The Red Hand
Chapter 412 – Chloe’s Trial (Part 1)

"I am prepared for whatever test you wish to subject me to." Chloe said, faking a smile as she removed her hood and allowed her ears to flex and stretch. "I'm sure my faith will prove more than sufficient."

"Perhaps."Deborian laughed as he pat Remmy on the head, which caused the bunny to giggle. He didn't strike Chloe as the kind to like anyone, so his strangely 'kind' treatment of the bunny-girl struck her as odd. "The Murder Lord does not offer his favor lightly, and few are capable of surviving his tests."He said before snapping his fingers, which caused the sea of Cultists to part like water as the sound of chains clattered in the hall.

"The first test will be a simple one."Deborian said as three as set of Harpy women were dragged in from an adjacent room. Each's feathers/hair was a different color, one blue, one red, and one green. They'd been bound and gagged, and the look in their eyes showed that they'd long since given up hope of going home in anything other than a wooden coffin. "Brother Johan, please join us as well."He said as singular robed Cultist broke ranks and followed the procession.

{Harpies? Back home, they were classified as beast kin, but I think here they're technically Spirits. Do they want me to kill them? What purpose would that serve? They know full well what I'm capable of, nya.} (Chloe)

"I can sense confusion from you, but that is understandable.” Deborian said.“Your first trial will be to select the one whose blood you wish to spill."He said as the three Harpies were dragged into the small area between the podium and his throne. While at the same time, Johan knelt at Deborian's side without saying a word.

{Hmm... The Harpies are obviously some kind of red herring, nya. I don't know what their colors mean, but it must have something to do with their magical power. Each seems to have affinity for one of the elements associated with their hair and eye color.} (Chloe)

"And I can choose whomever I want?" Chloe asked if there were any other stipulations.

"All you need to do is point to your prey, and you shall have the honor of offering their blood to the Murder God."Deborian replied. “Choose wisely and the Murder Lord will be pleased. Chose poorly...”

{Ah, now I see how it is... He wants me to point to him so we can duel. Well, too bad for you. I'm not going to play your little game, Demi-God. Fighting fairly and with honor was never part of the plan.} (Chloe)

"I see, but if that's the case..." Chloe began to point between the three Harpies at random, each finger pointing making the Harpies' eyes shrank in terror as they envisioned a horrifying death at the Cat's hands. "Rather than pick one I think I'll choose all of you." She smirked as her cloak exploded outward followed by dozens of daggers that scattered around the room, instantly killing any unfortunate Cultist too slow to react.

*SLICE* *STAB*

"Stop her!" One of the Cultists yelled before a dagger went square through his forehead.

“Watch out for the-” Another Cultist tried to rush her but was carved in twain by a flick of one of her daggers.

"Now, Darkness." Chloe smirked as she activated her spell which centered on her her and covered the entire hall in an inky black Darkness that made it impossible to see. "Now then, it's showtime." The Cat said as she blended into the Darkness, using it to begin her slaughter of the Cultists. The average ones posed little problem as they were swiftly dispatched with either a dagger to the head or a decapitation with her wires, though even the seemigly more poweful judges behind the Demi-God went down with little to no effort, suprising her. However, there was one that managed to hold his own against her despite the suprise factor and lack of visibility.

*SWISH* *WOOSH* *SLICE* *CLANG*

"Oh? You can actually react in this Darkness?" Chloe grinned as a young man with short black hair blocked her dagger with a short sword of his own. "I take it that you must be the Johan our little Bun-Bun was so excited about?" She said before pushing herself away and landing some distance back, killing more Cultists with her wires as she landed.

{Based on what the bunny said, he's good with fire and is quite the adept combatant. To stop my attacks just now proves he's a cut above the rest of these wastes of space.} (Chloe)

"What do you think you're doing?" Johan glared at her through the Darkness. It was clear he could somehow detect her through the inky blackness, and Chloe figured it had something to do with sensing her magical energy.

"In all fairness, he did tell me to pick out who I wanted to sacrifice for that Murder God of yours." Chloe laughed as she tossed a few more daggers at him that were burned away with ease. "So I figured I'd take the opportunity and send you all to the God you love so much."

"Who sent you? Was it the Dawn Order? Or did the Northwind government finally get its act together?" Johan said as he channeled a blast of fire and sent it toward Chloe, who easily dodged it by stepping into and out of the shadow appearing behind him and slashing him with her daggers severing one of his arms.

*SLICE*

"I have no reason to tell you anything." Chloe said as she deflected a series of strikes from his blade, blood pouring from the stump that was his arm. "Just be a good boy and die. I'm sure you're Murder God will be happy to embrace you before he too is destroyed."

"Fine, but only if you go with me!" Johan roared as flame exploded from his wounded arm forming a new 'fire arm' in its place. "I'll show you what it means to be an Unholy Assassin of Lord Korex!" He said as the two flashed around the Darkness at high speed. Other Cultists did try to intervene in the battle but they were either killed by Chloe in a swift strike or burned to ash by Johan's flame. The Cultists that had brought Chloe into their lair ended up as some of the casualties, though the Cat didn't notice them.

*ZIP* *WOOSH* *SLASH* *SLICE*

"I see, you're not bad for a Cultist." Chloe said as the two continued to exchange blows, the Cat using her blades to deflect and dissipate his flames while avoiding the heat from his arm. "I can see why the Bun-Bun thought so highly of you!" She roared as she gave Johan a series of deep slashes across his body that erupted with flame rather than blood. "But at the end of the day, a Cultist is still a..." She paused as she landed, feeling a huge surge in magical power from within the young man.

{A transformation?!? No, wait. Remmy said something about this guy having some kind of strange power and those Cultists mentioned him undergoing a trial or something. Was this a reward? The Murder God Korex is associated heavily with flame, so perhaps this is a Divine gift of sorts?} (Chloe)

"Such an arrogant Cat you are." Johan said in a partially distorted voice. "I'll admit that you're a bit more powerful than I expected..." He said before vanishing and appearing behind Chloe, his face erupting in flame as he took a swing at her with his blade. It wasn't just his face that had changed in fact Johan's entire body oozed with magical flame, pouring from every injury like erupting jets straight from the deepest pits of hell. "But you're no match for me."

{When did he get so fast?!?} (Chloe)

"Now, die." Johan said as he channeled flame into his blade and thrust it into Chloe's back, aiming for her heart and a swift end fo the battle.

"Don't underestimate me! Greater Ability Boost!" Chloe activated her ability boost allowing her to shift out of the way and avoid the flaming blade mere moments before it would've killed her. "You're not the only one who was holding back!" She said before dropping to the floor, sweeping his feet out from under him, and using the opening to drive a dagger straight into his heart from above.

*STAB*

"And just to make sure..." Chloe said as she quickly wrapped her wires around his neck and snapped it to ensure he was dead. Johan's seemingly lifeless body sat on the ground, though Chloe did not bask in her 'victory' as she was concerned by the fact that the flames had not disappeared.

{He must still be alive, dammit. What kind of creature is he? He can't be Human. Is he also a Demi-God? My poison isn't having any effect, so whatever this guy is, he's tough.} (Chloe)

"What's it going to take to put this one down?" Chloe asked herself as a bead of sweat formed on her forehead. She'd been hoping to take Johan down quickly and then move through the remaining members of the Cult before they could muster their forces properly. However, at this rate, she feared they'd group up and plan a coordinated counterattack, something the Cat did not want to deal with, especially with the actual Demi-God that was still watching from his throne. She guestimated that it would take everything she had to kill him, but if he had backup from the other members of the Cult it was almost certian she'd die.

{Do I retreat? No, there's no way that guy's letting me out of here alive. I guess that means I'll have to find a way to kill this fire guy quickly.} (Chloe)

"Ahh..." Johan groaned as he slowly sat up, seemingly unphased by the wound in his chest and broken neck. "I really have to hand it to you, Cat. You got me good." He laughed as he put his hand to his, still-burning, face. "I haven't taken this much damage since my trial. You really are something else!" He laughed in a way that made Chloe believe he'd lost his mind.

"Well, I'm glad I could give you some entertainment." Chloe retorted as she threw more daggers at him, all of which were engulfed in flame and melted into slag. "But humor me a bit. What are you? I've never seen a Human erupt in flame."

{At least one one that lived to talk about it.} (Chloe)

"Me..." Johan said as he stood up. "Who the hell knows..." He said as he began to laugh again. "People called me a freak, a monster... I've been called sorts of things..." He said as he turned to Chloe, the far side of his face now entirely engulfed in flame.

{Wait! No way! Is he?!?} (Chloe)

"You... You're a Spirit." Chloe hissed as she readied her blades. His magical energy seemed familiar to the Cat from the start but she couldn't quite place it, that was until just now when she thought back to a time when Mizumi had showed her a bit of Spirit magic.

{And by the looks of things, he's gotta be some kind of special one. This guy... He's much more powerful than Mizumi or the others I've seen...} (Chloe)

"So I've been told... So I've been told." Johan said as more of his body became engulfed in flames until none of his 'Human' appearance remained, leaving only a living flame that flickered in the Darkness. "I do not know what my kind really is, nor do I know where I come from... But that does not matter..." He said as his flames roared around him, momentarily driving back the Darkness which quickly swallowed him a moment later as his flames retrated. "As a show of respect for your skill, Cat. I'll show you my true power." He laughed. “You know what they always say, if you play with fire, you get burned.”