The Demon King's Paladin Part 1 Vol 2.

Chapter 193. Nightmares and Questions

                                                                   John Ericsson's Point Of View

Where am I? I can't remember what I was doing...  Why is it so dark?

/RUMBLE!/

A light is coming through the darkness. It's like that time I brought Sarah back from her coma... A red moon shines down with red and white light. It illuminated my surroundings, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the new light. Now that I could see clearly, I looked around. I'm in a.... Battlefield? Corpses are surrounding me. It's worse than that time Scarlet summoned me to her inner world. Blood and mud collected all over the ground it started to almost consume the corpses that rested on the ground. I could swear some of them were sinking. Missing arms, legs. Torsos slashed open on either side. Some were missing heads even. All of them slowly sank into the dark reddish-brown liquid all the same. The smell was awful and all consuming.

/CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!/

Metal weapons were clashing with each other in the distance. I'm drawn to it; I walk towards the sound. Mountains of corpses under the red moon joined me on my journey, all the while...

/CLANGCLANGCLANG!/

The sounds of the metal became more intense, I picked up my pace as well to see what it was, why am I drawn to it? What is this place? Why am I here? Where are Sarah and Anna?

/CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!/

The sound was overwhelming. The smell somehow became more and more fowl, how is this happening? My heartbeat is increasing as I run towards the direction, I originally heard the sound.

/CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!/

I can finally see the origin of the sound. It's a battle. 100s of people all fighting each other. The people were fighting with magic and melee weapons from swords to war-hammers, it was a cacophony of violence. Wait, these people, one half were Paladins? Who are they fighting?

/RUMBLE!/

A sound came from behind me! I turn to look and hear a harsh voice.

" To think one of you were cowards! Makes sense! Those cowards picked more of their own! Hahahaha! But your time has run out, craven!"

A monster!? What is this guy? It's like a living shadow! It's size easily dwarfed me; it was almost like he was the size of a small home.  It had multiple little red eyes and multiple black tendrils that held what looked like a lance. Only it was... Malignant. I could feel something similar to a curse was inside of it.

" DIE!"

It thrusted the lance at me.

" NO! BROTHER!"

/CLANG!/

A knight stepped in front of me and riposted the lance with a thin sword that was glowing white like my own Mana Blade. This knight must be a Paladin, like me!

" Brother! Strike him down now!"

The Paladin called for me, but I had no weapons. I couldn't feel Scarlet or even my contracted Spirits. I moved at the command, nonetheless. I looked down and noticed that now I had a great sword in my hands, I launch myself at the enemy with vigor.

" GOT YOU!"

Only for the shadow to launch a black ball that felt like death as it screamed with vicious hate towards me and the other Paladin.

" Brother! No!"

The Paladin's anguished scream reached me, but in a flash, I returned to the darkness from the beginning. But this time was different, I felt something warm and soft on my lips. It was something familiar.