Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight: The Monster You Wanted


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What are you talking about? I haven’t asked for anyone to be here,” Shigure said, his face filled with confusion, “What is this about?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Adam said you needed me to talk about the future and Shot?” Bjorn said looking over to the pale man.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adamughed, his hand going to his forehead as theughing got louder. Soon he had a congregation of Ghouls at his side, along with many of the other Coalition Leaders, including Darius and Savannah.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I just took the matter into my own hands!” Adam shouted, “You were slipping Shigure, you allowed some stranger toe here and slowly take over your camp bit by bit. Something had to be done, and I’ve done just that.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Bjorn and Shigure’s faces twisted into scowls.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What have you done..?” Bjorn asked, his pressure beginning to press down on the group of people and Ghouls in the tent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Shigure flinched under the sudden pressure but he stood steadfast as Uta appeared in front of him, her kunai at the ready.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Adam! You couldn’t have been so foolish? And Darius, Savannah! I expected better!” Shigure spat.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Please... Enough of you and your high horse, Shigure. We all knew the game when we came together,” Savannah said, “As long as we were in control we got what we all wanted. Power. And now that is slowly slipping away thanks to that Shot character and you being too soft to kick him out.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Agreed, we must do something. And Adam has given a solution,” Darius nodded, many of the other leaders agreeing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Besides….” Adam said leaning forward, “We all know you don’t like the guy either, not to mention he took your dear precious friend Bear away. Now we will have him under my control, and everything will go back to normal. Just with me at the top now!” Adam cackled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Bjorn stepped forward but was stopped by Adam’s open hand.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ah ah ah… Not so fast… You wouldn’t want to kill innocent people would you?” Adam said, snapping his fingers as three magic circles formed next to him, three more Ghouls holding hostages slowly emerging from them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Bjorn stopped in his tracks, his eyes turning fierce.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Shigure… If only you let me just kill him…” Bjorn said, his shoulders slumping as he walked back toward the end of the tent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Where are you going Bear!” Shigure asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I won’t be part of what is going to happen. You brought this on yourself, bro,” Bjorn sighed, as he opened the tent p exiting.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that was no fu-” Adam tried to say casually, but was stopped by the chill that overcame the air in the tent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The blood of everyone inside ran cold as the air was choked from them. None of the ones living or dead spoke, moved, or breathed a single puff of air. The tent turning dead silent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Through the entrance that Bjorn exited, another person walked through.


    <span style="font-weight:400">His hair was as white as snow, save the blotches of red that spattered it here and there. His eyes were a stunningly deep and clear blue that radiated power as they shifted to a striking yellow then a serine shining green and back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man’s clothes, although tattered in some ces, still gave an intimidating form to the man, pure ck embroidered and trimmed with gold. His hands were covered with bright white mes cascading across his finely toned muscles.


    <span style="font-weight:400">In one hand the head of a Ghoul, in the other an unconscious man.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“S-Sir Shot..?!” Shigure said, his voice almost a whisper and his tone cracking as if it refused to make noise in the situation.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He threw the man to the floor, burning the Ghoul’s skull in his other to nothing but ash in a sh of white fire a momentter.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This prick told me I could find Shigure here,” Drake said, “It’s Sir, Shot now that you fucked up huh…?” Drake continued his voice even and cold as ice, “Where is she?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wh-where is who?” Shigure asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked Shigure in the eyes holding the gaze for a moment, then Drake’s eyes shifted to one of the leaders of the Coalition.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“<em><span style="font-weight:400">Marked.”</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake, without warning shot a jet-ck earthen spike into the man’s chest, opening up a hole the size of a bowling ball.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Where is she?” Drake asked again, looking back into Shigure’s eyes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know who you are talking about! Please stop this we can talk this out!” Shigure said, his mouth agape as he looked at Adam on the floor his innards and blood on the ground pooling around him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake raised his hand again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Your little vampire isn’t dead. But what about the next one I try this with? Where. Is. She.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">This time Darius somehow obtained the nerve to speak.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You can’t juste here and demand something like that! What kind of monst-”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Darius didn’t get to finish his thought, as Drake somehow moved from his position to Darius, his hand now wrapped around his mouth.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake pulled him in close. Close enough to see the pores on his skin.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“So, you know what I’m talking about then. You have five seconds. Where is she?” Drake said coldly, his eyes sharpening to points.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Darius mumbled in Drake’s grip, unable to speak.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, you can’t speak like that, can you? I’ll fix that,” Drake said, moving his hand to grip his skull from the top, “Now, Five.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake’s hair shifted to a crimson red as he began slowly gripping tighter down on the man''s head.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know! I swear! Please! I’m sorry, please! Stop this!!!” Darius pleaded.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Four.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake began tightening his grip, the sound of bone cracking and bowing under pressure filled the room, everyone’s eyes shakily on Drake, as he one-sidedly began punishing the Coalition Leader, and one of their most prominent fighters.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Pleash! Ahhhh, ahhh!!!! I donsh no anyshinggg!!!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Three.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Shot! Please, he doesn’t know anything! You’ve made your point!” Shigure shouted trying to step forward.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake conjured a lightning bolt, flying instantly and spearing the ground in front of Shigure.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Shigure’s eyes went from the bolt to Drake. Drake’s eyes were cold as he continued to lock eyes with Shigure, his hand gripping the now-shaking man above the ground as he lifted him into the air, his fingers'' visibility beginning to pierce the skin.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Two.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aughing began again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake paused his tightening of his grip, looking down at the body of Adam, as it began shifting and convulsing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The bodyughed and sat straight on the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh! That was a trip! Did you intentionally not kill me and leave me with just enough health?” Adam said, the hole in his chest beginning to mend right in front of the others.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake dropped Darius to the ground. The moment hended he squirmed in pain gripping his head, as blood spurted from the finger holes Drake had put there.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Where is she, I’m done asking,” Drake said, repeating himself onest time.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She’s right where I put her. Where you will never find her, unless you do what I say,” Adam said, standing up.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake moved forward, getting within Adam’s space in an instant, plummeting his hand into the man’s stomach, and lifting him into the air.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam spat and coughed blood, but kept a smile on his face.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ow… But you won’t get anything out of me like that. Not to mention if you keep this up, I might just tell my little goons to kill my hostages,” Adam sneered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Go ahead,” Drake said coldly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-what?” Adam said, surprised.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake threw Adam to the floor still holding his intestine in his hand before burning them to ash.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m here for ire, and I’ll kill every single one of you until she is returned,” Drake said, his voice bringing the temperature down several more degrees as he began freezing the ground below him, a white magic circle forming and expanding to epass the tent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You can’t really mean that?” Adam said, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he began to realize he had miscalcted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake raised his hand, pointing it at the still-dithering Darius. Drake’s hair shimmering back to white, a crimson-red magic circle forming on his fingertip.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“<em><span style="font-weight:400">Fire Bullet,”</em><span style="font-weight:400"> Drake chanted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A me sparked to life at the end of his fingertip, soon conforming and spinning into a ball as it roared to life and condensed, shimmering to blue, then paling to bright white.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake fired the bullet it piercing through Darius and into the ground, the sound of water evaporating from the heated ice hissing into the air with vapor. The ground began to steam as it warmed, a pool of magma beginning to form as the body sunk and began to sear. The bystanders scrambled to get out of the area.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked coldly at Adam, his face saying it all.


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">Where is she?</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam looked back, his face contorting into fear. But he should have no reason to be afraid, he had the upper hand. He also had a trump card with her as a hostage.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Y-you don’t scare me. I kno-” Adam started to say but was silenced by the sound of thunder hammering down in the tent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A sh of light blinded the room and when visibility came back, half of the onlookers had turned to ck ash.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-what have you done!?” Shigure screamed, “They had nothing to do with this!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake turned his head to Shigure.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t be an idiot kid. They chose what side they were on the moment they were behind him and not you. I’m done being nice. No more mercy, no more excuses,” Drake said, taking slow measured steps towards Adam who was still aghast on the floor, his arm covering his healing stomach.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Does it hurt?” Drake asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-what? Of cours- Ahhhh!!!” Adam shrieked, his hand where Drake gripped him turning slowly to ice.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Now you’re going to make me repeat myself. Where is she?” Drake said, gripping tighter as he shattered Adam’s hand, using fire to melt the stump so it could grow back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I w-won’t tell you!” Adam spat, “What are you all doing?! Get him!” he shouted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The remaining Coalition Leaders hesitated after witnessing what Drake had just done to the others in the tent. But the remnants of the Ghouls within the tent rushed forward mechanically at the word of their master.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake didn’t even have to turn as he embedded his hand into the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“<em><span style="font-weight:400">Dug Haut,”</em><span style="font-weight:400"> Drake whispered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The ground shook and cracked as spikes of ck earth shot upwards, skewering the Ghouls in an instant, putting their attempts of a counterattack to rest.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake then gripped Adam’s shoulder, his hand beginning to heat up and melted through his clothes and flesh with crackles and pops of the fire searing through.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam howled in pain as he tried his best to wrench himself from Drake’s hand to no avail.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Where.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake then ced his hand on his kneecap.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Is.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Then the other.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam continued to howl in pain, unable to pass out due to either his skills or his race not allowing him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam’s limbs didn’t reform though after being seared, so Drake took a de of ice, severing them once again, waiting for them to heal.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Shot… No one deserves this,” Shigure murmured.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Shut your mouth. What would you know of what he deserves?” Drake said his aura flexing again in anger, “You didn’t see her face. The fear in it. You didn’t promise her you would keep her safe!” Drake shouted, his control slipping as both his aura and mana leaked from him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This sorry piece of shit is mine to judge! Do you want to try and stop me?!” Drake scoffed, his face turning into a sneer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake turned back to Adam, disgust in his eyes as the man finished healing. The moment he did, Drake gripped him by the throat, pulling him from the tent and back to their camp.


    <hr>


    <span style="font-weight:400">A few momentster Drake arrived with Adam in tow, the grouping to meet him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Did you find her?!” Chelsea and Harley asked in tandem.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked down grimly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No. I need Jacqueline’s help,” Drake said, tilting his head back up and scanning for her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah?” Jacqueline asked, stepping forward.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake didn’t beat around the bush.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’re the only one who has direct healing spells that I know of. I need you to do something for me,” Drake said evenly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What’s that yeah?” Jacqueline asked, raising a brow.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Heal him,” Drake said, pointing down to Adam.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? Are you mad?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake shook his head.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s going to either cause him immense pain, as he’s an undead. Or it will keep him alive long enough for me to torture him into giving me ire back.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“My Lord…” Theodore muttered from the side, “Thou doth not hast to bear this burden alone…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, this is my responsibility, Theo. I’ll get her back and keep her safe just like I promised her.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked back to Jacqueline who was still pondering, her mouth trembling.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well?” he asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I-i don’t know how I feel about this… He’s a piece of shit tosser, but torture…?” she answered back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Fine. I understand,” Drake said, pulling the man out of sight and into his own tent, the sounds of screaming continuing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“He’s really torturing that guy..?” Tom asked aloud.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What do ya expect him to do? ire got snatched up and he doesn’t have many options…” Hudson sympathized crossing his arms.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Drake…” Chelsea muttered from behind them, her arms wrapping around herself as she grimaced.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A warm embrace came from behind her as Harley hugged her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t worry Chelsea, Mr. Drake is going to be fine.. He’s always alright after, right?” Harely consoled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah but, this seems different.. I’ve never seen him so cold.. Even with the Goblins.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“My Lord, is stout of heart. This one is sure he will prevail over this trial as well,” Theodore added, putting his hand on Harley’s shoulder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The only ones not present were Sherry and Amir, as Sherry was still recovering, and Amir had taken it upon himself to watch over her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Megan and Julia hade out from their tent, finding the rest of the group talking amongst themselves. Both moved to Chelsea hearing the story of thest couple of minutes that had transpired, then consoling Chelsea as well as they heard the news.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A few minutes of the group hearing the screams from Drake’s tent, Bjorn stepped into the camp.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Bear?” Theodore asked, surprised to see himing from outside of the camp.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hey there Theo… Where’s Drake?” Bjorn asked, but shook his head when he overheard the shrieking and crying suddenlye from his tent again, “Nevermind…” he sighed, “Looks like he''s still at it..”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What doth thou mean, Sir Bear?” Theodore asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It happened pretty fast, but.. He went on a rampage in Shigure’s outpost.. Killed more than half of the Coalition Leaders,” Bjorn exined.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The group''s faces widened in surprise.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And it looks like he won’t stop until he gets what he wants out of Adam,” Bjorn added.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You didn’t stop him?” Chelsea asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why would I? I knew Adam was a bad apple when I met him, and I warned Shigure what might happen. I don’t want to see people die, but everyone in that tent knew what they were doing. And any of the hostages.. I overheard him talking. He might say he didn’t care, but I saw how he saved them regardless,” Bjorn said, giving a forlorn grin, “I’m not sure how Adammunicates with his Ghouls but hopefully that’s thest of the hostages besides ire that he has…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">More screams came from Drake’s tent as the group’s heads all turned to it.


    <hr>


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I-i can’t… Please just kill me…” Adam moaned, his body slumping on the floor.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Give her back then,” Drake sneered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I….Ahhhh!!! Pleaseee enough!!” Adam screamed as Drake embedded a spear of water into Adam’s thigh.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake had been using all of his elements to torture Adam, this time he had impaled him with a spear of water, allowing the water to flow into his veins as he slowly ballooned them until they slowly popped within him, only to slow the flow allowing them to heal to do it all over again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Bring her here,” Drake said tersely.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“F-fine! Promise me you will just kill me after! Promise me!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake didn’t answer, only ring back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam shrunk back but waved his hand, a silver magic circle forming and a woman with a Ghoul behind her emerging slowly from the circle.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The moment they were fully out of the circle, Drake quickly dispatched the Ghoul, crushing it into the ground and catching ire as she fell.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake held her close pulling her into his embrace, his shoulders shaking slightly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry…I’m.. I’m so sorry…”