PHASE 45 - THAT DARN PUP STOLE MY KILL

Quick Trivia before the fight; Helena Efilion’s Guardian Ability is , which makes her able to see the environment in a bird’s eye view upon closing her eyes. It’s like watching yourself in a CCTV.

“Twenty four,” Helena muttered as soon as she finished using the said ability. “There’s twenty-four of them.”

“Resistance is futile.” Diadem’s voice echoed throughout the golden hall. It seems that all Cursed Guardians, including Void Wolf, are taking command from this freak. “Surrender yourself, or die. Choose.”

Is it obvious? Even if we’re surrounded by a bunch of red-eyed freaks who have thick eyeliners, my answer will always be the same. It is to defeat that Diadem and make him atone for his sins.

All of us deployed our weapons. We circled and compressed, facing outward to the enemies like the Avengers. All of us are examining the enemy movements. According to my , Nobody’s gonna move soon. At least for now.

“Are you planning on converting us to Cursed Guardians?” Amy pointed her iron sights to Diadem. But Diadem didn’t react to the question at all.

“Brother!” Tiara cried. “W-Why are you doing this!?”

“My dear sister Tiara.” Diadem looked down on his twin with a pitiful glare. He slowly stepped down from the stairs and reached out his hands. “Come here. Join us. Our family will finally reunite after a long time.”

“Shut up!” I shouted. I pointed my katana at Diadem. “Tiara’s not a genocidal sociopath like you!”

“Rikkun…” Tiara smiled at me with a blush. She’s on the verge of crying, but she made the resolve to stare bravely at her twin. “... I’ll have you atone for your sins, brother!”

“So you choose to die with your friends then,” Diadem said as he closed his eyes with agony.

“Get ready!” I warned all of my friends as I foresaw an incoming assault.

As soon as Diadem raised his hand, the black cloaks went to their battle modes! These Cursed Guardians are armed with large weapons such as broadswords, lances, axes, hammers, and giant maces. There are even ranged support such as archers and gunners!

Before the melee fighters are able to reach us, their range fighters made their move first. There were several spell chants that I could not hear a single audible word, but flame arrows, lightning bolts, giant boulders, water bullets and wind tornado drills have been launched!

“” Tiara shouted as she formed her fists to an X. Hologram turtle-shell filled with spikes formed and covered us like a small dome. Deafening blasts made the whole place tremble, but here inside the shell, we’re completely safe.

Tiara fell down on her knees. Using drains a lot of pranas, so she won’t be able to fight for a while.

“...E-Everyone, I’m counting on you…” Tiara said.

As soon as the attacks got repelled, the energy dome disappeared. All of us caught the black cloaks with a surprise counter attack!

“!!!” Amy dashed in a straight line, through the enemies in a freaking speed of light! She dropped several spherical explosives on her course and all the Cursed Guardians who are near was consumed by the barrage of explosions!

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“!!!” Helena stabbed her broadsword on the ground, and then lightning trees formed around in a wide area of effect! Humongous thunderbolts rushed towards the Cursed Guardians, which made this hall an explosion bazaar!

“I got twelve of them! I win this time, Jeannette!” Helena cheerfully said.

The blonde runt curled her eyebrows, but she had a smile. “Just eight. I held back a bit.”

They’re enjoying it!?

While me… I’m struggling to defeat this single cloaked guy in front! He’s holding a giant mace, and he’s swinging it around and everywhere. Crash and bash! I can completely read his moves and evade his attacks.

Just before I can make a single strike, somebody took the spotlight.

Bam!

Suddenly, a swift iron fist crashed on the Cursed Guardian’s left cheek! It made a small shockwave, which was powerful enough to make the enemy fall down unconscious.

“That was my kill!” I protested.

“Ahahaha… I’m sorry Rikkun…” Tiara smiled with her tongue stuck out.

She recovers her energy way too fast.

<>

Seeing that his lackeys are utterly defeated, Diadem finally responded.

“Interesting.” Diadem clapped with a hint of a smile on his face. “These candidates are far better than I expected.”

“This will be our chance to catch Diadem Solstice,” Helena said. “We will end this fight, right here, right now!”

I’m quite worried about Helena since her death flag has been raised. But I have this inner desire to beat Diadem’s ass and get him punished for killing my friends. I don’t know if this is the right time to do that though.

I mean, the timing is bad. Heushac is a sitting duck here in Yami. It would be wise if we get him out of here first. Right now, vengeance is just the second on my list, and survival of my friends comes first.

I looked at our leader who is the most logical thinker in our group. But Amy only said these words with a smile filled with determination: “Fight them or escape. Your call. You’re our field commander after all. ”

In my , I saw Key unconscious in front of me. Key is nowhere to be found as of this moment. And in that dream, we were in a barren wasteland. This ruined royal hall won’t turn into a desert soon. We may have a different outcome.

“I will not die, Alaric.” Helena smiled at me. “Don’t worry about Heushac. I can protect him.”

I looked at Heushac and he only have this shocked expression on his face. When he noticed me, he made a nod.

“Fine.” I sighed as I returned her smile.

I looked at the shrine maiden, who is having a staring contest with her evil twin brother. “Tiara… I know you don’t want to fight your twin brother.”

“Y-Yes… “ Tiara bowed. “I know it’s selfish and stupid, but-”

“Shift to healer mode and support us from the back. Watch over Heushac. I’ll take Diadem.”

Tiara’s eyes brightened and her face was flustered once again. “R-Rikkun…”

“I’ll take Void Wolf then!” Helena cracked her fist. “I still have to settle a score from that man!”

“Then I’ll get that black woman,” Amy said. “I’ll finish mine quickly with Freya’s powers.”

“You can talk to your retarded brother after I beat his ass up.” I said with the most innocent smile I have.

“Everyone…” Tiara cried, but she immediately wiped off her tears. She made that determined eyes on us three and shouted with full force. “Roger that!”

Our adorable shrine maiden deactivated her gauntlet. Then, she pulled an amulet from her pocket, which glowed and reformed itself into a shaman staff! Tiara tapped the edge of the staff on the floor, and a shockwave echoed, mimicking the water droplet in a pond.

“You guys are talking about escaping a while ago.” Diadem made his evil chuckle. “As if I’ll let you. You, idiots, have chosen the fate of death... so now... I should grant it.”

“Stop yanking,” I yelled. “You still owe me three lives, Diadem Solstice! And I’m here to collect your debt!”

I am planning on killing Diadem here and now in this fight. I’ll just make an excuse which is something like ‘Whoopsie, I accidentally cut his main arteries and severed his head. It was all an accident! Teehee!’

If I have to fight him, I should to switch to my God Mode to finish this fight quickly!

“!!!”

.

.

.

Nothing happened. I tried shouting it several times, but nothing is happening! It looks like I’m just embarrassing myself!

“Where’s that fake god?” Diadem smirked.

“...Rikkun…” Tiara made a worried tone.

That… That damned Outsider! Why can’t I transform into Lord Cthulhu!? I did it perfectly last time! Does that mean that my Fake God Core really is a counterfeit, as if it was made in China!? Does it break easily after one use? A disposable power? What the heck!

“Forget it…” I muttered. “, Set!”

I positioned my katana in front of my face, and the blade glowed with blue photon light. Wind energy started forming a mini-hurricane around my sword, as it compressed itself into pure energy to make the blade much wider, like a broadsword.

“This will do!” I made a fake smile as I moved to a centered stance.

This is the only power-up spell I know, so wish me luck guys!