I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

Raiden massaged his forehead, teeth clenched in agony. Before he could process his situation, instinct kicked in and he shot to his feet.

His eyes stayed clamped shut. He feared the illusion still held him, that one glimpse of light would send everything spiraling back to the beginning.

But he found it difficult to maintain. His senses were razor-sharp, and though his danger instincts stayed silent, he felt tremors rippling through the earth.

He mellowed his breathing as he tried to grasp his situation, guard still raised, taking measured steps backward.

He allowed the vibrations to thrum beneath him as he listened to the rapid cracking sounds in the distance. He gulped instinctively the moment he realized there were multiples of whatever he faced.

He considered his options. With his danger instincts still quiet, whatever he faced must be something he'd never regarded as a threat.

Had his comrades turned into mindless zombies? He shook his head at the thought. If so, his danger sense would have activated regardless, especially since he considered some of them foes rather than allies.

His eyelids quivered as he battled the urge to look, goosebumps racing across his pale flesh. A single misstep could mean death.

However, while he remained motionless, second-guessing his entire ideology, hollow laughter drifted through the air.

The sound was sharp and hollow, stripped of humor and enthusiasm, yet loud enough to shake Raiden's core as his body shivered in panic.

His eyes shot open as he turned toward the sound. Confusion crossed his face as he took in his surroundings: dead trees with roots that beat against the ground and branches that stretched like desperate hands.

In the direction of the sound, a cluster of trees stood in a circle around something, while others uprooted themselves and walked toward Raiden.

The cloudy skies were unchanged from where Raiden had escaped, lightning flashing cloud to cloud, thunderous sounds rumbling through the heavens.

Off to his right, the haunted mansion loomed as distant as ever, the moon resting like a pale disc behind its silhouette.

Raiden understood instantly. Whoever was surrounded by those trees was a comrade who had fallen for the Lost Child's tricks. They were being tortured proudly, completely unaware due to the manipulation.

Raiden squinted with burning intensity, his course of action suddenly clear. "I guess I'll have to cut through these trees then."

He outstretched his hand and summoned a sword of darkness. He waited for the trees to close in as his blade glowed with smoky shadows, wreathed in burning darkness.

The instant a tree entered his range, he lunged forward. With swift precision, the tree collapsed into neatly severed pieces.

He drew a deep breath as the first tree crashed down, then surged toward the next. The sword felt alive in his grip—gentle yet responsive, weightless in his hands.

This revelation deepened his connection to the darkness itself. For the first time, the blade felt like an extension of his very being, responding to his thoughts as naturally as darkness bends to shadow.

His feet drummed against the darkness beneath as he moved between the trees. One by one, without effort, they were sliced into pieces and crashed to the forest floor.

Within moments, countless trees lay as splintered wood across the forest floor, leaving only the circle that had surrounded his comrade.

He stood motionless, his spiky white hair dancing with the wind. He weighed his options for rescuing his comrade without harm.

He didn't know what the trees were doing to them, but chopping them down like the others would probably injure his ally in the process.

As he stood watching the swarming trees, he waited for any gap that might show him what was happening in their midst.

After watching the trees avoid his presence entirely for a moment, he realized he had no choice but to step inside their circle.

He tightened his grip on the shadowy sword's hilt and inhaled deeply. In a flash, he materialized behind a tree and cleaved it in two.

As the tree crashed down, he saw that others still blocked his view of what was happening inside. However, observing how all their branches reached toward the middle, he got a glimpse of what lay within.

Another tree struck at him, but he cut it to pieces before the attack connected.

As it crashed down, Raiden immediately turned on the others, slashing without pause. He wasn't completely certain, but killing the trees seemed like the only solution.

After several minutes of relentless fighting, Raiden panted heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. Before him lay his comrade, completely entangled in twisted vines.

Raiden rolled his sore shoulders, massaging them as he debated whether he could fashion a blade small enough to slice through the vines without harm.

He studied his smoky sword, recalling how much it had taken out of him to create it. But cutting the vines with something so powerful could hurt his comrade.

He let go of the sword, and it dissolved into shadow. Raiden closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the simplest dagger possible.

Uneasiness crept in as he felt nothing materializing in his grip. Just as doubt began to take hold, something formed in his palm. His eyes snapped open to find his fingers wrapped around a small dagger's hilt.

He rushed to the vines immediately, praying that whoever was trapped still lived. Layer by layer, he cut through the binding growth. His heart dropped when he saw the face beneath—Leo, an unsettling smile frozen on his lips, eyes shut tight.

Vines coiled around Leo's neck while others bound his arms to his sides and pinned his legs together. Raiden worked frantically, slicing through every vine before pressing fingers to Leo's throat to check for life.

Relief flooded through him when he felt Leo's pulse. But empathy quickly followed—knowing Leo's nature, Raiden knew he'd blame himself for his capture once he woke up.

Still, he knew their dire situation left no room for such feelings. He started tapping Leo's face firmly, shouting his name to pull him from unconsciousness.

But then the ground began shaking violently, bouncing them both upward with each tremor. The violent motion jolted Leo's eyes open, and he immediately reached for his bruised neck.

But Raiden was looking elsewhere, staring toward the mansion in search of what was causing the ground to shake. Before long, he saw an intense explosion of dark aura descending upon them.

Raiden swallowed hard, transfixed by the sight, while Leo turned his gaze toward the source of the disturbance.

A massive dark aura erupted skyward with violent force, blending seamlessly with the storm clouds until they were indistinguishable.

The aura radiated pure hatred and rage, each pulse making them feel its malevolent intent. Raiden recognized the presence instantly.

"Soul…"