Leaping into the hole, he found his landing to be less earthy and more fleshy than he thought. Looking up, he saw a horde of hunters all staring at him. They went as far as the eye could see, and he figured that all of them were after the same prey. Jin smiled. He knew that he was not going to be defeated so easily. Focusing on the Aspect of the Maw of Shadows, he burst forth a Cor Comedenti and Umbra Refrenatem, sprinting forwards through the pack. A dozen fell before him and Jin raced through the labyrinth. The remaining hunters roared after him, rushing headlong into the maze in pursuit both of Jin and of the mage who had hired them all. Immediately in Jin's path were two mole badgers, around the same height as Jin. Jin merely flipped over them, firing a Skoteina Dorata and DemonBuster as he landed. The two collapsed as soon as they arrived, Jin still working his way through the maze. His trek through the dungeon was interrupted once more by a group of ten hunters standing in his path. All of them were lost, but there was still a way to strike down the possibility of anyone else taking the final job for themselves. None of the hunters seemed capable of using magic, rushing at Jin with swords and spears and clubs. Jin let the shadows on his arms flare up further, as well as letting Hallow's Phantom take time to strike at the foes himself. He weaved through the swinging weapons of the hunters, taking out their legs as he passed. He sprung up, kicking one of them in the face as Hallow's Phantom clashed another two's heads against each other. The remaining seven rushed at Jin simultaneously, who powered forth a Sang Brulant, setting them ablaze with the black shadows. He rolled underneath their strike following the Sang Brulant, unleashing a Hell Demon's Call. The ten hunters had been defeated, and there were likely countless more in his path.
Even trying to slip through into the realm of shadows, he was unable to cheat his way through the labyrinth, the walls failing to be passed through. There was a magic to them, and he knew that he was now trapped in the labyrinth until someone, preferably him, defeated this wizard at the heart of the dungeon. Now taking his time through the maze, ensuring that the Paragon of Virtue kept note of where they were, Jin began to notice more things about this strange place. It seemed to have no rhyme or reason to its layout, merely being a haphazard mesh of enchanted walls. Perhaps even more infuriating was the sound of the walls moving. The maze shifted as the hunters advanced. After destroying another fifteen magicless hunters, he finally realized what the truth of the maze was. It shifted to correspond to the amount of hunters remaining. Jin smile. This was where he excelled. Now, the hunters became the hunted. Jin donned his mask for no reason aside from adding to his personal mystique as he slowly and deliberately wandered through the walls of the maze. He ensured that his presence was always known, as he would do such things as tap on the walls or whistle a tune.
Stepping into a particularly wide room within the maze, the first of its kind that Jin had seen, he heard the whispers of hunters around him. He smirked, making sure to stand in the closest place to the center of the room that he could. To further make himself seem like a non-target, he slipped his hands into his pockets and closed his eyes. Suddenly, sounds burst forwards as the hunters surrounding the room fired their crossbows at him. Jin, with the assistance of Hallow's Phantom, struck down all the bolts in the air before they could strike him. Leaping down from the balconies of the what was now-apparent amphitheater were a wave of hunters, not a single one bearing magic affinity. Even with the addition of Hallow's Phantom, this was a moment Jin wished that he had his scythe still. Even if Hallow's Phantom was the much better alternative, the scythe could at least strike down multiple foes at a time. Sinking his feet slightly into the shadows of the ground, he breathed calmly to himself, thrusting his eyes open. Time itself seemed to be slowed around him, though in truth it was the sheer speed of his capabilities. He sunk entirely into the ground, emerging behind a burly hunter wielding a warhammer. He slammed the man in the back with a shadow-cloaked fist, sending him barrelling into a number of his allies. Jin quickly wrapped his arms into a Hell Demon's Horns and spun in a circle, cutting down more of the hunters, who flew into the air. Hell Demon's Horns were not meant to strike multiple foes, but the weakness of these foes meant he could be flexible with his abilities. More of the hunters closed in on Jin, who leaped into the air, to the surprise of the hunters. He fired off a series of Skoteina Dorata, peppering the ground with shadow missiles. Following the preliminary strike with Skoteina Dorata, he assisted himself with Hell Arrows, sending what looked to almost be the same magic as his former strike, only this time having the shadows be white. He landed on the ground, seeing a ring of unconscious hunters around him. Even with the countless bodies, even more countless hunters remained ready to strike him down. Jin smiled. Of course having to eliminate this many people would not be easy.
Another round of crossbow bolts flew his way, sticking harmlessly into the Den Oskyldiga Beskydarren that was quickly and silently thrown up. Jin now rushed ahead of him, weaving in and out of the shadows to keep his opponents on their toes. Bursting forth in front of a mustachioed man, he fired a Hell Demon's Call into his chest, sending him and his cohorts collapsing. He wheeled around, leaping into the air to avoid another series of shots as he let loose a Hell Demon's Aurora, finishing off another great number of foes. He landed on his feet, seeing only sixteen hunters left. Realizing the foolishness of their errand, they all fled. Jin brushed the dust off of his jacket as the wall to his right split in two, revealing another hallway. Figuring this was a notice from the client, he marched through.
It was a candlelit hallway, and the feeling of it matched the intimidating glow. Of course, that eerie aura was ruined by the sudden appearance of two large tentacles in an X formation blocking his path. Jin sighed, unleashing a DemonBuster at one of them, only for the two to slink into the ground. Jin was shocked, quickly thinking of heading into the shadows of the candles. The two tentacles burst forth from the ground, eliminating a series of torches. Jin emerged from the shadows once more. They lunged at Jin, who fired off another DemonBuster, only for it to have no effect on the appendage. It grabbed him by the leg, slamming him onto the ground. The second appendage lunged forth towards Jin's head, only to be grabbed by Hallow's Phantom. They seemed to be immune to magic, or at least conventional magic. Jin smiled, sinking once more into the shadows, out of the tentacle's grasp. The two followed him, punching him out of the shadow realm and sending him to land on the ceiling, sinking his feet into the shadows there. One of them lunged once more at Jin, only to be again caught by Hallow's Phantom. The other reached for Jin's head, being slammed down by the tentacle held tightly in the grasp of Hallow's Phantom. They crashed against the ground, writhing in anticipation as Jin landed on the ground.
Suddenly, the ground behind him began to rumble. Instinctively, Jin slipped into the shadows as a monstrous beast barreled over where he was, terminating the tentacles. He emerged from the ground, staring down the beast. This was the first dragon he had ever seen with his own eyes, and it seemed to have the power to match. It was two-headed, and it glared down the Bringer of Death with all four of its eyes, growling. Jin still smiled nonetheless, prepared to strike it down. It rushed once more, Jin slamming his hands down for another Den Oskyldiga Beskydarren, the beast crashing around him with the assistance of Hallow's Phantom tossing him over the shoulder. Surprisingly, it managed to land on its feet, firing forth a beam of heat. Jin slinked into the ground, reemerging above it. He burst forth, slamming down on its head with a Hell Demon's Horns. The head that was hit roared while the other head turned to fire another stream of fire, which directly made contact with Jin. He flew, setting his feet against the ceiling and firing a Hell Demon's Call. The beast staggered backwards a moment, Jin dropped into the air. Before he could land, the dragon charged at him once more, Jin unfurling his hands into the talons of the Hell Demon's Claws, slashing at the other head as he was pinned against the wall. The now-slashed head roared in pain, preparing a ball of fire to launch into Jin at a point-blank range. Jin slipped into the shadows before the fire could be released, the dragon roaring in agony. Jin emerged from beneath it, striking it once more with a Hell Demon's Horns on its soft underbelly before retreating into the shadows before the dragon could body slam him. Jin sprung out from the shadows of a nearby candle, firing off a Hell Demon's Aurora from a distance. It charged once more, and Jin once more slipped out of the way. He emerged on the other side of it, willing Hallow's Phantom to come forth.
He closed his eyes, letting a Proelio Lassitudine burst forth. He set his feet as he willed a Cor Comedenti and Umbra Refrenatem to come forth to him. His body was wrapped in shadows, his arms flaring in a salt-and-pepper mixture of white and black shadows like a flame. His feet bore a dark, flaming aura to them as they lightly dug into the ground beneath. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and provoked the dragon to come forth. It followed Jin's taunt, rushing ahead as it fired off a blast of heat from both heads. Jin let his arms flare up even higher in shadows, preparing to strike the beast with a Hell Demon's Horns. He swung through the blast of heat, both arms clashing against the heads of the beast as it collapsed. He felt power flow slowly into his body as the dragon lay unconscious.
The power faded as soon as it arrived, as Jin felt himself be dragged elsewhere. When the abducting light faded, he was face-to-face with a hooded man with long, white hair.
"You are certainly more worthy of facing me than any of that other rabble, I must say. Demon Slayer Magic? An ethereal projection? Shadow Magic? It's impressive, all of it. Of course, it would mean nothing if you were not smart enough to use those to your advantage."
"Are you the wizard I'm supposed to kill?"
He smiled. "Precisely. The walls of this structure... do you not know their purpose? They serve as a space-time distortion method, forcing me in a time loop. It prevents me from leaving, as well as aging. But will not stop me from dying... You have my eternal gratitude for answering my call, and upon me dying, if I do die, you may claim all my riches in this chest."
He pointed to a chest at the other end of this arena he had been transported to. "Can't die of age and can't leave? Sounds like a hell on earth."
"You know it too well, Bringer of Death."
"You know who I am?"
"Of course. This labyrinth was specifically made to house me. While in centuries past, I was unable to feed into its power, the years spent calling for those to kill me have made me attuned to every fabric that is woven into those that enter. You are not human, not truly. Nor are you demon, or god, or elsewise. You are simply...the Bringer of Death, Jin Auri-El, of Silver Wolf. And I? I am Misthios. I was once a legendary hero. Now? I am nothing more than a ghost trapped in a ruin of his own making. You want to kill me, to answer my call, but the curse set upon me will not allow me to simply die, you see. I still must fight with my whole being. Look around you. Those bones are all that remain of the countless men who attempted to slay me and failed. Some were like those other hunters. Magicless. Weak. Only in it for the prospect of a fortune at the risk of being bested by a being that wanted death. Others were more aware of the risks. They knew magic, and yet they fell. Whether to the badgers or to others or to the tentacles or to myself. Of course, a select few managed to defeat the dragon, Terma. Those who were capable enough of defeating Terma were brought to me, where they all fell. I pray that you will be different."
Jin felt the shadows flare in his right arm. "I'm of course different. I'm the Bringer of Death, and you have eluded my master too long."
Misthios smirked. Perhaps one of the Bringer of Death's one-liners finally hit its mark. Misthios drew a sword and was upon Jin in a moment. Hallow's Phantom struck away every blow that Misthios attempted with his sword slashes, though Jin was unable to capitalize on the situation. Each punch he attempted was met with nimble avoidance from the client. He leaped back, piercing his sword into the ground. Without thinking, Jin slipped into the realm of shadows as spires of iron pierced the heavens. Jin emerged from the ground, only just managing to defend himself with a Den Oskyldiga Beskydarren as weapons struck him. A sword managed to cut through the left sleeve of his jacket, causing a light dribble of blood to drip onto the ground. Misthios looked slightly saddened, rushing forth once more as more blades flew in from both earth and sky. Jin slipped into the realm of shadows to avoid the strikes, only bursting forth to unleash a flurry of punches from behind Misthios. Misthios was able to block many of the strikes, though was still pushed back by the supersonic flurry of four separate fists, two of which were wrapped in multiple layers of shadows. Jin leaped back, firing a DemonBuster to cover his retreat, which Misthios blocked with a rising wall of steel. He charged at the Bringer of Death, sword drawn, as Jin prepared himself to continue the melee duel. He flared his arms in Hell Demon's Claws, slashing away at the immortal being. As the magic faded from his hands, he finally managed to land a slash on Misthios, who winced in pain, yet smiled. It seemed as though Misthios realized that Jin could finally bring and end to his misery, yet Jin still had a ways to go.
The two burst forth once more, clashing in hand-to-sword combat. Jin would punch the sword, and Misthios's sword would be caught either by Hallow's Phantom or the shadows wrapping Jin's arms. The two disengaged, Misthios calling forth a ball of steel to entrap Jin. Jin took the moment of respite to prepare himself another Proelia Lassitudine before punching through the steel with the assistance of a Cor Comedenti and Hell Demon's Horns. He was unsure of the capabilities of his Hell Demon Slayer magic initially, but he was quickly learning to use them in concert with his Aspects of Shadows and Hallow's Phantom to make him a force to be reckoned with, especially in close-quarters combat situations. Misthios looked shocked at Jin managing to burst through the trap, though he was given no moment to reflect. Instead, Jin launched himself forwards once more, delivering another Hell Demon's Horns to the stunned Misthios. Misthios impressively managed to ward away the strike with a sword slash of his own, though he was pushed back a fair way. Jin's entire body was wrapped in the shadows of Proelia Lassitudine, and his arms felt the power of the Hell Demon Slayer as he glared down the smiling Misthios. Misthios tightened his grip on the sword, drawing into the ground with its tip without breaking eye contact with Jin. Jin suddenly and instinctively knew what was happening and slipped into the shadows as the entire half of the cave he was in a moment prior burst into jagged blades of steel. Misthios struck the ground, forcing Jin to fly out of the shadows, landing against the walls of the arena. He let his feet sink into the earth before unleashing a Hell Demon's Call. Misthios soared through the white shadows, only to be met with his sword being caught in the hand of the Demon Slayer. Jin smirked as he saw the look of terror in Misthios's eyes. He place a hand on the immortal's head before unleashing a Hell Demon's Aurora, sending him soaring. Jin knew that this would likely not be enough, so he soared into the air, his arms cloaked in a Hell Demon's Horns. He slammed down on the client, sending it crashing into the earth. He followed up with a mixture of Skoteina Dorata and Hell Arrows, before slowly landing on the ground beside Misthios.
"I thank you, Jin Auri-El of Silver Wolf. It has been too long since I have been trapped in this mortal coil. I longed for death since the days of my youth, and yet I was cursed to remain alive and trapped in this labyrinthine structure. It is...ironic, is it not? That a young, adventurous, thrill-seeking man like myself would be captured into such a realm as this? Trapped to be forever old, the only adventures being the feeble hope that someone would finally slay me, only for many to fall to the dragon guarding my way. Of course, all those someones who fell before you and fell before me had riches of their own. With each month and year and decade and century that passed, the reward for killing me grew, and now...it is enough, I should hope. If you are able to find Terma's body, you may also be able to gain whatever riches belonged to those that she ate."
"What was the deal with Terma, anyways?"
"She was once my pet. She, too, was cursed to stay in this realm with me. Perhaps you may be able to tell, but I was once a Dragon Slayer of Steel. The centuries faded my powers to nothingness, but I still trained metal magic and swordsplay every day, whether by myself or with Terma. It mattered little. I finally get to rest, and Terma with me. Thank you, Bringer of Death."
Misthios faded into nothingness, the only remnant of his body being a small black crystal where he once lay. Jin spat on the ground next to him. The Bringer of Death wanted to bring a painful death to others, not to grant a gift to death to them like he seemed to have.
You. Take over. I need to wash away all this...righteousness.
With that, the Paragon of Virtue was thrust into the helm of Jin's body as the Bringer of Death disappeared into the inner depths of Jin's mind. He shrugged, taking the crystal and bringing it to the chest. Just as Misthios said, the chest was filled with jewels and, for the first time ever, Jin felt like a proper treasure hunter. It had always been a dream to him as a child, to spelunk through ruins and caves in search of ancient treasures and, more importantly, money. Of course, the sudden demise of his hometown alongside the addition of the Bringer of Death seemed to make that dream impossible. Now, however, Jin had more hope than ever. Silver Wolf gave him opportunities he had never dreamed of, and the Bringer of Death, as much as he disagreed with the values and mindset, was powerful enough to give him the means to defend himself. Perhaps, he thought, his status as a Demon Slayer could be enough to throw the Bringer of Death out of his body, but there were no promises. Jin merely pocketed the jewels and left the labyrinth as it faded once more from existence.
WC: 3470
TWC: 3583
