Arthur's body soared in the air, bouncing across the floor several times before slamming into the chamber's stone walls. He could hear several voices screaming but couldn't understand them. His vision faded in and out as an overwhelming amount of pain coursed through his body. With what strength was left, he tried to move his limbs, but they wouldn't respond.
The shouting grew louder as each word reverberated through the air like tremors. Arthur's vision came into focus as the blur cleared. He watched Cain forcefully carry Raphael and Claire as they yelled in his direction. The words that came out of their mouth didn't reach him.
Why were they yelling so much?
Arthur felt disoriented as his vision turned red.
But it's a relief that they're safe.
A smile appeared on Arthur's face, as he shifted his gaze towards the demon. His body felt numb, watching the battle that ensued between Mark and the demon. The flames and shadows fought desperately in the center of the chamber, like two mighty waves where one side tried to swallow the other.
Yet, a figure ran toward him from the corner of Arthur's clouded eyes. They screamed and shouted, but he didn't understand a single thing. A faint golden light surrounded his body as the figure lifted them. Warmth followed by a sensation of pain rushed through his body. Like a dam that collapsed and its reservoir spewed forth, destroying everything in its path. His hearing returned as his muscles began healing.
"Arthur! Stay with me, Arthur!" Paul yelled while pulling Arthur out of his stone prison.
Paul gritted his teeth while examining Arthur's state. His arms and legs were mangled and had been badly torn from being thrown across the chamber. He stared at Arthur and knew what had to be done, but hesitated.
Paul’s expression was grim. "Arthur, listen to me. I need you to endure this."
In order to heal him, Paul needed to physically rearrange and align Arthur's limbs to the best of his capabilities. This was the first time he had done this without the use of holy water as a disinfectant, but these days, it was hard to acquire. Regardless, what mattered right now was keeping Arthur alive.
Paul placed one knee on Arthur's left shoulder and grabbed hold of his left arm. He forcefully twisted Arthur's limbs back in place, keeping his body still as the divine energy accelerated his healing and reattached his muscles. Hearing the screams that followed was hard to stomach, but it meant that Arthur was still alive. Paul ripped a large fabric off his tunic and shoved it in Arthur's mouth to stop him from accidentally biting his tongue.
"Arthur, can you hear me?" Paul quickly asked.
Arthur slowly nodded as his face twisted in pain.
"Good, listen. I need to do this at least three more times." Paul held onto Arthur’s other arm and said, "We need to be quick. Mark won't be able to hold off that thing for long."
With another bone-breaking twist, Arthur cried out in pain. Even the slightest bit of movement sent jolts of excruciating pain throughout his body. Yet Paul ignored this as he moved on to the next limbs. Once he was finally done with the last one, he glanced at Arthur, who nearly passed out from the shock.
"Rest well; I'll come back," Paul said, holding onto his spear.
Paul glared at the demon slowly cornering Mark, and sprinted toward it. Arthur listened as the footsteps merged with the sound of weapons clashing and tried to force himself to stand. His body ached; every muscle screaming at him to stop, but he knew they needed him. How could he rest while those he cared about fought for their lives? How could he stand by and watch as their lives were about to be extinguished in front of his eyes?
He forced his aura out of his body and used it to pull himself to his feet. Enduring the discomfort and agony that followed. In front of him he saw a faint outline of a person. Their body was translucent, and he could barely make out their appearance. Their presence left Arthur with a sense of relief and their aura matched Paul’s, if not more.
[Child, why does thou not rest? No one will blame you.]
Arthur ignored the voice and forced himself to take a step towards the battle.
[Child, your body can't handle the burden.]
The voice remained quiet for a moment, witnessing the boy stagger toward the demon with frantic steps. The boy laughed before answering.
It doesn't matter. I have to move.
[Why? Aren't you scared?]
I'm more afraid of doing nothing than dying.
[Why are you pushing yourself so much? Thou has already done enough.]
Arthur drew closer to the fight where flashes of light and darkness collided. He thought about how he met Raphael and Claire, the stall owner who suggested he head to the Western guards. Then, his encounters with each of the guards, how Welt and Cain played cards while David was heartbroken, and his sparring sessions with Paul and Mark, along with his Captain, who was stern but kindhearted. Everything he'd experienced so far and his life in Cronia was a blessing, and to say he was grateful was an understatement. Arthur could picture a scene of everyone he held dear in front of him, happily smiling at him as they grew older.
[If you push yourself anymore, you won't be able to grow old with them. You'll only be a memory.]
That's enough for me.
Arthur felt the pain in his body slowly subside with each step. His heartbeat steadied itself as a golden light enveloped his entire body.
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I've lived every day like my last, and I'm grateful for the time I spent with them; I don't regret it, even if it was short. That's why I have to fight, not for myself but for them.
Even though Arthur couldn't see where the voice came from, he felt it was smiling at him.
[Young champion, I am touched by your sincerity. Though it is not much, I shall stand by your side to rid these demons from these lands. May the light guide you in your path so you don't stray and lose your way.]
The voice grew softer with each word until it could no longer be heard. Countless orbs of light emerged from the broken stone tiles spread throughout the chamber floors. A golden glow as pillars of white marble soared to the sky. It was as if they were within a grand cathedral reflecting a timeless beauty that existed before their era. The once-dark chamber was no longer there, and a golden radiance illuminated the entire area as Mark, Paul, and the demon retreated from their exchanges.
"This is...our Lord's sanctuary?!" Paul's eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell is going on?" Mark asked.
Mark and Paul worriedly glanced over at Arthur, who stood beside them. However, Arthur ignored them and glared at the demon. He understood that they were concerned about him, but they needed to stop the demon from growing stronger. He held his hand toward the fallen spear that rested on the ritual's platform and called it back into his palms with his aura.
"We're currently in the Lord's sanctuary, which means that the demon before us is weakened within its domain." Paul stared at the orbs of light in the air and said, "These orbs of light act as replenishment for our bodies and can infuse our weapons temporarily with divinity by striking them."
"Infusion? Like the things the dwarves do?" Mark asked.
"Similar, but not quite. I can't get into the details, so I'll tell you later," Paul replied.
"How long does it last for?" Arthur asked.
"We'll find out after fighting it," Paul said, examining the demon.
The guards nodded and prepared themselves. The demon sharpened the blackened blades against each other and released a furious scream embodying its entire essence, shaking the world beneath their feet. Yet, in the face of danger, the guards stood firm.
Arthur pulled his arm back and used the other to guide his aim. With every ounce of his strength in his body, he hurtled the spear into the air at one of the golden orbs. As his spear pierced through it, gold markings inscribed themselves within the shaft of the weapon, coating the weapon with a layer of divinity. He hid the spear out of the demon’s line of sight, aiming for the right opportunity to strike.
At the same time, both sides surged forth, their thunderous steps echoing throughout the chamber. Right before they clashed, a volley of arrows created from spirit essence rained down upon the demon. The swift, transparent attacks collided against the demon's aura and were deflected to the side of the chamber, leaving faint crimson lines behind.
Arthur stared inat the direction the arrows came from and saw Tucker, who gave a simple nod before repositioning himself to a closer platform to provide support. Before they collided with the demon, Arthur struck a golden orb of light with his fist and felt a burning sensation engrave itself within his arm. But as Arthur adjusted to the new energy within his body, the demon brought both blades down upon him.
A loud clash resounded through the chamber as Paul and Mark intercepted the attack. Their legs trembled underneath the weight of the strike, and with fierce glares, they pushed the blades back into the air above the demon's head, allowing Arthur to jump in with his fists covered in aura.
With the brief opening created by the other guards, Arthur took a step closer. He braced himself while pulling his fist back and drove it with all his might into the demon's abdomen, causing a glimmer of white and gold to burst forth. As the two energies merged, the demon trembled and spat out a mouthful of blood. Their eyes widened as a sudden realization flashed across their mind upon witnessing the demonic aura enveloping its body entirely dissipate before re-emerging.
Paul and Mark immediately noticed the shift in aura within the demon's body and struck the orbs closest to them. Gold markings engraved themselves onto their weapons, and without missing the opportunity, they stabbed their spears into the demon's exposed body. The demon wailed in pain as it punched Paul into the ground and kicked Mark to the other side of the room. Blood spewed out of its open wounds as it covered its face with one of its butcher blades.
Tucker clicked his tongue, seeing the arrows bounce off the blade, and tried striking one of the nearby orbs. But nothing happened compared to the other three who received markings. With a look of discontent, Tucker’s knuckles turned white as he tightly clenched his fist, already expecting the result.
The demon held one hand toward Tucker while gathering a black energy cluster at its fingertips. As the energy shot forth, a spear shrouded in a golden and white aura descended from the sky and plunged deep into the demon's shoulder, offsetting its aim as it vaporized a large portion of the chamber walls.
A pale arm lifted the blackened blade over the demon's head and swung it across the open space before it, causing him to quickly roll underneath it. He stood still and, in a heartbeat, leaped forward and grabbed the spear from the demon's shoulder. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the spear remained wedged in the demon’s flesh as the muscles tightened around the blade. In an outburst of rage, the demon grabbed hold of him and slammed his body into the ground, causing Arthur’s face to twist in pain as air escaped his lungs.
Realizing the demon's grip was tightening around his chest, Arthur wrapped his aura around his battered iron armor, creating an extra layer of protection that resisted the external force. The gold marking grew dim as it helped defend his body. In a desperate attempt, he gritted his teeth as he grabbed the demon's wrist, challenging it to a contest of brute strength.
Arthur knew that he had to keep it in place. He held on with sheer determination, feeling the demon's hand nearly crush him as he furiously dug into the terror's wrist with his hands. They were at a standstill, but for a moment, its aura wavered. From the side, Paul and Mark slashed at the demon’s back breaking its concentration. The bones within its wrist shattered as blood gushed out of the wound Arthur inflicted. It cried out in pain and lifted Arthur's body into the air before immediately slamming him into the ground.
As Arthur coughed out a mouthful of blood, he could feel the demon release its grip and retreat several meters from them. It The demon touched the wound on its shoulder, gazing at the blood on its fingertips. Its injuries no longer healed and the tactic it utilized to fight no longer worked. Seeing the demon fall back, Paul and Mark pulled Arthur from the crater he rested in.
"You good?" Mark asked.
Arthur wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand and nodded.
"Luckily, it seems like it doesn't have that pesky regeneration like the high demon from before." Paul watched the demon as it took a step back. "Though, I'm not sure if that's because it's under the effects of the Lord's sanctuary."
"Is there a time limit for how long this sanctuary will stay?" Arthur asked, feeling his injuries slowly heal.
"I've never been within the Lord's sanctuary, so I wouldn't know," Paul answered.
"Here you go. I ripped it right off that bastard once he had you pinned." Mark handed Arthur his spear and said, "Try not to get pinned again. There's no telling what we'll have to do to free you."
“It’s not like I wanted to,” Arthur replied.
They watched as the demon tore off its hand from its crushed wrist. It then jammed one of the blackened blades into the stub and furiously glared at them with crimson eyes. Its chest had a caved-in imprint of a fist, stab wounds on its upper body, and two long gashes on its back—one that was still bleeding and another that had been cauterized shut.