Reject Human. Become Demon. [Curse Mage Berserker]

“WHOA!” Elfernando exclaimed after we were essentially ‘tossed’ through space. The dimension around us cleared of abject abnormalities, and we found ourselves in Pandemonium’s teleportation hall. It was bare and just had the Mark of The Beast on the walls for decoration, because my evil throne room was destroyed last time I appeared here with my dead and dying friends in tow. “This is… This is no longer the village. I don’t think I’m even in the Grandest Forest!”

“No. This is my Arisen City on the other side of the Barrier Range.” I dragged him over to the next room, where Pandemonium had moved the healing pods containing Arx and Moonwash. “Now heal them!”

Elfernando approached the pods. “This is… some… sort of healing thing? Flesh? A creature? It’s connected to the manor… It’s alive!? IT’S ALIVE!!!”

“It’s a healing pod that’s using blood magic to heal at a high level.” Even better than me, in fact, despite my three brains. “You’re right that it’s connected to the manor. The manor is alive, and it’s called Pandemonium. I created it using some weird and strange ritual. I will tell you all about it if you can just heal my friends.” A small sob leaked out of my voice. “So please.”

Elfernando stared at me, and a sympathetic look crossed over his eyes. “Alright. Just leave it to me. And tell me whatever you’re willing later.” So saying, the elven man took out his life staff, and began to diagnose Arx and Moonwash’s condition from within the pods with his magic. “I take it they’re pretty standard for an inhex and a human?”

“Hm? What do you mean by ‘standard?’ They’re very far from the regular person of their respective species. They’re very high level.”

“I can see that. I don’t think they would’ve survived at all otherwise. But what about their Mutations? Have they altered one or another far from their species baseline?”

“Moonwash naturally got some divergent options that she took. Close-Detailed eyes, and no name change but her adrenaline gland ‘cools her off’ and makes it easier to focus, instead of emphasizing strength like normal. Not as suitable for combat. As for Arx, I don’t believe he’s strayed from the baseline, although he might not have mentioned it.”

“I see. What Levels were they before?”

“Ah, I know that Moonwash was at Level 90 with at least some things. I think Arx is around 140.”

“Okay. That’s about what I need. Can you get them out of these blood pods for now?”

“Sure.”

Pandemonium was about to do just that when Elfernando suddenly shouted, making my hearts spike in worry.

“WAIT!”

“What!?” I screamed back. “What is it? WHAT IS IT!?”

“Oh. Uh, I was just going to ask if it’s possible to keep them submerged, actually. Maybe half submerged. It’s just really such an interesting… construct?” He touched the membrane of the healing pod and its fleshy sides. The elf focused on it so hard that he started drooling. “Oh! Uh, excuse me. This healing pod of yours is just so convenient for keeping them stabilized. Even now I’m amazed by the work it is doing. In a long enough timeframe, I think it can outperform even me in its chosen field. So I was wondering if there’s a way to keep it active like this while I work on my patients.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that nothing had gone catastrophically wrong just yet. I thought about Elfernando’s request, and he listened way too intently while I conversed with Pandemonium, who only answered by rattling the walls around us.

“What do you think?”

Rumble, rumble.

“So it’s doable?”

Shake.

“Hmmm… It won’t be as efficient, huh…”

Mini earthquake.

“Oh! What about if you just press them right up to the membrane, and then allow only Elfernando’s hand and maybe his staff to pass through?”

Bubble, pop.

“Great!”

“Let’s do it!” Elfernando nodded one too many times, without waiting for me to explain the plan. I trusted that he understood.

He approached Arx’s healing pod first, and my expression fell, just a little. I felt… just a smidge disappointed that he decided to start with Arx and not Moonwash, but I didn’t say anything. They were both very important to me, and I would be devastated at either loss! But… one death would hurt just a little more than the other, if I were being completely honest. It was an ugly truth, but one I now knew for certain.

Elfernando continued his work. The ancient elf’s hand pressed against the membrane, and was then swallowed into it as he was able to touch Arx’s carapace. His other hand held a potent life staff, and it radiated magic of such potency that my minds began to hallucinate some truly grand visions.

I saw worlds rise and fall, from its very first sprout, the foundation of all life; to the very last dragon to walk across its lands, stubbornly refusing to let it end. A billion creatures actively evolved and changed and healed, their bodies shaped by diverging ideals of a far greater number. I relived the elation that I felt when I ceased to be a human and became a demon, twice over.

The ancient elf directed this magic into the healing pod, and Pandemonium’s blood magic within offered no resistance. They worked together in harmony, despite this being their first meeting. Life itself sank into Arx’s body, as his wounds that I had so painstakingly sealed shut began to writhe once more. Scarred flesh shuddered and regrew, hardening into carapace, and very slowly forming the start of new organs.

This was the power of an elf that had lived for millenia. Level 160, just like the archangels who did this.

I set aside my loathing for the moment, and continued to watch Elfernando work his magic. It would’ve been interesting enough on its own, but more than that, I was still worried. Will this work? Will they survive? What if they don’t? What do I do? Who do I kill? How do I live on?

I calmed down, took a deep breath, and knocked on bone-wood. Berry and my parents came by a few minutes later, and they readily agreed to fetch some food and other crucial things so that I wouldn’t have to leave. Not until Elfernando was finished with his healing.

It wasn’t that I distrusted the powerful elf… though I didn’t trust him either. We just met. But what if there was an emergency while I was gone? What if Elfernando just needed a bit more help to get it right? I was the next best healer here, even if I didn’t act like it. I needed to be present.

I resolved to be ready for whenever my help was needed. I watched the entire process with all three of my minds focused on Elfernando’s healing and his biomancy. He eventually ate his food and switched over to healing Moonwash as he began to explain the process. Apparently Arx was somehow more injured than her, despite it not seeming like it. My girlfriend had lost a lot more in proportion to her body, but most of that was in her lower half, which didn’t contain as many essential organs.

“So that means that she’ll survive, right? Right!? You can fix it?!”

“I’ll do my absolute best.”

“…That’s all I can ask for. Thank you.”

The procedure stretched into hours, and then days. Elfernando continued to alternate between the two without rest. I did not walk out of that room for a single moment, even if there was never really anything for me to do. It was a boon, for me to be idle.

Finally, after a whole week of this, Moonwash’s eyelids began to twitch.

“MOONWASH!” I shouted and immediately rushed ahead, but was stopped by one gesture from Elfernando. Anyone else would not have been able to react fast enough. I scowled at the ancient elf, but relented and hung back, as I could see that he was still healing her through the pod.

I waited with bated breath for those eternal few minutes, until my girlfriend’s eyes fully snapped open and she stared right at me.

Now I rushed forward.

“MOONWASH!”

I hugged her through the breaking membrane, and Elfernando stepped back and left us to it. “You’re okay! You’re alive! Are you okay!? Are you fine?!”

“Yes. I am,” she answered all too simply. “What happened?”

I kissed her long and hard through the blood between us, before finally deigning to answer her question.

“Angel attack. Archangels probably. There’s no one else who could have done that. I saw what they used to do it. Massive arrows, or crossbow bolts that still had that abominable holy mana in them.”

“I see. Did you get a sample?”

“...”

I froze, not knowing what to say.

“Err… No. I didn’t.”

“I see. That’s disappointing.”

“Moonwash! You were literally dying! And so was Arx! Fucking look around you! Granuel’s dead!!!”

She… did just as I asked. Moonwash was quiet for so long that I began to grow worried. But then tears began to fall from her eyes as she just stared at everything around her, and I finally understood.

Maybe I shouldn’t have sprang all of that on her so suddenly, and so soon.

Now she was sad too.

~~~

“I… I survived?” Arx asked an hour later, swiveling his head around. I had just helped him out of his own far more massive healing pod after the healing process was done.

“Yes! You did!” I gave my friend a big hug as tears flowed down my face in relief. At least the two of them were saved!

“Oh… that’s good. I’m so glad you’re alive too, Haell! I thought you were dead! I saw your head get blown off! So then… I tried to just get out of there, but whatever it was that took you out killed me too!”

I sniffed and wiped my face. “Well, they failed! You didn’t die! People were trying their hardest to heal you, by the way. Maybe you wouldn’t have survived without that. So go thank them sometime, yeah?”

Come to think of it, no one came to help me back then. And only a few went to Moonwash, compared to Arx. The fuck was their problem?

I mentally shook my head. They still helped a friend of mine. That was worth the world.

“Haell, I…” Arx started, and I tilted my head at him, questioning. “I’ll thank them, yeah. That’s really truly nice of them. You’ll have to tell me who they are later. But, as I was saying earlier… I basically tried to run away. I was ready to abandon you. I’m sorry. It was… I panicked. And I didn’t think…”

“Hey.” I gave him a friendly pat on the carapace. “It’s okay. I noticed the attack too, and I did the same thing. My first and only instinct was to somehow dodge whatever that blaring danger was. I definitely wasn’t thinking about saving anyone in the moment either.”

“But I don’t know if I would’ve tried to save you either way,” he lamented. “Maybe I would’ve just run all the way to the other side of the continent if I had the chance. I would’ve abandoned you guys… to save my own life. I just… I can’t die. I can’t let myself die. Not just yet. Maybe not ever. Not unless we’re actually able to save Queen Iz. Or maybe that’s an excuse too, and I just want to live…”

“Then live,” I said simply, to his look of confusion. “I can save myself. You’ve already seen that truth. So definitely do not try to sacrifice yourself to save me. Regardless of how you or I feel about it; It is true that you are the hope of your people. Don’t go throwing that away. I have everything else handled. It’s the one thing I can do.”

“Well… If you say so, then alright. You did somehow survive having your head blown off, so I don’t know what else I can add to that.” Arx took a good look at me, and then from all angles. He poked and prodded at my body, especially my regrown head.

“Stop that.” I swatted away his mandibles.

Arx took a deep breath and boggled. “How what the fuck???”

I chuckled and tapped my head. “That’s because I have more brains than you.”

He screeched to a stop. “Huh? I don’t think you’re dumb, but I don’t know if you’re that much smarter than me…” he stared at my grin and then remembered something. “AH! You meant that literally.” He did know about me having some extra brains at least, if not the deepest specifics.

My friend laughed, and then looked around us in the ensuing silence. He waved a massive claw at Moonwash who’d also come to hug him earlier, and then said hi to the ancient elf he didn’t recognize. Elfernando didn’t actually look old at all despite how I kept calling him ancient! He probably looked younger than me, even. “Uhhh… Haell?”

“Yeah?”

He hesitated for a long time, but eventually decided to ask his question.

“Where’s… Granuel…?”

“Dead.”

“Oh.”

My friend wailed loud enough to be heard all across Pandemonium.