66 Chapter 63 - Deprive

- Before Touma's Awakening... -

Zhong Yuan was walking through the forest. He knew this world, he knew everything. After all, adopting and taking in the 8th's Curse made him almost all knowing.

"This takes back a long time ago... Man, I guess I'm like what 8 was for me to Touma."

Walking slowly to the Crimson Magic Clan Village, he tightened his grip on his sheath. Today was going to be a revolution, something never seen since the Primordial Ages, the beginning to proper reform. However, like they say, "you need to first deprive everything to create anew."

Walking out of the forest, he was greeted by a bunch of people waiting for me. They were all dressed in red and black, signifying their race. However, there wasn't a trace of coolness at all.

"Crimson Demons? Why did you all gather up here for?" I asked.

I chuckled at their pitiful actions. No matter what a world can offer, you couldn't beat manifestations of the Inheritor's Curse.

"Everyone! Now!" yelled a beauty.

All at once, powerful spells were chanted at me.

"Fools-"

All destructive magic attacks landed on my body. Fire, lightning, curses, and etc. It was so powerful that it seemed to be able to destroy the Belzerg's capital.

"Is he dead Soketto?" Bukkororri asked nervously.

Soketto smiled wryly, "He wouldn't die this easily..."

From the huge blast, ash and dust covered the scenery. Part of the beautiful forest disappeared and from the dust cloud, the shadow of man could be seen standing.

"*cough* *cough*, how rude of you all to attack me?" I said.

"Rude? Sorry, but it seems quite normal when such a dangerous aura came off from the holy shrine," Soketto responded.

"Dangerous?" I looked over myself. There wasn't a single mark on my body and I could sense my aura being released from it.

"Oops, gotta stop the flow," I said. And in a split second, my body seemed perfectly normal.

"You're still allowed to pass!" said a random Crimson Demon.

They all still holded their wands and staff pointed at me. Seeing this made me annoyed and tired.

"Pass? I need to listen to someone like you?" I asked.

Taking Shigemura out of my sheath, it wasn't the same as before. Unlike the beautiful blade I once have crafted, it seemed like it would break in a single hit, yet evil permeated from it. My past love has become my resolution, my curse, and my will to start anew.

"Shatter..." I muttered.

My training inside nightmares wasn't for nothing. In a single strike, the entirety of the village and a mountain range was cut.

*****

"Your Highness! We have received a report from surveying patrol! The entire Crimson Magic Clan Village was destroyed overnight and the sealed beings were unsealed!" said a demon.

Confused, the Demon King used one of his various items to survey the village. In it was countless dead people and demons, and a horde of monsters behind a human. He was expressionless, but then started staring at the Demon King.

'He can see me!?' said the Demon King.

Still looking at the live video, the human then just waved his hands as if chanting something. The Demon King waited, but nothing seemed to happen, so he shook off his nervousness.

"It's not good for a King to be nervous for his people..." he sighed.

"Your Majesty! Your body! Your legs!" yelled his minion.

Staring down, the Demon King saw his once usable legs becoming disabled. Slowly, the bones kept on turning on inhumanly directions, causing pain to the Demon King.

"Stop it! Stop it!" screamed the Demon King.

"It's not nice to stare, you know?" said someone in the room.

Turning his head, the sweaty Demon King saw the same human he saw in the video. Making sure, he checked back at the video to see him still there.

"No way... There's two of you? What magic is this?" said the Demon King in despair.

"Magic? Don't say that. After, what I'm going to do you isn't magic, it's truth," said Zhong Yuan.

Walking over, Zhong Yuan split the minion into tiny dices and put his fingers over the Demon King's temples.

"Why!? Why isn't my magic working!" he screamed.

"Emotion Magic - Revelation," I chanted.

The King's eyes glowed white and started diminishing after a while. His pupils were growing and it seemed he died from shock.

"Sorry, but your soul still has some use."

Stabbing through the King's chest as if it was tofu, a gray mist started flowing into Zhong Yuan.

"I told you didn't I? Deprive everything to start anew. Right, spying Gods?" Zhong Yuan looked up.

And in second, he vanished.

The world was introduced to a previous Inheritor, an incarnation of grief.

*****

Sakda's Curse was of Solitude.

What does Solitude represent? There's various forms and things that stem from it, however, a good word to represent it is isolation.

Solitude isn't a bad thing, it can even be helpful. It increases freedom, creativity, and can develop one's self. Yet when thinking of Sakda's curse, I can't help but screech.

"A fucking romcom!?" I yelled.

Sakda, the badass he was, kept his face straight. Following up, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"You can't expect all our lives to be like yours, can't you? In reality, most of the beginning Inheritors started out with an easy going life. Yours and Zhong Yuan also follow that rule, but your's two are exceptions."

My face was tired, "So... how do I acquire your curse?"

Sakda simply smiled, "You just have to embrace it."