COI C273

  Standing on top of the trench, the last of its shore at the surface separating its bile secrets beneath the sea and to the fresh air onshore. Tall as it can be and the depths of the trench stretch further down where countless lives continue to go down to the sinking caves. Flowing down from this point view makes anyone thinks as if they are all sinking down to the seabed. Steadily in motion travelling down to the monsters’ den. The famished mana twinkles like stars carefully moving as they faded.

  At this very trench, Voldemyr sees the survivors made it out from the sinking caves. This is the second time he witnessing them coming out from these accursed grounds. To where U’ecin fought against the corrupted citizens. Remnants of the fight left in spoils of war. He alone witnessed the devastation of his guild member. Hidden inside his polearm decimated those can’t resist the traps. When they finally meet at that very ground. U’ecin meets with the survivors, including Kenta. Voldemyr was a bit concerned and followed down.

  Descends by the use of his magic, he steps forward at the ledge and watched by the survivors who take notice. The thickness of the fluid water caught him and slowly and safely places his feet on the ground. Voldemyr approached them as he pointed at his back

  “Take the steps where I fall, our magic is ready to lift you up at the top of the trench”

  They look at him and overjoyed as they wouldn’t have to climb up the trench. One of them who is actually wanted to join him regretfully apologized. Voldemyr taps her head with his crossbow. He shakes his head and hinted her to go to where he came from.

  U’ecin sees that Voldemyr still have one member of his group

  “To think you still have brave soul who actually joined you”

  “There is no hassle for me to do what is best against the influence. You, though. It seems you used them all”

  Kenta looks at U’ecin’s honest expression, a face who never willing to help them from the start.

  “That’s why I left Mina and Sakura to do their own accord. Tabitha will guide them”

  Voldemyr scuffs at his comments

  “Cough* Ahem, then why are you talking to him?”

  They both know the curse of the influence. Kenta will forget about this meeting by the next morning. All the people around them will, if memories served them well, go against the influence. U’ecin with the voice calling to him from Sarah Mae. He turns to Kenta as he won’t try to miss such an opportunity. With still have some stashes of absorb scrolls with them, they can still fight a bit more. As more of the survivors and the Benedictus passed by, even if it is too late. Kenta should return to his team, Mina’s team.

  Meanwhile, Sarah Mae hides within the depths. The same place where Tabitha’s team and her met. Her enemy moves desperately. The avatars, left being destroyed with only three left. The Dexter Guild did a great job neutralizing the threats, for now. The demon who hides beneath the seabed had unleashed its old warriors since the Fall Era. Beings with exceptional skills in war both factions, the Heroes’ Faction and the Demons’ Faction.

  Two of the men, begin to take their leave. Rushing their way out from the depths as fast as they could, disguised carefully as rat men and ventured through upward. The avatars escaped from the hidden camps with only three of them standing. The rat men stood their ground as they sense familiar mana when they approached. Their gnawing teeth, eyes glow red, and their carcass body manifesting from its presence. They begin to speak.

  “Sniffle* Power is near, yes, yes”

  “Memories collectors, it’s here. Old steel mended with souls, yes, yes”

  They turned and pointed their weapons at the three avatars. Recognizing them after the Fall. Differences gathered and rivalry questions among their past. The avatars didn’t respond and acted accordingly. Two demons’ puppets together showing no backing down. Old magic begins to recycled from their very creation on their bodies. Two sides collide, leaving everything a full disarray.

  Sarah Mae sees one of the avatars escaped, continuing recklessly forward to stop the survivors from escaping. It jumps forward made it into the ruin. The avatar quickly used its magic to break free the crystal wall. She stops it before it even reaches the wall. The crystal wall remained sturdy and no cracks left from its attack. The depths begin to growl from the seabed pushing upward the platforms and structures. The avatar hears its master’s call and forced to move on alone.

  Tabitha had witnessed Mina’s team avenged all the people who stopped them from escaping. Although, Toba and Aoi weren’t able to see this. Their grumbling voices say otherwise after hearing the loud screams and insults.

  “Is it really a revenge? They said they will come back if they are freed?”

  “I don’t know, Sakura. I’m sure we can handle them next time”

  “Next time? I am wondering those people who died here. Even Wilson, will his soul come out of nowhere as a ghost?”

  “Who knows, they probably know how to deal with it. Right, Juela?”

  Juela hears her name and turns around after smashing a few more people, and sealing them into Wilson’s note. The paper still glows showing there is more to be consumed. While other souls escape as it is never on Wilson’s list.

  “Steady breathing* These people around you are all willing to give their very souls to the demons. None of them will be the same after a few decades”

  Sakura asks

  “How are you sure about it?”

  “Because we are all mortals, once our human nature wasn’t met. We will become animals just like the feral goblins”

  After clearing all their enemies to their deaths, taking their loots and stole bunch of the influence magic with Voldemyr’s help. He stored in his pouch and some few stones to keep it from the demon’s reach. They watch him taking care the nuisance of the influence’s magic making it better as an alternative mana supply. He brought some absorb scroll and take a bit the corrupted citizens’ personal mana, and give them the final blow without mercy.

  Mina asks “Did you heard them? They can’t die”

  “I heard. And it is true, for at least for a few decades. They need their sanity before life within their humanity will fall into the abyss and never satisfy in their new beings. I am more concern of your people not having a proper meal and using their magic to fill their bellies. They can still resist them, but habits and logic of their daily life will succumb to them soon before they realize the same needs they did and the demons’ puppets are alike”

  A tunnel collapse, a trap prepared by Voldemyr. Kenta warns everyone

  “Everyone, prepare yourself! Someone is coming”

  They gathered everyone as some of them were not fully awake yet. They ready themselves but Tabitha waves her wand and her cards at the tunnel. The card plays and light brightens up as it burnt. Cleaned off from their disguises, the two revealed themselves with their power armor damaged and dent from the fight.

  Mina who wears R-cord’s monocle sees their statuses. His monocle pulls out from her and polarized into his hand and places it onto his helmet. He scans everyone and sees there are busy. Tabitha rushes at them and cheers out to them after a job well done. McS4 raises his hand and points to the direction where they are going to leave. He said

  “There is no time, we need to head to the shore. Our successes to bring your people out have brought strong enemies”

  Tabitha sees their battered armor. Empty supplies and their lights on their bodies are dim low. This is no good. Voldemyr takes action and carried the others. Fae-chan joins in and carried the rest without giving them the chance to move. Where they are heading is the sign of alert for the survivors’ escape. Tabitha tries her telepathy on Haw. She reaches his head, and abnormality comes out on her head as demonic voices speaking out of nowhere.

  “AAH! What just happened?”

  “What’s wrong, Tabitha?” Juela asks

  “I was trying to contact Haw, and . . .”

  Juela warns her “DON’T! I mean don’t try to use magic on Haw’s head. The Dexter Guild had warned us not to use any magic inside his head. People who reached him can only hear empty void. But for you, with strong magic. You’ve probably heard something more and worse if any demon alive reaches too deep”

  Tabitha turns her head and look at R-cord and McS4, waiting for them to answer. Both only shakes their head as she worries what will happened at the shore.

  It is time, Haw carries the last defense for the survivors to reach the outpost. The Benedictus saw him bringing in the survivors out for the first time from the seashore. Once out to the surface, the surrounding magic is resisting the influence magic preventing anyone being redirect controlled again. He picks out his potion and cracks it by his own both hands, a gas is leak spreading around and throws it to the Benedictus. They catch it one by one as incense and smokes release from it.

  Mi’lady recognizes the incense as it made by one of the archscientist, back when they were on good terms. Sister of arms called out to the man catcher

  “This incense is more than 50 years ago”

  “This is a cleansing smoke without the use of thurible. I remember our apothecary and their researchers were working together to remake the war design of the thurible”

  The incense is may be old, but it did the job done. Everyone cleans away their influence and regained their body’s conditions.

  Their bodies quickly grow weak and resistance back to high. Cleaning everything that the influence had done to them many months ago. The Benedictus all look at them as they continue to bring them all out from the shore. Many survivors began squirming and feeling the pain they soon remembered after breathing the smoke. Influence mana excreted from their bodies and pushed back. Unleashing Haw’s defenses and bringing all the influence out from the defensive barrier.

  The man catcher faces Haw and said “Where did you get the cleansing incense? No apothecary would dare to recreate in this region”

  “Sir, I was provided by my old guild’s researcher. Lady Coheld had never provided me this to secure your men”

  “Then what did she wanted from you to do?”

  “I am already here, by the orders of Tabitha. I have no other instructions left beside setting up her escape”

  “Abandoned by blind faith, or cursed by your rehabilitation. Nevermind, do as you will”

  Haw was left alone again, leaving himself at the shore where the waves begin to show signs of rising tides. It’s been weeks or so. He never seen the high tides inside this realm. When the tides hits one of his traps, it sprung and the water crystalized. Haw turned around tried to dodge it. The crystallization caught him by surprised and rooted him in place. Somewhere on the water mounds up and something is coming out from it. An avatar appeared, all energized and powered by the influence. The traps activated creating a barrier almost reaching him.

  He can’t move, the avatar slowly moves up forcing itself forward from the defense. The barrier is active sliding it back and the water with it down to the same seashore level. It raises its hands and casts its beam at Haw, it missed. The beam hits the barrier resisting it to the fullest and alternating all the energy and magic outward and around the barrier pressurizing the environment surroundings with the influence magic. Haw feels the dense atmosphere of the influence trying to reach him while his cursed head resist it.

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  The avatar swings its hand again and this time directly attack Haw. The beam sways and hits Haw, still covered with crystals forcing itself to grow thicker. Then suddenly the crystals begin to break. What lies inside the beam is Alga’s light. Weakening the crystals as it being shattered into tiny bits. It shatters in a matter of seconds then explode in front of the avatar. The crystal shards sting the avatar forcing it to stop using its beam and wipes it off as it hardened its body.

  The shattering crystal is empty leaving the defense intact. The avatar looks around to find where the body is and Haw’s soul. There was none. The resistance still took effect of the avatar and all of its attack where directly right in front of it. It tries to search the source of the barrier and found out it wasn’t at the shore, but back down under the seashore. It puzzled itself of how he was able to hid it under the fluid’s poisonous seawater. It was buried 6 meters deep, covered with crystals and seeds from the roots. Making it harder for it to clear it by magic nor by hands. It was too well protected.

  The Benedictus saves Haw before the crystal shattered. One of them said to Haw

  “Be blessed or cursed, your numbskull just saved your skin once again”

  “Ugh!”

  “Don’t you try to be a sneak and say ‘Ugh!’ Like some rock goblin. No one survived being washed down by the influence”

  “Well of course, he did give us time to escape. This defense of yours. Is there any way to distract long enough to make our own trap?”

  “What trap?”

  “Okay, it seems like you don’t know what that thing is. That thing is an avatar. A colossal miniature brute in human size form to the least, wanted us dead and take your leader’s people. It’s indestructible for whatever is hiding inside that body. We can’t kill it, but we can drop it back to where it came”

  Haw barely thinks and the Benedictus thought it is impossible to beat because of how it almost killed him. He sees the avatar is backing away and knowing where his defense power source hides. If it breaks, then all traps will be lost and hope it will still work with little energy left. The avatar is impossible to beat as he is just grenadier support. Its well-shelled armor can resist the effects of his potions. Even a few grenades on him, it is not meant to go against an ancient equipment like that. He needs R-cord and McS4’s help, and even wish for X2L be here and end it quick than wasting his resources.

  The barriers start to weaken and his traps loses its magic sensors. They all know what’s happening.

  “Great, and she ordered us to help you too”

  “We’re not going to give up. Creating a magic circle to teleport it back where it came is the most effective way to stop it”

  “We all know that, but it happened so fast we can’t dig and fight at the same time”

  While they argue, Haw quickly takes charge

  “I can delay, but for how long will you finished making the trap?”

  “Pretty long, like an hour”

  “This place is small and the East Coast is barely any be this big”

  “It’s worth a try. Our guilds were the best back then, why not giving it another shot”

  The Benedictus head back and Haw looks around and the barrier is being squeezed in. He runs around breaking apart all of his traps and picking up the necessary ingredients to distract the avatar. A beam of light comes out of nowhere and he immediately throws the crystal at it at right moment. In mid-air, the crystals burst into a wall after absorbing the beam. It starts to crack then shatters like a bomb. Haw dodges away and the influence magic comes out and released out to the barrier.

  The mist of magic spread all around clearing itself out where the barrier still flickers and itself up as the other traps absorbing the mana as its emergency source of energy. Explosions, left and right. The avatar still struggles to move and slowly chasing them. The mana spreads all around, thin and blown away from the barrier. The last hold as the magic around here being cycled around preventing the mana to be concentrated on the avatar.

  Noises keep coming and coming, where the outpost was not nearly finished, and heard by everyone nearing the barrier of the East Coast. All of the Benedictus begin to raises their weapon, their banners, their divine spells, and everything else as their hymns and songs called out to them all to fight. The sister of arms waving around to her men to assemble, enforcing their position, and bolden their powers. Mi’lady commands the range units as they raised their last few bolts at the avatar.

  The man catcher sees Haw struggling to hold off the avatar. He calls out his men

  “God saves who helped themselves, witness that man’s bravery who fall and rise according by our rivaled guild. Take note, that the avatar is ancient and knows our ancestors’ powers. But do not take heed by the old ways. Only one had brought here, others are struggled by the massive numbers of enemies it had brought itself. We can hold it and never leave anyone be taken away. Once again, I tell you this. We never lose since the day we helped Wilson. Don’t falter as the truth have come this far . . .”

  They cheered and the avatar made it through then charge at them at full force. The man catcher uses his two-handed mace and hits it backing away as the avatar wasn’t affect by it. It moves back because of the influence.

  “. . . Come on! Where’s the voice of the coward I’ve been warned about?”

  Sister of arms reposition her men and surrounding the avatar. The avatar made this far and begins to unleash inside its body. It raises up to the air and channel out its powers. Inside the body is the mana core with a soul inside.

  It begins. It unleashes a vortex around them. The Benedictus sealed every vortex released with every passing moment. They raise their crossbows and bows and take aim at the avatar. Armored angels summoned and clashes toward the avatar. It endures all of their attacks and continue to summon the vortexes and portals to pull all the survivors back. One of the Benedictus sucked into the vortex and disappeared. Moments later, the warrior returned carrying the head one of the corrupted citizens. She squeezed the skull and burnt it into the ashes.

  The sister of arms watches the fight and see no changes in both sides. She calls out Mi’lady.

  “This is not a fight, but an attrition. It knows the demon wanted the survivors and can’t beat it”

  “Is your plan still being prepared?”

  “Yes, but look at the Dexter barrier. It is getting smaller”

  They look at the barrier as it continues to weaken. The overwhelming influence mana is slowly resisting the converters and couldn’t supply any longer for the defensive barrier.

  Beneath the East Coast, they are almost done preparing the magic circle. The banners are in place and spell is channeling to be on par on the avatar’s power. They see it is not enough divinity to pull it back to the depths. Haw is with them, making one more time to dispel the avatar. To the last of his best knowledge and abilities. He is trying something that he had found out about the ruin. With the shattered pieces of the crystal wall and some parts of the mechanical spider. Would be possible to go against the avatar with it?

  The barrier is beginning to get smaller reaching close the avatar’s head as the exposure of the influence mana is gathering. The demon finally reaches its avatar and finally took control. With its core suddenly change colors, memories regained from this once strong avatar. It soars it’s voice out loud dispelling all magic around them. It fell to the ground, on its feet, and begins to reveal its form. Armored forged into the flames and steel appearing out of nowhere. The mechanism starts to appear and parts start showing in the inside.

  The robotic mechanism inside closed and showing its exotic armor. It turns around as magic ceased, its own influence magic. It begins to speak

  “I have returned, all forge and steel through our souls. The living steel race has returned”

  It raises up its hand as if it carried a weapon. A large hammer appeared forged down from its hands melting it off into it. It slams on the ground shattering it and revealing the trap prematurely. An angel appeared below trying to stop it. It sacrifices itself and strike down in one hit.

  An eruption into the air as metal pieces up flying. The magic circle was almost hit and would’ve easily destroy it. Haw sees the opportunity and takes the risk. He throws a bag at it, and the avatar grabs it then breaks it with its hand. The bag explodes unleashing the crystal made from the crystal wall. Its metallic body crystallized in place as its joints stop it from moving. Its hand sealed and froze in a form a fist, leaving only its free hand to hold the hammer. Undermined by its underestimation to reuse an old magic. It got caught from the magic circle and pulled back to the depths.

  The avatar wasn’t giving up. It raises its arm sealed by the crystal and launches its arm forward beneath the survivors. They fall and slide onto the avatar, clinging in with its forged arm chaining them together with it. The Benedictus tried their best to free them from the chain. They see the brand on the survivors’ bodies as it linked with the avatar, making it impossible for them to escape even after freeing them from the chains. They tried to continue hitting it with their range weapons. It was too well protected.

  “Stop the trap!”

  Sister of arms tried to call out to order, but the man catcher stops her

  “Deny the order, we can’t let it stay here”

  “But, you never once you have sacrificed your men, before. Since the beginning”

  “Stay calm, there is still other ways!!! Watch out!”

  A chain whips at the survivors. The man catcher managed to block it. But his body got wrapped around by the chains and pulled into the avatar. It raises its head high and lands its head into his skull, crushing him without hesitation.

  “No . . .”

  The Benedictus watch their leader died from a single hit. The lost have brought many them a single moment of pause, then quickly forced to take action to save the others. The gruesome fate whereas the avatar could easily finish them all. The avatar didn’t come to destroy them. It needs to stop the survivors from leaving. A large gushing wind coming inside the barrier. Fresh and full of dusty wind rushing down causing the realm bloated with crystallized dust. The survivors called out to the others

  “The realm is opened. Everyone, get out now!”

  The avatar forces itself from the hold run towards the survivors escaping from the trap. All sides desperately trying to win as time is running out. It leaps towards the exit and sees the realm opened, but what it sees as it was fooled, there was nothing there. It sees only a structure storing a large fan and some crystallized dust. It was a decoy. Angry as its body begin to molten down and releases poisonous fiery air around it.

  It swoops down like a meteor taking down the rest of the Benedictus. As it about to lands on them, a card plays where a doll appeared before it. Shamanistic card, Fae-chan uses it and forces the avatar rewind back. The living steel is a powerful beings brought into this world. They are difficult to control and can only be at service through a deal. They are the purists of their existence, and who are left still believe the deal will be finished.

  Forces to move backwards as if the magic belongs to an ancient ancestor. Moving backwards and reverting all the damages it down. The last shame it had to pull through where it watches the skull of the man catcher restored. It was an ultimate blunder for its behalf. It knows whose magic belongs to, and it let out a loud yell.

  “Death to the immortal! SARAH MAE of Del’Montra Esteval”

  Then it teleported away by the magic circle. The man catcher stands as he felt that he should’ve died. One more look, as he sees Tabitha’s team made it.

  The look of their eyes, altogether. They made this far and they see everyone is alright. It was the most unbelievable moment in their lives. Tabitha sees Haw made his way to her and directly stands up and report to her

  “My defense lasts as much as I could”

  “The outpost, is it ready for them to leave?”

  “Only once, we need all of us to leave”

  Aoi reaches out to them “What about our loose ends? We weren’t be able to save ourselves if it wasn’t for Delilah”

  U’ecin gives his hand to her “Let me finish it. It is best for us to do it. She needs it to be done, with or without you”

  “Are you sure?”

  “You’ve wanted to leave, right?”

  Aoi fears from the voice, and she tries to contact Delilah. Delilah, also known as Sarah Mae, have responded. Aoi is still feel uneased. She sighs and nodded then Juela gives him the note.

  “I hope you dealt with it”

  “I’m sure. This realm is too dangerous. Now go”

  R-cord and McS4 sees Haw is in full scarce in supplies. They look at each other as if all of them in their death’s door. All three of them look at Tabitha as their stash is still there. Haw sees in their eyes as they weren’t finished yet.

  Inside the outpost, there is an incomplete gate. Haw sets it up and everyone is excited to be free from this realm. One signal on his hand to everyone as they are ready to run to the gate.

  “Alright, this is only happened once. When it opens the exit will be destroyed and heavily concentrated magic will stop it to reopen. Those who are left behind will no longer be helped you and they will leave you”

  Everyone all agrees as the door suddenly built.

  “GO!”

  All of them rush out and feel the stings of the crystallized dust flowing into the wind, painful shards on the ground, and everything else feel their mana drained away. This emptiness of their mana, and their bodies reaching their limits. The coldness of the outside begins to hit on them as they look upward where it is night time. It’s been so long as the survivors can’t cheer anymore. They felt tired and wanting to drop everything after all that happened. The Benedictus carried them off to other outpost outside, finally escaping from all these times.

  Tabitha never felt anything this relief after what just happened to the last moment. All she thinks about the children she had lost, and she rushes to see the girl and other kids again and the young girl rushes at her and hugs both of each other tightly. The girl tried to cry, but she was too tired. They finally escape. Juela and Silfa join them and see the reunion as they are out from the East Coast.

  “AAH!”

  A scream comes out of nowhere. Tabitha turns and see other kids are being pulled back into the East Coast. Someone is pulling them back in. Silfa uses her forcefield to stop him, but he resisted it and breaking the forcefield with ease. Mina jumps on the stranger lunging forward with her spear, whereas the moonlight shines on them in slight moment. She stops

  “No!? Kenta!”

  Kenta is controlled by the living steel where its soul glows inside of him.

  The East Coast stretches forward surround the people on the outside, recapturing back into the realm. The survivors and the Benedictus who fled into the outpost got caught again sealing themselves back inside. Others couldn’t escape any further as the crystallized environment left them with little strength left from their voyage. Everyone was at lost and being dragged to the outpost to clear from this confusion. Haw dried out from his resources forced to back away.

  The man catcher comes back and attacked Kenta. Easily capturing him with his man catcher pushing down Kenta’s neck to the ground. R-cord and McS4 suppressed him and pulled into the outpost. They tied him up and the others who are inside the East Coast are called back as everything went wrong. Tabitha couldn’t believe just happened. Her eyes were so full of hope and relief then suddenly gone by one scream. The avatar’s soul managed to possess one of the survivors. And it was Kenta.

  “How did it happen? We are so close”

  Juela tries to calm her down “We are almost there, Tabitha. There is one problem we need to fix and we’re all almost”

  Someone tried to hit Juela. The survivors were all disgruntled and taking the blame. Their minds going out of hand as the crowd are full into the despair. Tabitha can’t respond and only felt gloomy as she too tries to settle the situation. Juela can’t seem to reach her as the fighting keeps going around. They both left into a lost.

  Haw, Silfa, R-cord, and McS4 joined together as they huddled outside. The crystals are shielding them from the East Coast, giving them a chance to hold off from the dangers. R-cord is impressed of all they have done and everything they have prepared were almost fruitless. But there is use for it after all. Silfa can’t deny the fact they must do

  “We have to kill the demon. We can’t truly escape because of it”

  McS4 carried out the last stash “Who would’ve known we have to defeat the abductor to end it all?”

  “What about Kenta?”

  They look at the young boy tied up. Where R-cord is willing to take a risk. Among the stash they stored, there is a dangerous item that would benefit on using ancient souls. An item created for this kind of experiment. He receives a transmission from Lady Coheld

  “I have received a message from one of our equipment. Other than you three, someone else is using our tech. And he already used it himself”

  “What!? What settings did he used?”

  “bzzt* lost transmission”