My heart raced, tensions mounting with each passing second, my palms slick with sweat. This was a battle I entered, teetering on the edge of death. I tried to avoid dwelling on the looming danger, focusing instead on the details of the arena. In a moment of clarity, I cringed, realizing I had missed an obvious clue, despite my meticulous habit of noting every detail. Sirena's precise control demanded both sight and sound, a delicate balance that highlighted her mastery. Amidst the tension, a glimmer of hope flickered within me—a desperate wish she could somehow hear the plea in my next words.
"Sirena! You've pushed me to my breaking point! What is it that you seek of me?"
As a refreshing breeze caressed my skin, a faint rustling sound reached my ears from behind. Sirena Vortexus, standing before me, took me aback. It was as if she had materialized out of thin air, her ethereal form captivating and mesmerizing to behold.
"Volkner! You know more than any of the heroes that this is where growth can begin."
A loud rumbling shook the room, flipping the world upside down as the floor inverted, tossing everyone into the underside. The room was vast, with gates on each side and a flat, expansive ground covered in a blue mist. Sirena's smile glowed, her eyes piercing my soul with an intensity that made the ethereal arena seem even more surreal.
"Let's begin this fire fight."
In seconds, she dissipated into nothingness again, revealing the puppet behind her.
*CLANG-Clang-Clang!*
My arms throbbed with an intense ache as I desperately parried the earth puppet's unyielding onslaught. Each blow reverberated through my bones, sending jolts of pain up my arms. Yet, its tunnel vision proved to be its fatal flaw, allowing me to sweep its feet from beneath it. With a resounding thud, the puppet crashed onto the ground, its impact rolling it backward before it sprang up with uncanny agility. Its appearance was so eerily human-like that it became impossible to discern it from a genuine adversary.
"What an impressive puppet, Sirena!"
I channeled ethereal energy into my saber, infusing it with a shimmering aura, preparing for the forthcoming strike. With precision, I deflected the attack, feeling the impact reverberate through my arms. Despite the pain, I embraced it and transformed my saber into a blazing inferno. The crackling flames danced with fury, sending sparks and embers cascading from the puppet's melting blade. As my blade glided down its liquefying sword, the intense heat seared through the puppet's earthen forearms, effortlessly severing them.
The puppet froze. I took this opportunity to pierce the puppet's chest. The eerie ping echoed once more. Two more puppets came out of the gate in front of me.
As the puppet lunged, I parried swiftly. The blazing flames of my saber clashed with its blade, producing a deafening clang that reverberated through the arena. The force of the impact jolted my arms, causing my blade to bounce back. With perfect timing, I struck the puppet's neck; the blade slicing through with a searing heat that left no room for error.
As my eyes darted towards the other puppet, an audible ping reverberated behind me, exposing its concealed position. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to respond in time, but I raised my forearm just in time to block its attack. A searing pain shot through my arm, sending waves of agony coursing through my body. The acrid scent of fear filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. Yet, as the surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, the pain dulled, drowned out by the rush of fight-or-flight instincts.
I seized the surge, leaving my saber to clench my fist, directing a burst of flames at the puppet's stomach. The explosion engulfed it, reducing it to ashes. As I retrieved my saber, four more puppets charged towards me. With swift precision, I crafted another grenade, my growing proficiency clear. I hurled it at the two nearest targets, the deafening blast shaking the air and echoing through the arena.
"These grenades may be crude, but they get the job done. Not like these puppets give me a chance to say 'ouch' either."
It looks like these four aren't easy to deal with, spacing themselves apart to avoid the same death. I charged the puppet to my left first to offset the distance better. I overflowed the blade with mana to melt the puppet in a single swing, even melting the blade. Together with the ping, the ground below me brought my feet out from below me, turning me upside down. I saw the puppet on top of me, swinging its blade for the kill. Without hesitation, I exploded the surrounding area into lightning, similar to a Tesla coil.
My life flashed before my eyes. The fear was becoming untamable. Every waking moment was an eternity as the pain jolted throughout my body. This move left me in tatters. Everything screamed at me to let it be. I wouldn't die for real, so why fight? Only—I knew how this works; Anything less than 100% would fail the test Sirena had out for me. Two more puppets swung at my body, and only my pistol would be enough.
BANG-BANG
As I figured, their cores dwell within their chest. Their resounding ping confirmed their deaths. I tore my legs apart, rising into a sprint towards the next puppet, met with a swing from its strange blade, leaving heavier attacks. My heart gave a fickle beat, met with pain in my chest as I blocked the attack. My mind couldn't keep my emotions in check as everything pounded against each other, even forgetting what was happening seconds ago.
Each beat pounded louder, the rhythm jarring, but I pushed forward, despite my yielding focus. My breath quickened, each gasp harder than the last. Sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes, blurring my vision. My muscles screamed in protest, every fiber straining, tearing with each desperate movement.
BANG
Another puppet crumbled. My legs felt heavy, resisting my every command. A sharp pain shot through my chest, fleeting thoughts ushered inside, while aiming at the next target. My vision narrowed, a tunnel focusing only on the task ahead.
THUD THUD
The strange blade clashed against my saber, sending shockwaves through my body. My arm trembled, muscles twitching uncontrollably, but I forced it to steady, to aim true. The world spun slightly, a disorienting tilt I ignored, but not without disheartening my determination even more.
BANG
Another core shattered. My breath came in ragged gasps, the air heavy, threatening to drown me. A searing heat spread from my chest, creeping into my limbs, but I pushed it aside, focusing only on the next puppet, the next target. The world became a fog. My mind was no longer thinking. I could only instead react on conflicting instincts.
CLANG
The blade met my saber again, the impact jarring, but I held firm. My legs wobbled, threatening to give out, but I drove forward, each step a battle. My heart pounded erratically, a painful throb ignored as I raised my pistol again.
BANG
My heart pounded in my chest, its rapid beats echoing in my ears. The weight of grief and exhaustion pressed down upon me, threatening to pull me into the depths of despair. Sweat trickled down my forehead, mingling with the tears streaming down my face. The pain in my body merged with the ache in my soul, creating an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
As I struggled to catch my breath, the puppets closed in, their lifeless eyes mocking me. Their blades glinted in the dim light, poised to strike a final blow. Each one represented a faceless enemy, an embodiment of the countless battles we fought. And with each fallen puppet, I felt a piece of my spirit shatter, just as it had when my comrades back home fell.
Their names, once etched in my memory, had now become a hazy blur. Faces faded, voices silenced. I couldn't recall the sound of their laughter or the warmth of their presence. They had become a haunting specter, a collective reminder of the sacrifices made and the lives lost in this relentless struggle.
In that moment, the idea of joining them, of escaping this never-ending cycle of pain and loss, seemed strangely tempting. The thought of finding solace in the arms of oblivion whispered seductively in my ear. Perhaps, in death, I could finally find peace and reunite with those who had gone before me.
But even as the darkness tugged at the edges of my consciousness, a flicker of determination ignited within me. It was a stubborn flame that refused to be extinguished, a reminder of the resilience that had kept me going until now. I couldn't succumb to despair. I owed it to myself and to the fallen to continue fighting, to forge a path through the darkness.
With a surge of strength, I straightened my trembling legs, ignoring the burning pain that shot through my body. I locked eyes with the puppets, defiance burning in my gaze. They may have outnumbered me, their blades may have been sharper, but I refused to let fear guide my actions.
In that moment, I realized that survival wasn't just about staying alive physically; it was about preserving the flicker of hope within me. It was about honoring the memory of my comrades by carrying their spirit forward, by continuing the fight they had started.
And so, with a renewed sense of purpose, I took a step forward, ready to face the puppets and whatever challenges lay ahead. Despite the treacherous path and the odds stacked against me, I would not let their deaths be in vain. This mysterious world will surely hold a way back. I must keep pushing, keep fighting, until my last breath, for them, for myself, and for the hope that still lingered in the darkest corners of my heart. My vision dimmed, the world narrowing to the circle of adversaries. My heart raced wildly, each beat a painful reminder of my limits. I could feel the end closing in, but I refused to falter. I raised my saber, defiant, facing the oncoming darkness.
"I—tried my best..." I whispered, my voice barely a croak, as the world darkened and the edges of my vision faded.
With those words, the puppets froze, their blades inches from my skin. One by one, they collapsed, their inner cores extinguished, falling to the ground in a resounding clatter. The test ended, and amidst the wreckage, I stood, my breath ragged, feeling the pain as a dull throb as darkness claimed me. Just before I fell unconscious, I heard some final words.
"Congratulations Volkner, no one else deserve this summoning more than you. To be granted power beyond what anyone could dream of."
It was then Volkner had passed out. Saber pointed, and his pistol aimed. Sirena came close to him, whispering.
"Don't let anybody stop you Volkner. Whatever it is you seek, I'll help you achieve it…"