72 Pillar

I had no choice but to step away as everything before me turned into dark purple poison. Rocks, debris, even deformed steel transformed into the toxic substance. Soon, what stood before me was no longer a deep crater but a raging lake of rising poison tides.

Turning my gaze to the far-off left, I saw Madelyn standing at the very top of the crater, her blade in hand as she looked down at Zoganoth, who stood atop the liquid poison as if it were a solid surface.

As the poison lake continued to rise, Zoganoth ascended to the same height level as Madelyn and me. He smiled at her, laughing aloud before suddenly falling silent, his smile disappearing. "Go," he silently commanded, his voice echoing as if from a deep cavern.

The poison under his feet responded to his will, coming to life as five massive pillars rose high into the sky. Like missiles, they rocketed towards Madelyn, who raised her sword in defense.

"Madelyn, run away!" I yelled out, my voice desperate.

"You stay out of this!" Zoganoth roared, raising his left hand towards me, summoning a huge tsunami of poison that threatened to wash me away. I stared up at my impending doom, my thoughts resigned. "Well, I guess my life wasn't so bad."

It was then, in that moment, that I felt a strong pull on my shirt from behind. Before I knew it, I was lifted high in the air at such immense speed that the air was forced from my lungs.

Struggling to remain calm and not scream like a fool, I turned my head to see Madelyn holding onto me, her eyes focused on Zoganoth below.

"Madelyn!" I yelled, my voice filled with both fear and relief.

"You really are an idiot," she remarked, her blue eyes narrowing at me in anger.

"Well, I can't deny that," I admitted sheepishly. "So what's the plan?" I asked, trying to focus on the task at hand.

Madelyn lifted me up higher as she landed onto the ground, her feet causing the very pavement to crack beneath her. Slowly, she lowered me down and released her grip on my shirt.

"It's not a Taoreta," she said, her gaze fixed ahead.

"What?" I asked, feeling a bit confused by her cryptic statement.

"It's level," Madelyn clarified. "It's not a Taoreta, it's an Akuma."

I raised one eyebrow, trying to process what Madelyn was talking about.

"Don't you remember what my grandfather told you about demons' levels?" she asked, turning her head to look at me.

"Uh... yeah, I do recall a conversation like that," I replied, laughing awkwardly. And before you judge me for not paying attention, I do remember the conversation, I just don't remember everything that was said. It was a lot to take in, okay?

"Uh huh," Madelyn said, seeing through my attempts to deflect. "Well, long story short, this creature is powerful. Powerful enough to easily destroy a small town."

"Uh... I live in a small town!" I exclaimed, a sense of panic creeping into my voice.

"Uh huh," Madelyn nodded. "That's why we need to stop it," she said, looking at me with a sense of urgency.

"We..." I started, feeling a mix of determination and apprehension. I mean, I did come to help, but that son of a bitch just summoned a poisonous lake that was slowly devouring more and more of the town. "What in the world can I do?" I asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the situation.

Madelyn turned her head fully to look at me, her expression intense. "You can buy me time," she said, her smile sending shivers down my spine.

***

"Where are you?" Zoganoth's voice echoed, his footsteps accompanied by a relentless flood of poison that surged forward like a malevolent wave. "You can't hide forever, Pillar!" he screamed, his rage fueling the deadly liquid as it tore through what remained of the crumbling houses.

"Over here!"

Zoganoth turned his head towards the distant voice, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a familiar figure standing before him with serious eyes, fists raised in defiance.

"You..." he muttered, his gaze locking onto the all-too-familiar man who dared to challenge him.

***

I stood tall, trying to appear confident despite my trembling hands. The plan was simple: distract Zoganoth for three minutes. Easy, right?

Hell no! I hadn't told Madelyn this, which probably wasn't the smartest move, but my right hand was throbbing like crazy, swollen and red like a balloon, which definitely wasn't a good sign.

And now I had to face even more of this toxic stuff. The protective energy that had surrounded me earlier was completely gone, leaving me feeling vulnerable and terrified. At this point, I would have gladly welcomed the tsunami from before.

"Ethan, my dear boy," Zoganoth's voice rang out, his arms outstretched as if expecting a warm embrace.

"He knows my name, great," I thought to myself, my heart pounding in my chest.

"It's so great to see you again, my friend," Zoganoth continued, his tone dripping with false sincerity.

"Friend?" I asked incredulously. "I'm not your friend," I stated firmly, my voice trembling with fear.

"Oh, how rude," Zoganoth replied, feigning offense, his expression a mockery of hurt.

As the liquid poison began to rise around us, taking on sharp, menacing forms, Zoganoth's grin widened.

"Shall I make it quick?" he taunted. "Or, since we're not friends, slow and painful?"

Every instinct screamed at me to run, to flee for my life. But I clenched my fists, closed my eyes, and remembered what Madelyn had told me.

***

"Remember, you don't have to fight him," Madelyn's voice echoed in Ethan's mind, her hands gripping his shoulders with a sense of urgency that made his heart skip a few beats. "Just buy me as much time as you can. Three minutes tops."

"Buy me time, and I promise that I'll finish this for the both of us," Madelyn vowed, her eyes locking onto Ethan's with unwavering determination.

"Madelyn..." Ethan's voice wavered slightly, his uncertainty palpable. "I don't think I'll be able to buy you even a second," he admitted, his shoulders slumping with defeat. "The black smoke stuff that once surrounded me is gone, and it's not coming back. I don't think I can help you."

But Madelyn's smile remained unwavering as she looked at Ethan. "Where's the foolishly brave guy that ran all the way back here after I had gotten him away?" she challenged, her gaze piercing through his doubts.

"That's a good question," Ethan thought to himself, feeling a surge of determination rising within him.

"That power is a part of you," Madelyn stated firmly, placing her index finger on Ethan's chest. "It's the deepest part of you. Connect..."

"Connect?" Ethan repeated, his mind racing with uncertainty.

"That power belongs to the demon deep inside. To bring it forth, you must establish the connection," Madelyn explained, her voice steady and encouraging. "Clear your mind and concentrate your consciousness deep inside. You've done it before; you can do it again."

With Madelyn's words ringing in his ears, Ethan felt a newfound sense of resolve surging through him. He realized in that moment that Madelyn had been by his side since the beginning, guiding and supporting him every step of the way.

"Thanks for helping sooner," Ethan thought to himself as he ran towards the demon, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

***

"Connection," I muttered, feeling frustrated. I kept repeating the word, hoping it would click, but it was like hitting a brick wall. The more I tried to understand, the more confused I got.

"Shit."

***

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