"AAAHHH!" We all screamed as we fell to our deaths, the air buzzing past our ears as the ground drew near, closing the distance rapidly toward the dead land below.
Why? Why do I always find myself falling? Is this some kind of punishment or a cruel joke from fate? My heart raced and my soul screamed in terror, my fears overtaking me as the ground distorted, doubled, and blurred.
Eupherbia clung desperately to my shoulder, tears streaming down her frightened face as the wind inflated her eyelids and mouth. Four remained in a fairy-like state, screaming something I couldn't hear over the high-pitched noise in my ears.
Her mouth opened and closed, releasing muffled words as time slowed down. I felt my grip on the dragon's back loosen as my consciousness slowly faded. The corners of my vision darkened until…
CLANG!
"ARGH!"
A slap on the side of my helmet snapped me out of my stupor. Confusion filled my being as I looked around, wondering where I was as the world returned to normal.
CLANG!
The second slap jolted me awake like a lightning bolt. I shook my head quickly, reorienting myself and understanding what Four shouted with her face contorted in fury.
"You damned imbecile! Do something or I will! I don't want to die because of your stupidity!"
I felt as if our previous conversation had meant nothing, but I dismissed those thoughts due to the seriousness of the situation. I raised my catalyst and cast Protect, followed by its enhanced version, Warding, enveloping us in damage-reducing barriers.
My Cat Ring will only work for me, but I don't believe that will be enough to save our lives.
"Is that all?!" Four exclaimed disbelieved.
"Forgive me, but this is all I can do now!" I replied rudely, thinking of more possibilities for salvation.
"I could use my song if you allow me!"
"And what guarantees that you won't attack us?!"
"Seriously? This is not the time, we will die! Trust me, please!"
"Edric, let her sing!" Eupherbia shouted in the middle of our argument.
This is our only chance, as much as I hate it. The dragon is unconscious and the ground approached. It's time to put your stubbornness aside and fulfill the promise you made to One, Edric.
"Fine, sing, but don't make me regret the trust I placed in you!"
"Leave it to me!" Four smiled slightly, raising her thumb before singing.
The air vibrated with greenish magic, mysterious symbols, and sigils flowing as the melody echoed midst our fall.
Suddenly, a semi-transparent green bubble surrounded us a few meters from the ground, we hugged the dragon and prepared for the impact, hearing the noise followed by the sudden stop.
-XXXXXX-
Oh, by the gods, the further I delve into this dark place, the more I wonder if there is any salvation to obtain.
The once-grand Tower of Latria reduced to a center of torture and torment, screaming souls fed to a twisted womb below and other experiments born of a traitorous madman.
Colossal towers rose toward the dark, cloudy night sky, blocking out the moonlight and its stars.
Toxic fumes covered the air in a greenish haze while the corrosive swamp bubbling at the base of the buildings teemed with terrifying creatures beyond my imagination, their monstrous tentacles wrapping around and threatening to topple the towers.
The ringing chimes mingled with the pounding of my footsteps on the stairs leading to the top of the main tower, climbing an absurd height with nothing to protect me from a deadly fall and return to the Nexus.
The screams of the desperate prisoners grew louder as they realized the presence of their Mind Flayer jailers. I raised my shield and did my best to block the spells cast at my direction, bracing my feet against the ground as each impact risked knocking me to my death.
I hurled a knife at my enemy above, striking the center of his swollen head and sending him plummeting into the fall he had hoped to bestow upon me. His form disappeared into the darkness and I cleared the passage to the top, only to be met with a fog gate.
I cast a few healing miracles and ingested some spice, restoring my magic before steeling my will and crossing the gate with my Blessed Winged Spear and Adjudicator's Shield.
I found myself on a long bridge suspended above a chasm between two towers, with a raised circular section at its center leading the way to the other side.
I walked with cautious steps, analyzing my surroundings carefully, for it was quiet, very quiet. Suddenly, a flapping of wings broke the tense silence that surrounded me.
Looking for the source of the noise, I saw a large creature landing on the bridge with a crash. It looked similar to a chimera, with a beast's body, bat wings, a snake for a tail, and a vaguely human head with luminous green eyes.
The beast roared, visibly distorting the air with a sonic wave before advancing with fangs and claws bared.
-XXXXXX-
It was a fierce battle, with a second beast joining the fray in the middle of our fight, but I prevailed, keeping the two apart thanks to the large brazier in the center of the bridge, dodging their advances, spells, brutal attacks, and learning their patterns.
I remained on the defensive, attacking when appropriate, and pierced the first beast's neck with a final thrust of my spear, earning a wet gurgle and blood staining my armor.
I kicked the creature away from my weapon, watching as it disappeared into souls, but relishing this small victory proved to be my greatest mistake.
The second creature's snake bit the head of the main body, channeling and empowering both with magic. The beast clutched its head, screaming in agony as the vile glow of its eyes intensified.
Then, with a final roar, it unleashed a thunderous sonic wave, destroying everything in its path, and covering the entire width of the bridge.
I desperately searched for an escape, but jumping off the bridge seemed like the only option, so I quickly raised my shield and prepared for the worst.
I screamed in pain, but I couldn't hear my voice, I couldn't hear anything, I felt the sound wave hitting me, my blood boiling, bones vibrating and breaking, and my organs almost exploding.
The world became a blur and my feet left the ground. I felt my weapons slipping from my grip, wondering why I still fell. Looking down, I saw the swamp at the base of the tower approaching.
The expectation of a quick death as I fell headfirst was the only relief I felt before I hit the ground and everything went dark, only to awaken in soul form in the center of the Nexus again.
"AAAHHH!" I screamed in fury as I punched the ground, drawing the attention of the clerics and mages present.
I quickly stood up, retrieving my equipment on the way, ignoring the worried words of the Maiden in Black, and returning to Latria.
I eliminated all the creatures in my path, hiding in corners and attacking from behind when given the opportunity until I reached the main tower's staircase, but I noticed something wrong when I looked down.
The tower seemed to stretch on forever, adding meters and meters every second. My legs trembled and my breathing quickened, I moved a hand towards my agitated heart, wondering what was wrong with me, as I never felt this way before.
Suddenly, I heard the ringing of a chime and realized my mistake when I saw a magical projectile approaching. A slip while trying to dodge it in my unusual state was the minimum necessary to lead me to another shameful fall.
The ground approached as I screamed, feeling my consciousness leaving me until…
-XXXXXX-
"GASP!" I woke up gasping for air, feeling my lungs burn as my head spun.
I couldn't understand my dark surroundings through my blurry vision, but I immediately noticed the restriction of my movements as I tried to stand up and move my head.
I heard a metallic noise reverberating through the walls and felt something cold touching my skin, the same thing that prevented me from moving.
Wait?! Something touching my skin?! Where was my armor?! What happened after we fell?! Where are the others?! Where am I?! These questions ran through my mind as I regained my senses.
Unfortunately, a blinding light attacked my eyes, followed by the familiar metallic creak of an opening door. As if that wasn't enough, I heard a voice I didn't want to hear again.
"Oh, I see you're awake! Well, there's much I want to do with you!" A female voice spoke with disturbing glee.
A purple and gold shape stopped in front of me, and when my vision stabilized, I stood face to face with Three smiling sickeningly at me.
I struggled violently, trying to escape my prison, but the more I tried, the more I realized how futile it was. I found myself hanging upside down, mummified in chains that stretched across the walls, floor, and ceiling, similar to a spider web.
The golden glow they emanated indicated magic in their construction, reinforcing their durability and hindering my freedom.
"Grumpy, as usual, aren't you? Forgive me, but your current accommodations are for our good. I would like to speak to you civilly, but I feel that you would hurt me if that were the case."
"What do you want?!"
"I want many things, Edric…"
"Don't give me that talk, answer my questions! Why?! Why start a useless war?! Why condemn the souls of so many innocents?! Why summon the invaders?! Why continue the Monk's experiments?! Why listen to the whispers of the golden robes?!"
Three's smile disappeared, giving way to silence and a frustrated expression. She lifted both hands and brought them to the sides of my head, holding it in place despite my efforts.
Then she placed her face inches from mine, our noses almost touching as we stared into the depths of each other's eyes.
It was then that I noticed Three's precarious appearance, sunken, dull eyes with dark circles under them, skin-hugging the bones of her arms and face, dry, messy, discolored purple hair, and dry, cracked lips.
I knew the reason behind it.
"The robes are…"
"SSSHHH!"
I didn't finish my speech, since she put a finger on my lips, silencing me, and spoke immediately after, with a crazed glint in her eyes and disturbing emotions in her tone that intensified with each word.
"I'm tired, Edric... I'm tired of close-minded fools worshiping me like the goddess I'm not or lusting after my body like animals. They praise my beauty, and my intellect, and shower me with gifts and sweet words, but these actions are all empty because they have proven themselves incapable of doing something simple, answering my questions. Where do we come from? Where do we go? Why do people live? Why do people die? What is the meaning of life? I don't expect a concrete answer, because everything depends on the point of view and experiences lived, but I would like someone to at least make an effort to answer, but these people are nothing more than dolls, yes, dolls, pathetic and lifeless dolls that are not worth fixing, and I'm tired of being ignored or called weird by them. I seek knowledge, things that capture my interest and bring fun to this boring life, and the robes showed me everything I wanted. The Tower of Latria was a realm of knowledge, a marvel of architecture, magic, and engineering, and the robes showed me everything their former wearer learned there. The aforementioned subjects, literature, philosophy, mathematics, theology, alchemy, astrology, astronomy, and more, but that wasn't enough, I wanted more, so the robes showed me more, the history of the world, the creation of everything, the rise of humanity and its soul power, the ancient demon made to destroy it, the coven of power-hungry witches that awakened it, the scourge that nearly consumed the world and the great heroes who stopped it, the fall and rise of once glorious kingdoms, only to fall again with the actions of an unfortunate king, and the one who stopped that king and saved the world."
"You have no idea what…"
"I'M NOT DONE YET!"
SLAP!
A slap to my face silenced me again, leaving a burning pain in my left cheek. Strangely, I expected more from the superhuman strength of an Intoner.
"But that wasn't the end, I also learned about the many worlds that exist beyond the veil of reality. Infinite universes with infinite possibilities, infinite knowledge, and infinite dolls to play with. So many interesting things beyond my reach, so many experiments I wish to perform on peculiar specimens, and with that, I will create the perfect doll, a perfect being of absolute obedience, invincible and indestructible. Summoning the invaders was just the beginning, but they have a limited presence, and summoning other Demon Slayers would only bring unnecessary problems, I can only see their specters occasionally. Fortunately, there is a way to access other worlds permanently, through a fog that weakens the fabric of reality, a fog generated by the greatest of all demons. I heard its call, and I know the king and you did too. I will create the third scourge, Edric, an endless feast for two insatiable beings, and thus I will see what is on the other side of the invisible barrier that traps us in this world, and you will help me."
My eyes widened and my heart threatened to leap out of my chest at this revelation. I struggled with everything I had, trying to escape the chains, feeling my muscles protest.
"ARE YOU INSANE?! I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH LUNACY! YOU WILL DOOM US ALL! DON'T YOU CARE HOW MANY LIVES WILL BE LOST?! I WILL NEVER HELP YOU WITH YOUR PLAN!"
"Oh, but you will, Edric because no matter how many souls I sacrifice, it's nothing more than an appetizer for the Old One! I need something stronger, the one who thirsts for souls, the one who has absorbed the souls of all the arch-demons and gained unimaginable power! You are the perfect sacrifice!"
"That's why One and you are working together? To create the greatest soul sacrifice in history?"
"We are not working together, I have no idea why One declared war on me, but I admit it has been fun to play with her and advance my plans. The more deaths, the more souls, right?"
"You are the most pathetic being I have ever met in my life, Three. You see everyone as a doll, but you do not realize that you are nothing more than one for the robes. They are loyal to the Old One and will discard you when you are no longer useful, just like its former master. Look in the mirror and see how much you have withered. I can only feel sorry for the one I will defeat."
"HA! You speak as if you will escape!"
"Because I will, one way or another, I will. There are consequences to damaging the fabric of reality. I will not allow people to suffer again due to the actions of an incapable ruler, be it in this world or another."
Three stared at me silently again, her smile widening as her face blushed deeply. Then the unexpected happened, she leaned forward and sealed her lips with mine. The kiss was long and unpleasant. I struggled constantly, trying to escape as my lungs burned. It would be a humiliating death, surviving a fatal fall but dying from suffocation like this.
Eventually, she pulled away from me and the air returned to my body. We stared at each other again, her breathing heavily, and me grimacing in disgust.
"I will miss you Edric, there were so many things I would like to do with you. I recommend that you take advantage of the remaining time to make peace with the god you believe in."
Then she left my cell, turning the corner as the robes too large for her body dragged across the floor for a good few seconds before the metal door closed and darkness enveloped me again.
And there I remained, solemnly meditating on what my next action would be. The cold creak of the chains was the only proof that this was not a dream.
-XXXXXX-
Eupherbia stuck her head out of the bottomless bag, carefully analyzing her surroundings, and realizing that she stood in a kind of dark laboratory, with stone walls, floor, and ceiling.
Shelves full of colorful vials decorated the walls, along with chains with handcuffs on the ends. Bloodied metal tables stood lined up side by side, with trays full of red-stained tools on top.
However, the various magical-looking weapons and artifacts were what caught her attention the most. All of them removed from the bag where the fairy had hidden in an attempt to understand its unlimited storage.
Seeing that she was alone, she left the bag and used her magic to return the artifacts to their rightful place. Making the object float beside her and follow her as she passed through the bars of the room's metal door.
Outside, she found herself on a long stone walkway that stretched horizontally, with dozens of lined doors. Looking down, the fairy saw floors similar to the one she stood stretching out infinitely, and the same result occurred when she looked up.
DING!
Suddenly, the ringing of a chime echoed through the walls and a cacophony of agonized screams accompanied it.
The rooms revealed themselves as cells, and their prisoners screamed as they learned the fate that awaited them.
Eupherbia hid in the corner of the walkway ceiling above, just behind a stone arch, and watched as metal gates opened at the end of each floor, allowing hybrid creatures to enter.
The creatures wore long red robes and carried a signet, had a humanoid appearance, and a head that seemed to be a cross between an elf and an octopus.
Each of them entered a cell and the prisoners' screams intensified, stopping only when a luminous blue sphere left the room and flew towards the upper floors.
Leaving her hiding place, the fairy followed the spheres, climbing the identical floors in search of an exit.
Minutes passed with no destination in sight, no matter how high she climbed, nothing changed. She wondered if she should keep going, or if she should look for an alternative exit.
How long would it be before they noticed the bag was missing? How long until she became exhausted? Hungry? Thirsty? Where were Edric and the dragon? The rest of the group could go to hell.
Her face twisted into a grimace as her thoughts grew darker and darker, despair taking over her being while her small heart felt like a rock.
Suddenly, Eupherbia glimpsed something golden in the corner of her vision. Hiding on the side of the walkway that divided the floors, she spotted a group of octopus elves struggling to remove something from a cell.
All three of them pulled at long lengths of golden fabric, hurling insults and exclamations as something struggled to remain inside the enclosure, but with a final tug, the prisoner was revealed.
Intoner Four, bound and gagged again by scraps of her golden robes. She wore prison rags that covered the bare minimum and threw herself backward with her wrists tied together, releasing muffled screams as she glared at the jailers with hatred.
However, her struggle was in vain, the force of their numerical superiority threw her to the ground and the elves dragged her kicking and screaming to the gate at the end of the walkway.
The fairy's eyes widened at the sight and she pondered whether she should follow them or fend for herself. She couldn't care less about the damned Intoner, but Edric would be disappointed if he knew she did nothing to help.
Shaking her head to clear her doubts, she mentally berated herself for letting the talk of being a better person change her mind and followed the Intoner through the gate.
She stayed close to the ceiling and out of everyone's field of vision, descending a seemingly eternal dark staircase until she reached a metal door opened by one of the jailers.
There, the fairy was horrified by the complexity of the place. She found herself in a mix of fortresses and towers of stone fused to the thick trees of the Land of Forests, with enormous bridges suspended over dark chasms shrouded in mist.
She could see neither the top nor the bottom, only the immensity of passages, doors, arches, and labyrinthine corridors, with monstrosities leading hundreds of prisoners.
The jailers led Four to a collapsed bridge in the middle.
For a moment the fairy wondered if they would jump, but a series of metallic clicks caught her attention. A large elevator resembling a cubic cage descended from the mist above and stopped at the edge of the bridge, allowing the group to enter.
The fairy wasted no time in landing on top of the elevator's roof and grabbing the chain that supported it, tightening her grip as it began to rise. There she heard the conversation of the occupants.
"What is the status of the gargoyles and creatures production?"
"We have reached an acceptable pace with the new batch of prisoners of war and stone from the Land of Sands. Intoner Two's alliance with our master has brought unexpected benefits."
"And our special specimens?"
"Intoner Five is at the top, powering the new device. The knight's sacrifice will take place soon, and the dragon has already been modified to our master's specifications."
"Perfect! Eternal knowledge awaits you, sirs, and our master will lead the way."
Eupherbia listened intently, taking in every detail as she ascended. She spotted swarms of gargoyles shrieking or adorning the floors, decrepit prisoners building bridges and fortifications, carving stone and wood, expanding the labyrinth.
Sometimes she would hear the screams of unknown beings in the distance, shuddering at the images her imagination created, or she would see someone breaking through the mist, falling to their death, which would be considered a relief.
The more time passed, the more she noticed the details around her, noticing the magical glow that seemed to surround all the buildings, and the metal pipes and strange devices that gradually appeared.
Eventually, the elevator stopped at another collapsed bridge, this one more preserved in appearance and adorned with statues of the Intoner who reigned over this place.
The bridge led to a large circular building partially constructed with an adorned metal dome on its top.
She followed the jailers into the building, passing through a pair of golden metal doors that opened automatically, and hiding behind a strange piece of metal on the ceiling. Inside the dome, a figure dressed in gold greeted the jailers with open arms.
"Four, it pleases me to see you again despite the circumstances. I hope you do not hold a grudge for what I did to your lands."
However, the Intoner in question could only glare at her sister with fulminating hatred, as fighting back proved futile.
"I see you haven't changed at all, always the good one. You may leave now, I'll take care of the rest!" Three said to her servants, who bowed before leaving the room.
Four wasted no time in running towards her sister but stopped when the pieces of fabric wrapped and tightened her body, completely restraining her.
"Forgive me, but I can't have you running around, that would be troublesome." Three then pulled a lever in the center of the dome, and Eupherbia realized the extent of the engineering in this place.
Deafening metallic clicks and mechanisms in motion reverberated through the walls. The floor and ceiling of the dome opened, revealing a multitude of brass wheels and gears flowing with steam and magic in a constant beat.
At that moment she realized she hid behind one of the wheels on the ceiling and had to fly backward to avoid being crushed against the mechanism.
A colossal metal cylinder rose from the ground in the center of the dome, surrounded by what appeared to be five metal sarcophagi with a small glass window, and a tangle of pulsating pipes connecting them to the cylinder.
A strange sphere made of wheels that shrank in size until its center where an intense blue light glowed connected with the top of the cylinder, releasing a hiss followed by a wave of scalding steam and a flash of light.
"This is Opanim, a marvel of engineering and magic bestowed upon me. You cannot imagine the work I went through to build it. Unfortunately, an acceptable power source proved to be a problem, that is until I had Five and you in my hands."
Squinting her eyes, Euphervia spotted something golden inside one of the sarcophagi, likely the fate of the captured Intoner and Four if she did not act.
"Would you like a demonstration? For our dear sister, One has graciously sent us practice targets."
Three pulled a second lever next to the first, causing several wheels with lenses in the center to descend from the ceiling and stop one in front of the other, creating a telescope that looked beyond the fog that surrounded the dome.
Everyone saw a fleet of airships with the Roman numeral I approaching Three's sanctuary, but the Intoner was unconcerned and snapped her fingers, manifesting a staff in her hands as her golden robes pulsed with power.
Opanim's wheels spun rapidly and the glow in its center intensified, the air boiling with magic as pistons and gears accelerated their movement.
Five struggled in her prison, her screams muffled by the metallic confinement, then Three swung her staff and the world disappeared for a second before a gigantic magical bolt left Opanim and struck one of the airships, reducing it to flaming wreckage.
The same happened with the second and third, with each swing of her staff, Three sent her enemies crashing to the ground. The eyes of the fairy and the imprisoned Intoner widened at the display, but no words left their mouths.
"That was fun, but I believe I should focus on something more important. My forces will take care of the rest."
The lenses moved again, pointing downwards and revealing a group of people fighting outside the sanctuary. Zero, Ditto, Decadus, and a small force of elves faced a tall, thin creature wearing a long purple cloak and a white mask with horns.
Three raised her arm again, but Eupherbia acted faster, removing several weapons from the bottomless bag and hurling them toward the mechanisms like cannonballs.
"What?!" The golden Intoner screamed in surprise, but it was too late.
A barrage of metal struck the various sensitive equipment scattered throughout the dome, crushing and bending wheels, jamming gears, and displacing pistons. Sparks and steam gushed out as the various parts struggled against their obstacles, trying to fulfill their function, but this only damaged them further.
"You fool, what have you done?!"
However, it was too late. The pieces jumped out of their sockets in a deafening cacophony, Opanim's wheels spun rapidly, turning into a blur raining sparks while the light in its center shone like a small sun.
Eupherbia enveloped herself in a magical bubble and Four rolled to the ground, turning her back to the great machine, then…
BOOM!
…The world became white and silent, returning with a muffled high-pitched hum and incomprehensible blurs. When the fairy came to, she found herself pinned to the metal dome, her head throbbing and ears aching, disorientation taking over her being.
Slowly, everything became clearer and she found herself amid absolute chaos, a sea of blue magical flames and twisted metal, with pieces of the ceiling crashing down on the people below.
Shaking her head to dispel her confusion, Eupherbia flew towards Four who was thrown against the wall, and cut her bonds without wasting time with one of the swords from the bag, slapping her face with a magic attack to wake her up.
"OUCH! BASTARD!" The Intoner screamed as she woke up and saw the fairy staring at her with a frustrated face.
"SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP, GET YOUR SISTER AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS!"
Four opened her mouth to respond but soon fell silent when the dome shook and creaked with cracks spreading across the floor.
Soon, the building slowly tilted with worrying creaks. Small objects slid across the floor towards the opening on the other side of the room, falling into the abyss below, followed by larger objects as the foundation gave out, including an unconscious Three, her robes the last to disappear.
The Intoner scrambled to her feet, her heart threatening to leap from her chest, and ran towards Five's prison, its lid now blown off by the explosion and held her rag-clad sister in her arms before running towards the exit.
It was a difficult climb as the floor slowly took on a ninety-degree angle, to the point where she had to dig in her heels to keep from falling backward, sweating profusely and hurling every insult she knew as the fairy retrieved the surviving weapons and stored them in the bag.
The group soon left the dome and ran towards the elevator, crossing the bridge that cracked and collapsed in their path as the main building disappeared into the mist.
The elevator door closed and it began to lurch downwards, throwing Four and her sister against the walls as the fairy flew out of the way. Pieces of complex machinery rained down along with rocks and other debris, to the point that during a violent lurch, the chains supporting the elevator snapped.
Everyone present screamed as they fell at a complex angle, hitting one of the long bridges where the elevator bounced like a ball, crushing everyone in its path until it crashed through a large metal door, raising a cloud of dust.
The surviving gargoyles and octopus elves approached with weapons and spells ready. Suddenly, the crushed elevator door flew out of the cloud, landing with a heavy thud, and something flashed at its point of origin.
"AAAHHH!" Eupherbia screamed with all her might, raising her arms and bombarding her enemies with magic.
Simultaneously, a barrage of weapons flew out of the bottomless bag, slashing, crushing, and piercing everyone in their path. She advanced across the bridge, eliminating everyone she encountered while Four followed close behind, still carrying her sister.
"Any ideas on how we will get out of here?!" Four asked, kicking a gargoyle, reducing it to dust.
"First we'll find Edric and the dragon, and then we'll get out of here!"
"Of course, you say it like it's easy!"
"Why don't you stop complaining and do something then?! I haven't seen you do anything useful yet! A thank you for the help would be a good start!"
"Hump! As if I would be grateful to a fairy!"
"Wow, is that how I acted before I met Edric?!"
"What did you say?!"
Then they both advanced through the labyrinthine passages of the complex, passing through torture cells, laboratories full of twisted experiments, ancient libraries, and more. However, there didn't seem to be a way out, until something caught their attention.
"The prisoner escaped!" One of the octopus elves shouted.
BOOM!
"By Lady Three, he's naked! AAAHHH!" A second one spoke, only for a scream of pain to interrupt his speech.
CRASH!
"Release the dragon!"
"RRROOOAAARRR!"
"No, no… ARGH!"
The fairy and Intoner stared at each other before following the sounds of fighting, turning a corner to the right, and entering another long bridge. Looking up, they saw a commotion on the upper floors of the building the bridge connected to.
A cloud of debris and dust spewed from the stone windows, followed by a crash and another wave of destruction on the lower floor. This process repeated itself quickly, from floor to floor until they reached the bridge, where something struck the metal doors on the other side, knocking them down.
A being stepped out of the cloud of dust, a tall figure with well-defined muscles, but those could be considered his only attractive features, for the rest of his appearance, was inhuman.
Extremely pale skin, almost gray like stone, covered in deep scars from cuts and punctures of varying sizes, large, poorly healed, and scarred burns, discolored sections from violent impacts, and dark veins pulsing through its flesh.
The fingers of its hands and feet ended in claws, and its face had sharp features, almost like those of a gargoyle, with a medium but pointed nose, sharp teeth but far from being fangs.
Deep-set eyes of a piercing blue that seemed to stare into your soul with dark circles just below, a pair of small horns protruding from its forehead, and short, disheveled silver hair.
The being breathed heavily, with handcuffs with remains of chains attached to its wrists and shins while it carried half a pillar as a weapon in its crushing grip.
"Hey, Edric!" Eupherbia waved casually, grinning from ear to ear as Four stared at her with wide eyes in a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"Eupherbia." Edric waved back, stepping closer as he caught his breath.
Four's gaze slowly drifted downward, taking in every detail of the knight's peculiar appearance, and her face grew redder and redder the lower she went until…
"Eyes up! You can fuck him after we get out of here!" Eupherbia scoffed, grinning from ear to ear as she pushed the Intoner's chin up.
Four swallowed hard, shaking her head quickly, dispelling certain thoughts as her face returned to normal. However, it was Edric's turn to look away in embarrassment as he took in the Intoner's poorly dressed form.
"Oh, forgive me! Eupherbia, could you hand me my bag? I believe I have some clothes that would fit Four." He said, covering the corner of his eyes with his hand.
"No, no! You should get dressed first! I at least have something to cover myself with!" Four replied, the redness returning to her face as she glared again, steaming like a kettle.
"Why do you turn into a saint every time you're near him?" Eupherbia asked sarcastically but got no answer as Edric and Four still argued over who should get dressed first while trying to avoid staring too much.
However, footsteps coming from both sides of the bridge and a heavy flapping of wings from above interrupted them both. Octopus elves, gargoyles, and crazed prisoners quickly approached, including a large shape in the mist.
"We need to leave, now!" Edric shouted, running to the side of the bridge and spotting another one in the mist below.
"Please, we can handle this cannon fodder." Four replied confidently.
"I'm not worried about them, but that!" Edric said, pointing to the large shape in the mist, revealing the black dragon swooping down with flames streaming from its mouth.
"Fuck!" the Intoner screamed, leaping down to the bridge below without a second thought.
Edric and Eupherbia did the same, avoiding the dragon's flames, feeling the scorching heat touch their backs as they fell, and hearing the resulting crash and death screams.
Soon the knight, the fairy, and the two Intoners resumed their flight, with their former ally chasing them in blind fury.
Meanwhile, several questions ran through their minds: What happened to the dragon? Was there a way out? Were Zero and her group still alive? What happened to One and Two? Was there any way to end this war?
Unfortunately, only one thing was certain: the demons feasted on this bloodbath.
END OF CHAPTER