Ethereal Paradigm 66 The Priest, the Hero, and the Anti-Mainstream

- Terry Pratchett

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The sundown took its fruition hereby disappearing from our sights completely, and in exchange was dusk and the quick rise of the moon, with winds blowing forth causing these melodramatic noises on the surrounding still trees' leaves. The surrounding visage was somehow stale, if not with its coalescence with the stench from the freshly-killed monsters everywhere.

Shiro, who is their main prey, hid on my back while I stand corrected to move, facing the humanoid foes with the ever-confident prance.

"Yow! Would you give us the little girl?" the priestly guy above us started exclaiming, as he and his companions took flight into the clear night skies with their robes as their main magical tool for flying.

"Yow! Such a very nice way to greet someone who just arrived from someplace else!"

"Eh...You liked it? Thanks that's very nice of you to accept our " warmest" welcomes! We are indeed very hospitable. Now, please do hand over the little girl and you can go explore to your heart's content."

"Such unpretentious and direct demi-human. Why would I? And who are you supposed to be?" I replied, in a very assertove manner with an impassive physiognomy, while the little girl who is their main target began to take cover on my rear still holding unto Grendel.

"Ahh, do pardon. I thought you already know my name! After all, you were eavesdropping on us a while ago."

"Hmmm...First of all, It was not nice of you to tail us around while luring the monsters in. Now tell me, which is a more punishable crime?" I backslashed while radiating the same sober expression.

"Ahhhh, so you already know of that one Ahahahaha. What a high espionage skill indeed.. As for the answer to your question, let me introduce who we are, new-comer. We are the assassination party of a far-away little kingdom. And I am Deinsleif, the priest and the spokesperson and this hot-blooded guy you saw earlier is our kingdom's reckless hero of renown... Berserker Count Joberwock Roswald."

"TSSS... You could have explained more of my greatness." The big guy who said about his 'anti-withdrawal ideals' just moments ago clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"You see? Short-tempered indeed... And I'll say this as many times as I would. Would you, give us the little kid?" the priest added.

What's with this rather rush and constraining request... They know for themselves that there's no way I'm giving up Shiro to some strangers who endeavored to kill us. They can even send an Earl rather than this ranked nobility count if they want to, but still, no can do.

"There's no use wasting the time of your kingdom's hero so I'll catch to the chase. No" I declared.

"Hmmm... Now, this might be bad. We need the Kurenai for certain needs and if you have no intention in handing her quietly-peacefully, brute-force would be used, monsieur"

"I know very well. The same goes for all of you. If you refuse to leave us alone, yes...brute force would be, without a doubt, used." I replied with a little hostility added to my once deadpan demeanor.

"How interesting. I never knew that the second realm's most superior entities are these much well-rounded. Hmm. Nice. Very well, but are you sure? There are like 20 of us you know, the most feared assassins among these parts, and who this party up against is you... a mere human from the second realm who got invited by a certain deity who took a liking to you."

Oh, so they do know of the ongoing war.

"Hmmm... That is indeed underhanded, but yeah I can tolerate." I replied to his inadequate threats of me being numerously surmounted. Then suddenly...

"HAAAAA??? YOU PLANNING TO GO ALLL OUT WITH A PIPSQUEAK LIKE THIS!? WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF AN ALLEY CAT!" the Joberwock suddenly butted in.

"As I have told you, Mr. Hero, it's dangerous to fight someone like him alone. Especially at night like this. You saw how his power made all of the surrounding monsters feeble." an argument between the priest and the hero begins to spark.

"PWEE! JUST FILL ME UP AND I'LL FIGHT HIM ALONE"

"Here we go again... As you wish, you overly reckless hero... That guy standing in opposition can control the shadows at will. The only limit is his ability to imagine as to what shape does he want the shadows to take."

"GAH GAH GAH!! SOUNDS REALLY DANGEROUS, BUT NOT ENOUGH"

"Look I appreciate you know that much about my power but, controlling shadows? Mind you, that's not even a quarter of my paradigm." As a response to the belittlement, I sent back the threat. I'm a legitimate pursuant of equality after all.

"BIG WORDS YOU GOT THEIR KID... HEY PRIEST HOLD ON TO THIS FOR ME!", he then quickly wore off his robe, throwing it to the overbearing priest's defenseless face and coming down to the ground with his epic entrance, which is not really that epic...

As though jumping from the heavens, he fell off towards our front giving off this vibration going on into the ground and there was smoke everywhere from the heavy impact of his jumping. Everyone in his group followed him, making their individual heels meet the surreal dusty terra firma.

Then, as the smoke started to rescind, the uncovered demeanor of the Count Jobberwock Roswald then became apparent. He looked very big when he wore the white robe prior, but I was somehow mistaken. If I were to describe his physique, it's probably your typical earthly body-builder, yet, what made him appear like he is entirely made up of muscles is his heavy-looking armor and his rather giant sword placed at his back. His face also showed his advanced age and just like the priest, he also has two horns in his forehead which have bright-red color on both of each point.

"LET'S DANCE KID... I'LL BE TAKING THE LITTLE GIRL WITH ME." He spouted while holding his two-handed greatsword which has an animal's skull on the center and with blades that looked like it was harnessed from a backbone of a large creature... beckoning that he is ready to engage anytime at his wll.

"Good luck hero..." the priest who introduced himself as 'Dainleif' mocked him by giving that unenthusiastic and dead good-luck dogma.

"OH SHUT THE HELL UP! SO KID WHERE'S YOUR WEAPON?"

"Huh? Oh, it's hight here...", I then let out of my humble pen from one of my pockets.

"SERIOUSLY GAH GAH GAH! Hoi! Give this kid a weapon!!"

"There's no need"

"HAAAA??"

"I think I made it clear... There's no need."

"GAH GAH GAH!! You better not be underestimating me, kid. Did you know how I fricken killed an immortal gorgon?"

"By Gorgon, did you mean this giant creature that has been moving underground for quite some time now? ... And did you just say immortal, and that, you killed it? Not so immortal sounding."

"HMMMM, how arrogant... Deinsleif, I can kill kiddo right, he seems to know my secret weapon?" he retaliated calling me arrogant. Well, lookie here who challenged a new-arrival novice.....

"You mean that uncute dead snake you killed and controlled? You must be kidding...But, if you can, then you may..." the priest answered him.

"TSSS... DAMN YOU. IF YOU THINK I'M NOT WINNING, THEN HELL I'M NOT HOLDING BACK!!!" he shouted in a very berserker stance, holding his sword with its tip slightly pierced on the ground, making it shake a little bit.
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"HERE I GO KIDDO!!!!!!!!! GHAAAAAA"

"Hold up..."

"HAAA??? WHAT?"

"I can't fight like this... having a kid on my rear." I then looked at Shiro who was hiding in my back, confused about the sudden pre-occurring events.

I patted her again right on the head to somehow pacify her mixture of emotions, and as usual, she just gave me the same smile full of trust and optimism. The very opposite of me...

"Oh right... HEY YOU! USELESS PRIEST! Cast a spell on all of us now will ya?!"

"Heee??? And what spell might that be?"

"Something that can suddenly kill us all if the kid is to be hurt while our duel is still on! What else do you think would I mean?"

"Tssskkk, don't you drag me on this one."

"IF YOU WILL NOT, YOU'LL BE THE NEXT IN LINE AFTER THIS KID"

"Heeee?????? Ok, ok I'm doing it."

Like how earth's literary piece's depictions, he then held his scepter high up on air, as if declaring his dominion over sorcery.

"Thou malediction, fall upon our heads and make thee, child as the enamored treasure! Fall, Curse of the Drasengald!"

"HOI PRIEST, what does the spell do?"

"Simple. If the girl where to be hurt, all of us would be killed." the forced-priest replied, making everyone on his side somewhat feel the shivers.

"Now, that's interesting... GAH GAH GAH! Hoi, lowly assassins, if I were you, you should start protecting the girl, if you want to see the light of tomorrow"

"Y-Yes, sir!!!" They replied as they encircled Shiro with sweats running down their faces for the activation of such curse...

"Satisfied now kid?"

"And what assurance can you show me that if you would, in fact, hurt her, you'll be instantly killed?"

"GAH GAH GAH! No need for such assurance kid. This is an order from me, so I'll highly doubt if they can muster the courage to go against such orders."

"Hee??"

"And besides, if they were lying about the curse and are to hurt the little girl, interrupting our battle... THEN I WILL KILL THEM 'RELENTLESSLY'. This is a chevalier from a man to a 'slightly-developed-man'. What do you say kid? Fair?"

"Fair enough."

"OK THEN! GAH GAH GAH!!"

Then, as though having Gilgamish's Noble Phantasm, I formed out swords, spears, javelins, and daggers, all of which are replicas of the renown weapons of old. In the center, was the dark replica of the holy sword everyone knows as 'Excalibur'. and in my hand, I envisioned a death scythe...

Well, heroes with guns, daggers, and swords are all mainstream... It won't hurt to devise from the usual...

"INTERESTING INDEED!!! IF ONLY YOU ARE OBEDIENT, I could invite you to be a high official in my regime, but, your eyes answer it all in advance. GAH GAH GAH! HERE I GO, KID! DON'T YOU COME KNEELING DOWN TO ME LATER!!!!"

And so, my first ever showdown commences, under the outrageous rays of the slightly chipped full moon above our heads... which I find to be displeasing. A hint, of a very demented outcome. Well, some things can't happen 'thrice' right? I could only do so much as to hope.

Chapter end