WITCH OF THE END

Chaos reigned supreme around the train, a relentless wave of infected abominations and cursed beasts were surging toward the moving behemoth with alarming speed.

Even Darkness, a seasoned warrior from the Northern Settlement, had never witnessed such a massive convergence of monsters.

‘It’s like something is drawing them towards the train.’

"Oh gods, what the hell is that?" an ascender beside her exclaimed, his voice tinged with fear. He was one of the few ascenders who could fly and a skilled archer whose abilities were a crucial asset in their defense.

"What else does it look like smartass? Your fangirls?" Darkness snickered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

With a flourish, Darkness then summoned her weapons. Blue flames erupted from her left hand, coalescing into a finely crafted silver double-edged sword, its blade ablaze with the same ethereal flames. While the infected could be subdued with conventional artillery, the cursed beasts required the power of zenshi to be fully vanquished since they were not from their realm.

The young man also proceeded to summon his forged weapon; a complicated but beautiful gold and white bow with a single golden string where his arrows manifested.

Darkness had witnessed him in action before, during the bear-wolf skirmish. So she knew his abilities were formidable.

Unlike Manifested weapons that were replicas created by zenshi, Forged weapons drew their strength from their user's Aura.

Darkness was also aware that Gail's Aura was undeniably powerful and capable of delivering breathtaking attacks. They had only spoken briefly after the last fight. Its during then that she learned that they were both high-ranked ascenders in the service of the Great House—a commonality among the ascenders on the train.

"Fan girls? Maybe you're one of them," Gail teased, his golden eyes sparkling as if they held the light of the sun.

Darkness smirked, her eyes not leaving the approaching horde. "Keep dreaming, golden boy"

In preparation, she sent her suit a mental command through the neuron sensors connected to her brain, and it began to transform. The fabric flowed like liquid as the nanomites reshaped it into something tougher. A metal shield formed around her right arm and her body was encased in a material that looked like steel armor.

"Damn... it's like real armor," she muttered, marveling at the lightness of the suit despite its metallic appearance. It fitted perfectly, even offering the option of a helmet.

"Looking good, Daughter of Ares," Gail called out, flashing a grin as he soared toward the horde at incredible speed, a golden arrow already manifesting between his bow.

He nocked it, aiming for a towering corrupted beast that looked like a giant hairy man. It had cracks over its skin and mad violet eyes.

By the time it noticed the flying archer, a golden arrow had already gone through its head and it was falling backward, landing on other abominations.

Gail's arrows were infused with the power to destroy black ether. In short, one arrow was enough to kill an infected. And because the arrows were an extension of his Aura, he could fire as many as he could as long as his Soul Gate fed him zenshi.

“Let’s do this.” He inhaled a deep potion of the air and tapped into his second gate. He felt his reserves of zenshi drain when he enforced his will on his Aura.

Without drawing his bow, the air crackled with energy as more of his magical arrows manifested from nothing and lit up the night sky when he released them. Each one was a streak of golden light that found its mark with unerring accuracy. He was a force of nature, his attacks relentless and precise. The monsters stood no chance against his onslaught.

For now, at least.

The other ascenders were also holding off the infecting humans and creatures, each using their abilities effectively and accurately to wipe out the threats. No one had called upon their summons, yet. Which was a good thing.

Darkness observed the fight for a while, her keen eyes scanning the battlefield for worthy opponents. The infected monsters were useless to her, she needed powerful cursed beasts to quench her thirst for victory. That's where the true Glory was.

After a few moments of searching through the chaos, her gaze locked onto a particular beast at the back of the horde. Gail's arrows had struck it—some were still embedded in its flesh—but the creature moved as if unbothered by the injuries. Standing nearly five meters tall, it resembled a grotesquely muscular human with a dog-like face and a hairy body.

Darkness's lips curled into a smile. It was a rare lycanthrope, a cursed creature. Its empty dark eyes radiated a chilling malevolence.

'That will earn me glory,' she thought, her heart pounding with excitement.

With that resolve, she dropped from the sky, her descent like a falling meteor. She then plowed through hundreds of abominations with her shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Her Aura, a manifestation of the concept of Gravity, allowed her to manipulate the force around her.

By changing the intensity of the gravitational force around her, Darkness could hit her enemies with punches heavier than trucks if she wanted to.

Noticing her, the cursed creature’s eyes immediately ignited. It opened its mouth and unleashed a sonic attack in her direction. Darkness dodged by taking the higher ground, her movements swift. The monsters caught in the path of the sonic blast screeched and died from the blast after their bodies exploded into piles of flesh.

Once it closed its mouth, Darkness seized the moment and shot forward before the beast could release another sonic roar. With a determined roar, she rammed the surface of her shield into its chest with tremendous force.

Thanks to her abilities, the impact of her attack sent the cursed creature flying, crashing into other weaker monsters and ending them instantly.

Darkness slowly floated down. Her armored feet touched the ground with a resounding thud. She took her first step and the ground beneath her was crushed by the weight of the gravity field she manipulated. Any creature that attempted to attack was destroyed the moment it got too close, disintegrated by the intense gravitational force surrounding her.

Her target staggered to its feet, shaking its head as if trying to recover from the disorientation her attack had caused. Its mad, dark eyes locked onto her once again, and it howled—a sound filled with rage and defiance.

"Come and earn me some glory!" Darkness laughed maniacally, her voice echoing through the battlefield. She lunged at the beast with ferocious speed.

The lycanthrope prepared another sonic blast. But, it was too late. The crazy daughter of war was already upon it, her burning sword slicing through the air. The blade struck true, cleaving into the monster's torso. The cursed creature let out a guttural roar of pain, its dark blood splattering across the ground.

Darkness's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as she jumped back to avoid its claws--and pressed her advantage. She swung her sword again and again, each strike fueled by her unyielding resolve. The lycanthrope fought back with savage ferocity, but it was no match for her relentless assault. The wound in its torso also slowed down, making it easier for Darkness.

“AHHHHHH!”

With a final, powerful swing, Darkness moved and severed its head from its body. The beast's massive form collapsed to the ground, its lifeless eyes staring into the void.

Darkness stood over her fallen foe, her chest heaving with exertion.

The battlefield was quieter now and the horde of infected had significantly diminished. The other ascenders were mopping up the remaining abominations, their combined efforts securing the train's safety.

The feeling of earning glory was indeed still the best in the world. The house of Ares considered itself the last of what remained of the god of war. To them, war was the source of glory. If they didn't fight to earn that glory, the god of war would be fully forgotten.

Being forgotten was the harshest and yet the truest form of death.

Giving one final look at the dead humanoid wolf, Darkness launched herself into the air, slicing through a few lingering abominations on her way back to the train. However, the satisfaction of victory was short-lived as something unexpected occurred….

The tungsten rail guns attached to the train, which had been firing relentlessly to keep the horde at bay, suddenly stopped. Darkness hovered in the air for a moment, her eyes wide with shock.

"What the hell?"