact. The truth was that Clerent was weak. He was an [Enchanter]. His class was never meant for combat. It was a support class, and he had used it as a support class until the god of light had taken favor in him and bestowed him with [Divine Skill]s. After that, the church had found him and taught him how to fight in conjunction with his class and divine skills.

Now here he was, without his divine skills to boost him. No command of his countless pieces of enchanted papers. They were nothing but pieces of paper now, useless. Without his sword of light he was unarmed, having never carried a real weapon since divine skills did neither had a cool down time nor ran out of mana to power them.

And Aiden could see right through him.

Clerent knew it now. It had been in the previous exchange of blows. For all his levels, Aiden was strong. Aiden might be out-leveled, but Clerent was out-skilled and outclassed.

I might not win.

The truth was a weight lifted from his shoulder. There was always something powerful in admittance, even if it was admittance of one’s weakness.

Clerent let out a peaceful sigh. He looked at Aiden, standing to his full height. He couldn’t believe that he had done something unbefitting of a [Saint], and in front of the [Demon King] no less.

“You are a blight that should be wiped from the face of this world,” he said simply, the truth did not need expatiating. “Will you yield and die here?”

Aiden cocked his head in another direction. A curious expression touched his face.

“No,” he said in three broken voices. It was eerie to listen to.

Clerent nodded in understanding. “Then die here.”

[Dash] carried him forward.

[You have used Class skill Enchantment Awareness]

If there was one thing that he knew, for all the mystery of Aiden Lacheart’s class and the way he fought, he depended heavily on enchantments.

[Enchantment Awareness] showed him no active or passive enchantments. That took him by surprise. He had expected at least one—

His senses came alive as something moved in the air beside him. He darted to the side, canceling the [Dash] skill. Chains of deep black manifested from the air wrapping around the point where he had been.

Magic? He wondered in slow panic. It can’t be.

Movement erupted in the air next to him and he dived away. Vines reached up from the ground to grab him, missing him entirely.

Clerent scowled. He hated manifesting skills that affected large areas. It seemed being the [Demon King] had granted Aiden Lacheart some type of skill that reached out and pressed his dominion on the world.

He withstood my aura attack, too, Clerent thought, resuming his charge at Aiden.

If Aiden was bothered by his approach, Clerent could not see it on his face. Still, his own manifesting skill was a trump card of its own even if it wasn’t anything truly special. Greater enchantments, after all, were not easy things to deal with.

He closed the remaining distance quickly, leading with an open palm strike. Aiden dodged it with a tilt of his head. He moved no other part of his body. It was disrespectful. The boy thought that he was that powerful. The previous fight had made him arrogant.

Clerent followed up, intermixing closed fists with open palm strikes. Aiden didn’t move from his spot. Attacks to his head were evaded with tilts of the head, attacks to the upper body were deflected by his normal arm. It blitzed out easily, parried, blocking, sending attacks askew. It grew Clerent’s frustration.

He stepped back, giving the illusion of distance, and closed back in the blink of an eye. He swung his hand from the side and activated a skill.

[You have used Divine skill Sword of Light]

Clerent’s mana churned within him, divine skills reacting poorly to demonic mana. The light came to life but only barely. He would not be able to keep it alive for long.

But he didn’t need it alive for long.

What should’ve been a blow that wouldn’t reach became a sword slash. Aiden raised his hand, slamming it into the Clerent’s wrist. It halted the attack immediately. The skill guttered out just at the same time.

Aiden did not strike. He did not counterattack. They stood there, in that position for a moment. Clerent half-expected Aiden to gloat. Aiden did not.

Concealed by his robe, Clerent through a vicious kick at Aiden’s thigh. Aiden checked the kick with a raised leg, taking the blow to the chin at just the right enough placement that it inflicted pain on Clerent.

Hopping back and away from Aiden, Clerent was sure that Aiden had brought his fighting abilities from his old world because he fought like someone with experience. The man who had taught Clerent how to fight often fought in this manner, as if he was thinking of something else while his body simply reacted—as if he was fighting against a child.

Clerent bit down on his anger from being looked down. Emotions clouded a fight.

I’m over level one hundred and thirty, he thought with a scowl. I’m supposed to be stronger, faster.

He had the stats. Then again, most of his stat increase went into mana , dexterity, and perception. He had focused, emphasized the advantages needed by an [Enchanter]. He only paid attention to the other stats every now and again.

You can engrave and enchant in the blink of an eye, he reminded himself as Aiden deflected another blow.

With that thought, he spun around Aiden, summoning a piece of paper and an ink pen from his storage space.

[You have used Class skill Engrave]

[You have used Class skill Enchant]

[You have used Enchantment of Force]

He slammed the paper into Aiden who was already turning with him. Aiden’s red arm shot out, drawing a straight line across the piece of paper. Golden lines sparked through the air, cutting straight through the paper as well.

[Enchantment of Force does not take effect]

Clerent ignored it, activating a different skill.

[Manifesting skill Grace of Enchantment is in effect]

[You have used one Greater Enchantment]

[You have used Enchantment of Greater Lightning]

The enchantment that had never abandoned him glowed a bright white, striking for with a loud rumble like a maelstrom from the skies above.

It boomed with thunder as it came down. Aiden looked to it. Clerent took advantage, leaping at him. Aiden’s hand flashed out and Clerent ducked the backhanded slap at the last moment.

Then the lightning hit.

It exploded, sending Clerent leaping back. It was bright and white. Hot, too. So much so that Clerent had to look away for a moment.

Only now, in this moment, did he remember those around them. Alphonset the third, Estabel the [Mage] and her subordinate Yerit. He took the moment to check on them and found them far away.

When did we go so far? He wondered. Just how long had he and Aiden been fighting.

When the lightning cleared out, there was nothing but dust and red hot patches on the ground were the lightning had turned the sand to molten glass. At the center of it, Aiden stood looking at him, green coat burnt in too many places.

Impossible.

The boy didn’t look like someone who had been hit with a greater enchantment without any protection.

Aiden looked down at his hand, curious. “So that’s how it works.”

Clerent swallowed. Was this the power of the [Demon King] before level one hundred? Could the church even win if Aiden was allowed to grow any further?

I should’ve killed him at the Naranoff family.

If only he had known at the time.

But hindsight was often perfect. He had failed in the past, he would find success in the present.

Pen and paper appeared in his hands and Aiden pointed at him. Before Clerent could put pen to paper, Lightning leapt from Aiden’s reddened hand. He abandoned his engraving and ducked to the side. He channeled three of the four enchantments that his robe had.

[You have used Enchantment of Speed]

…

[You have used Enchantment of Endurance]

…

[You have used Enchantment of Perception]

…

[Mana 47%]

…

[You are under the effect of Manifesting skill]

[All Enchantment effects are reduced by 25%]

Clerent scowled as he moved, avoiding Aiden who had suddenly appeared before him, leg swinging in a kick to the head.

Clerent ducked at the last moment, his enchantments not carrying the weight of effect that he was accustomed to.

[Mana 27%]

Huh?

The sudden dip in mana started him. It was enough distraction in his situation. Something cracked him in the cheek. It left a stinging sensation as he was sent staggering to the side.

Clerent blinked. Did he just slap me?

[Mana 46%]

He leapt away from Aiden, frowning.

What the heck was happening? Why was his mana fluctuating? It didn’t make sense for… Demonic mana.

He had heard of it but had never experienced it. In truth, he was not supposed to experience it by the virtue of being a [Saint]. Around demonic mana everyone experienced mana fluctuation, everyone except anointed priests and [Saint]s.

It seemed the [Saint] title did not grant immunity to demonic mana produced directly from the [Demon King]. Clerent was beginning to understand why the scriptures called those who bore the title evil yet held them in high regard. They were feared for a reason. And if the blessings of the gods were not immune to its effects, then the [Demon King] was worthy of fear.

“Enchantments are more than we know,” Aiden mused in three voices.

Rather than converse, Clerent rushed him once more.

[You have used Class skill Enchantment Boost]

It spurred the efficiency of the enchantment effects currently running through him. He felt himself grow faster, his senses sharpen.

He went for a body blow. Aiden moved but it was only a feint. Clerent covered up, slamming an uppercut into Aiden’s jaw.

Aiden stopped it with an open palm.

“I learnt something interesting,” he said, sounding as if he wasn’t even talking to Clerent.

To Clerent’s sudden shock, his hand moved of its own accord. He felt his mana twist within him, disobeying.

[Aiden Lacheart has used skill Assisted Weave on you]

[Your Resilience is insufficient]

[Skill Assisted Weave takes effect]

It was as if the very nature of his being was being bent to another’s command. Clerent felt his hold on his enchantments stutter. They dimmed before reigniting. What was more worrying was the way his mana twisted. It was like feeling his blood flow in the wrong direction. As for his hand, it moved in tandem with Aiden’s. Both hands were in perfect sync, fingers intertwining. Together they weaved intricate signs that Clerent could not even begin to follow.

He felt it soon, however. At his core, he knew what was happening. His eyes abandoned Aiden Lacheart and everything to look at his greater enchantments dancing in the air, dominating the world.

[You and Aiden Lacheart have used Enchantment of Greater Protection]

Gods, no.

The greater enchantment of protection ignited first. Aiden, through him, had activated it. Yet, Clerent got no notification informing him of its effects.

That could only mean one thing. Clerent abandoned fighting against Aiden’s control or even trying to take control of his greater enchantments as he watched the enchantment of greater lightning begin to come alive.

Instead, he dived straight into his control of the enchantments that lined his robes. He channeled all his defensive enchantments. Abandoning control of everything linked to him, he activated over five defensive enchantments.

His interface popped up at the same time.

[You and Aiden Lacheart have used Enchantment of Greater Lightning]

Protect me oh gods.

When the lightning came down, Clerent felt nothing, only the whiteness of the world.

…

When the world cleared, Clerent felt no pain. He let out a tired breath, knowing that he had made the wrong decision. Life was always about decisions, and he had let his pride win. It had led him to stupidity.

I should have gone for the church, he thought.

He had identified the [Demon King]. Why had he chosen to fight him then? The apocryphal scriptures had said a lot on the matter of the [Demon King]. Their very words had told him of the menace’s deadliness, the need to strike with a united front. He should have turned away and made his way to the church.

Clerent felt pain in his chest, but it was a numb thing, a forgettable thing. He took in another calming breath. The end was close, but he would still live. He would still try to. He knew what would become of the [Demon King]. He knew what the existence would be. The [Demon King] did not.

Finally, he allowed the world to come into focus so that he could see it. Now, he saw the approach. At the center of what looked like a gathering storm, came a tall ominous man in a dusty green coat with a red left hand.

Aiden Lacheart settled over him in a dark world. Completely black eyes like empty orbs stared down at him from their eye sockets. Clerent could see them clearly even in the dark.

“Killing me,” Clerent said, his throat struggling to get the word out, “will make an enemy of the church.”

Aiden didn’t even flinch. The man, like most heretics, had no regard for the church.

No, Clerent thought. Aiden Lacheart was not like most heretics. Heretics hated the church, saw them as a threat. Aiden Lacheart did not. Unlike Heretics, he didn’t care. The church served no purpose to him, they were like leaves falling from a tree: Unimportant, simply a thing that existed.

Clerent took a little peace in knowing that he was right. Aiden Lacheart was befitting of his title. He was not a good man who was unfortunate enough to become the [Demon King]. He was a monster befitting of the title. He was a man deserving of the world’s hate.

Aiden held his red hand out to the side and a sword manifested in it. unsheathed, he had pulled it out from his storage space, birthed from crackling light and refracting space.

Aiden held the sword over Clerent.

“Don’t!”

Clerent recognized Alphonset the third’s voice. The world fell still, seeming to obey the man.

Aiden didn’t look away from Clerent.

“You can’t kill a [Saint].” Alphonset argued.

Aiden kept his eyes on Clerent. “Why?”

“They are children of the gods. Choose forgiveness here. It is the right choice. You do not want to make an enemy of the church.”

The church, Clerent thought, has to know.

Aiden was quiet for a while. In the end, he sighed and said, “We do what we must.”

The sword came down.