Chapter 6

-Clint-

Burning hatred and a cold wind. These are the sensations I feel on my skin as we get closer to the Creation Event. No doubt the weapon birthed in this madness will be magnificent. We better make it before anyone else.

All though even if someone else reaches it I highly doubt they would be able to handle the burden of a contract with the weapon in this space. No doubt this weapon is a cataclysm class weapon.

“Hey Tsubomi, When we reach the Creation Event no matter what you see, I’m going to need you to keep it to yourself. Do you understand?”

Of course she would give me that look. No doubt her mind is racing with ideas.

“Whatever.” She looks at me with a disgusted look.

“Tsu? What’s with that face? Aren’t you even a little curious?”

“Nope!” She answered that way too fast. So cruel.

*****

Ruggar and Silas push with all their might but the door wont even budge a little.

“What the hell, this stupid ass door won’t move.” Ruggar bursts out.

Alia chimes in “I suspect it may have something to do with the words inscribed in mana that encircle the door.”

The entire party stares at the script that magically scrolls across the massive door.

“That’s not good right? No one here can ever read the words right?” Silas hesitantly interjects.

Kaylin breaks the silence that settled amongst them. “Well, let's at least set up camp here for the time being.”

As the party starts to get ready to unpack Silas hears something. Something so faint he could almost believe he was imagining it but in his heart he knows someone spoke. He starts to move towards the massive door.

“Silas? Is something the matter?” Kaylin attempts to grab his shoulder but her hand slips through it. As he steps closer, with each step his eyes grow darker, and the voice in his mind becomes clearer.

A woman speaks directly to him. “Good child. My destined Vessel has arrived. Silas was it? You always wanted power didn’t you? Power to live, power to adventure, power to help your brother. Come open the gate and join me.” The voice fades away with laughter.

Ruggar jumps at him to stop him but again his hand slips through him. “Shit! Alia, any idea what's going on with the rookie?”

Alia looks perplexed, “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Lord Silas, can you hear us, please respond?”

In his vision he sees the outline of a woman in flames. As he gets closer to the door more features of her come into vision. She’s a beautiful young woman. “Come to me darling. Come find me.”

He finally reaches the door and attempts to reach out to the flame woman. Instead his hand touches the door. The letters on the door tremble at this touch. The flame woman reaches out on the other side of the door in an attempt to connect their hands.

Suddenly the letters shatter into light particles that bounce around the room and with a loud rumble the door slowly glides open revealing the cathedral.

The walls are no longer cavern like instead it looks more like a church with seven pillars holding up the roof. The room even has cathedral windows with stained glass.

Silas suddenly snaps to his senses. “What… Happened?”

The rest of the group look on in shocked awe and silence. “You went quiet and started walking towards the door. It was strange we couldn’t stop you. Our hands would slip right through you like you were a spirit or something.” Kaylin explained.

Alia walks up to him “Lord Silas, are you feeling ok? Did you see anything?”

He shakes his head and responds “Yeah I think so. The last thing I remember was feeling drawn to the door and I started to hear the voice of a woman. She said something about a destined vessel having arrived. What do you think it was? I guess I’m the vessel it was talking about?”

Kaylin pulls him into an embrace. “Don’t do anything stupid once we're in there ok. I promise I will make sure you make it back to your brother.” As she cradles his head she looks serious and ready for anything.

*****

The group walks the perimeter of the massive cathedral. It is mostly empty save for the seven pillars and a sword stuck in the ground standing up right. The party agreed to evaluate the situation before dealing with the sword in case it was somehow a trigger for the room.

The room was getting its lighting from the stained cathedral style windows. The windows, upon further inspection, appeared to reveal a story.

The first window was that of an ornate and massive castle.

The next window is of a young girl with long blonde hair. She appears to be dressed like a princess from a fairytale.

The next window is of a cave with the princess walking towards it with a torch.

The next is of a very mad looking king and queen.

The next is of the same princess bound in chains on her knees in front of an angry crowd. The crowd looks almost like demons or monsters.

The next is of the princess crying inside a dark room with slit like eyes surrounding her

“This is some sort of messed up fairytale.” Ruggar comments once they reach the last of the stained windows.

“What do you guys think of the sword?” Biggs asks. Everyone's gaze shifts to the sword at the end of the room.

“It has a very strange aura to it. I suspect it might be a Spectral Weapon, though I also suspect it won’t be easy to pull it out. Also it would be safe to assume that it will trigger the area’s boss.” Alia finishes her analysis of the object.

They contemplate who will activate it. Silas volunteers but is quickly shot down by Kaylin. She reminds him of the vessel comment and no guarantee that the object isn’t cursed. Ruggar agrees to activate it.

Once the preparations were made and the party was ready for a fight Ruggar stood in front of the sword facing everyone. Ruggar made the most sense to activate it. He had the most agility and speed so he was best at making a mad dash away from whatever danger it might produce.

*****

Ruggar is in place in front of the sword. All the other party members stand in a loose circle at the opposite end of the cathedral. “Here goes nothing!” Ruggar shouts out and grabs the sword with both hands.

Suddenly the light shining in from the stained glass windows grew darker until the room was black. Then the cathedral walls ignited with flames colored in many shades of green.

The entire party sensed the presence of many enemies though they didn’t feel all that strong. Suddenly Ruggar makes a mad dash for the rest of the group.

“Can confirm that the sword is right stuck in the floor in case anyone was curious.”

Without any warning a human sized mantis-like creature swipes at Silas. He uses his sword in a bashing motion in order to parry the swing of its scythe like tendril and send it back a few feet. He takes the opportunity to use a sword art, in turn cutting the creature in half.

Silas looks back for a moment and sees each member of the party taking on a mantis of their own. Save for Ruggar who is quickly taking out several mantis at a time.

Silas doesn’t have too much time to watch his party mates before he senses another strike coming his way. This time three mantis have their sights set on him.

Silas ducks down dodging the first slash, then jumps back dodging the second one, then finally uses a sword art to quickly lob off one of the mantis heads and dodging the third strike in the process.

The battle with the mantis rages on for a while. Ruggar at this point is a frenzy of fur and blood as he dismembers then left and right.

Aila is offering adequate amounts of magical support next to Tallow whom has been cycling magic spells trying his best to reserve mana.

Kaylin is acting as their guard, making sure no threats get too close.

Biggs is agile and constantly moving and kiting enemies.

The room keeps filling with more and more of them, when Silas realizes something. Not only are new ones appearing magically but the dismembered ones are slowly being reconstructed with parts left over on the ground.

After that realization he notices up near where the sword was is a mass of mantis and mantis parts congregating and becoming a massive entity.

“Ruggar! Look towards the sword!” Silas cries out.

Ruggar looks in the same direction and then back at Silas with a blood thirsty grin. “Ready to end this Rookie?!”

Ruggar begins cleaving his way through the crowd of mantis. Silas uses a sword art to launch himself into the air then uses mantis heads as stepping stones hopping in the direction of the sword.

The two reach the massive entity Silas uses the same sword art he used to save Aila before. “Fierce Dragon Fang!”

At the same time Ruggar used an Axe skill of his own “Spinning Crimson Edge!” Ruggar began spinning extremely fast to the point he was just a red blur.

Both Ruggar and Silas ripped through the entity in an X pattern causing it to disintegrate. After the entity was defeated the other mantis immediately started to fall apart around the cathedral.