Sins of the Reborn Vanguard

The Crimson Toll

The air in the clearing turned icy as the two-headed monstrosity let out a synchronized, earth-shaking roar. A nearby recruit, paralyzed by the sheer malice radiating from the beast, didn't even have time to scream before a massive, crimson-furred paw swept sideways.

CRACK.

The soldier was sent hurtling through the air, his body colliding with a pine tree with a sickening thud before sliding into the muck, lifeless.

"No! Stay focused, Leon! It’s too big!" Thomas wailed, his voice rising to a frantic, broken pitch.

"Don’t just stand there, Thomas! Get behind that ridge! If you stay in the open, it’ll swat you like a fly!" Leon shouted, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

"What about you? You can't fight that thing alone! It’s a Tier 3, Leon! You’re just a recruit!"

"Just move! Do you want to be meat on its plate?"

"I... I can't leave you, Leon! You're already hurt!"

"Move, or I’ll kill you myself before the bear gets the chance! Go!"

Thomas scrambled backward, his boots sliding in the mud as he retreated toward the cover of the rocks. Leon didn't wait. He felt the cold pull of the System.

"System, give me everything you have! I need speed, now!"

"[Shadow Step sequence initialized. Warning: Sustaining peak velocity will place extreme strain on your cardiovascular system, host.]"

"I don't care! Do it!"

The world dissolved into a smear of grey fog and rushing wind. As the bear’s massive jaws snapped shut where Leon had stood a millisecond before, Leon vanished into a wisp of black mist. He reappeared instantly on the creature’s broad, matted shoulder.

"Eat this, you double-headed freak!" Leon roared, driving his broken spear into the thick fur.

CLANG.

The weapon shattered upon impact, the metal tip snapping and flying into the brush.

"Damn it! It’s like iron!" Leon cursed.

The bear bucked, its two heads snarling in different directions, its massive body shaking the very earth.

"Leon! It's shaking you off! Jump!" Thomas screamed from the ridge, his voice raw with terror.

"I can't! If I fall, I'm done!" Leon yelled, grabbing onto a fistful of matted, blood-soaked fur. "System, I can't pierce the hide! What do I do?"

"[Detection: Necrotic corruption within the beast's open wounds. Channeling dark energy through your hands will bypass the external armor. Warning: The heat will cause severe chemical burns to your palms, host.]"

"Burns? I've been burnt by hellfire before! Just channel the energy!"

Leon reached down, his fingers pressing into the deep, festering lacerations on the bear's neck.

"Agh! Damn it, it's burning! It's actually burning!" Leon hissed, his teeth clamping together as a searing, violet light began to pulse from his fingertips into the beast’s raw flesh.

ROOOAR!

The bear convulsed, thrashing its body against the pine trees, trying to dislodge the human clinging to its neck.

"Hang on, Leon! Stay on!" Thomas cheered, his fear momentarily forgotten in the face of the carnage.

"I'm... I'm trying! It’s tearing my skin off!" Leon gasped, his hands bubbling and turning bright, angry red as he poured the system’s corrupted energy into the wound. "Die already! Just die!"

The creature’s thrashing grew sluggish. Its demonic red eyes dimmed, flickering like a failing torch. It stumbled, its massive legs buckling under the weight of the dark energy now poisoning its system from the inside out. With one final, gargantuan wheeze, the Crimson Bear collapsed, flattening the underbrush and shaking the clearing one last time before falling deathly silent.

Leon tumbled from the carcass, rolling into the mud. He lay there, his hands raw and smoking, his breath coming in ragged, painful gulps.

"Leon? Leon! Are you alive?" Thomas scrambled over, sliding into the mud and grabbing Leon by the shoulders.

"Yeah... I'm alive," Leon wheezed, staring up at the canopy. "Is it dead? Is the damn thing finally dead?"

"It’s dead. You killed it, Leon. You actually killed it," Thomas whispered, his eyes wide with a mix of horror and reverence. "How did you do that? Your hands... look at your hands!"

Leon pulled his hands away, wincing as the skin tightened and cracked. "It’s nothing. Just a bad burn. Help me up."

"We need to get back to the garrison. Now. I don’t care if we have to drag you," Thomas said, hoisting Leon up.

"Did you find the others? The scout party?" Leon asked, leaning heavily on his friend.

"There were no others, Leon. We were the only ones who made it to this sector. The rest of them… they didn't make it past the first wave of wolves."

Leon went quiet, his gaze dropping to the mud. "They were good men. They didn't deserve this."

*

The garrison was a chaotic mess of iron and panic when they returned. Commander Kael stood in the courtyard, his armor stained with grime, shouting orders at a group of trembling engineers.

"Leon! Thomas!" Kael called out, marching over. His eyes scanned their battered forms, lingering on Leon’s ruined hands. "You two are the only ones to return from the Southern quadrant?"

"The others fell, Commander," Leon said, his voice raspy and weary. "We were ambushed by a Crimson Bear. A Tier 3."

Kael’s face paled, then hardened. "A Crimson Bear? In the outer perimeter? That's impossible without the barrier's protection, but the miasma has corrupted the entire valley. You two showed immense courage."

"I just wanted to make sure Thomas made it back," Leon said, bowing his head to hide the flicker of cynicism in his eyes.

"Courage indeed," Kael said, placing a heavy hand on Leon’s shoulder. "This is not the time for medals, but you have earned the respect of this entire garrison. When the repairs are finished, I will see to it that your name is entered into the official record of valor."

"I don't need a medal, Commander," Leon said quietly. "I just want to be able to sleep without hearing them scream."

"We all feel the same, son," Kael said, his voice softening. "Go to the clinic. Have the healers look at those hands. That is an order."

"Yes, sir," Leon replied.

As they walked toward the clinic, the weight of the day pressed down on Leon.

"You really are a hero, Leon," Thomas murmured. "Even after everything, you’re still so humble."

"Don't call me a hero, Thomas," Leon said, his voice cold and sharp. "Heroes die. I’m just a guy who wants to live long enough to see tomorrow."

"You did a good thing today. You saved me. You saved the garrison from that beast," Thomas insisted.

"I didn't save the garrison. I just finished off a problem that shouldn't have been there in the first place."

They reached the clinic doors, but before Leon could step inside, he felt a presence behind him. The air in the courtyard grew heavy. He turned to find Commander Kael standing a few paces away, his expression no longer one of relief or pride. It was grim.

"Leon," Kael said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "A word with you. Alone."

Thomas looked between them, hesitant. "I'll… I'll leave you two to it."

Leon waited until Thomas was out of earshot. "Is there a problem, Commander?"

Kael stepped closer, his shadow looming over Leon. "The investigation into the missing stone has yielded a disturbing discovery. It wasn't taken by a common thief."

Leon kept his face perfectly neutral, though his heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying?"

"The lock wasn't forced from the outside. The window latch was broken from within. Whoever took that stone knew exactly how to move through the keep without triggering the perimeter sensors," Kael said, his eyes drilling into Leon's.

"And you think a recruit could manage that?" Leon asked, his voice steady.

"I think someone with intimate knowledge of the garrison’s vulnerabilities is responsible," Kael said. "An internal investigation has been opened. Every soldier, every recruit, everyone is being questioned. I suggest you remember everything you saw last night, Leon. Because if the truth comes out, the penalty for treason is death."

Leon felt the familiar coldness settle in his gut, but he didn't flinch. "I’ll be sure to think hard on it, Commander. But right now, I think I need a doctor."

Kael stared at him for a long, agonizing moment before nodding curtly. "Go. But don't wander far, Leon. We aren't finished with this conversation."

Leon watched the commander walk away, his hands throbbing with pain.

"They're starting to look at me," Leon whispered to the empty air.

"[Warning: Suspicion levels are rising,]" the System echoed. "[You have successfully upgraded your physical vessel, but you are now under the direct scrutiny of your superior. Proceed with extreme caution.]"

"I know the risks," Leon muttered, stepping into the clinic. "If I want to kill a god, I have to be willing to survive the mortals first."