Chapter 342 - Rotten Drive

Finally snapping back into reality, Jae-Seong drew his eyes away from his fallen companion and turned around at the sound of Sicarius' rugged, pained breathing as his quivering eyes widened further as if seeing a ghost. 

"Sicarius…?" 

He couldn't so much as see the imposing Marquis in his state; Jae-Seong's eyes solely focused on the man who looked resigned for life already. 

"Hey, kid...I messed up. This isn't on you. Don't go thinking that, alright? Think of it as my last request...or something like that." 

Sicarius' words were little more than shallow breaths as his eyes were already glazed over with the veil of death; his skin began to peel, withering away into particles carried by the wind as he manually inhaled and exhaled. 

"Why…?"

"Huh? I don't know. I guess even cold-blooded killers have some human left in them. Anyway...I need you to stand up, Jae-Seong." 

Getting some twisted enjoyment out of this, the Marquis simply listened in to their conversation while holding his malicious smile; more so keeping his eyes on the spreading decay that embraced the assassins' body. 

"What?" 

"Stand up and fight. If you don't, that kid is going to die--and so are you. You two are the only things left standing between Belmon and their twisted fucking desires. Even if you don't want to live anymore, killing those scum is more important. If they live, they'll repeat what happened here; over and over again. Get up and fight, Jae-Seong; not for yourself, but for the dead and the living. If you end up in the afterlife with me after doing nothing and wallowing in grief, I'll kill you again, you hear me?"

--As Sicarius spoke these last words drawn from his fading lungs, the Marquis casually latched his accursed grip around the dying man's throat--digging his rotten fingers into his neck. 

"That's enough out of you; just die already and be quiet--you're so damn disappointing!" 

For the first time, the Marquis displayed an almost comical fit of rage as he screamed at the top of his lungs before ripping the man's jugular out without any hesitation--allowing Sicarius to fall over lifelessly while his lively crimson flooded the spot below him. 

"No!" 

Ren called out, a few seconds too far from reaching the man as he extended his hand in futility--watching the life exit completely from Sicarius' eyes. Before he could have time to mourn, the urgency of battle made itself clear as he freed himself from the grip of a Reverse Walker--decapitating it with a clean swipe of his blade. 

"Sicarius…!" 

Jae-Seong yelled out as the glow returned to his golden irises, clenching his fists tight enough that they became clad in bulging veins. 

"Oh? Are you finally awake again--"

--Unable to finish his sentence, an impact slammed against the Marquis' cheekbone--sending him flying back. 

Still on his feet, Liber held his cheek with a wide smile, "Didn't you learn your lesson, or are you just that stupid? If you touch me you'll--"

Once more, the Marquis' words were cut short, but this time by his own volition as he made a discovery upon looking at the fist Jae-Seong used against him. It held the same state as earlier; there was no further decay. 

How? He touched me; I'm sure of it. It wasn't that unfair wind...that was his fist! I'm not crazy--I'm not! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not! Liber thought. 

"You're confused, aren't you, freak? Good."

Without any playfulness present in his tone or expression, Jae-Seong held utter contempt in his eyes before lightly bouncing on his feet, taking a stance as he raised his hands. 

"I'm going to fucking kill you." 

--It was a promise made from him to the Marquis as a malicious glint harbored Jae-Seong eyes in that brief moment; in the next, the man was right in front of the perplexed, depraved man--but even that wasn't right. 

In truth, Ren witnessed what had happened:

Jae-Seong...is behind him! What kind of speed is that? Ren thought. 

Once more, a punch crashed into the unknowing Marquis' sternum; if the action could even be called something so simple--it didn't feel right to call it just a punch to Ren. All he saw was a blur--if that--before the Marquis of Rot was stumbling back, hacking up a mixture of blood and saliva. 

One more, two more, a dozen--a barrage of blows just from Jae-Seong's right fist rocketed against Liber's upper-body with an impact that caused the air to hiss and crack. 

I get it, Ren thought, he's moving so fast that the rot can't reach him! Still...just how fast does he have to be to do that?! 

It was impossible for the Marquis to fight back against the unseen blows; each time his flesh caved in to the fast, sharp power of Jae-Seong's fists. 

But it wasn't the repetition of powerful blows that kept the Marquis from countering; he simply couldn't. 

How do you like my magic? I'm not much for spells, but this one suits me well. "Brutal Haze", I call it; a hit from me scatters a layer of refined wind across your body, targeting your nerves and disrupting your mind and body for a second, making it impossible to command your body to do much as twitch a finger. So once I get going—good luck. When I get serious, not even light can escape my fists, Jae-Seong thought. 

"Ren!"

"...Y-yeah?"

Not expecting his name to be called out, Ren responded to Jae-Seong's call--though he didn't receive a verbal answer, the curly-haired man signaled to something with his eyes: the umbilical cord that trailed behind the Marquis. 

Good thinking! If we separate him from that giant, he won't be able to recover again! Ren discovered. 

"Leave it to me!"

Setting off on his task, Ren cut away the few Reverse Walkers left wandering about before rushing towards the lengthy tendril that attached the Marquis to the colossal that returned to its statuesque state with his arrival. 

Noticing the clear path the white-haired young man was headed, the Marquis' expression dropped before receiving another sharp blow directly to the nose--having it completely broken as it faced to the left. 

"...Ngh! Not like this! Not like this! Not like this! I won't let you! I won't let you! I won't let you!"

The Marquis of Rot repeated as he howled out, shaking his head fervently as blood began to seep from his bulged-out eyes. 

"Forgive me, Mistress! I must! I must! I must hurt him!"

Clawing at his own cheeks, Liber took a sudden dash towards Ren with a face pouring out a repugnant mixture of pus and blood. Still, Ren rushed towards him with his blade honed on that trailing umbilical cord. 

"I'll rebuild you later--so for now--rot away!" 

Liber howled out as he extended his hand out towards Ren, already right before the young man with his accursed hand nearing his face. 

"Don't forget I'm here, you sick freak." 

Before any such hand could reach Ren, Jae-Seong's malicious words came with a fist that came down on Liber's jaw like a meteor, halting the frail, zombie-like Marquis who slobbered with pupiless eyes as the hit dazed him. 

If only I was alone, I could use my ability…oh, well, I don't need it for scum like this, Jae-Seong thought. 

"Now, Ren!"

Jae-Seong shouted at the top of his lungs with eyes that were reddened from previous tears. Moving without a word, Ren accepted the opportunity afforded to him. Taking a quick sidestep around the rocked Marquis, he flipped Belus to its sharpest side as he used the momentum of his spin to bring the reliable, decorated steel right through the flesh rope that connected the Marquis to the colossal. 

I got it! Ren thought. 

"Nice one!" 

Jae-Seong gave a thumbs-up to the young man while they both kept their eyes on the freakish Marquis; having had his umbilical cord separated from him, he began to convulse while standing in place--muttering words at a pace that made it impossible to listen in. 

Amongst all of those incomprehensible words, one finally was understood: 

"Rot." 

--As the word left the Marquis' lips in an ominous tone, the still winds were replaced with something deathly--this much as recognized by Jae-Seong who only had enough time to grab Ren by the collar and toss him back without a single word said. 

"Jae-Seong?!" 

Confused, the young man looked up as a wind interlaced with decay pulsated directly against the curly-haired otherworlder, who could only raise his arms to guard against it. 

"Rot. Rot. Rot." 

Shock waves carrying the accursed nature of rot cascaded down upon Jae-Seong as he winced, holding up his defense the best he could before hacking up blood. 

Crap. I can't even move; I have to focus everything I've got on my reinforcement--if I falter for a second, I'll turn to dust, Jae-Seong thought. 

"...Jae-Seong!"

Ren yelled out, standing himself up as his first inclination was to rush over to aid the man, but that effort was halted as Jae-Seong held his hand out to stop him from coming any closer. 

"Stay back, Ren!" 

"But--"

"You're at a perfectly good range right there, aren't you?" 

Looking back at the white-haired young man briefly, Jae-Seong followed his words with a smile that quivered, holding a bloodshot tinge to his golden eyes. 

What does he mean…? Wait, I get it! Ren realized, stay strong. Jae-Seong! I'll give him hell!

"You're at a perfectly good range right there, aren't you?" 

Looking back at the white-haired young man briefly, Jae-Seong followed his words with a smile that quivered, holding a bloodshot tinge to his golden eyes. 

What does he mean…? Wait, I get it! Ren realized, stay strong. Jae-Seong! I'll give him hell!

Luckily for him, the Marquis of Rot appeared to be in a trance; constantly repeating the word "rot" to no end as the pulsations of decay continued. Using this to his advantage, Ren calmly built up his most potent mana. 

It worked well against him last time, so this'll do the trick, he thought. 

Raising his hand to the air, he yelled out the incantation, "Araphel: Void Piercer!" 

Pouring much more mana into the lengthy lance of darkness than usual, it grew to a size fitting for a giant to wield as it hovered in the air above his palm. 

Yelling out with the resolve to vanquish his enemy, he sent the gigantic Void Piercer hurling through the air--directly towards the crazed Marquis. 

I'd say go to hell, but you'd probably like that, wouldn't you, Marquis of Rot? He thought. 

As this thought crossed his mind, a resounding squelch emitted as the shadowy lance buried itself directly through the Marquis' chest--sizzling with a dark volatility. 

"...Rot. Rot. Rot. Rot. Rot!..." 

Still left in his trance despite his condition, Liber's tongue hung outside of his mouth as he rapidly shook his head. 

I don't care anymore. I don't know if you're a human, monster, or devil--when I look at someone as depraved as you, someone that has hurt good people, I just don't care anymore. Nothing is holding me back. 

No guilty conscience. No morals. Nothing. Liber Quintus, I'll kill you, and I won't lose myself over it; you're not worth it. Nobody who threatens me or my comrades is worth a second thought, he resolved. 

Rushing over in between rot emissions, Ren pulled Jae-Seong back before finishing the job, "Araphel: Detonation!"

Detonating the large lance resulted in a larger explosion than normal--filling the hellscape with abyssal fireworks that completely engulfed the Marquis in its destruction. The repetitions of "rot" were quelled within the roars of the dark detonation; both of the men watched closely with fearful gazes as the abyssal cloud settled. 

Only chunks of the rotten flesh belonging to the blown up Marquis were in place of him--conjuring a sigh from both of them as they fell to the ground, watching the hellscape begin to dissipate; peeling away to reveal the reality they yearned for. 

"We're alive." 

Jae-Seong muttered as if not believing it himself, looking up at the ceiling occupied by the enormous eye that had closed with the Marquis' death--watching as it too faded away. 

"Don't jinx it." 

Ren's words reeled in a weak laugh from Jae-Seong that was quickly replaced with a bloody, hoarse cough. Turning to face the curly-haired otherworlder, Ren sat up with worrisome eyes as he saw the state of his ally. 

"Crap...I forgot! You took a ton of rot…!" 

"I'll be fine. I don't think those rot waves were anywhere near as potent as touching his body. Still…"

Jae-Seong's lingering words brought both his and Ren's eyes to the state of his body; the skin on his arms was peeled away, bleeding profusely as a strand of skin had been decayed from his once perfect face. 

"We need to get you help." 

Helping the man stand up, Ren lended his shoulder to Jae-Seong as they returned to the corridor seamlessly. Even as pale as he naturally was, Jae-Seong's complexion was beyond unhealthy; his breathing was uneven, his body running with a high fever--the rot still took a toll on him. 

I've got to get him help. Iris knows healing magic; she can help him, he thought. 

"Their bodies...they aren't here." 

Ren commented, looking at the ground around them, noticing the lack of Sicarius or Yuri's fallen selves. 

"I guess that hell took its toll, huh? Come on, let's keep going. We're not home free yet." 

"Right…" 

He could tell Jae-Seong's words were the opposite of how he felt; the shining glint of tears present in the man's golden eyes told of his yearn to retrieve his companion's body, but in a situation like this--such things were luxuries. 

Even as Jae-Seong spoke taut words while trying to maintain a strong facade—tears couldn't be restrained as they flowed down his cheeks. 

Ren didn't say a word, only silently following in this sadness as tears trailed down his face as well. Silently, the two were triumphant, yet defeated. 

Today, I killed someone. 

Today, I learned that sometimes...it's alright. 

Meinhard, this is what you'd want, right? I'm protecting myself, I'm doing everything I can for those around me. 

This is what strength is: my mind was weak before; I can kill, and I can still be Ren Nakamura. I won't lose myself to the darkness.. It can coexist with the light, he thought.