Chapter 331 - Sicarius

In the midst of their reunited clash, keeping it standard with just an exchange of simple, but well-executed slashes that were guarded against--something finally happened. It caught his eyes as he went in for a swing of Belus; the few entities in robes that existed in the stands were now plentiful--and crimson had painted the other side of the barrier, coating the stands and walls as a scenery of demon corpses were strewn about. 

It was only thirty--no, twenty seconds at most...how? When? How did this happen? He thought. 

His stomach sunk at this sight, halting his attack as his breathing became ragged. 

It was as if reality itself flickered to a nightmare; the cloaked figure still stood as statuesque as ever, holding blades drenched in blood, having painted the lavish material in abundant crimson. 

"WHAT IN THE-- WHAT HAS OCCURRED HERE--"

Before the red-haired announcer could even properly finish a sentence, an array of black orbs shot out from the stands, coalescing towards the ceiling just below the gemstones that lit the arena. 

A chant was shared between the robed figures, their voices deep and contorted:

"Ars: Blackout."

As soon as the words escaped their maws, the sable orbs released into a darkness that expanded instantly--encompassing the entirety of the arena in a darkness familiar to Ren. 

I can't see my own hands in front of me. I can't hear. This is...Blackout. But "Ars"? What is that? Where are the others? I need to find the others, he thought. 

Before he could pursue that goal, he felt his body be embraced before being hoisted up--beginning to move at an incredibly swift rate. It was completely disorientating; being moved around in total darkness without any inclination as to where he was or where he was going, Ren felt like vomiting. 

"What the? What's going on? Let me go!" 

"It's me; calm down." 

It was the unmistakable, monotone voice of Sicarius that responded. That cold, emotion-deprived voice was the only thing that met his ears--and for some reason, it was comforting to Ren. In such abundant, sudden darkness that eclipsed the arena, he wanted to shrink away. 

This darkness--something is different about it. It's...malicious. Suffocatingly malicious. It feels like I'm breathing in tangible terror with each breath; I'm scared. I'm scared, he thought. 

"What's going on!? Tell me! I went along with what you said--so tell me!"

"Calm down."

"I won't calm down…! I have friends here! I can't just leave them here--!" 

Even though he responded to Sicarius so fervently, he couldn't even see the man that carried him forth despite the two being so close together. Still, he swung his fists at the blank darkness in an attempt to halt his unlikely ally. 

Suddenly, he felt as if the world was spinning around him before he crashed against the solid ground without any inclination as to when such an impact was arriving. 

"...Arrangements have been made for your companions; I told you to trust me, and you agreed--stay true your word. Right now, time is paramount--every second is the difference between life or death. We need to get out of this building--immediately."

Sicarius' voice held some form of emotion this time; he was clearly perturbed by the young man's abrasive behavior. 

"You can't just ask someone to blindly trust you...I mean, I didn't even know what I was agreeing to!"

It was faint, but some of his sight began to return to him--only seeing a few feet ahead of him, though the radiance that once filled the lavish stadium was overtaken by a chilling darkness, not just the blackout spell alone overshadowed the building. 

"I can't just take your word over the safety of my comrades; I'm sorry."

Ren clenched his fists as he looked at the scarred assassin, who was mostly obscured by the darkness. 

Taking a single step in the direction he gambled they came from, he was halted by Sicarius' sudden call. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." 

"And what if I do?"

By this point, his patience had reached its limit; in the face of such stomach-churning, unknown foes--leaving his companions unattended was a mistake he wasn't willing to make. Standing still with his back to Sicarius, he inched his hand towards the sheathed blade he possessed. 

If he tries to stop me...He thought. 

"If you do, I'd draw that sword--quickly." 

"Huh?" 

Ren was taken aback by the words used by the man with black and white hair, turning back to look at him--a decision immediately regretted as a presence was sensed, approaching quickly from in front of him. 

Before he could retrieve his blade and face whatever was approaching, Sicarius already made the move for him; the distance was covered in a fraction of a second, the renowned assassin carved his sable steel through the flesh of the entity that attempted to approach Ren. 

Whatever it was, it wasn't human; though it's form was humanoid, it's flesh was dehydrated—it's skin was a lifeless black with its skeleton pressing against its malnourished skin. 

It stood nearly twice the height of Ren, falling over into a puddle of black goop that flooded from its lethal wound. 

"What the hell is that…?"

Ren asked as he could feel his heart throwing itself against his chest. 

Plunging the end of his black blade into the vibrating head of the monstrous entity, Sicarius remained unmoved by the horrific atmosphere. The squelching that resulted from the sharp steel being retrieved from the entity's head made Ren shudder just a bit as he looked around anxiously—making sure none were sneaking up on him. 

"It's a Reverse Walker. All you need to know is they're bad news; that's why we have to move."

"If these things are around…it's all the more reason that I need to find them!"

Ren spoke with his haste, this time being stopped as he took a step onward once more--the stoic assassin grabbed onto the back of his collar to halt him. 

"Are you not listening to a single, damn word I'm saying, kid? It's my job to protect you--maybe I didn't make that clear."

"I don't give a damn! I don't know who you are, or who hired you, but I'm not abandoning my friends just because it's convenient for you!" 

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Your companions were taken into consideration by my client; others were assigned to safeguard them."

Sicarius was beginning to seem annoyed as a vein pressed against his forehead, though these words actually seemed to get through to Ren as the two men stood in the bleak darkness of the arena's halls. 

"Huh?"

"I told you that already...damn, you're annoying as hell. Listen, let me make this real easy for you: if we stay here, we're going to find out what a fate worse than death looks like. These people, if they can even be called that, are the worst of the worst--real scum of Gaia. It's their one purpose in life to spread as much depravity as they can throughout Gaia; if you should fall into their hands...it's something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. Now, let's get a move on." 

Pushing Ren forward, Sicarius' sharp words seemed to bring a mutual understanding between the two as the fear of whatever the assassin was alluding to settled into the young man. It wasn't what was said, but what laid behind those words; they were laced with a knowledge of something sinister--a primordial, unimaginable darkness that inlaid an ancient dread into his pores. 

What is this? Why am I so scared? I'm strong now, right?...No. This is different. Strength doesn't matter against something like this. It's like...a force; something that can't be stopped just by physical means--I'm not ready for this. I'm not. I'm not. This is Purgatory...and whoever this group is--they massacred those demons. Just what kind of person does it take to attack hell itself…? Ren thought. 

Begrudgingly, Ren followed behind Sicarius, who seemed to possess much less restrained senses in the blackened territory. 

I guess Blackout is wearing off little by little, but...Ren thought. 

He wasn't sure if he preferred the return of his senses; listening to the sounds that now occupied the dreadful, blood-soaked arena manifested a cold over his skin. Scratches lined the walls; either on its surface, within it, or behind the quartz. 

Screams howled out, squelching rang through the length of the corridors, and a mixture of footsteps--varying in speed--resounded in the interior of the building. Still, he looked upon the assassin's back, who, while cautious, seemed relaxed in this hellish environment. 

"...How can you be so calm in a situation like this?" 

Ren asked, even the act of talking frightened him as he feared giving his location away to whatever horrors lurked the halls. 

"I wouldn't call it being calm--I'm just prepared. Even so...I don't know what to expect. You can't really fit a formula to these people. They exist outside of the normal human spectrum; I wouldn't go as far as to insult humanity to liken them to these guys. They're the kinds of people I hate the most. Unreasonable. Inhuman. Maybe it's a bit rich for someone of my profession to say, but that's just the truth. They don't fear pain, death, or any fate--so they're free to unleash whatever hell they want without any consequence."