Chapter 138 - Sightless Combat

Praying for a swift death upon impact, he finally collided with what sat at the bottom of the abyss--only it wasn't solid ground but the sharp yet non-fatal embrace of water. Sinking into the depths of the unknown liquid, it filled his nostrils and gaping mouth, forcing him to rise up from beneath its hold, coughing up the foreign substance from his body.

Floating above the surface of this body of liquid, there was absolute darkness all around him, unable to see even his own hand as he held it in front of his eyes.

"Bifrons? Bifrons? Bifrons!"

Ren yelled out in a panic, left to this unknown abyss as he kept himself afloat. For reasons unknown to him, the familiar had vanished from his shoulder, leaving him alone to whatever depths he had tripped into.

Moving through these waters, unknown if it was blood, bile, or actually water--he swam until he met with a solid edge. Weakened by the harsh impact of the fall, reinforcement was needed to raise himself from the water, crawling onto the uncomfortable, cold stone before dropping onto his back to catch his breath at last.

It was futile to move his gaze around, only seeing black in front of his own two eyes, leaving further anxiety to seep into his throttling heart. All he could listen to was a noise that sounded like ragged breathing, coming from an unknown direction as he had lost that privilege within the darkness.

In an attempt to circumvent this hindrance of sight, he gathered the handful of gemstones that were tucked away in his pocket, holding them as close as possible to his pupil to try and discern the identity of each magic-bearing stone. His saving grace in this situation was the slight glimmer each stone gave off, allowing him to just barely make out their shades.

Out of the bunch, the snow-white gemstone that glimmered with golden particles was the only one that fit the picture of what he was looking for.

"...Here goes."

Squeezing the gem within his hand, he threw it against the ground with his utmost force, shattering it and praying for its desired effect.

For a moment, his heart fluttered in reprieve as a flash emitted from the shattered gemstone, soon replaced by an utter recluse of his resolve as the brief stunt of light revealed what rested within the enigmatic abyss.

It was only for a moment when the light danced against the walls but he saw it, a giant sat against one of the walls, its head covered by a black cloth while its large body was layered in many scars. Quite easily it surpassed the stature of Asterius even as it sat.

Although he couldn't see its face and its skin was of a pale red, it was distinctly humanoid, unlike the half-man, half-beast he faced on the previous floor.

With this sight revealed to him, he recognized the pungent stench that filled his nose to originate from the colossal being, as it seeped in its own exiled matter, covered in stains of crimson and brown. Knowing the existence of such a creature, he quickly placed his hand over his face to muffle his breathing.

While his confidence in his strength was at an all-time high, he simply didn't know for certain how powerful the giant was, as well as not particularly fond of his chances of fighting in total darkness, only hoping that the brief, fierce radiance didn't wake it from its seemingly deep slumber.

--The fact it didn't wake up from my loud splash is probably a good sign...I hope. Still, where the hell is Bifrons?

Each sleeping exhale from the being of enormous stature gently vibrated the stone beneath Ren's step, bringing himself to the closest wall for some semblance of direction. Behind him, from all that he could tell, was endless liquid--potentially holding creatures that he would rather bet his life against the giant on.

--There is no road left but the one that leads forward, right, Ren?

Scorning his own resolve, he gulped down as he slowly and stealthily made his way past the slumbering colossus. The closer he got, the more potent the effects of its heavy breathing became, feeling it grind against his ears.

One hand covering his nose and mouth, one hand kept against the hilt of his blade, Ren neared the apex of this breathing, knowing full well he was now within dangerous proximity of the enormous humanoid. Another careful step led him into his ill-fated desire as the sole of his boot met with a fragile pebble, shattering it beneath his foot with a resounding, brittle crack; a noise that would hardly draw attention in most places but in the silent depths, it was as loud as a bomb setting off.

There wasn't any abrupt movement or roar that came from the giant, only a halting of its quaking snoring, leaving Ren in a frozen state as he felt sweat trickle down his cheek.

One moment. Another passed. Silence, then--

"Grahhhh--!"

Within a moment, the giant rose from its slumber with a booming roar to back it up, listening to the metallic cascade of its binding chains fling against the stone as it picked itself up.

Ren was quick to draw Belus from its abode, giving a wild slash to the air in hopes of hitting the giant, meeting with nothing as he had feared. Even with total caution, he had lost the location of the giant, now relying only on his only spatial awareness to hone on the weight of its step.

--Can it see me?

It was an important question, one that would lead to at most a battle of two blind men but it was important nonetheless. This question found itself resolved he felt the air near him hiss, pressing against his skin as he jumped back--avoiding an incoming whip of the giant's limb.

A few more of these unrefined strikes were led his way, causing him to blindly backpedal until his back met with the stone wall.

Only left with one avenue to approach from, Ren slammed his palm against the wall, "Araphel: Particle Shade!"

A veil of darkness drove through its twin element, guiding his sixth sense to acquire the position of the giant as rough as it may be, it was something. The sense bestowed upon him by the sensory spell felt so natural yet so odd; granting him a distinct instinct that told him exactly where the being stood as if the air that rested against its skin were his own two hands.

--I can see you now, big guy!

Bursting forward with utmost reinforcement, the wind blasted apart from his path to allow him to travel at a speed he was definitely not adjusted to, nearly crashing against the body of the giant--using the pommel of his sword to stop his harsh collision.

Not only was this new level of agility leaving his brain jumbled, the darkness inhabiting his sight only amplified this obliviousness. Left for a moment to regain his sense, he nearly fell into the mighty grasp of the abyssal giant, flipping himself backwards, leaving a swift kick as a parting gift to the giant's chest--causing it to briefly stumble back.

--I didn't put much behind that kick yet it seemed to be somewhat effective...This new magical energy boost is really something. Though, fighting while both holding Particle Shade and reinforcement isn't something I'm quite used to yet.

Meeting the towering being once again, his head reached only as high as its knee, lending his blade its target as he curved it towards the back of that pivotal section of its hulking, scarlet-tinted leg. The incision was made, opening its flesh to allow for a fountain of blood to rain down.

A pained, angered roar left the giant's mouth, shaking the ground beneath as it prepared for retaliation by wildly hammering its fists down upon the ground.

"Hey, hey, calm down--!"

Ren maintained his balance within the darkness, feeling a ticklish sensation journey through his body due to the harsh vibrations.

The blind rage of the giant as it plunged its massive fists against the world had masked the secondary vibration traveling not over the surface, but underneath it. Particle Shade had immediately identified the new existence--it was one of the burrowers, rising from the stone with both of its massive, sword-filled paws clasped together in the form of a drill.

--Great. Fantastic, even. Just what I needed! More foes!

As if condemning him further, two more burrowers pierced through the stone beneath, rising from the ground. There was just one issue with this new development--as he tried to pinpoint the location of these creatures, they were completely vacant to his additional sense.

Something he had never accounted for had made itself known; from the clouds of dust raised by the eruption of stone in the burrower's path, the particles of dust counteracted his sensory spell--effectively leaving him partially blind once again.

--Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. What now? Particle Shade was my only tool for a situation like this; nothing else in my arsenal can replace sight itself. Four-on-one...I need something that'll hit all of them, at the very least, something that can take down these pesky burrowers.

Trying to maintain whatever calmness he had left in the tank, he now focused on his own two ears--listening in on the subtle yet constant noise that was now apparent; the sniffing the burrowers did without end. It was his one ticket to success, one he thanked whatever gods watched over him for.

--One is close, two paces to the left, maybe.

Gambling it all, he stepped without hesitance dulling his movements, tightly gripping the hilt of Belus as he drew himself near the source of the sniffling beast.

--A stab or a slice? A cut may end up too shallow against its hide, especially if I can't see it, but a stab is even more of a shot in the dark.

Changing his stance at the last moment, he opted for a slash; swinging his blade from his hip across the abyssal winds, making contact with one of these stone-dwelling creatures. Once again, he seemed to underestimate the new strength awarded to him by unlocking his innate ability, guiding the sharp edge of Belus through the starting point of the beast, and exiting the blade through the other side, bisecting it without any hindrances.

The squelching of flesh filled his hearing, listening to a high-pitched, pained screech leave the creature's taut mouth before the sound of its innards being plastered against the stone replaced its cries.

--One down.

He felt the booming stomps of the giant close in on him, rolling forward to narrowly avoid a meteoric downfall of its fist, the resounding squelch likely telling him the fist had met with the split carcass. It was clear the monsters had a mutual thirst for his death as the other two burrowers made their path towards him, their rampant screeches piercing his ears as he debated on his next plan of action.

The constant pressure applied by the ravenous burrowers kept him from making any progress against the red-skinned colossus, finding himself in a sweat as he continued evading unseen attacks, supported only by his heightened instincts.

For a moment, his boot slipped into the murky waters, quickly recoiling it before pushing forward to assure he didn't repeat that mistake--finding himself dodging between the pillars that carried the giant forward. Getting a solid grasp on the location of the burrowers was a hardened task, it seemed they learned from the death of their kin; constantly retreating into the stone when he came near, coming back up in swift attempts to tear at him.

After evading the dual attacks launched in unison by the reclusive, sharp-clawed beasts, he began to learn the sensation he felt, the way the wind felt on his skin just before they attacked. Using this sense, he leaped into the air as the feeling arose once more, stomping one foot down on the leftmost burrower and driving his sword through the hardened skull of the other.

Wasting no time as the looming threat of the giant drew quickly, he slid his blade, slick with blood, out from the creature's skull, stabbing it into the neck of the one he stood on, leaving them both dead within a moment.

--Only one to go.

As the dust settled his recon spell reemerged into usage, guiding his senses to clasp onto the location of the colossal being.

Meeting its rough step, supported by no style or grace, Ren subverted its open-palmed swipe by bringing Belus down swiftly, removing all five of its fingers. A bellowing roar echoed from its strained throat, shaking the surrounding stone as it grasped its defanged hand.

Ren didn't let up on this opportunity, unleashing a circular slash that bent the laws of physics to the untrained eye--now removing the giant's wrist from the rest of its arm.

Compared to Asterius, even if its height was greater, its durability was nothing in comparison--at the very least, this much was true with a blanket comparison but Ren still hadn't taken into account the difference in strength between the past him and the present.

Using its mutilated arm as a bridge, Ren sprinted up its flesh-bound pathway, dragging Belus behind him as it left a dreaded incision across the length of its appendage before he reached its shoulder; from there, he flipped his handle on the blade, bringing it downwards into a plunge, burying it within the skull of the enormous humanoid.

As soon as the blade lodged itself into the interior of the giant's head, its pained groans came to a total stoppage. Before it could fall forward and subsequently pin him under its multi-ton body, he dislodged the blade from its thick skull, using its head as a launchpad to kick himself off from.

Slick with the blood of his fallen foes, he swiped Belus through the air to rid it of the foul crimson that stained its pristine silver.

Letting out a "Phew," Ren replaced his tired expression with a smile.

"...Now how the hell do I get out of this damn hole?"