Chapter 13 :- Trials of Blood and Illusion
Scene 1 The Crucible of Nightshade
Nightshade Groove — A Realm Between Shadows
The grove breathed with ancient magic, its trees twisted into skeletal silhouettes against a bruise-purple sky. Nero's boots sank into ashen soil as Baltimore gestured to a monolith etched with runes.
Baltimore (smirking):
"Seven trials, boy. Survive them, and the path to Aryavarta opens. Fail…" His staff pulsed, the ground splitting to reveal a swirling vortex. "Well, let's avoid failure."
Nero (grinning):
"Still fond of dramatics, old man?"
A flick of Baltimore's wrist hurled Nero and Eri into the vortex. They landed in a desolate plane—the first trial.
Eri (summoning spectral blades):
"Five trials of monsters. Then strength. Then unity." Her eyes glinted. "Let's make this quick."
The air rippled as SS-rank beasts emerged—chimeric horrors with obsidian claws. Nero's fists ignited with azure flame, Eri's magic weaving through his strikes. A dance of destruction.
Scene 2 The Puppeteer's Gambit
Aryavarta Palace — Throne of Lies
King Fernando's throne room reeked of incense and blood. Arata knelt, the king's gauntlet crushing his windpipe.
Fernando (hissing):
"You promised me Nero's head. Yet he breathes."
Arata (choking):
"The princess… interfered—"
Fernando flung him aside. "Excuses bore me." A tendril of dark energy snaked into Arata, muscles bulging grotesquely. "Bring me results… or join the sacrifices."
Later, in Ayumi's chambers:
Ayumi (clutching Nero's letter):
"Happy memories…" Tears smudged the ink. The parcel's contents—photos of laughter, a friendship unbroken—clashed with Arata's illusion: Nero slaughtering villagers, her mother's throat in his grip.
Arata (softly):
"See how he deceived you? Even now, his allies plot."
Her resolve hardened. "Train me," she demanded. "I'll end his allies myself."
Scene 3 Clash of Blades and Truth
Outskirts of Aryavarta — A Graveyard of Secrets
Yoshito's sword halted an inch from Sayuri's throat, her shield cracking under his cursed energy.
Yoshito (snarling):
"Aryavarta's hound. Here to finish what your masters started?"
Sayuri (cold):
"I serve no one."
Their clash rent the air—Yoshito's strikes faster, darker, his left eye bleeding void-like energy. Sayuri pivoted, sensing a familiar aura. Ledger's grave.
Miku (watering flowers):
"Big Sister Sayuri… plays with the orphans."
Yoshito froze. Sayuri knelt at the grave, tears falling.
Sayuri (whispering):
"He saved me once. Taught me… not all light dies."
A truce, fragile as glass, formed under the moon's gaze.
Scene 4 Foreshadowed Tempest
Nightshade Groove — Seventh Trial
Nero and Eri stood back-to-back, the final trial's arena a mirror lake reflecting storm clouds.
Baltimore's voice boomed:
"Prove unity… or drown in discord."
The water surged, forming twin doppelgängers—Nero's rage vs. Eri's doubt.
Eri (gripping his hand):
"Trust me."
Their synchronized strike shattered the mimics. The lake stilled, revealing a vision: Fernando on a throne of bones, Ayumi at his side, blade aimed at Nero's heart.
Nero (grim):
"We're out of time."
Epilogue: Whispers in the Dark
Baltimore's Journal — Hidden Entry
"The trials honed their blades, but Aryavarta's rot spreads. Fernando's 'sacrifices' aren't for power… they're for her. The sealed Primordial under the palace. And Sayuri… she carries Ledger's mark. The plot thickens."
Writer's Note:
The threads of loyalty and lies tighten. Will Ayumi see through Arata's illusions? Can Nero balance divine power and humanity? And what lurks beneath Aryavarta's golden spires? Stay tuned—the storm approaches.
—Your guide through shadows.