Chapter 114: The Tales of Cinder [8]
The sphere of roots creaked, shuddering for a moment. The dry sound of strained wood echoed like bones on the verge of breaking, vibrating through the ash-choked air.
At the same time, the Lady of Cinder tilted her head, curious about the flawless resistance of such a simple shield. The magma within her cracks pulsed with fire-colored hues, glowing faintly as it illuminated her fractured skin—as if it responded to her curiosity with a life of its own.
The creaking intensified, revealing cracks across the surface of the sphere. Tiny particles of gray dust fell from the fissures, floating slowly before vanishing into the heated air.
Inside the sphere, Monar took a breath, calming his heart and returning to that same serenity as before. The sound of his inhale faded into the echoes outside. He slowly raised his hands toward his own eyes and said:
"Let’s begin."
Mitsuki looked at him in fear. He already knew what the dark elf was about to do, but the thought of watching someone gouge out their own eyes so casually terrified him. His stomach churned, and a chill ran down his spine.
On top of that... they were about to summon the essence of a demon.
Of course, he had seen countless demon designs in the many video games he’d played in his life. Some were the most stereotypical—red skin, goat legs, black horns. Others leaned toward more humanoid forms, giving them appealing traits for players. But there were also grotesque, even cosmic designs meant to disgust—impossible forms that defied the very logic of the body.
Mitsuki didn’t know what to expect.
The sphere of roots shattered, opening like an egg. Fragments of wood and dust burst outward, carried by a wave of hot air. The Lady of Cinder frowned, analyzing the group. However, Monar looked straight at her one last time and smiled.
In a single instant, he drove his fingers into his eyes. The wet, grotesque sound broke the silence. Blood gushed out like a waterfall—thick and hot—running down his cheeks. Those serene eyes now rested in Monar’s hands as he spoke aloud:
"There is something that hides at the beginning."
The metallic scent of blood filled the air.
Marco and Mitsuki surged toward the Lady, kicking up ash with every step.
"Darkness devours its path."
Azel bit into his wrist, and blood burst forth, warping and flowing toward his bow as if it had a will of its own. It coiled through the air, vibrating with energy.
"Blood is what paints its destiny."
A magic circle appeared beneath Monar’s feet, painted in white and red, revealing geometric symbols of an ancient language. The lines glowed intensely, casting distorted shadows across the walls.
"Destruction is its creed. Blasphemy will spread across the world."
A powerful gust of wind swept through the area, lifting layers of ash that spun like a silent storm. A demonic shadow—of an ancient entity that had perished millennia ago—took hold of Monar’s own shadow, twisting it into something unrecognizable.
The "essence" of that demon took the eyes from the dark elf’s hands.
They burst into crimson blood.
Marco swung his sword. The Lady of Cinder didn’t flinch. She raised her blade high, ready to crush him, but Mitsuki intervened, firing straight at her face. The impact thundered through the enclosed space.
Azel drew his bow. The blood from his wrist formed into a pulsing red arrow, like a beating heart.
"I offer my body as a sacrifice so the calamity of the beginning may take form in the present."
The ground trembled, cracking apart. The fissures spread like black veins. Horrid guttural screams echoed—sounds that would have deafened anyone, vibrating through bone rather than ears.
And there, where Monar recited the witchcraft spell, two spectral hands—black and red, with torn, beast-like textures—emerged, covering his now-empty eye sockets.
The sun turned black.
The light vanished completely.
Darkness spread across the space—dense, heavy, suffocating—as if the very air had thickened.
The Lady of Cinder sensed something that made her furious.
She unleashed a downward slash at Marco, who barely managed to dodge, feeling the scorching heat graze his skin.
Mitsuki moved like a fly, darting around the specter’s head, using Ash Propulsion nonstop, leaving behind fleeting trails of dust and heat as he fired at point-blank range.
"I offer this enemy to satisfy your hunger..."
Within the darkness, two red-sclera eyes opened behind Monar. They were not human—deep, ancient, filled with incomprehensible intent.
Something was there... ready to grant its power in exchange for a worthy sacrifice.
A voice.
A whisper.
Caught between death, the demon in the darkness spoke:
"I hope it’s worth it..."
In the next instant, a faint crimson glow covered Monar’s companions, seeping beneath their skin like burning poison. They grimaced in pain as they prepared to attack—the sudden surge of power grinding their muscles from within, pushing them to the limit.
Mitsuki’s heart pounded violently.
’Now’s the time. We have to synchronize.’
"False heroes... using a demon... how shameful."
The flames in her hair flared stronger, crackling like living embers. Her swords rose like guillotines to punish the intruders—but Monar smiled.
"My friends... we’re going to win."
A blood arrow shot through the air, leaving a red trail, and shattered the Lady of Cinder’s head. Her ash body faltered, dust drifting slowly like sand suspended in time.
Mitsuki appeared before her and let out a battle cry. He didn’t know why—but he felt the need to, as if his body moved before his mind.
Arcane magic fused with fire, forming a bullet that erupted into a massive destructive explosion, tearing through part of the Lady’s torso. The blast sent a wave of heat that scattered ash in all directions.
Marco wasn’t about to fall behind. After Azel and Mitsuki’s double strike, he leapt toward the beast’s abdomen and split her in half with a clean, brutal motion.
It was a perfect combined attack. No words were spoken—only their weapons spoke for them, synchronized as if they shared a single heartbeat.
Unfortunately... it still wasn’t enough.
Ash rose from the ground, and the Lady’s once-decaying body regenerated instantly. The cracks sealed, her form solidified again—as if the damage had never existed.
She exhaled, releasing a faint trail of dark smoke.
But this time... something was different.
She stood up and took a combat stance, crossing her swords before her eyes to form an absolute defense. The air around her grew heavy, as if space itself recognized that the true battle had only just begun.