What they saw popped their eyes out. Diego realized his mistake instantly. It was impossible for a Cryptic Plane to easily hurt a Master Plane cultivator even if they spent several minutes attacking the same spot. But what if the person in topic was a body cultivator instead and his realm was close or equal to theirs?
Didn't that mean that they were offering themselves as sacrifice? This was only proven by the flying head. Even in his last moments, the fourth stage cultivator did not even realize how he died. He was still focused covering for his friend's blindspots.
His head rolled several times and when it stopped, the body which was still standing suddenly sprayed blood to the surroundings and it was within this spray of blood that two axes appeared all piercing outwards.
Their curvature dictating that they had both been used in severing of the head like scissors. His slightly bent body and green eyes which shone like emeralds sent them shivers as the body dropped on its knees and then fell sideways.
The only thing stopping the four from screaming was that they were men. They were covered with blood from their comrade and it was hard to accept that the blood on them was their comrade's. But was this really the time to get distracted during a battle?
Alaric did not let any of the chances he got when the enemy was diatracted as he attacked again swinging his axes but this time, the guy with the short sword quickly covered for the fourth stage cultivator Alaric had targeted.
Alaric looked at the guy who blocked him and he could not help but smile but the guy felt a shiver when he saw the smile. Was that the strength of a Cryptic Plane kid? They were yet to realize that the more they referred to him as a kid, the more casualties they would take and the easier they were going to die.
The guy collided with the first axe and he felt his hands go numb and his eyes widened as he saw the next axe falling and clashing into the sword. His wrists immediately gave way as he released the sword. His face contorted in pain as he dashed backwards giving them a distance.
The few who were close to Alaric were not blockhead by much as they all took the cue and made a distance of separation from the kid. The guy who was saved felt somehow relieved when they were a distance from the kid.
"Do not get close to him. He is a body cultivator. Probably in the sixth stage. Only long ranged attacks can work on him. Do not let him get close to you. Use you elements to attack him," Diego barked out another command.
When Alaric heard the command, he could only smile. At least Diego was not still remaining a dick and sending his men to their death. But that did not change the fact that they were all going to die.
Alaric looked at the axes' blades and he sighed. It was to be expected though. They were blunt and they had cracks on their blade. This just came from the act of slicing the neck of a fourth stage cultivator and being blocked by a short sword. He needed stronger weapons. From his estimates, the axes could only be used once more to kill.
When they heard the new command, they all dispersed and surrounded the kid in four directions. Almost ten meters away from him each. Though their elements could lose some of they strength, they could definitely harm the kid. Their elements were just common.
The two on the fourth stage were both wind elementalist and the two in the fifth were fire elementalist. The spearman was an earth elementalist and Diego had water element. The four as though on cue released their long ranged attacks.
Two fireballs and two wind scythes tore through the air. Alaric could feel the threat from the attacks and it was obvious that the wind scythes were going to land on him first. He could not use the axes to block the attacks or they would all crumble to pieces.
It was only going to get a little troublesome. The attacks arrived very fast and when they reached him, an array glowed in his palm as the axe disappeared. The two wind scythes which could cause him harm were easily repelled and all their energy was dispersed.
He turned and faced the two fire balls coming at him and the same happened for them. Not even ripples appearing on the array. What the others saw was enough to double the shock they had before. The kid could create arrays that could counter them?..
It was then it dawned to them. They were finished! But when the array disappeared, the kid too had disappeared. Shock and fear coloured their features as they did not know who was next. But someone among them was having a bad premonition.
The fourth stage guy who had been saved by the short sword. His face turned pale white when the kid appeared before him swinging the axes with his body spinning like a bullet in the air almost as though he was flying.
The right hand swang its axe first and in an instant, landed on his neck as he was helpless to do anything with no weapon. The second axe followed the first axe in the same cut and severed the neck completely.
The head fell when the kid was meters away from him and already having 'escaped' the encirclement. He stopped and turned to look back his face having no fluctuations. When they saw his gaze, they could feel their necks tingle.
But they were in luck or so they thought when they saw the axes all crumble to pieces. They heard a click and a disappointed look appear on the kids face. This was their chance. He had no other means of attack.
But if they were concious enough, they would realize that they had felt same way several time. Was this really their chance? The body behind fell and lay in pool of blood. Diego had the same thoughts. This was their chance.
"I guess that your luck has ran out. I have no other weapon to kill you all. I guess this battle is over," Alaric said with a smile as he stretched he showed a disappointed look. "Well, I guess that it is settled then," He finished as he started walking towards them.
Something appeared to have changed in the kids demeanor. They felt as though the kid had turned to a tiger and he had just layed eyes on his prey. When he made his first step towards them, it felt as though he was stepping on their hearts instead.
A weight of a mountain pressed on them as they all scrambled backwards to each other. Their eyes not leaving the kid and their hearts pounding loudly such that they could hear each other's trying to break out of their cage.
Behind the kid, they saw a behemoth of a golden array light up and behind the array, was something that stopped them from breathing. The shadow of death holding a scythe looming behind the array.
There was only one explanation when you saw death. It meant that you were dead or were about to die and since they were alive, they were about to die then. The array turned from golden to a bloody red.
They saw the blood that was pooling under the dead bodies all fly towards the array as though that was where it was always supposed to be. Even Alaric was caught offguard when he saw his array absorb blood.
He could also sense the deep killing intent that appeared on the array such that it turned suffocating and the air became stiff and the enemies unable to do anything. Alaric waited until the array fully absorbed the blood and started walking towards the five who had just regrouped.
When he stopped, he raised his hand and stretched his plam forward and five points on the array glowed and five mini-arrays appeared. What appeared next were like projections of bloody skulls that opened their mouths as though trying to bite and break out from the array.
When they opened their mouths though, a white-reddish glow appeared in them and when they opened their mouths, they all sucked in with their mouth but what happened next left even Alaric shaken and he was pulled away into a place.
The five were shocked when they finally lost control of their bodies. It was as though they had been hypnotized when they made an eye contact with the skeletons. They were suddenly subjected to an abyss where all they could see around them was the crimson lighting of this world. There was no source of the light not even heavenly bodies like stars.
The ground was nothing but skeletons and skulls. In a distance, a huge skull lay with a fiery crimson glow in the holes where the eyes were supposed to be. The open mouth had thousands of chains that acted like a curtain. On top of the skull was a familiar kid though his figure was dark, it definitely was him.
Screams came from all directions grating at their souls and completely suppressing their voice stopping them from screaming. But that was not all because in the next instant, they felt chains land on their hands and feet stopping them. Then five chains covered with spikes lashed to their necks and wrapped around them.
They watched in horror and their lost voices came back as they finally screamed but just then, the chains wrapped on their necks. They wanted to scream but their voices were completely destroyed from their source.
Only their eyes were left to witness the horror that was to come later. They watched as five spears with chains behind them all shot towards them and pierced they chests. When the spears merged with their bodies, they turned into hundreds of small sized chains that went ahead and fused to their nervous system latching fully into their body. Then, a new chain, especially strikingly fiery, tore through a barrier and hit something.
A holy white glow was sucked from the five. It came from their forehead in their real bodies and in an instant, it shot to the array and into the mouth of a skeleton each, the group started aging in the next instant.
Their hair greying and wrinkles appearing on their forehead. Their eyes loosing their sharpness and their skin sagging finally sticking to the bones. Their fear finally taking over as they tried to beg but they felt their voice lost.
"Demon!!!" Was all Diego managed with a gurgling voice as his body was completely dried with his skin sticking to his bones. His clothes appeared as though a skeleton instead was wearing them.
The rest were in no better situation and when the array fully absorbed whatever it was absorbing, the skulls in the array closed their mouths and calmed down. When Alaric dropped his hand, they too disappeared.
Alaric felt a pounding in his chest. Just what was that he absorbed? But he did not think too much about it as he already had the answer when the array first absorbed. It was the Soul...