Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

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The air around him felt heavy and oppressive, as though the weight of exile itself pressed down. The blood circle vanished, leaving the sharp scent of iron thick in the surroundings.

Ulric sensed a powerful, bloodthirsty presence directed straight at him. The man with long red hair covering half his face stepped forward slowly. Each step spread black and dark-red miasma.

A glowing sigil burned faintly on his forehead, radiating a curse that warned anyone who saw it: he was untouchable, doomed to wander for his sin.

“Are you… my master…?”

The man spoke in a dry, exhausted voice. His hands trembled. His eyes turned bloodshot. His calloused hand slowly reached toward Ulric, who recoiled.

“D-Don’t touch me! I didn’t summon—Ungh?!”

To his shock, Ulric felt a powerful curse appear on his left shoulder—a strong Binding Spell that linked him to this man.

Whoever he was, this was not the entity Ulric had intended to summon.

“I wanted to summon a god! Why…! Why did I get this bastard instead?! Who the hell are you anyway?!” Ulric stood up angrily. His werewolf physiology healed his wounds rapidly.

“I…” The gaunt man spoke, then fell silent. He looked at the sky with sharp eyes. “Where am I?”

He gazed around in awe, finding himself in the middle of a beautiful modern city. Hundreds of years had passed since his death. He never expected to return to this cursed world.

And how different it was now…

“I am… Berserker… bearer of the Cursed Mark of God… First Sinner… Are you… my master…?”

“First Sinner?”

Ulric had no idea who that was or who this man truly was, but he stepped back. For a moment he considered abandoning him or canceling the contract… but he couldn’t. Once a Heroic Spirit was summoned, he had to wait until the war ended or the spirit died.

“Yes, I guess I am…” Ulric sighed. “First, we have to find the other participants and kill them… You’re lucky to have a werewolf as your master. I’m pretty strong. No magus can deal with me easily. We could make a good duo in the end… Anubis or not, whatever you are, I think you’re strong.”

“Werewolf…?” The man asked. “You’re… a cursed being like me… it makes sense… God has rejected us.”

“What nonsense are you even talking about?” Ulric clicked his tongue. “Come on, hurry!”

“…Master,” the man said. “I am afraid we’ve already been found out.”

“…?!”

Ulric’s eyes widened. His senses had dulled from blood loss, but as they flared again, he noticed a large silhouette leaping from a skyscraper directly above them.

“Wha…?! Berserker, get ready!”

Ulric unleashed his Beast Aura to protect himself. His Heroic Spirit remained exactly where he was, but his gleaming red eyes tracked the shadow as it descended and then…

CLASH!

Contrary to Ulric’s expectations, the attack did not target the Master but the Spirit! A long black katana clashed against Ulric’s old stone knife. Sparks of red flames and purple lightning surged.

“Hm, an armored warrior from this country. I wonder…?”

Berserker narrowed his eyes as he faced a giant man over two and a half meters tall, clad in full black samurai kabuto armor, wielding a long black katana. The helmet resembled a raging black oni with long horns and a furious face bearing sharp fangs. Glowing golden eyes shone beneath the mask.

“Berserker, I shall proceed to eliminate you from this war.” He spoke in a loud, commanding tone. Berserker smiled viciously beneath his white bandages.

“Heh… is that so?” His red eyes glowed. His hand moved at lightning speed. His stone knife clashed against the thunderous katana.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

“Nngh?!”

Ulric clenched his teeth as the immense pressure from the two Heroic Spirits washed over him. The ground shook. Even the heavens seemed to tremble.

Streets shattered. Cars nearby crashed. Buildings around them trembled; smaller ones began collapsing.

“…! Mind your strength! You’re going to kill everyone here!” the opponent Heroic Spirit said angrily, but Berserker didn’t seem to care.

“And so what? Godless sheep like them deserve no mercy,” he laughed, leaping onto a building, kicking off the wall, and rushing toward his opponent like a crimson meteor. “You… I see. You’re an Assassin, huh?”

“Hmph!” The samurai roared, swinging his katana. A wave of purple lightning struck Berserker—only for the old, worn stone knife to glow with darkness. A rune on his head spread red circuits across it.

“Cursed Mark of God!” he roared, boosting his power and speed. His sharp stone knife pierced through the lightning, scattering it in a massive explosion. He passed through the smoke, kicking the samurai in the head and driving his face deep into the pavement.

CRAAASH!

“For an assassin you sure are pathetic. You didn’t even try to kill my master but went straight for me! Hahahaha! Isn’t this hilarious? An assassin with honor?”

“My master… taught me that the heart of a samurai lies… in pride and honor!”

With a ferocious, heroic roar, the giant black samurai swung his katana upward, slashing through Berserker’s leg all the way toward his throat.

“Nnngaaaah?!”

“Berserker!!!”

Ulric panicked. Was he already losing the war? This couldn’t be happening! He transformed into a large, slender gray werewolf covered in scars and rushed to aid his spirit.

However.

BOOOM!

A crimson bolt struck his body, sending him flying. He vomited blood and trembled in pain as most of his body suddenly became paralyzed.

“Who…?! Ah, Assassin’s master…!”

Ulric’s eyes gleamed bright gold as he looked at a shadowy, mysterious figure standing atop a nearby building. By scent, Ulric could tell it was a woman—short and slender, with short red hair, glowing red eyes, pointed ears… and long fangs.

“A Vampire…!”

His eyes turned bloodshot as he clenched his teeth in fury. The young-looking Vampiress raised a crimson knife. Dark-red bolts surged from it.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot let you interfere. Assassin must win so my dream can come true.”

“Damn brat, are you even an adult?! Well, I no longer belong to my clan… I won’t have any problems slaughtering your ilk anymore!!!” Ulric roared. He howled as his Aura exploded, resembling a giant silver wolf. He leaped into the sky, reaching her with his massive claws.

CLAAASH!

His claw tore through the building. Half of it exploded. People still working overtime inside screamed as they fell to their deaths; some were sliced apart.

Those in the streets had already begun evacuating. The sound of approaching police cars echoed in the distance.

However, to his surprise, the blood on his claws was not hers.

She reappeared above him, completely unharmed—floating in the air… no, standing in the air, walking as if an invisible floor supported her black boots.

“How pathetic.”

“Tsk! You wanna go?! I’ll tear you to shreds!”

“Heh, and what about your Heroic Spirit?”

“…!”

Ulric looked down. His eyes widened as he saw Berserker’s entire body split in two by the samurai’s attack. Blood and guts splattered everywhere.

“NOOOO!”

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