บท 29: Horror of the Immortal Flame
The clamor of swords rang throughout the Ashen Barrow as Pleiades and Nephis clashed.
Nephis was forced back by the strike and nearly stumbled.
Quickly regaining focus, she fixed her gaze on Pleiades. He looked calm and composed, gripping his sword tighter before dashing toward her again, his blade slicing through the air.
Anticipating his attack, Nephis attempted to redirect the strike so it would harmlessly pass by her, giving her the opportunity to land a solid punch under his chin.
But, unexpectedly, his strike was almost a full foot lower than she anticipated.
Unable to dodge in time, she felt his blade cut through her armor, leaving a deep gash in her leg.
She made no sound. Instead, using the fact that he was now below her, she brought her sword down in a powerful slash.
From this angle, she thought there was no way he could dodge.
To her shock, Pleiades easily weaved away from the attack. As he turned, he slashed at her stomach, drawing blood once more.
Nephis backed away, quickly assessing the situation.
'His movements are unpredictable, and he can switch places with inanimate objects—mine and Cassie's too, not just his own.'
He was a terrible matchup for her. His fighting style was both disorienting and utterly confusing. There was no discernible technique, yet he could perfectly dodge her attacks.
She took a deep breath, remaining calm, scanning her surroundings.
'One piece of metal and a branch. He can switch places with those two… but he can also use the sword. Most likely, he can switch places with that too.'
Her mind raced, her face tightening in frustration, while Pleiades stood there, observing her with an amused look in his eyes.
"You know…" he began, pausing as he noticed her shaking hands.
"I always wondered which one of us would win in a duel." He pointed his sword at her, letting out a small chuckle. "I guess I expected too much…"
'He's trying to provoke me,' she realized instantly.
She refused to let his words get to her, but there was still a lingering thought at the back of her mind.
'When did Sunny become so confident? And why does he have an accent?' She had been watching him closely since they arrived at the tree, and he had never acted this way before.
Could it be this wasn't even Sunny? Was he telling the truth—that the tree was influencing them? If so, why was he fighting her? Could it be...?
A small smile crept onto her face, one that even caused Pleiades to widen his eyes slightly.
'Could it be that he just wanted to fight me—and now he has a reason to?'
Pointing her sword at him, she scoffed. 'I'll play along.'
"Underestimating me is a mistake. I'll show you the true horror of the Immortal Flame." Ensuring there was nothing behind her he could switch places with, she prepared to attack.
Pleiades looked momentarily confused, but then a menacing smile spread across his face.
"Lovely" he said softly. With a quick dash, he rushed toward her, not using any special technique—just a raw, unprepared charge.
'It's like he didn't even follow my training,' she thought, disappointed.
She met him head-on, their blades clashing. This time, she didn't try to predict him or employ her techniques.
She simply attacked him with a straightforward slash.
Pleiades, unfazed, retracted his sword and aimed another strike. Nephis parried, holding her sword close to her chest before attempting to pierce his heart.
Pleiades dropped his sword to the ground and somersaulted, kicking the blade away with his legs.
Nephis immediately pursued the now unarmed Pleiades, raising her sword for an overhead slash.
But just as she was about to bring it down, Pleiades rushed toward her, catching the blade in his left hand.
With a mad gleam in his eyes, Pleiades stood face to face with her. She could feel his breath on her skin, and it made her nervous.
'How did he catch it? The sword should have sliced through his hand with ease.'
Pleiades laughed. With his right hand, he delivered a vicious uppercut, sending Nephis flying a meter into the air.
She managed to land on her feet but stumbled, coughing up blood. The pain followed shortly after—she knew she was bleeding internally, but she stood up regardless.
Her eyes followed Pleiades as he leisurely approached his sword and picked it up with his right hand.
'At least I've put one of his hands out of commission,' she thought. Struggling to her feet, she gasped for air.
Pleiades looked at her pitifully, almost with a hint of sadness.
"You said horror, right? I'm not feeling very scared, you know?" He approached her and glanced down. "Oh, you're bleeding. Need time to heal? I can wait."
Gritting her teeth, white sparks ignited in Nephis' eyes.
Pale white flames enveloped her lower half, and soon her wounds were healed. But the healing took its toll—she was paler than before, and her face twisted in pain.
Pleiades smiled politely and raised his injured hand.
"Well, since I gave you time to heal, it's only fair you do the same for me."
Without warning, his hand erupted in the same white flames. Nephis' eyes widened in shock. In moments, his hand was completely healed.
"H-How...?" she stammered, feeling a cold dread wash over her.
Had Sunny just used her aspect? Wasn't his aspect supposed to be related to shadows?
"What? Did you think you were the only special one? That sounds a bit self-centered," he joked, now standing just two meters away from her.
Rolling his eyes, Pleiades seemed disappointed as he readied his sword, gripping it in reverse and swiping at her head. Still dazed, Nephis barely managed to block his attack.
They continued trading blows—relentless slashes and strikes.
Through it all, Pleiades was truly a menace. His fighting style remained bizarre, with no finesse whatsoever. Yet his body moved with perfect coordination.
She hadn't landed a single serious hit on him during their chaotic clash, while her body was riddled with cuts, both deep and shallow. Her armor was battered, and her sword dulled.
Then, with one well-timed counter, Nephis managed to land a blow.
She sliced from his shoulder down to his abdomen, but even that didn't seem to faze him. He bled, but only slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, she thrust her sword forward, piercing Pleiades' gut, the blade coming out the other side.
For a moment, she stood still, face-to-face with him. But his expression didn't change. He looked… unimpressed.
"This is it?" he asked flatly. With his right hand, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her away.
Then, with his left, he struck her in the chest, causing it to cave in and blood to spurt from her mouth and eyes.
Loosening her grip on the sword, she fell to the ground, gasping for air.
Pleiades casually pulled the sword from his gut and threw it at her. It pierced her shoulder, and she let out a yelp.
In pain, Nephis began pulling the sword from her shoulder. White flames flickered across her body as her wounds began to heal once again.
Pleiades stood by, watching her with a blank expression. She yanked the sword free and locked eyes with him.
Her wounds healed, but she was exhausted, her breathing ragged. Still, she raised her sword once more, preparing for another round.
With a sigh, Pleiades snapped his fingers.
In an instant, his wounds were healed, and Nephis' memory felt... blank.
'What…?' Before she could finish the thought, blood poured from her mouth, and she felt a searing pain in her gut. Looking down, she realized a hole had appeared in her stomach.
Nephis staggered backward, her hands instinctively clutching the gaping wound in her abdomen.
Blood oozed between her fingers, her breath quick and ragged as she fought to remain standing. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together what had just happened.
Pleiades stood calmly before her, his face a mask of serene indifference. His eyes, cold and detached, watched her like a predator assessing its prey.
The way he healed himself so effortlessly, the sheer unpredictability of his movements, the mockery in his words—it all filled Nephis with a sense of growing dread.
"How...?" she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "How are you doing this? That power... it isn't yours."
Pleiades gave her a lazy smile, shrugging as if the answer was trivial.
"You still don't get it, do you?" he said, his voice low and condescending. "You always thought you were special. That you being a member of the Immortal Flame made you unique."
He took a step forward, sword held loosely in his hand.
Nephis's heart pounded in her chest. His words echoed in her mind as realization slowly dawned on her.
'He copied it.' He had copied her aspect
"Your flame? Your healing? It's mine now." Pleiades grinned, raising his hand as white flames flickered and danced around his fingers.
With a grunt of pain, Nephis straightened, white flames enveloping her body once more as she forced her wounds to close.
Her healing was slower now, weaker, but she managed to rise to her feet, blood still dripping from her lips. Her eyes burned with determination as she raised her sword again, though her grip was trembling.
"You think... you can just take whatever you want?" she rasped, her voice filled with fury. "You're nothing but a thief."
Pleiades tilted his head, amused by her resilience. "A thief, maybe. But I win. Isn't that all that matters?"
Nephis gritted her teeth, her knuckles white as she tightened her grip on her sword. She knew she couldn't match his abilities, not in this state.
Then it came to her—a distant memory of what Cassie had once said to her, the vision she had shared, and the reason Nephis had been confident she could use it against him if it came to be.
Dragging her head upward, she met his eyes. White sparks ignited within her, and her wounds began to heal, but with the healing came the pain.
The more she used it, the more unbearable the feeling became, yet she pushed through, refusing to stop.
Pleiades looked at her and sighed. "Please, just stop. I'd rather not have to beat you until you fall unconscious."
Breathing heavily, she stood up and locked eyes with him. She opened her mouth to speak, her voice calm, defiant.
"Stop... los—" she started, but her voice suddenly cut off.
Confused, she tried again, but no words came. Panic flickered in her eyes as she grabbed her throat.
She summoned her flames, hoping to heal whatever was wrong, but nothing seemed damaged.
Why couldn't she speak?
"Nuh-uh, not gonna let you take the easy way out," Pleiades said with a soft chuckle. He stepped back, and in an instant, disappeared, replaced by a piece of metal.
From a short distance, he waved at her, a playful smile on his face.
"Sorry, I really hope you don't take this personally when you regain your senses" he said softly, clasping his hands together.
The piece of metal before her began to glow red, and within moments, it exploded, sending a shockwave that rattled her bones and burned her skin with searing heat.
The blast knocked her off her feet, and though her body screamed in agony, her voice remained silent.
Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the darkening sky, her breath shallow. She could hear the distant sound of waves crashing against the Barrow.
Turning her head slightly, she saw a pair of boots standing in front of her.
'Sunny...'
Her mind went blank, and before she could process anything further, her eyes closed, and she passed out, letting unconsciousness overtake her.
As Nephis lay there, Pleiades watched her for a moment, his expression grim.
With a heavy sigh, he sat down beside her, his eyes drifting toward the distant tree. He looked calm but conflicted.
"That was... too much, man" he muttered to himself. Sighing again, he stood up and crouched next to her.
White flames enveloped his hand, then spread across Nephis' burnt and battered body. Her wounds mended, her skin returning to its flawless, pristine state.
Soon, she was completely healed, as if nothing had happened. Calmly, he looked up at the sky before lifting Nephis into his arms and carrying her toward the ship.
It was time to set sail.
Next Chapter:Horrors of The Deep
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