76 Pages of Death (1/2)

Xin Fan shook Chilong more violently. Although Chilong showed visible discomfort, he did not wake up. It was as if he was in a state of self preservation. The white aura around him acted like a blanket shielding him from the encroaching death aura.

”We should worry more about ourselves rather than him.”

Tianfei started to frantically draw some formations on a formation plate. As soon as she completed one formation, she moved on to the next in rapid succession drawing up more formations.

”Put that one over there.”

Tianfei pointed at a spot near Chilong without even looking up. There were visible signs of decay already emerging from her as her skin appeared to dry up. As Xin Fan looked at himself, he found out that he too was slowly shriveling. A small drop of blood slowly flowed from her nostrils as she did so. Xin Fan quickly placed down the formation on the ground just as Tianfei completed the next formation. Tianfei clasped her hands and created a hand sign, with the formation plates flashing on either side. A small barrier formed in the small space between the formations just enough to cover the three.

”Hah...this should keep us safe for now.”

The barrier released a light blue particle that showered over the three. Of course, the moment it touched Chilong, it was rejected, deflected off to the side. Ont he other hand, for Xin Fan and Tianfei, the particles were slowly absorbed into the skin and what was once shriveled became smooth again. Tianfei took a small handkerchief and wiped the blood from her nose. While there was still some blood, majority of the bleeding had stopped. With a small flame in front of her eyes, she once again looked at Xin Fan this time sighing in relief.

”The particles are there to displace the absorbed death aura.”

Xin Fan stared out of the barrier to see something slowly forming. It seemed like a black powder and started to stain the sides of the barrier. As the black powder started to collect, a black tar-like substance also started to form.

”You think you can teach me that eye thing?”

”I could, It is a bit tricky after all. Not many people have affinity to both light and dark.”

Tianfei smiled nervously looking outside the barrier. What Xin Fan saw was just the tip of the iceberg. Through Tianfei's vision, she could see the monster for what it was. It seemed almost like both and angel and a devil. It was just standing there, with it's bony body, wings with feathers of paper and a scythe. It didn't really move and just stood there slowly forming from the aura of death around it. It was this abyss's vision of death.

”This is not looking good.”

Everything had counter. For fire it was water. For wood, it was fire. For the darkness, it was of course the light. It is for this very reason people who had affinities for light were highly valued. That is of course, if they didn't do anything morally questionable. Tianfei was one of such people.

She pulled out her rifle and held it close the her face.

'Xin Fan should I do it?'

'It's a bit risky...do it.'

While Xin Fan conversed with Xin Kong, Tianfei watched in anxiety as the darkness slowly formed pages. The pages stuck on to the barrier like newspapers blown onto a window. With every passing second, the barrier seemed to get thinner and thinner. Tianfei aimed her rifle at where the barrier was thinnest and shot a white light. While the barrier did not recover, a large portion of the pages were disintegrated. Through the hole, she could see that the aura of death changed from the smoke into pages.

*Crack*

The barrier cracked as one of the pages forced it's way through the barrier. Tianfei spun with her hair whipping the air shot the page. With a quick succession of shots, the pages on the barrier were all disintegrated along with the barrier.

”What is that?”

Xin Fan took a step back as he pointed at the figure at the end of the aisle. Although faint, he could make out some sort of figure.

”You can see that?”

Tianfei pointed her rifle at Death and pulled the trigger. A pulse of white spun through the air. However like a spider catching its prey, the wings quickly shot forwards catching the beam of light. Light and darkness existed as a dichotomy. While they may be polar opposites, they can be seen as one and the same. Just as light counters darkness, darkness can counter light. The pulse was neutralized and Death stared at her. With his bony finger he pointed forwards. There was a gust of wind as a couple of books fell off the shelves, ripping themselves apart and shot forwards. Each page was like an arrow chasing it's target.

Xin Fan took a step forwards and pulled out his scythe. A large wave of energy erupted as a blade cut through the pages along with the wooden floorboards back towards the now clearer figure. Xin Fan could slowly make out the figure. What Tianfei saw on the other hand was pages slowly wrapping itself around the body of death. After a short while, it resembled a mummy donned in a purple robe. Even the scythe was wrapped in old parchments. The only distinguishable feature was an open hole, pitch black as if even light cannot enter.