His aspect tried his best to not turn himself around anymore. Another brief laugh escaped Gwyn's mouth until he coughed up more blood and he couldn't support him any longer. The feeling faded from his body, and his lips were losing their color, his eyes almost closed.
“Th-thank you, Tyr… thank you, L-leandro…” He paused, smiling while looking at the fluttering, imposing-looking coat of his aspect
“T-thanks… Delirias…”
After these words, Gwyn didn't wake up a second time, and the hall was filled with a restless silence. It felt like the room had been separated from all the chaos outside and only a slight gust of wind wafted through the old masonry. Under immense pain Gwyn had lived his last moments. Yet, it seemed almost irrelevant. Despite his disfigured body, the one thing that remained was the smile on his lips.
Even Delirias seemed to be affected by the death of his partner, though he tried to hide it as best as he could, pulling his hood over his face, leaving only the traces of his white hair visible to the outsider.
“No, Gwyn, I thank you. Thanks to you I'm finally free after all this time,” Delirias whispered eventually.
Despair got caught up in a clangorous laughing fit and swept over his head with his hand.
“How pathetic is that?! A human showing gratitude to an aspect? That's the biggest joke that I've ever heard. Who thanks someone for using them for their own selfish needs?!” His laughter seemed to be more uncontrollable and ruthless than ever before.
“It seems like reaching the state of materialization is easier than I previously thought, especially when you have found such an incredible moronic human.”
“SHUT YOUR TRAP!” shouted Delirias and a mighty shockwave swished in the direction of Despair, silencing even him.
“Although Gwyn might not have been as cunning and merciless as we are, his courage and his choice will usher in a new age for this world and the human world. Which is why I cannot stand idly by while you insult his name. Even though he was just a means to an end,” the usual white, confident grin revealed itself underneath the hood.
“Though, that should be the least of your concerns, isn't that right, Despair?!”
“Ksk… I know that myself, you pest,” he grunted as he analyzed the situation he found himself in. The explosions from the outside grew more intense by the minute, and the rumbling was closing in on the throne room, while the room itself became more and more silent.
“How nice that you understood what just happened. After what I've gathered about you, you were the last well-known aspect that obtained his freedom, right?”
“Who knows? Can we start, or shall I gracefully wait until all of your powers have materialized as well?” another taunt by Despair who was ready to face his consequences.
“Oh, don't you worry about that, my dear. It will be over soon,” the aspect answered calm and collected. With a bang, the scourge detonated from Delirias’ body. The broken pieces were morphing the scourge into green sparks that started to dance around his fingertips. With two quick, reflex-like movements of his hands, two crescent-shaped daggers were forming themselves out of the sparks. Quickly the aspect turned the blades upside down, creating the image of Delirias being the head of a ferocious snake with green fangs at the front. His slender fingers wrapped around the shafts with utmost grace until the daggers began to glow in a sharp green color. In the gleaming light that penetrated through the torn walls over their heads, Delirias shook the ground.
“Really original. I'm almost impressed,” a dry reply from Despair followed as he swung his scythe around himself and the black flames laid themselves around him like Delirias’ coat.
“Let me prove to you once and for all that everything is futile.”
“You know, it's almost a pity that Gwyn died,” Delirias started unexpectedly to narrate. “If it wasn't for me that opened the door that he created, then I'm pretty sure he would've found his answer, accomplishing a lot more than we thought possible. Though I guess he didn't have much of a choice, seeing as we were both cut from the same cloth. Fufufuf.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Despair asked in a confused manner before he noticed Delirias’ next to him.
He appeared just like that without him noticing. Delirias smashed his foot into Despair's face with such a heavy impact that he was slammed into the ground. Just as he was about to regain his composure, another one landed right into his stomach, catapulting him into the debris a few yards away.
“IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!” Despair screamed immediately after he flew into the debris. A wide smoke cloud erupted from the impact point, and his flames shot forth in the form of an anguished human skull.
“It is such an intoxicating feeling to finally be free,” Delirias said in ecstasy.
His green steel punctured through the flames without much effort, deflecting the incoming attacks from Despair with ease.
“Looks like these fights have taken a toll on your strength after all,” Delirias cackled. In the face of his impending doom, the man with the purple eyes and metal chin became more restless and wasteful with his movements. The longer the fight went on, the more the Lord felt his power diminishing, until the moment eventually arrived. A moment where nothing but a helpless victim remained in front of the freshly freed aspect Delirias. The screams from his black steel were echoing desperately through the destroyed room with every strike but to no avail.
“Looks like this time it's really over. And here I thought I was so close to achieving my goal. I wonder what you would think of me right now, you naive human? All this pain and it wasn't enough…” it went through Despair's head, panting before the excited and malicious eyes of his enemy.
At that moment he went for a fierce and final strike that once more missed his target. As Delirias was about to end their fight, the Lord began to close his eyes. Without hesitation, Delirias rammed his fang-like daggers into the chest of the fiend. Only when Despair started twitching, sinking to the ground helplessly, he let go of him.
A green, glowing liquid mixed itself with the black blood streaming from Despair's wounds. As if the Lord was looking back onto his existence, the memories were flickering in front of his inner mind.
Memories he thought he had long forgotten. White doves are flying over his head, which slowly crumbled to dust. Decayed carcasses towered around him as he found himself standing on a graveyard. Like a piece of glass his eyes shattered and the ground beneath him broke apart, pulling him into its depths. It felt as if he was drowning while simultaneously being crushed to death.
Shortly after, he heard a small music box that played a soft melody, overwhelming him with a sense of belongingness. With the sound of two fingers snapping, he awoke to the scenery of a tiny dollhouse. He sat at a porcelain table with puppets that were drinking from their tiny teacups with their strings attached.
“What is going on here?” he thought to himself as the house was vanishing into the nothingness, leaving him standing before a giant red rock. A similar gigantic cross had been embedded into it, looking down on him condescendingly. Beneath it, between the hills and mountains, carefully hidden, was a passageway. White sand trickled out of the opening and started to drag Despair into a vortex. Two suns were burning his face with their light until they were hidden by a shadow that spoke to him in a familiar tone.
“Let's go, Setsu! This is our chance,” it said.
“Who are you? Do we know each other?” Despair asked quietly as he tried to catch a glimpse of the shadow. Right as it looked like he was getting his answer, a huge gate opened up before him.
Behind it, he saw a land completely covered in light. White spiral towers with noble carvings and decorations. Lights that looked like stars were raining down like hail, his body feeling fascinated and in pain.
The voice spoke to him again in a joyous mood.
“May I introduce you? This is my beautiful wife, Sygyn. Isn't she stunning?! We are expecting our first child very soon, how exciting is that, huh?!”
“You fool, you know that she cannot see me,” commented Despair in his mind. “Wait a moment. Is it what I think it is? Why am I remembering this maggot now? And why can't I have more fond memories of that time?”
The surroundings abruptly shifted and he was looking upon his former self, being surrounded by ten powerful auras. Sinister-looking eyes were staring at him from the shadows, while he saw him talking to them. Many different voices were discussing with each other, judging him.
“So you really want to be one of us?”, it resounded.
“Should we even declare ourselves as a group? I mean, I'm more of a lone wolf. Luhluhluh.”
“Silence, Cruelty. The Akeyanaru are a necessary step for this world to evolve. I'd advise you to follow, or you will perish alongside the rest.”
“Oh boy, here we go again. I'm ready to throw down, too!”
”Why can't all of you just die a miserable death? I can't bear it much longer”
“No one was talking to you, moron.”, the different voices began to argue.
“Enough! We are discussing the matter at hand. Setsu's plan is not likely to succeed. We shouldn't be trusting a reborn aspect this easily.”
“I think he is quite endearing and cute, Zlihihi.”
“Don't you dare forget that I have the final say in this. And you … “ a deep voice spoke to Despair “You shall venture forth, deep into the mountains to the north, where you will receive your new name”
Despair saw himself nodding in submission as the leader of the group spoke.
“Fine. The Akeyanaru shall help you, but only if you prove yourself useful to our cause.”
His vision became blurry between the ever-switching pictures of his memories and Despair felt as if he was finally losing his mind.
“So much has happened, isn't that right? The price for my deeds has caught up to me way sooner than I thought. It feels like a small eternity ago I was still aimlessly wandering around in the endless nothingness. I wanted to show them how liberating it is to cast away one's hopes, seeking power in Despair. And now will you look at me… I miss our time together. Both of us truly are pathetic, Lohka.”
His body got thrown around in his dizziness, and he landed in a tattered cathedral where the moonlight was coming through the rifts in the walls.
“Everything began right here and ended at the same time,” he thought, as he saw himself looming in the shadows. A painful scream, resonant laughter and a gallant clapping were clouding his vision even more, and he finally stood before a gigantic skull. As if he had shrunk down to the size of an insect the dried skull towered before him. The sound of a music box could be heard once more, and small rays of light were shining down one by one. Every single note led to a light ray illuminating a part of the skull before fading away. Until the last ray was cast upon Despair himself and eventually diminished forever. The aspect returned to the endless nothingness where he came from.
“Phew,” Delirias sighed. “It's over, Gwyn. For now,” Delirias respired, feeling exhausted but still cracking a smile. His legs felt heavy and his mouth huffed as he trotted towards Gwyn's body. “Who would've thought that it will be this thrilling right from the start, huh?” he panted with another grin as he kneeled down to the cleaved up body of his former partner.
“I will tear down the concepts of this world, I will promise you that,” whispered Delirias as he caressed over Gwyn's hair, closing his partner's eyes.
“Rest in peace, little one. I wish you could've experienced my new age with me. I bet you would've exploded from all the excitement and curiosity.”
With these words even his eyes began to grew heavy until he gave in to his exhaustion and lost his consciousness.
At the same time, Asthen was still fighting fiercely against Cynisme. Both of them were determined to go all out, but it looked like Asthen was about to reach his limit earlier than expected.
“Master Asthen!” Vylsanas rushed to his side as his partner was forced to his knees. Cries of war and explosions roared all around them and it felt like they would get company very soon. As if it hadn't been disadvantageous enough for Asthen, another troop of twenty man stormed the room to Cynisme's aid.
“General Cynisme! You are still around, I couldn't be happier!”
“Of course. What did you think I would do?!” moaned the creature.
“The enemy units are overwhelming us. We cannot stop them. We had to retreat here. They could arrive at any moment, please prepare yourself, General,” reported one of the men.
“Why should I care anymore? This piece of trash will be reduced to nothing but rubble and ashes.” Cynisme seemed disgusted by their current situation. “But now that you're here, why don't you make yourself useful? Kill that human scum over there.”
“Yes, my General,” the warriors shouted in unison and pointed their weapons towards Asthen and his aspect.
“I guess this is it, Vylsanas,” panted Asthen with a forced smile.
“Don't say that, young master. We can still make it. If we retreat, then…” his aspect tried to comfort him, but even he knew the dire straits they were in. None of them had the required energy and power to take down Cynisme and his followers. It didn't take long for the men to storm towards them with their battle cries until they had been abruptly been forced to stop.
“W-who the hell is there?” the first man yelled frighteningly.
“T-that's the fucked up w-whore from before,” another one added in panic.
“You could at least show a little respect if the mere thought of us makes you tremble in your boots,” laughed a masculine, relaxed figure that slowly built himself up before Asthen.
It was Gieldan who calmly crossed his arms, with his black-red breastplate and coat creating an imposing aura, with his ponytail waggling back and forth. An ominous knocking of heels echoed behind them shortly after and drowned the whole room in anticipation. From the shadows emerged a young woman with brown hair, her eyes almost glowing from determination and rage.
The men, that previously were over eager to slaughter Asthen, began to quiver and treated backward with every passing moment.
“Emily,” Asthen said relieved and exhausted at the same time.
“What in the world are you doing? That's just another human. What is wrong with you?!” Cynisme was confused.
“What are you waiting for? Get her, NOW! That's an ORDE-!”
“Gieldan!” Emily commanded eventually, interrupting Cynisme, extending her hand skywards. “Burn them all to ashes. Every last one of them.”
“Right on it, my little lady,” answered Gieldan, self-assured, and unfolded his arms. He grabbed the daggers by his hilt and with a lightning fast move he had them angled before his body as if he was about to enter some kind of position.
“Stop this nonsense at once,” laughed Cynisme as his men were trembling with fear, still moving backward.
“T-th-that's the same movement from before. RETREAT MEN... RETREAT!”
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU THAT TRIES TO ESCAPE!” yelled Cynisme in pure anger.
Meanwhile, something disseminated between Gieldan's hands, coming forth from glowing the red flames he created. It melted the daggers to a scorching mass from which he graciously formed a burning bow. Like the iron of a blacksmith, the smoldering began to fade, and sparks were hitting the ground. The atmosphere was engulfed by a thick wave of hot air, making it harder to breathe while the room dried up. As if their armors were about to catch fire the men saw steam coming from their clothes. In a panic, crying for help, the men ran away in droves, past their commander in battle, hoping to escape at the last possible moment.
Cynisme himself couldn't grasp the situation as he was frozen with fear and bewilderment. His empty eyes gazed upon the flaming bow that had begun to form a scorching arrow that threatened to eradicate them all. Yet, the thing that Cynisme feared the most at this moment was the human by Gieldan's side.
Emily's eyes bu
rned themselves into the depths of his soul, and it looked like he accepted what was about to happen. In his irritation, he began to talk to himself.
“What has this world come to?! First that fool of an aspect with the reborn scourge and now this? Since when did humans possess such might? This aura, this fire, is it like that unbearable, overbearing firebird? No…” He sank to his knees in disbelief.
“I remember this feeling. Back when the times were a lot simpler. I hoped that I never had to experience it again,” he gulped as he realized his time had come.
“This is the power of the eternally raging dragon of the gods. The blazing force of vengeance that buries everything underneath it. Lord Wrath…”
An enormous heat could be felt coming from Gieldan as he was ready to shoot. The ground beneath him yielded under the immense pressure. In their panic the men blocked the escape routes by trying to step over each other, getting stuck together. The last remaining men fell to the ground, and even their general stopped moving. With a precise and furious voice, Emily finished her last sentence.
“Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen.”
Gieldan let go and the projectile burst forth with tremendous force. In the blink of an eye, the whole room had been engulfed by a flaming sea that burned everything down. Like a storm of hot amber, it spilled over their bodies, leaving nothing but their charcoaled corpses. The only thing that remained of Cynisme was a statue made out of ash. The last flames were flaring on the stone ground as Emily prepared to move forward without mercy.
“W-wait! I'm coming with you,” Asthen said hastily and stumbled after her with the help of his aspect. Gieldan let the bow dissipate and crossed his arms once more, wrinkling up his nose.
The young woman wasn't up for chatter, yet she allowed Asthen to follow. On their way, he explained, with clumsily constructed sentences, that Gwyn and Leandro still managed to cross the river and ventured into the stronghold. As he reported the direction both of them went, Emily changed her course without hesitation and stormed through the tight corridors.
Death's Gambling Page 48