Umbricor

Perspective : Conrad Garnier

Sheela exclaimed,

"Rise from the ashes, burn your enemy with your eternal fiery embrace, Rising phoenix!".

As Sheela waved her wand, a stream of fiery energy emanated from it, converging into a singular point and transforming into a scorching ball of flame. This fiery ball then shape-shifted into a magnificent bird engulfed in blazing flames. With a swift gesture of her hand, Sheela directed the bird towards the Knight, and it fiercely enveloped him in a torrent of flames.

After chanting, Sheela fell to her knees and with extreme fatigue in her voice, she uttered,

"If this doesn't kill him, then nothing will."

Thor Gild gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his voice filled with intense anger as he exclaimed, "For Keira... Ahhh, Thunder clap!"

With each step he took, his pace quickened to lightning speed. The air crackled with the sound of thunder as he unsheathed his blade. In a mere moment, his sword sliced through the Knight's abdomen, swiftly and with the precision of lightning. And just like that, Thor Gild found himself on the other side, his blade having effortlessly cut through the Knight.

But, however, as the Knight's sliced-off body detached from his torso, it began to slip away. Yet, strands of flesh quickly reattached the severed parts, seamlessly restoring his body.

Now engulfed in flaming, scorching fire, its body remained unharmed, defying the inferno's destructive power. Its regeneration outpaced the flames, swiftly healing any damage inflicted before the fire could burn it.

Keira was dead, Kyle, Emilia, Elkdrack were unconscious, and that thing, "why the fuck won't it die?"

Yuna's voice carried a mix of determination and resignation as she spoke,

"I don't need to use this".

A wave of frustration washed over her, mingled with a hint of thrill, as she continued,

"Fuck .... I am sick of it... and rather thrilled to be honest".

Doubt tinged her words as she murmured,

"O, I am gonna regret it".

She paused for a moment, contemplating her next words, before asserting,

"Something tells me this is the final shot I have got at dying".

The defiant spirit within her resurfaced as she stated,

"But I won't die humiliated".

Turning to Regina, Yuna shifted her focus to a plea, saying,

"Regina, I don't have enough Mana".

"Help me cast this spell".

Regina's response was swift and affirmative,

"Right".

Yuna then took charge, directing Regina,

"Repeat with me".

They chanted,

"By the ancient spirits and the realm of the departed..."

"I call forth the hands of the dead, icy and relentless..."

"Their frozen grip tightens upon thou feet..."

"Dragging thee to the dark abyss, forever bound..."

As they chanted their body started to give a faint green glow.

A peculiar pool of red ice materialized beneath the Knight's feet. As the Knight drew nearer to us, smoke billowed out, giving way to an onslaught of countless charred hands—hundreds and thousands in number. With a firm grip, these hands seized hold of the Knight's feet and legs, immobilizing any movement. Faces appeared amidst the emerging hands, their expressions etched with agony and torment, as if they had endured immense suffering. This unanticipated hindrance momentarily stopped the Knight, yet undeterred, he persisted, dragging their legs forward, while his feet slowly sank in that puddle.

I enchanted my blade, this was the perfect opening I was waiting for.

Yet a feeling of uncertainty and hopelessness enveloped me, what was I to do?

No matter what we did, we could only slow it down, delaying our deaths.

Yet, Yuna's spell gave us a sliver of hope, if it were to be dragged beneath, there was still a chance for our survival.

I gripped my blade and along with Thor Gild, Brandon and Emilia, I propelled myself towards it.

As his body emanated a faint green glow, Brandon slammed his great sword into the snowy ground and uttered the words,

"Binding chains."

Suddenly, rusty chains materialized and swiftly ensnared the Knight. However, with incredible strength, the Knight effortlessly shattered the chains into countless pieces, causing them to scatter around all of us.

[ With his hands joined, Patrick began to pray,

"O merciful Asclepius, bestow upon us your divine protection." As he uttered the words, "heal, heal, heal, heal," Emilia, Conrad, Thor, Gild, and Brandon enveloped themselves in a radiant blue aura, while he himself was covered in a faint green glow.]

"If we wane it down, or weaken him somehow, those hands would drag him inside that puddle,

Maybe I should aim for his legs".

Brandon leaps into the air, raising his sword high above his head. As he emitted a faint green glow, With a mighty swing, he unleashed a devastating shockwave infused with the power of gravity magic. Descending rapidly, the shockwave crashed down upon the knight which would result in an destructive impact.

Along with,

Thor Gild channeled electrifying energy into his sword, infusing it with crackling power. With lightning-fast speed, he slashed through the air, releasing bolts of electricity that crackle and electrify upon impact. With a precise and powerful downward vertical swing, he aimed specifically for the knight's legs, seeking to sever his leg.

Along with,

my sword firmly gripped in hand, I charged towards the Knight, unleashing a powerful swing that sent my burning blade in a wide arc. The blade's fiery trail blazed behind it, leaving a scorching wake in its path as it honed in on the knight's exposed left flank.

Along with,

Emilia executed a spin, twirling her sword with elegance, its red glow illuminating the air. With each movement, she carved multiple slices of red energy, creating a devastating whirlwind of destructive power. The swirling slashes surged through the air, converging towards the knight with relentless force.

However,

The knight swiftly adjusted his stance, anticipating the incoming shockwave attack. With a deft movement of his sword, he intercepted the shockwave, dissipating its impact through his sword, and yet he didn't even flinch.

As Thor Gild's electrified sword descended towards the knight's legs, the Knight reacted quickly. With precise timing and coordination, he parries the strike by angling his sword just right, redirecting the energy away from his limbs.

With the blazing swing of my burning blade, the knight's intercepts. As I saw my blade about to hit its mark, he rotated his body slightly, using the momentum of my attack against me. His short sword intercepted and clashed with mine, creating a spark of resistance as he nullified my strike.

As,

I saw his ugly burning face up-close and it was disgusting.

Suddenly he pushed me back.

With his rotting eye balls moving I sensed him gauging the timing and trajectory of the Emilia strikes, He swiftly maneuvered his sword to intercept and deflect each one, dispersing their force harmlessly around him.

We were not yet done, and not until we had weakened him enough to be dragged by those hands, to the Bowles of hell.

Undeterred,

Emilia tapped into her inner reservoir of strength, offering a portion of her own blood to enhance the power of her sword. With precision, she spun her blade, weaving intricate patterns into the air. The swirling slashes moved with explosive energy, unleashing a powerful explosion upon impact with the Knight. In complete sync, I raised my blade high, allowing it to absorb the scorching heat radiating from the flames. With an unwavering aim of survival, I forcefully slammed the blade down upon the Knight, triggering a fiery explosion at the precise point of impact.

Along with,

Thor Gild who unleashed his might, thrusting his sword forward with lightning crackling along its edges. The focused bolt surged forth, aiming to pierce through the knight and deliver a jolting shock.

In the meantime, Brandon swung his sword in a wide arc, harnessing the power of gravitational energy. While his body emitted a faint green glow, his blade's swirling force created a vortex, intent on pulling the knight down to the depths, entrapping him within that swirling puddle of hands dragging him down.

The Knight absorbed Emilia's powerful strike, seemingly disintegrating his flesh, only for it to swiftly regenerate and restore itself. Perceiving the scorching heat emanating from my flames, the knight tapped into his strength. With swift precision, he intercepted my blade strike, extinguishing the fiery explosion in a resounding clash of metal against metal, effectively thwarting my attack.

Amidst that chaos, Thor Gild's strike, infused with crackling lightning, surged towards the knight. However, the knight absorbed the powerful impact and swiftly retaliated, unleashing a devastating punch. The force of the blow struck Thor Gild squarely, sending him crashing forcefully into the snowy ground, the impact reverberating through the air.

Brandon's gravitational energy-infused vortex threatened to pull the knight into the swirling depths. However, he anchored himself firmly, resisting the gravitational force with stability.

all the while trying to free his foot from those swirling hands.

At that point our bodies were moving on their own, it wasn't even a matter of strength or resolve or any sort of strategy in that matter, our hands just danced on their own, as the whole area resonated with noises of clashing blades and bursting spells.

Regina, Yuna and Sheela were wiped, their mana reserves depleted to the point that they were struggling to even stay conscious, meanwhile that fiend refused to die.

I couldn't give two shits about Yuna and Sheela, but Regina, for her sake, I had to put this thing down.

Now, Drawing closer to the Knight, Emilia moved with determined grace, her blood-fed sword held with unwavering precision. With a swift swing, she sliced through the air, leaving trails of vibrant red energy in her wake. As these trails burst, imbuing her slice with incredible momentum, Emilia's attack was poised to strike with immense force.

However, the Knight swiftly reacted, grabbing hold of her sword with his hand. Emilia, acting quickly, twisted her wrist, causing the sword to rotate, its blade slicing through the Knight's fingers. With a painful release, her sword slipped from his grasp, allowing Emilia to create some distance.

Simultaneously without giving the Knight even a moment, With a swift and agile spin, I generated a fiery vortex around me, the flames from my burning blade extending outward in a daunting display. As I swung my blade in a wide diagonal arc towards the Knight's leg, the intention was to sever it.

In tandem with my attack, Brandon's body emitted a faint green glow as he plunged his sword into the ground, triggering a powerful release of gravitational energy that surged in all directions. This infusion of energy amplified the speed of my blade, allowing it to slice through the air with incredible velocity. However, just as it neared the Knight's flesh, he intercepted my strike with his own blade, deflecting and thwarting my attack.

As the Knight countered my strike, he adeptly moved his blade upward, causing the hilt of his blade to collide with my chin. The impact sent me hurtling towards Brandon. We crashed, upon colliding with Brandon, he ended up absorbing the full force of the impact. Brandon, already carrying frozen Ron on his back, fell face-first into the snowy ground resulting in him being instantly knocked unconscious.

I gestured to Emilia, and she responded with a resounding nod. Together, we charged forward towards the Knight. However, in that very moment, we heard crackling noises, signaling that the Knight had freed his feet, as he dragged those hands along with his leg. We engaged him once again hoping to ensnare him on that puddle again.

Without any delay, the Knight swiftly kicked Emilia, sending her hurtling towards the snowy ground, caught off guard by the unexpected attack. Meanwhile, I was completely taken aback as the Knight swung his blade towards me. My senses overwhelmed by excruciating pain as his blade sliced across my neck.

The force of the strike propelled me through the air, and I was sent hurtling towards Regina's feet, disoriented and in pain from the grievous wound inflicted upon me.

"No..... this hurts".

"Shit".

"Damn it .... damn it .... damn it".

"Fuck .... fuck".

Regina looked shocked, frightened and by her look, I was devastated.

"Is this the end?".

"Nooo ... I can still save Regina".

"But".

That's when, my head started to ache again. I was overwhelmed by voices.

(Save Regina)

(Save Regina)

(Save Regina)

(Save Regina)

(Save Regina)

As that thing thrust its blade towards Regina, my mind went blank, overcome with fear and shock.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing before the rotting knight. In that terrifying moment, I could envision the twisted pleasure on his face as his blade plunged into my stomach. Time seemed to slow down as the pain surged through me, feeling my insides twist and tear from the rusted blade.

Gradually, my consciousness faded, as I heard Regina's voice calling out to me repeatedly, growing fainter and fainter with each passing moment.

As the pain intensified, my consciousness began to fade, gradually slipping away. Through the haze, I could hear Regina's desperate cries calling out my name, growing fainter with each passing moment. The world around me grew dim, and I succumbed to the darkness, surrendering to unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes, I felt a familiar presence: that scent of ash, the sight of silver hair, and the face that had almost slipped from my memory. There she stood, clad in a black robe, her cold gaze penetrating my very soul, and wielding a colossal scythe. However, as I stared intently at her, she eerily resembled Regina. Was this a hallucination?

She spoke,

"Oh, it's you again, Nyxandrath."

(Nyxa - what?).

(Wait she can talk?)

As her words hung in the air, a profound sense of disbelief washed over me. In that surreal moment, her ethereal figure started to fade into nothingness, leaving a wispy trail behind. As she evaporated before my eyes, a peculiar sensation seized me, as if gravity had lost its grip and we were left floating weightlessly in that alien realm. The eerie stillness was punctuated by my own slow descent, an unsettling descent towards where, I didn't knew.

Caught between panic and curiosity, I mustered all my strength to call out, desperation tainting my voice,

"Wait! Wait!".

The silence persisted, only to be shattered by the tremor of uncertainty that gripped me. Questions echoed relentlessly in my mind, and I couldn't restrain myself from blurting out,

'Where am I?".

"Is it heaven or hell?".

Her response was laced with a haunting tranquility, her voice a mere echo carried by the whispering wind.

"Nyxandrath, you are in the gates of Umbricor".

she revealed, that which I couldn't care less.

"However, you are forbidden to enter".

I struggled to grasp what she said as I repeated, almost incredulously,

"Forbidden to enter".

She clarified which I hadn't asked,

"Yes, Nyxandrath are banished from death".

As she uttered those words, Regina's voice echoed once more,

"Conrad! Conrad! Stay with me."

In response to the familiar voice, I shifted my gaze downward and discovered my blood-soaked body resting on Regina's lap.

My eyes open yet hollow, my breath gradually slowing, as Regina kept calling out.

A faint, ethereal string connected me to my lifeless form. Meanwhile, Emilia fought off the Knight, single-handedly holding him at bay. Determinedly, she declared,

"I am not out yet".

"I won't be stopped".

"I am sick of repeating, again and again and again".

(Regina! They are still fighting)

(I need to protect Regina)

(But how?)

"Maybe she can".

(No if I am dead)

I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty,

"Am I dead?".

She responded with an air of enigmatic wisdom,

"Nyxandrath cannot die".

(I am not)

(What does that mean?)

(I don't know)

(Well If I am not?)

Thinking out loud, my mind raced, desperate for a solution.

"There must be a way I can.....".

Driven by my overwhelming desire to save Regina, I implored her intensely, my voice filled with urgency and pleading,

"Help me! Please".

Her response came with a sense of acquiescence, as if she already knew my predicament.

"Very well, Nyxandrath".

(She is not going to ask me?)

(What the.....?)

(No this isn't the time for this)

(I need to save Regina).

With her Scythe grasped firmly in her hand, she tenderly ran her fingers along its blade, blood trickling down her palm. In a voice that carried a mixture of power and darkness, she uttered,

"Devour this!".

My hands acted on their own accord, instinctively catching the spilling blood, which resembled the vast expanse of the night sky transformed into a running liquid.

As I drank that blood, a visceral transformation overcame me. My body contorted and shifted from within, engulfed in a searing sensation of unbearable pain. With trembling eyes, I turned my attention to my left hand, which throbbed with agony, which was unusual because I remembered losing my left hand.

However, Instead of my hand, a ghastly sight greeted me – a pale white skeletal structure emerged from the severed wound, gradually reconstructing itself into a hand of skeletal proportions. Its elongated fingers exuded an eerie darkness, while thorns protruded ominously from my wrist and hand, it was as terrifying as it was bewitching.

(What the...)

She began describing,

"You are now a watch ....".

Interrupting her I presented my plea,

"I accept, Take my soul away if you will, I accept".

"Please, send me back, I need to save her".

(Dammit this is shameful)

(But anything for saving Regina)

She replied,

"Very well".

"We shall converse later".

As she said that, I blanked out.

I felt as if I slept in a bed of clouds, light and serene.

As these words reverberated through my ears,

"o time's eternal tapestry, i beseech THEe to heed my plea,

from The depths of lIfe's Majestic well, lEt thy power swell,

a WITCH's fate forever entwined, in a cycle undefined.

through the threads of destiny i weave, a tale of looping time conceIved,

unravel the knots of past and preSent, let history's grasp relent,

reverse the sands in the hourglass, let moments rewind and trespass.

with this spEll, i seek to restore, a lost soul trapped foreverMore,

from the realm of the fallen, to the world reborn, let resurrection be sworn,

and as I mend the fractured souLs around, let healIng energies Act resound.

may afflictions UNBind and mEND, as time's pendulum continues to bend,

in this rhythMIC dance of eternity, let harmony and solace deCREE.

oh, great timekeeper, heed my plea, unlock the chains and set us free,

break the cycle, release the binds, grant us autoNOMY that intertwines,

with the power to shape our own fate, no longer traPPED in loops ornate.

by these words, let the spell be cast, a bridge to a future that's unsurpassed,

with each tick of the cLOCK, a fresh beginning, our will guiding, destiny spinning,

frOM the story's loop, we now break free, embracing a life that's meANT to be."

As I opened my eyes, a wave of astonishment washed over me. I stood before the rotting Knight, completely healed, just as Regina called out my name.

"Conrad!" she exclaimed.

My gaze shifted, and I saw Emilia lying motionless in the snow. But it was the sight of the decaying Knight that stirred something inside me. A peculiar, dark energy coursed through my blade, like nothing I had ever experienced before. Emerging from that Knight, I noticed a spectral thread, similar to my own, but worn and broken. That thing had Killed me, the pain, the agony I felt. Consumed by an overwhelming anger, fueled by pure rage, I advanced towards him. He stood unwavering, as if unaffected by my attack. With one swift strike, my blade severed his head. In a surreal moment, his body crumbled to ash, carried away by the wind.

A gust of strong wind blew by me.

That's when I heard crying noises, like that of a child. Initially, I felt a tingling sensation, as if my skin was prickling, or a surge of electricity was passing through my body. And then, I started to feel dizzy, and my vision became blurry with darkness creeping around the edges. With that, I blanked out.