Chapter 38-A Path Once Followed But Now Forgotten

Crimson slowly stands, slightly stumbling around before getting his bearings.

"..."

Crimson looked around some more, before noticing a way out of the forest. So weakly he stumbled towards it, finding himself on a road that leads to New Westfall city. As he glimpses at it his head starts throbbing and suddenly he begins floating.

"I need to get over there..."

Crimson bursts off towards the city as Okara also flies to the city from a different path. Back at the farmhouse, we see Rose and Bell packing everything into her truck. All her animals, unfortunately, had to be left behind for another time. But she managed to fill some of her belongings along with Ru.

As Rose got into her car she began pulling onto the main road, waiting for Bell to get into her truck.

"Bell! We need to go now!" Rose screamed from her car window alerting Bell to get into her truck and get ready to leave.

"I-I'm sorry everyone..." Bell held back tears for her animals as she pulled out and began following Rose to her underground bunker. Ru began crying as he didn't understand what was happening.

"It's okay Ru, you're okay."

Bell patted him on the head to soothe him. Which slightly worked as he began calming down.

Nearing the city Crimson closed in on the entrance of the city and as he entered a sudden strike of lightning struck a building beside him. Catching his attention for just a moment. Before he switched his attention back to move further in. However, a sudden figure stopped him. Causing him to stop with a bit of fear-generating.

"You took everything from me!"

"I-I don't even know who you are..."

"Crimson, don't try to play dumb with me! You know what you did and I'm gonna make you pay every bit for it!" Okara screamed angrily as he prepared to attack.

"I-Is that my name?"

Okara's anger inflated and without a second thought, he attacked. Instantly bashing Crimson through a building and into the ground below.

"Stop messing around! Crimson!!"

Crimson whined as he laid within the road below. Slowly the building he was sent through began to slowly tilt towards his direction. So to escalate it Okara rammed into it and began pushing it to make it fall faster. Trying to crush Crimson under it.

"Stop! I don't know what's happening!"

"Of course, you don't! Because you want to forget everything you did!"

Crimson raised his arms and legs as he prepared for the building to collapse onto him.

"It seems their battle has begun and the rest of my plan has unfolded. It's a real shame for you, Salas... To had fallen into my hands like this."

Astrid laughed evilly as he watched Salas's reaction to the current events unfolding.

"Why isn't Crimson fighting back!"

"Oh that's right you aren't aware of how strong the biomass had become. Well, allow me to fill you in before you lose everything! You see Crimson's Lyrx is the only one who could've reverted all I've done and destroyed the work we started. Knowing this I advised a plan to break his mind completely."

"B-Break his mind? What in hell are you blabbering about!"

"Must I really spell it out for you? Very well, When Crimson fought to dissolve the biomass, he did it at the cost of his memories. His very power was nowhere near strong enough to destroy the biomass I created without a cost. Which is why he's fallen so low. The Crimson you fought! Is no longer real! That was now a mere fantasy! A mere legend that no longer exists! Crimson is now unknowing of everything! His friends, his family! His... Powers!"

"You monster! What could erasing his memories do for you!"

"It's simple! Now that he's unaware of the lyrx gemstones and what they're capable of, I no longer have someone standing in my way to the path of Calamity! I no longer have a potential Kingslayer in the works! It can all be mine now! I can become Astrala reborn!"

Salas placed his right hand to his chest and stared at Astrid directly.

"You can't become Astrala if I rid this body of existence!"

"Hmm, that's true."

Astrid's staff appeared and instantly he casts chains that gripped Salas's limbs and pulled them outwards. Forced to his knees Salas's arms were held behind him as his head leaned forward.

"From now on you'll remain restrained till I'm ready to transfer to my new body. So just kneel there and be patient. I wanna watch this battle unfold without a distraction."

Back in the city, the building had collapsed and Crimson was tunneled below all the debris. Okara watching from above. Angerly waiting for him to break free and come out.

"Come out and fight me!"

Below the wreckage, Crimson was pinned down and unsure of what to do.

So Okara continued on and darted through the wreckage to rip Crimson out himself, within a minute Okara broke out with Crimson in his hands. Pulling him by the hair, before launching him up into the stormy sky. As Crimson flew into the air, Okara continued his assault and began beating into him with multiple attacks. His knee bashing into Crimson's back, his left fist driving itself across his face. An upwards kick that connects his foot to Crimson's sternum. Okara was ruthless as he beat Crimson senselessly.

Before grabbing hold of his right arm and spinning him back down towards the ground. As he approached the city, Okara pulled back his right arm and thrusted it forward, unleashing a green wave that consumed Crimson and collided with the ground below causing a wide explosion that began a domino effect for the buildings. As the towers began falling over causing even more chaos.