Harbingers of Change

Chapter 12

She shivered in the cold, alone and terrified. The nightmare never ended, and only grew perpetually. Unspeakable horrors lurked in the shadows, far beyond her comprehension. She wondered if this was what the eldritch realm looked like, or if there was something even more dreadful beyond. This was Hinata's thought, at least, before the darkness swallowed her whole.

The last moments of her waking life were spent witnessing a massacre of undreamt proportions, one she had unwittingly orchestrated, leading humans against the monstrously powerful subordinates of the terrible Storm Dragon Veldora.

Hinata had all but given up hope. There was no way to escape this hell, no way to fight back. She was alone, utterly and completely alone. The void had consumed everything, leaving nothing but agony. She felt every second of it, every eternity of it. She almost wished for death but knew death would never come, that would be far too merciful.

'I-I can't give up… I have to wake up somehow. Mistress… Mistress Luminous! P-Please save me!'

Her mistress, the one she had been ready to betray under the influence of that damn corrupting sword. She had been ready to discard everything she stood for and everyone that she cared for, all for the mere sake of power. Despite all of her faults, Luminous was still a decent mistress to have. Now the saint would have to wallow in regret forever.

'Saint… what sort of saint would be worthy of that title after causing all this.'

In her despair, she could do nothing but endlessly call for help, help that likely would never come. Her mistress would cut her losses if anything.

'Please Luminous, forgive me! Please help me!'

There was no answer. Obviously, Luminous couldn't hear her, but someone who was drowning would grab for any straws to not go under.

'Please save me… Anyone! Please…'

Something stirred in the void, seemingly all around her, giving no indication of direction or form, something indescribable. Hinata instinctively moved away, sensing the danger as her instincts screamed for her to flee.

Whatever the … thing was, it was incredibly similar to the monster she had fought at the end of the battle, and there was only one sensation emanating from it: endless hunger.

Her soul felt irresistibly drawn to it, like a moth to a bright lantern, but her still-functioning mind knew better. She knew it was a trap, and she was the prey. Nothing good would happen by reaching for it.

'Please save me!' she cried out to anyone who might be listening, even those who were responsible for her plight. Returning to the clutches of her captors seemed to be the better option than remaining where she was right now, wherever this was, now that her mistress was seemingly impossible to reach.

And then someone answered her prayers. A warmth entered her soul and her mind felt soothing at ease. Something guided her out of the dread. Was she free at last?

Clinging to this hope, she followed its guidance, moving out of the darkness and back into the light. Her surroundings slowly took shape as her eyes cracked open to view the world once more.

Hinata found herself in the same throne room she had seen in the dream before. Her perception was blurred as her tears cleared, but enough detail and color matched to make sense of the sensory overload. On the throne, made for a king of kings, sat the one the sword referred to as the Usurper. This undead ruler was radiating the warmth she felt looming over her smaller frame through his extended hand, visibly bathing her in a bright light.

'You!? But why-' Her nightmare ended as she completely opened her eyes.

"Welcome back Hinata. You may have the answers I seek," A powerful and regal voice greeted her, the surroundings finally coming into focus.

In front of her stood Momonga, the ultimate ruler of the Tempest Hegemony. Right behind him was a burnt-looking avian she recognized as Peroroncino, with an evolved sprite beside him. Further away stood her old teacher clad in dark plate armor.

'Shizue! No, that's that monster.' She recognized the deception performed by the monster called Bukubukuchagama, loathing it to the depths of her soul.

Slowly, her body's sensations returned to her. She felt cold chains around her wrists and feet, draining her magicules like parasites from the demons' Hell. The room itself was intensely chilled, her now-meager clothing somehow still on herself, doing little besides decorating her with the blood she had vomited hours before.

Momonga watched Hinata groggily glance around, attempting to regain her bearings. The knowledge he gained from Pero was enough to devise a direct method of soul repair without forging a contract as he did with his consorts and subordinates, especially with Omniscience playing a role. He had already shot over an improved method for healing through Divine Regeneration to Pero for when he healed the other sprites or assisted in wartime duties.

There was never such a thing as too many healers, after all, in a world such as this one.

"What answers do you want from me?" Hinata asked sharply once her senses were fully back. She steeled her mind for the torture session that would inevitably come, knowing they could do anything from standard basics to sending … that … thing at her again.

The chains holding her in place not only drained her of magical power but also physical strength, making her so weak she could barely lift her head, let alone stand up or offer any resistance. Whatever they were made of, they were heavy for even her natural, albeit weakened state, and something she had to crack, fast.

"Tell me everything you know about the sword you wielded," Momonga ordered with the same authority as before.

"Why should I? Go figure it out yourself. I know full well what awaits me," She spat back, purely out of habit. Some fighting spirit still left her taking an unfortunate upper hand. All she could do now was to regret her words even before they fully escaped her mouth. "Wait, I didn't mean-"

"I see," Momonga took a step forward and leaned in, "I pulled you out of the void… and I can bring you back there. Or perhaps you would like another play session with the one who defeated you? She is looking forward to it, with a completely reconstructed body."

With small traces of void lacing his fingertips, the undead ruler nonchalantly raised his bony hand to touch her face. Hinata gulped, noticing that Bukubukuchagama had turned away to avoid watching whilst the sprite broke into a toothy grin. The dreadful coldness engulfed her entire being as she froze up, unable to even pull away.

She felt a cold, hard extremity press against her forehead, and a wave of agony washed over her mortal form. The void that coated the monster's fingers seeped into her skin, and she could not even scream as the abyss invaded her mind, filling it with images of unspeakable horrors and pushing it to the borders of madness. In that very moment, she lost all sense of reality, time, and self, as the touch consumed her. Though it lasted less than a second from an outside perspective, it might have been an eternity of hellish torment for Hinata, and just as quickly as the undead being had made contact with her, the eldritch sensations vanished.

'I-I need to keep my mouth shut. W-What sort of moron taunts something like this monster?'

"I-I'm sorry! I will tell you anything… everything I know, but there isn't much… I will cooperate as much as I can in exchange for not being sent back… there." Hinata backed out of her confrontational position, even lowering her head as it was the only thing she could control. Anything was preferable over returning to that place, and she knew Momonga wasn't bluffing. He had that freakish entity from that cursed realm in his control and wasn't afraid to use it.

Over the next hour, she willingly gave up everything she knew, from Yuuki giving her the location, to Luminous formulating the plan of defeating Veldora. Finally, she told everything she knew about the sword, which wasn't much besides the voice and what she could discern after wielding it for so long. Hinata had to admit to herself that even she had no idea what that sword was, completely unlike her normal rapier.

"Hmm, I expected more out of you, considering your reputation as humanity's bastion against monsters. While I understand Luminous' motivations, through her actions she also has chosen to become our enemy and will be dealt with accordingly. Nevertheless, what I find amusing is that she either didn't inform you or didn't realize that the sword is a doorway to a real Goddess while parading as a fake one herself. That is something which surely will have to be… addressed, preferably in the near future. It seems both of you were nothing more than tools," Momonga concluded, an aura of certainty and superiority smothering the air around him.

"Gloat all you want. I know what sort of fool I am, but you don't know how it felt to be controlled by that thing. You had to ask me instead of touching the sword yourself! And if you have any sense, you won't ever touch or use that accursed thing. It is insidious, deceptive." Hinata shouted back. Captured by her enemies or not, she could still retort one final time after spilling everything she knew.

Yet Momonga only calmly replied, as he seemed to always do, "But I do. I locked the sword away personally. She tried her schemes on me, but they didn't work. It is ironic, that you were roped into the machinations of a deity who wants revenge on me, not Veldora, and yet you now speak from a position of raw pride."

"Y-you did? So that thing, that sword… really was connected to a God? Luminous…she knew. She let me do this knowingly!?" Hinata audibly gaped at the realization, though far too late to help her.

'I already knew he was an absolute monster. What a fool I have been. Mistress… you… knew what the sword was… that look… You knew! You let me do this! Y-You used me!' Hinata let her head drop, feeling too tired to hold it up.

Maybe it was revenge from her former mistress for denying her all these years. She was well aware of Luminous' frustration yet chose to ignore them. Or maybe she was nothing more than a tool and a piece of meat for the Demon Lord, one she had finally decided to dispose of. She had decided to trust a monster, a powerful one at that, and the outcome was her being held in chains as a prisoner for an unfathomable monster.

"I was used!" Hinata closed her eyes, her face twisting in a snarl. Her loyalty was betrayed once again. Luminous touched the sword; she knew what was inside. Those words about wishing for her to return home safely were nothing but an empty gesture, no, a devious lie.

"As I said, nothing but a tool. There isn't much point in blaming a tool for the actions of its wielder. But you are not without fault either. Tell me, would you have come to kill us without the sword's influence? Would you have done so on your own accord or if Luminous ordered you to do so?"

"What difference does it make? Will I be tortured less if I try lying to you? You already know the answer." Hinata stated bitterly. "Would I have done what I did in hindsight of knowing that monsters can be reasoned with? Probably not. I am grateful for being brought back but I hold no illusions of what awaits me. Do what you must, Overlord. I don't expect to be released or traded as a prisoner of war."

"Facing one's fate bravely is an admirable trait. Under any other circumstance, I would have offered you to serve under me. But knowingly or not, you killed my subjects and for that, a proper punishment is needed." Momonga turned his back to her.

Hinata ceded her attempts at holding herself up, her limp figure held up in chains while in a partly kneeling position.

"I have gotten to say all that I needed. Yoseijoo, what sort of retribution do you wish for the deaths of your people?" Momonga addressed the individual Hinata could finally identify as the Sprite Queen.

"It has been tradition that the tribe of victors consume twice the amount of their fallen from the defeated enemy, with the victorious tribe's leader devouring the leader of the fallen tribe, Lord Momonga," Yoseijoo bowed.

"Your people can pick among the captives from Falmuth for the appropriate amount, and you can personally cut enough meat out of Hinata while she is healed. That said, I cannot permit you to actually consume it. Her flesh is likely lethal to you, considering she is filled with holy energies as one of the strongest humans alive," Momonga replied apologetically.

"Right, she gives off the same vibes as Aureole. I'm with Momonga on this one. Eating her isn't safe for you." Pero agreed.

"Just eating her people will do in that case. Flesh should not be wasted. Is it permissible to do it in front of her?" Yoseijoo inquired, licking her lips.

"Yes. Pero, can you deal with arranging her tribute? Or should I assign someone else?"

"I'll take care of it. Lupus wanted a few playthings anyway," The avian responded cheerfully, pausing to send a message.

'Innocent people will pay for my actions and the choices of Luminous.' Hinata bit her lower lip. She had caused so much death and suffering and was too weak to do anything about it when the tables turned and she was on the receiving end. A saint was nothing compared to these monsters, monsters who reveled in death and suffering. Worst of all, they were justified in doing so.

An eerie silence settled as the remaining figures departed one by one. Only Bukubukuchagama remained, leaning towards her as she stood just beyond the saint's reach.

"You brought this on yourself. Yuuki played you like a fiddle. He's a pawn of that Goddess, by the way. Truth be told, I didn't know his true nature either. It pains me to admit that I nurtured him without seeing that he was a psychopath." The monster spoke in her teacher's voice.

"You think you will get to me by mocking her memory after you killed her?" Hinata spat out in utter contempt.

"My death was… I made a mistake and I paid for it. Buku didn't kill me. I became part of her after my death. Hinata, I promised to always look out for you, but I cannot prioritize you over the people we care for. I'm sorry, but you did this to yourself," Shizue's soft voice pierced her heart like a dagger, sharper than any god-grade sword.

The first person who showed her selfless care was used as a weapon against her. She could not stand for this, she could not!

"Lies."

"I didn't kill your teacher. I am your teacher. Look into your heart. You know it is the truth," Buku gently stroked her cheek, lifting Hinata's head.

"Stop. Please stop. She… do not do this to me." She said as tears started to form in her eyes, threatening to spill over. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, the truth of those words didn't fade. In front of her was Shizue or whatever she had become.

"Then you won't see me again. Goodbye, and try to atone for what you have done," Buku kissed Hinata's forehead and let go of her, turning back to her normal self.

"This is all you will get. I won't bring that part of me out again," Her tone changed to a much colder one as Hinata stared on.

"Monster… sensei you have become a monster," Hinata whispered while choking up.

"We both are, but unlike you, I don't deny it. Enjoy what's left of your miserable life. You won't be killed any time soon, and who knows, maybe we'll keep you alive for a few more centuries," Buku turned to leave. "Kyouhukou could always use more flesh to feed his children once that holy part of yours has faded."

Hinata didn't reply. As much as she tried to deny it, she understood the horrible truth in the monster's words. Shizue was part of Bukubukuchagama, and above all, her teacher had accepted her fate. One of the noblest souls she knew had fallen and was part of that monster.

She weakly yanked at the chains binding her, but it was nothing but a futile effort. She wasn't strong enough to break free and sure as hell wasn't strong enough to set her teacher free.

Hinata expected physical torture but instead got something more personalized. They got to her on a much deeper level than she could tolerate, farther than any torture tool could reach.

'Sensei…' Could it be that her teacher wasn't what she seemed, just like everyone else? All of the people who were supposed to look after her ended up betraying her trust, one after another. Her father, her mother, Shizue, Luminous. Yuuki was like a brother to her for a while. She had steeled her heart to not be a tool or a victim, but in the end, she always had been, for one reason or another.

Maybe it was a suitable fate for her. She was used as a tool and as a tool, she caused many deaths. Not for a moment had she considered the possibility that perhaps the monsters wanted to live in peace. She had ignored the implications of Tempest, the place where humans and nonhumans could be together in harmony, for herself, humanity, and for the world. The irony that Momonga was the one to save her from that hell wasn't lost on her.

'Sensei…was it you who did this? Are you truly part of that monster? You promised to always look out for me…' She wanted to cling to that one straw of hope that someone was looking out for her in this hell, but in the end, she simply couldn't bring herself to have empty hope again.

She had met a suitable end for the fool she was, condemned to rot in these chains. Now all she could do was wait, at least until she heard more noise, noise that sliced through the current deafening silence.

It hadn't taken long for a veritable army of sprites to show up with paralyzed human prisoners. By the horror in their eyes, it was clear they felt everything as the monsters ate them alive in front of her, starting from the limb extremities and moving inwards, centimeter by centimeter.

She could and did close her eyes, but there wasn't any way to block out the horrible sounds of bones being broken between strong jaws, of raw meat being chewed loudly, and claws ripping through flesh.

"I would love to eat you alive but unfortunately I can't. Luckily for you, it's heresy for my kind to waste meat, so I cannot cut you up either."

Hinata recognized the voice of Yoseijoo. The sprite pried one of her eyes open with two fingers, forcing her to watch the gruesome sight whilst breathing in her face. The sprite queen's breath reeked of blood, likely blood from other humans, making Hinata nauseous due to recent experiences.

"Look at them. Look at their eyes!" Yoseijoo laughed.

"Go to hell!" Hinata hissed back.

"You know, I would have loved to feel how human children taste, but Lord Momonga forbids killing innocents, unlike the animals you brought to our doorstep."

"We wouldn't…"

Hinata paused. The monster was right. They had been planning to kill every single monster, young or old since they weren't humans. Some had even made plans to turn on the lycanthropes and dwarves after their victory. Had she been so blind to not see the terrible hypocrisy of the church's doctrine of killing all monsters indiscriminately?

"Humans have killed our young for as long as I can remember. You call us monsters for our savageries and apparent lack of civilizations, but we at least respect our prey and consume all of it. You kill for the sake of killing," Yoseijoo's expression darkened, spitting as her hatred intensified further.

Hinata opened her other eye out of her own volition and semi-willingly spectated the pleading eyes of the sprites' victims. They were paying the price for her mistake. Her former mistress was blinded by the hatred of Veldora, and all that blind hatred led to this.

'I should have known better than to carry out her will so blindly. I should have known better than to be a tool for her. I am on my own, I always was. Gods, what bastards you are. I should have known I could only rely on myself. I should have been the protector of the innocent, not a blind bloodhound of the church!'

As much as she desired to break free and find a way to stop Tempest's likely retaliatory crusade against the humans, there wasn't anything she could practically do. They would have to pay the price for her mistakes, thousands of times over.

<X>

Carrion found Frey on the balcony at the very top of her castle's highest spire, lazing in a chair and overlooking her kingdom. There were a few empty wine bottles on the table beside her and a half-empty one in her hand. Some servants brought in a platter of snacks, of which Carrion decided he would thoroughly enjoy both while he was here.

"I thought you decided not to drink Tempest's wine," He commented, as that particular brand was one of the most expensive spirits available and had the alcohol concentration to back it up. Sleeper-dwarf-certified, it bragged on its label, among other things.

"Luchia is sending me a box each week, along with a myriad of other goods. Might as well enjoy it," Frey replied, her voice silky smooth as always.

"Someone's in a good mood."

"Just celebrating Tempest's victory. You should too," She all but purred in response, despite not being a lycanthrope herself.

"Well, you know I can't say no to you!" Carrion let out a laugh and grabbed a full bottle from the crate. He pulled out the cork with virtually no effort and tossed it aside with a sharp nail.

"A bad habit for a king," She simply chuckled.

"To Tempest's victory." He declared a toast as he plopped down in the chair next to her, ignoring Frey's jab.

"To Tempest's victory." Frey raised the bottle and gulped down the wine as if it was water.

Carrion followed suit while glancing at his ally. If not counting the fact that she was slightly drunk already, Frey seemed to be less worried than ever. A sly, subtle smile and a tint on her cheeks only accented her beauty, something he could definitely appreciate.

But as always, there were more pressing matters to discuss than mere flirting. "Did you observe the battle?"

"I did. What do you make of Momonga's feat?" Frey inquired curiously.

"Might as well roll on my back and show my belly like the cat I am," Carrion laughed bitterly, taking another large swig. "I should have made a few daughters of my own when I had the chance."

"Right," Frey responded in a cold tone. As a mother, she pretty much sold her daughter for political gain and it had nearly backfired. Thankfully, it hadn't - so far.

"So, is Luchia giving you all their dirty secrets?" Carrion continued, reading Frey like an open book. It was a low blow from him, but she shouldn't have thrown jabs so often and not expected some back.

"She is telling me nothing, but I already know of my fate." Frey finished the bottle and leaned to grab the next one.

"If you plan to retire, you can always have a place in my castle."

"You mean your bed. I already told you I have no interest in being added to your collection." Frey flatly stated.

"A man who has a queen by his side doesn't need other women," Carrion shot back, grinning as he crunched on some candied oranges.

"Now that sounds less insulting," Frey bantered back. Carrion had been dropping this offer often and for a long while, but she never even considered it. A harpy queen like her would never marry unless both she and the husband could ensure their eternal rule, which clearly wasn't the case for both of them thanks to their might-makes-right cultures.

Now with the near certainty that Fulbrosia would be absorbed by Tempest and she likely being forced to give up her position for Luchia, Frey had begun to think about her future a lot more often these days. Her death wasn't necessary for the transfer of power, and as Tempest had proven, unless you stood in their way your life wasn't in danger.

"But I will have to pass. I am a queen, I do not need to be given a place of luxury. I can fight for it on my own."

"That you can. Shame I can't keep up with that bird."

"Considering that we're still allies, what's your real plan?" Frey switched the topic.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I would like to hear it nonetheless."

"If Tempest looks to expand their territories, I'll have to offer to become a vassal willingly. No point fighting a war if Momonga can turn my entire kingdom into a graveyard with the wave of his hand," Carrion grumbled. For a proud king, it wasn't easy to admit how weak and outmatched he was compared to Tempest's elite. Even he had to go in personally to end cities like that with his legendary-grade equipment. Meanwhile, Momonga could end cities from a thousand kilometers away.

He had weighed his options for a while and had decided that besides a suicidal last stand that would end the lives of every lycanthrope who stood with him, there wasn't any other way for him to resist the coming change of times. They had their era as the rising Demon Lords in the Demon Lord Council, but it was time to make room once more, just as their predecessors had.

"You know, I like you better when your head isn't in the clouds. Who knows, maybe when we both aren't rulers anymore I'll take you up on your offer," Frey teased. The wine likely was to blame for her more playful attitude, but it was far too rare of a moment where she could just lay back and relax.

A ruler couldn't just stop being a ruler whenever they wanted, especially them, whose mere presence prevented foreigners from invading through their fighting prowess.

"Don't wait too long. I might grab Claire instead."

"Aaand you're back to being an ass," She scoffed, nibbling on a brownie bark.

"Take it easy, I'm just joking. First, we need to live through all this," Carrion chugged his bottle and got up to pick up another one, reaching for another bottle.

"Right. If you plan to drink my stash empty, the least you could do is bring some of your own next time."

"Not a bad idea. One box is just a warm-up! You should see what happens when Albis and Suphia get competitive and the bill's on Phobio."

"Didn't Suphia cause some sort of incident in Tempest? The news even reached my ears up in these nests."

"Argh… that. Don't remind me. She got drunk with that beast Lupusregina, and they both messed up a tavern on the first day she was there!" Carrion nearly crushed the bottle in his hand in anger, the label ripping into tatters.

"You surely can't say she lacks courage though," Frey offered, taking another sip.

The evening wind was picking up and she casually placed a barrier around the balcony for a more pleasant atmosphere, even regulating the heat a bit. It never hurt to keep the conversation going.

"That's not courage, that's just plain stupidity," Carrion spat, "You saw what that beast can do."

In truth, he was proud of how courageous Suphia was for standing up to the monster who had tormented her, but as a king and a trainer of warriors, he couldn't admit that openly. And besides that, Suphia held a special place in his heart, almost being the daughter he never had, meaning he was tougher on her than even Phobio.

As the youngest of the three beastketeers, she took the position before reaching adulthood, fighting tooth and nail to be recognized by Carrion the moment she could stand upright. It was her ferocity and unbreakable will that earned her the position over her raw power, but those same qualities could be detrimental outside of Euranzia.

The other two were similar in a sense, but Phobio had been a close friend even before he became the current beast king, and Albis had earned her position fair and square through both raw power and a sharp mind, outmaneuvering her competition before crushing them directly. And both were closer to his age, thus it was easier to see them as adults, akin to associates who just so happened to be under his employ.

"Mmm, but don't you agree she showed why lycanthropes are both feared and respected?"

Carrion glanced away, Frey chuckling all the meanwhile. She could read him far too easily. "Sure."

They had a long evening of casual drinking ahead of them, judging by the servants bringing in more snacks and booze, so he steeled himself for a long afternoon of her teasing. After all, Frey's tongue was just as sharp as her talons, if not sharper at times, something he knew over the centuries of cooperation and friendship.

Perhaps he could find a way to import more of Tempest's alcohol for himself during the next meeting with Lady Bukubukuchagama, and those small and crumbly yet incredibly honey-sweet snacks were certainly something to fight for as well.

Editing by aidan_lo

Proofreading by Zprotu, Sluethen, Cakeeight, Malguis, FantasyTroll, Thea, LightFlan and NuggetLover

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 (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).