The Twelfth Night - Part 5 - Tangible Life

When Renir swam into the Water Sentinel's mouth, he heard a shrieking scream, filled with misery and hopelessness that even he got chills from it.

"HELP!!!"

"SOMEBODY.... SAVE ME!!!"

It was a cry.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!"

Renir obviously knew who it was. Unhesitatingly, he jumped into the pool of torture and groaned, it reminded him of the suffering he too experienced in this liquid.

But he endured. If he was any bit late, the Water Sentinel might close its mouth, beginning their absolute damnation.

"Renir", Sceke whispered but Renir didn't hear it when he grabbed him.

And so, Renir pulled Sceke onto his back and jumped out to the water!

Woosh!*

The Water Sentinel still had the dimming beam in its mouth. It targeted Renir again with its beam from its mouth when it noticed him again, but Renir easily dodged.

Both Renir and Sceke felt a sting when they passed through the beam when they got out, but it was like an ant's bite compared to its insides.

Renir rushed into the surface after dodging the water beam, met the grazing wind, then noticed the silence of Sceke after his first breath.

Renir was so worried that he said unnecessary but consoling words, "Don't worry, Brother Sceke, the Water Sentinel stopped its movements after its attack. Bear with our speed first. I know it is hurting your wounds but we are almost there!"

But then he was relieved to hear Sceke's weak reply, "Haha... drop the formalities... you've saved me."

So hurriedly, Renir swam as fast as he could against the wind without turning his head to see the Water Sentinel.

Even with his strange senses, Renir didn't know Sceke was dying from the loss of blood.

When they reached the indestructible mountain, Renir jumped out of the water and into the cave entrance and saw no one there.

'They must be on the higher floor.', Renir thought so carefully and hastily he climbed the stone stairs and met the other four.

These four had grim expressions but soon turned relief when they saw Renir arrived with Sceke on his back, but then slightly darkened again when they noticed the pitiful state of their leader.

With a guilty face, Renir placed down Sceke on the table-like surface. As he did so, he heard Sceke whispered, "Renir... thank you..."

Sceke's brown cloak was drenched by his own blood and water. The wild wind entered as a cold breeze that made him shudder in his cold drenched state.

His body was getting colder...

Old Ze just stared at his dying companion while sitting beside the platform. His knees felt weak after seeing Sceke's appearance.

'I am always fearing what I cannot control...', he anxiously thought with his old heart palpitating, making it hard for him to breath.

On his side was Ye that covered her face onto his arms, crying.

The same was for Veronia and Hanzee who quietly sobbed. They just waited for Sceke's death for his revival with lingering anxiety that this may be his last.

Renir saw this, their sad and hopeless expressions, and Sceke's complacence, on the other hand.

'Why is it so easy for them to accept death?', Renir pursed his lips.

Seeing the sad scene where they let life just pass on, Renir couldn't help but say;

"Don't you have any chylefruits left? It is a waste of a bead! I will repay you all again. I am sorry! Please, give him some to recover..."

But Old Ze just shook his head.

"We can't if we can, we would do act immediately... If we were to give him chylefruits now, it will not be enough to heal him and if it's too much, it will just lengthen the time of his suffering. We just have to hope he still has beads of revival left."

Old Ze's tone was troubling Renir, 'Hope he still has beads of revival left?', so he asked, "What? How many does he have before...?"

"Two", Veronia depressingly answered.

Renir couldn't believe it. Sceke only have two left? But Isn't he himself stronger than Sceke? If he died in the Water Sentinel's stomach once in just a short time, what about Sceke?

While these painful thoughts circulated his head that he wanted to ignore, Renir then heard a grim confirmation.

"No... I don't have any more left."

They all heard Sceke's weak reply. Their hearts suddenly sunk that Old Ze's weak heart couldn't take it that he almost lost consciousness.

"Sceke!", Veronia was first to shout, "Please tell me you're joking, right? You always joke in the worst situations. This must be one of them!"

But Sceke had his lifeless eyes staring into empty space with an unmoving body. His pulse beat slowly.

"That is the worst joke you will ever say!", Hanzee clenched his fist, unable to accept his friend's fate.

They all said words that were meant as final but unlucky for them, Sceke couldn't hear it anymore.

Renir just stood there, out of place. He blamed himself for putting them in danger that killed them all at once.

'I should just get out of here...', Renir dejectedly frowned, '...I'm sorry...', he heartfully thought but didn't dare spout it at that moment.

If only he could do something, he will do it unhesitatingly. Anything that can help...

While on his deep and guilty thoughts, Renir looked at his right wrist where the beads of revival appeared out of nowhere, revolving around it.

Renir remembered something. The one thing he had kept on the back of his head since the moment he became Rank 7 as he stared at the red eyes of the demon marionette.

Without any more second thought, Renir pinched one of the beads of revival and, pulled it!

"Hnnghh!!', Renir felt more pain as he pulled it more. One inch apart, two inches, three inches...

"Argh!!!", he groaned from pain but it was still lesser than the pain he experienced inside the Water Sentinel's stomach, and Sceke experienced that three times over!

The guilt pushed him to go over his limit!

Veronia was first to notice this before the rest of them. For them, they just saw Renir in sweat and have a pained expression while pinching the air as if pulling something.

They have no idea what Renir was doing.

"Kid...!", Hanzee stood up to see what was wrong, and then, they noticed a blue thread-like light that connected from Renir's right wrist to his pinching finger.

"I-is he pulling his bead of revival?", Old Ze shockingly said that even he doubted his own words.

They knew that these beads of revival were immaterial and cannot be touched, only seen, but how could Renir pull it?

... and what was his intention?

Their eyes widened when they saw a bead between Renir's pinched fingers. They have no idea what was after the Rank 4, so this was a mystery for them.

That was when the blue thread-like light began to tremble, more and more as Renir pulled it.

"ARGHH!!!", Renir felt more pain than just simply pulling his skin. His legs weakened and his knees were smacked onto the ground.

The strong cold breeze couldn't even lessen the sweat Renir was emitting.

Hanzee and the rest knew Renir's intention now but no one stopped him. Even if they were all placed into debt to Renir, they will whole-heartedly accept his kindness.

Because... no one blamed Renir in the first place.

Could they blame an innocent man who was trying to survive in the Gantlet as same as they were? Even they didn't know what caused this except Hanzee so they couldn't prepare for it, how could Renir know?

For them, he is blameless without fault...

Tat*

The blue thread-like light broke in half. At that short moment, the bead of revival shone, revealing its physical substance.

Without a concern with his own state, Renir walked towards Sceke and placed his own bead near Sceke right wrist.

The bead disappeared into nothingness.

But Renir smiled, he knew it was a success. He stood in front and waited for Sceke's heart to stop...

Crack*

Then, they heard a crack before the golden light covered Sceke, draining the blood of his brown cloak back into its origin, as warmth replaced the coldness in his body!

Sceke's heart pulsated as his eyes opened up.

The other four had their eyes widen up, tears falling while having baffled faces.

Veronia was first to drop her head and cried with a smile on her face.

Hanzee felt a mountain of anxiety was released from his shoulders while Ye looked at their faces with a happy smile on her own face.

Old Ze took a wisp of air and turned to Renir to express his gratefulness before they celebrate to see that no one was there.

The Pentafive was left in the first port.

They knew why Renir left, it was to protect them and keep them out of danger.

They were the ones that felt the guilt as they realized they occupied the place where Renir should be resting.

As soon as Sceke fully recovered after the last light that enveloped him in warmth, the Pentafive talked about what they would do afterward.

They decided to wait for Renir to come back once more and express their gratefulness then waved goodbye to not burden him any longer.

They just couldn't leave with leaving a word.

.....

Renir swam far away to confront the Water Sentinel once more.

He saw that the moon was already sinking and the thirteenth night come soon, bringing the mindless birds with it.

Renir knew he couldn't deal with enemies with both the air and the water at the same time so he needs to finish this.

'This will be the last time, after all.', Renir mysteriously thought.

He looked at this as his last battle.

He was happy and saddened at the same time.

Renir was saddened because he needed to leave the people he just met but was happy that it turned out to be fine, but most importantly, he got a chance to prove what was at the back of his head.

When he was at the cave passage between the cave where the stone tablets reside and the demon marionette, he realized something that kept in his mind.

If this works, then Renir could finally escape this world.

But until he wasn't sure, he had to defeat this Water Sentinel. Actually, even if he was sure, he had to defeat this Water Sentinel, he couldn't let it caught them off guard again...

Thus, Renir didn't swim that far and saw the Water Sentinel already glowing as if it was finding him too.

The monstrous fish's glow was the source of light left after the moon sunk.

Renir decided to persevere fighting using the battle of attrition

[I will eat you]