Marichi's groan was a ragged exhale, each dragging step a battle against sheer exhaustion. The familiar weight of his dagger felt alien, its tip still weeping black blood onto the dusty ground.
His mind, a chaotic storm moments before, began to settle. The rhythm of his breaths slowed, thoughts racing to find a fragile alignment. He remembered the dizzying plunge from the sky, the ground erupting with claw-like formations as he plummeted, then falling endlessly through a viscous, inky abyss, a sensation that made his skin crawl.
I need to get back to them!
Images of Kacis, Acis, and Blutsatchel phased into his mind, dull with fatigue, then suddenly ablaze with fierce resolve.
But how?
He stared up at the oppressive ceiling of this subterranean prison.
The question clawed at him, forcing him to retrace the bizarre sequence of events: the ground that gave way, the disorienting shifts in gravity, the chilling loss of friction and sound, and those unsettling earth bubbles.
He was so lost in thought, head bowed, that he didn't see the approaching corner.
BAM!
A jarring impact, a sharp grunt, and a thud on the ground.
"Arghh!" Marichi massaged his throbbing forehead, the impact echoing through his skull.
Someone scrambled up quickly, dull, dented, and rust-riddled armor clanking, a faded symbol of a horse and tools barely discernible on the stained chest plate.
"A-Another kid?" The person stammered, his grip tightening on a sword.
Where in the name of Charitas did he come from?
Marichi thought, scrambling to his feet, his dagger now a stark extension of his arm, pointing out menacingly.
"Who… are you?!" Marichi's voice wavered despite his attempt at command.
Is this one like him?
He thought of the contorted man painted in black blood, hands bursting from his gut, and tightened his grip on the dagger.
The armored figure offered no reply, his silence deafening, punctuated only by his ragged breath. Then he sighed, slowly lowering his sword.
"Step away from my side," the man rumbled, his voice strained.
"I don't want to die." He paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.
"And I also don't want to live with killing a kid with my own two hands." He adjusted his feet, poised for action.
"…Well, I don't want to live with killing an adult." Marichi let out a cold but soft chuckle.
"Please, just step away! Or in fact, just follow me!" The person took a hesitant step forward, his rusted armor groaning with each movement.
"There's something dangerous chasing me right behind me!" He then lowered his step further, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
"What…" Marichi's dagger dipped, his guard momentarily broken by the man's urgency.
"We can go, or I'm leaving you behind." The person's stance shifted, poised for flight.
Hmm… What should I do?
It's not like I have anywhere else to go. Marichi nodded and slid his dagger back into its pouch on his lower waist.
"Fine." He moved to the side.
"Better." The man bolted past Marichi, who fell into step right behind him. Their footsteps echoed, rhythmic and desperate, in the oppressive silence.
"So, who exactly are you?" Marichi panted, the question escaping on an exhale.
"Oh… Me?" The person glanced back over his shoulder, his arms pumping, a flicker of internal debate crossing his face.
Nah… It's just a kid.
…Who cares?
His eyes twitched faintly, a humorless smile gracing his lips.
"My name's Burtu." He said as they rounded a sharp corner.
Burtu… That name sounds northern.
Marichi noted internally, his mind still working despite his exhaustion.
"What's yours?" Burtu asked Marichi.
Marichi looked down at the ground as he ran, struggling to open his mouth.
"It's Ten." Marichi smiled back at Burtu.
"Ten, huh…" Burtu calmly said.
"What's a kid doing all the way here? And even doing with a dagger?"
"What exactly is chasing us?" Ignoring his question, Marichi glanced behind him, seeing nothing but darkness, yet he continued to follow Burtu's lead.
Rude brat! Maybe I should just dump him.
But I might still need him in case that thing comes back…
So I'll just sail along with him for now.
Burtu thought, his mouth grinning.
"Oh, the thing chasing us…" Burtu's voice cracked, a raw edge of fear birthing within it.
Us?!
Marichi's brows raised.
"Us?! You're the one who was running, probably even bringing it towards me." He scoffed.
"Then why don't you stay behind, why follow me?" Burtu questioned.
Marichi, his mouth sealed shut as he followed him.
"It's something horrible…" Burtu continued.
"What exactly is that something?" Marichi's vision narrowed on Burtu's retreating back, his own pace faltering slightly.
"You're quite a loud-mouthed kid, aren't you?" Burtu chuckled, then turned another corner.
"Wait." Marichi stopped abruptly as they rounded the bend, slumping over, hands on his knees.
"Where exactly did you come from?" He straightened, gasping for air.
"That's none of your concern." Burtu raised his voice as he gripped his abdomen.
"But what are we running away from?!" he asked, his tone rising.
Burtu leaned against the rough wall, his sword gripped tightly, his other hand covering his mouth as if to stifle a scream.
"It's a monstrosity." He huffed, each word a struggle.
"I don't know whether it's a man, o-or a beast, but it wore a long black cloth with grayish hands coming out of it." He walked forward slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.
Marichi stood frozen, speechless, a light tremble running through his body.
His brows furrowed, eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to process the information.
First that weird man, and now this… Where exactly did I land?
He sighed.
"But how did you get here in the first place?" he asked Burtu.
"Look… L-Let's just keep moving on." Burtu's legs dragged, each step sounding like his feet were tied to rocks.
"To where?" Marichi snorted back, a hint of defiance in his voice.
"I-I know a way out…" Burtu's shoulders relaxed slightly as he exhaled.
D-Did I just hear him right?
Marichi's heart leaped, hope igniting within him.
"How?" Marichi asked.
"Look if you want to survive this… Then just keep following me." Burtu continued to run, beginning to huff.
Should I really just follow this guy?
I mean...
Not like I even an idea of where I was going to before, he does.
Marichi, a part of him still hesitant, had no other choice. He followed right behind Burtu.
Their feet planted into the ground, but with each step, they dug deeper and deeper. The hard ground beneath them seemed to turn to mush.
"Wha…" Burtu looked down, his face contorting in terror, strands of his dirtied hair standing on end. Strands of Marichi's hair also stood up as their bodies felt lighter, a dreadful premonition settling over them.
Oh no…
Marichi thought, almost as if he knew what was about to come.
Soon after, they were both raised up into the ceiling without warning. Burtu accidentally dropped the sword, but it immediately rose along with them.
"Not this again!" Marichi shouted as he hit the ceiling and passed through it, claw-like formations of earth coiling around him.
"What is thi--" Burtu was sucked up into the ceiling along with the sword, with Marichi joining him moments later, all plunged into the viscous void.
{HAHAHA, now you brought company!}
An all-too-familiar voice penetrated Marichi's thoughts, resonating deep within his skull.
{What are you going to kill him too, just like you killed your so-called friends on the outside?!}
The voice shrieked, ringing in Marichi's head as he let out a roar, but no sound escaped in the liquid, only a vacuum moved into his throat and lungs, a silent, internal scream of utter, impotent fury.
...
Right above them, Jorel was slouched, his hands nearly touching the ground, panting like an injured, cornered animal.
"C-Come on, L-Let's team?" A contorted man, black blood oozing from him, a grotesque set of hands protruding from his gut, extended an invitation.
What is it talking about?!
Jorel thought, his mind reeling.
"Just who the hell are you!" He shouted, his face twisted in a furious scowl.
"How dare you do this to me?!" He then stood up, his fists clenched, ready for battle.
"D-Do… What?!" The man's head lowered, his multiple hands clapping together in a bizarre, unsettling rhythm.
"..." Jorel's feet buckled as he tried to stand, swaying, but he managed to regain his balance.
Who or what in the Ujochi's name is this?! Making me seem like powerless…
But I'll show it!
I'll show it as the heir of the Ujochi clan!
He bolted forward, his hands poised. The man responded swiftly, extending his already grotesque hands towards Jorel.
It swiped and grabbed at the air as Jorel dodged and blocked with his fist, closing the distance. He let out a slight smirk, then punched the man squarely in the face.
Was never that exceptional in hand-to-hand combat…
But!
He continued with a flurry of punches to the man's face, black blood spewing onto his hands, clothes, and face, a horrifying baptism into the unholy.
---The end of chapter 26---