"What in the world is that creature?!" Ellisa's voice trembled with fear.
Before us loomed a sight beyond comprehension—a monstrous worm-like creature, its immense form stretching from beneath the ground. Its eyeless face and gaping maw filled with thousands of jagged teeth sent shivers down my spine.
"It's one of the Devil's army siege monsters! I've seen it before, back in the days when I was fighting in the war. But never one this big! They call it the Colossal Worm!" Ichijou explained, his voice tinged with dread.
"Obvious name for a giant worm, don't you think- But what the fuck is the Devil's siege monster is doing here out of nowhere?!" I demanded, my mind reeling with the implications.
Ichijou's response was grim. "The Devil's army likely placed it here to prevent anyone from fleeing. As you said, the only path to cross the border is through this route."
Lucifer's cunning tactics were evident—there seemed to be no escape from this predicament.
"Do we have to fight this thing?!" I turned to Ichijou, desperation evident in my voice.
His gaze was unwavering. "If you wanna survive, that is."
The monster roared menacingly before retreating into the earth, encircling us like prey.
"What makes you think we could win against a monster this enormous!" Ellisa cried out in desperation.
"She's right, man. Even with our Karma's strength, I doubt we can take it down. They used this thing as a siege weapon for a reason!" I replied,
"Do you even think we have an option left to choose right now?!" Ichijou's response was grim.
Before long, the monster launched its attack, bursting from the ground beneath our feet. We narrowly evaded its onslaught, but fleeing seemed futile—the creature's colossal size and lightning-fast speed made escape impossible.
The ground, its domain, provided the Colossal Worm with effortless mobility, leaving us no respite from its relentless pursuit.
"Fuck! I have no stamina left to keep going like this, Kiseki!" Ichijou's desperate cry echoed in my ears.
"I know! Argh fine! let's try and attack this thing!" I responded, summoning my bow and turning towards the monstrous creature.
Channeling my Karma into the bow, I called upon the Ancient Heroine of Archery, Artemis, known for her expertise in long-range sniping. With her aid, I infused as much power as I could into the arrow and launched it towards the Colossal Worm.
Artemis's white bolt soared towards the monster, only to bounce harmlessly off its thick, armor-like hide. My heart sank as the attack proved futile.
"What in the world?! My shot didn't penetrate!" I exclaimed, darting away from the creature once more.
"Let me give it a go too!" Ichijou stepped forward, positioning himself in the creature's path.
"Listen to my command! Imprisonment!" he shouted, striking his sword into the ground.
Chains similar to those used on me before wrapped around the Colossal Worm, but this time, they were larger and seemed more formidable. Yet, they could only hold the creature for a few fleeting seconds before it broke free.
Desperation gripped us as Ichijou's strength waned, his leg finally giving out beneath him. He fell to the ground just as the Colossal Worm bore down on him, swallowing him whole in an instant.
"Fuck! Ichijou!" I screamed in horror, while Ellisa cried out his name in shock.
Anguish and rage surged within me. Had I just witnessed my friend's death? Was this nightmare our reality?
"I'm going to kill you!" I roared, my emotions spiraling out of control as I charged towards the monster, summoning both sword and shield.
Pouring my Karma into the weapons, I invoked Olympius and unleashed a barrage of strikes, the shield crashing against the ground in a desperate attempt to halt the advancing monster. But the Colossal Worm remained undeterred, hurtling towards me with terrifying speed.
The monstrous impact of the Colossal Worm against Olympius's shield threatened to overwhelm me. With every ounce of strength, I fought to maintain my footing, resisting the relentless force dragging me backward.
Finally, I managed to anchor the shield, halting the creature's advance. As it recoiled from the impact, roaring furiously, I seized the opportunity to strike, my sword cleaving through its flesh with Olympius's formidable power.
"Shut your fucking mouth!"
But the Colossal Worm's resilience was astonishing. Despite the deep wound I inflicted, it pressed on, its rage unabated.
"Ellisa! Stop running and attack together with me!" I called out urgently.
She nodded, swiftly retrieving an incantation scroll from her bag. Without hesitation, she invoked its power, summoning a brilliant crimson lance from the sky.
"By the power of all elements, merge as one and grant me a lance to vanquish all foes in my path! Rise, Magical Lance!" she commanded.
A multiple thin, crimson glowing lance suddenly emerged from the sky and pointing towards the Colossal Worm.
As soon as Ellisa commanded, "Rain down!"
As the lances rained down upon the Colossal Worm, piercing its flesh with precision, the creature bled profusely. Yet, its fury remained undiminished, and it began to relentlessly batter Olympius's shield.
With each blow, the shield weakened, threatening to crumble under the relentless assault. I knew I had to act swiftly, or we would all be at the mercy of the ravenous beast.
Glancing around, I realized there was nowhere to flee—the ground fissures surrounding us were too vast to leap across. I had to make a decisive move before it was too late.
As the Colossal Worm ceased its assault on me, a sudden change in its behavior caught my attention. It lifted its head into the air, emitting a thunderous roar that reverberated through the sky.
My heart skipped a beat as I beheld the astonishing sight—it was Ichijou, emerging from the beast's gaping maw, drenched in blood and slime yet miraculously alive.
"Which fucking bastard almost kill me with that lance!" he bellowed, his voice filled with righteous fury.
"Ellisa did," I confessed bluntly.
"W-What?! You told me to attack!" Ellisa protested, her voice tinged with guilt.
Before we could dwell on the revelation, the Colossal Worm turned its attention back to us, its massive head descending menacingly.
"Kiseki! Let's end this motherfucker's life! Throw me your shield!" Ichijou demanded.
Confusion clouded my mind, but I didn't hesitate to comply. "W-Why the shield?!"
"Just do it, dammit!" He replied,
Without question, I obeyed, launching the shield skyward with all my strength. Meanwhile, Olympius mirrored my actions, propelling itself towards the worm.
As the shield neared Ichijou, he issued a command, "Hear my Command! Solitary!"
To my surprise, the shield transformed into a beam of brilliant light, hurtling towards the Colossal Worm. In an instant, it enveloped the creature in a radiant prison, immobilizing it completely.
The Colossal Worm's frantic attempts to break free from the radiant dome proved futile. It thrashed and clawed relentlessly, but the shield held firm, trapping it within.
Realizing that Ichijou's stamina was waning, I knew we had to act swiftly. Summoning my halberd, I charged towards the creature, invoking the Ancient Hero of Halberd, Turiel.
"Come forth! The Ancient Hero of Halberd! Turiel!"
I cried out as I hurled my weapon towards the dome, followed by Turiel's own halberd. They pierced through the shield, drawing blood from the monstrous worm within.
Yet, the creature still showed no signs of yielding. With grim determination, Ichijou called out to Ellisa, ignoring her earlier resentment.
"Fat pig! Obliterate this worm to pieces with your magic!" he commanded.
Though visibly upset by Ichijou's choice of words, Ellisa complied, directing her staff towards the trapped creature.
"From the power that brings life and destruction! Burn the enemies that get in my way! Inferno!" she incanted.
A torrent of fire surged into the dome, engulfing the Colossal Worm in searing agony. Its anguished screeches echoed within the confines of the Solitary as it burned alive.
After a few agonizing moments, the noises ceased, and the dome fell silent. The once ferocious beast lay motionless, vanquished by our combined efforts.
"I can't believe it! We did it! We really did it!" Ellisa exclaimed, her joy is infectious.
Ichijou eventually falls from the sky. I managed to catch him just in time before he hits the ground,
"Gotcha, man!" I grinned.
"I can't really feel my entire body now. I'm exhausted." He replied,
I chuckled. "Hahaha! You can rest all you want when we get through the border!"
"Speaking of the border, look." Ichijou pointed towards the border.
In the distance, a group of soldiers approached. Initially, I feared they might be from the Devil's army, but as they drew nearer, relief washed over me. They were soldiers from the neighbouring Croterin Empire.
One of the soldiers seems to be the leader. It was a tiny girl. She approached us and said,
"You got some balls of steel fighting against the Colossal Worm Nya-. Let alone survived the fight. I'm Nyoko. The commander of the 6th Batallion from Croterin Empire."
Upon closer inspection, as she spoke, I noticed something peculiar—she was a Cat-person, a species I'd never encountered before.
"We here to aid you now. You're safe," Nyoko assured us.
Escorted safely to the border, we found ourselves amidst a vast encampment of allied armies. Given a tent and provisions, Ichijou was taken to a medical facility to tend to his wounds.
Meanwhile, Ellisa and I waited anxiously in our tent for his return.
"Ki-Se-Ki! We were so cool back then! I never thought we could get out of it alive!" Ellisa exclaimed.
I smiled, acknowledging our accomplishment. "Yeah, we end up being a great team out there."
Her mood shifted suddenly, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Dad will be so amazed by what I just did..." She seems as if she's about to cry.
I gently reassured her, "He is always amazed at everything you do, Ellisa."
She nodded, offering me a small smile. "Mhm!"
Just then, Commander Nyoko entered our tent, the smile she put on her face is unsettling.
"Oh- I'm not trying to disturb your lovely moment here, kid."
I looked at the commander and replied, "It's okay. What can I help you with?"
"From what we just saw back then. You're a Sinner, aren't you?" she asked.
"Yes. I am. As well as Ichijou." I responded,
"We already know your friend back there is a Sinner. A respectable one too. But you, you're an Unmarked."
"I hate to be rude to you. But cut to the chase, will you?" I said blatantly.
She smirked and replied, "We could use someone like you in our Battalion, kid."