The darkness enveloped the five adventurers like a heavy blanket, consuming their senses and immediately transporting them to the labyrinth in Leon's mind. However, for Pato, the process was a little more complicated. He was still awake, and Rosario, noticing his distraction, sighed with resignation. It seemed obvious that the clueless Duck had not fully concentrated and had not managed to get in as effectively as the others. Rosario was preparing to try again when a frantic scream from outside made her hurry up, pushing Pato into the world of the mind with desperate speed.
As Pato closed his eyes, he could glimpse through an opening in the darkness how grotesque shadows were trying to enter the school, the last thing he saw before being completely dragged into the mental world. Finally, he landed on the spot, staggering and colliding with the others. He got up, disoriented, trying to regain his balance and with an air of frustration.
- Hey, what the hell? Why are they in the middle-?
He couldn't finish the question. The reason why he couldn't move and the reason for his bewilderment became frighteningly clear. At that moment, the five realized that they were not alone. A colossal entity, which had been waiting patiently, dominated the space with an oppressive presence. She was such a monstrous figure that there were not enough words to describe her. His form was that of a gigantic mask, wrapped in a mantle of dark smoke that slid and swirled across his face, as if he were alive.
The mask was filled with a blackness that seemed to consume the light itself, and the smoke was moving at a frantic speed, hiding details but making it clear that it was a being of a terrifying potency. His mere presence was enough to freeze the blood and plunge the five of them into a deep and paralyzing restlessness. He was a being whose very existence was a challenge to sanity and hope, a manifestation of nightmares and terror that promised a much darker and more dangerous challenge than they had imagined.
He was a being whose very existence was a challenge to sanity and hope, a manifestation of nightmares and terror that promised a much darker and more dangerous challenge than they had imagined
The dark being, colossal in size, seemed destined to wipe out everything. However, instead of the promised devastation, he uttered a few words that resonated like the echo of a higher entity, although his voice had an eerie familiarity. It was as if someone they knew was talking to them, like a family member or the closest of friends.
¿¿¿???: - Get the hell out of this place! There is no hope here, nothing to save. Wake up before there is no salvation for anyone else.
And with those words, the being slowly vanished, like black smoke dissipating in the air. What was left in its place was an ominous void, transformed into a gigantic golden structure, carved by hand, with three imposing doors. This was the place that Rosario had warned about: only one door could be passed through. Despite the fear and confusion, the intrepid approached the structure. But before they could act, they felt a presence approaching, not one, not two, not even three, but thousands of entities. Against Rosario's warnings, they knew they couldn't rescue Leon without facing these horrors, so Sasha, Jamal, Pato and Julian faced the oncoming tide of monsters. Sasha pushed Benjamin towards the central door, watching him fall inside, while his companions shouted at him not to make them wait too long. If it took too long, they would come looking for him to claim him. Benjamin had to bring him back, safe and sound.
Falling into a void that seemed endless, he feared hitting the ground and dying in the process. He closed his eyes, preparing for the worst, but when he opened them, he discovered that he was standing. In this world, anything was possible. He imagined himself flying and began to rise slowly, smiling wryly at the surreal situation. He walked into the darkness that soon took shape: a dark sea, a sky full of stars, and a crimson moon reigning overhead. Finally, he came to a structure resembling a castle, stopping at the entrance.
Benjamin: - What place is this? I feel like it's a trap, but also that he's in here. More than a castle, it looks like a big cage.
He tried to fly over the castle walls, but the walls seemed endless, defying his advance. Desperate, he descended and went to the entrance, knocking gently on it as if knocking on the door of his home. The doors opened, revealing an interior stained red, like blood. The ground and the trees were covered with mannequins with human faces, watching him with a disturbing fixation as he moved along the solid ground that imitated a gigantic sea. He passed between the mannequins, avoiding looking at them, fearing that any eye contact would trigger an attack. Hours later, he arrived at the last door, which he violently opened. Behind, each door represented the fears he had left behind. The total darkness echoed with the echoes of mocking voices and constant criticism. Benjamin went through door after door, enduring days of mental and emotional torture.
Benjamin: - It... i made it... finally... I arrived... in the end...
His body was emaciated, full of wounds and cuts, his hair was messy and his eyes overflowed with fatigue. The desperation to save his friend was the only thing that kept him going. He was advancing with painful steps, each one heavier than the previous one. Despite his pain, tragedy and grief, he just wanted to take Leon home.
Benjamin: - We'll be back home... we will eat together as brothers... we'll tell jokes... i promise...
He repeated these words as his voice died down, approaching what looked like a black-barred cell. He fell to his knees, holding on to the bars, and saw his friend locked up with a dead look and an empty smile, his silver hair now dark as the bars that were holding him captive. Benjamin came closer, offering a sincere and full of affection smile.
Leon: - You came... I knew you'd come for me... but it's late... he already knows you're here...
Suddenly, Shadow threw Benjamin against the door through which he had arrived, causing him to bounce and fall to the ground, spitting blood from the brutality of the blow. Shadow emerged from the bars, approaching Benjamin with an eerie coldness.
Shadow: - Oh, Benjamin, Benjamin... didn't I tell you not to come here? Didn't I say it was useless? This is my body, do you forget?
Shadow slowly approached Benjamin, his voice heavy with contempt.
Shadow: - And you're in my world, the place where I have more power than anyone else. Do you think you can stop me on your own?
When they reached Benjamin, Shadow grabbed him violently by the hair, lifting him up to look him directly in the eyes.
Shadow: - Your four friends had so much hope in you, and this was the fate that awaited them... they're dead...
As he let go, Benjamin fell to the ground, overwhelmed with guilt. He was the hope of his companions, his friend, and yet he felt pathetic and defeated. But still, he couldn't give up. He knew that no one would come to save him, and he could not wait for Leon to wake up to rescue him. It was his turn to save Leon, and if that meant sacrificing his life, so be it.
Benjamin: - There's something you're wrong about, Shadow... and do you know what it is?
Benjamin looked at Shadow with a mocking smile as he slowly got up, despite the pain. Shadow, with polite curiosity, approached again.
Shadow: - I don't know? What will it be?
Before Shadow could do anything, Benjamin stopped his attack with a steady hand, smiling painfully and mockingly. The fear was reflected in Shadow's eyes at what had just happened.
Benjamin: - I don't think I can stop you by myself... I know I will...
The cell became the scene of an apocalyptic battle, the darkness and chaos reflecting the brutality of the confrontation that was about to break out. Benjamin, with his worn body but his unwavering determination, prepared to face Shadow, whose presence seemed to absorb all the light around him.
Shadow: - Did you think you could change the course of this gloomy fate, Benjamin? You will face your worst nightmare in this corner of darkness.
Benjamin: - I don't care what you say, Shadow. I am here for Leon, and I will not rest until I save him, no matter the price I have to pay.
Benjamin attacked with impressive speed and accuracy. He launched a direct shot with his right hand, a blow loaded with the force of all his frustration and courage. Shadow, with calculated movements, blocked the blow with his forearm and responded with a circular kick at the height of the ribs. Benjamin, on the verge of impact, turned his body and blocked the kick with a powerful arm strike, deflecting it with surprising skill.
Shadow: - Pathetic. Is that all you got?
Benjamin: - You haven't seen anything yet.
With a quick succession of moves, Benjamin executed a left hook followed by a straight right. Shadow, however, dodged the hook by leaning to the side and counterattacked with an elbow that hit the side of Benjamin's face. The combination of movements was so fluid and lethal that Benjamin barely had time to defend himself, feeling the stinging sensation of each blow.
Shadow: - You're going to have to do better than that!
Benjamin, with an expression hardened by determination, began to execute a series of precise attacks. He jumped forward and launched a front kick, aimed at Shadow's torso. Shadow dodged the kick by leaning back, and with a nimble motion spun in the air, using centrifugal force to launch a side kick. Benjamin, with a quick maneuver, blocked the kick with an energy shield that momentarily protected him.
Shadow, aware of Benjamin's resistance, began to employ his dark power. He extended a hand and created a series of shadow tentacles that emerged from the ground, moving with the intention of catching Benjamin. The tentacles quickly slid towards him, but Benjamin, with sharp reflexes, performed a backward jump, dodging the tentacles and landing gracefully on the ground. From his position, he released a burst of concentrated energy that disintegrated the tentacles into an explosion of darkness and light.
Shadow: - I'll give you credit for your endurance, but that won't change the fact that you are doomed to lose.
Benjamin: - What you consider a condemnation, I see as a challenge.
The battle escalated. Benjamin advanced with a series of detailed and devastating martial arts techniques. He performed a full turn in the air, landing with a downward kick towards Shadow. The latter, with supernatural agility, slid to the side, avoiding the kick and counterattacking with a quick combination of fists and elbows. Every blow they exchanged resounded with a thud, the impact of their attacks filling the air with explosive energy.
Shadow conjured up a series of dark spheres and launched them at high speed towards Benjamin. With a scream of rage, Benjamin concentrated and created an energy barrier that absorbed the impact of the spheres, the resulting explosion illuminating the cell with flashes of light and shadow. However, the effort left Benjamin exhausted, his breathing labored as he stood.
Benjamin: - No... I'm not giving up. Not while I still have faith in myself.
Shadow: - Hope? It's a luxury you can't afford.
Shadow disappeared into a cloak of shadows, reappearing behind Benjamin with a surprise attack. He threw a direct punch to Benjamin's abdomen, pushing him back. Benjamin, staggering but not defeated, turned quickly and counterattacked with an elbow strike to Shadow's jaw, knocking him back. The combination of attacks was brutal and precise, every move calculated to maximize damage.
Shadow: - This is it... everything? Your last move?
Benjamin: - Ha.. Do you think I'm done with you? you're too stupid if you think I've lost say goodbye to this damn world.
Benjamin gathered all his energy for a final attack. He performed a vertical jump, his body enveloped in a golden light as he charged his right fist with devastating energy. With a scream of rage, Benjamin came down with a loaded punch that directly hit Shadow's chest. The force of the blow pierced through the shadow barrier and sent Shadow backwards, his body hitting the ground with a force that made the cell shake.
Shadow: - Don't think this is over, Benjamin. The darkness will always find a way back.
Benjamin: - Maybe you will but if that happens believe me I will be waiting to beat you up again that you will not forget...
Benjamin, undone but indomitable, gathered the last vestige of his energy in a burst of fury and determination. With a vertical leap, his figure stood up enveloped in a crimson aura that seemed to radiate an ancestral anger. His right fist, charged with a vital energy that overflowed with pain and sacrifice, shone with devastating intensity. With a broken cry that echoed with the accumulated agony of his wounds and the fury of his stormy crossing, Benjamin descended with a relentless punch, as if he wanted to pierce the very essence of darkness.
The impact was titanic. The force of the blow pierced through the shadow barrier that Shadow had erected, sending him flying backwards in an explosion of dark energy. The floor of the absolute void shook violently, the walls of the cell shook and collapsed, as if the very fabric of the universe had been torn. The shadow prison that held Leon captive crumbled in a shower of rubble, revealing a Lion freed, but scarred by torment.
Leon: - Benjamin... why did you do this? You could have died...
Leon's voice was a desperate cry in the midst of chaos. Benjamin, with a smile of pain and resignation, fell to his knees, spitting blood. A thunderous roar ripped through the cell, and suddenly, a colossal armored car emerged from nowhere, smashing through the wall in an explosion of debris and twisted metal. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the desolate stage.
Sasha, Julián, Pato and Jamal got out of the car, their faces reflecting a mixture of relief and horror at seeing Benjamin in such a deplorable state. The devastation around him was a testament to the fierce battle that had just taken place. The comments of his companions were a cruel mixture of relief and reproach.
Jamal: - Look at you, you look like a tampon, wey.
Pato: - You could have waited. We would have arrived earlier if you hadn't been so reckless.
Julián: - You almost left us with San Pedro, asshole. Hahahaha.
Sasha, with a suppressed rage, hit Benjamin's head with a force that left no room for misunderstandings.
Sasha: - I told you to come back safe and sound, stupid. Next time I'll be the one to make you pay for your recklessness.
Despite the pain and weakness, Benjamin smiled with a mixture of sadness and satisfaction, approaching Leon. However, the relief was short-lived. Shadow rose slowly from the shadows, his ghoulish laughter echoing with palpable hatred. His cold eyes watched the newcomers with a deadly coldness.
Shadow: - Do you think you've beaten me? An even greater torment awaits them outside. How long do you think it's been out there? Ha... hahahaha...
Shadow's words were a chilling threat. Pato, with a pale face, perceived the terror that was brewing outside the mental world. Desperation gripped the group as they rushed back to the real world, calling Rosario urgently. The response was surprisingly slow, an ominous sign that something terrible was happening.
Before they were dragged back to reality, a voice echoed in their minds with a disturbing coldness.
???: - Hades system started. Verification of returning players.
The message was unnerving and before they could process its meaning, they were abruptly brought back to reality. The six of them fell to the ground in a brutal way, their bodies impacting with a rumble that echoed in the room. They slowly got up, stunned and disoriented, to face a vision of devastation. The great room had been destroyed. A colossal hole in one of the walls indicated the impact of a titanic force. Barricades and debris blocked doors and windows. Rosario, visibly more mature and scarred by the tragedy, was kneeling, her face pale and her eyes full of despair.
Leon, who had let go of his bonds to the surprise of everyone, approaching where Rosario was, picked Rosario up from the ground with a grim determination. His voice was an echo of cold, despair, and anger.
Leon: - What year are we in? What is the Hades System? But the most important thing... What the fuck has happened to the world?