Tales of Berseria The X: Beyond Calamity

Chapter XXII: The Wrong Side of Heaven

An ear-piercing scream woke Avernus up. His body jerked toward the door as it opened widely, and Laphicet, frightened to death, dashed inside. "Avernus! Please! Velvet is-!"

Avernus didn't waste any time and ran toward the door, passing Laphicet and going into the village.

A chilling feel washed over his nerves as he saw lifeless bodies of villagers littered the pavement.

He began to breathe heavily, and his forehead was wet with cold sweat. Dark clouds covered the sky. The air reeked of malevolence.

Avernus examined the bodies, noticing lacerations and scars on them. "Daemon claws?"

Avernus turned to Laphicet, but he was disappeared into thin air.

Suddenly, A demonic, eldritch roar grabbed his attention as it came from the outside of the gate. Avernus scrambled toward the source. Then, he saw a man leaning against the door and laughing to himself. Avernus immediately recognized Zaveid's voice.

"What happened?!" He rushed to his side frantically and held his shoulders, raising his torso and looking directly into his eyes. "Answer me, damn it!"

Zaveid's eyes were white and blank like death. "That girl is one hell of a-"

His breathing stopped, his eyes went blank, and his head dropped to the side of his shoulder. Avernus tried to use his healing, but he couldn't cast it. Nevertheless, it was too late for Zaveid.

Avernus whipped his head around, looking for his malak companion."Tia! Tia! Where are you?!"

Avernus couldn't feel her anymore as if she never existed. He looked at his hands and found out that the flow of mana in his body was now gone, no magic, nothing.

Another roar pulled him out of his thoughts. He opened the gate and saw flashes of green and blue magic artes illuminating the sky far away. As he ran with a breakneck speed, a cloud of black smoke covered the area. In the distance, he saw Eleanor, Laphicet, Magilou, and Rokurou running towards the hill. In the black smoke, however, was Eizen, clutching his head and shouting in pain.

Avernus knew what was going on. "No, no, no! Get back! Run!"

The smoke became thicker, and a pair of enormous black wings appeared inside of it. The next howl that came out cleared the dark mist. A giant, black dragon of gigantic proportions emerged from it. Eizen had succumbed to the corruption.

The dragon jerked his head and flapped its wing, flying towards the group. Magilou slowly turned to him and grinned. She mumbled something unintelligible. She jumped on one of her enlarged guardian papers and went towards the dragon, head-on as if she suddenly decided to distract the creature.

"Get back, Magilou! Run you stupid, woman! Run!"

Avernus throat was sore, and his shouts were futile. In a matter of seconds, the dragon opened his jaw and snatched Magilou out of the air. The black monster then flew off with his prey.

The scene chewed and chipped at his psyche. He looked in the direction of the hill, but there was no trace of the rest. He quickly climbed the mountain. The sounds of clashing were getting closer. Then he heard a cry, and the body of Rokurou tumbled and dropped down, passing behind his head.

His body hit the stones and stayed motionless. Avernus's breathing intensified, and he scaled the hills as fast as he was able. He finally reached the top;

Eleanor and Laphicet were fighting a giant werewolf. Avernus recognized Rokurou's twin blades dug in the monster's black, and the daemon itself felt familiar. He reached to his belt, but the Dreamshadow was gone. He had no weapon. He heard a scream and raised his head, watching Eleanor as her lifeless body landed beside his feet.