Episode 4: Open the Doors of the Tower of Dreams That Suddenly Rises (4)

6

Yonah opened her mouth to shout a warning, but she didn't waste any time. She lunged forward with her daggers in a reverse grip, knowing that's what would ultimately matter. How quickly she could act.

It wasn't a great distance.

Just a few meters.

Everything happened very quickly, but nothing happened. Caim was the first to reach her by a fraction of a second and a few millimeters, pushing her out of the path of the axe.

The axe fell heavily to the ground, cracking the stone and sending sparks flying. It was incredible to think about how easily everything could have ended, even before they realized. Victory was powerful but fragile, like any mage. Despite her powers, she wouldn't be able to heal from an axe lodged in her head.

But she hadn't been saved yet; it was too early to sing victory. Caim lunged towards the enemy in the shadows. The person, or whatever lurked in the depths of darkness, continued screaming in agony.

The sword struck the enemy's chest armor and bounced off without doing anything. His newfound strength wasn't enough to finish this enemy with a single blow.

More importantly, with that strike, he discovered the true nature of the enemy.

It wasn't a giant with a huge axe, completely covered in armor with no visible eyes.

It sounded hollow.

It was the armor.

Well, living or possessed armors (yes, there was a difference) were a fairly typical dungeon enemy, like skeleton soldiers. It shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary...

But they were in the Tower.

Letting their guard down would be the height of stupidity and the last mistake they would make in their lives.

Besides, considering the surprises the Tower and its monsters could hold, this was enough. Even experienced adventurers could fall to third-rate enemies if they were careless. They were not invincible but fragile, made of flesh and bone.

Caim might be 'the demon's son,' 'the seed of evil,' but in that sense, he wasn't much different.

The flame had almost gone out when Victoria fell, but she managed to keep it burning steadily. Thankfully, because he doubted that an armor with an axe embedded in its head would be the only surprise lurking in the darkness.

Instinctively, Caim dropped to his knees, reacting to 'something' happening behind him.

It wasn't an attack, far from it, but a coordinated movement.

Yonah leaped over him, giving herself an extra boost on his back with her hands. The attack she delivered sent the helmet of the armor, let's say for now, living, flying. But nothing happened, of course, because it had been empty from the start.

That thing shouldn't be able to see or move in the first place.

But that wasn't all, just the first step.

Yonah finished it by throwing something through the gap left by the helmet. A small-sized bomb, easy to carry dozens of them without problems, but with enough explosive power to kill whatever was inside giving it life.

If there was anything, and he hoped there was.

Possessed armors were a bit more problematic.

The bomb exploded.

And the armor...

Collapsed to the ground. So, the explosion had killed the parasite inside, and it was just that. Good.

He sighed in relief.

He was prepared for dangers a thousand times worse. He had to be if he dared to challenge the Tower. However, the longer they could avoid complications like these, the better.

As usual, he declared victory too quickly. One of these days he would have to learn to bite his tongue, even in his own thoughts. Yes, they had defeated one armor (well, Yonah had done all the work, really).

It didn't matter.

Half a dozen more emerged from the darkness, carrying swords, spears, and axes too. From the darkness where that infernal scream still echoed, piercing his temples, sounding more and more monotonous with each passing second. Like fake.

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The enemies were illuminated only by the flame in Victoria's hand.

Would they all be living armors, like the previous one, or would some be possessed? In any case...

"Back. Let's retreat to the exit."

It made no sense to risk fighting in the darkness, where Victoria would have one hand practically tied, burning magical energy constantly just to illuminate a small circle in the middle of that dense darkness.

So they fell back, and no one protested.

The armors advanced toward them, but they didn't run, so they had no trouble retreating to the entrance.

The problems began after.

Mainly...

"They're not moving," Yonah said. "Great."

"Maybe it is," Caim said, "so Victoria would have all the time in the world to cast the most appropriate spell."

"Which is?"

Caim shrugged.

"She'll know."

"Thanks, thanks, no pressure," she replied but got to work.

They probably could have dealt with the armors even if they had stayed inside, without resorting to such stratagems. But the most efficient and least dangerous way was obviously the best.

The journey would be long, and he didn't even know how much they would have to cover before reaching the end.

If they risked everything and gave it their all from the beginning, they probably wouldn't get anywhere.

Alive, at least.

Victoria continued preparing the spell in silence. The armors hadn't reacted yet to what should be an obvious threat. Perhaps, following the rules of the Tower, they couldn't cross the threshold of the door. Perhaps the parasite controlling them wasn't smart enough to recognize what Victoria was doing. At least not until it was too late.

For all intents and purposes, it was the same.

He didn't need to know the reason, just the result. That was all that mattered.

No, they weren't that foolish, of course not. One of the armors dropped its weapons and reached out (well, the steel gloves) towards the door. They couldn't cross the threshold, but they weren't fools; they wanted to close the door. Caim clicked his tongue and positioned himself within reach of the half dozen armors, tackling one before it could touch the handle.

He managed to push the enemy away from the door, although not to the ground. The enemy was pure steel, after all.

Yonah slid in as well to support him.

Well, they had tried the most efficient method, the method not to risk even a bit, and they had failed. What could they do?

The struggle continued up close.

"The spell I'm preparing will only be of use if they're all possessed, like the first one, but if they are, this will end in an instant. Just, well, give me a few more minutes."

As soon as he heard that, an idea crossed Caim's mind, but he refused to express it in words to avoid tempting fate. See, even he could learn.

Victoria had extinguished the flame to focus on the next spell, whatever it was.

She allowed herself that since they could see the enemies approaching thanks to the light in the hallway.

It didn't give them much space to fight, but they managed. Since they had been fighting together for so long, they could coordinate in a way as natural as breathing, without needing words. Just like before when he had doubled over to serve as a platform just to feel her jump behind him. They understood simply. They were such a united team that they seemed like one person.

Victoria was part of the team, but she could never be as close as Caim and Yonah. Not in this sense.

It was an inevitable difference in their way of fighting.

For example, Caim threw himself at the feet of an armor, unbalancing it, but not enough to bring it down. Ordinarily, with that move, he would have only succeeded in having its weapon buried in his back as he tried to stand. But he did it without hesitation, knowing without the need for words or even an exchange of glances that Yonah would be there to finish the job.

Knocking it down, breaking its leg.

The body would be inside the layers of steel, if there was anything, so it wouldn't bleed. It wasn't that easy to kill it. But while crawling on the ground without a leg, it wouldn't pose a great threat.

For example, Yonah deliberately gave ground to one of the armors to dodge its attack at the last moment, causing its weapon, a spear, to be stuck in the pillar.

Similarly, it wasn't her who took advantage of it, but it was an opportunity she had prepared for him spontaneously, as he was physically stronger. Especially now.

Caim shattered the spear.

Some splintered pieces of the spear's handle fell inside.

Enough to do the job, he knew when he had to jump to the side to avoid being crushed by the armor, which collapsed against the pillar.

So yes, they had that kind of bond. A special bond that could only be forged in the heat of battle. They could forge that kind of bond without being friends or practically family, but on top of that, that's what they were. They had given up everything for each other. Of course, Victoria was included in this. Just because they didn't have that special bond, that coordination, due to the circumstances didn't mean he didn't feel the same affection for her. That he wasn't grateful to have them by his side when no one else had been.

If I achieve what I want, it will be with them by my side, he thought. No, he promised himself. I won't let anyone die. It wouldn't be worth it, it wouldn't make sense. No. Of course not.

"Get back!"

Ah. Victoria had completed her spell. A demon's son like him couldn't have even a bit of talent for magic, as it was the divine gift of the gods, but even someone like him could do the absolute minimum. Feel the accumulated magical energy, on the brink of exploding.

Seconds later, there was a true explosion.

His vision turned white. The last thing he saw was a crack forming in the ground and the stones torn by the force of the explosion flying upward. The entire room shook and illuminated for a brief moment. He felt the wind pressure against his chest as if an invisible hand had seized his heart and was squeezing to suffocate him.

Fortunately, it was brief.

His vision cleared. Ignoring the devastation, Caim checked with his own eyes what he desired. The enemy armors were on the ground and wouldn't get up again. Vaguely, he wondered how that thing or someone could still be screaming afterward, in the same monotonous and endless way. He had suspected for a long time that it was a fake scream, so it wasn't that surprising, but come on.

He slowly got up, leaning on the ground with his hands. The explosion so close had disoriented him a bit. Well, it could have torn him to pieces, so it was appreciative that that was all.

Caim opened his mouth to say something... and immediately shut it.

The six armors had been decisively defeated. Seven, counting the first one Yonah had dealt with.

It didn't matter. A dozen more armors emerged from the darkness to take their place.

"I can't repeat that spell. Not so soon, I need a break."

Great.

Open the Doors of the Tower of Dreams That Suddenly Rises (4): FIN