Chapter 16:
Chapter 16: The convictions and the battle
The Legacy – The heirs of a lost world
"These rules only apply to amulets of the second series. The first series can be used by anyone, including humans. It can even carry multiple people at once,” Sia explained.
Kate grabbed Ryouma like a princess and continued to glide through the air until she reached dry land. Ryouma clung to her tightly, refusing to let go even once she was on the ground.
For her part, Sia's water spirit blew through her fingers in a circle, creating a cloud of translucent bubbles. These bubbles were strong enough to support Sia and Joy. The two young people used them like trampolines, jumping on it and standing as the bubbles slowly descended to the ground.
"Where are we now?" Ryouma asked, his eyes scanning the surrounding mountains.
"I'd say somewhere in the remote mountains of Germany," Joy replied, observing the landscape around them.
"This platform looks like some kind of landing deck," Kate added, looking below.
They were on a long stone hideout high in the mountains which at first glance served as a landing strip.
"There's no doubt about it, we've arrived at their base. Be on your guard," Sia declared authoritatively.
Everyone nodded tensely and stared at the other end of the bridge, the entrance to a cave from which two menacing figures emerged.
“Well, well, well! There’s the Legacy guild. Just as Kai planned.”
A young man stepped out of the shadows, his voice acid and disdainful. Without further ado, he conjured a metal whip, shooting straight out of his amulet.
“There are only four of them… I expected more. What a disappointment.”
The young woman at his side added with a tone laden with disdain. She conjured up a huge, black disc, massive and sharp.
"Where did they come from?" Ryouma muttered, confused by their unusual outfits.
The man wore a white priest's outfit with a cloth over his shoulders that went strangely well with his glasses, contrasting sharply with the young woman, over 1.80m tall, with a sculptural silhouette whose slender body is covered in a black leather jumpsuit.
They both looked like they came straight from a cosplay convention.
"She's talking about numbers when there are only two of them... They're underestimating us," Joy growled, visibly annoyed.
"We'll take care of this between the four of us!" Ryouma exclaimed, pumping his fist.
“No! We don’t have time to waste. You three go, I’ll take care of them,” Sia declared determinedly.
Without hesitation, Ryouma, Joy, and Kate charged straight at the enemies, leaving Sia to prepare her assault.
She drew a card from her deck at random and summoned it.
"Answer my call, Iron Maiden!"
Light burst from the card, and a massive iron coffin shaped like a sarcophagus materialized in mid-air. Its heavy doors opened with a mournful creak, revealing a spectral woman. Her cadaverously pale skin contrasted with the armored dress that hugged her figure.
Around his neck, an imposing steel collar from which several chains extended suggested his oppressive power. Her face, frozen in an icy expression, expressed neither emotion nor compassion. She was the embodiment of iron, cold and implacable.
The spirit raised its mechanical arms, and the chains began to rattle before darting out like metal snakes. They shot out in all directions, whipping through the air with brute force toward the two assailants.
The young woman was trapped, chained from head to toe before she could even react. Her arms, legs, and even her neck were constricted by the icy grip of the chains. Conversely, the young man had anticipated the movement, dodging each of the iron restraints with disturbing ease.
The opening created by Sia allowed the others to pass through without any problem, and Ryouma, Joy and Kate already disappeared into the shadows of the cave.
"I warned you to dodge, you're always too slow, Mariette..." the young priest snapped.
“Block it, Marion! You know very well that this kind of attack has no effect on me. These weak chains can’t hold me back.”
There was a sharp crack. Mariette's muscles bulged, and with a metallic crash, the chains shattered. She was free again, her predatory smile distorting her beautiful face.
Sia, slightly impressed, understood that she was dealing with seasoned heirs. These two were not mere soldiers, but enforcers of Avalon.
Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists. The Spirit of Iron reacted immediately, covering her arms with massive gauntlets forged from ancient metal. The heaviness of the steel didn't slow her down; on the contrary, she felt her strength increase tenfold.
Without waiting, Sia charged. Her eyes fixed alternately on Marion and Mariette, hesitating for a moment over the target. Finally, she chose the one that offered the most openings.
She pivoted abruptly on her feet, mobilized the power of her pelvis and struck with all her might.
The impact sounded like a cannon shot. Mariette bent slightly, but remained upright. Her stomach had absorbed the shock... without the slightest damage.
"Not bad," she breathed with an amused smile.
“I didn’t expect this much strength. But it’s not you… it’s your gloves.”
Sia immediately stepped back to regain her distance. But at that moment, Marion intervened. Her whip cracked through the air and slammed into Sia's back.
The blow didn't seem to have caused any serious injury. Yet, an excruciating pain shot through her, searing and unbearable.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Sia screamed, her knees shaking as she instinctively reached out to touch her bruised back. Her teeth chattered with the intensity of the pain.
She then understood that this whip was not an ordinary weapon.
"I see..." she thought, staring at Marion, breathless.
Sia narrowed her eyes, staring at the whip hanging limply in Marion's hands. The excruciating pain still pulsing in his back couldn't have come from a mere piece of metal. No... there was a will there, a curse embedded in every link.
It's his relic... This whip must be the instrument of his legacy. If I don't understand how it works, I won't have any chance of countering it. she understood.
His thoughts raced despite the pain. Sweat beaded at his temples, his iron gauntlets still vibrating from the impact of his last blow.
“There’s no point in thinking, there’s no way to counter the power of this whip. The Thousand Tortures. Each blow is infinite pain… even when the body doesn't take much damage." Marion said suddenly as if he had read Sia's thoughts.
Sia gritted her teeth, ready to take it. She had just entered a fight against two of Avalon's most formidable enforcers.
Meanwhile, inside the cave.
Ryouma, Joy, and Kate cautiously advanced into the depths. The cavity was anything but a simple natural hole. The walls were smooth, almost polished, and the structure too regular to be the work of chance. Everything here breathed artifice. It was too perfect to be natural, but too massive to be the work of ordinary men.
It was much more than a cave.
An underground complex had been built in the very heart of the mountain, transforming the place into a secret base of enormous magnitude.
They first passed through a large hangar where several flying machines were stored—helicopters, drones, and even experimental-looking vehicles. The walls still echoed with metallic noises, as if the machinery had never stopped turning.
Then, without a word, they entered a long corridor. The place, lit by a pale artificial light, gave an eerie impression.
“Welcome, members of the Legacy guild. Kate, Joy… and Kirishima.”
The deep voice echoed through the corridor. Before them stood Kai, the leader of the Avalon faction, his smile calm and assured.
"That's a surprise, it is! The leader of the enemies who comes to greet us in person. Aren't you supposed to be the final boss, the one you fight after beating all the sub-bosses?" Ryouma said provocatively.
"Real life is very different from video games, my dear Kirishima," Kai replied.
"Whatever, we're here to retrieve the amulets... and beat the shit out of you in the process," Joy said, her gaze cold.
Kai shook his head with disarming serenity.
“I’m afraid you’ve come all this way for nothing. Right now, Abel is making the final adjustments. The door will open… and the ultimate weapon will be in our hands. Finally, order will reign again and—"
“Yeah yeah yeah… if I were in a game, this would be the exact moment I hit the “skip” button to skip your bad guy speech and get straight to the fight.” Ryouma cut in with a cheeky smile.
A knowing look was exchanged between him, Joy and Kate.
"Kate, you're the fastest. Go stop Abel before he opens his damn gate. Meanwhile, Ryo and I will take care of the big boss," Joy said.
"Yeah, two of them should be enough to give him a hard time," Ryouma added, clutching his bident.
Kate nodded, ready to charge forward. But Joy snickered.
"Don't you think it's a bit cowardly, attacking him with two people?"
"Coward?" Ryouma replied with a smile.
“I’m not a hero. I’m a gamer. And as a matter of principle, I use any means possible to win.”
After agreeing on the course of action, Joy drew her amulet. An emerald light flashed forth, revealing her blazing red sword… as well as Ryouma's black bident, which he had kept on him.
The faster of the two, Ryouma immediately darted forward, grabbing his weapon.
Kai, impassive, made his amulet shine and a long-pointed silver spear appeared in his hand. He effortlessly parried Ryouma's assault, the clash of steel echoing throughout the cavern. Joy charged in close.
Kai slid the bident down the shaft of his spear and pushed Ryouma away with a sharp backhand. At the same time, Joy swung her great red sword towards the enemy, but Kai blocked it with his spear, the two weapons clashing in a shower of sparks.
Taking advantage of the opening, Kate sprinted at full speed. She leaped above Joy and Kai in an acrobatic leap, her metal leg guards echoing like drums in the air. She landed smoothly further away, then dashed off down the corridor without wasting a second, her footsteps echoing in the cave.
Joy smiled. The plan was working. He tightened his hilt, and with a flick, his sword burst into flames, forcing Kai to take a step back.
But the smile faded immediately.
A crackle ran through Kai's silver spear. A static current surged forth, traveling along the shaft until it made contact with Joy's blade.
“Wha—!?”
Electricity exploded. Thousands of volts coursed through Joy's body, inside and out. He screamed, his muscles tensed, and his body was thrown backward, hitting the ground hard.
“Joy! Are you okay?”
Ryouma ran to his friend. Joy was panting, each breath seeming like an effort. A burning smell hung in the air, and a faint smoke still rose from his charred clothes. His heart almost stopped.
“It… it’s okay. Still alive, don’t worry. But listen to me, you have to watch out for his spear. It’s a lightning attribute relic. If you cross swords with him, you're done for. The electricity goes straight up your weapon and fries you right there," Joy explained, struggling to catch her breath.
Ryouma squeezed his bident and nodded.
"Okay... I have a plan."
Joy narrowed her eyes.
"And does this plan have a name?"
"Huh? Well... no."
Joy pretended to let herself fall back to the ground.
"Then it doesn't work. If it doesn't have a name, it's doomed to failure. And so I'm not participating."
Ryouma sighed.
"...All right. We'll call it... 'Kill that fucking bastard.'"
A mischievous smile split Joy's face.
"Now that speaks to me."
The two boys exchanged a knowing look. Their complicity galvanized them despite the danger.
For his part, Kai watched them calmly, without moving. Their little game didn't interest him. All he had to do was stall. Every second counted. Abel was already finishing the final adjustments, and soon the portal would open. Avalon's dream, passed down from generation to generation, was finally coming true. Kai smiled with satisfaction.
Joy struggled to his feet and placed his sword in front of him. Ryouma twirled his bident in his hands. They were ready.
“Let’s go!” they shouted in unison.
At the start shout, the two boys rushed towards Kai who was waiting for them firmly.
Ryouma and Joy faked their trajectory at the last moment and split up, each aiming for a flank to take the enemy in a pincer movement.
"Predictable," Kai said.
He waited until they were upon him before leaping forward in one motion, rising high above them. The two young men now found themselves face to face, charging straight towards each other. A collision seemed inevitable.
But at the very last moment, Ryouma leaped onto the blade Joy was wielding. Joy, understanding his intention, swung his sword like a catapult.
“Fly away, Ryo!”
Launched into the air, Ryouma gripped his bident with both hands. With a roar of fury, he punched Kai square in the ribcage. The impact echoed throughout the cave and threw Kai against a wall, where he slammed violently.
"In your face, man!" Ryouma shouted, laughing.
On the other hand, he fell back heavily and landed on his backside.
“Ouch! … Damn, that hurts!”
He grimaced. Unlike his Ebonveil form, his human body lacked control and finesse. He visualized the movements perfectly, but his muscles refused to follow. His limitations frustrated him as much as they hurt him.
Kai slowly pushed himself away from the wall, shaking the dust off his shoulder. Aside from a few rock chips embedded in his clothing, he appeared to be barely scratched.
"Fuck... he's taking it like a tank." Ryouma breathed.
"Yeah, but don't worry... We'll run him over until he dies," Joy growled, picking up her weapon again.
"Wow, do you realize we come across as the bad guys talking like that?"
“Aren’t you the one who told me you weren’t a hero?”
Ryouma esquissa un sourire en coin.
“…Not wrong.”
The two boys stood guard, side by side.
"Come on, Joy. Let's celebrate."
The fight resumed with renewed vigor, the sounds of steel and lightning echoing through the depths of the cave.
Further down the corridor, Kate was speeding. Her footsteps echoed like war in the stone walls. and when a huge metal door appeared in front of her, she didn't hesitate for a second.
"HAAAH!"
His foot struck down. With a deafening crash, the door shattered and crashed inside the room.
Kate tumbled into a gigantic cavity, like the hollowed-out heart of a volcano. There was no sea of lava, but a gaping chasm, illuminated by ominous glows. On the edge of the precipice stood a strange device, a monumental hexagonal frame, planted like an arch in the rock.
At each of its peaks, an amulet from the first series was embedded, radiating a supernatural glow. The runic circle carved into the ground was already vibrating, saturated with energy. The interdimensional door was opening.
And Abel stood right in front of it, impassive, like a guardian.
"Abel!" Kate yelled, stepping forward.
"You have to stop this immediately! Do you even understand what you're doing? If this door opens, scourges will sweep through here, and this world will meet the same fate as Eldrath! Is that what you want? To doom everything?"
“I don’t care about this world. I don’t even care about Avalon. All that matters is Master Kai’s will. Unlike you, I will never betray him.”
He grabbed his amulet, and a sharp light shot out. In his hands appeared a gigantic silver war axe, with a long blackened handle, topped with a half-moon blade and a sharp point.
"All right... then I'll have to stop you myself," she said, clenching her fists.
She stamped her foot, the ground cracked, and her body vanished in a flash of speed. A split second later, she reappeared in front of Abel, leg outstretched to deliver a devastating blow.
The blow was intercepted cleanly by the shaft of the axe. But before Kate could even react, the weapon began to vibrate violently. A shockwave exploded and pushed her back with all her might, throwing her across the room.
Kate spun around in an acrobatic pirouette and landed on her feet. But her body was shaking. His muscles still vibrated as if resonating from the impact.
She knew this weapon. The Battle Axe. A relic whose attribute wasn't raw power... but vibrations. Abel could generate tremors capable of crushing a body from the inside, to amplify each blow, and even to absorb the energy of an impact to release it a hundredfold.
Tch… so I can't cross that axe. If I touch it, it's over… thought Kate, regaining her guard.
Behind Abel, the hexagonal frame pulsed, radiating more and more light. The amulets resonated in unison. Cracks opened in the air, as if reality itself were shattering.
The portal was almost operational.
Kate gritted her teeth.
"I have to get through it... quickly. Otherwise, all is lost."
***
Abel held the earpiece to his ear and contacted his boss.
Across the hall, Kai was still sending out lightning bolts from the tip of his spear. Ryouma and Joy struggled to dodge, their footsteps echoing on the scorched stone. But amidst the carnage, Kai received Abel's call.
[Sir Kai! The portal is ready!]
“Good. Stay in position and watch the door. Nothing is to get through, under any circumstances. Do you understand me?”
[Yes, my lord. Even at the cost of my life.]
"I'm counting on you, Abel. I... am going to the Cloudy Sea to seek our triumph."
A final flash of lightning flashed, then silence. Kai turned away from his opponents.
“I’m sorry, but I have something much more urgent to do on Eldrath.”
With a sharp gesture, he activated his teleportation. His body was sucked into a bright light that immediately went out. Kai was gone.
"Shit! He's getting away from us!" Ryouma cried, pounding his bident furiously on the ground.
"Ryo!!"
Joy, out of breath, raised her arm. In her hand shone a round amulet, from the second series.
Ryouma's eyes widened.
Every member of the guild had received one...but Ryouma already had his. So, Joy had kept the one that was hers... waiting for the moment when it would be indispensable to him.
And that moment was now.
They didn't need words. Ryouma understood immediately. He rushed towards Joy, snatched the amulet from her hands, and sealed his bident inside.
“…Thank you, Joy.”
He didn't wait for an answer. A pulse of energy coursed through his body. He activated the teleportation, his mind already fixed on a specific destination.
The green light engulfed him and propelled him through dimensions to another world.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on Eldrath. The ground beneath his feet was the same as it had been on his very first expedition. Area 41: Angel’s Fall, this otherworldly place where immense rock pillars rose above the clouds, like the columns of a divine temple.
The wind whistled in his ears. But he didn't have time to admire the scenery.
Kai had mentioned the Cloudy Sea… according to his information, it was Area 42. But Ryouma had never been there before; it was impossible to teleport directly. Angel's Fall, the neighboring area, was his only point of entry.
Ryouma took a deep breath, his black wings spreading with a heavy beat.
Without wasting a second, he leaped from the top of the pillar, threw himself into the void and spread his black wings. Three successive pulses, its turbo kicked in. The air vibrated. In a fraction of a second, it broke the sound barrier, reaching supersonic speed, Mach 40.
At this speed… I'll be at the Cloudy Sea in seconds.
The clouds parted abruptly as he passed, pulverizing into white swirls. Ryouma shot like a black lightning bolt toward his destiny.
***
Kate charged forward with relentless force and velocity. Her kicks pounded the ground, shattering it with each impact. Abel barely manages to avoid it with the long shaft of his axe, his arms vibrating under the pressure of the blows.
In one fluid motion, Kate spun on one leg, becoming a human top. Her legs sliced through the air with increased power. She landed a devastating kick, which Abel narrowly parried. The impact sent him flying backward, his heels skidding to the edge of the precipice.
Behind him, the chasm was already glowing with a blinding light. The portal was open, sucking everything around it into a blast of energy.
Kate wanted to push past him, but suddenly her legs gave way. She collapsed to the ground, her muscles shaking uncontrollably. His eyes widened. The vibrations from the axe... they had penetrated his body, shattering his organs from the inside out.
"Hhhh... my legs... I..."
"Here you are on your knees, ready to receive your punishment for your betrayal."
He took a few steps back, raising his axe above him. The weapon began to pulse with a dark glow, concentrating all the energy of the blows it had taken. Five meters away, Abel armed his axe. He charged it with terrible energy, reflecting back to its tip all the brute force Kate had inflicted on him.
Then he thrust the weapon as if to pierce the void. A wave of vibration erupted from the tip, tearing through the air, an invisible but deadly beam. The ground cracked as he passed, right over Kate, unable to move.
At the last moment, her body toppled to the side. But it wasn't her.
She looked up, horrified.
The silhouette of a person had just stepped in. The beam had pierced his torso from side to side, spurting out in a spray of blood.
“Joy, nooo!”
Kate stood frozen. Where she should have been, Joy stood, a gaping hole in her torso. Blood streamed from his mouth as he struggled to stand. He had pushed her at the last moment, taking Abel's fatal blow for her.
"It pisses me off... I didn't manage to kill my prey... but at least I got one," said Abel, putting down his axe.
"Joy! What the hell did you do? Throw yourself in like that, without thinking!" Kate screamed, her throat tight.
"It's... nothing... just a scratch... snort... snort..." Joy spat, her breath ragged.
Although Joy was an heir with extraordinary abilities, even her superhuman body could not withstand such an injury. A gaping hole ran right through his torso, yet he was still standing, wobbly but alive.
It was a miracle in itself, a surge of vitality that defied all logic. But Kate knew it was only a respite. At best, he had a minute left... no more. Every second that passed brought him inexorably closer to the end.
He looked at Abel, then his eyes fell on the blinding light that erupted from the chasm. An idea flashed through him like lightning, burning and urgent.
"Listen to me carefully, Kate," he said in a deep voice, getting her attention.
Kate gritted her teeth as she saw him falter, but Joy continued despite the pain tearing at her insides.
"Go join Sia. She must need help against her two opponents."
"But... what about you?! What do we do with the portal?!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide open.
Joy gave a faint smile, then shot Abel a defiant look, a flash of fire in her eyes despite her dying state.
"Don't worry... I'll take care of him. I'll settle the score... and I'll close this gate."
"But…!"
"Trust me!!" he yelled, cutting her off abruptly, his voice filled with a strength that belied his weakened body.
Kate stood there for a moment, unable to find the words. Finally, she nodded hesitantly, her heart sinking, then reluctantly stepped back before breaking into a run.
"Don't die!" she called over her shoulder.
It was insane! A man with a gaping hole in his chest had no chance of survival. And yet, as she left him, she felt something strange. Joy did not have the face of a condemned man.
After Kate's hasty departure, Joy vomited blood. The wound was already draining her body. The end seemed imminent.
"You're asking her to leave so she doesn't suffer your fate by lying to her. Do you really think you can stop me in this state? You're dumber than you look." Abel sneered, shaking his head.
"Lying isn't my thing. And no, I won't die today. And yes, I will slaughter you," Joy growled between groans.
Despite the pain that tore at him, he threw himself on his opponent. Abel, sure of his victory, took the attempt for a last desperate convulsion, He had no more effort than to slowly raise his axe above his head and wait for Joy to come within range.
The blade swung down, and it sank into Joy's shoulder with a sinister crack.
"Argh!"
The pain should have paralyzed him. Instead, it seemed to focus him. Joy grabbed Abel, locking her arms around him despite the blood, the strength she had left, and the weakness of her body.
"Kaaah!"
With a superhuman effort, he pushed back, using all his weight and his rage to throw Abel backward. Both will fall, dragged into a mad slide towards the precipice that opened behind them.
"Pathetic! You want to drag me to my death by throwing yourself into the abyss? No point. No chance I'll die from a fall like that." Abel said in an eerily calm tone as they fell.
"Well, you're no light either. You still haven't gotten it," Joy replied, a bloody grin splitting her pale face.
The words, far from being empty bravado, brought understanding to Abel's mind. As he fell, he finally saw, at the bottom of the precipice, the purple glow of the portal rising upwards. This light, this dimensional mouth, rose up and met their trajectory. Suddenly, everything clicked in his head. Joy hadn't tried to kill him by rushing forward, but had wanted to pull her into the portal's current.
Before Abel could react, the wind changed direction around them. The fall turned into translation, the air twisted, and they were sucked into a tunnel of light. Colored beams swirled around their bodies, compressing space and time into a column of light that swallowed them whole.
The portal, meanwhile, did not remain motionless. It gravitated, climbing the crater wall to the summit. Its luminescent mouth stretched and opened wider and wider, swallowing the sky.
As time went on, the orifice widened. The older he grew, the more imminent the threat of a rupture between the worlds seemed, and the closer, inexorably, the end of the world seemed to draw.
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