"WE MADE IT!!" A prisoner emerges outside the dungeon exit along with two other inmates. "SO what now Kali-" The prisoner froze as he watched Kalika sit herself on the cliff, embracing the landscape before them.
"What the hell is going on here!? WHY ARE WE ON A CLIFF!!!"
Kalika glared back indignantly at the men. She went back to ignoring them and turned back to look at the scenery.
The angry inmate started to approach Kalika, pissed. "You were supposed to get us out of the dungeon!! Not take us to a dead end!!"
"I did get us out. Now all you have to do now is climb down."
One of the prisoners looked down the cliff, quickly coming to the consensus that they'd likely die climbing the side of the cliff. "I don't think that's an option for us." another said meekly.
The angry prisoner grabbed the back of Kalika's collar, forcing her to look at him. "She tricked us!! It's just like Tilus said she'd do!"
"You actually listened to that washed up guy," she said.
The man readied a punch, but quickly found himself wreathing in pain. Blood started to curdle down the side of his mouth and before he realized it he was tossed off the side of the cliff by Kalika. Her blood blade dripped with the fresh blood of the man she just stabbed.
With dead eyes she turned back to look at the landscape. "If you two still want to escape, I suggest you climb down now. there's maybe another minute-"
"Aaahhhh!!!" one of the men screamed.
"Or perhaps not…"
Kalika glanced back to find Ek along with two other demon guards with him.
"CIEL!! YOU BASTARD!!!" The prisoner attacked Ek only for his blade not to penetrate the demon's general's skin.
Ek grabbed the man's face. "You remember the penalty for escaping the dungeon, right?"
The man looked on, terrified. In an instant the man was dead, with a guards spear being roughly pulled out his skull
"Kalika… I thought you said that you'd stop escaping." Ek said quietly.
"I did. And I'm still following through. If I wanted to, I could just jump down this cliff and be resurrected. But then you'll send squads of demons and beasts after me again."
Ek couldn't help but feel that everything she just said was a lie. He narrowed his eyes seeing that she was just looking at the mountains and forest beyond the cliffs.
"Then tell me… Why are you out here?"
"I don't know, Maybe I just like the view." Kalika inched herself close to the edge of the cliff. At this point she could see the rocky and grassy terrain below.
Suddenly Ek grabbed the back of her shoulder, throwing her back into the dungeon. Kalika suddenly crashed into the arena cage behind her! She found herself back in the arena fighting Ek.
"What the hell was that!!"
She quickly jerked her head, dodging Ek's attack. She moved to distance herself but found that he was no longer there.
She's struck in the gut and launched her in the air!
A heat rose in her hand and head, which started to eat away at her concentration. upon blinking she suddenly finds Ek now above her in midair. In a swift motion a spark as she blocked his attack! They clashed a couple more times. Ek whipped his body, slamming her with his tail!
Kalika's sent crashing into the ground below to the floor, forced to cough blood.
"H-he's too fast!!"
Her heart raced, faster and faster, then.
An explosion from inside her chest is felt. She knew this part of her body all too well.
"D-d-did my heart just explode!??"
Kalika found herself gasping. Her head and hands were now on fire. She tried stay conscious as Ek rained down on her. He thrusted his dagger down, striking like thunder
Unable to move she attempted to meet him head on. Only to be met with darkness. her hand and head cooled instantly. she felt a heft. then a clash.
To her shock, as she regained her vision, she found herself somehow still fighting Ek. Her eyes widened, seeing Ek retreat with a befuddled expression as a cold sweat ran down his face.
"That happened a lot sooner than I expected." Ek said. he planted his feet back to the ground and leapt back forth.
Kalika hardened her resolve seeing this to meet him head on once more.
They clashed steel on steel in a continuous war of reflexes with Kalika on the defensive, and Ek on the offensive. It became harder and harder to anticipate the strikes as a few fell through. It was a familiar yet alien feeling, like her mind was still trying to catch up.
Yet again her heart raced abnormally fast with the same feeling and sound of an explosion in her chest. She flinched, giving an opening for Ek to land another decisive blow to her.
"W-what is going on here!??
"I suppose you don't remember that, that our blood blade kills its human user." Ek nonchalantly stated.
"W-what!?? And he's telling me now!"
Kalika opened her eyes to find a very young Rhonda looking very concerned.
"W-what happened?" Kalika uttered. She then screamed in pain from the hand and head. "IT'S HOT! I-ITS HOT!! AARRGGGHHHHH!!!!"
Rhonda instantly pulls the dagger from her hands, only to find herself standing with Ek about to strike her with his knee.
She dodged, and quickly got ready for a counter. She planned for another strike, but it was easily caught.
She looked up to find Lillian looking down at Kalika disappointed. She could feel sharp pain throughout her body, as though she's been stabbed through many times already.
"Tell me Kalika, How did you get this. Tell me!"
Kalika's arm got torn from her body.
She then found that her arm was flying across the arena from Ek's most recent attack. This was followed by another explosion in her chest.
"B-but, I'm not holding it!" Kalika's eyes widened, as though she came to a realization. "Hold on…"
A swift slash from Ek and Kalika's head flew off. She could see her body being kicked to the ground. But a moment later she witnessed her body getting up! And moving on its own!!
"W-what the hell-"
"-Is going on with me??"
Kalika had made an attack from above. They clashed once more as she slashed down.
He quickly retreated back, holding the tip of his nose.
"I…Cut him…?"
"BRAVO. BRAVO." Rakon echoed.
Neither of them paid attention to him. Instead keeping eye on each other, with Kalika looking more worried than Ek.
"Your fight the last hour has been entertaining, but perhaps-"
"-You've forgotten about the penalty of the contract. Kalika. Ek" Rakon looked into Kalika's eyes.
An overwhelming sensation overcame her and she quickly fell to her knees. It felt as though her entire body was boiling now. "Did he… Do something to me?"
Unexpectedly, Rakon appeared before her in another room. He took her chin by the hand and drove it up, to look her in the eye. "You only have yourself to blame. It's not my fault that you tried breaking our agreement. Now release the blade."
Kalika does as she is told, releasing the blade from her grasp. and yet again she finds herself in the arena with her stomach cut writhing on the floor. Confusion evident in her eyes. She looked up to find Ek standing over her.
"I guess there's no changin you after all. You're better off giving up now, Kalika. There's no way in hell you're winning against me.
He drove his blade towards her head. Kalika barely avoids the attack, leaving a scratch on her face. She rolled back to her, holding her stomach.
"I can't give up now!"
Kalika retaliates, but it's easily blocked.
"I-" Ek starts to talk.
"-thought we were friends!"
Kalika found herself in the past again. She was interlocked with Ek. They were surrounded by dead demon guards in the dungeon hall. Behind her lay the destroyed dungeon exit that was covered with rubble.
"Friends?? FRIENDS!?? WHY THE HELL WOULD I BE FRIENDS OF A DEMON!! YOU'RE ALL LIARS! LIARS THAT USE OTHERS AS THEY PLEASE JUST OT GET WHAT YOU WANT!!" Kalika yelled.
"UWWAAA!!! OH, NOW THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU!"
"SHUT UP!!" Kalika clenched her jaw, anger evident. "W-What the hell gives you the right to speak. You'll never know the pain I've had to endure all this time!!"
Kalika broke through, slashing at Ek's face. This shocked Lillian who was right behind Ek. she watched as he fell to the floor with a fresh new scar.
Kalika glared at Lillian with cold eyes. "So you actually came…"
Lillian quickly gathered her senses. "This ends here Kalika."
Kalika could only laugh at Lillian's statement, she soon slipped into a maniacal laughter. She slowly ceased her laughter seeing that Lillian was waiting for some other response. "You know Lily…" Kalika raised her blade. "Now I'm wondering... if I can kill you too."
Kalika charged at Lillian only to blink and find herself sprinting at Ek instead. Her body reacted on its own, attacking Ek. This time her attack went through, subtly scratching the surface of his skin of his chest.
This turn of events shocked Ek. Now behind him, Kalika quickly jerked her body to face him again, seemingly posed to attack.
Ek turned to block, only to find Kalika surprised, which confused him. She then found the will to drop the blade from her hand.
Neither of them move an inch. Kalika breathing started to become more heavy as the seconds passed by from the exhaustion.
"I-I Remember… o-or I'm at least starting to remember…It's all just coming in flashes. I don't even know what I've been doing this entire fight!!" Kalika became a little more frightened. "A-am I even human anymore???"
"Get a grip will ya! Unless you forfeit now…" EK posed his blade ready to continue, and attack Kalika in what seemed to be a wide opening. "Things will keep getting worse for you!"
Kalika quickly came to her senses upon noticing Ek making his move. She quickly dodged his attack, and the following flurry of swipes and slashes he made with his dagger.
He leapt in the air attacking from above!
By miracle, Kalika caught it in her hand. She tried to hold it off from stabbing her face but slowly her strength started to wane from Ek's strength as a demon.
"Damn it! Just give it up!! No one has to die if you forfeit!!" Ek yelled.
"Ten minutes left." Rakon announced.
With a quick glance Kalika could see Rakon place a restrained and muffled Kel in front of him. "Wait. What is he doing here???"
Kalika watched as Ek became paler, something she would've thought impossible with their blue colored skin.
"FINE!! IF YOU WON'T GIVE UP I'LL MAKE YOU BEG FOR IT!!"
Ek with all his strength plunged his dagger through Kalika's eye and then straight through her face. Kalika screamed, completely startled by this action and quickly felt a flood of pain, emanating from her face.
He pulled his dagger out prompting her to instinctively grab her face. She fell to her knees unable to bear with the pain
Suddenly, she couldn't feel her feet anymore. glancing down a pool of blood formed. Knowing what Ek did she glared back at him.
"Y-you bastard!!"
"Don't look at me, You're only bringing this upon yourself Kalika. Whatever contract he's holding over you this time isn't worth it! SO JUST GIVE UP!!"
"I REFUSE!" She retorted.
Hearing her response Ek swiped his dagger, easily dismembering Kalika's left hand. Kalika bared with the pain, and saw that he now aimed for her stomach.
"I refuse… I refuse. I have to beat him. I have to!!"
The attack was blocked, the blood dagger manifested in Kalika's hands. She gave a frightening, yet familiar deathly glare at Ek and a dark aura thinly veiled her body before retreating away. in that same instant she completely repelled his attack!
Rakon witnessing this alongside a capture and tied up Kel, looked on in satisfaction.
Kalika looked at the blade in her hand now even more confused. "How did I-"
Without warning, a hot sensation traveled throughout her entire body. It felt as though she was burning from the inside out. This left her reeling , barely able to stand. Yet again her heart burst. "None of this makes any sense at all!"
Kalika hazily gazed back at Ek, seeing him charge forth. To her eyes he became so slow. She blocked yet another attack.
"I really want to.…"
.....
.....
.....
"Kill him."
Kalika broke through his attack, landing another hit! This time she penetrated his skin.
Kel watching from the balcony, started to visibly become concerned with his muffled voice.
Their fight continued with Ek dismembering her arms and legs only for her heart to self-destruct moments later to reattach back to Kalika. Soon Kalika found herself in dance, going toe to toe with a demon general of all things.
A nostalgic feeling surfaced within her heart, a battle she would've thought long gone. A battle that left the dungeons in ruin and devastated. A battle against her demonic sister.
Memories resurfaced of pushing through blazing heat, slicing through stone. And an uncontrollable rage that leads to a spiraling of chaos and mayhem and destruction. She could feel a joy rising as she closed in at Lillian seeing a potential opening. Then…
A clash once more and she was back in the arena. She could see Ek's determined yet exhausted face. Kalika wouldn't have ever imagined that she'd actually see a demon exhausted.
The last grains of sand from an hourglass finish reaching the bottom.
"Time is up Ek," Rakon said.
Despite still being interlock with Kalika he quickly pushed her away and turned to Rakon. "D-DON'T DO IT!!"
Using this opportunity Kalika stabbed Ek in the back. surprising him.
Both Ek and Kalika watched as Rakon picked up an Iron looking pipe on a wooden stick handle. He pointed it straight at Kel's back, putting Kel in a panic.
Rakon could help but smile playfully. "For the crimes plotting against the King of Demons, the life of General Kel is hereby… Forfeit."
"NOOOOOO!!!"
A loud explosion sounded off. A moment later, the entirety of Kel head and chest had a torrent of fire running through him. This left Kel's body in a grotesque state.
The blade sunk deeper into Ek's body, shortly after he coughed up blood. "Y-you monster." Ek in utter shock fell to his knees.
Rakon laughed gleefully at Ek's comment. "You're the one who said that two hours would be more than enough. It looks like here… you only have yourself to blame…"
"That bastard was only using me again, wasn't he!" Kalika gripped and plunged the dagger much deeper. "Not that it matters right now."
Kalika suddenly pulled out the dagger from his back and lunged forth to stabbed her dagger into his chest. To her surprise, Ek caught her by the wrist trying to keep her from killing him.
"D…Don't do it Kalika." he wheezed. "You're making a big mistake…"
"S-shut up!! My only mistake was not killing you sooner." Kalika grabbed Ek by the neck and wrestled him to the ground where she now laid on her back. With Ek on top of her her tried to wrestle free from her grasp, so she changed the course of her blade.
With all her strength, she pushed. Eventually the blade soon found its way to the neck, piercing it.
"Kalika…whatever you do.. Don't trust Rakon…"
Kalika clenched her teeth. "JUST DIE!!!"
The dagger was stabbed into Ek's neck, just under his chin. After a few minutes of struggling, Ek was finally dead.
Kalika took a short rest to catch her breath before getting out from under the dead demon. She started to hear clapping from behind her, which she ignored. Instead she chose to look at the now dead Ek.
"How many did I kill?" Kalika asked.
Rakon slowly pulled the blood blade from Kalika's hands. "Why do you ask?"
"Just answer the question."
"Hmm… I haven't kept track of myself, but if I had to guess.. Maybe about a dozen or so…." Rakon shortly after grabbed Kalika's chin to have her look at him. "But who knows? It's hard to keep track when you're having fun" he smiled knowingly.
Kalika jerked her head away from his grasp. Looking around the arena, she found that it was filled to the brim with piles and piles of dead bodies of demons, beasts and humans. a nightmarish image she'd never would've thought to imagine.
She looked down at her hand to find it completely drenched in blood and upon lifting her head back up, she found that the arena was clean.
Her lips trembled looking back at Ek's corpse, but quickly steeled herself.
"I'm not like them. I'm still a human..."