The Revival

I followed Coal through the forest and towards the giant monument where (according to Coal) a resurrection had just taken place. I clawed my way through the bushes and ran past tree after tree quickly until I began seeing Coal’s figure emerge in front of me through a bush. The closer and closer I got to Coal, the more I began witnessing the newly apparent crimson particles manifesting and floating around the area. After thrusting myself through the bush, I immediately began analyzing the situation in front of me. My ears were still hurting, but I was regaining my hearing slowly. I was directly to the right of Coal when I noticed the expression on his face. His mouth was open, and his eyes were wide like he was witnessing a disaster occurring right in front of his eyes. He looked terrified as if he just saw a ghost. I looked to where he was looking, and almost immediately, I was wearing the same face as him.

It was the old man from the village. It was old-man Sugu. He was kneeling in front of… I don’t even know what to call it. He was kneeling in front of this… monster… almost like a knight would to his king… or maybe even… as a prophet would to his God. Crimson particles swarmed the area as we gazed upon the figure in front of Sugu in absolute terror. Just like in the area where Coal and I were fighting, the crimson particles were hitting the flowers, the grass, and even the leaves on every tree in our vicinity. Anything that was green was quickly changing to blood red. Despite the absolute shock that we were in as Coal and I witnessed this all, the area’s transition was truly swift.

Besides old-man Sugu kneeling in front of the creature that now bequeathed our eyes, there was still the giant stone monument behind the monster (it was at least as big as a house) which held a reading just like the ones from where Coal and I were fighting. The reading was carved just like the other ones as if someone took a blade and spent hours engraving words into the stone. The stone’s reading was being shifted from just a dented carving to blood-red letters as the particles ingested and soaked into the reading. The stone read, “Blood. Forgive but don’t ever forget. Souls. Forget but don’t ever forgive. Essence. There is no wisdom in the departed. Remember.” I noticed on the altar next to the stone that there was a skeletal arm bearing no tissue or muscle, what appeared to be a blade fragment that was untouched, a torn-up red book with pentagons on it, and a pool of dark blood covering the entire altar.

Old-man Sugu was wearing a full-body white tunic with white pants and white shoes, and he even had a distinct brown belt around his waist as he kneeled. The old man’s right arm was noticeably bleeding tremendously like it was slashed by a sword, but the tunic wasn’t soiled in the blood at all despite this. The monster in front of him looked like… a demon? Or maybe… a beast? The monstrosity wasn’t wearing any clothes and was crimson-red like the particles that consumed our area. It had two distinctly different horns on its head just like a devil would, and the horns were pitch-black. One of the horns on the right side of the monster’s head stuck out upwards and to the right in a curved fashion, and compared to the horn on the left side of the creature’s head, this horn was very long as it curved horizontally and outwards from the head. The left horn on the other hand curved straightly backward towards the left-backside of the monster’s head as it kept complete contact with the head. Besides these unsymmetrical and distinctly different horns, the monstrosity’s eyes were closed as it kneeled with both its knees in front of the monument’s pedestal. The two small areas where the creature’s eyes were closed held skin that was colored black rather than the crimson-red color that consumed its entire body, and the black-pigmented skin was perfectly circular and enclosed around the creature’s left eye including its left eyelid. For the area around the right eye, including the eyelid, the creature held a pitch-black splatter-like blob almost like someone accidentally took black paint and sploshed it right on the creature’s eye. The creature also had two pitch-black wings behind it like a bat would have, and the freak of nature was frighteningly muscular with bulging crimson-red muscles bigger than what any bodybuilder could ever dream of having. The creature didn’t move. Its eyes remained closed for at least an entire minute as Coal and I stood in shock and indecisiveness.

I took two steps back considering retreating, but then I remembered my bounty. I looked at Coal as I quickly pondered whether or not I could knock him unconscious and somehow drag him to the bounty hunter association. Would it even be considered sane to do that right now? There was literally what looked like Satan in front of me. Before I could think any further, the crazy old man put his hands together in a ball and lifted them up as he spoke loudly.

“Finally! My Lord Cambion! I’ve finally brought you back to this world where you belong! When everyone has forsaken you, I have carried out your will on this world! YOU ARE THE INFINITE! YOU ARE THE ETERNAL! YOU ARE… YOU ARE…”

The old man had trouble finishing his statement as he stuttered loudly.

“YOU ARE THE TRUE GOD!”

As soon as Sugu said the word God, the creature opened its eyes aggressively like it just woke up from a bad dream, sending wind and the crimson particles blasting in every direction at an insane force and speed. The monster’s right eye was frighteningly pitch-black and plain, but its right eye was formed like a human’s as it held a white sclera and crimson-red iris the same color as its skin. Coal and I covered our faces to avoid the wind’s impact. As I looked back up now, I saw Sugu yielding a bright smile and open arms as if he was waiting for a hug.

The monster… the devil… spoke… in the deepest and most terrifying voice I’ve ever heard. Its voice literally echoed through the crimson forest and flower field as he spoke.

“God. Yes. I… am… God.”

The monster lifted itself up slowly from its kneed position, and it began stretching slowly. Its body parts and ligaments were extremely long. It started first with his arms, and then the legs, and even the head and neck. Its stretches were absolutely terrifying. Every time the creature extended a body part, screeching loud bones (or, I think they were bones) were cracking. The screeching sound was similar to the one that’s heard when claws are dragged across a chalkboard. Coal and I covered our ears painfully, but Sugu didn’t as blood ran down from his ears. It was like he didn’t feel the pain at all as he just continued his smile. When the creature was done stretching, it looked at Sugu and spoke.

“Dear follower. Your prayers… have been heard. I am… grateful for your worship… and reverence. You shall… live the life any follower of mine deserves to live… in a paradise… of blood.”

The creature slowly extended its now stretched arm upwards as Sugu joyfully smiled with his arms out as the monster was clearly aiming straight for the old man. The creature held a straight face with its crimson mouth holding no expression whatsoever as it slowly reached its arms down towards Sugu’s shoulder. Upon touching Sugu’s shoulder, the white tunic and outfit that Sugu wore instantly transitioned to a color identical to the monster’s skin and the once-before green life around us. Everything that the old man wore (not including the brown belt around his waist) turned a crimson-red. The old man began touching the clothing ecstatically like he just received a birthday present, and he began crying tears of joy as he laughed uncontrollably.

“My Lord Cambion! My Lord Cambion!”

The devil responded to the praise Sugu was showing him.

“You deserve happiness, my dear follower. I, The Cambion… I… God… have returned.”

The old man began crying even more tremendously when The Cambion said that. Coal looked rightwards straight at me almost like he was asking me a question as he gazed upon me in sheer horror. I know exactly what he was thinking and asking me through his look. I was probably giving him the same one. It’s the look of a man that transcribes the question, “What do we do?”

Before either me or Coal could make a decision, and as soon as Coal and I made eye contact, wind detonated in my direction hitting the right side of my body as I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, the creature... The… Cambion… was right in front of me with its horrifying face practically touching mine as its eyes were directly on mine. Its eyes were widened terrifyingly right in front of my face like it was glaring into my soul. I couldn’t move. I was utterly terrified. What the hell is this thing?

While our two faces were practically in contact with each other as The Cambion eyed me, it horrifyingly spoke, sending shivers down my body.

“Could you be… another follower?”

As The Cambion finished its sentence slowly, it turned its head like a dog does when it’s confused. Before I could do anything, a medium-sized dagger hit the left black horn of The Cambion’s head shattering everywhere in every direction. It was like the Cambion’s horns were made of titanium or something. The person who swung the dagger was… Coal Jenie.

The Cambion turned its head slowly in pure confusion as it looked at Coal who looked so terrified that he could pee his pants.

“Huh? What’s this? A… blade?”

The Cambion turned from me and began making its way to Coal slowly walking towards him as Coal took steps backward slowly with an open mouth and terrified eyes.

“Sta-stay away… you freak!”

Coal ripped out a small throwing knife from one of his sheathes on his left torso where I previously hit him and launched it swiftly at The Cambion who didn’t even try to dodge. The blade stabbed right into the monster’s abdomen as he just looked at the blade in what appeared to be clear confusion. He turned his head several times observing the stabs creepily as blood trickled down onto the crimson-flowered ground from his newly acquired wound. While I was still frightened to damn-near death from this freak, at least Coal confirmed that the thing can take damage. That was a good thing.

“Ahhhhh”

The Cambion seemed to be just remembering something.

“Ahhh, blood. Yes, that is definitely blood. I’m so used to hell that I didn’t even recognize it at first.”

He grabbed the blade with his surprisingly human-like hands, and simply pulled it out like it was nothing. The hands had long pitch-black nails almost like claws. He tossed the blade to the side like an apple which made me and Coal both flinch and jump back, and he lifted his hands now looking at them.

“Ohhhhh… I seeeee. So… this is what… I gain. I suppose it’s only natural that I forget. After all, it’s been since the beginning of time that I’ve walked up here.”

Coal froze and immediately screamed out at The Cambion.

“Wha-what the-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU? GAIN? IMPOSSIBLE! YOU’RE NOT HUMAN! YOU CAN’T GAI-!”

Before Coal could even finish his sentence, The Cambion forcefully extended his right arm forwards directly at Coal as if he was locking onto him. He then threw this long muscular arm rightwards, launching Coal flying in that direction crashing through crimson trees fiercely as he yelped.

“I don’t like liars. I’m not human? What a preposterous assumption to make.”

The monster brought his arm slowly back to his side now turning around to face me. Sugu was staring at us with open eyes and an open mouth as if he was witnessing judgment being passed on sinners. The Cambion continued speaking, now to me.

“You haven’t done anything to try and harm me, have you? No… maybe you are a follower. Come my dear boy, and let me…”

The Cambion’s eyes widened terrifyingly as he opened his long arms out, continuing and finishing his sentence.

“EMBRACE YOU.”

The monstrosity just stared at me with a serious and straight face waiting for a hug. I looked to where Coal was thrown, and he was trudging his way towards us now holding his great spear from our fight earlier with clenched teeth. He looked pissed off. I worked up the courage to respond to the creature.

“I’m no follower of yours you freaking monster. I don’t even know what the hell you are. Yea, what exactly are you? Damn, you look ugly as hell!”

The monster’s face went from serious to disappointed quickly. It lowered its embracing arms and spoke to me as I got into a stance ready for imminent battle with this fiend. I looked at Coal who made eye contact with me, and I moved my eyeballs to the right signaling him to get in a good position. He widened his eyes, smiled a little, and acted accordingly.

“What am I? I am the half-human, and I am the half-demon. I am The Cambion. I am God. How could you gaze upon me and not see? I have returned to this world to save you, my dear boy. You slander and offend me, but I still show you love. Can’t you see? Don’t you realize? I… I…”

He began squatting into a position as his angry face became even angrier. His eyes looked like they were about to burst with anger. He brought his hands to his head similar to how Sugu did back at the village when he was talking to the man missing the arm.

“I DIED FOR YOUR SINS MY CHILD! I AM GO-”

Before he could finish his sentence, similar to how he cut off Coal earlier with his weird gravitational launching attack, Coal cut off the Cambion this time with a thrust attack with the blunt of his spear straight to his back sending him sliding in my direction. As he slid towards me with gritted teeth (his teeth were pitch-black) and closed eyes from the impact, I decided I had to join in and help Coal. I was convinced that this was actually a creature from hell.

I winded my fist back and shouted, slamming my fist with all my power into The Cambions’s abdomen where Coal previously cut him. I purposefully aimed for the bloody cut to inflict more damage. Upon impact, he grunted with pain as his mouth and eyes opened. Blood spilled from his mouth as he stumbled clumsily back towards Coal. As soon as he was within range, Coal struck him again, but this time with a great diagonal slash to The Cambion’s back with his double-edged spear. The Cambion yelped this time clearly feeling pain and sliding back towards me. I went for another punch, this time for his disgusting face, but it was like something sparked in him. He quickly shifted his head to avoid the blow with unbelievable speed. He gave the creepiest smile as his horizontally placed head gazed at me with open psychotic eyes. Before I could react, he elbowed me straight to the stomach with great might and the same unbelievable speed he used to dodge my strike. The pain was absolutely insane as I screamed out loud from it as I flew backward and stumbled on my back onto the crimson flowers.

The Cambion quickly turned towards Coal and spoke ecstatically as Coal lifted his spear up in defense. The Cambion was pointing at Coal with his long left arm.

“Huh, so I gained speed there from your back-cut! Beautiful!”

Coal’s eyes widened in disbelief as The Cambion continued now laughing psychotically with his disgusting and creepy pitch-black teeth. He shifted from pointing to Coal to now having his arms and hands up and to his side in the same embracing-like position that he was in earlier when facing me.

“You were saying earlier that I couldn’t gain because I wasn’t human, but you see... I’m half-human and half-demon! So, I gain from both parts of what I am respectively!”

Coal seemed to understand what The Cambion was talking about right away. It was about that same “gaining” crap that I’ve been hearing about for days now. Coal looked at me and yelled out towards me trying to inform me about our foe.

“Spade! That speed that he showed when you went in for a punch! He has an ability too! I don’t know what triggered it, but be wary of it!”

Damn. I went from trying to capture Coal to now fighting alongside him. I guess I really have no other choice though. I can’t just let a freaking half-devil do whatever he wants. I got up from the ground and held my bandaged stomach. I checked the stitched wound by unveiling the bandage that Yuri placed for me, and the wound was opened again. There was some blood in my mouth from the strike, so I spit it out to my right and got ready to continue the fight. As I got into my stance, The Cambion looked at me both curiously and surprisingly.

The Cambion lifted his right hand to his chin and began rubbing it as he stared at me. He was clearly pondering something.

“Hmmm. Wow.”

The Cambion tilted his head looking at me almost in observance. Coal stood to his side still in a defensive stance, perhaps looking for an opening.

“Ohhhh. I see. You're one of the rare ones, huh?”

Coal responded even though The Cambion wasn’t talking to him.

“Damn, so, you noticed too. That makes this harder.”

I had no idea what they were talking about. The Cambion looked over to Coal as he rubbed his chin even faster and more aggressively, and then he looked back at me smiling menacingly.

“Wowwww. So, you managed to gain without taking a soul. I haven’t met a man like you since the beginning of time, but then again… I have been dead for thousands of years!”

The devil began laughing hysterically from his terrible joke. I… gained? So, does that mean I have an ability like Coal and The Chef? I needed to find out.

“What the hell are you talking about you ugly weirdo? What, so I have an ability like you?”

The Cambion began laughing even harder as red tears began coming from his creepy eyes. He really found this to be funny, but he seemed in pain from laughing at the same time. It was like actual blood was coming from his eyes.

“You don’t have an ability. You foolish human. You’ve simply gained the natural way. You’ve gained perhaps in what many would say... the respectable way…”

He lowered his hand and went from smiling to a straight and serious face.

“You're a dangerous one… and you don’t even realize it. You’ve gained through training. That… is rare… I can respect that. Rejoice! Rejoice, my dear boy! God has acknowledged you!”

Sugu was looking at me like he just gained a new brother.

So this thing is just saying that I gained strength from training? No. I think I understand exactly what he’s talking about. I’ve noticed it up until now every time I fight. Obviously, punching a hole through a gym wall is not a normal level of strength. I remember as I walked away from that session that I felt power coursing through my body… it wasn’t a gimmick or any crazy “ability” that I gained, but I can tell… that I definitely gained something. It felt pure and natural. Perhaps this strength that I’ve been exerting in these battles didn’t just come from nothing.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you freak. You literally think that you’re Jesus or something. Get the hell out of here, you retard!”

His face went from serious to angry instantly.

“Re-re-retard? You… dare… YOU DARE CALL ME RETARDED!”

He rushed me, but this time he didn’t have that crazy speed that he displayed earlier when I went to punch him. However, he was still very fast. He zipped towards me and as soon as he got in front of me, he jumped off the ground and went for a horizontal kick mid-air. I ducked towards the crimson flowers to avoid the strike and saw Coal running towards us while I was low and The Cambion was in the air. Before The Cambion could land, I dashed to my right to create some space between us. Coal met me where I dashed and we now both stood side-by-side. The Cambion landed from his jumping attack and gazed at us with a straight face. There was insane adrenaline flowing through me. I looked to Coal who was also focused.

“Okay Coal, I’ll tell you what. We take this creep down, and maybe I’ll hear you out about joining you to fight against ‘numbers’, alright?”

Coal smirked and exclaimed, “That’s surprising. You seemed pretty set on bringing me in because of the money that you needed.”

I responded as I was now pumped up, “Yea, well I’m not a real bounty hunter or anything like that. However, if I bring this guy’s head to the association, I’m sure they’ll give me some crazy money for that!”

Coal laughed a little.

“Damn, even the ones without proper abilities are greedy! Well, I agree! I couldn’t imagine a scenario where you bring in a devil’s head and not get paid money!”

The Cambion butted into the conversation speaking to us seriously.

“This is wonderful! You two seem to be getting along! Perhaps it’s because you’re within the vicinity of God himself!”

The Cambion opened his arms out once more in an embracing-like position.

“Now, all there’s left to do is submit your bodies to me! I am God, and I know what’s best! I mean look at my dear follower and how happy he is! That could be you!”

He pointed at old man Sugu who I forgot was still here. He was hiding behind the altar by the monument clearly trying to avoid fighting. Coal’s eyes seemed to flare at this moment like he just got an idea.

I responded to The Cambion, “There’s only one God buddy, and I don’t think he’s as ugly as you.”

The Cambion angrily yelled and charged us, but Coal did something that I didn't expect. He quickly ripped another throwing knife from his left boot and launched it at old-man Sugu.

Sugu, in pure fear, cried out, “No! God, please help me!”

The Cambion’s eyes widened menacingly in pure seriousness. He took his left hand and sliced his right forearm five times at a psychotic speed with his sharp black nails. Old-man Sugu was screaming in terror until The Cambion zipped there at an insane speed and literally grabbed the throwing knife in mid-air, now glaring at us in absolute irritation and anger. The Cambion was as fast as lightning as he saved Sugu from harm.

Old-man Sugu was crying tears as he yelled out, “Oh Lord Cambion! You saved me! My hero! You are the true God! I owe you my life!”

The Cambion’s face exerted anger towards me and Coal, but his response to Sugu was frighteningly sincere.

“Don’t worry my dear child. I would never allow a disbeliever to inflict harm upon you.”

Coal smiled with his teeth like he just discovered something.

“Spade. His ability… its…”