72 Pillar

The whole town seemed to quake, massive cracks splitting the ground beneath my feet. I stared ahead, mouth agape, as the demon responsible for the chaos stood before me, hands raised high, laughing like a madman. Zoganoth's gaze shifted upward, and I followed it, dread gnawing at my insides, as the dark poison swirling around us coalesced into towering pillars, converging to form a colossal ball of liquid death.

"Shit!" I cried out, instinctively taking a few steps back. The enormity of the situation hit me like a freight train. If that monstrous thing crashed down onto the city, it would spell disaster for us all. I couldn't shake the fear coursing through me, my thoughts racing to the safety of my neighbors, praying they were far from harm's way.

"Pillars..." Zoganoth's voice sliced through the chaos, his black eyes boring into us. "You think yourselves special, blessed even."

I glanced at Madelyn, her labored breathing betraying her exhaustion. In that moment, she seemed anything but blessed.

"But the truth is, you don't understand your own fortune," Zoganoth sneered, his rage palpable. "The power you wield, it rightfully belongs to us, the true demon born!"

The area fell into silence, and in that awkward stillness, I couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was waiting for me to speak up. I hoped not. I was so confused that clarity felt like a distant memory.

What did this guy mean by calling himself "demon-born"? What did he mean by saying we pillars were blessed? It didn't add up; he was a demon, after all.

Madelyn took a few steps forward, breaking the train of my thoughts. Her breathing steadied, but I could see the struggle etched on her face.

"I've been trained as a warrior all my life," she said, her gaze fixed on her sword, shimmering like a piece of the night sky. "Day and night, I trained to bring honor to my house, to stay true to myself amidst this power." She raised her sword, pointing it at Zoganoth. "Don't presume to know me," she said firmly. "To me, this power is nothing but a curse, despite what you may believe."

I heard the pain in her voice, and it nearly moved me to embrace her tightly, if it weren't for the psychotic demon trying to drown us in poison.

Zoganoth's voice thundered, his surroundings darkening even more than before. "You dare," he said, lifting his head to glare at us with anger burning in his eyes. "You dare call such incredible power a curse!" His roar echoed, and his aura intensified, whipping the wind into a frenzy.

I struggled to stand against the onslaught, barely able to catch my breath amidst the storm. Yet, Madelyn stood firm before me, unaffected by the chaos around us.

"You claim your power is a curse?" Zoganoth scoffed. "How foolish. How can you hope to defeat me with a single attack if you despise your own strength so much? How? When you won't even withstand my ultimate attack!"

I watched in awe and horror as purple lightning streaked across the dark clouds overhead, illuminating the massive ball of poison partially obscured within them. It was a sight that sent a shiver down my spine, realizing the destruction it could unleash upon our town.

"Get behind me," Madelyn commanded, her eyes fixed on the ominous spectacle above. I didn't question her authority; instead, I quickly obeyed, seeking shelter behind her.

Madelyn braced herself, her stance widening as she raised her sword to her face. The dark aura surrounding her intensified, the stars on her blade gleaming brighter than before. Even her muscles tensed with an incredible power that seemed almost otherworldly.

The ground beneath her cracked and crumbled, the earth trembling beneath her feet. I took a step back, unnerved by the raw energy radiating from her. Pebbles and debris began to float upwards, defying gravity's pull.

"Be gone!" Zoganoth's voice boomed, his outstretched hand commanding the swirling mass of poison above. It obeyed his will, reshaping itself into a monstrous form, roaring with fury as it took shape.

"Run wild, Bestia del Geoknohaneun!" Zoganoth's command echoed through the chaos, unleashing the beast upon us.

It roared with uncontrollable rage as it raced towards us. Its eyes glowing purple. Its large fangs, though made of liquid poison seemed sharp and seemed to be as hard as steel.

I hate to admit it, but I was paralyzed with fear. But as I looked towards Madelyn, who still had her sword raised, she didn't move an inch as the light that surrounded her blade began to shine brighter and her eyes, partially hidden by her blonde hair, began to grow darker.

I could barely get a word out, a warning, to run for the hills before Madelyn, blade in hand jumped up high into the air, almost as if she were flying. She soared like a missile towards that raging monster.

"Madelyn!" I yelled out knowing that my screams would do nothing, would solve nothing.

Her movements were graceful as she brought her sword upwards and as she neared the beast, and in one swift motion, she brought the sword down, and it was in that moment that that poisonous fang met the sword.

I was forced to close my eyes as a huge flash of light enveloped the dark sky. The wind that was already raging became even more wild, lifting houses and vehicles parked by the sidewalk. Even I was thrown a few feet onto the sidewalk. Man, I didn't know how many times I had been thrown today, but I was really hoping that it would stop soon; my skin bruised easily.

Soon, the light began to fade and the wind began to return to normal, and with a huge thud, Madelyn fell down onto the street, her feet cracking the pavement as she landed.

I looked up and didn't see a raging beast about to rip off my head, but a beast with torn, fading limbs flickering like a dying flame of purple poison.

"Impossible," Zoganoth said, his breath ragged, his face paler than it was before. "H-how did you stop that attack?"

Madelyn held up her sword, her face covered in sweat. "Hoshizora no ha is a deep void that takes the shape of a sword," Madelyn explained. "Anything that it touches will be destroyed."

Madelyn rushed forward, her sword brought back as she moved with blinding speed. In a split second, she was right in front of Zoganoth, and without hesitation, she sliced her sword vertically through Zoganoth's stomach.

The blade was almost like a black hole, swallowing the demon's body as it approached. Madelyn brought back her sword, and as she did, I could see Zoganoth fall to the ground, but he was missing something. His whole upper half had separated from his lower half.

"Damn."

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