Don’t Go Kicking the Pedestal

GOLDOH

I was currently deep inside the castle, operating as part of the Stealth Unit. My mission? Scour the place for Count Ragitta’s hidden stash of treasure.

"Nothing here. Quinton, what’s it look like on your end?"

"Same here. Zip. That leaves the storehouse upstairs."

Quinton and I reached the end of the corridor and held our torches high, lighting up the path leading upward.

"Find it already! If the guys outside get wiped out, we’re the next ones on the chopping block!"

Tsurupikano was practically vibrating with anxiety, his face a mask of sweaty desperation as he barked at us.

"Take it easy, Tsurupikano-san. We’ve still got time," I said, trying to keep him from blowing a gasket as we headed up the stairs.

Quinton, Tsurupikano, and the rest of the crew followed behind until we finally stumbled upon a door that had 'storehouse' written all over it.

"W-Who the hell are you bastards!?"

"Out of the way."

"Sorry, pal. You gotta go."

A couple of guards drew their steel, but Quinton and I were faster. We neutralized them before they could even finish their threat.

"Now what? We don’t have a key."

"Not a problem. I’ll just cut it."

I channeled my Golden Magic Power into my blade and sliced through the heavy iron door like it was parchment. Torch held high, I stepped into the storehouse to see what we’d won.

"What in the..."

It wasn't exactly the glittering mountain of gold we’d been hoping for. Instead of treasure, the room was filled with... well, parts. Organic parts.

"Is that... a finger?"

It was a shriveled, blackened thing with a wickedly long, sharp claw at the tip. It was way too massive to be human; the damn thing was thicker than my entire arm. This grotesque, Abomination of a finger was mounted firmly on a pedestal in the center of the room.

"The treasure... where is the damn treasure?! I don’t want this creepy piece of garbage!"

Tsurupikano lost it. He kicked the pedestal aside and started pacing around the room like a madman.

"Where is my gold?! Where is it?!"

"Tsurupikano-san, you’re being way too loud..."

"Shut up!! You two are just slaves—do your jobs and find my treasure!! Now, where is it—"

Suddenly, he stopped.

A shriveled, monstrous claw was protruding right out of Tsurupikano’s bulging gut.

"—Wh-?! Tsurupikano-san!!"

"Dammit!!"

As slaves, Quinton and I moved to protect him before we could even think about it, but it was a lost cause. Tsurupikano hacked up a mouthful of blood and checked out right then and there.

We stood frozen, staring at the corpse and the Black Finger. It was still impaling him, seemingly drinking his blood as if it were trying to quench a centuries-long thirst.

"What the hell is this thing...?"

"No clue. But whatever it is, we shouldn't touch it. We’re leaving!"

Tsurupikano was dead and there was no treasure to be found. We had zero reason to stay in this creep-show.

"I’m afraid I can’t let you leave now that you’ve seen this."

A low, gravelly voice echoed from the shadows behind us.

"Who’s there!?"

"Wait... you’re Count Ragitta!?"

"Ho, so you recognize me..."

The man standing there was the lord of the castle himself. At first glance, he looked like your average middle-aged noble. But his posture was perfect, he didn't have an ounce of wasted fat on him, and his gaze was sharp—he was already reading our every move.

"Quinton, watch yourself."

"I know, Goldoh."

We carefully tried to put some distance between us, but Ragitta was blocking the only exit.

"You’ve certainly added to my workload. All I had left to do was hand this over to The Cult..."

"The Cult...? What are you talking about? And what the hell is that finger!?"

"Heh... Make no mistake, this is the treasure you were looking for."

"That thing... is treasure?"

"To those who understand its worth, yes. But enough talk."

Ragitta drew the sword at his hip. It wasn't some decorative toy for a Sword Dancer; it was a rugged, battle-worn blade meant for actual killing.

"—Become a Sacrifice of Diabolos."

Then, the air shifted. A gust of wind howled through the room.

"Gah!?"

"Guaaa!"

Blood sprayed from our chests as we were forced to our knees.

"Oh? Still alive, are we?"

Ragitta had hit us with a strike faster than the eye could follow, but we’d barely managed to react. I’d sensed the danger and leapt back, while Quinton had dodged purely on instinct.

It was the only reason our hearts were still beating.

The rest of the Stealth Unit hadn't been so lucky. Every single one of them had been butchered into unrecognizable heaps of meat.

"Q-Quinton... you okay?"

"I’m... managing..."

The wounds were deep. We tried to stand and ready our swords, but we both knew we wouldn't survive the next round.

"I suppose I underestimated you. Or perhaps I’m just getting rusty. Either way, the next one ends it."

Ragitta leveled his blade again, and I felt my face twist in a grimace.

Damn it... we finally got our freedom, and it ends like this?

I was actually starting to think that dojo life wouldn't be so bad...

Right then, a massive explosion of magic rocked the world outside.

"What!?"

"What the hell!?"

"Where is all this Magic Power coming from!?"

We looked out the tiny window at the night sky.

There, dominating the horizon, was a colossal Black Rose.

"Is that... a rose?"

"It’s a Rose of Magic Power... the density is insane..."

"No... how can the Black Rose be here?! Impossible! Why now!?"

Ragitta was losing his mind. He was more shocked than the two of us combined. He stared at the Black Rose with wide, manic eyes—he looked like a man watching his world fall apart.

"This can't be happening! The key hasn't even—"

High above, the Black Rose shattered.

The fragments transformed into petals, dancing down from the sky and drifting right into the storehouse toward us.

As the petals touched our right hands, they melted into our skin, leaving behind a Black Petal Bruise.

"What is this...?"

"My wounds... they're healing..."

A surge of power erupted from us the moment the petals hit. Our fatal injuries vanished in a heartbeat.

"I can feel it... the power..."

"What the hell is this strength...?"

A haze of Black Magic Power began to radiate from our bodies like heat rising off a summer road.

"Th-This is the power of the legendary Black Rose!! With this much Magic Power... I have to finish you here and now!!"

Driven by pure desperation, the Count lunged.