Mr. Voidwalker

”A what? ”

The girls asked in unison, almost at the exact same time. An expression of cluelessness was written on their faces.

”A Fenriswolf. ” I took my sword out of my storage again. ”A giant wolf with enormous power and high intelligence. Its fangs are said to be able to rip anything apart. ”

Even though that was quite an overstatement, its fangs were certainly sharp. Sharp enough to kill a majority of humans with a single bite, at least.

Although that wasn the reason why I was so worried about the situation now.

There are too many people here.

It was the speed.

Due to the sheer speed of a Fenriswolf, it would be nigh-impossible to save everyone present.

Thus, it was more intelligent to focus on your own life first.

After all, heroism raises your chance of dying by a magnitude of times. Probably even a gruesome and painful death in the most cases.

I looked over at the girls.

Even though I wouldn particularly call myself a hero, I felt a responsibility to save their lives.

Although, it wasn because I truly cared about them, but more because I didn want a full on war with the elves and the humans to happen.

And if the devil heiress dies too, worst-case scenario, the devils would also get involved.

And after that, it won take much for the great war to happen again.

I knew there was something weird about this.

When we entered the Depths, I already knew something was up.

When entering the depths, you will wake up at a random spot in the first layer of the Depths. However, that does not mean that you will come out at a random place too.

Youll leave the Depths at the place you entered, which in turn meant that using the Depths as an escape or kidnap tool was not a very good idea.

On the contrary, the plan would be very idiotic.

If the armed forces were to just wait at the place, you used to enter the place, they would eventually get you when you get out.

Or in other words: kidnapping an entire shop with the Elven princess and escaping into the Depths didn make any sense.

I get it now.

Kidnapping her wasn the goal in the first place.

It was to kill her and start a war.

If the Elfs would learn about their eldest daughter dying by human hands while being in an Empire that is reigned by humans, conflicts would arise.

There was one thing I still didn understand, though.

Why?

It seemed like everybody present was doomed to die as the place, where the members of the cult waited for their reinforcement to retrieve them, was near the territory of a Fenriswolf.

It would only be a matter of time until the Fenriswolf would notice them. Their sense of smell was extraordinary to put it nicely.

Fenriswolfs are rare, even in the Depths.

Calling it an unlucky encounter would be possible, but I didn believe in those coincidences.

I was convinced that everything was planned.

”Mr. Voidwalker. ” My thought process got interrupted by the voice of Seraphir. ”Can you buy us some time? It will take a while to free everyone around here. ”

I glanced over at her. An expression that showcased the extent of her determination could be seen on her face.

I nodded.

”Sure. ”

Just a little bit of distraction would be something that I could do.

”Miss Leviathan, please accompany those people out of the Depths. You should know how to find the exit by now. ”

***

***

”Miss Leviathan, please accompany those people out of the Depths. You should know how to find the exit by now. ”

Seraphir only nodded as a response. She couldve guessed why he wanted her to accompany everyone else out.

We are probably hindrances to him.

Even though she didn know Mr. Voidwalker for long, she instinctively felt an unshakable trust in the competence of that man.

”But wouldn we be leaving you alone, then? ” Ellen was a little hesitant to follow his idea and just exit the Depths without the guy that was willing to risk their lives for them.

He really is a good person.

Ellen didn expect much from men in general, especially human men. Thus, she was surprised as the man was willing to stay back to buy them sometime.

”No, it would be best if I stayed. ” The man didn even turn his head around to look at them. Ellen nodded in understanding.

He must be scared too,

After all, a Fenriswolf sounded like a powerful beast. Even the mightiest of warriors would probably feel hesitant to fight one alone.

”Its okay, Ellen. We should hurry up. ”

Seraphir already freed some people while Ellen just stood there and contemplated about their decision. Ellen looked at Seraphirs face as she approached her.

Seraphir looked like always.

It didn seem it was affecting her in any way.

-Hey!Free me first.

-No, me!I have kids waiting at home for me!

The voices of the other captives were chattering in the background. Theyve been talking and shouting very loudly for a while now, but Ellen, Seraphir and especially Voidwalker just ignored them.

The captives didn say anything useful and concentrating on what they had to say was a waste of time, especially in such a situation.

”Shut up. ” Seraphir glared at the other captives. Her shining blue eyes glimmering with a dangerous, icy intent. ”You are annoying. We will be freeing all of you, so just shut your mouths and wait for your turn. ”

-Who do you think you
e talking to?!

-Yeah, you
e just a little girl!

-Right!

The voices started to get louder, visibly offended by Seraphirs words.

It didn take long before the voices got silenced.

The surrounding air started to get chilly and oppressive as Seraphir slowly let some of her mana leak out to the surroundings.

Instantly, everyone quiet down, scared of the devil.

”Good. Now stay quiet like this. ”

Ellen didn react to Seraphirs antics. She was already used to how she treated people.

Seraphir could act like whatever she wanted as she didn have an specific image to uphold.

In the devil society, power was everything that mattered. As long as you had power, it didn matter how you acted.

”Aren you worried about Mr.Voidwalker? ” Ellen asked as she freed another captive.

”No, not really. ” Seraphirs voice was nonchalant. She acted like nothing happened and the situation was just a normal day. ”Are you? It is unusual to see you so worried about someone: ”

”Of course I am! We are in the Depths, after all… ”

Seraphir chuckled lightly, her eyes not even glancing at Ellen.

”Don worry. ” Seraphir set off to free someone else. ”He got this. ”

”Why do you think that? ”

Seraphir paused for a short while, putting her head onto her chin. Then, slowly, a small smile appeared on her face.

”Lets just call it…a devils intuition. ”

”Is that so… ” The trust that was audible in her voice surprised Ellen. She turned her head again, looking for the man, that they were talking about.

”Huh? ”

He was nowhere to be seen.

Silently disappearing.

***

***

I had started to take it up a notch, raising my speed by another level.

The cold air of the Depths was blowing against my face as I sprinted to the Fenriswolf.

Good idea, Seraphir. I didn think about that.

Instead of thinking of stalling time for the girls to free all the people, I just decided to stay back while watching the two girls decide on how to manage the situation.

I am too used to just standing back and watching things unfold.

Although I was most certainly a living person, I rarely acted like one. I got too used to taking tasks and just doing the things that I was told to do, that I forgot that I have an own will.

During my time as a mercenary, I couldn be considered as a human. I was more comparable to a weapon or a tool or a living weapon than a functioning person.

ROOOAAR

I got brought down back to earth by the roar of the Fenriswolf as it discovered me approaching him.

The gigantic white wolf was silently watching me, analyzing its new prey.

I looked back, staring into his large blue eyes. They reflected an unusual intelligence, embodying a silent intent.

The intent of a predator hunting its prey.

”Lets get this over with. ” I muttered quietly as I dashed to the wolf, raising my speed once again.

The wolf seemed to either understand what I said or deem me as a danger as it too started to get serious, raising one of its paws to slash me with it.

I rolled to the side, dodging the strike by a hair.

The wolf reacted instantly, spinning around and hitting me with its tail.

Crrrr

My sword howled as I took the tail-strike head-on, blocking it.

Together with the momentum,, the strike held a great power, exceeding the usual strength of the wolf.

I couldn completely stop the attack, its momentum pushing me back, so I used the tail as an anchor.

I spun around, thrusting my sword into the tail and using it as a means to leap myself into the air.

In the air, I didn have the mobility that I had on the ground.

It seemed like the wolf realized it too, as it used that situation to bear its fangs, trying to crush me with a bite.

I watched how the fangs of the wolf approached me, calmly analyzing the situation.

In a situation where I shouldve felt fear, I felt nothing.

I was used to such things already.

I raised my sword and spun it around, before thrusting it into the upper lip of the wolf.

The wolf stopped momentarily, howling in pain.

I put my left hand on the nose of the wolf, propelling myself forward, and used my other hand to pull out my sword.

I landed on the head of the wolf, directly in-between its eyes.

”Goodbye. ”, I muttered quietly, showing one last sign of respect to my enemy. ”You did well. ”

The wolf panicked.

As an attempt to save its life, it shook its head, trying to throw me off of it.

I read its intention like a book, so I leaped into the air before it managed to shake me off.

Airbone, I pointed my sword downward, using the Ether in the atmosphere to create a invisible platform beneath my feet.

The wolf howled one last time, dashing at me like the feral animal it was.

It slashed and whipped randomly, trying to catch me in one, any, of its attacks.

A futile attempt to save its life.

Using the platform, I dashed forward, thrusting the tip of the sword in-between its eyes, drilling the blade through its brain.

One last desperate howl escaped its lips before all life vanished out of the body.

The now lifeless body of the wolf fell to the ground as the iron smell of blood spread around the air.

A loud hump sounded as the body of the Fenriswolf fell to the ground.

***

***

”The cult of Umbral, you say? ” A captain of the armed forces asked as he listened to the two girls talking, his arms crossed.

After Seraphir and Ellen arrived back to the Overworld, they immediately called for help.

As the caster of the spell was now dead, the barrier ceased to exist, thus allowing the people to call for help.

It didn take long for the armed forces to arrive. The armed forces are made out of high-ranking mages and combatants, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order.

It is an elite force, even more powerful than the imperial army.

”Yes. ” Ellen nodded, confirming the question.

”I see. ” The man stroke his chin, thinking about the information that he just received. ”I have heard about them, but they barely leave any clues behind, so the existence of the cult was unconfirmed. ”

The man then smiled before patting the shoulder of Ellen.

”You did great, girls. Thanks to you, we now have at least something to work with. ” The man took out a pen to note all the informations that he just received. He then paused as he seemingly remembered something. ”Wait…you said that someone stayed behind to buy time for you all? ”

Seraphir and Ellen nodded.

As he received the confirmation of his question, his eyes narrowed and his face turned serious.

”Then we have to hurry up. He might still be alive. ”

- ”Who might be alive? ”

The voice of a woman rang out, asking the question. The captain turned around to the voice. A small smile appeared on his face as he identified the owner of that voice.

He wanted to say something to her and greet her, but was overtaken by the two girls.

”Principal Ellen and Seraphir called out in delight, happy to see the familiar face of the academy principal of Sylpheon.

”Hello, my lovely girls. ” The principal responded with a wide, friendly smile as she waved her hand at the two girls.

She then turned her face to the man, her face instantly growing serious. She still had an smile on her face, but that smile wasn a friendly one.

Anger was welling up inside of the principal as she thought about someone having the guts to harm her students while she was in the Empire.

”What happened, Johan? ”

”It seemed like a cult tried to kidnap the people present inside the potion shop. ” The face of the principal tensed as the man proceeded to talk. ”They were all dragged into the depths and encountered a Fenriswolf. ”

”A what?! ” The principal turned to the girls, worry visible in her expression. ”Are you alright, kids? ”

Seraphir shook her head.

”Yes, we are. ”

The principal sighed in relief. Even though she would have to say that she likes every one of her students equally, she had to admit that she had a liking for talented students.

And Seraphir and Ellen were two of the students with the most potential in Sylpheon. Even though death was a normal thing, even at a young age, she didn want even more young, talented mages to disappear.

After all, each one of them could change the history of the world if they manage to develop something groundbreaking.

That and the fact that they are important individuals of their respective race are reasons why she was so worried about those two specific individuals.

”But someone stayed behind to stall time for us. ”

Ellen added in an agitated tone.

”We have to save him as soon as possible! ”

The principal nodded.

”Melina. ” Johan, one of the captains of the armed forces, called out her name. Audible tension was existent in his voice. ”Ive called you here because your students were involved in this incident, but it seems like I have to ask you for another favor. ”

The principal, Melina, chuckled lightly, as she knew exactly what he wanted to ask of her.

”Yes, yes. I know. Saving him would be the least I could do for him taking care of my students. ”

- ”Thats not needed. ”

A familiar voice rang out, interrupting the conversation of the two adults.

”Mr. Voidwalker! ” Ellen beamed with joy as she saw her savior approaching them, unscathed.

However, Mr. Voidwalker ignored her. His full attention was aimed at the principal.

”I apologize for being late, principal. Something difficult came up. ”