PHASE 94 - I LOVE YOU, RIKKUN

“Rikkun, hang in there!”

Tiara’s voice echoed in my brain. I closed my eyes, trying to endure the pain of having my arm that was cut off. Even with Tiara’s , it won’t stop the continuous bleeding.

“R-Ric…” Amy finally woke up. All her scrapes are no more thanks to Tiara’s multitasking heal. But her emotional injury returned when she saw my severed left arm. “Stay with us. Don’t try to sleep!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I replied to the two girls with a fake smile. “I can never sleep now considering that I can no longer fap while using my phone.”

“Stop making jokes, Rikkun! It’s not funny!” Tiara cried.

“We have to seal the wound and stop the bleeding for now! Heushac!” Amy yelled.

Heushac came with his sword coated in flames. It seems that he already knows what has to be done. Suddenly, Amy gave me a piece of damp cloth and inserted it into my mouth. Then, Amy’s cross sigil on her eyes glowed.

“With the power of my , I command you. Alaric Eisenhower, to ignore all the pain of your wound!”

Heushac pressed the flat part of his burning sword to my severed arm! It hurts! It hurts so much, even if my tolerance to pain is enhanced by ! I screamed as I gritted the cloth on my mouth.

“Aaaaargh!” I cried in agony.

<>

There the enemy boss is, completely outnumbered. But not outpowered, for he has the power of three gods on his hands.

“YOU FOOLS DARE TO DEFY YOUR PROPHET KING!!!” Flame swirled on Aeternos’ right sword, and it unleashed a blinding flame laser! “!!!”

Waves of Gate Guardians got launched into the air, including Benedict and Drex who are taking the role of a frontline! They all suffered from 2nd-degree burns all over their skin, and some already got their clothes half-charred!

“!!!” , “!!!” , “!!!”

Kristoff, Ayano, and Emily used their arrow, fans, and tail respectively to unleash fire, ice, and wind tornado drills directly to the enemy! But Aeternos is ready for that attack!

“!!!” Aeternos’ left sword made a sweeping slash, and a small tsunami of water appeared and stood like a wall to neutralize all those spells!

“RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!!”

Then there was a blink and a silver streak. The next time we know it, all Gate Guardians battling in this vicinity has been completely knocked out with severe injuries. Some of them got slashes all over their body!

“...This is impossible…” Kristoff muttered as he held his bleeding belly. Ayano and Emily are now panting hard as they try their best to stand up.

“D-Damn you!!!” Benedict and Drex roared as they both unleash a heavy swing attack with their giant sword and mace! But the armored demon knight just caught those attacks with his bare hands! Then he slammed both of them to the thick snowy ground!

“Haaaaaaa!!!”

Gate Guardians on the background started to act too. They all fired missiles, arrows, bullets, and even snowballs to the overpowered enemy, but Aeternos effortlessly dodged all those attacks by doing minimalistic movements such as turning his body, making a step back, or even catching some projectiles! It seems like he can read all their moves just by looking at them!

“!!!”

The platinum demon had his armor engulfed with dark flames and violet-colored electricity ran through its glowing veins. Then in an instant, he bolted forward with a speed of light! He swept and passed through the horde of Gate Guardians with ease, zigzagging until he has successfully taken down each and all of them!

Mixed screams can be heard in the battlefield, and all of it was filled with pain.

Aeternos swiped his metallic fingers in the thin air, and a dark Gate materialized. Several black cloaked men jumped from the dimensional rift, and now the enemy boss has called reinforcements!

Endless metal clashes echoed around the area. Several voices and chants can be heard around in this part of the snowy fields. Now that the Gate Guardians are occupied in their own respective battles, Aeternos can now focus on one thing.

He is now glaring at me.

<>

“I AM THE ONE AND ONLY PROPHET KING!!!” Aeternos roared.

Seriously, what is this Prophet King all about? The Outsider and the lady of the lake refer me as one, but can’t we both just share the same titles? Or if it would make him any happier, I’ll wholeheartedly give that name to him!

“ALL COUNTERFEIT MUST DIE!!!”

“!!!” Lord Freya bolted in a flash! She made different combinations of arm slaps and swift kicks, but Aeternos effortlessly dodged all of it!

With Aternos’ swift hands, he caught Freya’s throat and squeezed it tight.

“Argh!”

“Freya!!!” I cried. I held my katana with my remaining hand, and then bolted forward! “!!!”

There was a loud clash of blades! He blocked the fastest sword spell with his own sword!

But I’m not finished yet! “!!!” I made 27 swift strikes in just one blink, but everything was parried!

This is impossible!

“!!!” This is my strongest spell! But the moment it was about to hit Aeternos, he just swiped his free hand and repelled the attack as if it’s just air!

Aeternos’ hand that was choking Lord Freya was engulfed with a dark aura. Green stream of energy went out of the goddess’s mouth, which was absorbed by the enemy’s mechanical helmet!

Slowly, Freya reverted back to Amy, who had her strength all depleted. Then Aeternos threw my childhood friend as if she’s just a used tissue paper.

I caught the unconscious blonde on my arm. “Amy!” I shouted as I shook her body gently, trying to wake her up. She’s still breathing, and I can still sense a tiny bit of prana, so everything is fine for her.

But Aeternos is already on my face. I froze to death as I saw him raise his clear ice sword, ready to slash us in half!

“!!!”

As soon as darkness blinked, I closed my eyes.

But then I realized that the voice who cast the is not Aeternos nor I.

It was Tiara.

She used her silver tail to make that swift attack! It was a direct hit and the attack went through that metallic white armor!

“YOU!!!” Aeternos made a step back.

Suddenly, Tiara spawned all nine silver tails, and she used all of those to wrap the enemy’s arms and legs! Now Aeternos’ movements have been completely limited!

“T-Tiara…” I muttered.

“Run, Rikkun.” She turned to me with a smile. “I’ll hold him! Go!”

Suddenly, Aeternos unleashed dark flames and electricity from his armor. Those harmful energy flow through the white tails and ultimately reached the shrine maiden!

“Kyaaaaaah!!!” Tiara’s screams are full of agony.

“Tiara! You can’t possibly hold him for long!” I cried. "Let him go! Let's run away together!"

“I-It’s okay, Rikkun.” Tiara maintained her smile, but tears are about to fall from her eyes. “Trust me a little bit, will you?”

“But Tiara-”

“I love you.”

Tiara made a genuine smile with tears of joy. “I love you, Rikkun. I have gone through this over and over, and even after seven million lives that I have been through, my answer will always be like this. But you didn’t choose me. You never will. Our destiny is never to be with one another… That is why I will do everything I have to make you two alive and happy! With determination, I will never give up!”

Tiara’s right fist glowed with pure golden energy! She will be deciding this fight with her strongest attack!

“!!!”

“!!!”

Just before Tiara was able to unleash the golden dragon, the futuristic knight helmet of Aeternos opened. There was a gigantic black hand from that helm that went directly to Tiara’s chest!

The moment the dark hand groped the shrine maiden’s heart, it made an extremely tight squeeze that crunched her soul!

“Tiara!” I cried.

“...Ri...kkun…” Her eyes lost its glow as she fell lifeless on the snow.