Siegfried stands in shock as he sees a white tentacle piercing through the dragon-kin commander.
So fast!
He had long since stopped aiding the Iiyama warriors with magical energy and was currently generating more to replace what he had expended. From both inside of himself and from the energy in the atmosphere around them. The power welled up inside of him like refreshing water, though he still had some way to go before he was back to full strength.
With a swift motion, he severed the white tentacle, introducing the creature to pain for its very first time. It wriggled around, but even when cut it didn't bleed.
"What is that thing, Siegfried?"
"It's, an Angel. A monster. It's in its first form right now. But as it consumes more living beings it'll gain more power and intelligence. And this one's quite powerful already. Give me a minute and I'll destroy it."
Multiple new tentacles shot out from the Angel's body, no longer paralyzed by the sensation of pain. All quickly cut down by Daiji's fast swordplay.
The two armies retreated with all their might, ignoring concepts such as friend or foe. Those who tried to injure the Angel were all unsuccessful and many were devoured in the process. Only their bones remaining. The rest was sucked cleanly off. The "cowards" were definitely the wiser.
~Snap!~
At the snap of a finger, the Angel was set ablaze by a raging fire, enveloping its massive body. The outer layer bubbled and blackened as it was cooked alive by the bright orange flames. Though it couldn't scream, its body conveyed clearly the intensity of the pain it was enduring.
After a short while, it resumed it's march. Even as it was burned alive, it continued forward. The effect of the heat diminishing over time as it continuously regenerated. The color returned to white and the bubbling was lessened.
On the hard ground, the dragon-kin was wheezing as he tried desperately to breath properly. Fighting the pain caused by the tentacle as best as he could. Struggling to even form coherent thought.
My wish... Can't die. Here, no. Devour- Need to Devour. Something- anything. But what..?
The tentacle in his stomach suddenly looked very, very tasty. It held some Ki inside which allowed it to live even while decapitated. He sunk his teeth into the white and doughy flesh and ripped a piece forcefully off. There wasn't any real taste present, but it felt disgusting to eat.
Two, three mouthfuls was all it took to completely swallow the meat, Ki welling up inside him again. Though, the hole left was still there, leaking huge amounts of blood. Even with the little extra power, he wouldn't last forever.
Still he wasn't able to regain the mobility in his legs. All he did was slightly relieve the pain and extend his life by a tiny bit.
My wish. I can't let it die out here. Not me, nor ...
Daiji and Siegfried were too busy with the threat in front of them to pay any heed to the dragon-kin behind them. Siegfried had already closed his eyes, meditating while Daiji cut away the incoming tentacles over and over. Making sure not a single one even scratched them.
With a quiet, strained voice, the dragon-kin, unable to move a muscle, defined his wish with audible words.
"Hear my wish. O "Goddess of Life and Creation". Please [■■■■■■]."
The soft words of a plea silently echoed in the open field. Too quiet for anyone to notice them. Silence ruled and surely nothing could cure his misfortune.
"AAA■■■■■■!!!"
Behind Siegfried and Daiji, the dragon-kin's scream transformes into a deafening cry that could make those top close go deaf. His entire body convulses from extreme pain. His eyes moving wildly in every direction. Desperately trying to endure. The gaping hole in his stomach expands, along with the rest of his physical body.
It grew and grew and grew to a height of around seven meters. Tower ing over normal humans. Long gray hair had sprouted from his head. The claws on his hands and feet were thicker and sharper. His lizard head had become even more monstrous than ever.
He- no, "It" stood on all fours, saliva leaking from its mouth. The long grey hair covered its eyes and blood seeped out like a river from the tentacle-wound. A giant, green, rabid beast. A wingless dragon on all fours. A "Drake".
...
Haltingly, it advanced forward. Expending its newfound strength to continue on. Each of its heavy steps shook the ground, creating a sound like a hammer. Little by little, it regained its former vigor and speed.
Each step marking a new point of growth. Growing faster by the second and blowing past the duo, leaping at the massive angel. The large amounts of energy in the beast's body reinforced it, and forced it together by the thickness of a thread. Manipulating the muscles of the soon to be corpse.
A last ditch effort.
In response to the savage drake's stampede, the ground cracked all around it. Out of them, multiple long, white tentacles emerged. Piercing through the drake's body even more. Puncturing more organs and rendering its limbs useless. The tentacles were painted the lovely red of a luxurious meal.
The drake roared in pain, however, the angel didn't care. It only cared about devouring its Life-Essence and nothing more nor less. Holding it high with its many limbs, the angel drew the dying drake close.
"■■■■■■■■!!!"
It continued to roar in pain.
"!!!"
It continued to roar? Though the drake's jaws were brandishing shiny teeth and a dark tunnel, there was no sound. The white monster felt no vibrations in the air. It felt nothing. Not even the pain of having one's limbs filleted.
In one motion, all the tentacles were severed and divided into smaller pieces.
Daiji sheathed his katana almost as quickly as he had drawn it. There had been no sound those time too. And more than that, the pieces of angel tentacle and near dead drake were floating midair. Disobeying all the conventional laws of gravity.
There was no sound. While the angel couldn't hear, neither could anyone else. In addition, the gravity of the area was misbehaving. The dragon-kin, who had been freed from the Angel's grasp was still mid-air. Unable to fall.
~Drip~
The sound of a waterdrop hitting the surface of liquid echoed in everyone's ears, even in the angel's nonexistent ones. The only sound that currently existed.
Above and to each of the cardinal directions, a flat body of water appeared. A ripple creating small waves in each wall. The angel also noticed that an identical body of water had appeared beneath them as well. The six surfaces creating a closed box filled with a battlefield.
A spectacle that defied all logic. Betraying each and every expectation. A miracle on par with gods. Therefore, this phenomenon could only be called "Magic".
"Up and Down. Left and Right. Forward and Backward. Invert it. Paint it deep blue and let confusion rule all's mind... Pandora's Box. Layer 1."
...
What was happening?
What in the world is going on?
The air is quiet. Not even a sliver of vibration is heard. Only the sound of dripping water echoes in the minds of the encaptured.
The drake, halted midair amidst the rubble of white tentacles is filled with just as much incomprehension as the angel below, and Daiji for that matter too. Its mind is only filled with deafening noise. The sound of water edging it further towards insanity. It roared again and again, only to be ignored by the world in its entirety.
To battle the situation, it stopped. Stopped everything. Moving, hearing, seeing, feeling, even thinking was too dangerous for it. In order to save itself from self destruction, it closed its reptillian eyes. Refusing to look upon the surroundings. Refusing to acknowledge the world it had observed.
~Drip~
The creature that had definitely fought the hardest out of every contestant present. Overcoming all obstacles, even its impending death, was now no more than what appeared to be a lifeless corpse.
The spectacle unfolding before Daiji's eyes thoroughly bewildered him. How could it have been that easy?
The surfaces of water around them were deep. So deep that they seemed to be never-ending. Cold as death and indiscriminate. Even though they formed the shape of a box, no water was spilled. It was perfectly square.
~Drip~
By the feet of those standing on these deep waters, ripples swam across the entire surface. They felt the pull of gravity firmly planting them to the surface. As it should.
He moved his vision away from the logic-defying drake.
Not far from him stood Siegfried, ragged and bloody from the fighting. The beautiful silver hair, disheveled. His vest of golden roses, his most dear garment had been thoroughly cut and torn along with the rest of him. Blood leaking out of the numerous wounds he had received, further sullying his clothes. But even in such a battered state, he stood tall and was brimming with the light of life.
On his face rested a devious smile of pure joy.
~Drip~
In contrast, Daiji was tired beyond measure. Pushing his body to merely remain standing. Enduring the throbbing pain in his muscles to keep gripping his weapon. His armor crushed and bones creaking. Every pore of his old body crying a river of sweat.
Instead of thinking, he focused on breathing to avoid greater confusion. Ki slowly began to circulate through his entire body. His heart beating painfully hard to replace the Ki lost in the earlier clash.
After a few moments, he reaffirmed his grip, checking if he still had the strength to lift his blade. He did. But he still needed a little more time for the Ki to energize him. In anticipation of that, he observed their last remaining foe. The large white mass silently raging from the same incomprehension that had befallen the still drake.
~Drip~
Red tears shot out of the crimson eye. Nothing made sense to it. This was like nothing it had seen in its short life. His meal was still midair while two meals of comparable quality stood on same surface as itself. Behind it, the lesser and insignificant snacks that had also been forcibly dragged into this strange occurrence were standing on the "wall".
They squirmed around as they felt incomprehensible terror. Falling to their knees while clutching their heads. Clutching hard. Squeezing their skulls as hard as they could. Clenching their teeth almost hard enough to shatter them.
~Drip~
They involuntarily released the contents of their stomachs through their mouths. The disgusting color bleeding into the water. Tears and sweat flowing freely like rivers. Only a few of them managed to lessen the symptoms. Haruto, some of the vassals, and the remaining dragon-kin they had fought against up until the angel had suddenly appeared out of thin air.
For them, intense sweating and fatigue accompanied by no understanding of the current situation was all that existed for them. Nothing compared to the immense suffering occurring right by their feet. The silent screams were enough to give rise to a new fear in them. A fear of the unknown that awaited them in this box of terror.
~Drip~
One by one the weak closed their eyes. Falling into a deep slumber. Refusing to awaken no matter what. Like a field of monotone grey flowers, they stood completely still. Nothing would, or could faze them, not even their own demise.
A peaceful and terrifying existence. To surrender everything to the world. To let fate decide their individual futures. Joys and suffering did not exist anymore. Only existence itself. A world of black, white and grey.
~Drip~
The angel wriggled its entire towering body. Its developing brain filled with disarray.
Consume.
The only thought it managed to wrench out every once in a while was the desire to eat. But no matter what it did it would be repelled, cut, and filled with the uncomfortable sensation of pain that has returned. No matter what it could do right now, Siegfried and Daiji would oppose it.
Mature.
A new thought was born. A new desire. If it could not eat, then it would not eat. Instead of a meal, it would be substituted by joy and blood.
Shockwaves traveled through its whole body. The crimson eye closed shut and all of its tentacles disintegrated. From its doughy and pudgy body, it folded and formed itself into a pure white sphere. A color untainted by the existence of colors.
~Drip~
Siegfried had not moved a single step from his starting point. His hands intertwined. Clenching each other hard enough for the whites of the knuckles to be visible and pale beyond anything could think possible.
His breathing was unsteady. Taking a deep and hasty breath each time a new wave of magical energy flowed into him from the surrounding atmosphere.
His eyelids grew heavy. Each time they threatened to close, he clenched his hands harder. Digging his fingers into the flesh over and over again, drawing more blood each time. The taste of delicious iron filled his mouth and nose as drops of blood trickled down.
In the beginning, the atmosphere had been rich with magical energy nourishing the earth and life around them. However now, that reserve of energy was steadily depleting. Each time it grew smaller, the life it was enriching withered away. Grass, plants, insects, bacteria, and all smaller forms of life which only held a little magical energy was robbed of their lives in order to supply "Pandora's Box" with good quality fuel.
~Drip~
In truth. This magic was a risky move an impatient Siegfried saw as the only option of crippling their enemies. In his and the field's current state, they could only keep Pandora's Box alive for a dozen minutes or so. The large area he had to cover to fully effect the angel took a huge toll on his body. Restricted from moving more than a few millimeters in order to keep it going.
While it was hasty and reckless, it had reduced the enemy's possible future moves to only two.
One was more favorably than the other, allowing them to win here and now if the angel chose wrong. Though, if it didn't, then the scales would only slightly tip in their favor. A silent prayer was all that could be offered in between his steadfast concentration and ragged breathing.
So when Siegfried witnessed the change in the angel, he was the only one that understood it's meaning.
~Drip~
The sphere was as big as the angel had been before. Towering over everything else except the mountains.
In the next moment, the sphere compressed, growing smaller and smaller with each passing second. The massive ocean of magical energy inside it compressing down along with the shape of the shell. Growing denser and denser. An not long after, the size of it had been reduced to a two-meter diameter. On basically the same height as any normal human being.
A single crack is formed on its smooth surface. It branches out and transforms the previous Round ball into a scaly egg.
Fragments slowly break off and promptly turn to dust. Creating a cloud obscuring the vision of those watching this mystifying performance.
From the cloud of rebirth, a single creature, veiled in feathery white wings remains. It is in the shape of an adult, naked man, though it lacks any facial features and reproductive organs. It is like a blank canvas. Empty but full of possibilities. Magical energy is welling up like an endless fountain inside it. So strong that speaks escapes the vessel of the body and radiates a brilliant light.
It lifted its ginormous wings aside to reveal its pristine body fully. Instead of eyes, mouth, ears and a nose, the angel covered its face with four small wings like a mask. A thick , reptile-like tail extends from the lower back. In its palms outstretched to the left and right, a slit is revealed. Red seeps out before widening and revealing a pair of crimson-red eyes.
It can see, sense and feel everything around it. All the magical energy, every person, every insect, every living thing. Nothing can escape its sight inside Pandora's box. Nothing is safe.
But even in such a holy form, it is trapped inside the box of confusion. The effect of it has lessened, though the burden on its mind is still present.
~Strtch~
Two lines of red tears flow down from beneath the winged mask. Down to the chin and dripping down unto the barren ground. The tears from its palms continue as well without end. Painting a picture of pain.
It had been too hasty. It wasn't allowed to feast to its heart's content. Therefore, a transformation that was of a grade higher than it was capable of had its consequences.
[□□□□□□]
A "noise" that gave no meaning to any listener escaped the being's "lips".
No one could understand it. All they could was register that a sound had been created and come into existence. One couldn't clearly tell from where it originated from either. This left the ones still capable of logical thought bewildered as they frantically looked behind and around for the speaker.
As the others behaved like headless chickens, Siegfried only smiled a bitter smile that held frustration, but also a tiny bit of relief. He let his arms fall down to his sides as he relaxed every muscle in his body.
I can work with this.
Simultaneously as his thoughts reached that simple conclusion, Pandora's Box shrank. In response to the angel's blinding transformation, Siegfried reduced the affected area of his magic now that the enemy was not much taller than himself. Pushing the warriors outside and allowing himself to freely move his body again while still maintaining Pandora's Box.
"Daiji."
Daiji is snapped out of his rampant, rambling thoughts. Thoughts, analyzing and planning. Trying to confirm and register what he sees. Struggling to accept what is in front of him. Wondering how to get Haruto out of here along with the rest of their forces.
They cannot lose them here. They still had to face Kagutsuchi and the rest of the dragon-kin. They have to win this and join up with the other two of the Great Clans in order to advance.
When his ears heard a voice coming from right beside him, he quickly looks at where it came from with an expression of unease.
"We can win this."
...
With these words, the unease that was inside of Daiji was blown away.
Before him stood a longtime friend. A man whose face was enveloped in kindness. Reassuring the distraught Daiji. A side he had never seen before during their decades long friendship. But that didn't really matter. The resolute face of his dearest friend was enough to fill him with hope.
They could win this. Those words sounded like an objective truth that could not be refuted in any sort of way. The only question was the method of attack.
"How?"
"Nothing special. We just beat the living shit out of it."
Speaking thus, the Magical Energy in the air around them quivered. Not only from the angel's presence, but from Siegfried's as well. It flowed and gathered to him, burning like bright flames. Strengthening his abused body to gather one final boost.
Daiji did the same. The flow of Ki in his body was slower, but it was there. It filled his blood, muscles and body with the power to fight one more time.
...
[□□□□□□]
The angel was still in a state of pain when it sensed a great disturbance that brought it back to the present. Two people were gathering power from their surroundings. It understood this, though its mind couldn't comprehend how, due to the lingering confusion.
It sensed that the box of thick Magical Energy had become smaller. Even though the effect it suffered from it was the same as when it had just transformed and the box was larger. The others beside the three of them had vanished, unable to perceive them through the abyss of Pandora's Box.
Didn't matter. What mattered was survival. And to ensure it, it woul-
A piercing pain emerged from it's torso. And the next moment the surroundings flipped and "something" dragged it closer to the abyss. It took a moment to realize what was happening, and once realized, it pulled the severed piece of itself together into the whole.
From behind, it could sense them coming once more.
It twisted its radiating white body, closed its fist and punched one of incoming enemies with all its might. However, while it willed the punch, the body's reaction to the mind's commands were delayed by a second.
The result was that the punched missed completely, while it received a new pair of cuts. The angel pulled it's body back together again, but this time too the body's action was delayed. A hard fist dug deep into it's back, sending it's body flying several meters away.
This routine repeated itself several times before it's mind finished comprehending the situation.
The speed of it's body was slower than the speed of it's decisions, leading to prime openings for Siegfried and Daiji to damage it. And because of the delay, it would take an extra second to heal itself.
The abyss too was suspicious. Probing closer it could feel a great pull originated from the deep waters. If it wasn't careful, it would be pulled into it with no chance of escape.
Siegfried and Daiji's attacks continued without end. Hurting the Angel in various ways. A completely one-sided fight. No, a slow slaughter. If nothing changed, then the angel would slowly die as it was killed over and over again. It didn't even have the time to bleed, before it was healed and hurt again.
[■■■]
A short but loud shout echoed and sent powerful shockwaves around the angel. The wings extended and blew the two far away from it. Finally free from the perpetual hell. Or so it thought, because the next second the duo came back just as strong, killing the it one more time.
This time too it tried to punch, and to it's surprise, it actually landed a hit on Daiji. Though it only grazed him, it was still a hit.
Was the delay shortening?
...
Though shocked, Daiji quickly recovered and attacked again, severing the arm that punched him down the middle. But in contrast to the quick reaction from just before, the delay was just as long for the healing to take affect.
Then came a series of mixed attacks using arms, wings and tail to relentlessly assault Daiji and Siegfried.
A wing came a living through the air at Daiji's neck, which he narrowly managed to dodge. The wind that followed blew all the hair and sweat off his face before he gifted the feathery limb a new cut.
Jumping back to create some distance, he noticed this time too, that the healing was just as slow. But how could the attacks be so fast if the delay caused by Pandora's Box was still there.
Siegfried had already understood the reason as he observed from close by. It hadn't shortened the delay, it just attacked earlier to make up for the time it took to realize its will.
He sheathed his silver sword, now that it would be of no use and instead took out a white wand. The unicorn horn, decorated with a spiral across its length it radiated the beautiful glow of the magical creature.
With the tip aimed at the angel's "heart", he gathered Magical Energy within the white wand. Preparing to destroy the angel, and thereby ending the battle.
Daiji was still locked in combat with the it as Siegfried stood back. Cutting, dodging and receiving more scrapes and bruises over time. It used the eyes in the hands to see the battlefield. That was what he thought, though that wasn't quite correct.
While the crimson eyes in the palms of its hands did function as any other eyes, they were not strictly necessary to perceive its surroundings. Their purpose and function right now was to observe the fine details of time. As if watching in slow motion, the eyes could see the tensing and relaxation of muscles, using the observations to predict Daiji's next attack.
He sped up his attacks. Swinging his katana faster and faster. Practically dicing the Angel up. But it still wasn't enough. It seems it never is, no matter how much effort he puts in.
"UUAAAH!!!"
In anger, he roars as sweat fly off his body, continuing the barrage of slashes. Pushing himself, he can feel himself growing closer to how he was before, when he was younger and his body was sturdier. He can feel himself growing stronger. His power forged by Ki and the closeness to Death.
He swings from up high and feels intense pain in his right thigh. He looks down. He hasn't been hit by the Angel, yet still the pain existed.
Damn this old body of mine.
He losws his balance falls to his side. A prime opportunity. The angel lunges its razor-sharp wings forward at the defenseless Daiji. As he falls, one of the wings cut deep into his left leg, the other fast incoming.
With the last of his strength, mustering the truly final drop of his Ki, his sword falls down hard like a hammer on nail, severing the wing in one fluid motion. The remains of the Ki burning away at the wing, partially turning it to ash.
His eyelids grow too heavy for him to bear and regretfully accepts the wave of fatigue that forces him into a deep sleep.
[■■■■■]
The Angel screamed in pain over the loss of its wing while it reassembled the rest of the diced up body. The wing wouldn't heal. The Ki burn wouldn't go away when it tried to heal. Deep shock drew over the white nonexistent face.
"Thanks for that... Daiji."
~Shudder~
Quickly it tried to turn around, dodge, fly away, attack, or actually it could do nothing as the confusion washed over stronger than ever the moment it let down its guard. It was forced still and could do nothing to counter Siegfried. Standing behind, he shoots off a intertwined beam of lightning from the tip of the wand.
It hits point blank and carves out a huge chunk of the angel's flesh, which the beam dragged into nothingness, leaving the rest of the severed pieces to fall into the deep, dark waters. Hands, feet, wings, bits of the torso, and the head fell with loud splashes into the abyss.
...
From below, the Angel watched as Siegfried stood over it, reveling in victory while it ushered in defeat. Falling deeper into the abyss, and despair.
[No. Can't end. Like this. Kill. Kill him. Devour him.]
It summoned whatever power the supposedly all powerful "Angel" still had to create a new body from scratch, leaving behind the pieces that was impossible to heal for good.
With the full length of the wings spread out, it flapped and shot upwards. Straight at Siegfried with full force of someone back from the grave. It reached out its hand, reaching for him, emerging from the waters ready to strike.
The world flipped once again!? Returning the angel back into the abyss.
This time it was truly dead. The blade of the massive man who cut him down was ready for more. For in front of Siegfried stood a four-armed dragon-kin wielding a long and thick glaive. Thick Ki oozing off the tip.
Around them, Pandora's Box was crumbling from the cut earned by the dragon-kin Kagutsuchi.