Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Not a Man, Not a Monster
The cacophony of battle assaulted my senses as I gripped my sword with white-knuckled determination. Racing up to the main deck, I was met by two malevolent Squiblins, their daggers glinting wickedly, the tips oozing with lethal black venom. In a sweeping arc, I brought my sword to bear, cleaving through both of them in a single, fluid motion. Their lifeblood spattered across the deck, seeping into the timbers below.
The pandemonium escalated as Rudo plummeted from the upper deck, a Squiblin clinging to him like a parasite. As they hit the ground, the wolf-warrior's claws tore into the creature's back, eliciting a guttural scream of agony. Opol, meanwhile, launched a barrage of arcane missiles, picking off the descending Squiblins that clambered down the kraken's monstrous tentacles.
"What in the nine hells is happening?" Opol bellowed, back pressed against Rudo's as they fought in unison. "How did these bastards slip past our radar?" Another enemy met its demise as a bolt of eldritch energy pierced its skull.
With gritted teeth, I hacked through four more Squiblins, my blade a crimson whirlwind, before joining Rudo and Opol. "Where are the others?" I gasped, breathless from the relentless onslaught. But my comrades were too consumed by the carnage around them to spare a thought for the rest of our crew. The battle raged on, a dance of blood and steel, as we fought desperately to reclaim the Crimson Lady.
The three of us carved a bloody path through the relentless tide of Squiblins, our weapons meting out merciless destruction. As we reached the upper deck, we found Drill and Rad locked in their own deadly struggle.
"'Bout time you lot showed up!" Drill roared, hefting his gargantuan hammer aloft. The unlikely duo of the ogre and the goblin made for a fearsome pair: Drill's brute strength and Rad's cunning employed in lethal harmony. As the hammer fell, it obliterated Squiblins beneath its crushing weight, while Rad hurled his grenades with pinpoint accuracy, sending foes hurtling through the air. We joined the fray, my sword thirstily drinking the lifeblood of all who dared cross my path. The ruby ring upon my finger sang with dark delight as souls were harvested in its name.
"Body bomb!" a voice bellowed from the rigging above, and moments later, Petre plummeted, his sturdy form slamming into a cluster of Squiblins. "Apologies, lads," he said sheepishly, "I must've dozed off up there."
A piercing shriek rent the air, and the remaining Squiblins retreated to the massive tentacles of their monstrous master. A tall, sinister figure descended from one of the writhing limbs, clad in armor that seemed to be a fusion of living organism and cold metal. Its white and pink hues pulsed, as if the armor itself breathed. The figure's nightmarish helm bore the visage of a twisted squid, tendrils writhing about its sides.
As it issued a bone-chilling scream, the figure drew forth a demonic sword from its maw, the blade dripping with vile ooze. We braced ourselves for the battle that loomed, knowing that our very survival hinged upon the outcome of this dire confrontation.
Our eyes locked onto the grotesque figure before us, its body writhing unnaturally with every movement, sword clutched in a sinister grasp. "Zzrt Grrzz," it growled in a tongue foreign to us as it approached with predatory intent.
"What in the seven hells is that thing?" Rudo snarled, his claws bared and bristling with aggression.
"Numas the Dreaded," Petre breathed, terror etched upon his visage. "A commander of the Dreadborn, loathsome creatures that sow chaos and destruction. Legends tell of the Dreadborn annihilating entire civilizations."
"Well, to hell with him!" Rad cried, hurling a grenade at the monstrosity. Numas effortlessly caught the explosive, scrutinizing it with malevolent curiosity before swallowing it whole, his twisted grin widening. In an instant, he seemed to teleport, dashing before Rad and delivering a gut-wrenching punch that left our comrade crumpled and unconscious.
"Damn you!" Drill bellowed, charging at Numas with his massive shoulder. Despite the impact, Numas stood unmoved, his ghastly sword slashing toward Drill's neck. Only Petre's sudden intervention, barreling into the abomination, saved Drill from certain death.
Opol, seizing the opportunity, unloaded round after round into Numas' chest, but the bullets failed to pierce his unnatural armor. Rudo leapt through the air, claws slashing at Numas' back. The creature roared, sending Petre careening into the ship's side with brutal force. With one hand, he snatched Rudo by the neck and slammed him into the wooden deck, splinters flying. His vile sword plunged into Drill's leg, and blood gushed forth as he collapsed, howling in agony.
Numas knelt over Drill, a malevolent grin stretching across his monstrous visage. He commenced a savage barrage of blows, each strike more brutal than the last, pummeling Drill's head into the unforgiving deck. I could not stand idly by as my comrade suffered. With a primal scream, I charged, leaping into the air, my sword slicing through Numas' arm. Black ichor erupted from the severed limb, and the creature snarled in rage.
Incredibly, Numas picked up the severed arm and reattached it, as though it were a mere inconvenience. My heart raced, and dread clawed at me as he fixed his malevolent gaze upon me. The abomination lunged, his sword slashing and stabbing with terrifying precision, aimed at my most vulnerable spots. I dodged and weaved, countering every attack I could, but Numas' agility was unparalleled. Each strike I delivered was parried or blocked, as though he could anticipate my every move.
"Curse you!" I roared, ducking under a vicious swipe and attempting a devastating slash at his midsection. Numas evaded my attack and plunged his sword into my shoulder, searing pain coursing through my arm, forcing me to relinquish my weapon. His blade then found my thigh, and I screamed as the agony overwhelmed me. The vile creature withdrew his sword slowly, the burning ooze seeping into my wounds as I collapsed to the ground, Numas looming over me, his fetid drool dripping onto my bloodied face.
An inexplicable laughter bubbled up within me, beginning as a giggle and escalating into hysterics. "You filthy rat," I spat defiantly into Numas' hideous countenance. He raised his sword, poised to deliver the final, fatal blow to my chest.
As I lay there, resigned to the death I had long desired, I felt an enigmatic energy fill the air. Time seemed to slow, and I could almost perceive the very essence of life as it danced through the atmosphere. Abruptly, the captain's quarters door burst open, and a brilliant green glow spilled forth, momentarily blinding both Numas and me.
Slow, deliberate footsteps creaked upon the wooden deck, and a tall figure appeared, shrouded in a radiant emerald aura. He was clad in a long blue coat adorned with gold buttons and intricate stitching, mysterious symbols etched on his black gloves, and the captain's pirate hat atop his head. "Darby?" I whispered, my voice trembling from the pain of my injuries.
The figure tilted his head, lifting his face to reveal, to my horror, not the visage of Darby I knew, but a grinning skull with gleaming golden teeth. Yet, the same black hair I remembered cascaded from the top of his head. "You boys done got your asses kicked?" the skeletal figure laughed, his otherworldly voice echoing into the cosmos.
"Darby?" I struggled to comprehend the terrifying transformation before me. "Numas the Dreadborn, I presume?" Darby's voice took on a sinister tone. "Darby the Saint, at your service. I've been looking forward to our meeting."
Numas snarled as it shifted its attention to Darby, yet within moments, the creature's menacing grin returned, its focus once more on me. Raising its sword, Numas drove it downward toward my chest. However, a thunderous blast reverberated through the decks, a bullet ripping into Numas's shoulder and hurtling the monster against a mast. Black blood seeped from the wound, where the bullet had pierced Numas's armor, and a green glow emanated from the injury.
Darby stood, an immense golden revolver in hand, smoke trailing from the barrel. He had fired the shot that struck Numas. "Now, now, your fight is with me," Darby smirked. "Oh, I see you have a sword? Don't mind if I do, guns are no fun." With a laugh, Darby opened his mouth and drew forth a magnificent sword. Its golden blade shimmered with the same emerald aura, mystic stones embedded within its hilt, which was wrapped in crimson cloth.
Numas rose, unleashing a furious shriek before charging at Darby, who remained nonchalant. The monster lunged and slashed, attempting to outmaneuver Darby and find a weak point in his defenses. But Darby was too swift, effortlessly evading each attack as if he anticipated every move. He laughed maniacally, echoing into the infinite cosmos as Numas faltered.
"My, my, you are quite a bore," Darby shrugged, unimpressed. "Here, let me help you with that." With a sly grin, Darby strode directly into the path of Numas's plunging blade. The sword impaled Darby's abdomen, yet his skull face remained smirking. For the first time, Numas experienced true fear as Darby stepped closer, the sword still embedded within him. "Do you get it now?" Darby asked, closing the distance even further. "You can't kill me. No one can. He won't let me die." His voice tinged with pity, Darby stared Numas down, blade still buried in his stomach.
Reaching up with both hands, Darby grasped Numas's head and began whispering an arcane incantation. Numas writhed and screeched, unable to escape Darby's vice-like grip. The green aura swelled, enveloping Numas's head and body. "Death's Dance," Darby murmured as Numas's form detonated into countless particles, scattering into the cosmos. A deafening siren erupted from the colossal squid that had borne the Squiblins and Numas. It detached from the ship, attempting to flee the confrontation.
Darby's grin broadened as he brandished the golden revolver. Its elaborate engravings and mystical aura lent a palpable heaviness to the air. Aiming at the retreating squid, Darby murmured another incantation, his voice cool and eerie, sending shivers down my spine. "Devil's Blast," he intoned.
As he fired, a brilliant green light burst from the pistol, expanding as it hurtled toward the squid. The glow coalesced into the spectral visage of the Grim Reaper, its scythe gleaming with malevolent intent. The ethereal figure slashed its gargantuan weapon through the squid, cleaving it in twain. The colossal creature erupted in a fiery explosion, its remains scattering across the cosmos.
"Now, now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Darby laughed into the infinite darkness.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone