" The Towering Worlds : Hell's Chalice. ™"
A Story written By @mohhdude.
(Be warned, there will be references from other series in this book!!)
Alternative Names -
"TTW : HC.™"
"Protocol — Hell's Chalice. ™"
"End of Earth, Beginning of Hell. ™"
Chapter XXII :
" Welcome Back. "
Act I : The Dungeon Tower of Hell.
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" When he was born, chanting was only heard in his head as he drifted across the empty void. "
" GO- ET- IA! "
— ????
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[ The Dungeon Tower of Hell ]
[ Said to be the oldest towers amongst the known ones in the world of Redlocnse, Where Goetia had complete control over Kanónas before it was liberated by the Knights of Caelum after Goetia's Banishment. Where only the mightiest shall scale the tower, and take the Chalice of Hell. ]
Aurum was sticked to the wall, Leif and Victor behind him as he looked outside, the hallway was clear. However, some workers at the Paradox base were walking through the hallway, their footsteps echo throughout as Aurum and Victor pulled the two guards in, choking them until they fall unconscious.
" Great… Now just take their uniform and wear it. ", Aurum says, Victor and Leif nodded as they take off the uniforms of the guards and wear them, the uniform comprised of a silver suit with white gloves, a waist length white cape as well.
" Surprisingly, not bad for a villain… ", Victor says as he held the end of the waist length cape up, looking at the sleeves. Leif strapped his sword to his waist, " Okay, let's go. ", They walked down the hallways. As they look to their left, they see a room with staircases going up.
They ignored the room as Aurum puts his hand on a door inaccessible by them, Aurum rots the door down with nobody noticing. " Rot Magic is incredibly handy, huh. " Victor said as he nudged his elbow at Aurum's shoulder. The three enter the room, it was the former medical infirmary.
" … I think this was The Former Infirmary… I was here before. When I was 19, if I recall... ", Leif looked around for supplies, such as potions or bandages. Victor looked for valuable information, Aurum sat down on a hospital bed as he looked up at the ceiling.
" … Smells like shit in here… ", Leif covered his nose as he said this. Victor sniffs the air, covering his nose as well. " Ugh! What is that god-awful stench...?! ", Aurum closed his eyes as he laid his back on the bed he sat down on. " … That's a dead body. "
Leif quickly looked over at Aurum, " H-How can you be so sure?! ", " The Paradox are a group that sacrifice dead bodies to feed their God. Or use them to free demons from The Nine Circles of Infernus. ", Leif nodded, with a bead of sweat on his face.
" … Let's get moving, Gudo should be in the interrogation room. ", Aurum said as he got up from the bed, He walked out of the room with Leif and Victor. Leif felt unsettled, Victor had a slight shiver, and Aurum had a drop of sweat roll down his forehead.
Aurum kept walking, despite feeling on edge and unsettled. Leif gripped the handle of his sheathe, thinking to himself: " Calm down, I've gone through worse. ", He took a deep breath. Victor summoned his daggers.
Aurum walked into an interrogation room with Gudo inside. Victor quickly rushed in the room, smiling widely as Gudo looked tired. " GUDO! ", Victor quickly got on one knee, taking his hand. " Are you okay?! ", Victor exclaimed, he was greatly concerned.
Gudo weakly nodded, smiling gently at Victor, he looks like he hasn't got a minute of sleep since he was kidnapped. He had bandages around his head, " I'm… so happy to see… all of you again… ", Gudo said. Victor untied his hands and legs.
Victor lifted Gudo up in his arms to carry him, " … Vic… How's Sheri and Kalon…? ", Victor nodded, a bit teary eyed for his now rescued friend. " They're fine, waiting for us at the top… Let's have a big dinner when we're home, okay? ", Gudo nodded. " Sounds… Lovely… "
Leif walked over. " Good to have you back, Gudo. Let's get out of here. ", Gudo slowly fell asleep in Victor's arms. " … He's tired. We should let him rest for a bit, where are his guns? ", Aurum threw the guns over to Leif. " Here! ", Leif caught them, attaching them to Victor's waist. " Why do I have to carry everything?! ", Victor questioned.
" Because, you're the tallest amongst us all. Now, quit complaining so we get above the surface! ", Leif quickly walked through the hallways with Aurum and Victor following. Victor made sure he didn't disturb Gudo's sleep.
The unsettling feeling kicked in once more, within a flash, Sorozna appeared behind Aurum with his arms around Aurum's waist. " Ohhh Aurum…~ ", Sorozna whispered into Aurum's ear with a flirtatious tone. " I knew you'd come back for me, my darling…~ "
Aurum quickly pulled away from his grasp. " Don't you dare touch me after what you did! ", " … Are we interrupting something? ", Leif jokingly said, Aurum proceeded to ball his fist and slam it down Leif's head. " SHUT UP! "
" What's the matter, aren't you gonna take him back? ", Victor asked. Sorozna had his arms on the back of his head. " Nah, I'd care less about Nomasaki's family drama. But… If you leave my Aurum here, I won't tell on you…~ "
" … Aurum? ", Leif looked at him. " Yeah… Let's get the fuck out of here, man. ", Aurum responded. Aurum, Leif, and Victor immediately ran out of the hallways, some guards were pushed out of the way as they reached the exit, Victor dismissed his daggers into blue mana dust.
The blue mana dust recollected to make his stone gauntlets, forming stone to balance on. The three interlock fingers with each other again, Victor tried to be insanely careful with Gudo. They jumped on each rock as they did before.
Victor formed stone stairs, making Gudo cling on him as the three climbs up the stairs quickly and reach the top, Leif jumped as the stairs crumbled, Victor quickly grabbed his wrist, " LEIF! ", Victor shouted, Aurum helped Victor pull Leif up.
" Close one… ", Victor said, as he helped pull up Leif, Victor sat down, exhausted. Leif climbed up as he laid on his back, panting. Sweating as well… " HELL YEAH! FINALLY! ", Leif laughed. Looking up into the night sky, Victor's chuckle then devolved into a laugh. " You finally look joyful! ", Leif kept laughing about them surviving. Aurum chuckled at Leif and Victor laughing. " I'm glad all of us are alive. "
" Phew… I haven't felt this much joy since I was with him… Aleksandr… ", Leif got up. Victor did as well, The three head back to Sheri, which was quite a long walk from the lava pit. " Sheri! ", Victor waved. Leif held his head from the punch Aurum gave him for making a joke.
" Victor! Leif! Aurum! All of you are okay… ", Victor laid Gudo down on the grass, Gudo was somehow sleeping soundly after all of this. Sheri swept the hair away from Gudo's face. Feeling a sense of relief, as she smiled at him.
" .. Gudo.. Thank Aria, you're alright… ", Gudo's head was laid on Sheri's lap. Kalon was asleep with Sheri's cloak on him. " … Let's go to the hotel room later, okay? ", Aurum said. " Let's rest here for now, all of us are tired. "
Aurum laid down, Victor did so as well, Leif leaned his back against a tree as he would think about Aleksandr. How he would look like if he was actually reincarnated into this world. Leif slowly drifted off into a slumber.
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Leif was awoken with Gudo shaking Leif's leg whilst Gudo held a plate of rice balls, eating in front of the campfire, The sunlight shined on Leif's face as he raises his head a little. " Gudo… How are you feeling...?", Leif asked whilst being tired. Gudo looks like he needs more sleep, but he'll be fine.
" I'm fine, Leif! You should wash your face and get ready. Sheri made rice balls for me to eat. ", Leif nodded at Gudo's response. Happy that Gudo is okay now, Leif rubbed his eyes as he got up, stretching his arms as he yawned.
Leif walked to a nearby pond and washed his face with the water, Leif felt refreshed as Leif strapped his sword to his back, sitting down. " Where's Victor and Aurum? ", Gudo swallowed the bit of the rice ball he was eating after chewing.
" Oh, they went to re-register the apartment. We'll stay here for a bit before leaving. ", Leif nodded. " What about Sheri and Kalon then? ", Gudo pointed to the side, Both Kalon and Sheri were in the distance, Kalon was practicing mana healing with Sheri. Kalon was trying to heal a cut Sheri got.
Leif, again nodded. " So, is there anything you want to do when you're okay, Gudo? ", Gudo shakes his head left and right. " No, I just wanna go back to Kanónas when I'm okay. ", " I see, you miss home that much? "
" Actually… I'm from Tsūkikami, the snowy country. ", Gudo said. Leif was slightly surprised, but shrugged it off. " I see, is your head doing ok? ", Gudo nodded. " It's okay, I've been starving for days since I got kidnapped… I really appreciate you guys being there for me. "
" Anytime, man. ", Leif extended his fist out, Gudo bumps Leif's fist with his own. " Thanks. ", Gudo gave Leif a rice ball, Leif finished it and so did Gudo. Gudo was refreshed after eating a nice, filling meal. Leif got up, helping Gudo up.
Victor and Aurum came back, Leif and Gudo waved at Kalon, as the six went to the apartment. Leif laid on the bed, feeling a sense of relief when he laid on his back as he groaned slightly. " Ah… It feels good to be laying on a proper bed. "
Gudo laid down on his own bed as he quickly fell asleep again, his eyes probably felt strained after being awake for a while… Aurum looked at him with a hint of sadness. " Poor guy… ", Leif looked at Aurum. " … Oh right, I have to judge you after we got Gudo back. "
Aurum nodded, having a bead of sweat. " … ", Leif got up, grabbed his sword as remained in it's sheathe. " … Don't hurt him Leif. ", Sheri said. Leif puts the sheathe of his sword on Aurum's left shoulder, and then his right. " As the leader, I anoint you as a member of our group. "
" HA? Who made you the leader, boy?! " Sheri pulled Leif by the ear, Aurum was bewildered, a bit teary eyed. " I did, because I was carrying this group with Solomon carrying me! ", Sheri laughed. " PFFT! Puh-lease! "
Aurum chuckled, " Thank you so much, Leif. I won't let you down. ", Leif and Sheri paused their little quarrel, Leif nodded. And then Sheri kept pulling his ear and scolding him.
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After a hours, It was night time. Leif, Sheri and Victor were sitting down, Aurum and Kalon went out for a little walk. " … So, what do you all want from the Dungeon Tower? ", Victor asked. " That certainly is an out-of-the-blue question, why ask now? ", Leif asks Victor. " Because we have to know each other, we're a group, no? "
Sheri chuckled, " Well, I wish my sisters in Caelum would be here in Redlocnse if I ever got a wish from that chalice. What about you, Vic? ", Victor chuckled. " I wish for the people in Al'Adqas to experience snow. ", Sheri chuckled from Victor's wish. " What's so funny? ", Victor asked.
" No, nothing really… It just doesn't make sense since the People of Al'Adqas only experienced heat and sandstorms. ", Sheri replied. " That's exactly why people need to experience snow! It's so fun to play with when you're bored, am I wrong? ", Victor responded, Sheri shakes her head left and right.
" Your turn. ", Leif nodded. " … It's a bit embarrassing but… I want to meet an old friend again after a long while… ", Leif had a slight blush. " It's a bit foolish… ", Victor shakes his head left and right. " No, not at all. It's completely natural, in fact. I would wish to see a family member or a friend again. "
" Oh? Is it that Aleksandr guy you asked me about when we first metttt? ", Sheri nudged Leif's shoulder, " What about him, got a crush on him or something? ", Sheri teased Leif, Leif blushed slightly more. " No.. I just… want to see his face again… " Leif smiled gently, reminiscing the times he had with Aleksandr in his past life.
" … Hey, we'll find him eventually. You don't even have to waste a wish, Leif. ", Sheri pats Leif on the back, " Let's head to Al'Adqas to meet King Pevubri and then go to Ironia. We'll meet Mister Antonio there. " Victor said.
" … Yeah, might as well take a nap to pass the time. ", Leif nodded. " Alright, I'll wake you and Gudo up to travel to Al'Adqas. ", Leif sat on his bedside, laying down. Gudo was already awake. He had a wish in mind already…
" … To bring peace to Redlocnse, a Redlocnse where any type of harm won't exist to tear families apart. "
Leif slowly drifted off to sleep, Sheri held an empty bottle of a mana potion in her hand as Victor was leaning against the bed stand. As Aurum came back home with an asleep Kalon in his arms, Aurum kept blankets on Sheri, Kalon, Leif, Gudo and Victor. Aurum slept in his own bed.
All of them then had a good night sleep.
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" Sir, are you certain the Paradox Hideout is here? ", The Hooded Knight holding a sword says, whilst the owl was communicating with the Knight. " Yes, I am certain. Do not screw things up, Narkol. ", " I assure you, I won't. But those bastards will pay for killing Einar. ", The knight slid their hood slid down.
" I swear it. Einar will be avenged. ", The Owl flew away back to The Kanónas Castle.
— Chapter XXII, Fin.