Since she had few things to lose, Carmilla accepted her hand, clutching it in wonders and itching Wind. She unleashed Windforce all over it, protecting her physique and giving her some weight and danger.
It barely moved those flickering waves, changed Lisa's mind, or hand.
Sparks clashed as they touched. Lisa tensed up as a streak of her rare ability and a couple of flashes moved onto the fleshly hand. Sona moved and invaded, flooding and alerting Carmilla that something terrific pushed boundaries between physicality and soul. It was too late to crash these strands of sona, let alone push that hand away. She kicked her hand, and Lisa chuckled in stress as her body wavered and her physicality changed. She became like a flickering flame and Carmilla was unable to touch her, let alone stop her clasp.
“What the fuck is that?! What are you?” she shouted in despair when something invasive hindered her head and a painful scream halted her mind, stopping her Wind.
Everything was connected above Level 70. For martial artists, physique, Levels, attributes, and potent Will or mind were all important. Laws were an undeniable force of nature and the universe, giving much more than some would imagine or suggest. Their acts had to be clear, and Wind was precise and ever-changing. Carmilla had to always remain calm to control it.
Something insane went deep into her like a worm before reaching deeper than her worries. There was no protection in place, or Lisa was simply unfamiliar with this concept of force.
The easiest way to get some glimpses was by force. Worries and present issues were most likely on top of her mind, easily seen and digestible.
Lisa won her bet. Fragmented and thin, these memory glimpses gave her flashing pictures and words that Carmilla thought about, met, or seen. Not only she was in cahoots with quite a few forces and companies, but she wasn't free either.
She stalled for a reason and did her words justice because something wrong with her.
Lisa pulled her mind like seizing force and weapon before turning her head and speaking to David.
He gulped and had never seen Lisa like that. She was ethereal and like a powerful storm.
“Shitty cursed words. There are enemies. Barriers mile behind us to prevent any spotting... Someone was prepared for Itrosh. A bunch of gangs is in the left perimeter and below the mountain, waiting for us to go onwards, or waiting for this shitty tool.” Lisa said, still holding onto Carmilla who shuddered on the ground, losing her wits, and feeling as if her mind went through a storming weather that didn't destroy her mind, but she felt it could.
Lisa held back.
“W-what?” David said.
“Left side! Deal with it, stupid,” Lisa shouted, and at last, her physicality shook, and she backed away from Carmilla, who grunted, and felt lingering pain and immense fear. Everything failed... didn't it?
She didn't expect to be seen like a child before a god. No. That was wrong. “What... is this?” she mumbled.
There were secrets that Lisa pulled under a couple of breaths. That was ridiculous. She believed it was a trick.
And since she was so close, her Law of Wind flickered back and pushed against her boundaries. Ground cracked when her legs trembled when she disappeared, kicking the wind and space. The next time, Carmilla appeared and swiped her leg right at Lisa. She hit her straight on with powerful Law force, but all it did was scatter further handfuls of her form. Like a fog, Lisa flinched before her body reformed, panted hard, and her size got much smaller.
“Hm... You thought I am weak, bitch?” Lisa said coldly, glaring at her with arrogance. “You are as good as dead.”
As Carmilla did her best, she was too late to perceive the incoming End. It was too soon, or too late for any changes or words. She fucked up.
“F-fuck. You are a freaking... No. A soul...? You touched my memories! I've never heard of this sort of thing apart from some nasty little curses.” Carmilla complained as if Lisa slapped her pretty face.
Bagus and Itrosh were yet to make their move since David was still frozen and Ultium was as well. The gust of Wind she unleashed with her kick was much more different from her landing, leaving wind blades all around that hit everyone around her. It did nothing. The sharpness was excellent thanks to her all-out attack.
Ultium remained in place, blocking those strikes with his palm, protecting even frozen David who had yet to comprehend the situation and what Lisa discovered. Itrosh simply ducked, protecting Murai by hugging him to her chest, and Bagus laughed at this breeze.
Nothing else mattered for Carmilla. She pulled her shit together far too late and her value behind her conscience went out of this cliff. Fear seized her when she jumped away right when Bagus flickered his tail, aiming at her head. As fast as she could, she moved like a shadow, graciously sidestepping under every powerful blow that cracked the stone and pushed her Wind away.
“You are this strong?”
With Murai in hand, Itrosh had a single free hand, so she pulled some flying knives and unleashed a flurry of her Path. It was a weird one, not necessarily adjusted that well to her species, but it wasn't as if it mattered. Path of Weaponry focused on mastering many smaller or large weapons seamlessly. Long ranger or short range, it didn't matter. It was less about grace and more about small, precise, or quick flurry of attacks. This Path held a certain reputation in Martial Art Pathway that was impossible to quench. It was about versatility and near-endless variants, making it a Path that was impossible to master.
It was versatile across all kinds of races, while Itrosh put good use to her Influence Items and species to focus on speed and precision. She was no longer considered part of her race. She changed herself far too much.
Knives flickered, but each bounced from Wind before hitting Carmilla's back. A wind blade formed from the swipe of her leg, curving and protecting her as she flew and made a bunch of maneuvers mid-air. Every movement of her legs followed many strikes of Wind as she fought against two beings close to her Level.
She failed with her terrible purposes, so her life was what mattered next. Alas, she made a massive blunder of coming here with that sort of attitude. Attacking was the first mistake, the second was her overconfidence, and the last thing was thinking she could get away. It was the start of the biggest suspicion, but also an excuse.
The first was an excellent start to remedy. Carmilla wanted to act sorry that she tried to gouge their strength and act of her prey. All to make herself more believable.
It failed. There was no remedy left. Like a whip, a flickering sound echoed in the way of her moves, crashing her Law of Wind and her footwork. Bagus's tail flickered, extending to almost a dozen meters, swirling like a snake, while its tip was like a spear. It was like a thin whip for real, catching and latching onto her hand, and testing her bones.
It was a single powerful tail, and Bagus wasn't nice against enemies no matter what. It was true. Carmilla left some devices and worked with a bunch of gangs to pull formations far away, obscuring any observation skills by influencing the space, air, and all physical senses, while no one could notice it was right or wrong.
It was an illusion pattern formation, so Itrosh got particularly angry about it
Enemies were long close to their location, and Lisa found out about it right now. It was still working, so they shouldn't have gotten exposed.
Lisa calmed her mind and sorted herself out before giving David an annoyed look. “Should I touch your little head again?!”
This shuddered his insides and his mind cleared up.
By this time, Bagus flexed his tail, twisting Carmilla from the air to hit the ground, cracking that hand like a carrot and letting blood flow. It wasn't as bloody thanks to his thick tail, but open twisted wounds weren't the prettiest.
Carmilla screamed, hurriedly finding a dagger to cut her arm off, but it was too late.
David moved, stepped onto her arm, and looked at her coldly. “You were set on this for way longer, weren't you?
“Fuck you...” Carmilla grimaced.
“Very well...”
Ultium appeared beside him, standing tall and calm. His right arm was beside his hip; the other in his pocket. Blood and red mist swirled around his fingers and forearm even with the suit in the way. Blood seemed to work alongside his suit, making it part of his work uniform as well as combat.
Ultium put his right arm up and moved his fingers to resemble a strangely shaped spear palm. Pinching his fingers worked well for the name of this move. Pincher was a heartbreaking move capable of unleashing a terrific level of strength.
Though the fingers were red and mist covered them, his nails were still distinct from the rest, creating a sharp tip.
“Just die,” He said these words like a grim reaper, piercings her throat, and severing her windpipe and head in one single sweep. Carmilla was dead on the spot; she didn't even wince or spit out blood. Her head and the rest of her body lifelessly lay there on the ground, where it bathed in a pool of blood.
“That was a bit easy.” Murai thought under Itrosh's grip.
“Shut up,” Lisa argued next, floating in a better form. “She was skilled in other things besides the art of living. Imagine being pinned against a whole team of properly trained fighters such as this group. She wouldn't stand a chance even if she had the same level as Ultium.”
“Fair enough.” Murai figured, remembering when he fought against those three messiahs in Seventh Death Forest. They were much stronger than him, yet he killed them one by one. Couldn't Carmilla do the same?
Well, she was dead. She can't choose anything anymore.
David was the only one who was stunned. He glanced at the dead Carmilla, who was at some point his acquaintance and perhaps even a friend. As a human, it was no wonder that those alike flocked together, but not all things went well. The truth of a simple death took her life away, and in this place, friendships can die, and benefits ruled.
By her head, Ultium crouched down and took a ring out of his left pocket. Placing it on her head, a beam of gray light consumed her whole body, letting it grind away as if time went on for years under a second. That went on until no flesh was around the bones before even bones disappeared to dust and gray light that went to Ultium's ring. Somewhere alongside this, her soul left as well. All that remained was her clothes, pouches, lone knife, and ring she didn't have a chance to use.
If she had taken more steps, and pounced away for survival the moment Lisa got away, perhaps she would have lived. Even a speck of a second was enough to do a lot of things, but what about a bunch of seconds?
That would allow her to go far, and a forceful manner of persuasion would come next, but her speed was better than most of those around her Level, and her comrades weren't far either. With her End, the war shall start.
It was too late to dwell on whether she would get out or not. The gangs that purchased her service with a hefty amount of Ultra Gems and Hell Points were close, and Lisa had all desires to crack them apart one by one to appease one rule of this Gate.
Reputation.
She wanted to give all the reasons for some fools to get out of her sight.
Some purchased information from Carmilla, others missions for badges, a Token, or heads. Some wanted David alone, others Anatidae as a whole. Murai was weak, so Carmilla had near certainty she would catch him first before leaving after getting information and David's head.
Now, she was dead, so no speculations were necessary for anyone besides Lisa.
Ultium looked at the receding light that disappeared to his ring as if he were watching sunlight he had never seen. It was a bad habit, but he got what he wanted. “Target eliminated.” He mumbled to David, whose feet remained on the ground. She was no more, departing like dust into the wind.
What happened with Carmilla was the way essence gathering worked for those without Guides. It was up to the badge. Ultium's was in his ring, right alongside the essence storage that was part of it.
Proper Challenger had a Token that acted with its internal storage and workings, so Murai could do the same thing as Ultium did. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to use it, even when he saw others using their badges numerous times. Especially Itrosh was way horny to show him this act before, which was both gruesome, full of gore and some miseries, and her fervent eyesight and voice were brutal.
It was an interesting act full of rules and interesting devices, so Murai wanted to test it himself, but no fodder ever appeared besides those that immediately fled in sight of Bagus. One had to use their Badge quickly, otherwise, the fallen denizen would get absorbed into the temple instead. The timer was usually a few minutes, which made battles quite messy, yet less crazy than one would think.
Securing essences from the fallen foes was worth some strategies, so a lot of skirmishes were unusual, yet not that many fitting targets moved to Murai. By some strange link, only someone who killed their foe could get their essence.
Lisa did what she wanted. Fear took the heart of those who didn't want to work against their wishes. Lacking fodder wasn't an issue. Lisa didn't care for them as long as Murai was safe, and his bothersome thoughts should keep his soul busy. She even considered it good news when he focused on training and getting stronger in other ways than fighting.
After the last Gate, his magic didn't need as much intensity and insanity as a hundred fights. A more intricate solution to this essence gathering would be Lorry himself, but he was nowhere to be seen since the start of this Gate. Lisa thought he would come back when the Hunt began. That was the usual procedure for most Guides when the sensitive shift would change this Gate. They were required to do their job regardless of any problems, while the time beforehand was less important. Still, Lint remained with Razmund, so it might not be that noteworthy anyway.
It seemed there was something more urgent for him than his life as a Guide.
With an unknown essence going into his ring, Ultium didn't store his ring away but walked to Bagus who looked at him in approval. “Not bad. One strike and head gone. You ripped her head away.”
Stolen story; please report.
“You helped. How much?” Ultium asked.
“Twenty?” Bagus said with his deep voice that was rather raspy as if he was speaking with force and laughter. As a beast, it was no wonder that his speech wasn't the best.
Murai was immensely jealous of him, but when he heard it took him nearly a decade to master the human tongue, he wanted to cry instead.
Some beasts who mastered the language besides their own had often terrible accents, or speech patterns that lacked some clarity. This problem occurred even in those with high intelligence, disproportionate souls, and flesh that might be strong, yet poor in control, or lacking in many layers. The good way to solve this issue was by Will, which was something Murai was able to use, but he was way too potent.
It wasn't anything shocking; expecting wild animals to speak wasn't normal.
It was a change that came through potent Bloodlines, evolution, and simple weight stemming from ancient Epochs and the depth of the universe. This world changed it a little bit by giving those beasts some chances, but their worth wasn't ideal, for the Divides preferred different kinds of sincerity and kinship.
“Quarter seems about right. Thank you for your help.” Ultium declared his fee and pointed the ring to Bagus's chest, which had an intricate necklace on top of the feathers below his neck. It seemed to be part of his feather armor of many large and colorful layers. They didn't resemble soft hues, but metal protective layers.
Murai would digress. He rode him enough to feel his feathers. They were softer than they looked.
Some sort of quick glow formed from the necklace and the ring, forming a transaction upon their agreement. This was the only way to make transactions between the battles, comrades, and wars.
They both fought, but killing and helping needed an individual course. A quarter of the essence went to Bagus, per the common rules of this temple. Itrosh got nothing because she hadn't done much.
Bagus's necklace had a crisp azure gem that made the core of this intricate, and almost unnoticeable unique spatial treasure. It was custom-made, thus special for his needs.
Most beasts had that sort of need, and considering the lack of hands Bagus had, his necklaces worked hands-free. It was the same problem Murai endured, but Bagus had his flexible tail, while his huge beak lacked Murai's flexibility. It was thick, so he was unable to be precise.
Necklace blended right into his feathers, which were thick, hard, and longer than Murai's height. Some were even twice, or thrice longer. Especially in those wings; those were akin to swords, looking much more impressive.
“Ugh... What a pity.” David sighed, watching clothes with some treasures left over. He stored them in his ring.
“Pity?” Lisa charged at him, almost slapping his face. “You were the only one clueless here, I fear.”
“Me!? Fear? Nah. Clueless, sure, but I played my side well, haven't I?” David chuckled, turning away from the clothes that no longer had the firmness of that lavish body. He glanced at Itrosh who was still annoyed she didn't hit her even once. At least Bagus nodded at his intentions.
David had not much shame after all.
Lisa frowned, and made-up brows twitched, until Murai flew over the sky, landing on her face.
“Carry him,” Itrosh said as she pouted.
Lisa didn't want to carry Murai like a toy; she even wondered why Itrosh let go of him so quickly. Murai didn't complain either, observing the kill, Law of Wind, Ultium's hit, and Bagus's moves. They were interesting.
And not alone.
The moment Lisa clutched Murai, the mood changed.
From up above, beyond the cliffs, many figures appeared and jumped down. From the opposite direction, clutter spread, and a bunch of figures jumped from way below this platform.
“Oh, here we go again!” Bagus cheered that more essences were coming.
Lisa sighed. “David?”
“Take care of Murai,” David smirked, approached Ultium, patted his shoulder, and spoke. “Go down. You know what to do.”
Ultium nodded, pulled his left arm up, stretched his fingers, and pounced on the approaching group. His arm and fingers were like weapons, and bones and blood stirred as he dealt powerful fist strikes or quick finger-like slashes against some assassins and a bunch of shrouded warriors approaching Level 70. They had powerful weapons and Path, unleashing abilities and magic onto him.
They were simple gangsters; not really military or great gangs worth some attention, so Ultium's face barely skipped a heat.
He kicked some down, before pouncing from this platform, leaving those coming from above behind.
Itrosh laughed and was happy to fix her reputation. She pounced at one side of the cliff, and David and Bagus soon followed as well, leaving Lisa and Murai alone.
There were dozens of foes coming from all directions. “Not so easy anymore, eh?” Lisa asked him out loud, eyeing this silly duck wearing a hoodie.
Murai had no shame over his previous comment. “Leave me. We fight! Fight!”
“Nah.” She waved a hand, watching how three flanks around this platform were all taken care of. Behind them, Ultium had his killing spree, while the rest couldn't escape either.
Bagus was like a killing machine, swirling his tail, wings, paws, and beak. Enemies fell to pieces.
Itrosh was much more careful and her attacks weren't as savage. They were quick, leaving small wounds until one would bleed out or lose their lives in one sweeping strike.
David wasn't like them at all. He fought bare-handed, holding onto his neat gloves that could pull quite heavy punches. No ordinary sword or axe could penetrate his fist because of them, and he wasn't as quick.
Some escaped from his slower spree when more foes appeared above.
Murai complained in Lisa's hand to no avail, watching this show. There were no enemies with Laws involved, which made Lisa suspicious.
Just why they had come?
Well, the answers were simple. Those coming from up were backers hidden away, and less potent. The main force came from below, where Ultium disappeared, and where those barrier formations were.
Watching was an excellent way to train too, and having clear views of such high-class figures wasn't that rare indeed.
Ultium was savage with his Art of Blood, while his Bloodline did leave some brows raised. He always finished his foes quickly when chance and timing were right, or where David deemed it enough. Even if the foes were quick, or too tough to deal with, he had no trouble with versatility or adapting to them.
In this journey through the Hellscape, Murai accepted yet another thing apart from the stairs. He got used to riding Bagus and Itrosh's handling wasn't that bad either. His travels were much more passable because of them and his sorry acceptance, and as long as they respected him, he didn't seem to mind it.
It reminded him of Iris and Ceila far too much, so perhaps he was still traumatized from those times.
He didn't show it, however. He accepted it with some unwillingness. Considering the dangers and potential wounds and ambushes included, Murai swallowed the pride he had deep in his heart. He didn't want any pain.
That left his heart aching, and what Razmund gave him in return was nothing but a heart demon.
A minute into this fight, David was unable to keep up with numbers and a bunch of foes went after Lisa and Murai.
Itrosh and Bagus kept an eye on some of them, but some managed to escape.
Murai cheered. “Finally some fucking work!”
Lisa grunted in disappointment, and forced him aside, pretending to hide him behind her back, and his quacking nuisance, snapping beak, and flapping wings didn't do much.
She was still thinking about her body and acts, and there was some turbulence ahead and inside her. Believing she was starting to comprehend something extremely massive after touching Carmilla, she would go by her voice and act as she promised.
Sona was an odd power. Calling it a mutated touch of Afterlife and rules of Epochs, or an afterthought of Divides might not be an exaggeration.
Souls. Will. The force behind the living.
What made everything up?
She positioned herself like a wall and with one single hand, pretended to be larger than a mountain.
Approaching her was a warrior with a massive sword, shrouded in a robe and looking like a hooligan. His eyes were bloodshot insane, and his sorry demonic bloodline better wept in bloody tears.
Lisa put her arm up as if wanting to clutch that sword,
It moved past it, hiding nothing after this demon shook, not used to this sort of ghost. His attack kept going and Lisa clutched this change.
Literary.
She moved her hand, grasping his neck, and moved sona like a wave. It was no touch of memory. She cracked her physicality and some parts were physical and others weren't.
Her hand left its mark.
The demon's eyes exploded, arms went dull, and further noise and cracks pulled some blood and physicality apart, leaving the whole head in shambles from the inside out.
“Gone...” Lisa whispered, tossing this person aside like garbage, right before the other approached her.
This one was shocked, looking much more sorry, afraid, yet furious that they were left behind.
Where were the main forces?
“You are left to rot... sorry,” Lisa said coldly and flew onward like a nightmare.
The shrouded warrior yelped, swinging his double swords, but nothing could help.
On this day, bloodshed and a new nightmare began, albeit the other kept complaining without the ability to do anything.
It took a dozen minutes for this sequence to lose its luster, forcing many to flee for their lives.
Lise floated like a stressed cracked statue, clearly in distress and huffing excitement. Murai was still in her palm, clutched but silent. He thought of using Robust Defense, but the moment he noticed how Lisa tested something very hard and fought like a maniac, he observed her instead.
It was interesting.
“Itrosh!” Lisa shouted, ignoring others. David was bloodied, huffing for breath, slimmer than ever. Bagus was laughing and already moved to accumulate his essences. Others did the same. Lisa had no space to give, so she gave Murai's Token to David to store her little prices away.
Murai in her hand couldn't refute, although her hand wasn't pretty.
Itrosh perked up, turning and accepting that her skills weren't compatible with Carmilla. Her fights fixed her mood, so she approached Lisa after getting her essence.
Ultium was still down there, somewhere.
“Scout that direction.” Lisa pointed behind those cliffs that hide further mountains and plains filled with some grass and rocky grounds.
“That one? Not back?”
“Who cares what goes there? Onward is more important.”
“Fine,” Itrosh said and forgot any worries. Walking in steady steps to the cliff, she bent her knees, stretched her back, and pounced upward. Leaping far up, she clutched some rocks, used crevices for footing, and ascended hundreds of meters tall cliff in a matter of fifteen seconds. It looked as if she was jumping more than running.
On top, she sized the surroundings, saw no clear enemies, and figured this location must've been under Lisa's radar. It was almost perfect for the ambush.
Itrosh believed in her ability and previously felt nobody was here, so they must've arrived within the time frame where Carmilla stalled and talked.
Pulling her hands together as if she was praying, she wasn't one to pray to any God. She had no pursuit in that direction, although it was inevitable if she wanted to reach the higher stage.
It wasn't as if it was hard. Most took godly topics as very serious since the choice to support a God was often life-lasting. It wasn't the same as living under Levandis. Not everyone here was her close follower. Most beings of this temple were more like useful ants that could grow and become ones, as she wanted more quality than quantity, which made her unique among her peers.
An oddity.
Levandis managed to become a Rank 1 God and owner of Somalis Hell and this temple with that sort of ideology. It wasn't simple.
Most beings, or even those unlike Itrosh, carried some pride to go this far without godly help. It was subjective to everyone, as some freedom was often worth and necessary for some individuals.
And there were many Gods who didn't care for some chains, opting to leave freedom to most of their subjects. It was both validating for Divides and some Gods, who were also subjective, as their desires and hopes to gain followers were as old as the current Epoch.
Itrosh looked onward. A light, a bit of red, and wind swayed around her palms, forming a vortex of mana, air, and sound akin to a storm. The little redness disappeared immediately when the vortex kept expanding between her palms, and in a moment, only her fingertips were touching. It wasn't large for good reasons, as condensing this spell took some effort and practice.
When a little speck of red appeared again, the vortex turned to a storm of wind, letting out sharp sounds of clashing noise and lifeforce.
Far below, Murai didn't see her technique or spell that well. He wasn't one to not recognize most fundamental techniques, and he acknowledged a good spell where he saw one. The universe was vast. He spent lifetimes gathering knowledge, yet it wasn't even a dent into the potential infinitum of magic.
Itrosh stood as her arms and legs swayed, and so did the light feathers around her upper body. At last, a few seconds after the storm increased in mass and energy, she relaxed her palms, inhaled, and screamed between her palms, unleashing no high noise, but an incredible push of force.
It was a rare technique that focused on sense and broadness, touching upon a couple of interesting subjects. It was a spell that wasn't harsh, but unnatural wind, sound, and a bit of life force followed along with her scream, unleashing numerous waves away from her position. They started small, barely as wide as her arms before each wave increased in scope, length, and speed.
It kept going, flying and looking like a natural, yet more powerful Sonar.
Murai realized it as well, as he saw her use it a few times up close. There were some ups and downs within this spell. It traveled far, reaching kilometers away. It was also focused on one wide direction, but because of the increasing value in each wave, it was less clear the wider it went.