Kapitel 7: Full swing
But none of that matters now.
Lily swatted away another blade that threatened her neck. Her heart raced, and her blood boiled. Not even a second later, she ducked.
Why would this man resist so much?
Again, almost robotically, she shifted away from a downward slash.
Her movements were rigid and structured. Whenever an attack was coming, she would block with practiced finesse. Some say that rigidity is a flaw. Battle, which is ever-changing, should not be conformed to limited postures.
And yet…
Strike.
Lily smiled. This time she placed her weight on her back heel and clenched her left fist.
Instantly, her torso propelled forward, striking the incarnation in the chest. Her movement was flawless, and not an ounce of effort was wasted.
Who's to say that rigidity is a bad thing?
Like a phantom, a child appeared in front of her vision. He effortlessly twirled and slashed. Lily saw this and dodged…
Whack.
It was a feint.
In the end, she was the 'bad guy,' but the way this incarnation fought… Was she the beast, or was he?
This time, Lily was unable to dodge an attack. It pierced her side, and she tried to retaliate, but alas, the incarnation had already vanished. It was infuriating.
She knew her movements were flawless, but this insidious ability of her opponent was grating. Once before, she peered into the mind of the man that He was so fond of, and yet, all she could see was despair. His life, it was so…
"Why?" Lily cried, her voice twisted with madness. "Why do you resist? Just sleep, and all your suffering will ease!"
Why wouldn't he just sleep? Even after constructing the world of his imagination, he refused to sleep. Everything should have been exactly what this child- no, man should want!
This time, the incarnation blinked right in front of her. The child jumped and raised his leg high, a bundle of red aura concentrated at his heel.
Boom!
Each attack made the illusion of the forest shake. The trees turned a shade darker their bark began to crack, and the grass burst in ash as the two fought.
"Is it truth you seek?" Lily pleaded.
But her words met nothing but air. The incarnation's fury knew no mercy. He was lost in his own violent storm, his body a blur amongst his relentless attacks.
Finally, she understood. This man would not relinquish his mind, no matter how much she twisted reality, no matter how perfect the illusion, he would always escape her grasp. His spirit was unyielding. The one time she had finally made progress, he fragmented his mind into three beings, one of which she was fighting now. But why? What motivated him?
The kid's laughter rang out, mocking Lily and all her efforts. Even though He would be displeased… she could no longer stand it. She would withdraw her illusions and kill this man, and all of his incarnations this very day.
Lily prepared, planting her feet evenly. She raised her hand, and reality seemed to flicker…
She was done. Exhausted even, it had been a very tiring two years. She sighed and glanced at Him. He would probably be upset, but this situation needed a conclusion.
She waved her hand downwards and finally released the illusion. Her power returned.
---
My body had given up. Every nerve screamed in agony as spasms wracked my limbs. It was as if my muscles had turned against me, contorting painfully under the intense strain. I couldn't move. The headache that split my skull made it impossible to think clearly.
And then, as if mocking my pain, the ground beneath me began to wither. The once-vibrant grass shriveled, curling into dry, brittle husks.
The world was changing. The green forest around me faded, devoured by an encroaching nightmare of flesh. Each tree, save for the towering one I could only call Him, began to writhe unnaturally, as if alive.
Through my haze of pain, I forced myself to look ahead—to the battle. Kid was losing. His once-blinding speed faltered, and the witch, now radiating an otherworldly power, had twisted the very world around her. Her body fractured, multiplying into countless versions of herself. An army of them closed in on Kid, each one pulsing with the same dark energy.
Clenching my fists, I tried to crawl, dragging my useless body forward. I didn't understand what was happening, but I knew if I stayed here, I would die.
With a groan of exertion, I forced myself to stand, my legs trembling beneath me.
The earth shook violently, the trees towering taller, their fleshy bark groaning. I almost lost my footing again, but somehow, I stayed upright. I had to move. I had to escape.
"Keehuahaha!"
A sharp, devilish laugh pierced the air behind me.
It was Kid.
"Main body! Watch me—this is how we fight!"
I turned, shakily, barely able to hold myself upright.
Thousands of witches surrounded Kid, closing in like a flood.
But Kid didn't waver. A smile flickered across his face, and he whispered something I couldn't make out. Suddenly, a crimson mist erupted around him, a bloody fog that devoured the battlefield. It spread rapidly, engulfing the army of witches.
I strained to see through the dense red haze, but the fog obscured everything.
Minutes passed. The tension gripped my chest.
Through the bloody veil, flashes of light flickered—brief, sharp stabs of brightness that pierced the fog. Then, the clash of steel rang out, over and over, a cacophony of sound that reverberated through the trees. Each blow sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the ground beneath me.
I wanted to look away, to close my eyes and make it stop. But I couldn't. Something in me wouldn't allow it.
More minutes passed. Another earth-shaking crash thundered through the battlefield. The bloody fog quivered, thinning.
I held my breath.
As the red mist lifted, the battlefield became clearer. My heart pounded, and my breath caught in my throat.
And there, in the middle of the clearing, I saw it. A single hand, pierced through a child's body.
Kid's body.
The witch stood triumphant, surrounded by a sea of her fallen copies. Hundreds of them lay dead at her feet, their lifeless eyes staring into nothing.
Thump.
Kid's body crumpled to the ground, and with it, my heart sank.
But as I stared, unable to tear my eyes away, I saw something that sent a shiver down my spine.
Kid… he was smiling.
A smile so wide, so ecstatic, that it almost made me smile too.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Watch out! We're getting out of here!"
A man with ashen hair appeared, scooping me into his arms and whisking me away from the battlefield.
---
Inhale.
Eldest calmed his beating heart. Just as before, when he witnessed the end of the world—when he died—he felt the calmest he had ever felt. That same serenity washed over him now.
He had been a warrior his whole life.
Exhale.
A stream of water escaped with his breath, flowing in a steady spiral around him.
The flow. He needed the flow.
Eldest rose, his hand gripping the hilt of his massive sword.
Inhale.
The water thickened, coiling tighter, a living current that pulsed with each heartbeat. Droplets formed, hovering in the air like rain suspended in time.
All around him, the forest grew. The trees' branches stretched, reaching for the sky, their forms twisting unnaturally. The forest was alive, but no longer of this world.
Exhale.
A torrent of water surged from his body, expanding in rippling waves. It swirled outward, tracing invisible patterns in the air, and wherever it touched, the ground shimmered like the surface of a lake disturbed by wind.
The trees moved, not of their own will, but under the command of something darker. They were not trees at all—twisted, grotesque figures of flesh, their bark nothing more than the contorted faces of those who had succumbed. Eyes wide in terror, mouths frozen in silent screams.
Rustle.
The forest shifted. The thousand faces turned toward Eldest in unison.
Inhale.
Eldest crouched low, his stance firm. The water responded, boiling now, condensing into a single stream that coiled around his sword, its surface vibrating with lethal energy.
Without warning, the fleshy trees lunged toward him, their limbs crashing down like waves of death.
Exhale.
In a heartbeat, Eldest moved—his sword cut through the air in a silent arc. The water vanished, absorbed into the blade. For a breathless moment, all was still.
Then, one by one, the trees fell. Each trunk severed cleanly at the base, collapsing like brittle bones.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Eldest straightened, but the danger was far from over.
He looked up—thousands more twisted forms closed in, their approach suffocating, a living tide of corruption.
Inhale.
The water returned, a river of power gathering at his command. His fight had only just begun.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
LucianNoir
LucianNoir Hey guys. To any of you who actually read this, I ended up getting sick and I also had a surgery that I needed to schedule. I really wanted that seven day streak, but I couldn't meet it.
In any case, I spent more time on this chapter and was able to refine it alot as opposed to my previous chapters. I'm quite proud of it, I just hope you all will like it as well.
Anyways, Second action chapter and I think it was a good job. I mainly struggled with Eldest's slash at the end....
Comment! Tell me how to get better! please, and thankyou so much!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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