Blood Rites(4)

Walking past the gate he found stairs that descended deeper into the darkness. The walls here were cleaner and more pristine compared to the colosseum.

The brass handles on the walls suggest the novelty of this path.

As Larian took his steps down, every layer he passed, the air got chiller.

Larian smelled the strong odour of blood before he witnessed it. In front of him, there a circular glass room, the space was entirely cold. 

Behind the glass all Lairan could see was an ocean of blood.

He was under the blood pool or inside it. Somehow the blood was not entirely opaque, instead it was translucent. Looking deep into the glass, Larian was unsure how far and wide the pool actually extended out.

The liquid bubble as its saturation differed from the top to the lowest layer. 

'It's almost as if there is a filtration system going on.'

Studying the room, Larian found a knight dressed in black laying broken in the opposite side of the room. The blood that flowed out emitted some light that made the floor glow.

Larian recognised it as the liquid present in the vials handed out to the contestants.

'Star really did a number on the knight. I wonder who my opponent will be.'

From the only other exit, an identical blood knight walked out. Watching the knight stand tall Larian could get a clear view.

Black plate armour with an armet with a red plume decorated it's top. It wore a red cloak around his broad shoulders. In it's arm it held a bloody red greatsword. 

The redness was identical to what the bear had exhibited and Larian was sure of its capabilities to slice through his Rubysilver armour.

The moment it emerged from the door, the blade of the weapon deformed and turned into a bloody red bow.

'It's not a blade?'

The knight raised his bow and summoned a single red bloody arrow. The eyes turned dakr and his crimson pupils shone with an ominous glow.

The string composed of blood rang out as the arrow burst through the darkness, leaving bloody stains as it flew. When it hit its target, Larian had twisted his body to let it's sharp tip bounce off his armor.

However, instead of being deflected, the arrow stuck like goo and clung onto Larian.

Larian's alarm went off as he tried to tear off the sticky blob of blood, but it blood suddenly burned and emitted a brilliant flash of light as it blinded both of them for a moment. A sphere of flame bloomed from his armor and spread dangerously onto Larian.

Larian hissed in pain but grabbed the burning blob with his prosthetic arm and ripped it out of his body.

As his grip was slowly searing in its head, Larian was unable to let the blob go due to its stickiness.

'This thing… It's alive!'

Larian smashed his arm down onto the ground and the liquid splattered down. The heat dispersed from the impact and the blood stain flew out back to the Blood Knight, becoming one with its weapon once again.

'Blood Magic? His weapon changes forms and temperature.'

The blood knight slowly raised its weapon, spinning it as the blood gathered into a Large great sword.

Like a pendulum, the knight carried the weight of the weapon and thrust his weapon down on Larian's head.

From a far distance, the blade extended impossibly long. Larian didn't have time to admire the sophisticated control of the blood knight and had to roll out of the way.

The Blade stopped just before it cut into the floor. Larian hadn't realised when he entered, this room was surrounded entirely by blood, if this container broke both of them would inevitably drown.

'Star fought while keeping the place intact?'

Larian was impressed, but the Knight didn't sit still. The weapon was still inches away from the floor as it swept across the entire room.

It only took Larian a split second to make a decision and jump.

In the air, Larian shot out a beam from his blade and it reached the Blood Knight's helm, knocking it upwards.

With that, Larian dashed across the room and turned into a mirage. Flying with incredible speed, Larian came close to the Armored Knight and stabbed his blade directly into the man's visor.

Expecting a reacting, Larian twisted as his blade dug in the Knight's flesh. But instead of a reaction, a bright crimson light burst from the Knight's untouched eye.

'Ah… Like the bear.'

Larian pulled his silver katana out spilling the floor with blood, but in the next moment, the weapon in the Knight's hand had turned into a spear and shot out, trailing into Larian's heart.

Larian blocked the terrifying weapon that tore through his armor, all while turning his body as fast as he could. The rebound pushed him back, leaving blood stains on the ground. The Blood Knight adjusted its helmet as it shrugged the pain of losing one eye off.

Larian tried to stand up, but the spear had clung onto his exposed skin like a leach, constantly squirming as it grew hot.

'Not this again!'

Larian tried to peel the thing off but the metallic footsteps were coming close. Occupied by the strange blob, the Knight now with blade in hand stomped down on Larian.

Larian had to ignore the heat and focus on the immediate danger. Larian thoughts flashed through his mind, but his body was already moving. Pushing himself off the floor, he deflected the cleaving red mass coming down upon him.

But despite the similar size the Knight was compared to himself, Larian severely underestimated the strength of his opponent.

As the bloody great sword met the katana, it lost half its force because they collided at a steep angle. The rest of the blow however slammed into Larian like a cannonball.

Thrown off balance, Larian reeled himself back and returned a fierce retaliation.

Against the stalwart and heavy blade of the knight, Larian's versatile movements lacked weight in his uneven posture.

But no matter how Larian retreated, the Blood Knight would stick to him like a leech deprived of sustenance.

'This is bad.'

Larian saw the blob starting to melt his skin as the surrounding areas boiled in blisters. It won't be long before the parasite melted him to bones.

Faced with improbable odds, a crazy idea spilled into Larian's mind. Unable to consider anything else Larian's body moved into action.

The knight swung down mercilessly on Larian, but this time he was prepared.

The red blade's tip sunk into Larian's shoulder and glided down to tear apart his armor. A line of blood follow it's trajectory, but as the cut flowed down, Larian twisted his body and plunged the red blade deeper into his body.

Where the terrifying blade ended up… Right on the boiling blob. Pulling his entire body close, the greatsword pierced the blob and Larian's flesh. 

As the Blood Knight ripped his weapon out, it tore the scorching parasite off with bits of Larian's flesh with it.

Feeling a pulse of tearing pain, Larian stumbled backward away from the Blood Knight. A pained groan escaped his lips. His breath uneven and a flesh wound on his chest, Larian had slightly stumbled as he got used to the pain as quick as he could.

This brief respite of rest would end quickly when the Blood Knight was done admiring his bold actions.

Either he was incapable of thought or incapable of mercy, the Blood Knight transformed his weapon into a bow and prepared to shoot again.

'Like… I'd let you…'

With shaky breath, Larian conjured a simple shield with a talisman to block the bloody arrow. 

The arrow melted down and consumed the paper talisman like cinder.

This brief respite of rest would end quickly when the Blood Knight was done admiring his bold actions.

Either he was incapable of thought or mercy, the Blood Knight transformed his weapon into a bow and prepared to shoot again.

'Like… I'd let you…'

With shaky breath, Larian conjured a simple shield with a talisman to block the bloody arrow. 

The arrow melted down and consumed the paper talisman like cinder.

'...Never thought the weakness of a technique called Divine Arms to be fire, I'll have to replace the talisman of paper.'

Larian barely avoided being latched onto by the burning blob. Of course the Blood knight was not unscathed, either. With one eye missing, there was an obvious delay and accuracy when he tried to fire off his bow.

This meant his entire left was now a blind spot.

The tyrannical strength that overpowered Larian was terrifying. But the knight was dull and didn't do any complicated actions. With hundreds of experience under his belt, Larian could read such senseless and direct tactics.

Larian ran while leaning forward, the pain from having his flesh torn made his movements slower. But Larian was versatile. If the enemy could easily track him, Larian had to simply make what they saw, fake.

A doppelganger shot and ran straight towards the Knight while Larian drifted right into the blind spot. 

'That's the last one.'

The knight strafed as it shot Larian's doppelganger. Concentrating on getting closer, the doppelganger was quick to get latched on and melted. 

'Now!'

Larian lunged on the Blood Knight's flank, Larian was one mistake away from being killed, but with flesh mincing experience, his shaky hands homed in on the Knight's Neck.

His body went all out and slashed his steel blade across the base of the Blood Knight's neck.

The blade crackled as it sliced through the skin, muscle and steel bones of the Knight. The armet with a head inside fell to the ground.

These last moments were the deadliest, because, if the abomination of the Bear had taught him anything, overconfidence was a silent killer. Larian had let his guard down when he sliced the neck of the monstrosity only to realise it could move without a head and be punished severely.

'I'm not repeating the same mistake, you cockroaches!'

Larian shot his hand into the opening of the open neck.

Plunging in, he dug and grabbed onto something solid. Pulling it out, a beating heart was in his grasp. Without any hesitation, Larian pierced the organ with his blade.

Watching the pulsing heart slowly lose its life, Larian finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was slightly worried that there would be another blood worm that controlled it's host, but it turns out the bear was just one of a kind.

The door in the glass dome opened. This was it, redemption that all contestants desire. Larian had not advanced for freedom, he came to find out the truth behind the source of power Adam desired and he would find out here.

Larian slid across the chilly room with the two mangled bodies of the Blood Knights decorating the floor.