"Guaargh!! ...That's probably gonna leave a mark~!"
The occult invulnerabilty that protected him had been shattered by the Chonguns under his last ritual to summon Rahu, the demon lord that was held captive in the Underworld.
For weeks he had sought to bring Rahu forth in order to watch the Kingdoms suffer, his only motivation being his undying lust for other people's misery.
He felt excruciating pain flow through his body, yet he grinned widely as always. Although unable to even move a finger, his violet-colored eyes glowed frantically as he gazed down at the Chongun LotusEmber, who crudely held him up by his neck.
"Heheheheh.. Ahahahahah!! You sure beat me up good... I feel like I might depart from this world any second now! I'm a god damn mess. Guess it really -is- time for the closure of my great play!"
Ember only looked up at him, slightly gritting her teeth. Like all the other Chonguns surrounding them, she was worn out from the seemingly hopeless fight that had just taken place. Among them was Kaine, HoGG, and even the Ursine Avatar himself. They all looked intently at her and the severely injured dancer as she held him up, her grip around her Shinsho tightening.
An eerie silence filled the Battlegrounds, only to be broken by Silenus' continued laughter.
"Hahah...Ahahahaha...! I assure you, though... I'll be back!! Oh, you Chongun pieces of crap, just you wait..!! Gyahahahahahah!"
Ember's eyes widened slightly. Could he be right? Would he return later, to wreak even more havoc than he already had within the span of a few weeks?
Her gaze briefly turned to Guldar, who gave her a slight nod. It was time to finish this.
"...Get it over with." Silenus said before coughing up a small amount of blood. He closed his eyes as he felt several blades slice through him, brutally cutting his silver thread to pieces. Then, everything faded to black. What was left of his body was dropped on the ground with a loud thud, his signature grin still plastered across his completely lifeless face as his blood gushed out. The Chonguns surrounding his corpse stared quietly as a dark aura enveloped it. Within a brief moment, the body mysteriously faded away, leaving not a single trace of him ever being present.
~x~
"What a god damn pain."
Silenus scratched the back of his head and sat up. A moment ago, he felt like his entire being had been flung through a vortex of images representing past events.
He opened his eyes and blinked, adjusting to the dim light in the room he found himself lying in. The smell of decay filled the atmosphere.
"Ah, well... Looks like my backup plan worked out just fine."
He brought himself to a stand and straightened his sleeveless jacket before walking up the small staircase in front of him. Ignoring the light headache that seemed to last for an eternity, he ran a hand through his golden orange hair and narrowed his eyes to slits once again. A tall, purple torch illuminated the corner of the otherwise pitch black room, surrounded by large tablets of stone neatly placed in a circle around it. As he reached the top of the staircase, he felt an almost otherworldly presence nearby.
"Alas, it appears your plan to unleash disaster upon the lands failed after all... Silenus Hazubeki."
Silenus turned his head towards the source of the soft, soothing voice. Atop a large metal tile adorned with beautiful engravings stood a young woman with long, radiant purple hair. Her piercing, orange eyes gave off the sense of comfort, but also sorrow. A thread of shimmering pearls decorated her hair, and she wore a dark kimono that, upon closer examination, was reversed. Tied to her arm was a crimson red mask of tragedy. Tragedy... that which this woman was the very personification of.
Silenus approached her, and with the usual smile on his face, bowed gracefully as if he had just performed the greatest of plays.
"Ah, Melpomene... Looking astonishingly beautiful as always!"
He looked up at her and grinned. Melpomene let out a light sigh and returned,
"There is no need for your flattering compliments, dancer. May I remind you that my appearance is merely an accurate representation of how you view and interpret me?"
Silenus shrugged. "Oh, how could I forget? Do excuse me..."
His short laugh echoed throughout the room which turned out to be a crypt, as the light of the large torch revealed several murky gravestones that stood surrounded by rows of black, rectangular stones. He smiled once again, and offered Melpomene a nod.
"I owe you my sincerest thanks for taking good care of my new body for me. Without your help, I would've had problems coming back!"
A sad smile escaped the goddess' lips. "Naturally... I have restored your attire as well, as you may have noticed by now. It would certainly be a shame to see you, an avid contributor to what I stand for, disappear. However, while you do display great effort in bringing the most tragic catastrophes to the lands, I advise you not to think you are some manner of god when you are anything but. I observe everything you do, Silenus. You are simply a demon who worships me, the Songstress. Please do not be too reckless for my sake."
Silenus tapped his chin quietly, taking her words into consideration. A wide smile crept across his face.
"Oh, you don't have to worry, my dear Melpomene... I have no interest in dying over and over again, even if I can create as many meat puppets as I want, haha! I have intentions that I don't doubt one bit that you are aware of by now."
She nodded quietly before softly motioning her hand. For a brief moment it seemed like someone sliced open the air, and a strange, black portal materialized out of nowhere.
"Very well, then. The world needs tragedy just as much as it needs love, justice, corruption... The list continues to extend itself as it all comes full circle. Go on, Silenus. Bring more tragedy to the Kingdoms for me. I will be watching you and all my other followers from my realm."
As Silenus slowly walked toward the portal, he simply grinned widely. He went through the swirling, black circle, and instantly found himself outside the tavern of Yunsil, where a certain one-eyed drunkard held his arms in a cross as he waited for him.
"Took ya long enough." he grunted.
"Y'know, I hope you realize the only reason I never showed up for that last ritual of yours was because I always had a feeling it'd go down the drain."
Silenus smiled and gave Mujin's shoulder a light pat. "Nice to see you, too! Would it kill you to save your everlasting doubts for some other time? I mean, hey... Who gives half a crap about what some ancient evil can do when we can get stuff done ourselves?"
Mujin nodded and joined Silenus as they both walked off to their hideout located in the outskirts of Koguryo to piece together their new scheme.
"Man, it sure is great being back! Hahaha!!"