"L-Lady Kun?" surprisingly I was able to talk without the need to move my mouth.
"Kun, heh? Allowing yourself to speak my nickname so casually?"
Specks and pebbles of light dropped slowly like a leaf. My vision was rendered to black and white. All sounds were muffled but I could still hear her voice and my thoughts clearly. I didn't know what was happening, but I think that she stopped time? I am not sure…I've never seen anything like this!
"Wh-what is happeni—"
"Did you really think you could kill all six kings without any problems?" I was interrupted. I presume she was somewhat angry at me for thinking I could pull this stunt so easily. "Do I need to remind you that this whole mountain is protected with an immortality array?"
"E-eh, I forgot about that…"
"No wonder you were so confident then" she responded with much anger, raising her animosity with each second that passed by.
I had totally forgotten about that part. In the spur of the moment, I was ready to put in motion my plan, disregarding this fact…
Fuck! If she hadn't stopped me, then my attempt would have been in vain and my life forfeit without accomplishing anything. She was right to berate me on my lack of wisdom…the years have not been kind on me.
But…why did she stop me? And why was it that she was mad about it in the way that she was? Wasn't she in league with Demonic?
"Which rift were you going to choose?" she cut my train of thoughts, although I can assume she already knew my answer.
"The third" my mouth didn't articulate them but my words were delivered nonetheless. "But after Demonic told us the new rule, I think I would have gone for the—"
"Second one? Hm. Not a good choice in either circumstance."
She leisurely walked around, forgetting everything was frozen while she was not. Thinking and mumbling about, she circled on the raised platform, questioning whether her actions were in place.
To me, she appeared to be struggling to make a decision.
"Ugh. Because of you, I had to interfere personally. Even though this technique is powerful, it will not go unnoticed on his behalf."
Hearing this, I think I may have forced her hand earlier than she thought. To my eyes, this was not a faithful servant of Demonic God…or not any longer at least.
"I have to move up the schedule" her hand reached her forehead, "I was going to meet you all after being reincarnated. Seeing the circumstances, I will have to do it now" she clapped for some reason and made her way towards me.
Upon her clap, the first two rifts were closed in a swoop and vanished. The rift left standing was the third, the one in which the path of cultivation was a thing…whatever that was. A few steps in and she was already towering before me. With a wave of her hand and a pat on my shoulder, I was able to move again.
I had so many questions after this action of hers. I had to start with the most obvious at first of course.
"Why are you doing this?" I was rubbing my throbbing legs while she gawked at me with her golden eyes. "Um—milady?"
She sighed with a shaking head, "A little better…" she scoffed horribly. I could detect an uncertainty in her voice, denouncing if I was really one of the Septitanic Kings.
"Demonic Go— Master, was not always as power hungry as he is today. I served him from the very beginning and I cannot say I am delighted to be so right now."
She was facing him during that phrase. I saw the extremities of her fingers twitch horribly.
"I care not to delve into this any deeper than necessary. My master has, in many ways, defied the laws of this universe and caused trouble for not only this world but many others. Resurrections, torture, killing…the list goes on. He has crossed the line and he must be stopped now before it is too late."
"That's why you stopped me in that manner?" I followed through. "Do you have some kind of plan involving me?"
For some reason I was not the bit shocked or indecisive with my actions. It is probably due to the length of time I've spent here, that I became a bit indifferent.
Following my second question, Kun was somewhat shivering. A hint of regret surfaced on her wearied expression, but she knew not to falter after everything she had done. She drew the first straw of her plan and it was too late to go back on it as of now.
"Not you. All of you as a matter of fact" Kun pointed at each frozen king individually.
"No…" I swung my head sideways, "surely not all of them? I won't be part of this in that case!"
"It is not for you to decide anymore. And I already spoke with one of you prior to this day—"
"And who was it, huh?" I forgot all my manners in her regards and lashed out. I mean, how could she be thinking of recruiting the others as well? Surely it was a jest.
"It was Izaresius. He was compliant and agreed to—"
I laughed so hard at this. If anyone of us kings, she had chosen the bloody old king.
"Him? What next? The twins? Or perhaps the she-snake afterwards…surely you don't believe this old geezer will help you just because you asked!"
"Maybe he will—"
"Then why not unfreeze him too and allow him to speak freely?"
"Because I can't keep the technique up for long if I do!"
"Well that is one lame excuse."
We argued for a while, unaware of what was happening at the same time. Only until it was too late, that we noticed that the stop was no longer effective. It first caught Kun off-guard when a thud reverberated through the silence of her technique. When it struck, she stopped talking and looked around for the source. Then it went off again…
"Crack!" like the sound of glass shattering into a million pieces, a crack in the air formed itself.
Okay, I'm going to say it outright…when something like this happens, you could not but look back at the only entity with power enough to do it. And I did look back, towards where such an entity sat on his invisible throne.
"Lady Kun…" I amassed an amount of courage and murmured.
"What is it…" her voice feigned and turned to face my direction.
I did not speak. I only needed to point towards the flaring eyes, aiming at the both of us with all of their might and fury. Demonic God was still immobile, but I had a hunch he would not be for long.
The shattering enlarged with each strike we heard. Trapped within the hall, Kun and I could only wait for the inevitable. On one hand, the Lady of the Worlds was half composed and retained her senses. On the other hand, I was totally losing it as of this moment. I could not imagine what would happen to both of us once Demonic broke through her time technique.
(Shit…I'm gonna die in vain after all.)
"If it comes to it, run through the rift" Kun could only advise me as the barrier was only a breadth away from being negated. "Run through it before he could get to you."
"But what about you? What about the other kings?"
I forgot my own need for survival only for a moment there. Everything I had of hypocrisy burned into my character, I pushed it aside and asked the serious questions.
"I'll…we'll manage somehow. I will find a way to send them after you!"
"Shit…" that was not an answer I needed to hear. Such a desperate tone and measure, it definitely meant the worse scenario.
We were backed into a corner. I fear that the time barrier could only hold on so long—
(I take that back!)
It shattered into pieces. The blackness and whiteness crumbled to the ground leaving behind the awakening of the other frozen people. Unbeknownst to them, they were still acting as if they were listening to Demonic's words, only to be met with the sight of an unprecedented fight.
"Lady Kun! What is the meaning of this?" Luo caught up to the scene, taking a defensive stance immediately.
Following suit, the torturers did the same, preparing to engage in a fight as soon as commanded or given the opportunity. The kings on the other hand, were quite distraught by what was transpiring. Seeing me up there, amongst the conflict, made things even more confusing for them.
"Kun. You better have a good explanation for this…" Demonic's face was changing atrociously, his eyes flaming uncontrollably. "You are committing treason right now."
"I'm sorry Master" tears fell down her face so suddenly. "But you have gone too far and I must stop you!"
"Kun…"
"Forgive me, Master!"
It was a genuine apology. Even Demonic could feel the sincerity behind it, but it did not change the situation a bit. With a swift move, he dished out a streak of lightning out of his fingers, all aimed at his traitorous disciple.
(What…power!)
A show of lights evolved before my eyes…everyone's eyes. Nobody dared make a move while such a display was undergoing among the two most powerful beings in the room. What pressure we felt during Demonic's first tantrum was nothing compared to what he was releasing as of this moment.
The columns burst apart. The marble floor was wrecked and upturned. The hall's door blew open, unhinging one of them and spooking the two guards stationed outside of it. They came inside hurryingly, unsure what to do, their spears at the ready too.
Lady Kun was currently holding off the produced sparks with something that looked like a translucent golden wall. The lightning strikes hit it and rebounded in all directions, destroying whatever was left unspoiled of the hall.
It was no wonder he was called a god…but surprisingly Kun was holding her ground for the time being. I was not delusional though, I knew it would not be this case for much longer.
"Luo!" Demonic was frantic and ordered him amidst his onslaught. "Take down the immortality array!"
"But brother that would—"
"Do it now. I will execute Kun right here, right now!"
There was no questioning his decisions. Demigod could only comply with his insane request…
He knew. He knew that if the array was lifted, then millions upon millions of prisoners inside of Kazalkar would be dead within an instant. As great as he was, Luo closed his eyes and did as he was asked. The turquoise stripes drawn upon his face were illuminated in the process.
"Ugh!" Kun exclaimed, forced to bend on a knee after enduring for so long.
"Give up, Kun. When the array is terminated, you and all these kings will be dead!"
Kun kept her shield up, unyielding to her master.
Unfortunately, with a flick of his finger, he had given another command. The two guards stationed at the doors stretched their bodies and threw their spears as projectiles. Their weapons shot through the hall at a terrible speed, almost to the point where they were unseen by our eyes.
"GAHHH!" I gushed out a mouthful of blood.
"YUGRUS!" Azra yelled worryingly before falling to the ground again.
In the heat of the moment, I threw myself in front of the spears. I was lucky enough. One of them grazed my waist and diverted its path while the second lodged itself through my gut, ripping out every organ that came in contact with it. I kept hurling blood but I wasn't dying…the immortality was still set in motion.
In that meantime, Kun was finally forced down on her other knee, nearly spent on endurance.
"Aki-Akilaba…" she called out to me. "I've done what I-I can…now it's your turn to do the same…"
I did my best to turn around and look at her in our final moments. She spared a hand even though the barrage was still continuing. There was something shiny in it, golden of colour and of material too. It looked like a small, palm-sized bell.
"Take this ar-tefact…" she kept struggling, "use it only when the need is great…"
The bell lunged at me and protruded my skin, nowhere to be seen inside of my body. It shone brightly near my chest after which it dimmed and extinguished for good.
"What…" I was not able to continue my sentence.
With the same free hand, the Lady of the Worlds twirled two fingers. The rift she had conjured slid suddenly and targeted each king one by one, swallowing them. It tracked me lastly and sucked me within it too, totally disappearing.