Chapter Sixty-Five: Wrathful Assimilation (Illustrations!) (Arc 4 – Start)

    In the depths of her Divine Skill—a place very few could have claimed to have ever seen with their own eyes—a chimeric High Elf was resting within the arms of a naked woman. With hair resembling the molten lava of an exploding volcano, a pair of ethereal dragon wings, and two crimson horns, this was a mere personification of the Essence of Wrath in a draconic form. The two were seated on a floating platform of black iron, surrounded by a sea of flames and wrath. In the distance, a never-ending cascade of liquid fire formed a mesmerizing waterfall, casting a glimmering projection of the outside world onto its surface.

    “There, my host,” whispered the Essence of Wrath. “Give your body to me and rest. Allow me to fulfill your whims and drown this irritating world in hell and brimstone. See? I know you’re enjoying the sight of watching those Bellerophon soldiers perish with a snap of my fingers. Even a fingertip’s worth of my flames is enough to prevent that powerful spell from harming us...”

    In contrast to the sweet words, the Essence of Wrath had no intention of fulfilling any part of their deal. Everything she said could be considered a lie.

    “Aaaa....Ggguuu... D...i...e...” groaned the High Elf, her eyes fluttering between dreaming and unconsciousness.

    “There, remain calm and allow me to fester within you. Hmm...” The Essence of Wrath stroked the High Elf’s head as if she was a mere pet. The projection in the distance soon showed the battle between her and the Dark Lord of Tyranny, and even that wasn’t enough to stir awake the Transcendent Dark Lord. Even after piercing the Lionfolk through the stomach and burning her and the pathetic shop she’d grown to love with divine baptism, the originator of wrath internally carried an outward grin.

    "As soon as I rid the world of Dirge, I shall unleash my wrath across the lands. Watch, my host, in your drowsy state, and try to comprehend one of my most powerful spells, [Sunfire Apocalypse]... Alas, it appears your mana is lacking. Nonetheless..."

    Another lie.

    Even if the outward Essence of Wrath reacted otherwise to the Dark Lord of Tyranny’s renewed vigor and subsequent clashes, leading to Spirit Lord Aetos getting involved in the fight, the metaphysical reflection keeping her host company was full of lethargy. She was mind-numbingly casual since most of her efforts were on the outside, not inside.

    When it came time to unleash the cold, frigid fury the Essence of Wrath developed specifically for slaughtering the Dark Lord of Tyranny, the internal caverns changed accordingly. The ocean of flames was replaced by liquid ice, and great, cascading glaciers were floating around the platform. The waterfall of fire was now a solid chunk of ice, and the Essence of Wrath’s internal appearance changed to match the one on the outside.

    “These...blue wings and horns... I’ll never forget how many centuries it took me to become their master,” she said, touching her azure hair. “And now... It is about to come to an end.” In the blink of an eye, the cavern became hotter than a volcano’s magma chamber before reverting to ice.

    Yes, the Essence of Wrath believed the fight was nearly over. Her enemy was encased in something the Dark Lord’s flames couldn’t possibly melt, proving once and for all that their previous encounter was a fluke. She smiled a sinister grin when she used her enemy’s power against her. [Tyranny Control] was exclusive to the Dark Lord of Tyranny. You could say she held the sole authorization to learn it. Therefore, she never quite had to taste that which she had used liberally in the past to sate her curse-fueled desires.

    “Aaaa...uuuu...gggg....n....oooo...” gurgled the High Elf. The Essence of Wrath looked down to see a quivering face, then turned her attention back to the projected image of the outside.

    But something wasn’t quite right. The expected cries the Essence of Wrath predicted would fill her ears never came. By all accounts, the Dark Lord of Tyranny should have been on her hands and knees, begging for the sweet release of death...

    But no.

    She stood as if nothing was happening to her, even though the activity log proved otherwise.

    GODDAMN IT!!! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THIS END LIKE THIS?!

    The nearly infinite caverns rumbled as if the world was ending. A voice echoed to the high heavens, yet it didn’t come from the High Elf resting in the spirit’s arms. The truth was far simpler.

    WAKE UP!!! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE ONES YOU LOVE DIE LIKE THIS?

    This time, the Essence of Wrath was shaken. She jumped to her feet, letting the High Elf slam into the metal platform they sat on. The glaciers started to crack, and the frozen waterfalls broke apart like weak clay.

    ARE YOU THE TRANSCENDENT DARK LORD OR NOT?!!! THAT BITCH IS USING YOUR BODY TO PUNISH SEKH WITH [TYRANNY CONTROL]!!

    “SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!” Panicked, the Essence of Wrath began to shout to the infinite caverns at whoever’s voice was speaking. “FINE! I’ll kill your ego for good! I’ll command the Dark Lord of Tyranny to take her own head! WATCH AS THE ONE YOU LOVE PERISH—"

    Before she could finish, the projected image showed the Dark Lord of Tyranny forcefully commanding her life to burn to the last embers—letting in the curse she was so ready to get rid of—just to save the one she loved the most.

    And that act did not go unnoticed.

    Nor did she let it pass her by.

    It was less than a daydream and more of a vivid hallucination. It almost felt like I was trapped in a world where nothing but pleasure filled my soul with what I had been missing my entire life. I was merely content with living out the days of my life in that wonderland because I knew this world would perish and die like the shit stain it was...

    But then something smacked me in the face. Power surged through my body, destroying my false paradise. The voice I’d been hearing was myself—a fragment of my ego that managed to hide itself and report the truth to me even as it was clouded by the venomous words of this wretched creature.

    With strength fueling my limbs, I stood without alerting the Essence of Wrath and strangled her little neck. Shocked, she turned her head so fast it detached from her shoulders, and those faltering eyes shimmered with icy tears.

    At the same time, and if the images I saw reflected the events happening, this harlot who had stolen my body was recoiling from my attempt to steal it back.

    “You cannot hope to win back your body,” said my strangled opponent. A crooked smile was carved on her face as my surroundings were ignited and returned to their original fiery appearance. She slinked back into liquid fire and drained to the ground.

    The cavern shook again. From a pillar of fire in front of me came the same woman I wanted to kill. With a snap of her fingers, her bare body was protected by flaming armor. I was naked as the day this mortal shell was made for me, but Amos’s Soul Warriors’ weapons remained in my mana.

    I wasn’t out of options as I summoned Reina’s pistol.

    “What chance do you think you have, weakling?” The insults flew from her mouth as she grabbed a flaming sword from the ground. “This is my domain—my arena. Flames that are the sole source of wrath surround us, and you’ve seen the cold, frigid fury I learned to master. They’re two sides of the same coin, and I am the sole wielder—”

    “Shut the fuck up,” I barked, letting loose a pair of bullets towards her head. Alarmed at first, my opponent stepped away and dodged my attack and rushed in. Yaekira’s daggers met their opponent, and we clashed, sending plumes of bleeding fire to engulf the arena. The more I struggled to gain the upper hand in this confrontation, the more the wild, flaming ocean rampaged.

    The Essence of Wrath’s chaotic laughter filled the cavern as I was launched backwards by a mighty swipe. I transfigured a pair of Batfolk wings and took flight, launching a hail of bullets with Reina’s gun. Two arms sprouted off my back and fired mystical, glowing arrows from Susize’s bow.

    A wave of my opponent’s arm summoned a crimson shield of crystalized fire, but it shattered instantly by my hail of projectiles. Simultaneously, we turned to the projected image on the lava waterfall to see Sekh display a brutal scene of gory devastation on her opponent.

    The Dark Lord of Tyranny was back, and her power was awesome!

    “Hahahaha!!! You’re scared! You’re fucking petrified of what she''ll do to you!” The fear was visible. The internal Essence of Wrath I fought shivered as much as the one Sekh faced, but we wouldn’t let this chance pass us by!

    I was in here, she was out there, but we still fought together!!!

    I shot like a bat out of hell, slamming into my opponent with Beccy’s massive sword hefted overhead. Six arms supported it, and it smashed through the weakened platform, cleaving it, the spirit, and the sea of flames in half as if I was parting the Red Sea. The armor she wore? It was like paper. The two halves of her body tried to find refuge in the watery hellfire, but four clones appeared beside me and sacrificed themselves to throw that pathetic worm back to the arena.

    The Essence of Wrath screamed and cursed as she reconnected, brand-new wounds opening all over her body from the absolute beating Sekh was putting her through on the outside. With my wings giving me a speed boost, I leapt through the air with a raised fist, punching her across the chin as I straddled her chest.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    A third arm sprouted from my chest, firing ten shots into her heart while I took Yaekira’s daggers and jabbed them through her wide, frightened eyes.

    And then?

    I feasted on the weak.

    “You thought you could fuck me up? You thought you could pull a fast one on me? Huh? DID YOU FUCKING THINK SO?!”

    “I—”

    “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I broke through her reformed chest and left a wide hole that did not heal immediately. The Essence of Wrath cried so hard the entire cavern shook, but I wasn’t done. Like an animal, I ripped her chest open, grabbing handfuls of its innards while stuffing my mouth.

    But I wanted more.

    Much, much more.

    My entire body became filled with a dozen mouths, and each one began to devour this son of a bitch, biting on large chunks of flesh and ripping into bloody organs, muscle, sinew, and bone.

    “STOP!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” she shouted, writhing in pain.

    “SHUT UP!!!! SHUT UP!!!! THIS IS WHAT YOU FUCKING GET!!! WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!!!! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TRICK ME!!!!!!” Anger grew by leaps and bounds, but that wasn’t what surprised me.

    Spoiler[collapse]

    “No, I’m just doing some thinking... About what happened... But I much prefer you in this form than that rainbow pillar. Tris, it’s good to finally meet you.” I held out my hand, but she seemed slightly taken aback. She confusingly looked at it, then gracefully held it between her soft fingers. Kneeling, she kissed the back of my palm before standing.

    “Another frown? Did that displease you?” she asked, standing. I shook my head, keeping my thoughts to myself. It was...odd. Tris treated me how a servant would their queen, speaking with a formal tone and the utmost respect... Or as if my mere presence was more than she deserved.

    Hmm...

    “That makes me happy. If I anger you in any way, please speak up. I do not dare wish to impede you by even an iota.” Tris smiled. “My evolution has increased the power of my skills. Please listen as I describe them to you. Until your body awakens naturally, you will remain here.”

    Tris’s voice was lovely and serene, and I found myself hanging onto her every word as she eloquently explained her upgrades. [Map] evolved into [Skyview], and that meant [Map]’s satellite mode was now the default. I couldn’t verify that since my mini-map wasn’t visible, but I took her word for it. The new enhanced mode was something Tris called streetview, which meant I could place myself at head level with everyone else to get a better look.

    [Storage]''s capacity increased tenfold and became [Void Storage]. The new limit was just shy of 40,000 pounds, so that was nice. [Analysis] turned into [Deduction], which was mostly the same, but it specialized in seeing through and identifying illusions.

    I guess Tris took the two failures to heart.

    Her databank, processing ability, and analytical engine received a major upgrade, and she said I could link my brain with hers to gain an eidetic memory without any additional stress. Tris''s manufacturing capabilities were improved, too. Since she was her own entity with a body, the requirement of me making an item was removed. Well, either she or I had to make the item.

    Regardless, everything’s improved for the better. “Go ahead and link my mind to yours. I’m not sure if we had that already or not, but if we didn’t, make that connection and keep it that way until further notice.”

    “As you wish, my lord, that will be done. You may not feel the effects immediately, but you will reap the benefits soon. But that is not all. I have a present for you.” Tris pressed a hand into her chest to retrieve a glowing crystal.

    A Soul Crystal... This was my third time being presented with one. She explained that giving the Essence of Wrath control over my body tricked the [Soul Weapon System], or the SWS, into thinking I had maxed [Soul Armatization], the process of weaponizing my soul into its useable form. Before the system righted itself, Tris reached out to grasp the bootleg weapon the Essence of Wrath used, then tried her best to fix the errors, granting me something far before I was worthy of it.

    Yet again, I reached out to touch its shimmering surface as she held it. I expected it to disappear...

    But it didn’t vanish. No, the shimmering orb cracked like glass, the pieces slowly chipping off until I was staring at a revolver—one the United States''s army used in the mid to late 1800s.

    A single-action revolver. It held the nickname ‘Peacemaker.’

    With a barrel length of 7.5” and an overall length of 13”, this weapon was canceled twice, yet due to popular demand, the manufacturer had no choice but to bring it back. In my eyes, just one other gun in the Old West that was just as popular.

    It doesn’t have any engravings on it, though. I’m just happy I can use such a legendary firearm.

    “Take it, my lord. Gain the power you so rightly deserve for achieving what no one thought possible.” Kneeling once more, she offered me the gun with both hands. I took it, wrapping my hand around the grip. Power surged through my body and filled the revolver, covering it with cracks. It shattered, the remnants disappearing inside me.

    But it wasn’t broken.

    No, it was far from that.

    [Soul Armatization (Lv. 2)] has increased to [Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)]

    [Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)] has reached its threshold. Unlocking Divine Skill: [Soul Weapon System].

    New Skill: [Gunblade]

    New Skill: [Soul Energy]

    Colt Single Action Army is available to use.

    Winchester Model 1873 is available to use.

    “The gun that won the west?! Wait... Tris, how come I’m seeing their proper names? Those companies don’t exist in this world, do they?”

    “You are correct. The [Soul Weapon System] is taking information from your world and recreating the firearms you’ve read about to populate the system. Similar equipment can be found here, so it isn’t creating from nothing. Furthermore, [Soul Energy] is a resource exclusive to Soul Warriors. Please look at the crimson bar underneath your biomass.”

    “Okay, I see it. Guess that’s four things to keep track of now. Can you explain my Soul Weapons a little more? Give me the rundown on them.” Tris nodded. Every Soul Weapon had an inherent enchantment called {Soul Link}, which worked like {Mana Link}, but it used soul energy instead of mana. That also meant those with ranged weaponry as their Soul Weapons could fire them without bullets.

    However, I was an exception. Perhaps it was a flaw within the system—maybe failsafe was a better word since it prevented unauthorized use— but there was a {Soul Link} enchantment and a [Soul Link] skill. Usually, you were given the latter automatically, but Tris hung her head low and apologized she couldn’t recreate it. All was not lost, though, and after using my Soul Weapons and gaining experience with them, the skill could be forcefully learned—another failsafe, I suppose.

    Until then, I had to use bullets. Rather... I had to make them.

    Then she walked me through my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree, or the SWET, she called it. As the name suggested, it was like a massive tree within my Status Menu. The bottom-most highlighted icons were the Cold Single Action Army and Winchester Model 1873, two legendary guns from the mid to late 1800s. The locked icons were hidden with question marks. Focusing on them revealed nothing. Tris said they were either abilities or guns. In either case, acquiring more and unlocking the rest of my SWET was paramount to my revenge.

    I need to evolve my soul before I can make progress, though.

    Equipping them was as easy as retrieving Reina’s gun or Yaekira’s daggers. Just had to think about it for it to appear in my hand. But Soul Weapons came with sheaths, or holsters, in my case, and there didn’t seem to be a limit to the number I could have out at once since I had the rifle on my back and revolver on my hip.

    My naked hip, that was. It wasn’t attached to the skin; more like it was floating in the right spot to comfortably draw.

    I was stark naked, and I only realized I’d been flashing Tris the entire time. She didn’t seem to mind, though. It wasn’t like this was the first time she saw me like this considering she watched me have a threesome with Sekh and Irisa.

    I asked about the situation on the outside. The shame of giving control of my body to the Essence of Wrath would haunt me. There was no doubt about that. Ria was destroyed because of me. My hastiness in forcing the Bellerophon soldiers to clash with the chimera resulted in this...

    But killing Noelia was the catalyst...

    My actions brought that chimera to the city.

    The people that perished after Gloria came to town and fucked everything up? Their blood was on me. That went double for those innocents that fell after the Essence of Wrath came out. I saw the attack with my own eyes, but Sekh prevented any drastic harm from coming to my friends and family, right?

    She was merely resting and recovering from the fight, right? I asked for whatever information Tris knew, but...I didn’t want to believe any of it.

    Ria’s destruction?

    Sekh’s invoking of the curse via [Tyranny Control] to trade her life for the power to defeat the Essence of Wrath? Tris said Sekh was dead and alive—caught in a limbo between the two while encased in a coffin of Dark Mana-infused ice. It prevented her from outright dying and returning to the cycle of reincarnation.

    And Tilde? Tris suggested she went inside my body to accelerate her rebirth-- a form of maintenance for her.

    “The properties of [Sunfire Apocalypse] means your family will need specialized care to dilute the maladies they’ll face in the future. Lady Niva was protected by Primrose, and she emerged undamaged. Even—My lord?”

    I dropped to my knees and lost the strength to move.

    “My lord?!”

    Forming a fist, I punched the platform we stood on as hard as possible, screaming until my throat was red, raw, and constricted. The depths of my soul emerged as a ghastly wail...and I turned my Wrath to 25. Instantly, a pair of dragon wings and horns adorned my body, leaking pure fire.

    The flames rushing through the platform were out of control. Waves of liquid crimson splashed all around. Thunderous storms of brim and hellfire were born in the far corners of this infinite cavern, roaring in response to this untethered rage while illuminating the dark abyss surrounding us.

    I turned my head to the one responsible and stomped her way, ignoring her feeble cries.

    Until I woke up...I would punish this petulant piece of shit... No matter how long it took, I would make this bitch beg for death...and I wouldn’t grant it...

    “IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!! ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!!!!”

    Tris folded her hands over her stomach and watched, unaffected by the hellish cries and screams.

    She certainly wouldn''t stop me.