Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

"That was true before that incident, but after that battle that changed the terrain of the Crucifixion Forest, Granny Wolf became a completely different person."

"Huh? Another explosive news! Tell me quickly, where has the terrain been altered? Everything around here looks pretty normal."

"At the border between the Deep Cathedral and the Crucifixion Forest, there used to be a dilapidated fortress, guarded by a Crystal Elder, but now if you go there, you can only see the ruins of a crystal."

The black-haired boy, who was the team leader, paused for a moment, as if recalling another major event that had occurred in the world of the Flame.

"We weren't witnesses to that battle either. We only know that the Ash Soldiers had just appeared and started their invasion of the Crucifixion Forest and Farron Keep without warning. Several newcomers were almost driven to become wandering ghosts, and several seniors fought each other in anger. From then on, Granny Wolf no longer stayed at the sacrificial site, the map of the Crucifixion Forest was rewritten, and the Ash began a war of invasion and counter-invasion between Ash."

"It's true, being with you guys always brings out all sorts of exciting news."

As Zhi assessed this new piece of intelligence, which could affect their Heartfire World, it seemed to be another change at the level of the Fire World. Just as Rudolph had said, troublesome things were spreading outward from the Fire World one after another. They couldn't just stay in their own little corner of Heartfire forever.

Her type is fine; she's carefree and doesn't care about anything else. She can just adapt to whatever the world changes.

But this is not good news for Xiaoyan. If they get stuck in this quagmire and get entangled in trouble, it is unknown how long it will take before Xiaoyan can truly move towards her goal. They also have to ensure the stability of this quagmire, because Xiaoyan needs to constantly travel to other worlds in order to find a way to save the gods. The Heartfire and Fire Worlds are indispensable as transit points.

The unrest has never stopped anywhere.

"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves yet."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. The kind-hearted captain clearly noticed this, so he tapped his palm and took the lead in a belated self-introduction.

"My name is Kirito, I come from Earth in 2022, and my profession... well, I'd say I'm a professional gamer."

"Misaka 9982, from Earth in 2004 [Note 1], occupation: superpowered clone," Misaka calmly introduced.

"Kaneki Ken, also from Earth, born in 2011 [Note 2], is a university student."

"Oh~ I always feel that some people's professions are mysterious and impressive."

The three guards of Fran introduced themselves one by one. Compared to the two boys' unremarkable introductions, the brown-haired girl's name, occupation, and even her habitual verbal tic were all quite unusual.

"Shouldn't you finish your own introduction before commenting on someone else's?" Misaka criticizes someone's poor manners.

"Ahaha, that's true. Well, my name is Ryougi Ori. I died on Earth in 1995. Before I died, my profession was an exorcist's alternate personality. As you can see, my progress in the Fire (Heartfire) world is just reaching the Forest of Crucifixion. My current profession is... Ash."

The way Zhi introduced himself silenced the three of them again, because all the otherworldly Ashes avoided talking about their deaths in their original world when communicating. This was the first time they had heard someone talk about their death anniversary so calmly, and it was also the first time they had heard someone so openly admit that they were Ashes.

"Hmm, this self-introduction does sound a bit strange, but since I am now as ash, I was born after the original me died. So I should introduce myself as 'My name is Ryougi Ori, I am an ash, born on Earth in 1995 in the original world.' Hmm, that's much more concise."

"Liangyi-san is really something..."

"Heartless, right? But I identify with my current race more than with my original alter ego. I don't see it as death, because it's the rebirth of the 'Ash Yin-Yang Weave.' I'm proud to be reborn as ash, and I will proudly spread my flames wherever I go."

"Alternate personality, Ashes, clone, Ashes... Let's slightly raise my opinion of this guy," Do Misaka said insincerely.

"Haha, alright, alright, even a simple self-introduction is making such a fuss. We Ashes are really complicated. Well, let's not talk about those things anymore. It seems I have no choice but to force my way into Farron Fortress. So, let's work on a plan for a strong attack."

In the end, it was Zhi herself who dispelled the heavy atmosphere, laughing heartily. As for what her unconventional self-introduction brought to the other three, only they themselves knew.

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The Farron Undead Legion was a team of heroes who shared wolf blood, watched over the Abyss, and were active during the Age of the Fire. They had accomplished countless feats, and the three most glorious of them were engraved on the brazier during their initiation ceremony.

As a team, they attained the status of Lords of Cinder, and at a moment when the flame was about to go out, they chose to pass on the fire, turning into kindling to support its burning.

Now, the flames are about to die out, the bells are ringing, and the Lords of Cinder have been awakened. As one of the Lords of Cinder, they have left their thrones and returned to the Abyss, where they had guarded it before the linking of the Flame.

Ironically, after the Abyss Watchers turned to ashes, they were corrupted by the Abyss, leading to a massacre within the heroes' ranks. There were no corrupted individuals, only those who were being cleansed of the corrupted. However, in the midst of the massacre, the number of corrupted individuals also increased, and it seemed that this once glorious organization was about to be destroyed by what they were monitoring.

The Temple of Farron is the organization's last battlefield. Even now, the killing continues here, but only a handful of heroes can still wield the Farron Greatsword.

Today, the Temple of Fran, a symbol of the world's enduring flame, welcomes new visitors.

Or perhaps they were old acquaintances, for two of the three visitors were dressed in the uniforms of the Farron Undead Legion, one wielded a wolf shield and carried an old wolf greatsword on his shoulder, his brown wolf ears peeking out from under his triangular hat, and a bushy wolf tail swaying behind him.

The newcomer was Holo. She had actually witnessed the carnage before her countless times. At this moment, her eyes were sharp, and she had completely suppressed the decadent aura she had when she lay dead in the sacrificial ground. As a wise wolf, she did not need any deliberate imitation. Every move she made revealed the cunning and arrogance of a wolf.

Another deserter from the Farron Immortals, Hawkwood, was completely overshadowed by her charm.

However, this time when they came to the Temple of Fran, the main characters were not the two who had intricate connections with the Undead Legion. They were just silent guards, one on the left and one on the right, escorting the elderly man in formal attire in the middle.

The old man leaned shakily on a staff. He wore a tall hat and his eyes were covered by a large eyepatch, making him seem blind. Yet, he could still scan the hall filled with the corpses of the Undead Legion. Finally, he faced the lone, proud figure standing alone in the hall.

"Master, are you sure your method will work?"

Through Holo's efforts, in this world of the First Flame, the deserter took up the last banner of the Undead Legion. He too had received a share of wolf's blood, and as the flame was about to die out, he left the sacrificial grounds that had nearly led him to ruin, embarking on the path of linking the First Flame. He did not lose himself in the power; upholding the pride of the Watcher of the Abyss, he carried the standard greatsword, wielding the same swordsmanship passed down through generations, walking a path he walked alone, determined to reclaim the lost glory of the Lord of Cinder.

It wasn't until the wolf that changed him, the truly wise wolf, came back to him that he returned to this place of sorrow. With a heart that had never pounded so fiercely since his enlightenment, he cautiously inquired of the old man beside him.

"Of course... cough cough cough... cough cough cough!"

However, the old man was in very poor health, and even had the illusion that he was about to die. Before he could answer Hawkwood's question clearly, he coughed violently, and there were specks of blood under the wide sleeves covering his mouth.

Seeing this, Holo planted the Great Curved Sword in the ground, placed one hand on the old man's shoulder, and a vibrant life force emanated from the God of Abundance's palm, pouring into the dying old man's body, allowing him to breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Phew... Thank you, Wolf God—I'm not sure if my method will succeed, but in our two worlds, I'm afraid you won't find anyone who has studied blood so thoroughly, so thoroughly that they have a fear of blood."

"But we can't guarantee that it was truly the wolf blood carrying the curse of the abyss that caused the near annihilation of our Undead Legion!"

“Your Abyss and our Ancient Gods share similarities in power. I feel that we have something in common. Give me time, and I will let your wolf blood lead you to glory once again.”

"Enough talk, let's begin."

"As you wish, Lord Wolf God."

The temple gates were closed, but the ashes standing outside could clearly see golden wheat beginning to grow on the poisonous swamp.

PS: Yunxi: 744486102 [Note 1] is taken from the publication date of "A Certain Magical Index: Volume 3". [Note 2] is taken from the issue number of "Tokyo Ghoul".

PS1: As usual, please vote!

Chapter Thirteen: The Music Box's Melody, the Regret of Not Returning Home

The real duel between the Ash and the Hunter began, with the great axe and longsword screeching and grinding against each other.

In that instant, the longsword, carrying astonishing power, suppressed the heavy axe in one fell swoop. No matter how hard the priest tried, the girl, who was much smaller and more delicate than him, still managed to press the longsword down in front of him step by step.

The mischievous child asserted that she was reliable in battle, especially against powerful enemies. While they appeared to overlap with Xiaoyan, beneath the black outlines were three longswords suppressing the lone great axe.

The priest abruptly deflected the axe, swerving it to avoid the direction of the longsword's strike, and then raised the axe again to bring it down heavily.

The air rippled as the longsword, now in a sword-fighting stance, struck with three times the force, successfully prying open the great axe and causing the priest to stagger backward.

Asahina hid behind a tree, watching with envy as Homura, whose size was so much smaller than hers, overpowered the tall priest in strength. Although her method of victory was somewhat tricky, it was still far better than her, a coward who only dared to hide behind a tree.

She grasped the little girl's music box, trying to recapture the feeling she had once had from this prop that had made her determined to regain her courage.

The priest, who was already on the verge of losing his mind, was not about to be overpowered by a young girl. He suddenly pulled the axe handle, turning the one-handed axe into a two-handed long-handled axe. He leaned the axe blade back, and after charging up to the maximum, he swept the axe horizontally.

Taking two steps back, the axe blade snatched a few strands of Xiaoyan's long hair, grazing her chest.

As soon as the gust of wind swept away her long hair, she leaped across the distance of the axe handle and rushed in front of the priest.

With a sudden twist, the priest raised the axe above his head and bent down to chop the reckless girl who had charged at him.

With a twist of her wrist, Xiao Yan changed her grip from a normal to a reverse one. The moment the great axe fell, she sidestepped and wedged the sword blade under the axe blade. With a heavy stomp, the sword blade scraped against the deflected axe blade and slashed along the axe handle toward the hunter's neck.

Everything happened too fast; in just two moves, the hunter was almost driven to the brink of death.

The bandages blindfolded him, obscuring his expression, but the clenched teeth revealed his master's mood. The hunter was not about to give up; he used the axe handle as a crowbar to pry open the longsword's path from his neck.

However, the longsword still drank blood, leaving a bloody gash across his chest, and the white scarf was cut in two.

Due to the height difference, Xiaoyan jumped up in order to complete the slash, and twisted her body in mid-air to launch another attack.

The long handle shortened, but the wounded priest was not afraid. Instead, his own blood fueled his ferocity. He swung the axe once more with one hand, colliding fiercely with the horizontally slashing blade. Taking advantage of Xiaoyan's predicament of being in the air with nowhere to grab her, he swung her away in one fell swoop.

The large axe stabbed heavily into Xiao Yan, who was flying backward. The axe handle extended again, forcing Xiao Yan to hold her longsword horizontally in front of her chest and take the direct hit.

The speed of retreat suddenly increased. Xiao Yan touched the ground with her toes and changed her position. The great axe followed closely and smashed a hideous crater at the spot where she had just landed.

The distance between the two widened again, and pistols and shotguns began firing at each other again, damaging the tombstones scattered on the ground with stray bullets.

Now Asahina dared not show her face. Who knew if a mercury bullet might hit her while she was watching? So she huddled behind a tree, hugging her music box, waiting for another round of barrage to pass.

As luck would have it, a stray bullet struck the tombstone next to her, and flying stones hit her hand holding the music box. Caught off guard, she cried out in pain and released her grip, watching the exquisite box fall to the ground.

The clear and melodious music flowed into the gloomy cemetery like a clear spring. She hurriedly picked up the music box and put it back in her bosom, which also made the music stop abruptly.

What was originally an unintentional accident led to a change in the situation on the battlefield.

The priest, who had been charging forward with his axe, suddenly abandoned his advantage, clutching his head and howling in pain. The bloodthirsty and ferocious aura that had surrounded him now rose and fell, like a drowning man struggling to climb ashore.

“If Dad forgets about us, we’ll play songs for him, and he’ll remember us.”

The little girl's words suddenly entered the minds of the two ashes, and at the same time, they thought of the same surprising fact.

"Are you...that little girl's father?"

The longsword stopped at the hunter's chest. Little Flame asked the question that the two Ashes were thinking. In fact, they no longer expected an answer, because the hunter had already fallen.

"...What is that smell? It's the smell of sweet blood, oh, it's singing to me, enough to make a person sick!"

The soft whisper seemed to be a farewell to his rationality. The drowning man still couldn't climb ashore. The monster's aura grew stronger on him, and the stagnant axe began to swing again, unleashing an uncontrollable madness.

The frenzied attacks, though seemingly swift, lacked accuracy. Amidst the frequent slashes of the great axe, Xiao Yan slowly moved her feet, each movement causing the blind, frenzied attacks to miss their mark.

She frowned, pondering the direction of the battle. Clearly, she could no longer kill the hunter who was about to turn into a monster. So, there was only one way out for her: to completely control this crazed guy.

Amidst Asahina's exclamation, she suddenly charged straight at the giant axe without flinching, showing no intention of dodging even as the axe blade swung right in front of her, simply because a doll-like figure had already appeared behind her.

With a smug smile, the arrogant knight blocked the great axe with his Lothric Knight Shield, ensuring his master's unimpeded advance.

The longsword was turned around again, revealing its hilt after being reversed. As she jumped, it slammed heavily into the priest's chin. The powerful force caused the two of them to hang in the air for a moment. In mid-air, another doll-like figure emerged from behind Xiao Yan. The longsword and broadsword pierced through the priest's shoulder blade and plunged deep into the ground upon landing.

Arrogance followed from behind, a short sword and a rapier already in her hands. Without any mercy, she delivered the final blow, driving the two weapons into the priest's knees.

Having accomplished its mission, the mischievous child boasted to its owner, but after being glared at by Xiao Yan, it immediately plopped down on the hunter's stomach and joined the ranks of those suppressing the hunter.

"Asahina, bring the music box over here right now!"

Xiaoyan and Guzhi each stepped on one of the hunter's hands, holding the sword hilt tightly to prevent the struggling hunter from escaping. She quickly called to the girl hiding to the side, intending to try to see if the key item provided by the little girl could awaken her father's mind.

"Ok!"

The petite girl rushed over in a panic and mustered her courage to hold the music box close to the priest's ear.

The clear and melodious music started again, and this time no one interrupted it. But the priest was in great pain as he listened to the music. He didn't seem like a drowning person struggling in the water, but rather like a succumbing beast refusing to recall the painful memories.

“Father, this is the music box your daughter gave us. Remember! Remember you still have a home! Remember there are people waiting for you to come back! Remember your daughter's smiling face in your memory!”

The timid girl, contrary to her usual behavior, cried out in the beast's ear, seemingly on behalf of the little girl waiting at home, pouring out her heart to her father, hoping that the power of family love could overcome the bloodlust, and that the priest, returning to reason, could go home and embrace the lonely little girl.

However, the gods of this world will not listen to the hopes of humankind.