[Kota]
I opened my eyes to a familiar place, My hands laid on a rippling floor that flowed with a blue glittering color. I was lying prone on the ground when I awoke. I stared across the floor to the endless void, but then I began to hear footsteps behind me. I quickly pulled myself off my feet to see who it was.
It was Duvul, standing with his staff in hand. He had a wary look on his face as I got my footing.
"Well, well…You finally woke up." The black haired man said. "You took a nasty blow to the head."
"Yeah, thanks for the insight." I said, rubbing my head. "…Did you call me back into the Abyss?"
"I did. This whole situation we find ourselves in is quite a mess, especially that Mandy fellow. Though…Mana siphoning is quite an interesting skill he has."
"Was that something common in your time?" I looked at Duvul, who was now rubbing his chin with curiosity. "It seemed like he was able to notice you."
"That he was." Duvul murmured. "That could be concerning…"
"Why's that?"
"I suppose this 'Arael' you know of doesn't know that I'm inside you?" Duvul looked at me. "If Mandy was able to get Arael to realize this, who knows what they'll do."
Oh yeah…She doesn't know that. She probably hasn't been able to detect him during her time with me. If Mandy was able to tell her about him…
"It's our priority to take down Mandy." Duvul continued. "We know why he's doing this now, so we should take him when we awake."
"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to do that? You saw how he managed to beat me." I stared at Duvul with annoyance. "He's more experienced than me, faster than me."
Duvul pondered for a moment, squatting next to me. "Well…I guess you'll need to find a way to access my Mana pool."
I pondered that for a moment. If I were able to get the chance to tap into duvul's mana, I could get the chance…but I don't even know how to. There's gotta be a way to gain access to it…But maybe there's another way to get Mandy.
"What if I persuade Mandy into helping us?" I looked at Duvul. The man looked at me with a raised brow.
"Erm…I would advise against that." He said immediately."
"Why not? You heard what he was saying, he believes Arael is giving him a better life while under her! No one should be living like that, not under someone like that. If I can just…Talk with them, maybe they'll be dissuaded."
"He's already accepted his fate as a monster, you saw it. There's no changing it." Duvul said with a serious tone. He then planted his hand onto my shoulder. "Look, I know you want to save this person. But that isn't a real option here."
"Then what…Kill him? If we could just make him face his actions, maybe he'd be able to redee-"
"Travis, that doesn't work here. If he is caught by the Ozoth kingdom, he will be executed for his crimes. Any other kingdoms would follow suit as well if they heard of his actions. There is no forgiveness in the acts he's done. It's up to us to make the choice of killing him here and now." Ozoth frowned at me. "And if you aren't up for that, then I believe that silver-haired girl of yours is more than willing to kill him."
That's right…Lilith was willing to kill Mandy as well. Well, I did somewhat agree with her. Mandy has been attacking now, so it gives Lilith the full right to kill…
"Maybe it was different in your world, people forgive others for criminal mistakes they've done. But not here…If you try to forgive Mandy and let him redeem himself, you're letting those past actions he's done go by without any consequences. You heard it yourself, he chose to do those things."
Duvul then stood back up, letting me think. His arms folded as he looked down at me with a contemplating expression. "Now…we need to find a way for you to get access to my Mana. I believe it's the only way for you to have a much better chance at Mandy."
"Why's that?" I looked up at him.
"You'll gain access to my vast knowledge of spells, Didn't we have this conversation? It'll be like a mana cloak, enhancing your Magic efficiency. I'm sure Mandy wouldn't really know how to handle that…"
"…what do you know?"
"I know a lot. Demon spells, Dragon spells. All of that knowledge should be given to you when you access my mana. You could even possibly learn how to use them with your own mana."
"I can?"
"You have the gift of Voiceless casting. Whatever you do to make your spells work, you could probably apply that to whatever you learn from my spells."
Huh, I guess I could. I have been relying on my own thoughts and familiarity of my own world to make most of the spells I use work without having to chant it…If Duvul has a spell that I could easily understand on my own, I could actually use it!
"Perhaps…" Duvul looked off into the abyss. "The way to activate my mana is through a similar fashion of that Lilith girl. A burst of emotion to snap your body into making it stronger."
"Uh…but I've been angry before." I looked at him dumbly.
"You have. But you haven't snapped before, have you? Maybe there will be a moment where you eventually meet a situation too great for you, and you let loose."
"I feel like this whole situation I'm in would've surely made me snap." I frowned at Duvul. "I've almost been killed like three times now, I'm pretty sure I would've snapped at those moments."
"Well of course, it is you that is in danger." Duvul looked back at me. "You seem to not really worry about yourself that much when it comes to the people around you. I've seen how you act when the blue haired girl or the silver hair girl are in danger. Maybe…" I then realized what he was about to say.
"No." I said immediately. "That isn't happening. None of them will be hurt like that."
"Hmph, we'll see."
"Yeah…Hey, You wouldn't happen to know where Mandy is taking my unconscious body to, would you?" Duvul expression shifted to a much more confused expression when I asked him that.
"I wouldn't know, but I can feel that you're about ready to wake up. Wherever you awake, be ready."
Come to think of it…When I did get knocked out by Mandy, I was about to enter the sewers? Somehow the cave we were in was connected to the sewers of Ozoth, is there a chance that there's even more caves around here then? Maybe Mandy brought me to one of them…
Suddenly, I felt a rumble. The abyss we were in was shaking from it, Duvul looked around and then at me with a serious look. The galaxy-like floor we were standing on shimmered and rippled as the endless void beyond us began to suddenly shrink and pull towards us.
"You must be waking up right now. Remember what we spoke of from this and the last time we spoke. Let us learn of what Arael is and what she intends to do and see the end of it. And make it out alive."
My vision began to blur as I slumped to the floor, fetal position. Duvul crouched once more to look at me with a concern look as my vision blackened.
And then, everything went black.
****
The wet earth smell was the first thing that hit my nose. Then came the rushing noise of flowing water, surrounding me. As my eyes began to open, I saw the stone floor that was covered with a dark stain.
Actually…The faint smell of copper hung in the air. It hung around me as I slowly lifted my head off the floor, a sense of anxiousness swept me. Then my eyes began to survey where I was.
A large opening that seemed to be in another cave, far bigger than the cave I was in before. It was like the size of a football field if I could give comparisons, There was water rushing along the sides of this cave. The ceiling of this cave was far above me, large blue crystals stuck out of the ceiling as well as the sides of the caves. Behind me, I could hear rushing water. When I looked, I saw that there was a slope that made me believe that's how I needed to get up here. Water flowed down the slope, trickling into the small trail of water that circled the opening.
Where was I? This had to be deeper into the caves, maybe I'm still underneath Ozoth? Shit, how am I supposed to get out of here? And…I guess I lost my staff when I got knocked out, it's not here with me…
"K-Kota!" A familiar voice rang through the cave. I turned my head to the voice and saw who it was. I saw two blue haired girls, tied up and laying on the stone floor. Amelia was looking at me with tired eyes, she struggled in her attempt to get up as Claire was looking with a much more depressed look.
I stumbled to my feet, making my way to them. I took another glance around the opening and realized that there was more to this place. There was a symbol on the floor, one that I didn't recognize at all. Was it a magic symbol? Besides that, I noticed what I presumed was a makeshift bed on the floor too. This whole area seemed like a place where someone lived…
This was Mandy's hideout.
"Well, well…you woke up!" The sound of a portal opening behind me made me turn. "I was beginning to think I ended up just killing you!" A pink haired boy came out of the portal, bringing in someone behind him. "Come on, old man! Let's have a family reunion!"
"Wha-Father?!" Amelia shouted in confusion. Out of the Portal, a frail man came out. It was Adam Mallory, who had on a robe. He looked at the two daughters he had with no expression, only following Mandy from behind. Just behind him was the Maid, Buoane. Who had an expressionless look as well.
"Told you I'd get them…" Mandy said with a smile. "Just how you wanted…Kinda. Ran into some issues, involving that kiddo right there." He pointed at me. "But…I get to kill two birds right here with him being here."
"Enough." Adam finally spoke, his voice in a lower tone. "You aren't getting the money until you fulfill your side still."
Mandy turned to him, his eyes narrowing. "…you aren't fun to work with." Mandy proceeded to roll his eyes as he hopped his way towards the Mallory girls. "Alright, I'll get it done."
"No!" I yelled, silently casting Stone Cannon. But before I could even cast it, something grabbed ahold of my arm and pulled me down. A black goopy skeletal hand was curled around my arm, tugging me to the ground as more of this goopy black substance grabbed onto me. "W-what the hell?!" It reeked of something rotten, the hands looked to be made from the now apparent black pool that surrounded me.
Is this…More of Mandy's necromancy spells?
"Tsk, tsk…can't do that here." Mandy winked at me. "I want you to watch. You'll enjoy it."
"Wha-what does he mean?! Father?!" Claire looked at him with terrified eyes. "What's the meaning of all of this?!"
As Mandy pulled his bo staff from his waist and extended it, Adam watched with an expressionless look as he answered her daughter.
"You know, Claire. You've been keeping it to yourself ever since your mother died. You can try to hide it, but I've known. And you decided to keep it for yourself instead of giving it to me." Adam said. "The day your mother died, she did have an illness…but She was transferred to you. Her mana, her soul, all carried to you with the usage of her family's ability. Didn't she?"
Claire began to grit her teeth as she looked down, unable to answer that.
"Huh?!" Amelia's eyes were wide open, she turned back and looked at Claire, "what?! No, No! What does he mean? Claire?!"
"…" Claire said nothing as she looked away.
"Amelia, you were too young to have known. If your own sister won't tell you, I will tell you." Adam continued. "Your mother's Bloodline comes from the eastern islands, where they all procure in a form of magic that summons spirits. It is passed down from generation to generation, including your sister. But it comes at a cost…to make this form of magic work, one must offer themselves as a way to create this connection. Killing themselves, and adding themselves to the pool of spirits." Adam explained. "Claire took the decision to take Her mother's spirit. She now is the current user of this ability."
I too was in shock. Did that mean Claire had her mother in her? Her own mother sacrificed herself to be put into Claire? This is insane…
Amelia began to tear up, her breath getting more shaky and intense as she looked at Claire. "No! Mom died of an illness, she isn't inside you! She isn't, Claire! Answer me! Claire!!"
Claire looked away from Amelia for a moment before looking back at her, but there were tears streaming down her face now. "I…I'm sorry. You should've told you…"
Mandy made his way towards Claire. "Blah blah, sad story. I get it!" Mandy said. He stood in front of Claire, his bo staff at the ready. "Now just give me the go ahea-"
"Your mother shouldn't have kept it to you…she should've told it to me. We could've made money out of this!" Adam yelled, now furious. "To think, your own mother was that selfish. Giving herself up to you brats instead of giving it to the business we made together! If you would let Mandy extract the spirits from you, Selling spirits and giving this ability out to the world would have a large impact!"
I stared at Adam. "There's no way you're doing all of this shit to make your business profitable! The hell is wrong with you?! Those are your daughters!" I struggled against the goopy black hands that held me, feeling their grip on me slowly ebb away. "What kind of father are you!?"
"Hah! You'd think I'd let these two take over? There's no way." Adam's eyes glanced at Buoane. "That's why I…made an extra plan." I stared at Buoane, the young maid had a hand to her stomach. "To cement my future in the hands of someone better, I've bedded this girl with my future."
"What?!" I yelled. "You…That's fucking disgusting! You have two daughters and you're giving up on them?!"
"They've proven to be useless." Adam simply said before looking at Mandy. "They would've had more use as slaves to the Demont Family. The Demont family was a thorn in my side with how competitive they were. It's so easy to exploit one when they've been friends for so long. It is how I managed to get the Demonts to sign that purchase slave contract. Claire would've made a fine slave for them…"
"…" Mandy kept his Bo staff aimed at Claire. He continued to stare at Claire, His face…expressionless.
"Mandy, continue your bounty. Kill her and give me those spirits that are locked up inside her." Adam commanded. "The rubees will be yours after it."
I stared at Mandy, still struggling against the black goop that held me. The pink haired boy stood motionless, his head swaying left and right as if thinking. Slowly, He pulled his Bo staff away from Claire and turned to Adam's direction.
"Dad?! No, don't kill her!" Amelia said in a frenzy, she began to struggle even more in the bounds as she looked up at Mandy with tears. "Don't kill my sister!"
I could see in Mandy's eyes there was a hint of hesitation. His eyes darted to Amelia for a second before looking at Adam once more.
"…Say, Mr.Mallory…" Mandy finally spoke. It wasn't in his usual tone though, it was much more…dark. "This whole bounty is great and all…But I got a real quick question before I do this."
"Spit it out…" Adam said with a cough.
"Once I finish my bounty and leave this all behind, what'll you do with this other gal?" Something seemed wrong with Mandy as he said that. His joking manner seemingly gone now.
"Oh…Amelia." Adam looked at the young blue haired girl. Amelia stared back at him with rage and tears filled eyes, but Adam shook his head. "Do as you wish with her. As I said, she's proven no use to me. Especially with how reckless and irresponsible she is, you could sell her as a slave if you will."
Mandy gave him a stare, was he thinking about it? Either way, A faint smile formed on the pink hairs face as he raised his Bo staff.
"Ah…So that's how it is. And I was thinking this would be a bit harder, but you just remind me a lot of them." Mandy's voice returned to form as he said that.
"Wha-"
With one swift move, Mandy threw his Bo staff across the opening and struck Adam. The Bo staff punctured the abdomen of the frail man and buried itself into him. Adam looked in shock as he slowly looked down at his now bleeding body, his hands shaking as they tried to pull the staff from himself. A bit of blood spilled onto Bouane as she looked at Adam with a still expressionless face, unfazed by what had just happened.
"Urk…The hell?! What's the meaning of this?!" Adam spurted out, blood spewing from his mouth. "You kill me, you lose those rubees!"
He slowly crumpled to the floor, the bo staff balancing him from falling as he got to his knees. Blood trickled down the staff and began to make a pool of blood underneath him.
"I don't give a shit about those rubees. Matter of fact, keep them. Wouldn't want to soil my hands with whatever you touch." Mandy said as he slowly walked towards Adam. "You really do only give a shit about money. How much you'd get or how much you lose, not even thinking about the people you have. You remind me so much of my own damn parents. That pisses me off."
Mandy clenched his hands as he walked past me, what was he planning? I struggled once more against the black hands that grabbed me and I managed to break away from the grasp of the one holding my left arm. I began to tear off the other hands holding me as Mandy continued on.
"You really think I'd be doing all this for some currency I'll never use? Only reason why I haven't gotten the chance to crush that skull of yours is because you were able to get me closer to my real goal."
Adam's voice was growing weaker, his breathing became rougher as he began to lose the energy to lift his hands. "Huff…please…"
"Oh…Begging ain't doing nothing. You really set yourself up for this when you put up that Bounty. And I had all the guidance to make it all work out for me." Mandy stood in front of Adam as he weakly looked up at him. The pink haired boy then reached out to Adam, his hands grabbing onto the frail man's head. "Ooh, doing this to you will be a delight. It's like I'm doing what I should've done to my own parents."
"Urk…" Adam could only groan as his cheeks began to glow a shimmering rainbow color, the strange glow began to slowly seep into Mandy's hand. His eyes rolled back into his skull as he made a last ditch effort to stop Mandy, only for it to be no avail as his arms lost the strength to hold themselves and they fell to his side.
Mandy was siphoning mana out of Adam.
"Father!" Claire yelled with absolute Fear and panic. Amelia only looked on in horror at what she was seeing.
And finally, I managed to pull the last few hands that were holding me off. I scrambled to my feet and readied myself. But before I could even do anything, It was too late for Adam. I stared on as Mandy basically siphoned everything out of Adam, the man now looked to be a husk of himself. His bones and ribs were completely visible now and his mouth was left gaping in a horrific manner.
Mandy continued to smile as he let go of Adam, reaching down for his Bo staff that was lodged into him and pulling it out and then swinging it. To my horrors, I watched as Adam's head seemingly tore itself off his body, flinging across the opening and into the flowing water that surrounded us. Bouane seemed to have finally made a reaction with her wide eyed look as she watched the head fly into the water. The maid stood momentarily before she fell to her feet, almost in shock too by what happened.
"No! No!" I heard Claire cry out.
Adam Mallory was just killed.
Mandy then turned to the blue haired girls that were tied, his face had blood splattered on it. He eyed Claire with eagerness and excitement. "Now…Let's get to what I was really here for. I'm gonna need those spirits in you, dead or alive."
"Argh, I'm not letting you get near my sister!! You killer, you freak!!" Amelia screamed, she positioned herself in front of Claire. Even with being binded, Amelia tried to protect her sister.
So his goal was still the Mallory girls, but why did he need the spirits? Whatever it was, I wasn't going to let that happen. Right now, I need to stop this!
I tried to think. I didn't have my staff with me, so none of my spells would be amplified to a serious degree, though I still had the ring Synthia and Gerald gave me. My mana should be restored too, so I'm good to throw whatever at Mandy…I just gotta figure out what spell to use here. Fire wouldn't cut it unless I was willing to make this whole damn cave a carbon monoxide hazard. if I used a fire spell, it'd just suck the air out of here…
I glanced at the water surrounding us and the glowing crystals that surrounded the ceiling. If I wanted to make the most out of my situation…Then water, Air and Earth spells would have to do. And I'm starting with…
I raised my hand and began to silently cast Stone cannon. I aimed my hand to the ceiling, looking at a crystal that was positioned slightly in front of Mandy's position. The spell began to form and became the size of a soccer ball. If I was able to guess this right, I should shoot this…Now!
A loud hissing noise came from the stone cannon as it launched, catching Mandy's attention. The pink haired boy seemed to snap out of something as he realized I was now standing up. Amelia and Claire looked at me as well, almost in relief that I was up.
The stone cannon shot its way to the ceiling, cooling with one of the crystals. The impact cracked it and caused the room to shudder from it, pieces of the crystal began to fall off before the whole thing itself split from the ceiling. The large blue crystal hurled itself to the ground, now being above Mandy as he stood just in the center of the fall. The pink haired boy looked at me with his blue eyes, the smile turning more maniacally.
Thinking of it now…Maybe Duvul was right. I don't think I'd be able to talk to Mandy with all that they've done.
Right now, the main plan is to kill him before he touches anyone else!