NOVEL NEXT XXXVII. Spiritual Hecatomb
Awakened Lacerbus: EMBRACE YOUR FINAL REST.
Through the cracks in the room's walls, viscous tar began pouring in. It bubbled and moved unnaturally, as though it possessed a malevolent sentience. The very ground beneath their feet dissolved, surrendering to the relentless advance of a growing black puddle.
Ballo: Drats...!
In a frantic gesture, Ballo clutched Virno's wrist, his fingers tracing intricate patterns as he chanted an incantation. Gravity seemed to bend to his will, lifting both of them upward. Some of the tar clung to their boots, dissolving noticeable chunks, but it hadn't yet touched their flesh. As they ascended, it gradually dissipated.
Virno: How can we even hope to hurt this thing...?!
Ballo cast a serious look at Virno.
Ballo: Hope...? We cannot. These beings aren't meant to be hurt. We must cast aside all hope and make it our will to prevail. We are hurting it. Let go of doubt and focus on the how. How will we hurt it?
As the room filled with the black, living liquid, Ballo scoured his mind for a strategy. Lacerbus, seemingly in control of the tar, observed with an eerie detachment.
Awakened Lacerbus: I KNOW YOUR SUFFERING. LET GO... LET THE BLACK TIDE WASH IT AWAY.
Ballo casts a sphere of grey energy around one of Lacerbus' arms. He then collapses the sphere onto itself, causing visible distortion to Lacerbus' skin... But it had no meaningful effect. The limb was intact.
Awakened Lacerbus: FUTILE.
Sinister tendrils emerged from below, attempting to drag them down. Ballo managed to keep them at bay by creating a protective energy dome around himself and Virno. He summoned his ethereal rapier and guided it through the air as it spun around with deadly grace, severing the tendrils effortlessly. However, countless more emerged from the depths of the tar, far outnumbering Ballo's ability to cut them down.
Virno: How can I help...? What can I do?!
Ballo: What can you do, child?
Virno felt yet another surge of powerlessness. He tried to reach out to the only one he could at that moment...
Virno: You... You want me to free you, right? Well, I'm about to die here, and you'll remain trapped...
A laughter echoes inside his mind.
Disembodied Voice: What do I care...? Haven't you witnessed their power? Haven't you seen their resolve...? Die, von Virtus. Wither and rot. A new era is washing over this world... A time of dreadful, terrifying forces. They look for you... Because they look for me. They will come. They will set me free. You... You are of no use to me any longer!
The voice laughs again, slowly fading away and leaving Virno utterly disheartened...
Virno: No... No way...
Virno looked around at the hopeless scenario surrounding him. Ballo seemed to be trying every tool in his arsenal, but every attempt was thwarted by Lacerbus. The room had almost entirely transformed into a nightmarish sea of tar, with little room for maneuver.
Virno: Fuck...
Ballo ceased his attacks, his gaze shifting somberly towards Virno.
Ballo: This is on you, von Virtus...
Ballo abruptly terminated the levitation spell that had kept him afloat, plummeting into the ebony sea below.
Virno: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
The tar engulfed Ballo.
Awakened Lacerbus: CHILD OF THE MOON... CHILD OF THE SUN. WILL YOU CHOOSE TO BURN BRIGHT, ONLY TO EXTINGUISH YOUR LIGHT...?
Virno: Dammit... Stop speaking in riddles, you fuck!
Virno struggled to control his movements in mid-air, managing only a feeble sword throw towards Lacerbus. The blade attaches itself to the tar, but doesn't pierce the skin. It slowly sinks to the bottom of the room's floor.
Awakened Lacerbus: HE BURNS...! THESE WALLS BEAR WITNESS TO ANOTHER SACRIFICE!
Virno: What-
A blinding light erupted from below, searing through the tar, repelling it as if it were repulsed by the light's presence. White glowing rays extended into the room, incinerating the black liquid upon contact. The dark deluge began to recede, revealing Lacerbus struggling against the white radiance.
Awakened Lacerbus: WHY MUST YOU CHOOSE THE PATH OF GREATEST PAIN...?
The rays of light begin converging to a single point: Lacerbus. He uses his wings in an attempt to fly away, but some of the rays of light quickly target them, searing through the inky membranes. He was powerless against them. As the spell keeping Virno in the air began wearing off and he descended toward the ground, a voice could be heard from within the warm glow.
Ballo: Take my blade... Pierce its heart...
A radiant rapier, spinning with ethereal light, shot through the brilliant explosion, embedding itself in the wooden floor before Virno. It gleamed with an almost unbearable heat, causing Virno's skin to perspire even before he touched it.
Awakened Lacerbus: DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM... COME TO ME, CURSED CHILD... I WILL GRANT YOU PEACE.
Ignoring Lacerbus' beckoning, Virno moves toward the rapier. As he stretched out his hand, he could feel the heat begin to scorch his skin. His face contorts in pain, but his will was entirely deaf to it.
Awakened Lacerbus: YOU HURT SO MUCH... WHY... WHY MUST YOU HURT SO MUCH...
His hand grabs the hilt of the sword. His flesh begins sizzling, the pain was almost unbearable... Yet his arm pulls the sword from the ground effortlessly. It felt as light as a feather.
Ballo: The heart... Quickly...
The rays of light focus more intensely on Lacerbus' chest. He howls in agony, as the tar covering his flesh recoils from the searing light, revealing his pale, veiny skin underneath.
Awakened Lacerbus: NO... I CANNOT LET YOU ACHE... I CANNOT LEAVE YOU YET...
Lacerbus' voice trembled with profound sorrow. His monstrous visage contorted into an expression of pure despair, and black tears welled in his eyes. He seemed genuinely distraught at the notion that Virno and Ballo might survive.
Virno: Wherever you want to take me... I can't go yet. But you can. I will free you from your pain.
Virno thrusts the blade into the beast's chest. As it plunged deep, the creature's torso began to glow from the rapier's point of entry. In a blinding explosion of light, the entire room was bathed in white. Virno felt his skin burning, his insides dissolving under the searing heat... His screams of pain intertwined with those of Lacerbus for a brief moment. Then, all fell into darkness.