"Together?", Franni asks
"Together"
Michael places Mr J on the floor then takes out his sword, while Franni prepares an energy beam in one, and a protective-sigil on the other. They step over the rubble and enter through the damage created by Franni, the broken shards of blackstone everywhere. Michael takes the lead with his sword firmly in his hands facing forward, ready if something were to occur. They walked down a dimly lit corridor that seemed to go on forever, a red carpet directed at the pair, but Franni couldn't help but think someone was watching. Suddenly the walls begin shifting from their positions, opening and closing, separating the boys from each other. Mr J jumps to Michael as he swings his sword at the wall coming towards him. Franni blasts energy at it but it doesn't break. He forms a sigil on the wall, clenches his fist and it crumbles to pieces, he repeats onto the proceeding walls, making a pathway to the hall they were headed.
They make it to the hall, drowned in golden and nether statues spaced across the area, their shadow lit only by the aquamarine glow of the soul lanterns sparingly hanging by iron chains. There were two directions that they could go through, the left where weapons were forged by slaves, or the right where it seemed the eye may be placed. Michael leans to the right then flinches when a blood-curdling scream radiates from the left, he continues but Franni tugs his arm urging him to go left.
"We should release them first"
Michael looks to the right hallway then back to the left, contemplating on whether to save that person
" I know we should save that person but we need the eye now"
"It's just a few a minutes, quickly", and he rushes off
"Franni", he looks to the right hallway thinking, God damn it, then follows behind locking his sword in the back
Franni explodes the wall blocking the entrance by placing a sigil in front, and clenching his hands. Michael tries to reach before he could enter, extending his arm out. He rushes into the broken room, sigil in hand, discovering a person on the opposite side nailed to the wall by piglins. Franni blasts the creatures with magic, and they collapse on the floor. He goes to the man whose shoulders and arms were impaled by nails.
"Are you alright?", Franni asks, removing the pieces
"Yes, thank you, but..."
Michael rushes in, "Franni! Get away from there"
"What?"
"...you won't be", and Steven raises his head, the nails on his body dissipate into black symbols
He rises into the air with energy radiating from his palms, then focuses it onto Franni, but blocks the beam with his left hand, and in the meantime his right hand snapped, causing twisting vines to break from the bottom and entangle Steven. He laughs, breaking the vines, then black lightning forms at his fingertips, points them at the pair and fires away, imitating the lazer effects. Franni changes the sigil into an earth one, and reaches to the ground lifting it up for cover. He looks at Michael close to the entrance who was making his way behind the cover, Steven slowly chipping away at the shield
"Take his left, and I'll go right"
Franni nods clenching his fist in one hand, then slamming it into his open palm, causing the ceiling above Steven to crumble. He moves out of the way not noticing Michael swinging his sword at his head, but he's able to avoid it by a miniscule amount, and claws his hand, an enlarged purple hand wraps round Michael, then Steven throws him to the side. Franni comes in with pieces of blackstone thrown at the other magic player, but Steven manipulates it into dust
"I should've killed you at the start", Franni says
"Ye, but you wouldn't have found the eyes"
"Enough talk", and the magic-wielders project a bright beam of green and purple, their energies converging in the middle
Steven was talented, but Franni had raw potential and his beam began to overcome Steven's purple projection. He realised this, and pulled back suddenly, then formed water out of air trying to release high-pressurised water -- Michael slowly gets up, his eyes focus on the battle -- but Franni rotates his hands anti-clockwise, manipulating the water into ice, firing sharpened shards at an alarming rate. He walks towards his friend, gripping the sword tightly. Steven claps his hands and the shards turn into snow. He claws into the ground, manipulating the vines growing underneath, and propels the tendrils at Franni. He swiftly rubs his hands causing a spark to burn the roots, then pushes a wave of emerald-flames at Steven. I'm sorry, Michael thinks. Steven redirects the flames into the wall, spots Michael and begins to laugh
"Stop, you can't harm me", Franni says
"You're right, I can't", Steven gestures to the man behind Franni
Suddenly he feels a stinging pain entering through his back, he tilts his head back as the sword impales him. He stiffens, shivers, and relaxes, feeling weakened by the sword breaking his rib-cage, and drops the sigil. Mr J whimpers at Michael, then runs behind a rock. He lifts Franni up causing him to moan, then removes the sword from his back slowly. Franni pants heavily clasping the hole as he lays bent over, looking at Michael
"All...all this time?"
Michael sways his head the other way. Steven grabs Franni's chin, lifting it up to him, and smiles sinisterly
"Unfortunately", and his eyes flare with black lightning, his arms brighten with purple symbols
Franni wails as Steven corrupts him. Michael picks up Mr J, and takes him away to a hidden spot for safety.
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"Is this everyone?", Steven asks
They nod
"Franni, take it away", and he turns to Hina lifting his hand, a sigil forms, and his eyes flare green
He projects an energy beam onto the President, but in the split second Jaden lassoes her to him with rope, the blast damaging the chiseled floor. Franni opens his left palm, points his right-index finger inwards and twists clockwise, then drags it out. A flourish of green fire rises from the crack in the floor. Jess holds out two axes forward, Aly begins searching for an item useful for the current situation, Ash readies a few bottles of fire resistance, Jaden takes out a bow, and Hina takes out her netherite sword. Michael is behind a pillar, hidden by the shadow. Unbeknownst to the others he's opening a pathway to let another individual to the party The Valkyrie tosses her axes, while Jaden fires arrows in quick succession, but Franni redirects it to the wall, clattering on the floor
"What are you doing?", Hina shouts, but Franni doesn't respond
"I took his free will. I imbued your friend with my magic, why waste such raw potential?", Steven says, "Ahh good, the other player has returned to the game. Drumroll, please"
Steven repeatedly stamped his feet in excitement, then a feral growl came from the pathway, swift puffs of air, clattering of claws radiated from the area, and soon Anosha came through on all fours. She had been mutilated into an Adekop, her head attached to her body by terribly placed stitches, her teeth replaced by fangs, and her face contorted into a forced smile.
"Fuck!", Jaden says targeting the arrow at her
Anosha pants hysterically, crawling on the floor, then she began climbing on the ceiling like she was toying with her meal
"Wait, there's still one more person to make the biggest play", Steven says shifting his focus onto Aly
Suddenly, Jess' arms sag, and she collapses on the floor, coughing blood as she falls. Ash attends to her as the others look at Aly, gently nudging her limp pale body. Ash notices the streaks of purple running surfacing on the skin, originating from the stomach. She checks Jess' eyes, noticing the bloodied eyes, her fingertips darkening and spreading throughout her entire body
"What did you do?" Hina asks pointing the sword at Aly
"She poisoned Jess with humko - wither-skeleton infectant"
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"Two jugs of strong pineapple soju, please!"
"How do you drink that much…?", Aly says concerned
"Easy, I share it with you"
"Hahaha, funny"
"No, seriously", her face enthusiastic about the beverage
"I can't drink an entire jug", Aly flinches as the bartender slams it on their table
"See, we share, plus I order lots of food. And that's how I drink two jugs", Jess smiles, standing from her seat, then goes to the front counter
Aly quickly takes out a vial filled with humko, and drops a few of the liquid inside, then hides it, filling the cup with soju. Jess takes the cup from Aly, who poured a drink for her friend
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Jess began shivering, weakened by the transformation, and her flesh began to rot and become blackened. Jaden raises his bow, strengthening his grip on the arrow as he glares frustratedly at Aly. She looks away, then to Jess, then to Steven
"As we discussed",
Steven's eyes flare purple lightning, the symbols on his arm appear and the nether star appears before her, and she collects it. Jess tries to get up but her body was becoming numb, what once was her flesh will become no more than a husk
"All of this...just for...the star?", she asks weakly
"Yes, just for the star", Aly replies walking through a portal Steven created, and never looks back
Silence filled the room. Jaden lowered his bow. Jess began clenching Ash's hand, took a deep breath, then peacefully went away. Her eyes went different directions, blood trickling downwards as the rest of the plague travelled throughout her body. Anosha was still giggling at her prey, toying with the sword Hina held as she swung slightly to prohibit further movement. Michael went to Steven receiving a hug from his master, Franni still held the fire between the two parties
"Well, that's that", Steven says enthusiastically, "Franni?"
He casted the fire away then pulled his clenched fist away from his open palm, creating binds on the remaining players in the game. He lifted them all up into the air, suspending them with their ligaments tied in front. Steven faces the open end portal then hops inside, a flash of black-purple blinding the others. Michael goes to join but Hina calls him out
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Michael looks at her, guilt was splayed over his face
"Did you have to betray us?"
But he shook it off, "Yes, I did", and he goes inside the portal
Franni follows through but leaves them suspended in the air, just above Anosha where she could consume their flesh should they fall. Ash glances at the others and notices Hina's necklace
"Wait, is that from the Totem of Undying?", she asks
"Yes, why?"
"It removes any enchantment within a specific radius"
Hina and Jaden's eyes widen, then they look at each other
"That's why Franni gave us the totem before he died. He knew this would happen again", Jaden realises, "we have to get my bag. It has the rest of the totem"
The game was set. The cards played, but they still have one up their sleeves