The situation is critical; any error, any feeling, could lead me to failure. I feel the chilly wind brushing against my skin, while the monster in front of me gazes, seeking to destroy me. But I am not afraid; on the contrary, I am filled with strength.
Inventing new spells is a complex challenge. For Beatrice, whose spiritual nature grants her innate dexterity, this task is simple.
However, for a human like me, it requires a deep sensitivity to mana, allowing me to visualize the effects of the spell. But it's not enough; success also depends on my knowledge and skills.
"Do you have any knowledge about how gravity works?" I ask Flynn with a challenging smile. Flynn furrows his brow, showing confusion at my question. He scratches his head before replying:
"Gravity? Is it some kind of spell? What does it have to do with anything?"
"Everything, Flynn. Absolutely everything," I respond, letting a spark of determination shine in my eyes. Although this spell may seem basic, I have perfected it during six intense months of training.
I have pushed myself harder than anyone, surpassing the limits I thought I had. The time has come to unleash true chaos.
I sprint towards the golem at full speed. Its eyes begin to expel sharp wind blades, threatening to tear me apart. However, I move with supernatural agility, adjusting gravity and wind to move erratically. I dodge its attacks with mastery while concentrating mana flow to prepare my spell.
Meanwhile, Crusch fights tirelessly against the golems surrounding her. Her bravery is admirable, but the number of enemies continues to increase.
I must hurry.
The golem extends its arm, creating waves of wind that propel me upward. But I do not stop. Fixing my gaze on the colossus's face, I take one last leap and place my hand on its surface. I concentrate for intense seconds and then smile, shouting with determination:
"Gravitational Resonance!"
An area of influence begins to spread in my hand, and the particles in the golem's body start to vibrate intensely.
Fire magic allows me to control those vibrations, increasing or decreasing the temperature to create ice or a fire or plasma ball. But by combining it with gravitational magic, the molecules in the golem's body vibrate with an unknown intensity. I continue to expel mana, and the golem begins to tremble and crumble.
Its interior starts to spew lava, while the pieces of stone fall to the ground.
"How did you do that?" Flynn shouts in fear, lowering his hands. "Who the hell are you?"
I smile at Flynn's disbelief. It's not the first time I've been asked that question. But now, amid this battle, there is no time for explanations.
"I'm Marco Luz, just a simple human, and I'm the one who will kill you," I reply, letting a mysterious smile form on my lips.
As the golem's remnants fade into the ground, I feel a surge of energy coursing through my body. The thrill of battle still pulses in my chest, but I know this victory is only the beginning.
"Damn you!" Flynn extends his hands, and ice stakes start to appear from them, but it's not normal ice. Flynn hurls purple ice stakes toward me. I dodge them skillfully, charging even more mana into the spell.
"You're a slippery fly!" Flynn's face turns desperate; he underestimated me completely. Then, this will surprise him like never before.
I draw more mana from my core and look at Flynn, who seems to be preparing something with hatred in his eyes. I have no time for emotions; I have no time to think about fear. In this moment, all I have is the fight in front of me.
I position myself in the air, not needing to descend to his level. I gaze forward, aiming with my pistol. The height is perfect; I'm probably twenty meters high. Now, I must focus on the spell, but also on the principles of this world.
Od Lagna, the one responsible for making these calculations and allowing existence. Spells can be modified and alter the natural order thanks to this entity transforming spells into something possible. The laws of physics are not modified, but he ensures it is possible.
At this moment, I am about to unleash a controlled chaos that will leave Flynn with no options. I smile confidently, paying no attention to the distractions around me. My mind is focused on the impending battle.
"Inverse Gravitation!" I exclaim, with my gaze fixed forward. A wave of energy descends, altering gravity and increasing it at the top. It's the same spell I used against Julius, but this time it's five times more powerful.
It's a spell that Beatrice uses without knowing what it's about, but when I explain it to her, her control of gravitational magic improves to a level superior to mine. Sweat starts to bead on my forehead, my rapid breath mixing with the spell's channeling.
I've just used a spell that implements Miguel Alcubierre's "warp drive" concept but in the realm of magic. With this spell, I can manipulate the space-time around me, creating a distortion that alters gravity in the desired area.
It's as if I'm weaving a fabric in the universe itself, shaping the environment to my will.
Flynn, unable to do anything, is thrown upward, his face reflecting a mix of surprise and terror. He approaches me in a matter of moments, barely having time to react before the force with which he's thrown begins to wreak havoc on his body, blood spewing from him and making it clear who's in control of the situation.
"Surprise!" I tell him with a smile as I squeeze the trigger of my gun. A bang resounds in the air. Bang! A Yang bullet is fired directly. Before Flynn can even think of defending himself, the bullet pierces his skull, dispersing a black mass and pieces of his brain in the air due to the spell.
I can't allow him the chance to regenerate, so I place my hand on his chest.
"Fractal Fire," I murmur with determination. A fire ignites within him, molded with gravitational magic. The fire starts to split, increasing its pressure and burning everything in its path while breaking down the internal parts of his body.
I look at my hands, seeing them trembling after using such complex spells. Everything I've deciphered is just the beginning. Magic and physics are not opposites; our knowledge of physics is limited.
I must learn more, discover more.
I clench my hands and smile, seeing how strong I've become. I think of Roswaal and his abilities to manipulate the weather and pass through souls. But those spells are uncontrolled, lacking processing.
What I'm doing is much more precise.
Flynn's body slowly disintegrates, the fire taking the form of fractals that continue to increase and burn everything at a molecular level. It's a slow spell but perfect for a final blow.
Finally, Flynn's body no longer exists, only scattered mana remains in the air. The miasma is unaffected, but the contaminated parts fall to the ground as I descend.
Crusch continues to fight valiantly, and I pant exhaustedly after using so many spells together.
I descend, advancing towards Erick with determination. I take the opportunity to grab him by the neck; his gaze is filled with terror as I squeeze harder and harder.
I feel a mixture of anger, sadness for the war, but above all, a deep hatred towards the enemy in front of me.
"It's over, Erick Costuul," I tell him firmly. "You will come with us and announce your surrender."
I feel the urgency to go to the battlefield and end all of this.
"I... I will," Erick affirms, causing me to release him and fall to the ground. Quickly, I tie him up with a rope and carry him on my shoulder.
Crusch has finished with the last Golems, although she is covered in bruises and cuts after the intense battle. The Golems dissolve into masses of purplish liquid, and Crusch stands up determined, ready to face any new challenge.
"Let's go," Crusch looks tired, but she is also determined to get out of this. I grab Erick, and Crusch stands on my other side, so I prepare to use flight magic, but at that precise moment, the ground starts shaking with overwhelming force.
The tremors shake everything around us with a violence that surpasses anything we've experienced before.
A giant hand emerges from the ground and sends us flying until we reach the hot air balloon. Just when we think we're safe, the same hand approaches again, this time in the form of a fist.
"Go Minya!" I shout, taking advantage of Beatrice's proximity to freeze the stone arm, slowing down the molecules to a minimum, and then using a spark to shatter the entire arm.
At that moment, a powerful wind wave rushes towards us, carrying multiple stone arms emerging from the ground to reach us.
Crusch jumps off my arm, rushing towards the giant earth arms with unwavering determination.
"Air Slash!" Crusch unsheathes her sword and cuts through all the stone arms with precise and lethal movements using wind magic.
Then, Crusch uses one of the arms she had cut off to jump and take my hand, pulling me up towards the airborne balloon.
The golems begin to emerge from the ground, and from the amorphous mass that was once Flynn, a grotesque body begins to take shape. We try to ascend to escape, but suddenly, the entire environment is enveloped in a thick purplish mist.
A piercing pain shoots through my mind, but Beatrice acts quickly, using her mana to alleviate the unbearable sensation.
"Marco! It's... Miasma!" she exclaims, making me understand the terrible effect surrounding us.
Like Petelgeuse's ability, the miasma creates a fog that attacks our minds and our gates directly. The reason it doesn't affect me as much is due to my ability to store miasma and also...
Because of the crystal embedded in my body during that fateful battle.
"You won't get away! I won't let you escape!" roars that amorphous mass, in a distorted tone that no longer sounds human, starting to take on a form similar to a human.
I throw Eric onto the balloon's gondola, knocking him out in the process.
I watch in horror as the miasma increases around me; I look at Crusch, who grimaces in pain while containing it all inside. Beatrice stands by her side and helps her, using her mana to cast a spell.
"This will hold for a few minutes, indeed," Beatrice's look tells me we have no way to escape right now.
The mana is weak at this moment; if we teleport, it will still find us.
Four gigantic golems emerge from the ground, while the others patiently await our descent. The golems attack us, forcing me to jump off the gondola in a desperate attempt to distract them and allow the others to escape.
"Keep going up! I'll distract them!" I shout, but Beatrice reaches out her hand to me.
"No! Marco!" are the last words I hear before my body is violently thrown towards the ground, falling hard. My mind starts to spin in a whirlwind of confusion and despair.
I try to get up, anxious to check why the golems aren't attacking, but instead, I feel footsteps approaching me. Each step reverberates in my mind.
"You've pushed me to the limit of my body," says the monster in front of me with a hoarse voice, spitting out a crystal that falls to the ground with a sinister sound. His presence emits a darkness that engulfs everything around him.
"What are you?" I ask with a trembling voice, trying to maintain composure despite the horror unfolding before my eyes.
His words resonate in my ears, filled with palpable resentment. I watch in horror as his figure, deformed by the miasma's influence, rises before me. His body, no longer human, is shrouded in a black mist that has a life of its own, dancing to the rhythm of darkness.
"Look at what you've forced me to do!" his laughter sounds like the creaking of rusty metal, filling the air with a malevolence that chills my bones.
His eyes, shining with an evil light, pierce me like sharp daggers.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I reply, trying to remain calm despite the fear consuming me from within.
Every detail in his appearance is a grotesque display of what was once human.
His long, pink hair twists like serpents in the miasma-filled air. The atmosphere around him seems to vibrate with an intensity that defies reality, as if he's about to unleash something that was forbidden.
As if the world itself had hidden it.
"Now I must fulfill my duty, and you must face the consequences for the lives that will be lost," he says with a distorted voice, slowly approaching me. His presence is suffocating, as if hell itself had been unleashed before my eyes.
"Can you withstand this amount of miasma? Truly, you are an incredible specimen."
Each of his words feels like a direct blow to my sanity, a threat that seems to seep into the depths of my being.
"How... How did you do it?" I stare at him, my hands and lips trembling fiercely, as I try to contain the emotions swirling inside me.
"Don't think, Marco Luz, if you let fear take over, you're dead!" I say to myself, thinking how to get free of this nightmare.
His malevolent determination is reflected in his eyes, burning with an insatiable desire for destruction.
A chilling shiver runs down my spine as I contemplate this hellish sight, wondering if I have any chance of winning.
I find myself facing an enemy whose power has become darker and more ruthless than ever. My eyes, filled with determination, fall upon my pistol, but before I can react, a brutal blow strikes my stomach, robbing me of my breath.
"Ahg!" I exclaim, struggling to regain air as I double over from the impact. Quickly and agilely, I execute a Murak and change my position in a single step, aiming directly at his face and firing without hesitation.
Bang! The bullet speeds towards him, but there is no reaction on his part; it's as if the projectile never existed. A sense of unease washes over me as I watch in disbelief at my enemy's impassiveness.
"What have you done?" I ask, while taking advantage to charge a spell, my mind racing for answers that could get us out of this desperate situation. His sinister smile persists, a reflection of the evil dwelling within him, as the golems make the ground tremble around us with their overwhelming force.
The mist and clouds completely obscure the sun, and the first drops of rain fall, plunging us even deeper into the uncertainty of this deadly battle.
I know I can't afford to die. If the miasma manages to affect me, if it penetrates my being and corrupts my essence, it will be the end.
I've underestimated this man; his power surpasses that of anyone I've fought before, even Julius, whose shadow still weighs heavily on my memories. I survey my arsenal with determination. I have seven bullets and two Yang cartridges left. If I combine them in a spell, perhaps I'll have a chance.
My hands tremble, my legs shake.
"Damn it!" in a fit of anger, I smack my own face, shaking off the fear within me. My connection with Beatrice weakens due to the dense miasma, but I can't let that stop me. I must press on.
Crusch descends beside me, her presence a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that surrounds us.
"You're not alone. We'll fight together," she says, positioning herself on my back, ready to continue battling despite the uncertainty looming over us.
"I don't know what I would do without you," I tell her, smiling despite the chaos engulfing us. I know Crusch is sacrificing a lot by staying by my side. Without the Yang collars that protect her from the miasma, her life is constantly in danger.
But her courage and determination are a reminder of why we must keep fighting. We must win this battle.
"We don't have time," I warn her urgently. "If you run out of mana, you'll die." She nods determinedly, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
The four gigantic golems unleash their wind attacks, while the others close in swiftly. The situation grows increasingly tense and desperate, but we can't afford to give up.
"Don't worry about me!" Crusch exclaims, bravely launching herself towards the golems with fierce determination. Then, Flynn lunges towards me with impressive speed, his eyes gleaming with a malignant intensity that freezes my blood.
"Plasma Dragon," I murmur, channeling the particles around me and creating a plasma dragon serpent with wind. Normally, this would be impossible, but thanks to my hard work, I found the right way to do it.
I extend my hand, and with a quick gesture, I pull out a handful of potassium dust from my suit pocket, obtained from distilling certain volatile salts in my lab's boiler.
Then, taking shape.
"My strongest spell!" I shout, maximizing all the particles, focusing on the spell as I closely observe every move of my enemy. The spell converges into an intense violet light, flickering with each movement.
The scales gleam with a dazzling brilliance, as if infused with liquid fire.
Flynn starts to move, and the plasma dragon advances towards him, but at the moment of impact, it passes through him as if he never had a body. My eyes widen in shock as I see the spell start to travel through the ground.
"Magic..." I press my lips, realizing that magic doesn't affect him. "It doesn't make sense." As it advances, it leaves behind a trail of incandescent sparks dancing in the air, leaving behind an ephemeral trail of ethereal luminescence.
"In the end, it's just magic," he says with a mocking smile, while my heart races at the prospect of an increasingly dangerous confrontation.
"Damn it!" At that moment, I fire a shot. Flynn moves to dodge it, but before he can, I use magic to stop his movement. However, he manages to break through my spell with impressive force, once again demonstrating his overwhelming power.
The tension in the air is palpable as we face this relentless threat, each determined to fight to the end.
"Then you'll see what mine can do!" I reply firmly, preparing for the next exchange of attacks.
The plasma dragon emerges from the ground, piercing it entirely. The glare is so intense that for a moment I am blinded, but, trusting my instincts, I lunge forward, aiming my gun to hit him with a Yang bullet.
When I see he's unscathed, my heart sinks. I used too much mana on that spell; it should have killed him instantly. I bite my lips, looking at him with fear.
Bang! My bullet sinks into his shoulder with a dull thud, and the impact causes the miasma to flow more intensely from his body, like a dark tide threatening to engulf everything.
"It's over!" I exclaim, lunging toward him with determination, but my words are lost in the air when one of the gigantic golems catches me in its stone arms, immobilizing me with immense force.
I struggle with all my might, channeling my magic in a desperate attempt to free myself, but these stone beings seem immune to my powers.
A sharp pain seizes my body as I struggle to break free, feeling my bones compress and my organs ache under the relentless pressure of its hand.
"AGGH!" I scream, feeling my ribs begin to break. My muscles tense with every effort, but it seems that each attempt only intensifies the suffering that oppresses me.
Desperate to escape, I glance at Crusch, who continues her brave fight against the other golems, but she is too far away to provide assistance.
"Marco!" she exclaims, her voice full of concern, but her call is drowned out by the roar of battle when a stone hits her squarely, making her stagger backward.
My connection with Beatrice fades, barely perceptible amidst the chaos surrounding me. In my mind, a sense of despair takes hold of me as I realize I am alone in this fight. Perhaps it's a good time to die and start over.
Meanwhile, Flynn rises majestically before me, his confidence in his dominant position palpable in the miasma-filled air.
"You're strong, Marco Luz, I understand why I was told to be careful with you." Flynn stands before me, and then my mind begins to operate at full capacity, but, at this moment, there's nothing to be done. I'm not sure if restarting will allow me to kill him.
I still have one trick up my sleeve: the Yang bullets in my arsenal. If I manage to detonate the cartridges inside him, I could inflict considerable damage and perhaps find an opportunity to escape.
I watch hopefully at the wound caused by my bullet, which has not completely closed; instead, I perceive the miasma beginning to slowly spill from his body, a dark current slithering toward me with a seductive and terrifying determination.
It's as if it's trying to tell me something.
My gate tries to expel the miasma, but the force exerted is overwhelming, as if the miasma itself is trying to tear my soul apart and claim my body as its own.
"Now, you must fulfill your destiny," Flynn murmurs with a voice full of malice, unsheathing a dagger with a sinister gleam in his eyes.
A sharp pain pierces my abdomen, and agony envelops me like a dark blanket, threatening to consume me whole. I make an effort to use water to heal my wounds, but since I haven't fully mastered that technique, I only manage to use my mana to force the wound closed and stop the bleeding.
The veins and arteries of my body contract painfully under my control, fighting against the flow of blood to prevent further loss.
As I focus on gathering enough mana to get rid of the golem holding me, Flynn holds his dagger, aiming it directly at my head with a malicious look.
"Don't worry, you'll only feel a slight sting," he assures as he begins to lower the weapon. But then, a scream tears through the air.
"Knights! Attack!" The golem's arm holding me shatters into thousands of fragments, and Flynn is thrown violently to the ground.
I use my magic to cushion the impact of my fall and, as I illuminate the surroundings, I discover the figure of a man surrounded by blue particles. He wields a longsword, a weapon I haven't seen before.
He smiles with an expression of deep understanding.
Frey Karsten, or rather, Fourier Lugunica, has appeared.
"My apologies, I found more knights beneath the mountain and also discovered some traces of cultists," confesses Fourier, smiling at the unexpected situation, while his sword crackles in the air as he faces off against a golem attempting to attack him.
Originally, Fourier was supposed to be a mere spectator in this battle, a duke who should not get involved in the power struggle. However, circumstances have changed drastically.
"This is no longer a simple war between territories. The evidence of the witch cult is undeniable," declares Fourier with an annoyed expression, then proceeds to dismantle the golem with precise movements that reduce a colossus of over twenty meters in height to rubble.
Then, I pose a question:
"Do you know Flynn?" If Fourier is playing the role of Crusch, he should say yes, and this way, I can gather information for the future.
Fourier looks at me with a slightly confused expression before replying:
"I know him, but I didn't know he was a member of the cult. I am a duke, I know all the nobility," Fourier says with a grimace of disgust, spitting on the ground. "What I didn't know is that he had allied himself with something so repulsive."
The response sounds sincere, but something in his tone or gaze makes me question if he's hiding something more.
I push aside my concern, realizing there's no time for emotions.
I decide to stand up, but my wound opens, causing my body to tense and fall to the ground. At that moment, Félix appears, with a worried expression on his face, and rushes to heal me.
"You can't force your body like this, you'll hurt yourself more, Nya!" Félix exclaims as he applies an ointment to my wound with expert hands.
The miasma continues to linger in the area, visible to everyone due to its density, but it also means that everyone is being affected by its oppressive presence. Félix wears a golden crystal on his chest, emitting a constant golden light as he heals my wound.
His ability to heal is truly astonishing.
In a matter of seconds, he has healed my wound.
The clash of swords, the shouts, and the rumbling of the golems in the distance reveal that the battle is reaching an unimaginable level of intensity.
"Damn it, these golems seem to be endless!" exclaims one of the knights who arrived with Fourier, bravely fighting against the stone monstrosities advancing without rest.
I cannot allow anyone to die in this battle. Wilhelm is fighting below against the cultists we discovered, so I'll deal with these giant golems. Can you handle that monster?" Fourier asks me, pointing to his arm, where dark spots are spreading, likely as a result of the attack he endured.
That means the miasma is affecting him too, and more than I would expect.
I nod determinedly, looking at him seriously. Although at other times he might be an enemy, at this moment we need to support each other to end this crisis.
I observe my hands, squeezing them tightly, as I hear Crusch's cry fighting in the distance.
"Crusch needs our help!" I exclaim, remembering the bravery with which she has faced every challenge so far.
It's towards that direction that I must head. However, before I can advance, Fourier stops me.
I turn to see him, and at that moment, he hands me a collar, much larger than I expected.
"This would normally be my collar, but it seems that your friend needs it more than I do," he says, as the collar seems to dissipate the mist around him, creating a small area without it. "These are collars imbued with Yang magic, taken directly from Vollachia. Hurry, I don't know how much time she has."
I nod determinedly and start to run. As I advance, I focus on expelling the miasma hanging in the air, thinking of Crusch, who has been enduring this terrible miasma for some time.
As I approach the place where her voice blends with the chaos of battle, I feel a renewed determination.
I cannot allow anything to happen to her.
I hear Flynn's voice, and his cry drives me to quicken my pace, using my Murak and wind magic. I choose not to fly at this moment, as it would require spending more mana than necessary.
Right now, I need to concentrate all my energies on expelling the miasma and preparing the necessary spell.
Finally, I break through a dense layer of fog and see her: Crusch, with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other, trying to stop Flynn.
"I won't let you go with him," Crusch launches herself at Flynn with impressive bravery, but her movements seem slower than usual.
"Do you really think you can stop me, little mosquito?" Flynn replies with a mocking smile, easily dodging Crusch's attack.
A shot rings out as Crusch fires at Flynn, but like before, the impact has no effect.
"Monster!" Crusch exclaims in frustration, watching as her shot misses once again.
Flynn quickly advances and punches Crusch in the stomach. The force of the blow causes Crusch to stagger back.
"Crusch!" I shout desperately as I watch my friend struggle to stay on her feet.
Taking advantage of the distance, Flynn raises his fist, preparing to deliver a deadly blow.
"I won't let you hurt her anymore!" I roared, feeling the anger burn in my chest as I channeled all my magic to stop Flynn.
Covering my entire body in murak, I lunged forward with all my strength, determined to protect Crusch at any cost.
"You're too late."
Flynn's fist pierced Crusch's abdomen with sudden and brutal violence. A gush of dark blood spurted from the wound, splattering the air with its chilling crimson color.
The dull sound of bones fracturing and tissues tearing mixed with Crusch's agonizing screams, filling the air like an echo of her suffering.
"No! Crusch!" My voice broke into a desperate cry as I beheld the horrifying scene before me.
Crusch's skin stretched and tore under the force of the blow, revealing the twisted and bloodied entrails writhing inside her body. The metallic scent of blood and the sickening aroma of death permeated the air, filling my senses with a revulsion that threatened to make me vomit.
"You damn monster! What have you done?" I exclaimed, my voice filled with anger and desperation as I confronted Flynn with eyes ablaze with fury.
In my mind, everything began to slow down. I felt a strange sensation, as if time were freezing while I stood before Flynn, helplessly witnessing Crusch's life slipping away before my eyes.
Pain and helplessness mingled in my heart, consuming me with a fury that threatened to overwhelm me.
"DAMN YOU! UL GOA!" I shouted furiously as my hands rose toward the sky, invoking a storm of fire that erupted with unbridled rage, propelled by my wind magic.
The air filled with the roar of flames, consuming everything in its path as I enveloped Flynn in a fiery whirlwind that hurled him away from Crusch.
Flynn was flung in an unknown direction, but the last thing I saw was his malevolent smile, as if he had achieved his goal.
I ran toward Crusch with my heart in my throat, feeling the crushing terror of seeing her struggle to stay on her feet, spitting blood as she held her stomach open by Flynn's relentless hand.
Black spots covered her face, and her blood had a similar tone to what I had seen on those knights before.
The sight of Crusch in such a state struck me like a hammer, and desperation threatened to drown me. Damn it. It looks like I'll have to reset this situation.
"Should I reset?"
"What if instead of improving, I create a future so horrible from which there would be no escape?"
"Beatrice!" I shouted with all my might, using my mana to ensure she heard me. "Hold on, please."
The tension in the air was palpable, and Crusch's fate depended on the actions I took right now. Uncertainty consumed me as I desperately awaited her help.
Taking her to Félix wouldn't be enough, even if he could heal her wounds the miasma would stay in her body. Beatrice has ways to diminish the effects of the miasma, if she provides assistance and we give enough time to reach Irlam, I'll be able to have Luan cure her.
"What if Luan is dead?"
The idea that they might have used the miasma to enhance the demihumans haunts me. However, I reject that grim thought. No matter the situation, as long as I can return to an earlier point, I can try something.
Time stretches out before me, each second an agony as I wrestle with the toughest decision of my life.
Should I push forward, or should I end it all and start over? Anxiety consumes me as I consider the possibilities, fearing the consequences of my actions.
In the midst of chaos and despair, Flynn's voice resonates with a challenging tone, shaking me to the core.
"What do you think? I'm strong, right?" His words are like sharp blades cutting through the air, daring me to stray from my goal.
However, my determination does not waver. In an instant, I lunge toward him with all the accumulated fury, my fists like projectiles of anger aimed at his arrogant face.
But before I can reach him, a dark flash and an agile spin carry him out of my reach, leaving me struggling against empty air.
"Damn coward!" My voice is drowned out by the battle's roar, yet my fury only intensifies. Flynn appears to relish my frustration, his twisted smile fueling my anger.
"Bothered by my ability to evade you?" His tone is mocking, as if he relishes every moment of my desperation. "Perhaps you should learn to better control your anger, dear friend." His words only inflame the fire within me.
With a growl, I thrust myself back into the fight, each blow and spell aimed at crushing his arrogance. But he's a skilled dancer in this deadly ballet, effortlessly dodging every strike.
"You won't escape me so easily!" My voice echoes with determination as I unleash a burst of fire toward him, each spell charged with the fury of my rage.
Flynn skillfully evades my attacks, laughing arrogantly as he maintains a safe distance from my unleashed wrath.
"Is that all you've got?" His voice rises above the chaos of battle, his mocking tone ringing in my ears. "I thought you'd pose a more interesting challenge." With every move, I search for an opening, a chink in his impenetrable defense.
But Flynn is a cunning adversary, and each attempt to unsettle him is met with a calculated counterattack. My fury swells with each obstacle, each blow deflected, yet I know I must remain calm if I hope to have any chance of defeating him.
"You won't elude me!" I shout with fury, channeling all my energy into one last desperate attack, willing to risk everything to halt him.
Then Flynn vanishes from my sight, and behind me, I hear his voice:
"I don't have much time left, so I'll need to act swiftly." I turn my head and find Flynn standing before Crusch. Swiftly, he draws a dagger and prepares to strike.
"EL MURAK!" My cry reverberates across the battlefield, a final beacon of hope amid the chaos. With every ounce of strength and determination, I lunge toward Crusch, my sole concern being her safety.
But as I draw near, a dark shadow looms over me, and before I can react, a cold, sharp blade pierces my back with deadly accuracy.
A scream of agony escapes my lips as the blade slices through my flesh, robbing me of breath and filling my mouth with a metallic tang. Pure torment courses through every fiber of my being, reducing my muscles to jelly and sapping me of all strength.
The impact of the blow throws me to the ground with a dull thud, my body trembling with pain and weakness. My vision clouds with tears of suffering, but I can still feel Crusch's desperate gaze fixed on me, her face filled with anguish and terror.
Flynn's laughter echoes in my ears like a cruel mockery as he leans over me, his face twisted into a sinister smile.
"Since you offered so much resistance, I'll use that power for a better purpose. You see, I can save her in a more effective way," his words are like daggers, plunging deeper into my wounded soul. The miasma envelops my body, a dark and overwhelming presence threatening to consume me entirely.
My thoughts become confused, mingling with pain and despair as I struggle to maintain consciousness.
I attempt to use magic to explode my body, but I'm unable to control my gate.
"I should have become a monster, it's my emotions that made me commit all these mistakes."
"Not again..."
Darkness closes in around me; time stops in an eternal moment of suffering and hopelessness. But even amidst the agony, a final spark of determination burns within me.
"I'll... kill you," I whisper, my voice choked with pain, my promise barely a faint echo in the miasma-laden air. However, before I can act, an invisible force seizes my body, dragging me into the abyss of unconsciousness as I struggle to stay afloat.
(Play Stay alive Song Full version)
Then, amid the chaos and desperation...
"Marco, watch out!" Beatrice's voice resonates urgently amidst the chaos, cutting through the air like a ray of light in the darkness. Amid this internal struggle, a desperate cry breaks the silence.
I instantly recognize Beatrice's voice, but her tone is charged with an urgency I've never heard before.
My body tenses, my senses sharpen at the sound of her call.
"Marco!" Beatrice's voice carries a tone of distress, cutting through the chaos of battle and reaching straight to my heart. "Betty won't let them hurt you!"
Chaos erupts around me as multiple light stakes lunge at Flynn's body, forcing him to retreat. A wave of relief washes over me, but also a deep concern.
"No... This can't be..." I mutter through clenched teeth, my heart pounding in my chest with force. The words stick in my throat as I watch Beatrice materialize in front of me.
Her presence radiates a mixture of determination and pain, and her gaze, filled with reproach, pierces through my soul.
"Move, move, move," I mutter to myself, tensing all my muscles just to reach out and take her hand. "MARCO LUZ! MOVE!"
I gather all my strength, ignoring the blood in my lungs, disregarding if my vocal cords tear apart, regardless of whether my heart explodes.
"DON'T DO IT!" I shout, reaching out my hand toward her.
"EL SHAMACK!" Beatrice's cry resonates in the air, charged with a power I've never witnessed before. Her voice, usually soft and comforting, now reverberates with a strength that shakes me to the core. "You're a fool, a fool indeed."
Flynn disappears in an instant, but the spell doesn't fade.
I look towards Beatrice, my eyes filled with anguish and my lips trembling, unable to find the right words to express my torment.
The contract...
"Marco, listen to me..." Beatrice whispers with a choked voice, her eyes shining with love and determination. "Betty can't leave you. You... You've been her light in the darkness, her reason to continue. Betty loves you more than words can express, and she would do anything for you."
Each of her words hits me like a dagger in the heart, making me feel a mixture of gratitude and desperation. I know what she's doing, I know the consequences she'll face for breaking the contract that binds us.
"Betty wants to help you as much as you've helped her indeed."
In an act of desperation and unconditional love, Beatrice takes the Yang collar from Crusch's hands and plunges it into her own chest. Infused with Yang magic, Beatrice conjures a spell that completely removes the miasma from Crusch.
As well as something else.
I can feel the magical energy flowing through her, a manifestation of her pure essence, the odo, which merges with Crusch's in a heartbreaking act.
"Betty, no..." My words drown in a sea of emotions, my voice barely a whisper as I struggle against the invisible chains that keep me paralyzed. "You can't... do this for me."
Desperation grows inside me as I try desperately to free myself, but the miasma keeps me immobilized, preventing me from making any move. I clench my fists with all my might, but it is all in vain.
Our fate hangs by a thread, and there's nothing I can do to change it.
Beatrice completes Crusch's healing, and her gaze shifts to me, her eyes shining with tears as her body glows faintly.
"Marco, Betty doesn't want... doesn't want to leave you, but... but she will, for your sake," Beatrice whispers, her voice choked with emotion, her eyes reflecting the torment of her decision as she looks at me with unconditional love.
My lips tremble as I hear her words, and I feel a lump in my throat as I realize the magnitude of her sacrifice. I cannot hold back the tears threatening to overflow, but the pain in my chest is so intense that I cannot even cry.
"Betty love you, Marco. Betty love everything you are, everything you have shown Betty indeed," Beatrice continues, her voice laden with affection and sorrow. "Betty has lived over four hundred years, but these past eleven months with you have been the most precious of Betty's existence indeed."
A sigh escapes my lips, and I feel as if my heart is breaking into a thousand pieces. Every word from Beatrice resonates in my soul, reminding me of the depth of our bond and the inevitability of her sacrifice.
With a supernatural effort, I force my eyes open and see Beatrice take out a crystal from her pocket, her hands trembling slightly as she prepares for the final sacrifice.
"No, don't do it," I try to move, but there is no strength in my body. "Don't leave me alone."
The gleam in her eyes reflects the determination of her decision, but also the profound sadness consuming her.
"This knife is meant to take your body, and as your princess, I must protect you," she says with a firm voice, though her words are tinged with pain and anguish.
I feel a sharp pain in my chest as I watch her make that decision, but I know I can't stop her. My helplessness consumes me, and the pain I feel at this moment is beyond words to describe.
"No, Beatrice, please... don't do it," I plead, my words drowned in the sadness and helplessness I feel at her sacrifice.
She moves forward, her face serene yet filled with gut-wrenching sadness as she plunges the crystal into her own body. The sound of the crystal piercing her is like an echo in my soul, a painful reminder of the magnitude of her sacrifice.
"Marco... Betty loves you more than words can express," Beatrice whispers as the essence of her soul merges with mine, a final act of love before vanishing forever.
A black hole opens in my chest, engulfing me with overwhelming sadness. But amidst my grief, I can hear her voice echoing in my mind, her words full of love and hope.
"Don't mourn, Marco... Betty don't want to see you consumed by pain. Betty wants to see you truly smile, to be happy..." Beatrice whispers from the depths of my heart, her love enveloping me like a warm and comforting embrace.
Her words resonate in my soul, filling me with a sense of peace and solace amidst the darkness threatening to engulf me.
"I won't be happy if you are not in my life!", My cry resonates in the air, but there is nothing I can do to help her.
With a tender gesture, Beatrice gently cups my cheeks in her hands, her warm and comforting touch soothing my troubled soul. Her eyes reflect a mixture of love and sadness as she gazes deeply into mine, as if she wants to etch my face into her memory for all eternity.
"Marco, my brave knight..." she whispers softly, her words resonating in my heart with overwhelming intensity. "You must keep shining, even in the darkest moments. Don't let my sacrifice consume you, please."
"Do something!" I scream inwardly, "Damn monster, Marco Luz, cry!"
I nod sadly, unable to articulate a coherent response to the magnitude of her love and sacrifice. In a meaningful gesture, Beatrice leans in and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead, her warm breath brushing against my skin like an ethereal caress.
"No..." I reach out my hand, trying to embrace her, but then my hands pass through, falling to the ground without touching anything.
With a final sigh, Beatrice fades into mana spheres, her presence dissipating in the air like a fleeting breeze.
The collar on my chest glows, and all those mana spheres are drawn towards the collar. My chest illuminates in such a deep purple that it blinds me, but by the time it ends, I can move my body again.
A flash of understanding crosses my mind as I hold the collar in my hands, connecting the dots of the birthday gift Roswaal offered me long ago.
Then I understand.
Roswaal... he knew. He knew what this collar meant, of what it was capable. He manipulated me, played me like a puppet in his hands.
I clench my fists tightly, biting my lips and tasting the blood. Anger and frustration burn within me, fueling my determination as I grit my teeth.
"Roswaal L. Mathers..." I whisper with a mix of desperation and fury, my voice laden with deep hatred towards the man who has manipulated my fate for so long.
I won't allow this to continue. No matter how many times I have to come back, no matter how many times I have to die, this time will be different. This time, I'll confront him face to face and put an end to this twisted game once and for all.
With trembling hands, I grasp my pistol tightly, my fingers on the trigger with determination. My thoughts become clear, focused on one idea: avenging Beatrice, protecting those I love, and freeing myself from Roswaal's yoke.
"I'll kill you, Roswaal. I'll kill you as many times as necessary until I finally put an end to your miserable existence," my voice resounds with fierce determination as I aim the gun at my own head.
I won't let you keep playing with me, manipulating me like a puppet in your hands. This time, I'll take control of my own destiny and do whatever it takes to ensure that justice prevails.
With a cry of fury and defiance, I pull the trigger.
"Even if I have to become a monster to achieve it."
Bang!