Chương 226: Chapter 225
[Third Person's PoV]
"You my dear sister, are the Goddess of The Sword and Black Lightning, The Reaper of the Shadows, The Monarch Slayer, She Who Draws Her Blade for Death, The Incestuous Bro-Con, Death's Eternal Sister, and The Bride of Shadow and Death"
"Incestuous Bro-Con!?" Claire exclaimed, taken aback, "I'm not a bro-con!"
"That's the part that you deny?" Cid asked, looking at her weirdly.
Claire blushed slightly as she pouted, she was pressing her fingers together as she muttered, "Well I won't deny that we've done some… Stuff… But a Bro-Con?"
Cid spread his arms wide, tilting his head back with a mischievous grin as he closed his eyes. "Just tell me you love me~," he teased, his voice lilting.
"LOVE THIS, YOU BASTARD!" Claire shouted, her face burning bright red. With a burst of energy, she launched herself at him, delivering a perfectly executed dropkick to his chest.
The impact sent Cid staggering a step back, yet he barely flinched. He brushed the front of his shirt as if removing a speck of dust, his expression completely unbothered. Meanwhile, Claire landed gracefully, flipping in the air before brushing her hair back with an exaggerated flourish. Her smug smile faded when she noticed Cid staring at her with a calm, straight-faced expression.
"Now, come on," she said, her irritation quickly replaced by a cheerful grin. "It's time for that sibling bonding time you promised."
Cid scoffed lightly as he fell in step beside her. "Funny how the same person complaining about the titles seems to enjoying them."
Claire scratched her cheek sheepishly, letting out a small chuckle. "Alright, I admit it. I kind of like the titles. 'She Who Draws Her Blade for Death' has a certain gravitas, even if it's long. And 'Death's Eternal Sister'? That one's my favorite."
Cid allowed a faint smile to touch his lips, his hand instinctively reaching out to ruffle her hair. The gesture was brief but filled with brotherly affection. Without another word, he teleported them out of the void and back into the world above.
They reappeared in a vast open field under a golden sky. Claire blinked, taking in the serene surroundings before glancing at Cid with a wary look. "Shouldn't I practice with these powers a bit before diving into the fight against the big boss?"
Cid waved dismissively. "You'll get plenty of practice inside. He's holed up on the top floor of his little fortress, so we'll have to climb our way up."
"Ah, I see," Claire said, her tone shifting to excitement. "We're going to fight his minions first. Perfect!"
Cid unsheathed his ebony sword, its blade radiating a dark, ominous aura. The air around them seemed to grow heavier as he sliced through the fabric of reality itself, tearing open an entrance to a hidden dimension. The cut rippled like curtains of liquid shadow, and Cid casually pulled them aside, revealing a fiery realm within.
He gestured grandly toward the portal. "As they say, ladies first."
Claire curtsied dramatically, holding the hem of her skirt. "Why, thank you, good sir," she teased before stepping through.
Cid followed, shaking his head with a chuckle. The dimensional rift sealed shut behind them, leaving the field empty once more.
Inside, Claire's eyes widened as she took in the scene. They stood amidst the ruins of a once-great city, the crumbled buildings now engulfed in roaring flames. The air was thick with ash and the distant sound of agonized wails. Towering over the desolation was an enormous infernal castle, its spires piercing the blood-red sky like jagged teeth.
Her gaze landed on a monstrous figure lying before the castle gates—a colossal, three-headed dog resting atop the scorched earth. "Is that… Cerberus?!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.
The beast stirred at the sound, its three heads rising in unison. Their ears twitched as their glowing eyes locked onto the intruders. A low, menacing growl rumbled from their throats, and flames flickered between their snarling teeth.
Claire's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can we keep him?" she asked, turning to Cid with a hopeful grin.
Cid blinked, looking at her as if she'd just grown another head. "What?"
"I mean, just look at him! He's so cute!" Claire cooed, switching to a baby voice as she took a tentative step toward the beast.
Cerberus responded with a deafening roar, all three heads inhaling deeply before spewing a torrent of blazing fire directly at her.
Claire sighed as the flames roared toward her in slow motion. "Okay, never mind," she muttered, extending her hand. A ripple of dark slime coalesced into a blade, nearly identical to Cid's but encased in an ornate scabbard. Her eyes sparked with black lightning as she thumbed the hilt, releasing it with a satisfying click.
In an instant, she disappeared, leaving a streak of black lightning in her wake. She weaved around Cerberus, her movements too fast for the creature to follow. Moments later, she reappeared in her original spot, sheathing her blade with a sharp snap.
All three of Cerberus's heads slid cleanly from their necks. The massive body collapsed in neat, symmetrical pieces as though sliced by an impossibly sharp knife.
Cid raised an eyebrow. "I've been meaning to ask. Why is your lightning black?"
Claire shrugged as she crouched to inspect the remains. "Your blood. I infused my power with it. Turns out, it works wonders."
She picked up a thick collar from one of the severed necks. As she held it, the oversized object shrank to fit neatly in her hands. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she wrapped the spiked collar around her neck.
She posed dramatically, tilting her head and fluttering her lashes. "Well? How do I look?"
Cid rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not say."
Claire pouted, sticking out her tongue and holding her hands up like paws. "Come on, big brother. You can say it—you own me now."
Cid's lip twitched in irritation. "They should add 'pervert' to your list of titles."
She sighed dramatically, removing the collar. "You're no fun. I guess I'll save it for the bedroom—oh, wait. Is this a key?" She inspected the collar closely. Sure enough, a small, ornate key was embedded in its design.
"What kind of idiot leaves the key to their fortress on their guard dog's collar?" she muttered.
"The arrogant kind," Cid replied. "The kind that doesn't expect anyone to defeat their pet."
Claire pocketed the key and unlocked the massive doors to the infernal castle. As she did, a low growl made her freeze. Turning slowly, she saw a smaller, shadowy version of Cerberus—this one glowing with black and purple energy—sitting patiently with its tongues lolling and tail wagging.
"Since you wanted one so badly," Cid said with a shrug, "I made you your own."
Claire's eyes filled with tears of joy as she tackled him in a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried, peppering his face with kisses. "You're the best brother ever!"
"Please don't say that after kissing me…"
Claire giggled before bounding over to her new companion. "Come here, you big furball!" she shouted, burying her face in its fur.
The shadowy Cerberus let out a happy bark, its tail wagging furiously. Cid crossed his arms, watching the scene with a faint smirk. "You two deserve each other." he teased.
Chương 227: Chapter 226
[Third Person's PoV]
As Cid and Claire ventured deeper into the castle, they found themselves stepping into an eerily quiet throne room. Shadows danced across the vast, empty hall, the only illumination coming from the faint flicker of torches lining the walls.
Next to the throne stood a platter set upright on a pole. Claire walked ahead toward the throne and noticed a piece of old parchment resting on the platter.
"What's this?" Claire murmured, her brow furrowing as she picked up a piece of old parchment resting on the platter. She held it up to the torchlight, inspecting the faded script.
"It's a teleportation script. You're supposed to rip it, and it teleports you to the next floor," Cid explained.
"Oh, cool! It's like a video game!" Claire said excitedly.
Cid already knowing what Claire was like simply put a hand over shoulders. Claire, always impulsive, tore the parchment without hesitation. They were instantly teleported to the next floor.
When the light faded, they found themselves on the first floor of the Demon Castle. The atmosphere here was entirely different—dark, humid, and filled with the low growls and shrieks of lurking demons. Dozens of twisted, grotesque creatures prowled in the dim corridors, their glowing eyes cutting through the shadows.
Claire's lips curled into a feral grin as she drew her sword. "Don't intervene," she said, her voice laced with excitement as she turned to Cid.
Cid raised his hands in mock surrender, leaning casually against the wall. "All yours."
In an instant, Claire became a blur of motion. She dashed into the throng of demons, her figure trailing black lightning as her blade flashed like a streak of light. Heads flew, limbs were severed, and her zigzagging movements left only carnage in her wake. Her laughter rang out, wild and untamed, as she reveled in the chaos.
A horde of demons charged toward her, their collective roars shaking the ground. Without hesitation, Claire leaped into the air, arcs of black lightning spiraling around her. Her figure shone like a falling star as she plummeted into the center of the horde, her sword plunging deep into the earth.
"Let's see how you like this!" she yelled, her voice electrified with power.
The ground erupted with waves of uncontrolled lightning. The arcs crackled and surged outward, disintegrating demons on contact. Those caught in the attack screamed in agony before erupting into gory messes of ash. The destruction left a crater in the earth, smoke and swirling ashes rising like a dark cloud.
Claire stood at the center of the carnage, hands on her hips and a smug expression plastered across her face. "I'm good—ugh! Cough Cough—ew, ew, some of the ash got in my mouth!" she sputtered, spitting to the side with a horrified look.
She spat furiously and glared at Cid, who was chuckling. "It's not funny!" she scoffed, pouting.
Kicking at a pile of ash, she muttered, "Let's just find the next piece of stupid paper and get on with it."
Floor after floor, Claire decimated the monsters with growing expertise. Her control over her Black Lightning sharpened with each encounter, and her attacks became more devastating. The demons grew stronger as they climbed—larger, fiercer, and more cunning—but to Claire, they were mere distractions.
From the first floor to the sixth, then the tenth, the fifteenth, the twenty-fifth, the thirty-fifth, and finally the forty-ninth, Claire carved a path of destruction.
Sliding to a stop, she concentrated, her tongue sticking out slightly as she lined up her next attack. Her sword glowed with magical energy before releasing a railgun-like beam of lightning. The attack ripped through rows of demons, obliterating everything in its path.
She thrust her sword skyward, summoning a massive storm cloud. Black lightning crackled ominously as the cloud grew larger.
The remaining demons, conjuring flames, charged toward her with hateful glares.
Claire smirked, blowing them a kiss with a wink. Then, with a dramatic swing of her sword, massive bolts of lightning rained down, annihilating the demons before they could scream. The ground erupted with craters from the sheer force of the attack.
As the storm dissipated, Claire hoisted her sword onto her shoulder, static crackling at her fingertips. She let out a deep breath. "Alright, juice me up. I'm running low on magic," she said, pointing her sword at Cid.
Cid, casually lounging on a pile of rubble, wore a long black sleeveless coat, his hood partially covering his face. "What? Am I just a battery to you?" he scoffed.
"Yeah. What else are you good for? You've just been lazing around while I do all the work," Claire shrugged.
"Excuse me? You told me not to intervene! Who do you think has been finding the teleportation parchment?" Cid shot back, glaring.
Claire crossed her arms. "So, did you find it?"
Cid pulled the parchment from his pocket. "Duh. What do you think, dumbass?"
"Good. Now, come on, recharge me," Claire said, spreading her arms.
With a roll of his eyes, Cid jumped off the rubble and flicked her forehead. Claire winced, crouching down and rubbing the spot. "What the hell was that for, you jerk!?"
"You said to recharge you. You didn't specify it had to be pleasant," Cid replied with a shrug.
Claire grumbled, realizing her magic had indeed been replenished. She stood and kicked his shin. "You didn't have to make it hurt—ouch!"
Hopping on one foot, she glared at him. "What are you made of? Metal?"
Cid smirked smugly, earning another kick—this time to his backside.
"You should be nicer to your brother," he teased, tossing her the parchment.
"Tolerating you is already too much," Claire muttered before ripping the parchment.
They teleported to the fiftieth floor and found themselves in a grand hall.
At the center of the room sat a massive demon, his crimson skin rippling with muscle. Horns curled menacingly around his head, and his sharp fangs glinted in the dim light. He rested on a throne constructed entirely of bones, and by his side lay a colossal kanabo, its spiked surface gleaming with blood.
Dozens of smaller demons flanked him, standing at attention like dutiful guards.
"Ohhhh! A boss battle!" Claire said with a grin, pointing her sword toward the demon. She glanced at Cid over her shoulder. "You can handle the minions. Leave the big guy—aka the Boss—to me."
Cid smirked. "You sure he's the boss and not you? You're both demons, and you're just as bossy."
Claire shot him a deadpan look. "Do you want to get punched?"
Cid sighed, a flicker of purple-black flames igniting in his palm. "Let's just get this over with."
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