50 Severing the Connection (1/2)
It was an amazing sight from afar as a lonesome stroke of radiant light charged into a landscape of darkness. Amidst the pouring rain, the howling wind, and the encroaching darkness, a single ray of hope defied the odds.
Eras of strife and despair often birthed heroes; These were individuals who stood up to the challenges that defined that period. These champions usually come in many forms, but they all shared a particular characteristic. An aspect that made them unique.
The closer he got to the gargantuan entity, the more he felt the aura of death, or rather something else… an essence of stagnation. Every thought that ran through his mind screamed at him to run as far as he could. That it was hopeless and that he was only sending himself to meet a horrible end.
It wasn't that they were all strong; every hero has had a moment of weakness, a time when they were at their most vulnerable.
Even so, he approached the unknown beast and prepared himself for a fight to the death. Reed had lied to Astor — he was going to play the hero this time, even if it cost him his life. He'd hold back the shadowy figure no matter the cost. It was the least he could do for everyone at the outpost. And even though Reed actually wanted to flee, he knew that he wouldn't. Something deep inside told him that he'd never live the shame down for the rest of his life. It'd eat at him until he died.
It wasn't that they were all courageous; not every hero is fearless in the face of adversity, as much as they'd like you to believe.
It wasn't that they were all charismatic; unfortunately, not everyone is born a natural leader, capable of drawing in allies. Some heroes have acted alone because they could not lead others.
It was a sight that couldn't even put into words properly... It was a tower made of raw, pulsating flesh that squirmed and contracted as if it were alive. An endless amount of twitching corpses were strewn across the tower's surface, half-fused into the tower itself. The true height of the atrocious construct was much taller than anything he could have expected. It pierced the cloud-wall and extended much further than previously imagined, far into the sky where Reed could not see...
Across the length of the accursed tower, massive bulging, red eyes stared at him and malformed mouths gnawed on Anima nonstop, converting it into the miasma that Lu'um had warned him about. The amorphous tower of flesh wriggled and a deep growl escaped through the tower's many mouths. It struggled for a moment and as a result, the deep growl grew in pitch until it sounded like something resembling a gnarled, ominous voice.
No, heroes had their flaws and burdens. They just knew how to hide their defects when it came time to perform their duties. They understood that the act took precedence over everything else.
A wave of noxious miasma spewed forth when it opened its many mouths as it spoke a twisted tongue unknown to Reed. He quickly summoned his aegis and backed far away from the corrosive poison it had tossed out.
” Sian ur sha aththia'tag ghhaaft, shuun iat ang atthala xuia' nuta'aftfta rasa.. .” said the tower as it intently gazed upon Reed. It did not move and simply observed Reed as if it was waiting for him to respond.
Reed was about to respond back to the monstrosity, but someone unexpectedly beat him to it. A soft, feminine voice clearly spoke with a loud, frigid tone and said, ” Yuia ghuftft nus sanls anusha' hau' ur sha ghhaaft, at ftung at I ftu'a! ”
A beam of condensed radiance shot out of his cloak and slashed the tower of flesh, piercing through it and the sky in defiance. The tower groaned in pain and then released a horrifying screech of anger in response to the sudden attack. It was too late for any form of dialogue now, so Reed hurriedly backed away and flew as fast as he could down into the city to hide.
Reed quickly gazed down at his cloak when he behind a half-destroyed building as he contemplated on whether or not he'd get rid of his cloak. Is this why Lu'um wanted to seal this cloak away? Because something is sleeping inside of it? Is this she meant by dangerous…. This is pretty damn crazy for a damn cloak, even if it is enchanted… Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please clickfor visiting.
The feminine voice from before spoke again and said, ”I am no simple cloak, you buffoon! I am the Mantle of the Sky, the greatest Armament that has ever existed, and your gracious savior. Had it not been for my timely intervention, you would have probably been lured into that disgusting worm's trap. You're extremely lucky I woke up in time, or we'd both be damned to roam an inescapable abyss forever! Heaven have mercy, I almost had a panic attack when I woke up and saw that you were that close to that damn bottom-feeding piece of filth.”
Something about the way she talked irked him; she sounded holier-than-thou in an incredibly abrasive way, even though her voice sounded sweeter than honey. It felt like he was being coldly berated by an angel from heaven, in a certain way… He hated her snobbish, condescending tone above all else. She sounded like one of those insufferable know-it-all types that loved to rub their knowledge on other people's faces.
Reed snorted coldly and said, ” Oh, please . You make me sound like a defenseless newborn that can't even recognize friend from foe. I am very much aware that the giant fucking meat tower is malicious — you act as if I was going to hug and sing a merry song with it.”
”That so? And here I thought that you inherited his stupidity too along with his damned face. Isn't this a nice little surprise, eh? Well, it isn't that surprising considering you're her kid… Her intelligence must have negated, or least balanced the moronic qualities you've inherited from him. Excellent, this'll work out splendidly then.”
The cloak started glowing brilliantly and numerous golden symbols appeared on its surface all of sudden, and the surrounding Anima swirled around it in response to the cloak's summons. ”Listen up, boy. You don't stand a chance of beating it yourself as you are right now, so I'll be doing the heavy lifting this time. You don't want to die, yes? Neither do I; I still have something I need to do and need you alive for that. All you have to do is obey my instructions and we'll take care of this filthy pissant in a jiffy. Be a good boy-toy, and I'll even reward you should you behave well…”
Reed grit his teeth in frustration and promised himself that he'd give the cloak to Lu'um once this was over, but he knew that he couldn't be picky right now. His friends were in danger and that took priority over feelings at the moment…
”Fine,” he spat out, ”What do you need me to do?” He'd take the deal even if it meant having to submit to the condescending woman.
”I'm going to be gathering Anima and channeling it through the mantle to boost your natural abilities to my level for a brief period. Your job will be to find the worm's heart and sever the connection it has to this world by using an attack laced with my aura. Should you succeed, that detestable cretin will lose its anchor here and be forced back outside once more, where it belongs.”
What is their duty, you ask? Heroes are tasked to inspire hope in their fellow men, even in the darkest times. To do this, one needs a certain measure of resolve, a driving force to make them stand up and challenge the odds.
”Lu'um said the same thing, but never explained how to do it… How will I know where this heart is supposed to be?! Have you seen how massive that thing it is? It could be anywhere and I don't know where I'd even start looking.” Reed peeked out of the corner of the building he was hiding behind as he observed the frightening waves of Anima that had begun roiling off of the creature. It was likely preparing itself….
”Isn't it obvious? All of the Anima it devours has to travel through its heart for it to be converted into the filth that it spews out. Follow the Anima pathways within it and you'll find the heart. That's all there is to it.”
”.....Right. By the way, my name's Reed, so can you stop calling me boy? It's annoying being addressed like that, you know. Also, I don't think I've done enough to warrant your attitude, don't you think? Why are you acting so damn hostile even though we're going to be partners in just a minute?”
His irritation had finally reached its peak, to the point that he couldn't hold himself in check anymore. Enough was enough. He would not take this level of sass from a goddamned cloak, enchanted or not.
Reed had low standards for himself, but even he couldn't tolerate this — getting talked down by a magic cloak, a piece of magical clothing, was too much for him. There was a limit to his patience.
”A-Ahem, I suppose, I was acted a little brash for a first introduction. I'm sorry about that, it's just…. I had a falling out of sorts with someone not too long ago and because of that, well, life hasn't been too cheery for me. I shouldn't have taken my frustration on you; after all, you aren't to blame for anything…” Rays of brilliant, golden light shone out from the cloak and melded together in complex shapes like puzzle pieces until a beautiful figure formed out of them.
Reed's eyes nearly popped out their sockets when he saw her. She was the definition of ethereal beauty; a single look at her let him know that she possessed an unnatural level of charm. He would even go as far as to label her appearance a curse rather than a gift. Any lesser man who'd look upon her visage would likely become a prisoner to her in an instant, were they weak in spirit and will.
”My name is… Lacrima, Daughter of Heaven . I was summoned — created to serve as an emissary for the Will of the World and as a partner for the Successor of the Sixth Sun ,” she quietly said with a torn expression.