Lenka was right. When Lindow proposed the plan to use the bridges to advance, there was no turning back. If they tried to return now, it would mean going back through the path that Sakuya had exploded.
The explosion had cut off their way back; there was no way to return...
"Tch!"
Soma clicked his tongue in frustration. How many had died to get this far...
Lindow knew this, so he didn't argue. Instead, he looked at Lenka.
"It's your turn, then..."
"..."
Lenka remained silent for a few seconds. Just as Lindow was about to speak again, Lenka nodded. His time had come.
"Alright, I'll try to draw all the attention with Resonance, but you have to be quick. I won't last more than two minutes..."
There were too many Aragamis, and they were all in formation. Trying to deceive them wouldn't be easy...
"I'll go too..."
Suddenly, Alisa stepped forward.
"I can handle it alone. There's no need for you to come too..."
"No, there are too many Aragamis. You won't last long. We need to stop them together..."
If Lenka died, the Aragamis would chase after Lindow and Soma. For Alisa, it was better to join forces and buy more time for the two of them. Even though they didn't know what lay ahead, there shouldn't be too many Aragamis due to the confined space of the lower floors...
Therefore, they had to stop them here, on this bridge...
"As new models, I suppose you understand..."
"..."
Lenka remained silent at Alisa's comment. She was right; as new models, their compatibility with Order and Chaos was higher, allowing them to exploit more of their power. Alisa, for example, wielded a great sword, and Lenka...
"Alright... It'll be you and me, then..."
Activating his Void, a pair of enormous crystal claws materialized, and he nodded.
Lindow and Soma watched from the side...
"You were given something too, weren't you... Captain..."
Suddenly, Soma asked. It seemed that everyone had their own secret mission. Lindow simply shrugged in acknowledgment...
His secret mission was in progress...
"I leave it to you..."
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
Without waiting for more orders, Lenka and Alisa jumped onto the bridge, and upon landing, they were surrounded by Aragamis...
*ROOOAARR
*Bam
The Aragami that roared was sent flying by Lenka's claw, while Alisa's sword glowed.
The Resonance had been activated. Instantly, the Aragamis went crazy, breaking formation and charging with bloodshot eyes.
"Now!"
Stomping hard on the ground, Soma and Lindow jumped. While in the air, Lindow spun and materialized his Void. A thin thread extended from his fingers, adhering to the walls and allowing Lindow to swing, taking Soma with him, leaving the Aragamis behind and landing on the bridge...
"Good luck, rookies..."
Leaving those words, both of them ran down to the lower level...
As Alisa predicted, the number of Aragamis on the third floor had significantly decreased, making Soma and Lindow's journey much easier. Though they encountered some Vajras, they managed to pass beyond the third floor as a team...
Fortunately, Alisa and Lenka had bought enough time, as the Aragamis on the bridge hadn't caught up yet, which was a relief.
*Pa.... Pa... Pa..*
The footsteps of the two God Eaters echoed down a corridor. Both were exhausted from what they had been through, but they saw hope ahead, as the entrance to the last floor was right in front of them...
"We made it..."
Lindow let out a sigh of relief when he saw that metal door. Soma, on the other hand, was confused, as beyond that door lay what was supposed to be his mother...
*ROOAARRR
But as they advanced further, a roar was heard. Soma and Lindow immediately prepared themselves and turned their heads towards the beast that roared. They were surprised by what they saw...
"Anubis..."
Ash Storm Anubis, the Aragami for which Sakuya had sacrificed her life, was roaring at them.
But unlike when it first appeared, Anubis was now beneath a large structure, bleeding and severely damaged.
Sakuya's explosion had been devastating, causing its armor to fail under the impact.
Additionally, when Sakuya exploded, the ground collapsed, and Anubis fell to the lowest floor, buried under debris...
At that moment, Anubis roared at them out of aggressive instinct, but it couldn't move due to its injuries and the massive debris crushing it.
Lindow and Soma looked up and saw the huge hole above them. Anubis had suffered a great fall, yet it hadn't died, showing how dangerous this Aragami could have been if Sakuya hadn't stopped it.
Soma didn't know whether to be grateful that this beast was dominated by its instincts. If it had waited for them here intact, their mission might have failed. Anubis was, after all, on another level...
But now, this trapped beast posed no threat to them, which was a blessing...
"..."
Lindow, on the other hand, stared at Anubis for a few seconds before turning and walking toward the metal door...
He slowly took the key from his bag and looked at it intently for a while...
"Is this shit... finally over?"
Sighing, he took out a cigarette from his bag and lit it. They had been through so much to get here, walking over the bodies of their comrades, but they had finally arrived...
His fingers glowed, and his Void resonated. This made Anubis roar louder, while Soma's eyes widened in shock...
"Lindow, what are you doing?!"
Activating Resonance at this point was suicidal. It would attract more Aragamis, and Anubis might even break free due to extreme rage...
But Lindow didn't care...
"Soma, do you know what my secret mission is?..."
The key in Lindow's hand began to float and fuse with his Void...
"Bringing you to this place is my primary mission, but... opening this damned door is my main objective..."
That's right. Apart from Alisa, Lindow was the only one qualified for the key to fuse with his Void.
And the key was the only thing that could open this door, where chaos had distorted space and time...
Because of this, Lindow didn't let Alisa sacrifice herself earlier. Only now, when his objective was near, did he relent, as both of them were the key to opening the door.
That was why he had to survive until the end...
"Are you ready?"
Touching the door, it began to open. Lindow turned his head, smiling...
It was over; his mission was almost complete...
"..."
Soma remained silent, but still, he moved toward the door, step by step, each one heavier than the last. Just as he was about to enter, he stopped...
"Thanks for bringing me here..."
"I was just fulfilling my mission... Now go, I can't keep it open for long..."
"Hmph..."
"Complete your mission too..."
"I will..."
Snorting, Soma walked through the door. This might be the last time he would see Lindow, the captain he had fought alongside for years. Even so, it didn't stop him from facing his destiny...
Lindow waited for Soma to enter before closing the door, his hand still glowing.
*ROOOAARR
The Resonance drove Anubis mad, and Lindow watched it intently as his cigarette burned down...
"Mission accomplished... I'm free now, right? Can I finally decide my own fate?"
Lindow spoke to the wind, as if expecting someone to answer. However, no one did. Still, Lindow took the silence as a 'yes'...
He walked slowly towards Anubis and stopped about 10 meters away...
*ROOOAARRR
Anubis roared louder, hating the Resonance that hurt its soul deeply, causing the debris around it to start falling off its body...
Likewise, a network of crystal threads began to extend from Lindow's hand, adhering to the walls...
There was still a debt to be settled with this monster, so he didn't stop his Resonance while waiting for Anubis to free itself from the debris...
The image of Sakuya flashed through his mind, and not just hers, but also his comrades, those who had died for him to be here...
*ROOOAARRR
Then Anubis freed itself, and Lindow ran...
---
TN: TN: TN: TN