34 COVERT EXTRACTION (2/2)

”Needles?” Karus shouted in disappointment. ”Needles, K-Z? Really?”

Kayzar just smiled and dashed forward to him. He was surprised he didn't enter the veil as he hoped he would. It is as if the veil changed frequency at that exact time preventing him to enter. The Dark Magicks in that hall is disrupting the flow of the Veil. It's as if souls are not welcome to enter there. He would've dwelled thinking about this dreadful thought, but he had more pressing matters at hand. For one thing, he's now running head-on to the giant titan, practically vulnerable to his attacks. Haaron would've reacted with a swing of his claymore but as he raised it high, the blade smashed into tiny bits like confetti - a sharp shiny metal confetti. Kayzar lucked out this time. He went to his sides and grabbed his daggers drenched in poison. He pushed his twin blades behind his knees and managed to get a scratch from him making him smile in success.

Now if Kayzar just dodged and rolled away, like a normal individual would have if faced with a frightening indestructible titan, he would've prevented the upcoming attack Haaron now has in store for him.

Kayzar saw a smile on Haaron's smug face as he threw the hilt of his claymore to him. The hit managed to stun him in the head but that didn't stop him from countering. He grabbed a vial of black thick poison and jumped to him like a snake slithering a tall tree. He splashed all of its contents to his right eye which made him yell in complete agony. One thing Kayzar knows is that if someone has a tough skin, going near the eyes is the most logical bet to gamble on. The poison would course through the blood vessels inside the eye and it will be over in a second.

But it didn't. Five seconds of wailing later, and the titan stood still there while Kayzar slammed down on the ground from Haaron's violent slap from the head. Karus jumped and helped him but to no avail. The titan is too big and has too long a reach that when he swiped his long arms, Karus was thrown back almost ten feet. Haaron then smiled to his sweet revenge on Kayzar, who is now below him looking helpless. He grabbed him by the face and started punching his gut relentlessly.

Karus yelled an angry growl and took a lunge at him to give a continuous barrage of sword slashes that would've impressed anyone except Haaron who finds it somewhat amusing. Haaron now made the shaking Kayzar as his human shield still holding him on his face. Everytime Karus takes a shot at him, he holds Kayzar in front and punches him on his every failure to land a blow, reminding him to try harder on every attempt as Haaron tried harder punches with Kayzar. It is much like a game in Haaron's twisted perspective which sickened Karus, bringing him to unknowingly acquire the skill of harboring tremendous hate to the demented freak.

Karus's green emerald began glowing behind his bandana. A sight that baffled the titan thinking only royalties have embedded gems in their foreheads - as he learned from Prodea's Nagozulian history lecture. Karus waved his hands and with this, a gust of wind blew hard leaving Haaron to be open to an attack which Karus anticipated. He rushed on forward and created a firespell enveloping his hands. He grabbed his neck and tried to choke him with all his might. He was aiming to burn his head off just to free Kayzar but just scorched his neck plentifully because of his tough skin. That thousand-degree firespell would've burned the skin right off to the bone but it didn't. The fire and his excellent grip managed only to burn his throat. That's when Haaron threw Kayzar's head like a ball to the ground to free up his hands to remove the dangling Karus from his tight grip. He rescued Kayzar but he's now the captive prisoner that took his brother's place.

Kayzar swore he bounced three times on the ground before reaching the corner of the room. The first bump managed to elucidate sparkling stars from his vision, creating an uproar of pain around his head that managed to make the second and third bumps feel unrecognizable at all. Good thing he trained with Karus using Deep Root this last month. He knew it will come in handy in future situations as it just revealed it did. He would've died on that spot if he didn't reduce the damage - but Of course, he's no Karus so he still sustained substantial, possibly fatal, amount of injuries from Haaron's revenge. Eight cracked ribs, a broken arm, a dangerous concussion, a dislocated shoulder and a protruding bone in his right leg. That's just the things he could count as he tried to stay awake for Karus's sake. All of his body is aching so there's some internal injuries somewhere inside that he hasn't accounted for yet. He moved his head, shaking, slithering slightly, to get a better vantage point of Karus who is now getting mauled by the titan.

Haaron grabbed Karus in the neck and slammed him into the ground. Of course, he did his Deep Root but to a lesser extent seeing as he coughed blood again squirming in pain. Haaron pulled his mask and his bandana revealing his face to the smiling titan.

”Oh, so you are not Daomagar! You are Nagozulian! A royal prince, eh?”

”Shut your Yit'ard filthy mouth! Your breath stinks,” he joked almost laughing.

The titan took offense to this and punched him three times in the face. He managed to use Deep Root, so it didn't make any significant damage whatsoever, so he tried it again, and again, and again until his nose, his eyes, his ears, starts to bleed.

”Laughing still?” he mocked breathing close to him.

Tears fell from his eyes in pain, but he still is smiling, inviting further havoc taunting the titan. He spat blood in his face to get back at him. It is a humiliating spit since he actually coughed it instead of his intended spit which entertained Haaron even further.

”Oh, look, the little prince is crying? Are you going to tell on me to your mommy now?”

”Shut it, Yit'Vit! I'm not crying, my eyes are just irritated with your girly dainty hands.” Karus almost took offense of his own insult seeing that they respect women in the Holy Lands but as he learned from Lime, those foreign mortal is easily offended when they, and their manly parts, are referred to as woman-like so he continued his verbal abuse. ”You know, I expected more from a woman like you, you're so like a woman that you tie your long hair in a crescent bow.”

Haaron stopped for a minute, trying to figure what he said and then punched him again, only this time harder than ever before. ”You're not funny, little kid! That doesn't even make sense!”

”I'm sorry but a girl like you wouldn't understand,” he smiled nodding.

”Ohhh!” He punched again ten times, drowning his head in a deep collection of pulverized marble-tile. ”That insult I understand.”

Karus pulled his head from the pile of rocks and shook it all off. He grabbed his hands and tried burning it, but he received another punch in the face. He tried to get away from this lock but every time he does, he manages to punch him again and again that he can't devote any energy left to free himself anymore. He can only try and absorb his great punches now using the Deep Root which is getting harder and harder to focus.

Using the Deep Root is the easiest thing for him to do and yet it is as if it is turning harder and harder each time he tries. It's like using the Deep Root now requires a ton of concentration in that Magick infused room but It's either that or risk a futile escape. One of which is a one-time thing, for if he does so, he may risk receiving the full force of that deadly punches and that will surely put a great big bloody hole in his face. He really doesn't like that happening, he really likes his face all fixed there, even on death.

Suddenly, a miracle! Haaron shouted on the top of his lungs arching his body forward as if someone just stabbed him in the back. Karus used this chance to roll forward and kick his chin to escape. He then jumped back acrobatically distancing himself for fifty feet. Kneeling, resting from those painful beating he has to endure.

”Reveal yourself coward and face me like a man!” Haaron yelled turning all around shouting.

”I am here! I'm here the whole time, you stupid freak!” Karus yelled, bewildered by the paranoid titan.

”If you don't come out, I'll kill these two!”

”Are you insane! We're all alone out here and you keep shouting still!”

Kayzar mumbled incoherently taking his attention. ”the... the p-poison... the poison Karus...”

”Right, Hallucinations is one of the symptoms!” Karus groggily stood up, faking strength when indeed he's about to fall down. ”Alright! This is the moment. I'm going to beat you now! So, get ready! I'm just warming up earlier, this is the real deal!”

Haaron tried to rush venting all of his frustrations on Karus which didn't fare well. Anybody knows rushing without thinking, blinded by pure rage, is never a good strategy. Karus just rolled around, jumping up and down as if playing with a playful dog - a rabid malevolent gnarly giant dog full of hate to the brim. He must not get him now, if he does, he might not survive another batch of those sweet sweet punches he so lovingly gives.

He rolled far left to the corner where he flung his Katana earlier. He shouldn't have thrown it in his rage. He now knows the wisdom of rushing angrily to the enemy and that will never happen ever again. He grabbed his Katana and dashed forward to a thrust. The blade pushed through and made a two-inch puncture in his abdomen. Both of them are surprised in this feat. Karus tried to push further but his long arms tried to reach for him. He now has a fear of those hands, a phobia he now put up giving alarming jolts to his body. Those long hands frightened him that he backed down jumping faster than ever, sliding on that smooth floor just shy of twenty feet far in a mere second.

Haaron tried to move but was compelled to shake uncontrollably. It's as if he's paralyzed, convulsing but paralyzed, nonetheless. The poison worked!

”Finally!” Kayzar shouted pushing his body to sit upright.

”What have you done with me you bratty little monkeys!”

”Remember the pins earlier?” Kayzar tried explaining still wheezing. ”The poison you absorbed in your skin? It reacted to the poison I put in your eyes and on the back of your knees. That whole batch should've made a hundred men to be put in a deep state of the Sleep of Death, but it seems as though you still have some sort of immunity. It seems that it wasn't enough.”

”Wow Kayzar! That's great!”

”Fools!” he grunted heaving the heavy limbs to face them forward. ”I… can still... move... I'll kill... all of you...”

”Magnus, you have to destroy all of the tendons in his joints, now! It's the only way to prevent him from moving!”

”I don't want to use this,” Karus said breathing deep. ”But I'm afraid I've no choice.”

He stood up straight and pulled his Kampilan Bolo from his sides. He then took a stance, his dash stance. Kayzar's eyes widened as he saw him raise his hands both equipped with his sharp swords. It is the precursor to the Thousand Blade Dash.

”I need you to say you are sorry,” Karus continued. ”I need you to take back what you said about Bathala, and I will not use my ultimate technique on you.”

”Why would I say sorry to the God of a helpless kid like you?” Haaron then continued a series of abhorrent curses to Karus and God that he angered him so much, he did not even try to listen to him anymore.

Karus bend low and as he closed his eyes, he smiled and dashed on forward.

His sword shone bright across the room. The white light stayed for just a blink of a second outlining where it travelled that even as Kayzar saw Karus just appearing behind Haaron in that very short while, the white light managed to sketch where his sword went. It rushed forth in a horizontal motion only to make an incredible circular art of a flower with a thousand petals around the titan. Haaron was violently hurled rightward slamming on the wall and the white image of a flower gently disappeared, slowly dissolving into the night.

Granted it is not perfect yet, with his flower a bit askew and the throw is not direct and instant, but given his age and his state of being, a tired and beaten Nagozulian boy, Kayzar believes it's rather commendable. A Nagozulian performing the Thousand Blade Dash revealing the Flower of the Great Daomagar is a feat too impossible to see. It's just plain marvelous and miraculous at the same time.

In that short while, Kayzar had successfully returned the protruding bone from his leg. All that's left is those couple of broken ribs, his dislocated shoulder and some lacerations all around. He tried standing up, limping in pain and went to the kneeling Karus.

Kayzar tapped him smiling, not wanting to speak with the pain still radiating around his chest. He tapped again but he did not give any response. He bent low and saw him bleeding all over. Karus finally exhaled fumbling down vomiting blood. Kayzar grew concern as he pushed him to his side while grabbing his first aid kit.

”S-ssorry Kayzar. I must've... wrong... turn... inter... bleedin'... lungs...”

”What's that skill!?” screamed Kayzar concerned. ”Is that your Thousand Blade Dash?”

Karus nodded finally letting go of his swords. ”I... I did... good... right?”

As he held him close, he felt his clothes soaked in his blood, he's in worse condition than he looks. There must've been hundreds of fractures all around him that he had to apply White Angel on him hurriedly.

Haaron laughed coughing his blood too, screaming at them. ”Ha! You've stopped me now you stupid royal fools! After this, I'm going to hunt you all down, and I'm going to kill you. But before that, I'm going to kill your parents first, just to see those sad little eyes of fear and anger once more.”

”Shut your mouth, you stupid grunt!” Kayzar yelled sounding as if crying. He ran on the far corner and broke the legs of the table. He fashioned a rope and tied it on the corners and pulled it to where Karus is.

”He's not going to survive! There's Sibara coming to us in the morning. He's going to die. If you drag him...”

”I said shut up!” Kayzar growled dashing to him, pushing a dagger filled with poison in one of the openings in his shoulder. The poison is filled with an acid base that spread an insanely hot, itchy, burning feeling that made the titan scream. ”Yes, talk. Talk, you stupid fool!” Kayzar continued with angry eyes smiling devilishly as if enjoying his torture. ”Let's see that tongue roll once again. Come on, I dare you! I dare you to talk!”

”You're going to regret ever...”

Before Haaron could ever finish, Kayzar opened a bottle full and poured it all into his body. The poison rushed through every opening, every wound in his body that made a continuous bubbling reaction resulting to a smell of burning flesh to spread all around. The titan yelled screeching in pain further shaking and twitching which gave Kayzar such delight. He was about to open another bottle to push it through his mouth till Karus interrupted still coughing in a weak voice.

”I'm fine Kayzar. Let's get out of here while we can.”

Kayzar just leaned forward and whispered ever so lightly into Haaron's ear. ”If you ever, ever reveal our identities and track us, I swear, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. I now know your weakness and you will never, ever win from me again. Never.” He then punched him and pushed him further to the wall slamming his hard head and went to Karus to fix him up.

”Kill me now then? If you're so tough why not kill me now!”

Karus tried his best to stand up. He doesn't want to be seen as weak and as helpless in the eyes of his enemy. ”We don't kill people to achieve our goals. Our goal is the unification of the Holy Lands.” Karus smiled with kind eyes towards him that surprised the Titan. ”If you change your ways, you're more than welcome to join us. If not then we'll just beat you again, and again, until you learn to change your mind.”

He dragged his feet walking with his brother to the exit but Kayzar is still looking at him with his murderous red eyes. It is as if he does not share his brother's conviction. It is as if his threat is still very real and is still in effect.

A hundred paces went on by till Karus fumbled down. His legs are shivering, still bleeding internally, now turning blue. ”Oops, sorry, I'm not well after all. I need to take a rest for a while first. D'ya have some White Angel left?”

”No, Karus. We need to get out of here.”

”Yes, I think it's nice of him to warn us about the impending doom we're about to face later on if we stay here but see, I can't get up, I have to cut my thighs to reduce the swelling and apply the White Angel inside.”

Kayzar frowned and gave him three ampoules of White Angel. ”He's not warning us, he's threatening us! Learn to see the difference.”

”Well, if you say so. But I still believe he's a good guy deep inside. He's just serving another master with different beliefs.”

”War doesn't discriminate.”

”Come again?”

”I-I just remembered what Gramps told us in battle training. War doesn't discriminate. All is fair in war. Whether you kill a child or an old man, it doesn't make any difference. Every life is important, every life is sacred and what is sacred to the enemy is abhorrent to the other. Each faction believes they are the right and the enemy is at the wrong but in the end, the spectators, the children of the next generation, are the only ones who can truthfully decide who is just and who is righteous.”

”But killing is wrong. We know that. Killing him will not prove anything.”

”But killing him will be right if he tries to kill us in the near future! That's why I understand the wisdom of Gramp's words. I think I understand the need for people to kill in order to protect others. I think it's stupid then, but I understand it now.”

”But K-Z, Gramps is against war too. He believes killing is inevitable in that dire situation, but he taught us to be strong and resist that urge too. Is that why you're acting all weird there?”

”Yes... I just don't want anyone of you to get hurt. The thought of the possibility that he might come back again to finally exact his revenge on us is practically nagging me right now. I just hope your decision doesn't come to haunt us tomorrow.”

”Well we're different people than they are. We don't kill. That makes us unique, as Iyom stated. It is righteous to defend, and it is wicked to strike. Defending is what we do best so why lift the first hand to strike, let them do that first. And besides, we must really discuss what you did back there. I think you're quite enjoying hurting him and that's kind of disturbing.”

”Well, he's threatening you, isn't he?”

”Well, that's just words now. I can't be hurt by words.”

”So, this is what I get for defending you?”

Karus laughed grabbing his shoulders limping, trying to get up. ”Just try to ease up on things next time. It's not like I'm going to die now. I mean my time isn't up yet. I'm the first to die, so say the prophecy, and I'm not even worried one bit.”

”Don't joke about that,” he frowned remembering he still keeps his early demise a secret - the very first of the four brothers to die. ”Talking about your death is not fun. It's not fun at all.”

”Okay, but only if you promise to eradicate that disturbing thing you did there.”

”That's a deal,” he smiled pulling him to his sides as they try to walk. ”Oh, and also, that's only if you promise not to tell what you saw to anyone ever. Especially Yosh, he's going to have a field day with me.”

”Sure. I wouldn't dream of it.”

Kayzar was taken back with surprise as he peered close to Karus's Amplifyers. ”Oh look, there's some sliver of blood dancing inside your emerald.”

”Oh?” Karus reacted tracing his fingers to check up on his embedded gem. ”Must be the defective jump in my essence I felt as I activated it earlier. I must let Juni see this right away.”

”I told you not to activate your Amplifyer. More importantly, I specifically forbade you not to use firespells!”

”You're getting killed out there, what would you like me do.”

”Hey! I'm doing fine, I can take care of myself. What I can't stand is you squirming again in pain, ranting about your emerald. Besides, I can use Deep Root too, so you need not worry about me in the future.”

Karus just chuckled in disbelief, abandoning the topic as they walked quietly towards the stairs.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”Now, where were we?” Yiv reappeared on the hapless Titan, sitting in thoughts. ”Oh yes, your apology.”

”I'm sorry if I offended you,” Haaron said with clear thoughts. ”I'm sorry if I offended your God. I take back what I said.”

”Oh? So soon? What's the fun in that? What changed your mind then?”

The titan looked down, still in deep thoughts till Yiv interrupted his pondering by piercing the wound on his shoulders with his very sharp blade making him moan puffing short shallow breaths to swallow the screams that are wanting to come out.

”I am talking to you, infidel, why are you now changing your mind.”

”Isn't it enough that you've cut my joints to immobilize me and now you have to torture me?”

”Oh,” she smiled pulling his dagger. ”I thought you'd never notice that.”

”It's not hard to notice you there, especially when you hold me from behind as that Magnus attack me in front while you slice me up everywhere.”

”Yes, I performed a little surgery I learned from Dal'Gur. Tendons form part of the Bone System's basic mechanical movement. Tear a little slice off and you can't move a part. Isn't it wonderful? My favorite part is in the heel specifically. Then my enemy will have to grovel for my mercy. Literally grovel, on the ground, kissing my feet.”

Haaron scoffed. Yiv just smiled and pushed his blade again, only this time it's deeper by three inches. ”You're still not answering me why!”

”I do not know!” he screamed almost crying. ”There's something about those Night Hunters I am curious about!”

Yiv pulled out his dagger making him sigh in relief. ”Hmm... Such as?”

”I gave them hell. I must've broken more bones in them than my entire life in Leonus. And yet, after all of this, after I insulted them, their beliefs, their very being, they still looked me in the end with kind eyes. The look of someone who understands other people's worth especially that Magnus kid. He looked as though he respected me, and I appreciate that as a Knight.”

”So, let me get this straight? My brother just looked you in the eye and you thought he respects you? And you're okay with that?”

”H-he's your brother?”

”Oh, do shut up.” He pulled his mask and revealed his true form to him.

”You're a woman!?”

”Surprise, dum dum. Auric quick, grab his head perfectly. I want to do this right.”

Without a second's notice, A silvery figure appeared protruding the wall. Auric's warm smile, as he crinkled his nose, mortified Haaron. Two silvery Hands came extending from the wall and fixed his head firmly in place.

”What are you!? W-who are you? Demons!?”

”Oh no, dear. We're not demons.” Yiv crouched down to level his eyes, showing him his purple eyes. ”Though, I will permit you to say that we came from the very depths of darkness, from your nightmares. That I can accept. But demons? Eh...”

”Are you going to claim my soul?”

Yiv slapped him sighing in great disappointment. That stinging slap is so strong the very wall that keep's Haaron's head in place vibrated. ”Are you completely mental? I just told you earlier that I'm Bathala's Shadow Enforcer, and you're telling me I'm a demon out to collect your soul? Are you really that thick?! Have you truly ignored my presence from the start?”

Yiv nodded and the silvery fingers walked in his cheeks to his teeth pulling them wide open revealing his mouth. Haaron tried to wiggle, to squirm, fighting with every bit of his energy to escape the silvery hands that has now made his whole mouth open.

”HHhhhaaa---- aaarrrr---- ouuu--- dhuieeeennn…”

”What?”

”ww-wha--- arrr---ouuu- ddhu-dhuooooieeeennn???”

”Oh, what am I doing?! I am doing you a favor. Your body is strong. It's going to take time hacking it to pieces and since you said sorry and taken back that blasphemous words against Bathala, there's no point in torturing you. This will be much faster. See, while your body is strong, your insides are a little bit soft and...”

”Noooo--- hihtttaaahh, Aynggg hhooooorrry.... Ayngg HHooorEEE.”

”Yes, I know you said you're sorry but see I can't risk you killing them. They are my brothers after all. You know what I mean. Right?” She beamed her kind face to him which did not bring any solace to his dilemma at all.

”Nooo--- I hooouunntt kill henng... I'll lleeeeaahhh heennngg aalllounnn. I'll keeeeeeh iet ah hhhheeekrehhh.”

”But you can't promise that now, can you? I know you're Prodea's little pet, and where she goes, you follow. If she orders you to reveal their identities, you can't do anything but to obey. That's the worst thing about Dark Magicks. It's as if you can't do your own free will, now, can you? So you can't leave them alone, you won't keep it a secret, and you cannot possibly say that you won't kill them, especially after your little threats to them a little while ago, I take threats seriously. Look around you and see. I give a threat, I follow through. You give a threat. You will follow through. It's the natural order of things.”

Haaron is now perspiring squirming in his place with his body jiggling, flopping like a fish out of the water. ”NNooo--- Hleeaaashh... I heeegg Yuuu. I donnnkkh huwaana die.”

”But I'm freeing you,” she said with genuine concern which frightened him further. She then caressed him smiling wide. ”You will now enter the kingdom of Bathala, free from any burden because I have cleansed you. Bathala forgives you now. You are in peace.”

”Noooooooo----”

”Hush now.... Now open wide.”

And with a final scream that echoed throughout the Palace halls, the Holy Hills of Hishma turned deathly quiet once again with only the crackling torches keeping the ear-splitting sound of silence at bay.