Quietly, they all advanced into the dark with a strong emotion brewing inside all of them. For Gracia it was fear, for whether Sylas was still alive or not. For Ki Song it was anxiety, for if their assumption was wrong, all four of them wouldn't come back. For Galahad it was a fierce excitement, he would have a rematch against someone whose strength he respected, and even a powerful nightmare creature after.
And for Epsilon, it was fear, because if their guesses were correct and Sylas truly was under some sort of mind hex, he wasn't sure if all 3 of them combined could even win against him.
'Maybe I'm over thinking it...'
He had never sparred against Sylas while using his Aspect, and Sylas's own Aspect was not as suited for combat as his. But still, Sylas had never fought against him seriously either, and in terms of pure combat, he was better than all of them.
Simply put, he did not know how strong he truly was.
'Technically, its four on one rather than three because of Galahad, and I've gotten stronger since then too. Yeah, I'm definitely just overthinking it. And besides, [Judgement] doesn't seem to think I'm making a bad choice. I'm sure everything will workout somehow.'
"Remember, we just need to drag him out of its range. If we incapacitate him, then the mind hex will just switch targets to one of us instead."
As the group walked down, they eventually came up to the end of the narrow tunnel. It quickly grew, and instead became a massive stone dome with several small holes, seemingly leading into other caverns poking into it.
There was another one of the luminous crystals growing at the very top of the cavern, but instead of mimicking sunlight, it let off a menacing red glow that illuminated the mountain below.
A lone figure sat at its summit, but upon closer inspection, the mountain was not made of stone— but of beasts. Below him, the creatures of corruption lay stacked, their colossal bodies twisted in defeat. Some were familiar, yellow tails, their larger counterparts, and other species of chimera creatures from the memory of the Chimera Mass.
Others were much more terrifying, such as the massive 2 headed serpent that had its eyes gouged out and fangs ripped off, as well as the bloody, but empty shell of some kind of turtle that he had been feasting on. The stench of power and death clung to all of them, a grim testament to the carnage that brought them here.
The familiar silhouette was sharp against the bloody heavens. He was a warrior cloaked in shadow, gripping his weapon with calm authority. Sylas looked down upon all of them, with a strange emptiness in his eyes, that wasn't quite dead, but not really alive either.
The group moved further in, leaving the confines of the tunnel, and approaching the foot of the mountain of corpses.
Gracia quietly whispered,
"Syl?"
And is if hearing that, Sylas reacted.
One minute he was there, and the next, his sword was already inches away from Epsilons neck. He didn't even have enough time to react, and already the blade was cutting into his skin.
Before his head was taken right off though, Galahads staff thrusted right into Sylas's side, pushing him away. He was sent rolling into the dirt, and right when he was in the middle of regaining his footing, Galahads staff was already swinging down at his skull.
Quickly raising his sword above his head, he blocked the strike, but Galahad still persisted. Pushing down with all of his weight, he tried to force Sylas to drop his blade. He was only holding onto it with one hand, and Galahad's own build was bigger and heavier. It was only natural that he would win this struggle.
But for some reason, it just wasn't working. Sylas's arm was shaking under the pressure, but in the end, it never conceded.
Rather than growing worried though, the grin on his face only grew wider.
"If it were that easy, I'd have grown bored of you a long time ago!"
A puff of white smoke exploded next to him, and emerging was one of his clones. With both arms, it swung its own black staff with all its might, aiming right at Sylas's open side.
With his free left arm, Sylas quickly reached out and caught it right in his hand. Galahad tried to push it further, but the staff didn't budge. Not even an inch.
'Such brute strength. What is it that makes you so strong?'
With his sword in his right hand, Sylas tilted it to the ground, causing Galahads staff to slide right down it making him fall with it as well. Sylas then followed it up with a knee to the stomach which sent Galahad flying back.
Then with his left hand still holding onto the staff, Sylas pulled it towards him dragging the clone closer. And then letting go, he swung the back side of his fist right into its face.
Blood trickled out from its mouth, as the hit staggered him for a few moments. In that short time, Sylas aimed straight for his neck. His sword was already moving towards it, just one swing and it would be dead. Then he'd finish the original off, and then he'd kill Epsilon, and then after...
His eyes widened as they fell upon the white spirit. He recognised it right away as Gracia, but he didn't care. And yet, he couldn't help but feel an odd sense of sorrow.
'Shut up, you don't get another turn.'
Nevertheless, his sword slowed down for just half a second. And right then, a second blade reached out, clashing against his.
Standing before him now, was Epsilon with an annoyed look on his face.
"I'm gonna assume talking to you won't work?"
He tried to overpower him quickly, but Epsilons doubled strength wouldn't back down. Retracting his sword, Sylas rapid fired six different thrusts aimed at several parts of his body. Panicking, Epsilon raised his sword.
He tried so desperately to read their trajectory like Orum taught him, but when he tried it on Sylas, it was like his sword was constantly changing where it was going. Simply put, it was impossible to read.
So instead, he drove all of his instincts and strength into at least protecting his vital spots. Through this, he was able to block the two strikes aimed at his heart and head.
Steel flashed, as Epsilon reeled at Sylas's relentless precision. The first aimed straight for his heart which he was able to parry, the second thrust drove straight into the flesh in-between his ribs, cutting air from his lungs. The third pierced his upper abdomen, causing blood to shoot out of him like a fountain. The fourth plunged into his thigh, making him slowly fall to one knee. The fifth penetrated his upper arm, tearing through muscle and leaving his sword hand weakened. The sixth and final strike shot straight for his head, but a white sphere of energy emerged from his body, quickly slamming into it and exploding as the blade was pushed back. A small crack formed on its edge.
Epsilon should've been faster and stronger, and yet, Sylas's attacks were completely unreadable. This was the difference in technique that lay in between the two.
Sylas was just about to release a seventh strike, but the original Galahad as well as his clone, both thrusted at him with all their might.
He quickly jumped back, avoiding the blow as well as gaining distance between them both.
Epsilon quickly put his hand over his abdomen, applying pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't enough. If he didn't wrap it up quickly though, he'd probably die.
'Damnit.'
Just breathing hurt now. He still had his Soul Essence, but he wanted to use it on a clear blow. He needed an opening so he could get a good hit in, but Sylas was simply too fast and nimble to land it. And now with his leg being like this, that was only going to be harder.
'Damnit!'
Epsilon looked around for anything that could save them, but instead he saw Smile Of Heaven just floating there, watching them. As if she was stuck in some kind of trance.
"What the hell are you confused about!? Help us!"
She seemed to snap out of it.
"I'm sorry!"
Already in her sword form, she flew straight over to Sylas with the tip of her blade pointed right at him. She aimed not at a vital spot, but a place that was sure to slow him down, but Sylas easily read it.
The two blades clashed, and Smile Of Heaven was sent soaring into the sky while spinning, but quickly, her blade realigned back on him as she darted towards him yet again.
"You two are leaving me out now!? That isn't fair! I was fighting him first!"
Galahad, the original, was already running up towards him, while Epsilon stayed behind due to his injuries. If he could, he'd like to analyse Sylas for any kind of weakness or flaw. They'd be able to take advantage of it, and then force him out of the mind hex's range.
But everything happened so quickly.
One moment he was there, and the next, Galahads head was already rolling on the floor.