THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

After Cordel places the little girl in a drawer. We get down and join K'nor who is cleaning himself.

"Let's go."

I don't feel any Longinus' presence around us. Which is good. The smell is also less strong here. We advance slowly and navigate through the alleys that are shaped like a maze.

"Is this how it is supposed to be?"

"What?"

"The basement."

"I don't know.."

"Grrr!"

K'nor stops and his fur instantly raises when we arrive at a corner. I feel it too, there is a Longinus coming. I signal Cordel that there is something coming and he kneels on one knee. Then we both grab our weapons. K'nor is ready to pounce at a moment's notice but I pat him on the head to calm him down. I am taking care of this one.

Soon after K'nor signaled us the Longinus's presence, we hear some kind of footsteps. Slowly, that thing is making its way to us. Right when it should be before us, I jump in and stab through. The first thing that comes to my sight is the head of a dog. A Longinus sloin then. Thankfully, I stab at the crystal presence I felt so it is eliminated without making any sound.

"Fuuu…Good. Let's continue."

We continue walking through the maze-like basement. Then we find a door that looks weird. Weird as it is made of stone. A white stone that looks nothing like the rest of the basement.

"Weird?" Cordel looks at me like he is trying his best to understand something but can't.

"How would I know?" I touch the door but it doesn't move. "Let's push."

We both place our hands on the stone door then push slowly. The door opens but makes a loud sound as it grinds against the ground.

"Yup, now they know we are here."

Behind the door, there is nothing. Just an empty room with nothing inside.

"Shit, it was a trap."

"Not so fast, Cordel." This room is too clean. It's way too clean compared to the rest of the maze. Plus that door can't have been there for nothing.

"KRIEEKK!!!"

"Shit!! Hey, we should move fast!"

"Calm down. Even if we run now, they will outrun us anyway."

I touch the ground of the room and is dry. Like really dry.

"Cordel, touch the floor a bit."

"What for?!"

"Just do it."

"…It's…it's warm?"

"I see."

I hold my raizen then strikes the floor with Tremor. It completely shatters and we fall down to a room with torches and two beds. Moreover, as we land, I immediately notice a man standing at the corner of the room. I pounce on him as soon as my feet touch the ground and slam to the ground.

"Argh!"

"Kevin!"

"I know."

"Krieekk!!!"

A Longinus also falls on me from upstairs as I pin the guy down. But K'nor is there. All I hear is the characteristic sound of a wind ball being shot at high speed.

"KRIEE-"

That's one down but there are two others still coming.

"Let's go. Cordel, you take care of him!"

"Okay."

"No, wait, I am a prisoner. I am not-"

I knock the guy down with a single punch. Well, he certainly is weak. I throw his body at Cordel who grabs him and goes to the door of the room, as he breaks it, I cut another Longinus sloin while K'nor shoots a simple one. We then follow Cordel and all end up in a hall.

"Oh, hell no."

In front of us now, a legion of weird-looking men and Longinus walking around aimlessly. They all turn towards us when we enter the hall but none of them attack. What is going on?

"Fufufu. She was right, I see. You guys are right on time."

That voice…

"Borgas."

On the upper side of the hall, Borgas appears, holding a glass of wine in one hand. The bastard is actually dressed like a nobleman, even though it doesn't suit his big body.

"Now that I think about it, she did say I will certainly be rewarded if I handle this as she told me to. I was just going to kill you but oh well, no can do, I guess."

"Borgas Grandcross! We have proofs of your wrongdoings!! Surrender now or we will be forced to use strength to put you down!"

"Huh?" Where the hell do Cordel comes from with such a speech?!! Even Borgas is flabbergasted by what he just said.

"Fufu…Fuahahaha!!! My god! I didn't know they sent comedians this time! Were they finally tired of sending warriors?!!"

"What are you-"

"Stop, Cordel." Okay, I guess you were serious then. Anyway, this is good. If I can capture Borgas, finding Tatiana will be easier. Maybe she is even here right now, observing like the snake she is.

"Alright, alright! You know what? You guys have humored me so I am going to-"

"Guohh!!!"

Suddenly, among the unmoving mass of men and Longinus that are here, one jumps up front and kills four or five of his own while lending.

The guy is as big as Borgas, maybe even bigger. Also, his head looks like a different part from the rest of the body. The head is way to white and too small for that big, slightly tanned, and burly body. He is holding a Warhammer even taller than a chil…No way, I can't believe it! They even brought him back?!! No, I must be mistaken!

"Impossible."

"What is?" Cordel looks anxiously at me but before I can answer him.

"Hey, you!!! I didn't give you the permission to move yet!! What the fuck do you think you are doing?!!"

"Guoh?"

The guy, the thing…Let's just call him by his name. Mountain Roderick, at least, that's the name I remember, looks at Borgas. Does he really understand what he is saying?

"It's not your time to show up!! Go back to your position."

"Guohh…"

Mountain Roderick lowers his head like a small puppy, then turns around to go back to wherever he was standing.

"Now, where were w-"

When Roderick is at the same level as our other enemies, I fire five crescent bullets on him. The explosion is as loud and powerful as I hoped and a lot of human bodies' parts fly here and there, together with some crystals.

"KRIEEKKK!!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

Answering my provocation, the Longinus scream like mad angry men while the men themselves turn into the same thing as the students of Mohana. Now, it is confirmed. Mohana is collaborating with Veronica.

"Kevin!! Look!! Those men!!"

"Yeah, I know. Prepare yourself!"

Cordel drops the man we knocked out earlier then releases his aura. In front of us, the Longinus start running. I jump in the fray and killed two sloins but right as a Longinus man is about to punch me…

"STOP!!!!" Borgas's voice resounds like a drum beaten with full strength and all the Longinus stop.

The smoke creates by my bullets dissipates and Borgas appears, walking among the Longinus like some king. Does he really have the strength to do that? As he walks to me, I see Roderick standing back up. His left shoulder is completely absent but there is crystal standing where his shoulder should be. Then like a miracle, tissues…flesh start crawling back around that crystal which is shining with an ominous grey color.

"I-Impossible." Cordel must have seen it too as he talks with a trembling voice. Seeing him all trembling surely, Borgas smiles like a demon and stops a few meters ahead of me.

"I guess you guys haven't seen the latest models yet. No, wait, you were at the tournament so you have seen them already." Borgas also possess crystals in him. Three of them. That's bad news. But I should have been prepared, I guess.

"The Mohana's students, right?"

"Hm… so you noticed after all. Intriguing; unless it is a defective like this one, it is hard to detect them." Yeah, difficult enough for even the heroes not to notice. I owe Cissa one on this.

"What are guys even doing? H-how can you cooperate with the harbingers of death and doom?" Cordel is upset. I can feel it in his voice.

"Poor child. You don't understand anything. You are just a mere puppet in something must greater than you can possibly understand. And worst yet, you are on the wrong side of the fence."

"I am not poor nor am I wrong. Meetia is our savior and light. And you, the crimes you have committed, the people you have killed, you will be punished severely."

"Is that so?" Borgas proceeds to slowly remove his clothes and let shining black and purple suit, which is sticking to his body. as his clothes fall on the floor, the suit covers his face as well and turns into an armor with spikes and blades here and there. "Then why don't you do it?"

At those words, the other Longinus forms a circle around us. They encircle while leaving enough space for us to move. K'nor keeps growling at them but they stay in place like they don't care.

"K'nor, sit."

"Woof!" Thankfully, I manage to calm him down and he sits down like I ask him. Now, the only problem is to take care of Borgas.

"How do you want to do this?"

"What?" Even his voice has now changed. It sounds deeper, closer to the Longinus's scream.

"You want us to fight you, right? Then what are the conditions?"

"Conditions? Ahahaha!! Are you stupid?! Aren't you the one they called the star of Mercuria? My wife has asked me to keep you alive until she sees you so I have the obligation to bring you alive. That's the only condition. Now, you can struggle all you want, it will only make it more enjoyable for me and my new body."

"Your wife?"

His wife? Was Borgas married? I don't think so. He starts stretching himself, relaxing his muscles, and twisting his head slowly. The cracking sound produced is resonating everywhere. I only notice now but those humans, none of them are breathing. There no heartbeats among them either. The ominous aura they emit also seems to have decreased a little bit. Though Roderick is not emitting anything for now.

"Now, you guys better do your best to entertain me a li-"

I fire three crescent bullets at Borgas. The first explodes but then, from the smoke, something slashes through everything: the remaining two bullets, the smoke itself. The cut was powerful enough for me to duck as well, evading it.

"I don't like people who cut me off when I speak. Don't do that again."

Is he seriously reprimanding me right now? Now, Borgas is holding a spear. The whole body of the spear is black and purple like his armor. The blade is wide as well.

"Do you perhaps not know me?"