Arthur gazed at Tito with grateful eyes, for if Tito hadn't stepped forward to block the impending attack, he would have surely met his end.
"Thank you," Arthur murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That's not important right now," Tito replied, his expression grave as he leaped back from Lily, who mirrored his movements. "Look for yourself; no one will guard you every time you're attacked."
"It seems she's after the weak one first," Jason chuckled, his laughter echoing mockingly as he glanced at Arthur.
Arthur met Jason's gaze, sensing the underlying jest. Though Jason seemed unserious, Arthur couldn't deny the truth in his words; he was weak. If he didn't find the strength to hold his ground, he would surely perish here.
"Tito, Theo, hold her off for me!" Jason commanded, sprinting toward the mountain of corpses.
"You're… not… permitted… there!" Lily screeched, her voice a chilling cacophony, as if a thousand souls were speaking in unison. She lunged after Jason, desperate to stop him, but Tito intercepted her once more.
"You're… not… permitted!" Lily's voice rose again, echoing with the anguish of countless souls. It became clear that the destination Jason sought was of great significance to the malevolent entity residing within Lily.
As Jason rushed toward the mountain, Lily attempted to follow, only to be thwarted again by Tito and Theo.
Screech!
Theo clutched a book radiating a mysterious energy, its cover adorned with an array of unsettling eyes. To gaze upon it was to feel exposed, as if stripped bare before it, vulnerable to hallucinations and mental manipulation.
Theo possessed a unique ability known as Insightful Gaze, allowing him to discern the weaknesses of their foes. This gift made him a crucial support for Tito, who faced Lily head-on. Tito's blade glimmered with golden rays, dispelling the surrounding darkness and warming the frigid air.
"Target the thorns on her head!" Theo shouted, signaling Tito to strike.
With renewed determination, Tito lunged forward, aiming for the halo made of thorns crowning Lily's head. But his efforts were thwarted; Lily resisted fiercely.
As she swung her scythe toward the charging Tito, she seemed to freeze. Just as the blade was poised to strike, Lily halted, her scythe suspended in mid-air. Tito's sword glowed brighter than before, the radiant golden light expanding to envelop the four meters between him and Lily.
Screech!
The anguished cries of thousands of souls echoed around them, suffering under the brilliance of Tito's light.
Moments later, as the light began to fade, Tito prepared to sever the thorn and deliver a decisive blow to Lily, who now lay bound by golden chains, weakened and vulnerable.
But just as he was about to strike, skeletal hands erupted from the ground, ensnaring Tito's leg and slamming him to the earth. He coughed blood, stunned and motionless for several agonizing seconds. Meanwhile, the chains binding Lily disintegrated into tiny particles of light, restoring her mobility.
With a fierce leap, Lily charged at the downed Tito, scythe poised to deliver a fatal blow.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, shattering the tension. Arthur had pulled the trigger of the ancient revolver in his hand. Instead of a bullet, a surge of spiritual energy erupted, colliding with the scythe just before it could cleave Tito.
Arthur locked eyes with Lily, whose gaze was now dark and ominous. He raised the revolver again, aiming carefully, and fired. The shot struck her head just as she attempted to evade it.
Screech!
Lily howled, her voice a chorus of tormented souls. She recoiled, leaping back, her head wound gushing dark blood before miraculously healing, as if the shot had never landed. Behind her veil, Arthur could sense her fury, and he instinctively kept his distance, quick-witted from observing Tito and Lily's fierce battle.
I created this without thinking I would use it, but thankfully it's working, Arthur thought, pity washing over him as he regarded Lily. Her growls echoed around him, her gaze piercing through the veil.
For a moment, Lily remained still, her eyes fixed on Arthur, as if sensing a threat.
"Thank you," came Tito's voice, weak but earnest, as Theo helped him to his feet.
Arthur nodded at Tito, then turned his attention back to Lily, who now assumed a different stance, poised for another attack.
With a powerful leap, she swung her scythe, and as the trio evaded, an opening appeared toward the mountain of corpses—her true objective.
"No! She can't go there!" Theo shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Arthur, though uncertain of the significance of the mountain, felt a primal instinct urging him to stop her. He raised his revolver, its ancient design glinting ominously, and fired repeatedly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each shot echoed through the air, some striking Lily, causing dark blood to flow, only for the wounds to close as if they had never existed. Yet she remained undeterred, her focus unwavering as she sprinted toward the mountain.
Huff!
Arthur gasped, exhaustion creeping in. I can't do this anymore; my spiritual energy is depleted.
Just then, he noticed Theo's book flipping open beside him, its pages turning of their own accord. Theo's eyes glowed with a golden light, and the book halted, revealing a massive eye that loomed above, fixated on Lily.
As danger loomed, Lily sensed the threat and quickened her pace, but suddenly, her vision was engulfed in darkness, leaving her disoriented and lost.
Then, Theo's voice pierced the void, chanting softly yet powerfully:
[O Eye that sees beyond the veil, Unravel fate with every wail. To touch your fate, the price is steep, For knowledge gained, the mind shall weep.]
[Wisdom is the darkness and the light of the world; through darkness, your doom is whirled, In radiant glow, to higher realms you'll rise. Choose wisely, for in the darkness and light you desire, your fate may lie.]