Chapter 45: Siege of Crimson Spire (3)

Humans were pushing Nightmare Creatures back, led by the radiant flames of Nephis. Effie finally managed to bring down the Steel Demon she was fighting, boosting humanity's morale even more. Kai also kept firing arrows; his fingers bled, but he didn't stop even for a second as he killed one flying creature after another.

At some point, the vigor and fury that came from the boosted morale couldn't keep up as people started falling due to their body exhaustion. Truly, no matter how motivated you are, without physical strength, you can't do much.

When all hope seemed lost, everyone heard a ring.

Looking into the distance, Kiyotaka saw Sunny standing at the Crimson Spire. Sunny had managed to do it; he had broken the bind that was making Nightmare Creatures an army. Nephis had given him seven keys to shatter the chains within the Crimson Spire, and he had succeeded.

Immediately, all the Nightmare Creatures that had moved in an orderly fashion began killing each other, many struggling to run away, some still fighting humans but with dwindling numbers.

Seizing the moment, Nephis made a crucial decision to charge. The army, led by Nephis, took an arrow-like formation and surged forward with renewed determination.

Kiyotaka was at the forefront, slicing through the disoriented Nightmare Creatures with ruthless efficiency. The sight of the Crimson Spire growing larger with every step filled the human warriors with a newfound sense of hope and purpose. They knew that reaching the Spire was the key to ending this nightmare once and for all.

The chaotic battlefield became even more frenetic as humans pushed through the throngs of panicked and confused creatures. The radiant light of Nephis's flames cut a path through the darkness, guiding the army ever closer to their goal.

Effie, now free from her own battle, joined Kiyotaka at the vanguard. Her spear, Zenith, gleamed as it pierced through the Nightmare Creatures with precision and power. Each thrust of her spear was lethal, and her shield, Dusk Shard, provided an impenetrable defense.

Kai, despite his injuries and exhaustion, continued to rain arrows upon any creature that dared to fly overhead, providing crucial support from the rear.

As they neared the base of the Crimson Spire, the resistance grew more intense. The remaining Nightmare Creatures, sensing the threat to their stronghold, fought with a desperate ferocity. But the human army, driven by the sight of Sunny's success and Nephis's unwavering presence, fought back with equal tenacity.

Kiyotaka led a decisive charge against the last line of defenders, his Abyssal Reaver cleaving through their ranks. He could feel his essence running low, but he pushed on, driven by sheer willpower and the knowledge that victory was within their grasp.

With a final, coordinated assault, the humans broke through the enemy lines and reached the base of the Crimson Spire. Sunny, exhausted but triumphant, greeted them with a weary smile.

Still, this wasn't the end. Breaking a seal made the Crimson Spire tremble as its foundation was about to collapse at any time.

Sunny, noticing that, yelled loudly.

"Follow me, everyone! I will guide you to the Gateway!"

The Sleepers were exhausted, some drained of essence, but in the face of possible salvation, they found the strength within themselves and followed Sunny as they entered the Crimson Spire.

In the depths of the Crimson Spire, there were growths of corals everywhere. They resembled frozen waterfalls of blood, as if rivers of it had once streamed from the top of the Spire and then turned solid. Further away, the interior of the tower was shrouded in cold darkness.

At the ground level of the Spire, passing through the barrier of coral and approaching the center, was where the Dark Sea was imprisoned under an indomitable seal inside a gargantuan well. Its surface was perfectly still and flat like a harrowing mirror made from pure darkness.

There were no stairs or lifting mechanisms, but there were many twisted coral pillars wide enough for several people to walk on and not steep enough to make it difficult to reach the next level.

As one ascended, the coral pillars twisted upward at an almost vertical angle and grew narrower. There were also stone galleries situated here and there on the walls of the Crimson Spire.

Almost at the center of the gargantuan structure, a vast balcony was built into the wall of the tower. On its surface were broken pillars of marble overgrown by streaks of crimson coral. They led to a circular dais with a wide iron ring submerged into its stone surface. Around the ring, a beautiful pattern of runes shimmered with light. The stone surface surrounding the ring was devoid of growths of crimson coral.

"The Gateway."

Seeing it made many tremble with excitement as they followed Sunny. Ascending through pillars, they rushed towards their salvation.

However, as they moved, a sudden annihilating beam of light assaulted the army, killing close to a hundred people with one attack. Kiyotaka felt a chill in his spine as he looked above. There, he saw something that made him frown.

In the center of the Spire, a lone human figure was drawn, convulsing in harrowing agony as the raging storm of soul energy entered her body. The conflux of all that power, the sacrificial vessel meant to be its conduit. The anchor of the sun. The crimson light entered her body, then a pure and white light shot out from her screaming mouth and eyes upward. It rose to the height of the Spire, where a new sun was being born.

A giant creature whose body was made out of a perverse fusion of crimson coral and mutilated human flesh. A twisted approximation of a living being, one that radiated a horrifying sense of madness, wrongness, and loss.

The terror had hundreds of human faces, all contorted in expressions of blind agony and suffering. Their mouths were open, as though straining to scream. Their eyes were empty wells of pure darkness.

Crimson Terror... a creature... Fallen Terror was guarding the Gateway...