Chapter 346: Exception to the Rule

Acid spewed out the Bulber's belly, through a gash the width of a greatsword. Like an overbearing tyrant, Zolgon was there.

"Is this the best you can do?" Zolgon asked as the Guriant rushed towards him.

A fist's shadow engulfed the demon king, who crouched into a stance. The collision of stone and demon caused a deep crater around the combatants.

'Again,' Doevm commanded. The Guriant raised its other fist and sent it down, expanding the crater. 'Again.'

'I cannot,' the Guriant replied, displaying two nubs at the ends of its arms.

"You can have these back," a voice called from the bottom of the crater. One of the Guriant's severed fists flew into its leg, and the other one in its face. The Guriant let out a mindless groan as it flailed about, trying to keep its balance. Zolgon flew out of the crater like a harpoon into the Guriant's chest, knocking it to the ground. "Squad thirteen!" he called.

"Yes, your highness," demons replied as several of them flew out of the surrounding battle, heading towards the Guriant's head.

Doevm cursed. 'Weeper, get our only meat shield out of there!' A massive shadow raced the swords to the Guriant, winning by a narrow margin. Weapons skidded off the Guriants face, but none could get to the brain, which sunk into the retreating shadow. 'Now back up that flank with-'

"Don't forget about me!" Zolgon laughed as he charged at Doevm, greatsword in hand.

Doevm drew his spear just in time to parry the large blade aside from his unarmored chest, but the momentum sent him skidding back. His hands still shaking from absorbing the bite, he glanced down at the spear's shaft and spotted a crack. "You're certainly up to par with your past selves. If this was a wooden shaft..."

"So you know about the whole reincarnation thing, you quickdraw bastard," Zolgon mused. He didn't follow up his initial blow, not yet. "That answers the question of why you're after the map, but I wonder what else you know about the gods' game. I thought you were simply ignoring it all. What changed?"

"The game became...problematic. Did your god finally tell you everything? Are you trying to lord the mystery over me?" They circled each other with slow, steady steps. Their gazes locked on to one another, waiting.

Zolgon smirked: "So what if my god did tell me everything? So what if I'm lording the mystery over you?"

'The goddess and the god of evil must be getting desperate,' Doevm thought. 'The end is coming. There must be an explanation. The centuries-long cycle doesn't simply break on its own. Was it because I found one of my father's legacies?'

Maker's first words echoed in his head: "You will be neither good nor evil. You will be a catalyst."

Doevm frowned. 'That's impossible.'

"Why do you look so upset," the king instigated, gesturing to the dark blood along his sword. "Do you think of those Undead as your children, like other Liches?"

"Did you think of Brannath as your mother?" Doevm replied. Zolgon glared with such malice that Doevm wondered how the demon kept himself from pouncing. 'I guess I have no choice but to play this game, and win.' He took a deep breath and said with a bit of soulmana: "Surrender yourself to my forces."

A wisp of black aura flashed behind Zolgon's back, too faint for him to notice. He chuckled: "No thank you."

'What? How's that possible? No, it's not impossible. Frey was able to resist it too. The only recurring factor I can think of must be soulmana. Maybe if I whittle him down...'

"You look shocked that I don't fear you like the rest," Zolgon stated, forcing a smile. "Or are you just stalling for something?" He glanced over his shoulder.

Shamans continued to chant unabated around Draken's statue. The group of mages to the south remained in their desperate last stand, no matter how futile it was.

If Zolgon had looked earlier, he would have seen a bloodied half-elf walk up to Lance, whisper into his ear, and leave through the door she entered.

If Zolgon had spared another second to look he would have realized a prominent warrior was missing. He would have also been skewered.

Zolgon returned his gaze to the lich and an approaching, thin blade stared back. He sidestepped yet a warm gush of blood trickled down a tingling pain in his cheek. A scratch.

Doevm's body adjusted to its new speed and strength in between attacks, scraping the rust off his combat prowess. Zolgon regained his footing and knocked the second stab away with his heavy greatsword.

The stray strike skidded off the surface of Zolgon's dragonhide armor; light yet sturdy enough to withstand such shallow cuts. 'If only I had my equipment,' Doevm thought, wondering if he had anything more than ink and paper in his academy-issued spatial ring.

The king stepped into range and brought the initial swing back around in a circular motion.

Doevm's hands twitched, remembering a similar beating Frey often subjected them throughout many sparring sessions. He leaned out of the blade's path, letting it cut through a portion of his thin robe like butter. While Zolgon's two hands brought the blade around Doevm thrust at the demon's shoulder, hitting true upon a thick layer of copper life essence.

Zolgon smirked, even as his life essence shrunk. The incurred damage was merely a risk in his eyes, and now he sought his reward: Doevm's head.

Doevm opened his mouth and said with a bit of soulmana: "Hesitate."

Zolgon's momentum stopped for a brief moment, allowing Doevm to step back to safety. The king's eyes narrowed. "What sorcery was that? What did you do to me?"

"An experiment," Doevm said. "An intriguing experiment."

Zolgon snarled: "You're disgusting. Look at you, smiling in the middle of a fight." Doevm brought his hand up to his lips and sure enough, he still had his habit of smiling during a fight. "I don't often summon the effort to hate someone. I usually have them killed before that point. You are an annoying exception."

…

"That annoying asshole," Frey huffed as he charged down the southern hallway, bordering on collapsing from exhaustion. Each step left a bloody impression. His fingers tightened around his poleax. 'I just have to entrust Elero to that person. I just have to entrust that stranger with Thomas and Elero. It's not hard. It's not hard. Doevm trusts her. She's not like her. She's not like Gwen…'