Drakengard: Demonic Flower [Demons Souls X Drakengard 3 Crossover]

Chapter 16 - Towards the Fortress PART 2

By God, what cursed place is this, the poisonous swamp, the deformed creatures, the dying sick begging for help?!? How does a place like this exist?!? How does God allow this?!?

These people, why were they abandoned here? Criminals, people afflicted with illnesses of the mind, those born with deformities, or simply those unwanted by society, maybe because these people have nowhere to go.

That does not matter now. I crossed the precarious ghettos built into the walls of this hellish crack in the earth, I killed the poor sick things that got in my way and crossed a sea of black, plague-infected rats.

In addition, all of that for what? Only to find myself in a cave filled with fetid water with a demon made of leeches flinging parts of its body toward me.

I thought things would get better when I turned the demon to ashes, but I was wrong, as a gigantic dark swamp stretched out in front of me.

All I could see was nauseating purple water and the dim lights of torches in the distance, so, without much of a choice, I jumped into the swamp.

SPLASH!

Oh, God, the smell, the smell, I think I am going to vomit! I quickly lifted the front of my helmet and dumped the contents of my stomach into the polluted water, although I doubt that would make any difference here.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. You need to move on, Edric, you need to move on. What would your parents think if they could see you now?

-XXXXXX-

My disgust for this place only grows with every minute I stay here. Did Maiden Astraea and Garl Vinland truly come here to aid the afflicted?

Well, I highly doubt that, as this place is full of suffering. Hm... I doubt the Maiden became an archdemon, but if what the old woman told me is true, the two of them are somewhere deep in this valley.

Alternatively, maybe they died and I stepped on their corpses without realizing it, after all, that is what I stepped on until now.

I had the unfortunate curiosity to stomp the ground hard enough to push away the water, only to come face to face with a mass of decomposing corpses. No wonder the floor was so soft and creaking with every step.

-XXXXXX-

Bloody hell, more of these monstrous animals, mosquitoes the size of dogs, jellyfish that looked like shields and now slugs big enough to devour a human!

The constant rain falling over my head did not help. Greenish, stinky water made it difficult for me to see. I am deep in the earth, how is it possible for it to rain here?

Hm... Something further ahead caught my attention, a figure sitting on a rock on an islet.

I prepared my sword, shield, and approached cautiously. Talking to crazy people wearing rags almost caused my end; I do not want to repeat the same mistake.

"Greetings, stranger, I didn't expect to meet another person here!" I spoke as I approached the figure.

The figure quickly stood up and pointed a strange sword with a transparent blade in my direction. I had difficulty identifying her face thanks to my helmet and the rain obstructing my vision, but I identified her as a woman thanks to her physical size.

"Why, you're one of the sane ones, aren't you? I am Selen of the West." The golden-armored person spoke with a mixture of surprise and relief as she lowered her sword.

"Nice to meet you, Selen, My name is Edric and well, let's just say I don't know how long I will be considered sane. This place tests the limits of my mind. Now, could you tell me why you are here? I didn't expect to meet another person here."