Missing Villagers III/III [Solo / Plot / Job]

As if the women were possessed by some malevolent force, they lunged out towards Rima in a frontal assault. Despite Rima’s reaction being slightly delayed to this, she was still capable of moving out of the way in time. However, this did not stop them from going after their true target, Biyu.

Quickly realizing this, Rima would try her best to follow up on them. Her first course of action would be to send a simple command to the rukh, causing her feet to lift up off the ground. Now in flight, Rima would quickly close the distance between her and the newly-found enemies in order to try and save her friend. As she closed in behind one of them, she’d take her Headless Caster and slam it into the back of their skull, splattering some of the woman’s black blood on her face.

As the crazed woman went tumbling to the ground, Rima would make an attempt to stop the other one as well. However, blinded by the woman's blood, she was forced to take a moment to wipe it away from her eyes.

"Biyu, try to get away from here!" Rima would yell out, still unable to focus her eyesight. Why were they so focused in on Biyu? Wasn't she already infected by this weird black blood stuff? If so...then why in the world did they want her so badly? Things weren't adding up.

Finally rubbing the blackened blood from her vision, Rima takes the initiative and continues her chase after the two women. This time though, there is no room left for her to be a slacker. She immediately begins to increase her magoi output in order to reach her maximum flight potential.

“What’s wrong with you, just leave me alone!” Biyu would scream out, tears rolling down her pale face. The poor girl was absolutely confused by what was going on, especially because this woman in specific was who she had been talking to most of tonight. While they weren’t exactly close acquaintances in the village, they had started to actually get to know each other while captured. For her to suddenly turn like this though...it was very troubling for Biyu to process.

After a good minute of being chased after, Biyu’s lower half would begin to completely give out. Her body would suddenly just stop working, her face crashing into the dirt that was beneath her feet at one time. As this happened, images of the girl’s life would begin flashing before her eyes. Was this how she went out? Killed off by someone from her own village, who happened to be under control by some malevolent force? To simply put it, this was not how she expected to leave this mortal plain.

"C-Come on...we grew up in the s-same village! Snap to your senses, Yu. You d-don't want to do this..."

“Leave her alone, dammit!” Rima would scream out, her body angeled in a torpedo-like motion as she flew. She was going as fast as the rukh would let her, yet as Biyu and the woman came into view, she could tell that she was too late. The woman seemed to have Biyu in a firm grasp, her clawed hand wrapped around the girl’s throat as the horrible black liquid would trail down into her agape mouth.

Rima’s anger had begun to spiral out of control, many emotions were now clouding her judgement. The sickly rukh she did her best to fight against were now flocking around her body, buzzing like insects as they danced to the rhythm of her breaking heart. She didn’t want Biyu to die, or to become like them. It was unfair, simply unfair. Of course Rima hadn’t known Biyu for very long, but there was still something special about her. Something that made Rima feel like she deserved to be protected.

As Rima started to close in on them, she would raise her Headless Caster once again, slamming the thick metal end directly into the enemy’s skull. The woman’s body would immediately ragdoll away from Biyu, violently flopping onto the ground further away. She was finally dead, no longer a threat to anyone.  

As soon as the club had made contact, Rima did her best to slow down and take a landing. She would immediately dart back to where Biyu had been assaulted, quickly moving the girl’s limp body into her arms.

As their fleshed touched together, Rima would automatically notice how low Biyu’s body temperature seemed to be. Not only that, but also how her skin seemed to wriggle and writhe upon touch. Multiple black veins were now placed throughout her body, all moving in an unnatural snake-like manner. The sight alone was enough to make Rima ill. Just what the hell was this stuff?

“B-Biyu, please tell me you’re still in there.” Rima would whisper to the girl, gently digging her nails into her skin. She wanted nothing more than for Biyu to be okay, but the odds were clearly stacked against them. It was bad enough she was already infected, but now the process was pushed forward even more. Rima wanted to try figuring out a way to cleanse these girls, but how would she get a chance if they all change before they even get to town? The fact that this was Biyu made it even harder to cope, as she was the only one Rima actually cared about.

As Biyu’s eyes started to flutter open, the girl would immediately jump forward as a coughing fit took hold of her. Black veins wriggled under the skin of her throat as the liquid began to pour from her mouth. She simply pressed her two hands up against her mouth, letting the ooze drip through the cracks of her fingers.

The substance seemed to even be making it to her eyes, slowly cascading the white with pitch-black. She looked like she hadn’t gotten sleep in forever either, bearing two horribly black circles around them. Despite all of this, her gaze would continue to be focused on the magician whose arms were wrapped around her; Rima.

Biyu would do her best to say something to her, but only a faint crackle of her voice could be heard. Her breathing was beyond what one might consider “unstable” and her body would continue to tremble greatly. The feeling of this presence moving within her was unsettling and just utterly horrible.

“J-Just hold on, B-Biyu...I’ll try to heal you again.” Rima would say, trying to figure out where she had placed her wand. However, the faint tugging of her clothing was enough to draw her attention back to Biyu. Their saddened eyes locking once again, bringing an odd sense of tranquility to the scene.

---

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A deep and mysterious voice would hum from the shadows. The man who had been hiding himself from the very start had finally made his appearance, equipped with a small black wand that was tucked in his underarm.  

His appearance was that of a handsome young man, bearing long raven-black hair that reached down past his waist side. His apparel consisted of nothing but blindingly white clothes, which not even the smallest speck of dirt could be seen on them. If one were to judge him on appearance alone, they would immediately deem him as a figure of great importance. Even the sheer aura that he let out was powerful and chilling, giving the four women standing before him goosebumps. This man was simply known by the name “Yamato”.

“So, what’s up with this whole thing? What exactly are you four girls harboring in those fragile little bodies of yours? I could smell the evil oozing from you for miles.” He would laugh, tilting his head as looked right at them. The women were obviously too far gone to save at this point. Their bodies had already started to change, shedding any humanity they might of once had. If one were to simply look into their eyes, they could see the abyss itself.

Their arms became twisted and black, now bearing a strange tree-like look to them. One of the girl’s sides had completely sunken in, revealing a sharp row of teeth embedded into her stomach. The sight was by far the most grotesque thing Yamato had ever seen. Despite him being very familiar with the work of dark magic, this was almost like a step beyond that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so damn interested in it.

“I’ve never been the one to play the role of god, to decide who lives and who dies. However, it is clear to me that there is nothing that comes from your existence. Farewell, I do pray that at least your spirit was not tainted as well.” Yamato’s voice was blunt and chilling. As he spoke these words to the fallen, he had slowly shifted his wand towards their direction. The last thing any of them would see before it all ended; was a vibrant black light in the shape of a blade.