Twice is Coincidence

Number of times König Geistdunkelrustung has resurrected: 2

Reforming in the ruins that had served as the execution grounds for Demon Monarchs for millennia, rising from a pool of darkness like a wound dripping pus in reverse, Geist once more resurrected in Facide. His time in the void of ‘death’ had not been nearly as productive as his first stay there. With so little information to contemplate, he had no new ideas of how to protect himself once Inessa and Lylia showed up to put him down again.

Even his only other source of information, and greatest potential advantage if he could access them properly, the memories of the Demon Monarchs who came before him, were unavailable to him. He could see snippets of some of their experiences, scattered across a timescale that measured days as if they were seconds, but the clearest one was still only the one he saw before. Demon Monarch Chrysaor’s defeat at the hands of Champion Leopollis, ending with that flash of golden-white light.

“If I could just figure out how to learn more, or what happened after that… I’m sick and tired of seeing demons and monsters getting slaughtered over and over again already.” He said, thinking aloud as he stood up and manifested his weapons.

He didn’t have to wait long for the flash of light announcing the arrival of the Champion and Saintess to appear at the end of what was left of the room.

“We’re seriously not going to get a day off anymore?” Lylia sighed, seeing that he had returned once more, but didn’t address him directly. “Let’s just wrap this up quickly, Essa.”

Sounds like I was only dead for a day again. Well, excuse me for being such an inconvenience. Keeping his grievances to himself and his guard up, Geist still didn’t try to engage the two in combat yet. “Hey, c’mon, ladies. Can’t we talk this out like civilized adults?” He asked, his menacing voice doing nothing to help his stance of nonaggression.

Leveling her sword at him, there was a slight tremble in Inessa’s grip, and her features softened slightly as she shook her head. “Sorry, Geisty. I–”

“Essa.” Cutting the brunette with an even, disapproving tone, Lylia shook her head like a teacher disciplining an uncooperative child. “Don’t listen to him. He’s lying to confuse you. Manipulate you. He’s a demon.” Her tone wasn’t free of resentment, but leaned more towards genuine concern for her friend.

“What? I’m not–!”

“Use: Photo Thrust.” Choosing to listen to the blonde, Inessa kept him from speaking by running her blade through him with an attack as fast as light, if not faster.

Geist tried to block it, but was too slow and took the hit, but didn’t die from the strike outright. He was becoming accustomed to the non-feeling that should be pain from the wound he received, and again, a tingling sensation emanated from where his body made contact with the blade. Though comparing it to his now intimate memory of the feeling when Lylia crushes him under her heels, it was a bit stronger and exhausting. He glanced at his remaining Hit Points, knowing that he couldn’t take another hit like that.

Hit Points: 272/628 | Mana: 355/555 | Stamina: 157/157

However, with the spare bit of attention focused on the display in his vision, he noticed his Dark Magic Corruption value showing an odd number.

Dark Magic Corruption: 49/100

Huh? Shouldn’t it be above 50 since I was resurrected? His mind raced as he tried to jump back and pull himself off her blade, remembering what he had thought was a miscalculation the first time they killed him. “Y-Your sword… It attacks Dark Magic Corruption, too?” He asked, as she matched his movement, not to prolong his suffering, but to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Inessa didn’t answer him. She stopped herself from answering him, instead pulling her blade from him and holding it to her side. “Many, as One.” She chanted quickly, stretching an instant so she could draw a long breath and focus. “Multislash (Advanced)!”

The force that sent Geist flying back, his limbs and head separating from his torso, felt like one impossibly strong hit. However, his eyes were able to track the inhuman swordsmanship that allowed Inessa to strike him five times so quickly, each slash landed simultaneously. Damn! That is so cool! He couldn’t help but admire the attack, mostly thanks to the lack of experiencing the excruciating pain that receiving such an attack should cause.

[Schattenrustung effect: Cast Reanimate, activated]
[Dark Magic Corruption: 37/100]

Seeing the value of his Dark Magic Corruption as he reformed, and knowing the cost needed for his armor to revive him, Geist got his answer regardless. “I’d say that’s cheating… but my sword’s no better.” He quipped lightly as the dismembered pieces of his body melted into shadows and reformed. “Please, I don’t want to fi–”

“Use: Seduce.” Not giving him a chance to get into Inessa's head, Lylia brushed her fingers across her golden laurel on her head and pointed to the towering, armored being. “Shut up and die like the dog you are!”

As the light from the Divine Artifact passed over him, Geist’s mind was overwhelmed by an irresistible compulsion to please the blonde and earn her approval. Even the part of his mind that would question such a shift in his thoughts had been instantly and completely ensorcelled by the beautiful, alluring woman. Wh-What do I do? Mistress Lylia wants me to be a dog? Oh! I can do that! He thought to himself, as one of the few spells available to him came to mind.

The display instantly navigated to his spells and highlighted the one listed as “Metamorphosis”. The shadowy substances that leaked and flickered from the joints and gaps in his armor quicker like a flame in the wind before surging out and covering his body. His silhouette rapidly reshaped, and when the shadow essence retreated into his armor, he now stood on four legs as a vaguely canine being wearing dark metal barding. More of his shifting, insubstantial body of darkness was visible, with the armor giving him more definition, like down his legs, and a full-faced, snouted, horned helmet that accommodated perky, shadowy ears. A large plume of flickering shadows wagged behind him as he sat, turned towards her.

The sight was so absurd, both the girls paused to stare at the horse-sized, canine-shaped Demon Monarch.

“L-Lia! I can’t attack Geisty when he looks so adorable!” Ineesa said, bursting out into giggles as she pointed at him with her sword. However, she underestimated the distance between her and him and ended up stabbing him in the neck accidentally.

Even for how disciplined and serious as she always conducted herself, Lylia struggled to stifle the laughter fighting up her throat. Turning to look away from what she had forced him to turn himself into, she covered her mouth to hide her smile. “J-Just do it, Essa. W-We need h-his Ma-Mana Crystal.” It was a struggle to maintain her composure, one she was losing by the minute. “T-Turn back t-to normal, you stupid mutt.”

[Schattenrustung effect: Cast Reanimate, activated]
[Dark Magic Corruption: 25/100]

She looks happy. Did I do a good job? Cocking his head quizically, Geist selected his Metamorphosis spell once more to change back to his previous form.

He didn’t even attempt to defend himself against the sloppy attacks that Inessa hit him with after that, focusing all his attention on the blonde who had enchanted him.

*****

“Wait? He’s dead already?” Inessa asked as, after only two more attacks, Geist failed to revive and the chunk of magical ore that signified his ‘true’, but still impermanent, death. “I thought Geisty was more persistent than that.”

“He seemed concerned when he figured out Corruption Eater’s effect,” Lylia said, also surprised by the ease with which they killed him. “If his revivals are fueled by Dark Magic Corruption, then that makes this easier.” Waiting for the Champion to gather the proof that their duty was done, the blonde looked around and focused on their surroundings. “I’m not sensing any other monsters in the area. Let’s head back and make our report.”

“Can we leave out the part where you made Geisty turn into an adorable armored doggo?” The brunette asked, more for the Demon Monarch’s sake than their own.

“N-No. We have to report everything.”