Things were progressing fast in the sea of clouds, both Jack and Laura were giving their all to climb faster than the monster on their tail, but it seemed useless.
The fallen bird was bigger, stronger and faster than the both of them and was quickly gaining on the pair. They urged their bodies to use every last bit of energy left in it to climb faster, but it was too much, the tension was enough to freeze them still.
In contrast to their last battle with the fallen fungi, they were significantly outmatched because they lacked the benefit of surprise and the environment. All Jack could do was use his water powers to try and send attacks downward with water alone, and that was not enough to penetrate the bird's tough feathers. This caused the fallen lord to slow down, but not enough to stop it or save their lives.
As a result of the mad and reckless climb, they began to accumulate small bruises and cuts all over their bodies, each muscle fiber stretched beyond its limit sending a wave of pain to their bodies on each step up, while each meter the beast climbed sent vibration through the rock surface.
The vibrations made it so their already dangerous and slippery climb became even harder, as small rocks above tumbled down and were another thing to look out for.
However, at the same time as that, a group had just arrived at the top of the pillar and felt the same vibrations at their feet. Nike, leading it, went straight towards the edge and looked down.
Her eyes opened in surprise as she saw her sister and an unknown man were climbing away from a fallen level monster. ''How the hell did it come to this?'' she wondered before ordering the ranged fighters in the group to try and shoot down at the beast.
But, unfortunately, it was no easy place to shoot as the winds and rain from the sea of clouds were knocking any projectiles out of its course.
Most were dispersed in the white and gray whirlwind and did nothing, while others miraculously hit the creature, only to do nothing but slow it down as well.
Jack didn't even pay attention to the group helping them, as climbing and shooting water projectiles was taking all concentration he had.
That is until one of the projectiles, a big piece of stone chuckled down using earth affinity, redirected by the strong winds, clashed against the wall right beside him, breaking a piece of it right off.
This led to Jack loosing his foothold and sliding a couple of meter down. His fingers slid across hard and irregular stone, tearing skin, nail and flesh right off them.
He screamed loudly in pain. ''If you aren't going to help, just do nothing, you idiots!'' He bellowed enraged.
The awakened, who were trying to help, immediately stopped, realizing it would only hinder the two survivors.
''Get rope and throw it down!'' The girl leading the party yelled.
Laura was now at such a distance to Jack that the vine was starting to tense a bit and that worried the young leader as it might spell doom for the both of them. But it didn't faze the ones actually tied to it, as both had trust in the other's capabilities.
Jack felt his instincts say something in his head, but was so focused on recovering his lost distance that he paid them no mind. Thus, he exerted more than all of his physical capacity to aid in his hasty ascent, wrapping water around his hands and legs to prevent sliding again, while he was climbing.
Laura was now 15 meters from safety while Jack was 7 meters below her frantically trying to get some more distance from the monster when a rope was thrown down, it reached a height of eight meters.
He went up a few meters, but the beast was very close to catching up. His instincts urged Jack to go up and all he could think for a split moment was: ''No shit Sherlock.''
Next, he activated his mastery over water with all his might. The rain stopped for a second and started accumulating around his right arm. ''This is going to take all I have, but let's bet on it!'' he thought.
Laura was startled to see a hand made of water reaching up and firmly clutching a rock below her. When it stiffened, Jack was pulled back up at amazing rates; he had already climbed five meters and was now only two meters from Laura.
The rope dangled only three meters above the girl now, and hope was never closer to touch.
''Everyone! Get ready to pull with all your might!'' Roared Nike above in the firmest voice she had taken so far.
Meanwhile, the fallen bird lord roared with all its might in anger, ready to take risks if it meant tearing these humans apart. So, it started staring at the wall intently and with its strong beak started to attack the very pillar.
Everyone present felt the strong vibrations that ran through the entire spiraling tower.
''Is that how it carved the cave walls all around the tower? What are you? A woodpecker? What is it trying to do?!''
In due course, a wave of cracks started spreading upwards towards the pair of desperate humans.
However, Jack's instinct did not activate for some reason, and the very ledges he was hanging on to for dear life broke off from the pillar and fell down.
At the very same time, while he was in midair, Laura managed to grab the ropes with one hand, unfortunately that also was the very same moment the rope tensed again, and she felt Jacks entire weight pulling her down.
The girl somehow managed to hold down on the rocks and the rope fore leverage, but she felt her hands tearing apart from the weight, rope and rock cutting deep into her flesh.
A scream of pain welled up, and she had no qualms in letting it out.
''Laura!'' her sister yelled now with a group of seven awakened trying to drag them up with all their might, it was weird, but the young man dangling from the vine was heavier than they had imagined.
While literally on his last rope, Jack grappled the rope and tried climbing close to the wall still standing above him, he desperately climbed the rope while racking his brain. ''Why did it destroy the wall if the bird is loosing its own ground too?''
That's when a horrifying thought came to his mind.
''What if it's not that he can't fly?!''
Almost as if on cue, a loud sound of wings beating started sounding below him.
The fallen bird lord was beating its wings using the least amount of space possible, but compensating with speed. Like a hummingbird, it flew towards Jack, finally revealing its bloodthirsty killing intent.
Though It was not without a cost, as wind blades coming from the gray clouds cut into its wings.
That moment, all futures Jack could think for himself were bleak and devoid of hope. ''Is this my end?''
Also on cue, he stopped climbing and time seemed to slow down again.
He heard his instinct whispering something in his ear, then thought: ''You have to be kidding me. You want me to do that, after all this way here?!'' While looking down at his swiftly approaching doom.
He started climbing again.
Jack looked up with worry in his eyes while looking at Laura, then realized that even amidst this fallen fiasco, she was still as beautiful as ever. Even if she looked at him with eyes full of fear, sadness and desperation, her hair flowing in the wind with his only light behind her.
He was thinking a million things at once and his emotions so overflowing that something began to happen.
[System Warning: User must control his emotions, or it will activate.]
''What do I care if I'll die anyway!'' He screamed internally, burning up his emotions even brighter.
[WARNING: Forceful activation of *%#)(% will result in unpredictable circumstances]
''F*CK, JUST ACTIVATE ALREADY'' He yelled out loud this time, giving everyone present a jump scare.
But what shock them was what happened next, a bright blue and black light started glowing around Jack, it was magnanimous and unreadable as if the world itself was trying to shield their eyes from this kid.
And upon feeling the results Jack looked down and, by virtue of his instinct, that he didn't just feel or hear it anymore, with unimaginable pain burning into his eyes he saw a single gold thread showing him the way to survive.
Then, he stopped climbing.
''Jack... what are you doing, just climb!'' Laura screamed internally just for an actual scream to come out.
Jack smiled, only for it to slowly turn into a maniacal laughter, then drew as much air as he could and screamed resolute:
"I don't care or know who ANY of you motherfuckers are! But I'll kill every one of you if, when I return, even one hair from her head is missing!''
Laura read every single word on his face. ''Come... back? No!'' she thought.
Then, with no hesitation and now releasing his own killing intent, he drew both of his swords and cut the rope, plummeting down.
Even the other awakened looked at the scene in awe and admiration, even those who didn't like Laura.
"The clouds' ocean of wind blades will destroy him!" Nike's assistant exclaimed, "Is... this man insane?''
As if abiding by said insanity, something happened in his fall, the wind blades that were much less prevalent in proximity to the pillar didn't tear him to pieces.
Instead, the sea itself seemed to momentarily part open, giving Jack a clear view of the thread of fate that would be his salvation and the monster it was going through.
He was cut shallowly here or there, but nothing serious. Thus, he accelerated with the fall and readied his weapons.
While the beast opened its mouth wide, Jack activated his uncertain swordsmanship and the fog began following him around as if on free will.
When it reached Jack, he began being coated by it as a smokescreen.
Laura had frozen solid, grabbing on to the rope and being pulled up, but what astounded her the most was that Jack was going for the kill, against a much stronger opponent, in some horrible conditions and saving her once again.
***
Tears flowed like rivers from her sharp eyes. ''Once again, will I be unable to do or say anything for someone I care for who is facing certain death?! No! I won't allow it!''
In a frenzy of instinct and emotion overtaking her, she made a drastic choice by intertwining with rope and tightly tying her legs to it.
''Come on, Laura, you can do this! Even if it only helps a little!'' Her body shook as she let go of the rope and began to hang only by her tied up legs.
The brave deaf girl drew her bow, while charging the arrow with all of her remaining energy.
Her aura shone bright like a star and evaporated the raindrops and tears around it.
When Jack and the bird were about to collide, she let go of her arrow, which thundered towards the beast, its blinding light making the fallen have even more difficulty locating the young man.
Then they clashed, but not like the bird had imagined, as its maw missed its prey completely.
A maddening pain was felt in the creature's tail when the arrow hit it, severing it clean off.
Jack understood. Laura had said something through her actions, and the message was loud and clear:
''Don't you dare die!''He could almost hear her voice in his head. which instilled in him an unfathomable desire to live.
''Fall for me, you ugly abomination!''
He yelled just before stabbing the beast's chest with the full momentum of his fall. The acceleration Jack accumulated was no laughing matter, as it sent both him and the beast plummeting off the safety of the wall and deeper into the sea of turbulent fog.
That's when the adventurers and Laura, who was half-unconscious, but still looking down the cliff after reaching safety, lost all sight of Jack and the fallen bird lord.
Only their booming screams and killing intent could still be felt in the distance.