Careful, careful...!
"Hup!" I hopped out of the front door after knocking in the specific rhythm again, "Phew, gold star!"
"That's everyone." Vastoria smiled, picking us up in her embrace, "Then, does anyone have anywhere they'd like to stop by before we go to the Shrine?"
"Nope, no need to waste any more time." Sheep shook his head.
"Let's go!"
With the party having gotten some proper equipment, not to mention manpower with the addition of gramps, we now have everything we need to take on the Shrine. It's gonna be quite different without Throne and Gale by our side, but we should be more than capable of reaching the fourth floor by ourselves.
"Poor Vastoria, having to carry all that weight..." I glared at Energy's heavy arsenal, "You sure you really needed all those extra weapons, gramps?"
"I already told you, they're more than necessary." He shot back, "And don't call me gramps!"
"Honestly though, did you take each of every weapon with you?" Sheep inquired, "Geez man, you're not gonna be able to use all of them, y'know?"
"I only grabbed the ones I feel comfortable using."
"So everything."
"Not the blades."
This guy! At this point he just has something against blades. Ah, but he did make sure to grab some stakes he made by sharpening down metal. I guess stabbing is different from slicing, after all. In any case, he's weighing us down quite a bit. Does he seriously not care about Vastoria at all?
"Migu, stop giving Energy the stink Eye." Vastoria giggled, "I'm doing just fine, since the wings can carry most any weight."
"Of course, I wouldn't pack extras if I didn't know that." Energy chimed in.
I keep forgetting he was a seraphim too once. At the very least, we're not gonna have to worry about passing through the barrier this time, since Vastoria is the only one that'll need to leave her wings behind. That being said, it was exactly thanks to these wings that we have already made it to the Shrine.
"Sab's wings are still here." I looked at the pair of wings leaned on the ice barrier.
"Is this Sab inside the Shrine right now?" Energy gave a puzzled look.
"N-No, he's..." Vastoria danced around the answer, "He got separated from his wings, let's put it that way."
"Oh. So, can I have them?"
"No!"
Gramps, stealing is wrong! Man, and he said that without any hesitation too. His generation is seriously messed up...
"Oh come on, if he's not in the vicinity, then it's better for me to have them than for someone else." Energy elaborated, "We know I won't use it for malicious purposes, but if someone else finds them first... Who knows what they'll do!"
"The wings belong to Sab." Vastoria sternly explained, "He'll come looking for them, and when he does, he ought to have them back."
At this, Energy just couldn't help but throw a hissy fit. He really wanted those wings.
"I don't understand, is he an ally?"
"He is."
"So why didn't you fly him here yourself?"
"Because, we don't know where he is." Vastoria helped me get it through his thick skull, "Come on, we didn't come here for the wings. We came here to reach the bottom of the Shrine."
"Yeah, yaaawn~" I stretched, "I haven't slept for almost 2 cycles now. That bed down on the fourth floor is calling my name."
Having heard this, he gave me a suspicious gaze. I guess even he found it hard to believe, but it's the truth. If I fell asleep now before reaching the bed, it could mean I'll lose my memories of the past two cycles. On the other hand, they've been so eventful and traumatizing that I genuinely don't think I could fall asleep from the adrenaline.
"Ah, speaking of sleep..." Sheep glanced up, "It's almost bedtime."
"Then we made it just in time." Vastoria cheered, taking off her wings neatly next to Sab's, "And not even a minute to spare!"
"Let's go, everyone." I walked through the barrier with ease, "The White Monsters could show up any minute, and I don't wanna be out there when they do."
Behind me came Vastoria, then Sheep, with Energy at coming dead last. It was then when he noticed something peculiar behind us, so he turned to stare at the other side of the barrier.
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"Hm? Did you spot something, gramps?" I walked up to him with a question, "I don't see-?"
I couldn't even finish the sentence, before he swiftly turned around, pinching a specific nerve that immobilized my movements and made me flop to the floor. I was fully conscious, and the pinch hurt like hell, but I was more confused and scared than anything.
"Migu!?" Vastoria turned around once she saw me hit the floor, "Energy, what-!?"
"Hyup!" He silently swung the mallet directly into her torso, sending her flying until she hit the Shrine entrance, "Sorry, no hard feelings, gang."
"You...!?" Sheep was quick to hold out his mandible sword, but with one hand to his name, his stance had an impossible to miss opening, "Moron, what are you doing!? We're not invincible in here!"
The man known as Energy put the mallet back on his hip, signifying he no longer wanted to use it. Instead, he grabbed his bow and arrow, aimed it at Sheep... and fired.
"Shi-!" He ducked, evading the deadly shot, "Are you even listening! Hey! I ain't gonna play along unless you give me a reason for why you're doing this!"
"...A reason?" He lined up the next bow shot, "Then, if I don't give you one, you're saying you won't fight back?"
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***
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Energy turned on us. My own flesh and blood, well, if that wasn't a lie that is. What the hell is he doing? The moment we entered the barrier and got our gilded and White parts swapped, he attacked with killing intent. The only mercy he's showing us is going for swift kills. Not good, Vastoria is in critical position from the mallet swing and slamming into the Shrine wall...!
"S-Sh...!" I tried calling out to him, but my body refused to listen to me, "S-She.. ehp!"
"Save your strength and get up quick!" He ordered, "I'm gonna need your help, you hear!?"
"She won't get up for the next couple of minutes at least." Energy gave a terrifying fact, "Nerves are powerful like that. A well-positioned pinch can completely put the opponent to sleep, or in this case, paralyze them so you can kill without any resistance."
"Isn't she your family, dude!?"
"I did say that would complicate things, yes." Energy glanced back at me, though his perfectly aimed bow shot still fired off at Sheep, "However, I can't afford to let this chance pass by."
What is he talking about? After helping us this much, after we helped him get his weapons and took him to the Shrine, he suddenly turned on us all of a sudden? What possible reason could he have to... Gasp!
"S-She...ehp!" I panickedly shouted in despair, "Gohds! Ghods!"
"...You son of a bitch!" Sheep figured it out from my clue, grinning at the traitorous asshole standing before him with now a third weapon at the ready, "So that's what's happening, eh?"
"Was I a good actor?" Energy cracked a whip from his arsenal.
"You're the hitman the Gods told us they'd send in." Sheep shook his head, "If we didn't kill Sab for them, they'd send you to kill us."
"And that Sab immediately after." He continued after him, "It really is quite the shame. I wanted to wait until you reunited with him so I could deal with everyone in one fell swoop, but this chance was too good to pass up. Besides, now that I know that Sab will come here to retrieve his wings, it's only a matter of waiting for him to arrive."
Bastard...! He'd turn on his own family and friends, and for what!? The Gods promised Gale revival, us our safety, but what could he possibly want? His world is FUBAR, I doubt he'd have any trouble fending off against any hitmen the Gods might sic on him, so why then!?
"I wish to dispel the curse, just so you know." He revealed to us, "If I kill you all now, the Gods will kill the Black Eye and rid the world of the Rotted."
"Huh?" Sheep's Eyes shrunk back, "Wait, so you're not even doing this to revive?"
"They only allow for one wish." He explained, "Reviving will only prolong my nightmares, and the nightmares of this Vast World. Just imagine, your deaths will pave the way for the entire human race's continued survival! You all come after me anyways, so in dying in Heaven, you are essentially saving your human lives!"
"...You're a sick, twisted, deranged man." Sheep propped himself up with the blade, fully intent on using it to cut Energy down, "And I won't stand by and watch as you sacrifice my friends for your damned motives."
"Sigh, I knew I shouldn't have told you the reason." Energy cracked the whip, its deadly force enough to snap Sheep's body clean in half if the hit lands, "Now you wanna fight back."
My body still can't move, goddammit...! Vastoria, she's still unconscious on the ground over there, but I can't see whether she's alive or not. There's gotta be something I can do, but... Ngah, I hate this! Sheep!
"Gyaaaahhhhh!!!!" Sheep screeched with all his might as the whip grazed his calf, "Dammit, you outrange me! No fair!"
"Call me whatever names you want." Energy's Eyes gloomed, "I won't care, so long as I'm the one alive."
The whipping continued as Sheep couldn't even get close to him. Attempting to get in close to deal actual damage would result in Sheep getting gashed, but due to him rocking the short ranged mandible sword, he couldn't just stay in place or run away, because then Energy would just switch targeting to me. For now, all he could do was try and block as many attacks as he could.
"Gah!!!" He cried out, "Ouw! Yah! Tch!"
"Not as good at dodging, are you Sheep?" Energy sighed out of boredom, "Hey, can I kill you now? It feels wrong making you suffer like this, so if you would let me, I could quickly stake your brain to..."
"Stick it up your nose, jackass!" Sheep finally managed to catch the whip with the mandible sword, spinning it around like a fork would spaghetti, "I don't know what kind of a hero to the world you think you are, but I couldn't care less. Right now, you're the villain for hurting me and my friends."
"I might very well be the reason you all lived your lives without fearing the everyday!" Energy screamed, "You can't win this, just give up and accept that your sacrifice will bring safety to the world's extended future!"
"I lived in a peaceful world because that virus or whatever got cured." Sheep made sure to let him know, "This isn't some time paradox bullshit where my afterdeath means my live birth, so I think I'll skip cutting my time here in Heaven short for now!"
"Then, I cannot guarantee a painless death." Energy lunged at him, a fourth weapon now in hand.
My fingers were slowly regaining their movement, and though the rest of my body was dancing on pins and needless, I was close to being allowed full movement again. Such a scary tactic, I'm surprised it worked on Heavenly Bodies as well. Sheep, he's left all alone to fend off against this monster, and I can't even get up to help him! This sucks...!
"Bwah!" She tackled Energy to the ground with all her might.
"Vastoria!" Sheep cried out.
"That was quite unnecessary. You just did that to die before them." Energy raised his stake at her, intending on impaling a large hole through her brain, "Well, I will commend the effort. Better luck next life... Goodbye."