Crimson's smile lingers in my mind even after the connection is severed. The terrible hate apparent in his eyes nearly takes the strength out of my legs. Hunched over with tears and drool pouring, I slowly try to settle myself. Deep breath in, deep exhale. Over and over and over again.
Once I'm steady, Seok asks "What was that? You were speaking to someone who wasn't there, was it magic? A spirit of some sort?"
Seong-Jin interjects, "Couldn't of been either, there was no fluctuation of Mana."
"That makes it even more confusing, what happened?"
I speak now to stop the questions, "I was contacted, by one of these Beasts. It knows where I am, and I know where it is, and we want to kill the other. That's all there is."
Seok stays in contemplative silence for a few seconds, asking, "Was that all that was said between you and, it?"
Nod of affirmation, "Yes, that's all there was."
Deep sigh exits Seok, "Let's finish this up and get you checked out."
I nod again before looking to the Red-Skinns. They're still kneeling as if I were their king.
I get closer to the closest one 'fore swinging my blade. It cuts through the Beast's throat with ease, only a thin red line would indicate a cut was there. The Red-Skinn falls to the ground with a stunned expression, its head rolling.
That felt nice. I look away from it crumbled corpse to the other Red-Skinns. They're all running away, terror lightening their feet.
I simply look at the fleeing Red-Skinns as the disappear into the darkness. Nobody questions why I did it, they already knew the answer. Iseul does ask, "Do you feel better?"
I think for a moment before replying, "Surprisingly, yes."
And that ends the conversation. We get back into formation, now with the knowledge that they always know where we are due to me. A more cautious approach was our take, slowly yet securely moving through the cavern.
We encounter some Beasts, Red-Skinns, Three-Eyed Boars, Ten-Legs, such creatures. Those that didn't scurry away are now providing nutrients for the stone, their blood slowly seeping in.
Eventually, after hours of walking and sometimes fighting, we come across a Fortress of shoddily made Stone and Wood. I'm so mesmerized by the fact there's a fortress that I don't even ask, where'd they get the wood? My questions mean nothing though, as the Fortress doors open up to a horde of Red-Skinns. There are at least four hundred Red-Skinns, all ready to fight and die.
Seok speaks now, "Everyone. Into position."
We follow his command, knowing it would do nothing if all of them came at us. We stare at each other for God know how long, the tension slowly mounting. Once both sides are nearly ready to pounce, the Red-Skinns suddenly back off. They split down the middle with all of them kneeling.
The, Creature, that walks through the mass, is Crimson. Devil's smile still upon his face, he walks forward. He stands ten feet in front of us and starts to speak, "Hello, Choehabu and Choehabu's squad mates. My name, is Crimson. I have a grudge with the member Choehabu. If you let me fight him, then I shall let you all leave peacefully."
Everyone gets quiet, either due to understanding or not. We stay silent for a few moments when Seok asks Crimson, "Do you speak the truth, Crimson?"
Crimson's smile turns even more Devilish, "I've only speaken truth."
Seok nods before looking at me. He tries to ask a question but the words get lost in his throat. He tries to ask again only to stop when I shake my head, "Don't worry, Seok, I got this."
He tries to persuade, "You will die if you fight."
I give him a smile full of mirth, "So did this guy when last we fought, yet he's still standing. Never know, maybe I'll just resurrect like this guy, stronger than before. Or," I turn towards Crimson, my voice lowering into a growl, "I'll just beat your ass."
Seok nods at my words and tells everyone else, "We're going."
Seung, Iseul, and even Seong-Jin object, "We're not leaving him. How could you say such a thing?"
"We don't even know him, why should we die for him? We'll just get another member and train him in a lower Labyrinth."
Seok's words ring in his squaddies and they sadly relent. They turn their backs with everyone besides Seok looking back with sad eyes. Though, I can see the trickle of tears drenching his mask. Funny how much they care for only knowing me for a few hours.
I look back from my Squaddies and to Crimson. He gives an actual smile that's starts a regret in me. With a snap of his gnarly, wooden like fingers, Red-Skinns surround us in a ring like formation. Ten meter radius all around.
Crimson reaches into open space and pulls out a spine-like serrated sword. It was black as night with a handle extending for a foot. The blade curves like a sabre yet is the size of a broadsword. The Chinese Horse Chopper, with serrated edge.
I take my own sword out get into position while Crimson does too. Crimson doesn't do the usual wait and see tactic, no instead he rushes. A full force swing from his Horse Chopper nearly knocks me off my feet. My muscles tense to the extreme, doing everything I can not to fall and not to get hit.
He pulls his blade off and circles it around, coming for my neck from the right. It hits far lighter yet is still strong. Once my sword is interlocked with one of the spines, Crimson yanks his Chopper, nearly taking my sword out of my hands.
He falters in surprise for a moment, but a moment is all that a battle needs. I shove my sword and body into him, knocking him off balance. My knee rises like a phoenix into Crimsons pelvis, a cracking sound resounding from both of our bones. My knee and his front pelvis, shattered.
I take a step back while he does the same. My knee falters with every step I take, and it doesn't look like Crimson is in any better shape. His leg movements are slow now. I smile now, a way to winning has been seen, now I only have to take it.
I bring my sword down, getting blocked by Crimsons when it was only an inch away. Shift the angle and drag the blade, causing a shallow yet bloody cut on Crimson's bald scalp. He swings the chopper one handed toward my left side. I go to block it when at the last moment, he changes the angle, cutting off my left pinky and ring finger.
The pain is immense, yet not at the same time, like a foreign body that I don't know. A one handed retaliation gets blocked by Crimson's horn, the blade only going a quarter inch in. He draws his Chopper back while I try to unstick my own sword, and he swings again, into my side.
The Chopper gets slightly hung up on a rib yet goes through the same. It only stops halfway through the spine, yet that was enough. I may yet be breathing, but I am already dead.
I finally take my Wodao out of Crimson's horn. My arm falls limply to my side, barely able to rise. I look into Crimsons eyes... and start to smile. I even start laughing.
In a raspy voice, I say, "You know, it's kinda funny, how we ended almost the same way as before. Me, on my knees with a fatal wound. You still fucking breathing."
Crimson doesn't respond, instead he too starts laughing. We laugh together at the Irony of my death, which was originally his.
I try to raise my right arm yet it won't rise. I funnel all of my Gi into my arm, and slowly, it starts to move.
Change grips, from front to back, place the blade's point at my plexus, and shove it through. The last thing I see before succumbing, is Crimson bowing his head in respect. Heh, what a funny way to go.