The Ruined Death Knight

Everything seemed to have frozen as everyone stared in horror at the crashing of one's head.

The blood dripped from Talon's shadow hand as he stared at the fallen corpse on the ground.

Opening his hand made out of physical shadows, dead mana sipped out of like falling smoke on top of the corpse.

Which was seemingly drawing the dead mana towards inside the body.

Not only that, but the corpse shadow was also seeming to be affected by the dead mana, turning bits of the dead mana into dark mana to mix up with the other type of mana.

Though that was a sight only Shiro was able to perceive.

To others, the shadows of the corpse seemed to come to life and enter the corpse just like the dark mist.

Which resulted in the dead body starting to twitch, making the villagers and the refugees of all the other villages remember the sight of how the primordial god, Harsch Death was raising their kind and his enemies alike.

Few stepped back in dread and most felt their legs grow weaker while a few forced themself to run away from the events happening here.

Only when they began to run, did the corpse start to rise unnaturally, as if something was pulling his chest to rise, where it was actually the shadows that infected the corpse's body to forcefully pull him up.

Though the movement of the shadows wasn't gentle.

The shadows forcing the body to move ripped muscles and pierces through the skin, revealing that truly, the shadows were taking over the body.

And when the corpses stood with a straight back in front of Talon, the location where the head was only a few moments ago was covered by shadows, effectively stopping the bleeding.

Or rather, stopping the blood from spewing out of its neck.

In turn, turning a corpse into a headless undead was supported by a combination of necromancy and dark magic.

Seeing his creations, Talon felt disappointed more than anything.

'So it was a failure...' Talon's ethereal eyes hiding inside the shadows of his hood disappeared, reflecting what he thought about his creation.

Pure disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Though that didn't stop him to gather his attention on the living who was watching him.

"Thee creator has already warned all of you. Resulting in conflict is seen's as an attempt to break your allegiance towards thee creator." Talon said with a chilling voice turning his head left and then right, trying to see if there are further traitorous though hidden in the people's eyes.

"You either serve as one of the willing"

"Or you are made to serve as one of the dead."

Those words reminded the villagers of Vashara of the dread of the whole situation, re-igniting the fear they had when Danzel had first come to their village, And increasing it at that.

The refugees in turn were much better off as they haven't need to be reminded of it.

And among those refugees, instead of backing off like the others, stepped closer toward the living shadow. One decided to step closer.

Unlike many others, the one who stepped closer was half naked with his chest showing and only wearing pants without even any sort of shoes.

His face showed no fear towards the living shadow and his gaze was extremely focused. He had a certain aura of strength around his body and the sharp bones on his finger were razor sharp at the very least.

The man was none other than Herlin, one of the leaders of the refugees and of the few who reached the 3rd-tier strength.

Herlin stepped in front of the man who initiated violence and was let go by Talon's grasp.

The man could barely raise his head and look at Herlin, as the curse weighted his body down.

"C-Chief- I did-" Before the man could finish, Herlin's cold gaze at him made him freeze.

And without speaking to the man, Herlin threw a kick right at his stomach and sent him flying to the rest of the crowd.

Leaving the man coughing and shaking.

He stared at the man for a second before Herlin turned his gaze towards the living shadow who was observing him.

Next thing he did, he bent down, not on his knees, but on his back just like that Anabast always did at Danzel.

"Lording Shadow, I apologize for failing to keep people like him in check and having one of you step in. I will make sure to discipline him and make him follow the primordial gods will. But I ask for thee mercy." Herlin said with a deep yet unflinching voice.

After a pause to see Talon's reaction, Herlin added in.

"If it isn't possible, then please punish me instead of him. As I hold just as much fault for letting something like this happen in the first place."

"H-Her-lin~ No, Sto~op, *cough! *cough!" The man who was kicked said as he tried to reach out to Herlin despite his pain.

"Shut up." Herlin turned his head a bit and stared at the man, his eyes burning with killing intent.

Talon observed the whole interaction before he floated closer to Herlin and looked down at him, literally though who much taller Talon was.

Talon raised his hand and was about to touch Herlin, but before he could a barrier made out of light surrounded Herlin, resulting Talon in touching the barrier, which once in contact seemed to burn his hand, making Talon withdraw his hand and stared at the one who erected the barrier made out of light.

Which was none other but Shiro.

"That is far enough, Talon. Go back in my shadow." Shiro said while pointing to her staff that was erecting the light mana from the golden mana crystal.

That sight by itself seemed to aggravate the shadows that made out Talon's body. But that only lasted for a moment.

"The thee#s creator is my will." Talon finally said as his body slowly entered the shadows of the ground. Before he left the scene though, Talon turned a last look at the undead he created and willingly made the shadows inside his body to shread the body, leaving for the second time nothing but a corpse.

Shiro clenched her staff with greater strength upon seeing this event before her gaze towards the other man on the ground.

"...Light, embrace and south. [Healing Light]. Tent my wounds. Spirit of Home. [Tendering Warm Healing]." Shiro cast two healing spells in quick succession."

Once the light fell on top of the man, making his pain disappear just like his wounds, Shiro turned and left once she made sure that he wasn't hurt.

"Thank you, your grace, White Life." Herlin said at the leaving Shiro.

Alka followed behind Shiro's hasty steps, but even she couldn't help but look at the Shiro's shadow in fear.

It took them a few minutes for these two to reach the house at the mountain where Shiro and Danzel were staying. Alka was panting from walking at such hastened pace and looked at Shiro with worry, as she hasn't spoken a word ever since what happend with the man.

Putting the wooden notes that they were carrying, Shiro exited the house with Alka.

"Thank you for your help, Alka. You can go now." Shiro said.

Alka felt like saying something, but the reminder that under her shadow was Talon, she looked away from Shiro and nodded her head.

"As you command, oh primordial god of White Life."

Seeing her leaving down to the village, Shiro stayed there in front of the house for a few moments in silence.

Raising her hand and taking off the bone fox mask that Danzel had made for her, her eyes browns were furrowed with frustration and anger.

"Talon! Come out!" Shiro yelled.

In the next second, her request was met with her shadow stretching and rising up.

Slowly taking a physical form of a tall roped shadow floating in front of her. Twice as tall if not further than Shiro himself.

Despite being her called Talon, Shiro still felt intimidated by the Talon's sheer presence.

"You called upon me, mistress?" Talon said with his chilling voice of the undead while staring at Shiro while taking peaks around for potential dangers.

"Yes, Talon, I did call you." Shiro said in frustration.

"I wanted to ask you why you killed that man in the village!" Shiro yelled while pointing her finger at Talon.

And despite how straightforward her words were, to Talon, they brought him more confusion than anything.

"Because I was commanded to?" Talon said truthfully, making Shiro anger flare.

"Commanded to!? I told you to let go of the man! That is enough! Not to go and kill the man! Didn't Rue, your creator also follow my will!? And despite his orders on you, you killed that man!" Shiro yelled at Talon.

Talon heard Shiro out in silence and only when he waited for Shiro to continue and she didn't, did he respond while turning his head in confusion.

"I simply followed the will of thee creator as much as I followed your will, mistress." Talon said, further frustrating Shiro.

"Liar! I never told you to kill the man! The people weren't also going against Rue's will either!" Shiro yelled though Talon stayed silent watching Shiro.

Clenching her staff, waiting for an answer, but got none.

"Fine! Let's go and see Rue!