The tall and brawny person covered the western gate leading out of the town we were in. He had three horns jutting out of his forehead, he's way stronger than me as I just managed to grow two horns. The aura surrounding him doesn't seem to be as strong as the demon kin-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
"Tarus?!"
All of a sudden my head started aching, I can't think straight. I might have revealed our position but I couldn't care less about that right now. I knelt on the ground and the pain was still there as I kept shouting.
"So you really did kill him...brat! This is what you deserve! He put a curse on you as he died!"
"C-crap!"
"Tarus get out of there!"
"I'm quitting being a coward! I'll fight my enemies head-on no matter what it takes!"
"Ooooh scary! HAHAHAHA, how can a kid like you even beat him? I'm pretty sure he just ran away!" he mocked me
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid! I've been through thick and thin!"
"I'M EXPECTING GREAT THINGS FROM YOU KID!"
"I'LL PASS YOUR EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU'LL END UP DEAD!"
"I CAN'T WAIT!"
"TARUS!"
I swapped into burst mode and two horns, for some reason the muscular guy in front of me can maintain three horns for some time. Fighting is unavoidable but hopefully, it doesn't attract any of the other intruders. My head still hurt a bit but it wasn't as painful as it is now.
"WHAT A TRANSFORMATION, AND A TWO HORN?! YOU REALLY DO SURPRISE ME, KID!"
"I'M JUST GETTING STARTED YOU BASTARD!"
I summoned the Nemax and just like what I did previously against that scythe guy, I imbued it with corrosion and corruption. I went on the offense as I swiftly dashed my way to the brawny person a few feet away from me.
"Offense eh? Crown fragment of defense, form: Shield!"
A yellow light suddenly blinded my vision, I had to use my right arm to cover my eyes as I ran to him. The light faded away and the humungous great shield stopped me in my tracks. The shield was at least as big as one of the doors in the entrance to the Willsword's family manor, it looked so heavy that the stone-paved ground started to crack.
"Frightened eh? This sure is one heavy thing!" he claimed while huffing
I have to think of some way to break through his defenses and counterattack. I moved back a few feet as the bald person in front of me was trying to get the shield out of the ground as it wedged in deeply, while he was doing that I quickly lodged the Nemax into the ground causing it to amplify the effects of corrosion. A part of the stone-paved path surrounding the muscular person disappeared and he stumbled into the bare dirt letting go of his huge shield as it let out a huge thunk that caused the ground to vibrate a little. As he fell down I quickly used the everlasting ice to encase him.
"WHAT THE HELL! I-IT'S SO C-COLD!"
"Good thing you summoned that heavy shield, if not for it I wouldn't have been able to entrap you in ice. Be careful moving around, with one wrong move the ice crystals could pierce your body and you'll be trapped there for a while bleeding to death."
"How can a kid like you be so cruel?!"
"I warned you to not underestimate me just because I'm a kid. Celene, Nanako, let's go."
"Don't you think that we'll let you live so easily! HAHAHA! I'll hunt you down to the ends of this world! No matter where you go!"
"I was planning on letting you die slowly but it seems that you can't shut your mouth up, let me help you shut it up."
"What can a kid like you even do?"
"Give you a painful quick death. Gates of hell!"
Grimly dark arms surrounded him, they gripped on tightly to the encased muscular guy. Slowly but surely screams of sorrow wailed from him, fighting for his life he wailed and wailed until he was completely submerged into the opening.
"Have a fun trip in hell and be tormented for eternity or until your soul can last."
He was gone, my head suddenly started to ache. I vomited blood and I could hear the cries of Celene and Nanako.
"GET AWAY FROM ME QUICK!"
I managed to stop them, I swiftly dashed away from them simply because I don't want them to be harmed by me. I could feel something sinister welling up inside me...it's as if that I kill someone I get their deepest remorse before they die...is this the curse? I got exhausted and coughed up even more blood leaving a trail behind me as I made my way to nowhere.
"This is painful..."
"What is? C'mon Tarus your parents are waiting for you! It's almost dinner time!"
"Cherri....?"
"What are you spacing out for? Let's hurry up before uncle gets mad at both of us!"
"This shouldn't be happening! I thought you were gone?"
"What do you mean? Didn't we promise that I won't leave you?"
I started crying...was all of the things I went through one long dream? Was the suffering I went through meaningless?
"What do you mean meaningless? Tarus what are you talking about? You're being weird right now..."
"You can read what I'm thinking?"
"You're just talking to yourself!"
"W-what?"
If this isn't a dream then what is it?
"This isn't a dream! Tarus wake up! This is reality! [or is it?] C'mon, we really need to hurry up!"
"What the hell's going on..."
She grabbed my arm and her's was dead and cold...what is even going on right now?
"How can my hand be cold and dead? We were sweating from playing moments ago!"
"A-are you really Cherri?"
"Of course! There isn't another Cherri in the world! Just me and only me!"
A cold dark aura came from her as it enveloped our surroundings...this isn't reality...