Erlking

Even at the nigh limit of my fastest steps, the giant redirected his aim in a terrifyingly accurate manner. The only thing that was keeping me alive was the deflective trait of Adust's Tidal Scar that I utilize to timely deflect every incoming arrow.

As soon as I reached one of the intersections, the giant pursued my ass with his terrifying agility for such a massive body that he had.

I felt like my minor trauma with a certain Doppelsoldner had slightly creeped me out at that moment.

The unknown enhancement that Meteia had put inside my body seemed to be extremely beneficial for this situation. I couldn't stress enough about the gratitude that I had for choosing to meet with that insane surgeon today.

As of now, I had no significant clue about the next whereabouts of the source of that child-like voice. My primary objective was to survive, and I tried to see if I could guess the correct pathway in extreme stress with just a single wave of echoes that was extremely hard to discern.

One hundred and twenty one steps, the arrow that was periodically sent to my ass began to be coming with a discharge of lightning formation when crashing at something.

At the same time, I started to feel everything within my sight begin to lose its brightness. The structures within the alley, meanwhile, could be visibly discerned because of the highlighted edges and details in white, as if the reality was warping too much.

Another forty three steps after, rustling sounds of trees were heard. Branches started to emerge from the walls and buildings within the certain paths I took. In which, the possibly correct path that would lead me to the source of that voice.

With a bright glow of red began to emanate from behind, as I ran for my life—another voice of an adult man was heard.

"Be calm, dearest child, 'tis thy fancy deceives; 'tis the sad wind that sighs through the withering leaves."

Three hundred and sixty nine steps, I could hear a lot of new sources of sounds and ambiance. From the cry of the crows, the faint hymns of the wind, and the whistling of swaying grasses and leaves.

While it might be a fine and spooky experience, the scariest thing about this situation is the constant lightning arrows that began to become more and more ferocious.

Another echoes of the child finally came.

"My father! My father! And dost thou not see, how the Erl-King his daughters has brought here for me?"

Four hundred and twenty one steps, I started to feel highly pressured from the constant bombardment of lighting from the pitch black sky, along with the same annoying arrows of grandiose electrical tomfoolery that may or may not have made me acquire another slight trauma of electric current.

"My darling, my darling, I see it aright, 'tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight."

Grey willows my ass! All I saw was lightning and lightning! And my ears began to consider an act called suicide!

Although, the voice of the frantic child had enhanced the probability of my pathing decision. The entirety of my life might depend on this decision, as I'm afraid that there would be punishment if I took a single wrong turn.

I have many ideas that I want to implement to face this event more easily, but the preparation of my MIND about the numerous concepts that could be developed were still in the waiting list. Despite that fact, this Nihil encounter wasn't the harshest thing that I have prevailed on.

Four hundreds fifty three steps, with twenty four turns, and five moments where I'm almost electrocuted to death.

On the last turn, everything was pitch black, except for a glowing linear silhouette of darkness in the shape of a child within the distance.

"My father! My father! He seizes me fast!"

I couldn't let such a decisive moment slip by. As I rushed like a mad bull against that child silhouette, following me, a blinding light of red hue that instantly filled the pitch black darkness darkness, along with the screeching voltage of electricity and its yellow illumination, etching my stretched shadow on the ground.

Carrying Adust like a lance, she had accumulated a huge amount of condensed Piranha Scar and Tidal Scar semi-liquids, right at the surface of every inch of the blade. Together with the converted kinetic energy that she had accumulated, the bright blue light from the wave illustration began to mix with my shadow, the blinding red, and the grasping electrical voltage.

My eye was fixated on my target. My hand didn't flinch, my breath was held, my feet were steady, and my heart gave me the pulsation.

'O fervent beat.

Thy signed mine aspiration.

Cracked, the illusion of this world, and every falsehood inside of it. The radiant lance that was made out of two destructive matter manifestations. Just like the triggered hammer on the back of a revolver, the ammunition was propelled—stretching and piercing the silhouette of the child as it spoke its last words.

"... For sorely, the Erl-King has hurt me at last."

The darkness had rejoiced, fleeing into nothingness.

Along with it, the thunder and the wrath of the tall giant. He stopped, pursuing nothing.

Finally taking my breath, I sheathed this long sword of a MIND. Having sure of my safety, I shifted my glance to the tall man of grey that began to be filled with colors.

His hair turned brown, and his skin wasn't pale anymore. The reddish colors and the details of his medieval clothing began to show up as well.

The bow dispersed into thousands of golden dust, unleashing its final gust to the surrounding.

Stood tall like a mighty father, tears dropped from the giant's eyes. Not a single facial expression was shown, except for the streaming sadness that was overwhelming his whole being.

I walked forward, gobbling up all kinds of emotion that I had upon this Nihil suppression. For the last time, I unsheathed Adust.

Even when I stepped into his range where he could jump an attack and crush my whole skull, he did nothing, maintaining his valiant face as if he was accepting his fate.

Without saying any words, I thrusted my weapon into his chest.

"Thank you," he gently said, putting his clenched left hand onto his left chest, right beside the hot steel of my MIND.

His body began to glow in yellow phosphor, dispersing the ashes of his existence into the air as the surrounding began to revert back to its original location.

Nihils rarely exude a non-hostile behavior, but that doesn't mean they weren't lost within this confusing game of life.

Not many realized that they are similar to humans.

Alas.

T'was a mere normal day within the Lowstreet.

"... Hmm!?"

I thought that everything would end normally.

Something was wrong.