Chapter 32: Sister?
John swallowed hard, raising the improvised weapon. Sweat slid down his face, though the temperature of the place leaned more toward a sinister cold than an infernal heat.
Richard, frowning, never took his eyes off the creature. He had faced horrors far more terrifying, and even so, he knew he couldn't let his guard down; a single mistake could cost him his life. It was time to test his new companion.
[Weapon Created: Crimson Oath][Rank: E][Affinity: Necroplasma][Durability: Low][Special Ability Unlocked: Minor Absorption]
If that thing is the final trial… then we're going to overcome it.
The creature began to roar, catching everyone by surprise. The pores of its body released a torrent of black smoke that surrounded them in a closed circle, trapping them with no possibility of escape.
As a consequence, oxygen was becoming an increasingly scarce resource. Richard's breathing grew heavier, his lungs straining to take in air through the thick concentration of smoke.
Damian was on his knees, coughing, losing all the air in his lungs. Each particle clung to his skin like damp ash, seeping into his lungs and provoking hallucinations.
It was like a whisper in the ear. Richard felt the presence of someone else beside him, the voice so familiar, so melancholic.
"Son…"
He closed his eyes for a moment, but he had long since moved past that stage of his life. If this trial had come in the first twenty years of his past life, he might have abandoned everything just to hear that voice. But he had already said goodbye to her peacefully.
Richard gripped both daggers tightly. The veins in his arms pulsed with a golden glow, his face showing the anger boiling inside him. He would not tolerate them using old memories to torture him.
"Damn beast…"
The creature, a mural of nightmares, opened every mouth across its body, producing a sound of grinding teeth. Its steps surged quickly toward John, who seemed to have fallen under the illusion. His pupils were dilated, though not for long.
John squeezed the piece of iron in his hand until his knuckles turned white. He had barely dodged the attack that nearly sliced him in two, his heart pounding like a war drum at the thought of his near-death.
"I'm not going to die here."
The monster responded by lowering its torso, as if listening to the challenge. A rain of limbs burst from its sides, like whips lashing out at each of them.
Richard was the first to move. His body lunged to the side, dragging Damian with him. John rolled forward, dodging across the rough ground, the metal in his hands sparking as it scraped against the creature's limbs, leaving his arms numb for minutes.
The three had become perfect bait while Elias approached the coffin. His hands reached quickly for the lid, where through the glass he could see the peaceful face of his sister. There were no tricks this time, no illusions: he could confirm it was really her.
His eyes locked on the coffin. His heart pounded with maddening force. If he failed here, if he fell in this hell, Isolda would remain trapped forever under those chains. And that was worse than death.
The Guardian lifted its head, and a wave of voices echoed in unison:
"Guilt feeds them. Fear defines them. Bleed to prove your faith."
From its main mouth erupted a funeral wail, similar to the choir they had heard in the main hall during the first trial. The cries of children crashed against their eardrums. The sound was so atrocious that John fell to his knees, pressing his ears until they bled.
Richard grabbed him, forcing him back to his feet.
"Stand tall!" he growled. "If you fall now, we all fall."
The Guardian did not wait. Its arms stretched like lances, striking in opposite directions. One of them descended upon John. The boy raised the iron in a desperate act. The impact hurled him several meters back, slamming him against the shattered seats. He coughed blood, but he was still breathing.
Richard sprinted to the side, searching for an angle. He couldn't use his own blood to create runes, so he decided to take advantage of the blood Elias had left on the ground in his fight. What's the worst that could happen?
"Hey, monster!" he shouted, his voice laced with mockery. "Is this the best you've got?"
The Guardian turned a cluster of eyes toward him. A moment later, the black smoke condensed into blades that shot in his direction. Richard barely managed to shield himself behind a broken seat, the wood splintering as it absorbed the impact.
When the creature saw it had failed to reach him with its attack, it charged at a terrifying speed, gusts of air bursting from its massive frame. Its enormous body was about to crush Richard's small figure into nothing but pulp.
"Got you…" Richard tapped the ground lightly, unleashing a blinding glow.
The blood on the floor converged with the light, weaving into a web that bound the Guardian's giant body to the ground. The creature struggled to resist, but its efforts were in vain.
* * * *
Elias clenched his teeth. With every passing second, the chains of the coffin glowed brighter, pulsing like veins connected to the creature, in a symbiotic relationship between both entities. He had to cut that link, or else something terrible would happen to Isolda.
Elias took a step forward, the ground creaking beneath his feet. The monster sensed it, and all the mouths open on its torso began to laugh at the same time.
One of its limbs broke free and came crashing down. Elias raised his arms, uselessly, ready to accept his fate… but Damian, staggering, stepped in between. His hands unleashed an explosion, countering the blow and injuring the Guardian.
The creature roared again, causing imbalance in everyone present. Its body twisted in the blood web, but refusing to surrender, it fragmented into pieces, freeing itself as easily as it had manifested.
In revenge, the tentacles lashed out at Damian. The Guardian shook itself violently, and he was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing against the stage.
"Damian!" John shouted, trying to run toward him, but Richard held him back."Leave him! If you go, you'll die."
Blood boiled in his veins. Elias, trembling, took another step forward. The monster turned its attention toward him. Its yellow teeth began to form a gigantic smile across its face.
"It's not fun being on the other side of the situation, is it? It's not fun when you switch roles the same way as that night… No!"
The words pierced through him like needles in his chest. He knew he had committed the gravest mistake of his life. He couldn't blame himself for having been just a child, but he would always live with it.
Elias clenched his teeth and shouted:"I already know I made a mistake!"
The little blood he had left began to surround his arm, forming a small axe."But that doesn't give you the right to take away the only thing I have left!"
Elias charged with all his strength, cutting one of the chains that bound the coffin. The Guardian let out a guttural scream: for the first time, it had taken true damage.
The monster lunged, but Richard intercepted it, slamming into one of its deformed legs and severing it. The creature fell, losing its balance. His daggers vibrated in satisfaction as they absorbed its blood.
Elias, with the last strength he had left, lifted the axe again and broke the second chain. The black smoke tried to stop him, seeping into his throat, filling his head with visions: Isolda crying, begging him not to hurt her anymore.
He almost fell to his knees, but forced himself to keep going.
The Guardian crawled forward, swinging a claw with thunderous force. And then Damian, who until then had lain paralyzed, stepped in with an angry scream. He held a rusty bar, which he drove into the creature's body.
The metal began to heat until it glowed red-hot, before exploding and blasting apart much of the Guardian's back. The beast was stunned for a few seconds."Run, damn it!" Damian roared, giving Elias the breathing space he needed.
Elias broke the last chain. Shortly after, his strength abandoned him and he collapsed to his knees before the coffin. He extended a trembling hand, seeking to feel his sister's face… but found nothing. The coffin was empty.
With the last of his strength, he opened his eyes and screamed, tears of rage and pain burning in his gaze:"She is not dead! Isolda lives!"
The chain beneath his hand cracked, a crimson glow erupting from the fragments.
The Guardian's voice burst into mocking laughter, repeating the same words, drawing all eyes toward Elias:"It's not fun being on the other side of the situation, is it? It's not fun when you switch roles the same way as that night… No, little brother!"