Masks Of False Immortality

Havel was the first to move, aiming straight at the lion's left side with a series of quick punches. He struck with all the strength he could muster without strengthening his body through mana. His fist hissed through the air before slamming into the creature's thick fur, causing no real damage or moving it an inch. The shot ricocheted as if it had hit rock.

Immediately afterwards, Ada launched into a direct lunge, trying to hit the lion's back with a kick. Her foot became enveloped in a slim trail of mana light as she tried to concentrate. The impact rang out with a sharp crack, but the creature tilted its back slightly, more annoyed than hurt.

The beast looked at them, a glint of derision in his eyes. He darted towards them in a swift and deadly motion. Rutia's daughter rolled to the side, narrowly escaping a deadly blow from the claws. Havel, however, doubled over, narrowly avoiding the sharp teeth that snapped towards his neck.

Without hesitation, the boy exploited the opening and, with a leap forward, struck the lion again, aiming for its throat with a violent hook. This time the blow made a slight impact, pushing the creature's head back just a little. 

Even though they hadn't been hurt yet, the Equinox Flowers didn't feel safe at all. The feline didn't even seem to be focused on them.

Ada got up and threw herself back into the fray, joining Sidal's son. Together they attempted to coordinate the assault, alternating punches and kicks towards the lion's massive body. Every shot hit, but none managed to dent the target. The creature moved with an agility far from the typical movements of an animal creature, almost like a shadow that moves just to dodge, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The lion leapt to the side and lowered his body into an attack position. His eyes glinted with mischief as a deep growl rumbled from his throat. He snapped a paw at Ada with lightning speed. She threw herself backwards to escape him. She rolled backwards to push the beast forward in an attempt to reach her, thus unbalancing its position.

Havel lunged forward again, his left fist, the only one still intact, empowered by the mana flowing through the silver vessels. He aimed at the lion's chest, looking for a weak spot. The impact rang out forcefully and the lion staggered. 

The two demigods, however, did not claim victory. The lion was not hurt or scared, on the contrary, his gaze was illuminated by a cold satisfaction.

He roared and began to laugh loudly, turning his head towards them with an air of total superiority. 

"You have heart, I admit it. But it's useless."

The lion moved with impressive speed. Havel, still in a defensive position, had no time to react before the creature's massive paw struck him violently. The impact was devastating, the demigod was thrown across the room like a bullet, crashing against the wall with a thud. His body collapsed to the ground, his breathing ragged and labored. The pain spread like an unbearable heat wave. 

"Havel!" Ada shouted.

It couldn't have ended that way, her hero couldn't have been defeated. She wanted to reach him, but a large problem prevented her from doing it.

"Where are you going, panther?" Nadim growled derisively.

The leader of the Equinox Flowers blinked. His body was crouched on the ground, motionless. He could barely hear and had trouble focusing, but he knew he couldn't stay down. He had to get up.

As soon as he forced himself to move his arms, a pang shot through his chest and forced him to double over, only to receive a second excruciating warning.

The 'berserker resilience' was still active, which was the only reason the crash hadn't killed him. He probably had a broken rib, maybe more than one. His right arm was even worse.

Fighting was practically impossible.

He did his best to turn around and check on his partner's situation. Ruthia's daughter had been knocked down, her body trapped beneath the lion's mighty paw. The pressure on her chest immobilized her, forcing the breath from her lungs. She tried to squirm or breathe. The hands first scratched the ground, then the nails were dug into the enemy's limb, but the lion's strength was overwhelming. She felt her breath hitch, the familiar fear rising from her throat. The same terror she had felt when the creature had threatened to devour her the first time. She was trembling, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that it mixed with the pressure applied by Nadim.

It was over, she had tried.

The lion was too powerful for them and she had an indomitable fear of him. There was no point in denying it. She was scared, she didn't want to die. She was afraid of death.

But suddenly, the image of the Equinox Flowers flashed in her mind. She thought of Havel, still lying on the cold, dark floor, a glimpse of thought went to their companions also. To Shirei who had sacrificed himself and to Elaine still at the Lilies Park. 

She couldn't allow herself to be overcome by fear. 

She was no longer the same scared and helpless girl she once was.

If they died, she would accept it with pride, like the warrior she had become. A worthy daughter of Rutia. 

She tried to contort her body with every ounce of strength she had inside.

The lion, surprised by her resistance, let out a roar. His jaws opened in a cruel grin as he lowered his head, bringing his golden eyes closer to Ada's face. The shadow of its jaws covered the girl's body, the beast's breath warmed her skin.

"The time has come to put an end to this game. The hunt lasted a long time, I feel satisfied," he whispered, reminding her of their farewell, when she had been on the verge of being devoured.

Ada felt her heart accelerate, but instead of freezing in fear, she found the courage waiting for her within her divine core. She would have fought to the end, regardless of what the result would have been. The darkness began to move towards her in an attempt to help her, taking the form of a panther. 

It was late, she wouldn't be able to make it in time, but that was all he had.

At that moment, a flash of crimson rent the air.

Havel, with a cry of pure determination, had risen and sprinted towards the lion. His body trembled with the effort, but his eyes were fixed on the creature. He had concentrated every last bit of mana he had left in his left arm, allowing the energy to flow like a searing current. His skin had lit up with a red glow far greater than the common 'crimson meteor' used by the sons of Sidal.

With a lightning bolt, Havel had leapt into the air and brought his fiery fist back directly in front of the lion's flank. 

The impact was devastating. 

The great 'crimson meteor' exploded against the creature's body with a deafening roar, and a violent shock wave spread throughout the room, shaking the foundations of the hospital itself

Nadim roared in pain as the crimson particles enveloped his body. He stepped back forcefully and released his hold on Ada.

"Curse you!" he shouted angrily.

Rutia's daughter slowly got up, her labored breathing didn't seem to bother her too much. She had seen it, the lion was not invincible. She was no longer afraid. 

Without wasting a moment, she concentrated every drop of energy in her body and activated the technique she had glimpsed inside her divine path.

Pure darkness began to flow over her hands, enveloping them like black smoke that billowed almost alive. The power seemed cold and slimy, but at the same time kind and accommodating. 

Despite having no weapons, Ada assumed a martial arts stance, bending her knees and bringing her hands in front of her, ready to attack.

The lion watched the change, breathing heavily. Havel's blow had hurt him more than he wanted to let on. His feline figure had vanished, now only half of his body was still covered in darkness. His "armor" was incomplete and danced across the surface of his body as he attempted to recompose himself. His arms were still those of a lion, as were his jaws. He still had the lion's tail and part of his leg, everything else was in humanoid form. His golden eyes no longer sparkled with amusement, he was furious. His gaze shifted to Havel, whose breathing was heavy and his body trembled with effort. The blue stains had also covered his left arm. They were much more intense than the other limb, a sign of the severe hychorrhagia in progress.

"You also sacrificed your second arm, son of Sidal, what do you plan to do now?" the lion growled, his voice angry. 

Havel looked down at his arms, now almost useless, covered in those blue spots that throbbed with pain. Each movement caused a sharp pang, but the demigod raised his chin with a cheeky smile.

"If I can't use my arms... I'll headbutt you" replied the boy trying to mask the pain, his gaze was full of challenge.

"Enough. Now I'm going to kill you both for real."

Without the need for words, the two demigods exchanged a knowing look. That was the decisive moment.

With a cry, they both threw themselves at the lion, Ada with her fists shrouded in darkness and Havel with the strength of pure courage.

Nadim immediately opened both his jaws and his claws, ready to tear apart the bodies of the demigods. Sidal's son, now limited by his arms that had become almost useless, jumped back. His feet slipped on the ground to avoid being hit, just to avoid losing his balance. Every voluntary muscle tensed as he tried to gain space, the darkness of the hallway trying to prevent his survival.

Meanwhile, following the same plan as before, Ada jumped forward and took advantage of the lion's attack against her companion. With a quick swing of her arm, she clenched her fists shrouded in darkness and tried to strike at Nadim, but the lion swerved nimbly aside, dodging the attack. It was in that moment that the unexpected happened for others, but a simple and real manifestation of what Ada had seen on her divine path. The movement of the demigoddess's fist left a trail, and the darkness that surrounded it condensed into a blade of mana directed towards the enemy.

The shadow blade sliced ​​through the air like a scythe, cutting through space with lightning speed and striking Nadim in the arm with deadly precision. A deep, clean cut opened on the beast's body and, in an instant, the lion's arm was severed, falling to the ground with a thud. The fallen limb was shrouded in darkness, still spasming, as black blood dripped onto the floor.

"No!"

Nadim let out a cry of pain that turned into a deafening growl, so powerful that the sound wave knocked both demigods to the ground, just by the sheer force of his voice. The lion, now mad and furious, grabbed the amputated arm with his only hand, holding it tightly against his body. 

His face was a mask of anger and desperation.

"Your life ends here. Now."

The sound of his heavy footsteps filled the air as he began to walk slowly towards Ada and Havel, still sprawled on the ground. 

Dark blood dripped from his mutilated arm, but the lion didn't seem willing to stop. The two Equinox Flowers exchanged a look, both aware that their end was near. 

"That's okay… thanks" Ada mimicked with her lips.

No escape route, no hope of stopping that furious monster. They had done their best to survive, but their life as demigods was about to come to an end in the most natural way possible: killed by a monster.

But just as Nadim was about to reach them, his march came to an abrupt halt. The dark hallway that surrounded him, the thick fog of pure darkness, began to crack. Small cracks of light suddenly appeared along the surface of that darkness and, in an instant, the entire place exploded into a thousand fragments, like broken glass.

The lion stopped, for the first time his face showed an emotion that Ada had never seen in him before. His golden eyes widened, filled with a new emotion: fear. Something, or maybe someone, was interfering. 

Nadim stood still, his senses alert. He could feel that entity, the same darkness he felt within himself, deeper, older, more dangerous.

The lion turned his head, staring at Ada and Havel.

"We'll meet again, panther," he hissed darkly. "Our hunt may be over, but the next time we see each other I'll have what I want... As long as that thing doesn't disintegrate you first, it's an hunter too powerful even for me."

The traveler took a step back, still uncertain. The darkness that enveloped him began to become denser, engulfing him in a black cocoon that, in a few moments, made his massive body disappear. 

Ada and Havel were alone.

The two demigods struggled to their feet, exchanging a tired and confused, but relieved look. The lion's disappearance had left an unnatural silence in the air. Both were exhausted, the pain could be read on Havel's face more than clearly. 

"What do you think he meant?" Sidal's son gasped.

"I have no idea..."

The two looked around in alarm, before exchanging a second glance.

"We did it..." Ada finally murmured, trying to catch her breath. She moved her hands to clear the darkness that still covered them, satisfied that she had managed to apply the new technique, although not on the edge of a blade. 

Havel nodded, looking down at his arms, covered in pulsing blue spots. 

Suddenly, the entire hospital began to shake violently, as if shaken by an earthquake. The dull sound of cracks opening in the ceiling above them filled the altar room, as huge chunks of masonry fell around them. Havel glanced at the columns, doubtful whether they would hold. 

The walls vibrated under the force of the tremor and the entire structure seemed to be on the verge of giving way at any moment.

«Damn monsters… This place is falling apart!» Havel shouted, looking in the direction of the exit.

Ada was about to answer when a ghostly figure appeared before them, a boy with peculiar purple eyes.

Shirei emerged from the Interworld still surrounded by an ethereal aura. He appeared calm, as if he had not been affected by the enormous amount of blood that smeared his clothes.

"You're alive," he commented, without hiding his relief. "I did it as quickly as possible."

"Damn, Purple… I thought you were dead!"

"Shirei!" Ada exclaimed, surprised by his sudden appearance, "How…?"

"There is no time to explain," Cragar's son interrupted, watching the cracks quickly expand above them. "The anchor was destroyed. We have to get out of here, otherwise the rift will collapse on itself, killing us."

Havel took a step forward, still shaken from the battle. 

"Can you use your powers now?"

Shirei nodded with a confident look, "Like I said, I'll explain everything later. I'm getting you out of here."

Another boom filled the room, and pieces of the ceiling began to fall around the demigods. Without further hesitation, the boy stretched out his hands towards his companions and prepared to guide them on a spectral journey out of that nightmare frozen in time.