Lying in a rapidly expanding pool of his own blood, Ezekiel suddenly has a thought manifest in his fading consciousness.
Then it disappeared.
His swimming vision stabilized, and he could feel the wetness on his back and head clearly.
The pain was also rather jarring too.
"Hey, I can't have you dying in me just yet, can I?"
A voice swam into his ears.
He shifted his gaze.
There, standing right above him was the person that had done this to him.
"Y-you... shot me." He managed to mutter weakly.
Richard raised a brow,
"Stop pointing out the obvious. Please, let us focus on more pressing things."
Leaning even closer so much so that the dying man could feel his breath, he asked,
"Who put you up to this?"
Ezekiel fell silent.
Richard sighed,
"You aren't an active bartender, are you? In fact, I doubt this place even existed until perhaps a few weeks ago? No, maybe a few months?"
Ezekiel's eyes widened,
"How did you..."
Richard grinned,
"The drink you recommended. No bartender offers that as the first drink. It's way too strong."
Ezekiel sighed and laughed mirthfully,
"So I gave myself away..."
Richard nodded,
"To summon a Lich, one needs resources. Resources that will be difficult to procure as an individual. I'm guessing the person that set you here is the same person that gave you these resources. Correct?"
Ezekiel went silent.
Richard continued regardless,
"And since that Lich can summon relatively powerful wraiths such as these ones, it has to be a powerful. Seriously, who has so much time and money on their hands..."
He paused for a moment then turned back to Ezekiel,
"So tell me. Who is it?"
Ezekiel remained silent.
Richard frowned,
"Hey... You are going to die soon. At least do this world a favor and tell me the names of your co-conspirators."
Ezekiel grimaced in pain,
"I can't tell you something I don't know."
Richard sighed, "That doesn't make any sense. I would rather not torture a dying man..."
"Wait." Ezekiel suddenly said.
Richard raised a brow, "I'm listening."
Trying his best to sit up, Ezekiel coughed violently, spraying forth a mouthful of blood. Breathing heavily, he clutched his chest. Richard had shot him three times.
Despite that, he had yet to die, the wounds still bleeding him out.
"I wasn't lying when I said I don't know who he is."
'So it's a he. Now we're getting somewhere.'
"I don't know his name or how he looks like. Everytime we meet, he wears a white hood and a demon mask. He calls himself the First Horseman."
Richard frowned and raised a brow,
"The first horseman? As in from the legends?"
Ezekiel nodded,
"He who signifies Conquest and Pestilence. The first harbinger of damnation. That is what I know about him."
Richard frowned.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse. A rather old tale. Or rather, a prophesy.
They would ride at the dusk of mankind, ushering in a terrible age.
In that time, demons, devils, and the profane creatures that inhabited hell and the abyss would tear through the veil between world, plunging everything into darkness and death.
Richard's mind churned.
"I'll be damned." Richard muttered to himself. The realization set in quick.
"Him and his organization want to bring about the end of the world."
"That much is obvious." Richard said dryly.
"The real question is why are you helping him? If you want to sleep with women that badly, there are so many brothels in the red light district, I don't think you could count them all in one night."
Ezekiel chuckled wryly,
"That isn't what this is about, is it..."
His eyes widened as he spat out,
"I'm tired of this world. A world where we, the messiahs of this world, are hidden in the darkness to preserve the normalcy. Just because we slay demons and banish devils?! Where is the sin in that?!"
Richard was silent.
Ezekiel's eyes widened,
"The First Horseman told me he will usher in a new age. The creatures of hell will flood the world. Then maybe our pain will know to all."
Richard could see it in his eyes.
A man battered by the demons in his heart.
Having endured for years, he had finally given in.
Richard's expression was dark.
People like him were the prime targets of the dwellers of darkness. Their souls were teetering in the edge.
All they needed was an encouraging push, and they would spiral into the abyss.
It was disgusting to witness firsthand.
He sighed.
Ezekiel continued to ramble,
"He told me. He told me that I am one of the keys needed to bring forth this new era. To revive the dark gods and—"
Richard had managed to stay calm despite everything he had heard so far.
However, upon hearing this, his eyes widened and his pupils dilated.
"What the hell did you just say?!" He barked as he grabbed Ezekiel by the shirt.
The dying bartender's face paled,
"W-what..."
"Don't fuck with me. What do you mean revive the dark gods?!"
Forget dying, Ezekiel was frightened out of his mind. Right now, Richard's expression was far scarier than that of any demon or devil.
"T-that's what he told me. That their ultimate goal is to revive the dark gods."
"Son of a..." Richard quietly muttered a curse.
Then he turned back to Ezekiel,
"You mention that so casually... Do you have any idea what that means?"
Ezekiel frowned,
"I know what the dark gods are. They are the supreme rulers of the abyss, know to be the first abyssal creatures to set foot on earth."
Richard grimaced,
"Yes, that much is public knowledge. But those things are far more terrifying than words can describe. They signify all horror and terror made manifest. They aren't mere creatures too. They are gods. Any organization, church or cult that has dealt with them in the past was quickly wiped out and buried into oblivion by the general consensus. The only thing capable of killing those abominations is God himself..."
"And you are telling me someone wants to revive them?" Richard almost couldn't believe it.
The Dark Gods signified the highest power in the abyss.
What they were capable of was still widely speculation, but it was agreed that they possessed the power to end the world if precautions weren't taken.
The only known Dark God, who had made contact with the Bane Family ancestor, was Azazel. And even then, the only thing known about this entity, was its name, and the fact that those who were unfortunate to witness it had their souls trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth in hell.
Richard shivered...
His fear was written all over his face.
He slowly rose to his feet.
Although he had said the bar was protected by wards, it was sitting shambles after the chaotic battle had ensued.
Blood and viscera were splattered all over the walls, ceiling and floor.
The others were equally stained with blood. Despite that, none of them seemed harmed. Instead, all the ghouls had been killed.
Celine had a vicious, but cold look in her eyes.
She had the most blood on her. It was everywhere. On her hair, even on her bright, Ruby lips.
Richard swallowed hard.
Shaking the bad thoughts away, he clapped his hands,
"That was an excellent performance. Well done, everyone."
Umbra turned around with a wide smile,
"I could say the same for you."
She raised a brow, "Did you kill him?"
A sly smile appeared on his face.
He snapped his fingers.
Laying in the ground, Ezekiel suddenly felt his strength returning.
He frowned.
Then he looked down at his chest.
The bullet holes were gone.
He looked at the ground.
The blood was gone.
His face paled,
"What..."
Richard cackled,
"Illusions are scary things, aren't they? A powerful illusion can manipulate all senses, not just what you sight."
Ezekiel muttered,
"How... When..."
Richard shrugged,
"The moment I entered this place, you became under my spell. Yours wards are useful against attack type magic, but they don't guard against illusions. It was rather convenient."
'Tjis doesn't make any sense. I didn't see him cast a spell or use any charms.'
Fear blossomed in the depths of his eyes as he stared up at the young man standing over him,
"You are a Demon."
Richard smiled,
"That might be so. But no matter how much you flatter me, it doesn't change the fact that I am not going to let you get away now that I know what I know."
His smiled turned sinister as he leaned forward,
"For now, get some rest. You probably won't be getting it for a while."
With a powerful right arm swing to the jaw, Richard knocked him out clean.
Straightening his clothes, he looked up.
Then he clicked his tongue.
"There were only a few in here. That means the rest of the summoned ghouls are with the master Lich." He muttered.
He turned to the others,
"Give me a moment while I make a few calls."
Wiping blood off her face with a sigh, Celine asked,
"Who are you calling?"
He paused for a moment.
Then he grinned,
"The clean up crew."