I was back in the carriage blade in hand. Damn it! He really was strong, and I was practically cannon fodder against him. Still, that had only been my second death. This was no place to give up. I picked myself up and left the carriage first heading to Earnest. I carried out the same lesson and as Ronalt rushed towards us angrily and Marley healed my wounds I asked for his shield.
"What are you doing?" he looked at me confused.
"Making it resistant to acids," I replied and coated the thick steal in a black tar like substance. "Sorry it doesn't look nice but it should help."
"Is there really any need for it?"
"Remember when we faced the Monster of the border forest, your armour and shield were practically melted to nothing. If it happens again, Marley and I behind you will die."
He paused for a moment and looked towards were Earnest was kneeling in thought, "I understand. It doesn't inconvenience me."
"Good," I handed him back his shield as I finished. With this the Demon Lord couldn't break through him so easily.
We departed again. Though Taylor was the one who guided us through the streets and alleys I was more used to the path than her. As we reached the memorial I went straight for the hidden staircase and opened it easily. My nerves were already fired up and going through the motions, pretending to not know what I was doing, I couldn't be bothered. The others looked at me in surprise and I could only shrug it off as a lucky guess. All too soon we were back in that room.
"He's coming," I grit my teeth.
"Who is?" Lara asked as she gazed down the path he had yet to appear from.
"The Demon Lord. Don't hold back and be ready," I warned her again and drew an arrow to my bow. Ronalt seeing me also readied his shield and sword.
Just as last time he waltzed from the doorway, calm and powerful. Lara tried to reason with him, she was rejected. He attacked, she retaliated, this time for a moment longer before he charged towards us. Earnest intercepted like last time with the same result as the Demon Lord vanished and tried to stab me. I held back my arrow, dodged and fired behind me. His eyes widened as the pointed shaft flashed by his head narrowly missing. Ronalt took his guard in my place throwing him back into the wall with his shield. So few seconds had passed.
"Stop this Caius!" Lara screamed, begging him. "We can talk about this."
"No! There can be no peace with you humans as you are. I'll keep fighting till you're all dead," he kicked off the wall as Ronalt hefted his tar covered shield in reply. A jar of acid flew from the Demon Lord's cloak and splashed against the black coating. It fell away with no effect. Ronalt held his ground as the Demon Lord collided with his shield at full force. A barrage of blows against the shield rung through the stone room. I fired another arrow, a burst of fire erupted from Ardent, Taylor appeared behind the Demon Lord her knives ready, Earnest blocked his path and Lara dived towards him. I had confidence that in the same situation any one of us would meet our end but of course he survived.
With machine like precision he dealt with us one by one. First he dodged my arrow by a hair's breath, next he skirted Taylor's knives and threw her towards Lara, a counter magic against Ardent's and as Earnest's sword collided with his he pushed off Ronalt's shield escaping. In a span of less than one second my eyes clearly saw what could only be described as a miracle. He landed to the ground not far from me. Marley defended herself swinging her hammer like staff. He caught the blow as if it weighed near nothing and cut through her side. She pulled back from the wound but within seconds it was gone, only leaving a cut in her clothes.
"How troublesome," he complained. "But you cannot win against me." His hand reached out aiming for nothing but as he grasped, Taylor appeared caught by the throat. She threw her knife and stabbed at his arm, both of which were knocked aside. My body reacted before my mind did as I threw myself towards him, sword drawn. Taylor's pained expression caused a stiff panic to erupt in my heart. As my mana naturally drew forth, my heart crunched and sent ripples across my body but I couldn't stop. I pushed my sword between them only for it to be slapped out of my hands and as he cut downwards I could only protect her with my body. I died.
*
The knife hit the floor, my hands shaking. I was back in the carriage. A moment later and Taylor would have died and if that happened… my mind would have reacted and locked myself in place. This wasn't working. I felt it now. If any of them died… even Earnest, I'd want to go back. My heart wavered. The sight of him dealing with each one of us like it was nothing. It was frightening. Could we really beat something like that?
I slapped myself without realising. The pain cleared my quivering mind. That was only my third death. When I tried to kill Ronalt I died so many times I couldn't keep count. When I saved Taylor it was the same. I couldn't give up. The problem now was in my current position I couldn't do enough. My job was to support them with my bow and use my tools if needed. A backline position. In most cases the ones who died last. I needed to be first and always.
With a new fed determination I went through the motions with Earnest and Ronalt. We left the clearing, entered the memorial and once more found ourselves outside the stone room. It was unblemished, restored to before our fight. The scratches and broken tiling yet made from the impacts to come. I stepped to the back.
"Rain?" Marley who was beside me noticed.
"Don't mind me," I pulled out my knife and plunged it into my head. Her eyes spun in shock but it was too late for her to do anything. Sorry, I made you see something horrific. Even for her it was a bit much.
I stood once more with my knife drawn. The deed done I put it away and moved to the front beside Ronalt. Marley stared at me confused. Lara turned her head to look at me, her gaze wobbled,
"Rain did you just kill-," she cut herself off. "No, never mind."
I hid my surprise. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened but now wasn't the time to focus on it.
"Rain get back, we don't know what's coming," Ronalt shifted his eyes to me.
"I know exactly what's coming," I said grimly. "And it's time I faced it."
"Hey Rain seriously get to the back," Taylor pulled me from behind. "You're going to get yourself killed."
"I can't do that," I refused to budge. No matter how many times I had to die. As long as they didn't, it was fine. "Let's go." I stepped into the room forcing them to follow.
He stepped out from the shadows of the opposite corridor, the Demon Lord, Caius Vel Bartar, "I've been waiting."
Lara drew her sword beside me in defence, "Who are you?"
"I am the Demon Lord Caius Vel Bartar, the one you seek, and the one who will end your lives," he spoke as coldly as before.
Lara pointed her sword downwards, "Please wait. We're not here to fight."
"Silence! I've already heard enough of what you have to say. Nothing comes from it. The humans must pay for all they've done to us and I'll start by taking their Hero's head."
Everyone but me reeled back in surprise. He charged forwards. Lara was distracted. I stood in his way. His blade swung horizontally and easily cut me apart. I died. As soon as I recovered I did the exact same motions and speech, stepping forward and as he swung at me again, I blocked his assault. The force of his strength rippled through my muscles turning them weak like jelly but I held him off recalling all my lessons with Earnest. He turned his blade, disengaged and swung again. What would have killed me again was stopped by Lara.
"Don't touch him!" she glared at the Demon Lord with determination.
"Hmph," he scoffed. His eyes twitched as I tried to stab him only to be kicked away. I tumbled across the stone and collided with a pillar. Damn it.
The scene in front of me morphed to an all out assault. Earnest released his technique failing as usual but managing to hold off the Demon Lord. His swordsmanship was top tier and although the Demon Lord had more techniques and tricks, Earnest could hold his own. Ronalt barged through to assist them, using his shield as a ram and pushing the Lord away. I dug through my belt pocket and drunk a vial, feeling strength pour back into my system. I needed to get in there.
"Fall back!" Ardent yelled as the others retreated. In their place a pillar of fire rose leaving scorch marks on the roof and floor. In its centre however the Demon Lord remained unscathed as a barrier of water swam around him, steam rising.
He scowled, "This is becoming annoy-." I appeared behind him my mana flowing. He noticed me just as my blade dipped into the watery sphere. With a slap of his hand I was crushed.
The moment my eyes opened I forced myself to continue repeating the same actions, letting him kick me away into the pillar. As soon as the fire ended as the others were still recoiling from the impact I struck with my sword. There was a clang and as the steam faded the Demon Lord held his sword against mine, inches from his neck. He parried my blow and cut me down. I died.
Again I threw myself forward as Ardent's flame ended. My sword collided against the Demon Lord's through the steam and as he went to parry I pulled back and dodged his counter only to feel my body torn apart from his next strike. I died. Like in the past with Earnest I challenged him continuously, learning from each death. As he parried I retreated, his sword flashed and already knowing which direction, dodged. His second strike came, my eyes glued to the black steel as it drew a cut through my coat. The second I could, I swung in retaliation. I really did think I had him this time. The two strikes he was sure would kill me had missed and yet his guard did not fall one bit as he caught my sword against his armour, preventing the fatal blow.
From behind him I saw Lara react and flash forwards. Earnest a moment later did the same. Ronalt held ground to protect Marley and Ardent. I could feel Taylor sneaking in from my rear. This was it. Although he could stop the weak me, I would make sure that no matter what, one of them would kill him. Lara struck, he turned to his side to stop her, pulling his sword away from me. I refused to back down and went after him. A second blade drew from his other hand and stabbed into my throat. I died.
As the second blade appeared I pulled my head away in the nick of time. He fended off Lara but the impact coursed through him, stalling his body. I turned my sword back the other way and went to swing again while he was stunned. Earnest did the same, having sheathed his sword for another draw. As the myriad of blades swung at once, the Demon Lord threw everything he had into blocking the blow. Cuts and gashes crossed his armour sending blue blood to the floor. Although not directed at me I could feel the pressure and was almost bowled over. It was now or never. Taylor swung down, her knife sunk into the Demon Lord's skin, slipping through his armour. A powerful force erupted from his body causing her to fly away. I grit my teeth and dug my legs into the ground. His eyes turned to me. I struck. He dodged the blow and beheaded me. I died.
I struck again. His second blade skirted towards my neck, cutting into it but not fatally as I narrowly followed the swing. I span and used the full force to smash my sword into his body. He blocked with his own. The tension in my muscles almost gave way as a crunching pain spread through heart and chest. For a moment his eyes wandered. I released my sword and drew my knife instead, going for his unprotected throat. A fluctuation of mana popped up behind me and suddenly a dark spear had driven through my chest. I died.
As the spear formed I pushed myself off the floor. It cut into my side and shot away into the ground. My knife descended, millimetres away from his skin, he pulled away his neck. Another spear was fired impaling me to the wall. I died.
My knife drew towards his neck. I could already see him beginning to rear away as I forced my hand to reach closer, twisting my body for even the slightest bit of extra distance. There was no possible way I could miss. I had read his movement perfectly, I knew what he was going to do, where he was going to move. And yet… my knife simply drew blood, nothing more. The dark spear fired, it grazed my back and I fell to the ground, waiting for the Demon Lord to finish me.
Instead he hovered over me, our eyes met. His gaze was livid, but I suspect so was mine. The desire to kill each other had reached an unnatural peak.
"Why? I have killed everyone in this room but the Hero and you," his eyes firmed against my own. What was he saying? Everyone was still alive. "You… you're like me."
A vibrating chill shook through my skin, "No… No!"
"Rain stop!" Lara screamed as I jumped up from the floor with my knife. He didn't use his sword and instead pierced my chest with his arm. I coughed blood into his cold eyes.
"Even this…. Will I remember it?"
I died.