บท 9: Dauntless
In the Siberian Wilderness, thousands of the Damned are piled up in a mountain of corpses. Sitting on the top of it and smoking a cigar was none other than Liam Brooks. His short black hair and face were covered in blood, his Keton suit was completely torn and destroyed revealing his muscular build.
The Russian Hunters and Military who did not participate in the battle under the orders of Liam Brooks were in awe and fear since a disaster that could've possibly killed all of them and put Russia to ruin was taken care of by one single person.
"Commander Pavel, have you arranged everything I asked of you?" Liam said as he puffs a smoke from his cigar.
"Yes, we are only waiting for you."
"Very good, let us go to New York. I have matters to attend to immediately."
***
In a barren, dark, and empty place, Kit finds himself standing. He sees a white orb of light not far from him and proceeded to walk towards it. As he reaches the orb, it slowly turned red like his eyes.
"Kit Templeton, I have been wanting to meet you for a long time now." The orb spoke.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Kit responded to the orb in a confused manner.
"I was a King of Sparta, Leonidas I and this place you are in is a place detached from reality, the realm of dreams."
"The King Leonidas who led the 300 in Thermopylae??? What am I doing here?" What do you want from me?"
"Kit Templeton, you are my incarnation."
"Incarnation? But I am just a white star hunter. The weakest of the weak."
"There are two reasons why you are weak Kit. The first one is, you don't have a single ounce of my power and seco...." The orb said as he was abruptly interrupted.
"I'm an incarnation that doesn't have the power of an incarnation? Is that why I was weak my entire life?" Kit said as he is annoyed and confused.
"Kit, you didn't really need my power to become strong. To become extraordinary, you do but to be strong. You must never accept that you are weak which you failed to do in your entire miserable life."
Hearing the words of the orb, Kit was infuriated but he couldn't say anything back because he realized that everything the orb said was the truth.
"How can I become strong?" Kit asked the orb.
"I can't give you an answer Kit. It's up to you to find your strength."
Suddenly, the realm of dreams began to destabilize.
"We don't have much time, enter the gate you encountered earlier and announce yourself as the King in the Hall. In there you shall receive my power."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
Kit suddenly wakes up in the clinic, in front of her was a worried Maddie and the nurse of the devastators, Charlotte.
"Brother, you're awake. I thought that you were going to die." Maddie said as tears fell down her eyes.
"Your heart rate drastically increased, we actually thought that you may possibly die." Charlotte said.
Kit was silent, he only looked at Maddie who was crying beside him. Then realization hits him, the orb was wrong about one thing, when it came to protecting Maddie, he was strong. Hell, he would even sacrifice the world if it meant saving Maddie.
"I'm sorry for making you worry Maddie, I'm okay now so stop crying, okay?" Kit said in a weak and gentle voice.
The door of the clinic opens, Donna and Johnson who were carrying food enters and sees Kit finally awake.
"KIT! you're finally awake. You bastard don't ever make us worry again okay." Donna said in a cheerful voice.
"How long was I asleep?"
"It's been exactly 23 hours." Johnson said
"How about the gate? Has it been closed?"
"Unfortunately, the gate is still open and none of the hunters who have went in have made it back. Even the scout teams who were sent to find them."
"Take me to the gate now. I'm feeling a connection to it. I may know of a way to close it."
Hearing the words of Kit, everybody was surprised and shocked.
***
Hours earlier after the double doors was closed by Victoria in the gate, Isabella Beaumont engaged the Corrupted Spartan army in battle. She was quick, fierce, and deadly. With one slash of her light coated silver rapier, several of the Corrupted would fall. Even their shields proved to be useless for her.
They were not a difficult adversary to fight, but they were extremely difficult to put down permanently. Due to their regeneration, it was only a matter of time before Isabella exhausts all of her energy and mana.
But then she saw something, it was just a glimpse, but she saw a dark ball from one of the regenerating soldiers. Without any hesitation, she rushed towards that soldier and attacked it countless of times until she destroys the ball, but as soon as she does, it exploded. The explosion was powerful that the double doors budged and the noise it made was heard by all the hunters in the hallway.
There were grim looks on the faces of the hunters. Uncertain of Isabella's fate inside, Victoria quickly rushed towards the doors to open it, but it wasn't opening. Even with her full strength and with the help of the other yellow stars, the door wouldn't open.
Realizing the situation, all they could do was hope. Hope that Isabella comes out triumphantly.
Inside the hall, Isabella was caught off guard by the explosion and was blasted away. The budge on the double door was actually her getting blown there. Sensing the others on the other side, she enchanted the door with her magic making it so that no one can enter or exit.
As the dust from the explosion settles down, the soldier that she attacked didn't regenerate. This puts a small smile on her face covered with blood as she finally discovers their weakness. Due to this, the Corrupted and Malevolent Spartans fought more fiercely and defensively.
The Malevolents took the vanguard and fought her simultaneously, but they were no match for her. When they attacked, Isabella either dodges or parries. When they defend, they get mercilessly slashed and even if they dodge, her rapier follows them.
Isabella maybe strong and extremely skilled, but even for her, dodging and blocking the attacks of all the enemies proved to be impossible. She had cuts and wounds all over her body. Despite that, it still didn't stop her or diminish her ability to fight.
***
It's been 23 hours since the gate opened and 17 hours since the Devastators entered the gate. Kit, Maddie, Donna, and Johnson were all in front of the gate. It was subtle but Kit felt something attracting him to the gate.
Slowly, Kit walks towards the gate. He was nervous and was sweating bullets all over. As soon as he was about to enter, up in the sky a private jet (Ilyushin Il-96 VIP) was seen flying up in the skies of New York City.
This caught the attention of everybody, it was hard to see but some of the people there saw something come out of the plane descending from the sky at an alarming speed. Clearly seeing it, Johnson felt weak in the knees, he felt paralyzed, he felt like he was about to faint.
As it got nearer and nearer, it became evident that it was Liam Brooks who fell from the plane. Using his magic, he landed in front of the gate with grace and finesse.
"Johnson, you're here too. Give me a quick report of what happened here."
Johnson explained everything to Liam in perfect detail. He told him that none of the scouting parties that were sent to find the expedition led by Isabella have returned. He also explained as to why he brought Kit Templeton to the gate and his reasons for wanting to enter it.
"I see, very well. Contact all the nearby and available Hunters even if they're not from the Devastators and tell them to prepare for an opened S class gate."
"Yes sir!"
"And as for you Kit, I'm not gonna stop you from going in because you look like a stubborn type and I hate to deal with those people, but you need to know that I cannot guarantee your safety inside the gate." Liam said in a serious tone.
"I know, I am prepared for the worst-case scenario." Kit said resolutely.
Maddie and Donna hugged Kit before he enters the gate. Both of them tries to convince Kit not to go, but as Liam said, he was stubborn as hell. He's completely made up his mind to go in.
"I promise the both of you that I'll come back." Kit said as he and Liam enters the gate.
***
Inside the gate, they immediately saw the everyone. The hunters who were severely wounded, the scouting parties, and the numerous deceased who were covered in white cloth. Everyone gathered near the gate as instructed by Victoria.
Seeing this, Liam's expression changes. Kit could feel the rage building up inside Liam.
Victoria who saw Liam immediately went to him and personally ask for his help.
Victoria told Liam everything with a worried look on her face. She told him that they cannot get out of the gate due to an invisible barrier blocking them. She also told him that Isabella was fighting nonstop for 17 hours and that explosions would be heard and felt from the room from time to time.
Hearing this, Liam quickly ran towards the double doors. With the built-up momentum from running, he viciously kicked the double doors which was instantly destroyed. Liam saw the destroyed bodies of the Corrupted Spartans.
Standing Valiantly in front of those bodies, was Isabella Beaumont with her rapier turned crimson, her face covered in blood, her body full of cuts and wounds with part of her clothes ripped and torn and yet despite all of the damage she has taken, she falters not and proudly stands in the face of the two remaining Malevolents.
"That goddamn back of hers." Liam said in a casual tone as his worries dissipated.
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