Harbingers of Change

Chapter 10

With sharp and calculated steps, Hinata made her way to the double doors that loomed over her with a great shadow. Knowing her mistress was already waiting for her, eager to hear details about the discovery she had made, the woman entered the room without even knocking on the door.

Hinata's gaze swept across the room, and the first thing that caught her attention was the hundreds of dimly lit candles burning in the windowless chamber. They created a flickering illumination in the room, almost as though they were dancing. Hinata vividly recalled the haunting beauty of the glowering lights being a preferable choice of her mistress to set the atmosphere.

Before she could become enamored with the pleasing aesthetic choice, her eyes quickly darted around the room, and she soon made out a person several meters away from her.

The slim, feminine figure was sitting on a soft white chair. Hinata could see one of her arms resting on her upper thigh while the other stretched over her chair's high backrest. She was behind the end of a luxuriously made table, its surface only covered with an elaborately designed cream cloth.

Her posture was not prim and proper for someone of her status, but her relaxed demeanor still showed off a radiating beauty. A faint smile appeared on the figure in question, revealing a set of fangs that decorated her pale face.

The moment her gaze fell on Hinata, the smile grew almost predatory.

The person Hinata was supposed to visit was Luminous, the vampire who truly ruled the Holy Empire of Ruberios. She was brimming with eternal youth and terrifying grace, and her presence alone seemed to have an iron grip on everyone else in the room.

The ancient vampire was responsible for laying down the foundations of Ruberios. Hinata knew why her mistress ruled in the shadows, but she found it prudent not to make light of the truth, even in close quarters.

Next to her stood the ever-dutiful butler Gunther, who held a notebook and pen in his hand, seemingly ready to record every spoken word in this room.

To the right of Luminous sat Roy Valentine, her stand-in as a demon lord. Roy was a tall man with short blonde hair dressed in cleric robes. Naturally, this facade was seen through by a few of the oldest demon lords who knew of Luminous and that she was the real demon lord.

Opposite Roy sat his twin brother Louis, the Holy Emperor of Ruberios. He was dressed in identical robes to his brother, making them indistinguishable. While his power base was insignificant compared to Luminous, he took his governmental responsibilities diligently, as his actions typically reflected her mistress's demands.

Both twin brothers were once a singular being, and in the past, people knew them as the dreaded vampire Valentin, whose name was spoken of in hushed tones by most of the human populace during those dark times. He was a bloodthirsty and battle-crazed man who continued to torment everyone around him even after being subjugated by the much more powerful Luminous.

When Luminous confronted Valentin for his constant antagonism towards her subordinates, Valentin feared his Mistress would seal his fate. However, he did not expect the following action.

Luminous split his entire being in two, creating two much tamer and obedient entities who would serve her cause.

"Ah, Hinata! You are finally back. It is always a wonderful sight whenever you come to visit me," Luminous said, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Yes, Mistress. As I have already reported back then, I come back with an important discovery," Hinata curtly responded.

She bowed slightly and took a seat near the table. Luminous nodded for her to continue, and Hinata retold everything she had learned from Yuuki. She listened to her subordinate's words intently.

Once Hinata finished divulging the information to everyone, Luminous pursed her lips before responding.

"Are you sure that boy wasn't deceiving you, Hinata? This story sounds too good to be true. I'd rather not see you rush into things without giving it more time to dwell on this."

"It is oddly convenient that Yuuki has the answer to what we seek. However, I see no reason for my friend to lead me into a trap," Hinata curtly replied.

"Your friend, huh? Still, I have never heard of such a weapon. Details about Lord Veldanava's death are murky at best. As far as I know, there was no mention of a hero or a special weapon."

She had never met the creator God in person, although he was present for an absurdly long time. Even so, she couldn't speak about the Star King Dragon without the reverence his name commanded.

"I understand, but to be fair-"

"I'm not finished!" Luminous hissed, silencing Hinata with a glare. "I also have to point out that our intelligence network has not discovered this so-called weapon for millennia. No one else had ever claimed it, let alone recalled its details. And now, by some divine providence, the information about the weapon's existence was found by some amateurs. I have a feeling that Kagurazaka person is intentionally hoodwinking us."

Luminous tapped her nails on the table with barely concealed frustration.

"It is indeed suspicious, but on the off chance that there is some truth to this, wouldn't it be better to investigate? Lady Luminous, if such a weapon does exist and gets into the hands of your enemies, your life may also be at stake." Roy spoke up.

"I cannot believe even you, Roy, are convinced about the credibility of this weapon. And as if my life can't get any worse, the weapon's supposed location happens to be near that accursed lizard's domain. It so conveniently is discovered right after the Free Guild starts to operate there, and just by chance, this precious intel is revealed to Hinata!" Luminous tapping became more aggressive, chipping away at the ebony table.

"I would have to agree with my brother, Lady Luminous. The critical nature of the discovery, forged or not, requires investigation. The Free Guild cannot be trusted in either case, and I am confident Hinata will be able to escape any trap set out for her." Louis said, nodding at Roy.

"But what would the Free Guild gain by setting up a trap for me? At best, they would make the Western Holy Church their enemy." Hinata pondered aloud, unable to make heads or tails of this growing development.

'It does sound like a trap, but would Yuuki, out of all people, switch sides? What would he gain by betraying humanity?'

"If your friend has joined the monster nation, it is clear his goal would be to splinter humanity's unity. If we were at odds with the Free Guild, the Western nations would have to pick a side. That being said, I trust they are not capable of killing you."

Luminous took a deep breath and lifted her arm off the shredded table. She could hear Gunther's heartbeat going up already.

'I stress him out enough as is. Perhaps I should preoccupy myself with something else instead…'

Her blatant disregard for ancient furniture has always been torturous for the butler in her service pretty much all her life. As always, Gunther would mend the broken furniture in no time, but Luminous admitted that many of the butlers' stresses would likely drop if her short temper didn't get in the way.

"Then I should just go along with the expedition?" Hinata carefully asked, watching for any subtle movement on Luminous.

"Yes. Whatever the trap Yuuki's people are banking on, it will fail. Nobody, even your friend, has seen what you are capable of." Luminous bit her lower lip with her two fangs. "You will join those people, but make sure to take whatever forces you think are necessary for this expedition."

She stood up and leaned forward, putting her hands against the table.

"If my suspicions are correct, there won't be any traps that can overpower you, but whatever artifact awaits in the ruins is likely cursed. With that being said…"

After addressing Hinata, Luminous shifted her attention to Louis, who immediately straightened his posture.

"Prepare an artifact box with high-tier holy magic, and make it fast."

"As you command, Lady Luminous," Louis replied with a low rumble. "If it is acceptable for you, I can prepare the artifact box within a week."

Luminous only gave a slight nod before turning to the saint.

"Hinata, one of your subordinates has to volunteer to put the found artifact in the box. You are not allowed to touch the artifact at any point during the expedition. Do I make myself clear?" Luminous stared into Hinata's eyes with such intensity that the younger woman looked away.

"Mistress, I can't risk-"

"Do I make myself clear!?" Luminous yelled, letting her massive aura engulf the room. Hinata gasped as she felt the vampire's aura threatening to take away her breath.

"Y-yes, Mistress."

"Then start preparations. Roy, go to the archives and investigate everything on curses. Since we have yet to determine what we are dealing with, it is best to look into modern and ancient variations for extra precaution. The rest of you, make your preparations."

Seeing the people in the room give nods of affirmation, Luminous stood up and straightened her posture. She turned towards the exit, and Gunther prepared to follow her.

As always, Luminous dismissed her dutiful servant at the entrance of her private sanctuary. No one, not even Gunther, was allowed to come with her.

Before entering, she took off her shoes, leaving them by the door. She proceeded to walk barefoot deeper into what she considered to be a hallowed place, made for only her and a dear friend of hers.

'This is all wrong.' Luminous let out a tired sigh, closing her eyes. 'Chloe, did you lie to me?'

Her millennia-old friend had left her with hints of what would come in the foreseeable future, but none aligned with the recent events outside her nation. Veldora was supposed to get free after Falmuth invaded the fledgling monster nation, run by an Otherworlder reborn as a slime.

At first, Chloe's vague hints aligned perfectly, but when the dragon was set free from his Unlimited Imprisonment, Luminous's hopes rapidly plummeted. This turn of events had played out vastly differently from what wsa supposed to happen

Luminous dropped into her bed and pulled a wrinkled shirt from under the pillow, pushing it in her face. Hinata's sweet scent still lingered on it.

'Maybe I should be more daring and get something more exciting next time. I'm sure she won't notice or suspect me.'

Yet the stolen piece of clothing calmed her agitated state, and the vampire was put back in a relaxed mood. Her thoughts lingered on the recent developments.

'Could it be that the future has changed? Maybe I should open the casket? But then what? If she is in an uncontrollable state, I won't be able to stop her.'

'Argh!' She sat up. "I can't just mindlessly trust everything will go well. I must try again!"

Luminous crossed her legs and took a deep breath. Once her thoughts cleared, she could hear the whispers at the back of her mind. The prayers of her worshipers were always there.

As she had done thousands of times before, she guided the spiritual energy from the said prayers into her heart.

Assuming she performed all the steps correctly, Luminous thought she could trigger a divine evolution and transcend mortality. Behind her efforts was a culmination of thousands of years' worth of research that she, and subsequently her subordinates, had painstakingly gathered. And despite her growing frustration upon achieving little to no success, the prospect of Godhood was simply too enticing to pass up.

In the end, it was just a theory. How one reached Godhood was a mystery she had tried to solve for over a millennium. Without ascending, there was no way to defeat the terrible monster that once again threatened everything she held dear.

There were at least some boons for Luminous to stick with this ritual for an absurd amount of time. The worship gave her a sizable power boost, but as of now, had plateaued over the recent decades.

The Luminism religion had spread only through Western nations, and any further spread outside those countries' borders was unfruitful. Many factors stopped Luminism from becoming a worldwide religion, but the major obstacles were preexisting beliefs and conflicting ideals from the country's government.

For instance, the Armed Nation of Dwargon mostly practiced spirit worship and was more religiously tolerant than other nations. They would react negatively towards a religion that saw them as lesser beings. As for the Eastern Empire, they saw their royal line of Emperors as living Gods and didn't accept anything else.

'Maybe it's time to change the tenants and be more accepting of non-human races. But that could backfire and turn away the people who had suffered losses in the near-constant monster attacks. What should I do?'

According to legends, the ancient ritual Luminous had been practicing for ages was devised by the Star King Veldanava himself. Of course, she never met the dragon veiled by many as the creator God of the world, but he likely was the only one with the knowledge of creating Gods.

'If only someone could guide me through this mess. Why does being a ruler have to be like this?' Luminous asked that same question once again, the same for centuries.

The worst part about her friend Chloe being gone was that no one treated her like a friend, they treated her as a demon lord of unreachable heights.

A melancholy look appeared on Luminous's face. There were times when she blamed herself for not being approachable. She thought her existence was so repulsive towards people that the person she desired the most may have secretly loathed her without showing it. The irony of being a vampire worshiped as the savior of humanity and the vanquisher of monsters was not lost on her.

'If only I could make you see how you make me feel.' Luminous sighed. The thought of Hinata lying beside her quelled her mental turmoil. Feeling the younger woman's warm body would be enough.

But things have already been set in stone. Changing someone's beliefs was one thing, but loyalty and friendship were much more fickle. Luminous knew that forcing Hinata to return her feelings would be akin to enslaving her mind and freedom, a future the vampire wanted to avoid at all costs.

For the time being, she had to put aside her feelings and simply hope for Hinata to make it out in one piece.

X

Even if caution was needed, Hinata rejected the idea of taking any of the saints with her. A small group of well-trained templars was enough in her eyes.

Totaling fifteen, with two carrying the holy box, they were clad in Rare grade armor from head to toe. Each had a backpack with food and water for two weeks on their backs.

Individually, they ranged from high B to low A in terms of power, producing a formidable fighting force capable of taking out a mid-ranking Demon Lord's subordinates.

The group led by Hinata arrived at the rendezvous point at the agreed time. With her tremendous power, transporting such a large group through magical means wasn't difficult.

They had agreed to meet at the very entrance of the ancient ruins. The spot was in a wooded area with the doorway completely overgrown with vegetation. The double door was closed and seemingly warded with magic.

A group of seven archeologists was already debating what they would find in the ruins while Yuuki stood aside with a tired expression.

"As punctual as ever. Ready to have your first archeological adventure?" Yuuki broke into a smile the moment he noticed Hinata.

"I'd rather not have you treat this as a game, Yuuki. Are these people fully prepared for the task?" Hinata asked, skipping any pleasantries. Her attention wasn't on the ragtag team dressed in unremarkable clothing but on her friend.

'He looks… older!? And is that a subtle beard? I thought I'd never see the day.'

The few times when she permitted herself to be more casual and even playful, she teased Yuuki for his baby face. The man, after all, was in his late twenties, but his young complexions had always made him look more like a middle schooler.

At least, he used to look like that up until now.

They had not seen each other for one month, yet it seemed Yuuki had aged a decade in Hinata's eyes. Sure, his face now could be described as much more manly and charmingly handsome, but he looked so tired, as if something had robbed him of the innocent youth that used to fill his eyes.

"They are the best of the best. Believe me; the group is more than prepared for whatever you'll be facing down there." Yuuki replied, ignoring the way Hinata was staring at him.

"I'll take your word for it." Hinata nodded and turned her attention to the group. "Who is the leader of your group?"

"Tallyun Falstat, senior researcher of the archeology branch of the Freedom Guild, at your service Lady Hinata."

The young, chippy voice caught Hinata's attention. She turned to look at the person who had stepped forward and bowed.

He was an elf with short blonde hair. Small round glasses accompanied his soft and welcoming face. His clothes comprised baggy pants with knee-high boots and a yellowish shirt that looked like an ancient relic worn for at least a century.

"We will follow your lead and assist however we can, but once we find the weapon, I must insist no one touches it for your own safety. We have reason to believe that the sword might be cursed." Hinata replied with a polite but stern tone. She had no direct authority over them, so a certain amount of diplomacy was needed.

"I assure you we have dealt with cursed objects before. Once everything is cataloged and appraised, you will be permitted to handle the artifact." Tallyun stood his ground, making Hinata smirk at the elf's confidence.

"Very well. If your team is ready, we can begin the expedition." She decided to leave the insistence to the moment they found the weapon, even with the possibility of it not being there.

"I see you'll get along just fine. Good luck, and stay safe. Report your findings once you have finished." Yuuki said his goodbyes and departed, leaping away from the scene before anyone could say anything.

"Always busy, that Yuuki boy. Let's get a move on, everyone." Hinata's amused look quickly shifted to a serious demeanor as she watched Tallyun give brief orders to his team of researchers.

The archeologist team set to work and opened the warded door without any problems. Hinata became thankful her worries were misplaced.

True to Yuuki's word, the team of veteran archeologists caught all the traps. However concealed and complex, the group dispatched them with practiced efficiency.

As they descended the underground corridors, they stumbled upon a Tempest serpent. Many found it odd to see this type of monster here. Their suspicions quickly changed into mild amusement as the only monster they had found so far could not bear a more obvious name.

The archeologist team immediately deployed defensive magic and let the templars tackle the beast. Hinata didn't even need to lift a finger to help them, and she felt an ounce of pride when the archeologists let out small gasps at the templars' efficiency in taking care of the monster.

The last remaining floors gave no surprises, and soon enough, the team found a sealed door. There was an ancient writing engraved above the door's arched structure.

"If my knowledge is correct, this is an extinct dialect of the Elvish language. Here lies the slayer of Gods," Tallyun read out loud.

He mumbled to himself the rest of the archaic text, and the rest of his team began eyeing the words with growing curiosity. When the murmurs died, Tallyun faced Hinata.

"By the looks of it, there is a large likelihood that this chamber holds the artifact. I cannot confirm further as the rest of the information has proven unhelpful," Tallyun remarked with a gloomy look.

"It doesn't matter. We managed to narrow it down to this entrance, so there is only one way to find out."

Like many of the earlier entrance doors they had encountered, the one in front of them was sealed with magic. Removing the seal proved challenging for them, but with careful examination, the team managed to remove it and open the door.

'This was… oddly fast. I'm starting to think this is just a setup, but then again, these people are not even remotely a threat to me or the templars. I suppose I should listen to Luminous's advice and assume the artifact will be cursed.'

Hinata's suspicions only grew by the second, but it was too late to turn around by now. She let Tallyun and his team advance before signaling the templars to follow them.

In the gray stone chamber lay an empty sarcophagus. In front of it, stood a sword embedded within a short stone monolith.

Tallyun carefully approached it and cast an appraisal spell. He glanced quizzically at the sword and tried to repeat the same process a few more times.

"This is impossible. No matter what I try, the spell keeps fizzling out!" He exclaimed, frustrated.

"Allow me," was all Hinata said. Tallyun reluctantly held out the sword for Hinata to cast her appraisal spell.

To her dismay, she got the same results as the elf. The sword refused to give away its secrets.

Clicking her tongue, Hinata motioned for the templar who had volunteered to wield the weapon. It was a bold risk, but the templar knew what would happen to him should something go awry. Without hesitation, the man confidently approached the weapon and grabbed its handle.

"I don't feel any curse, but the feeling it gives is… odd. I think the sword is rejecting me." The man reported. He could not help but sigh in relief behind his helmet.

'A sentient weapon? No, wait! There might be a chance this sword is of demonic possession. Roy told me something like that was possible.'

"Step back!" Hinata roared, causing Tallyun and the others to flinch from her sudden outburst. The templar hastily obliged, returning to his original position.

Afterward, several members gave a shot at appraising the sword, still they distanced themselves heeding Hinata's warning.

To everyone's regret, further investigation proved just as fruitless as the previous one. The sword didn't show any demonic or elemental presence. Hinata briefly wondered if there was an ancient curse that was missing from Ruberios' archives.

"Lady Hinata, I would like to try touching the weapon. I'm sure I won't be in immediate danger by doing so." Tallyun said, interrupting Hinata's thoughts. He fixed his glasses and approached the sword, seemingly with newfound resolve.

"Alright, but I cannot guarantee your safety if you do so," Hinata replied. She did not do anything to stop the man.

Tallyun grabbed the handle of the sword, his fearless curiosity being pushed to a reckless degree. He pulled at the end of the blade several times, but nothing noteworthy happened as with the templar's previous efforts.

"The sword deemed me too weak to wield it," Tallyun said and stepped back, disappointment visible on his face. "In my opinion, I recommend we leave it be for now and call in artifact specialists to analyze it properly."

While the other archeologists nodded in approval, Hinata had other plans. She did not want to waste any more time.

'I know I promised my Mistress not to touch it, but I have no option. I doubt someone could have made such an elaborate trap.'

"I'm afraid that time is of the essence." Hinata approached the sword and grabbed its handle. Everyone else was initially startled, but they now gave curious and expectant gazes, wondering how the sword would respond to the grip of a saint as powerful as her.

A power she had not felt before rushed through her veins the moment her hand grabbed it. She pulled the sword out of the stone, shattering it in the process. Ignoring the cries of the archeologists, the saint began to study the blade with growing admiration.

'This weapon… It can kill Gods and monsters. With this, I will easily be able to rid the world of Veldora and his underlings! I will rid the world of all monsters! I will…'

The rush of power was simply unbelievable.

The last time she experienced anything remotely similar was when she was transported to this world. Something or someone had greatly empowered her soul, but even that paled in comparison to what she felt now. Shattering mountains and slaying Gods felt like unremarkable feats.

She imagined herself as the pinnacle of humanity in its truest sense, surpassing even the legendary Hero herself.

The sword demanded a wielder worthy enough for a particular purpose. It ordered Hinata to become a God-slayer, but such a ridiculous goal was impossible, right? That was what Hinata would have thought, but this time, she found herself agreeing with the compelling voice.

For whatever reason, Hinata did not question whatever entity was behind this unfathomable power. She only felt gravitated toward the possibility of eliminating all monsters, and she subconsciously allowed the sweet whispers to fill her head with the wildest dreams.

"Lady Hinata!" The worried voice of a Templar snapped her back to reality. Hinata turned her attention back to the present moment.

She saw everyone standing in the room's corners, shaking in fear. Hastily, she opened the holy box Louis had prepared, placing the sword inside before shutting the container.

'What the hell was that? I kept hearing the same thing repeatedly, telling me I should slay everything in my path. This experience only confirms the danger of wielding this weapon for too long. I must proceed with great caution when I must wield it for my Mistress's sake.'

"Lady Hinata. What happened? Are you alright?" Tallyun asked, resuming his inquisitive disposition as if the whole room was not shaken to its core by the aura of an unimaginable monster.

"Yes, I am fine. That weapon is difficult to handle. The power inside…it's sentient, I think." Hinata glanced at the box. "The knowledge of its existence must be kept secret."

"You have my word that we will report our findings only to the Grandmaster." The elf hastily agreed with her assessment.

"That would be the best. The church will pay the proper founders fee once Yuuki contacts me. I'll transport you all to Ingrassia."

She first sent the templars home with the box, then transported the archeologists to the guild headquarters. It was the least she could do after the fright she caused.

Oddly enough, Hinata could not help but remember the vague sense of loss upon removing her grip on the sword. That moment of euphoria she had felt could not be described, only that it was something she was sorely missing.

She shook off this peculiar feeling and tried to look to the future ahead. With the weapon in the church's care, it was time to plan the next steps.

Edited by Zirmeister.

Proofreading by Tophrel, Alassandro, Kazuma, aidan_lo, FantasyTroll, and SwissChocolatess.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).