Kieth stared at the spirit, her grin widening into a twisted, malevolent expression. He didn't move, his muscles tense as he stood between her and the king. Her eyes shifted to the man cowering behind Kieth, her blood-red pupils narrowing with pure rage. She began to growl, low and guttural, the sound reverberating through the room.
Is… she angry? Kieth thought, his gaze darting to the king, who had clasped his hands together, muttering incoherent pleas for forgiveness.
The spirit didn't wait. She lunged past Kieth, her claws aimed at the king. Acting on instinct, Kieth swung a punch, aiming to stop her. But just as his fist was about to connect, she twisted unnaturally, her speed blurring her movements.
Kieth barely had time to react as her mouth opened wide—three times its normal size in a heartbeat—and clamped down on his right arm. The pain was immediate and excruciating as her massive teeth shattered the bones in his arm with a sickening crunch.
Kieth cried out in agony, his scream echoing through the chamber.
Mart, seeing this, didn't hesitate. Though he couldn't see the spirit, the sight of Kieth's arm being crushed was enough for him to act. He swung his sword, aiming for her neck, but the blade passed harmlessly through her, as if she were made of mist.
Gritting his teeth, Kieth grabbed her head with his left hand, his thumb digging into her eye socket. He tore at her eyeball, the viscous fluid coating his hand. Yet she didn't flinch. She grinned wider, her teeth grinding deeper into his arm.
Through sheer desperation, Kieth hammered his fist into her face repeatedly, his screams a mix of rage and agony. Finally, she released him, his arm dangling uselessly, blood pouring from the mangled limb.
Kieth cradled his shattered arm, gasping for air. "I can hit her… I can hit her…" he muttered, his breath labored from the pain.
Mart rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"
Kieth didn't answer, sweat dripping down his face. He looked around, his vision blurry, and noticed the king was gone.
"Where's the king?"
"I took him away," Mart said. "Don't worry."
"I wasn't worrying. Couldn't care less if that bastard died or not," Kieth snapped, wincing as the pain in his arm flared.
The spirit lunged at them again, her rage unrelenting. Kieth reached for Mart, but before he could move, Mart grabbed him, lifting him entirely off the ground. With a powerful leap, Mart launched them both into the air, grabbing hold of the chandelier.
"What the hell, Mart—" Kieth started, but his words were cut off.
A massive, horizontal slash tore through the room, severing the spirit's torso from her legs in a single, precise strike. The force of the attack left the walls and furniture in ruins.
Kieth recognized the technique immediately. "Veilern…" he whispered.
Veilern stepped into the room, his blade glinting with an otherworldly light. The spirit's severed torso and legs twitched, her form desperately trying to stitch itself back together.
Veilern stood over the spirit's writhing form as Mart carefully brought Kieth down, still holding him close. Veilern glanced at them both before addressing Mart with a calm but sharp tone.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, his gaze softening as it landed on Mart. "Martinus, is it? You're a brilliant soldier."
Martinus bowed low. "I'm proud to hear such words from His Majesty."
"Easy, soldier," Veilern replied, waving a hand dismissively. "We have pressing matters." His eyes shifted to Mart's sword. "You haven't managed to land a hit on her."
Mart lowered his head, guilt evident in his expression. "I apologize. My incompetence has caused great harm to Kieth, my friend."
The adrenaline pumping through Kieth's veins dulled his pain, but he was still alert. Veilern, noticing his condition, reassured Mart. "It's not your fault," he said. Veilern tapped his sword, pointing it at the spirit. "You cannot harm her—not with anything in this world."
Kieth's mind raced. What… does he mean?
"She's linked with a concept," Veilern explained, his voice steady. "The concept of Death. No physical or magical attack in this world can touch her unless the attacker is also linked to a concept. It isn't your fault, Martinus. But, unfortunately for her…" Veilern smirked. "I'm linked to the planet itself."
Just like Komain… Kieth thought, his mind flashing back to earlier encounters.
Veilern raised his blade, sharpening it with a faint glow of magic. The spirit screamed and writhed, her severed torso trembling violently. Then Kieth saw it—something grotesque and horrifying.
From the spirit's gory, severed torso, an unborn child began to crawl out, its frail body slick with blood and still tethered to its mother by an umbilical cord. The child struggled to move, its motions jerky and unnatural, as if it were fighting its own existence.
Mart turned his eyes away in disgust, while Veilern froze, staring at the nightmarish sight in shock.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the hall. Guards and servants burst into the room, breaking the doors down, the king among them. Kieth noticed the light had returned to their eyes—they were no longer under the spirit's control.
Even the king realized the situation. Pointing toward the spirit, he bellowed, "ON MY AUTHORITY AS KING, KILL THAT SPIRIT!"
Veilern's eyes widened in alarm. "WAIT—NO!" he shouted, but before he could stop them, the guards attacked. Veilern grabbed Kieth and Mart, pulling them away as the spirit and her unborn child let out an ear-piercing shriek.
In an instant, the spirit's child reacted to the king's voice. With a sickening burst of energy, it crushed the entire castle, the room they had been standing in erupting in a violent explosion.
Veilern leapt out of the crumbling structure, landing at a distance and releasing Kieth and Mart as debris rained down around them. Kieth groaned, pushing himself up to watch massive chunks of the castle fall, the destruction complete.
Mart scanned their surroundings, panic evident in his face. "What do we do now?"
Veilern, still focused, grabbed Mart by the shoulders. "Martinus, I want you to take everyone out of the castle—guards, servants, anyone still alive. I'm trusting you with this."
"But—" Mart started to protest, but Veilern cut him off.
"No arguments. Go!" Veilern vanished into thin air before anyone could object.
Kieth, looking up, saw massive blades of wind slashing through the ruins of the castle, each strike accompanied by explosive bursts of blood. A battle had begun, and Veilern was at the center of it.
Dashing lights scattered through the air as Kieth ran back into the crumbling castle, his heart pounding with desperation. He had to find Paulina and Serel. His right arm dangled uselessly, pain stabbing through his body, but he pushed forward.
Screams of fear echoed around him as servants and guards fled in terror, rushing past him like a flood. Among the chaos, Kieth spotted Mart and shouted, "MART! DID YOU SEE SEREL AND PAULINA?"
Mart turned, his face pale and strained. "NO! I THINK THEY MIGHT ALREADY BE OUTSIDE. LET'S GO!" He grabbed Kieth, pulling him toward the exit.
Outside, Kieth spotted Serel and Paulina in the distance. Relief washed over him. "Mart, take me there, please!" he begged, but before they could move, the spirit appeared in front of them.
Her blood-soaked torso dripped as she stared, her hollow eyes fixed on them. Mart froze, now able to see the spirit clearly since Veilern's attack. His heart sank, and his instincts kicked in as the spirit launched a punch toward Kieth.
Without hesitation, Mart shoved Kieth away, taking the blow to his stomach. Blood sprayed from his mouth as the punch tore through him. He gritted his teeth and tried to grab the spirit, but his hands passed through her intangible form.
Kieth screamed, his voice cracking, "NOOOO!" He watched in horror as the spirit flung Mart into the crumbling castle. The rubble came crashing down, burying Mart beneath it.
Tears streamed down Kieth's face as he got up and sprinted toward the collapsed ruins, shouting, "Fuck! Fuck! No! Please, no! Don't let him die!"
Fear gripped his chest. Mart wasn't just someone close to him; he was a friend, someone who had been kind to him. Memories of Mart calling him a friend flooded his mind, and Kieth couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
Before he could reach the rubble, a group of soldiers intercepted him—Mart's comrades, now in control of the spirit. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light as they advanced on Kieth, weapons raised.
The first soldier, a spearman, lunged at Kieth. He ducked low, swept the soldier's legs out from under him, and countered with a quick strike with his left arm before the man could recover.
Another soldier, Julius, charged at Kieth with his guard raised too high. Kieth feinted left, baiting Julius into defending the wrong side. With a swift movement, Kieth delivered a sharp punch to Julius's chin with his left arm, knocking him out cold.
Panting, Kieth glanced back at the rubble. "Mart…" he muttered under his breath. He couldn't stop now. He had to save him.
More soldiers poured in, relentless like pests. Kieth braced himself, but before another sword could strike, the attack was parried. Startled, he turned to see a figure blocking the blow—a man who could only be the captain of their group.
The captain looked at him, his voice firm but calm. "Go, boy. I'll hold them off. Though… Mart might already be gone."
Kieth hesitated but then nodded. "Thanks, Captain."
The captain cut him off, smirking. "Call me Vaughn." Without another word, Vaughn charged into the fray, fighting his possessed comrades with unwavering resolve.
Kieth turned and sprinted toward the rubble. Reaching the collapsed ruins, he frantically began pulling at the rocks. Massive boulders towered over him, the weight unbearable, but he pushed past his limits, ignoring the agony that wracked his body. He couldn't stop. If he did, he'd never forgive himself.
As he moved boulder after boulder, a shrill scream pierced the air. He looked up, catching glimpses of blurred red and green-blue streaks darting across the sky at impossible speeds. But he couldn't focus on that now.
His breath hitched when he spotted a hand sticking out from the rubble. "Please, no..." he whispered, desperately removing the final boulder.
What he uncovered made his stomach churn. Mart's crushed body lay beneath the debris, only his arms and legs visible—the rest flattened beneath the castle's weight.
Kieth's eyes widened in horror. "No... NO!" His scream echoed through the ruins as tears streamed down his face. He dropped to his knees, guilt and grief overwhelming him.
If I had been faster... If he hadn't pushed me… Mart might still be alive.
He clenched his fists. Arcellus will never forgive me. I'm the reason his younger brother is dead.
A scream snapped him back to reality. Kieth turned just in time to see Vaughn's headless body collapse to the ground, sword still swinging reflexively before it fell limp. The spirit loomed behind it, grinning grotesquely as she swallowed Vaughn's severed head.
Her eyes locked on Kieth, mocking him with her bloodied smile. She vanished and reappeared behind him, her massive jaws opening wide, ready to devour him.
Kieth didn't move. He had lost the will to fight. How could he? This was a monster that survived being sliced in half, something even Veilern struggled against.
He closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. But just as her jaws came down, a voice tore through the chaos—a scream filled with desperation.
"KIETH!"
It was Paulina.
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