Chapter 295 - A Path To Victory

"I'll handle it." 

Speaking without looking her in the eye, Ren's vision continued to swirl as corrupted thoughts birthed themselves. The possible scenarios played themselves on repeat within his mind; imagining the sick, twisted things that could happen to his companions--namely, Iris. 

I have to do this. After remembering that disgusting lot, and what they did to Aiko...no doubt that there are more of their breed in Purgatory. I'll be damned if I risk even a finger of theirs touching you, he thought. 

"What…? Ren, what're you saying? I'm not....I'm not letting you do this alone…!"

"I can handle it." 

Ignoring the worried tone caressing Iris' words, Ren began to move down the passageway they came from, having his arm grabbed once more by the girl--this time into a tighter, desperate grip. 

"Ren...why?"

"..."

"Valerie, talk to him!" 

Attempting to call in another voice of reason, Iris was dumbfounded by the look in the draconic woman's eyes--a look that she knew spelled a truth she didn't want to hear. 

"It might be for the best. Think about it, Iris--"

"No! It's not...it's not! It's dangerous!"

Interrupting the demi-human knight who had just landed back down onto the ground, Iris shouted as she rejected any notion of this risky idea. 

"Listen to her, Iris." 

Ren placed his hand atop the girl's own, looking at her with his hazel irises that held little sway in them. 

"Ren...I…"

"There's a chance that if we all got locked into battle with those three, none of us will qualify. At least this way, you and I can pass--it'll just be Ren who has to sit on the sidelines." 

As pragmatic as the explanation sounded from Valerie, Iris seemed to not want to hear it as she shook her head once more, causing her azure locks to drape over her shoulders wildly. Exchanging a glance, Ren and Valerie affirmed that the reason given was nothing more than sweet talk for the girl. 

Thank you, Valerie, he thought. 

"It'll be alright, Iris. I can handle myself now; I'm strong." 

Freeing his hand from her loosened grasp, Ren gave her whatever smile he could muster before patting the girl's head, caressing it gently as he met her gaze with his own. After looking into her trembling, kind eyes for a moment more, he turned away. 

"Ren…"

Since when...did your eyes become so lonely? She thought. 

It was the only thing she could think at that moment after staring into those eyes of his, watching his back as he disappeared down the hall. 

I'm sorry, but this is the only way--the best way, Ren thought. 

Even so, he couldn't leave things off on a dull note--seeing that pained, worried look in the eyes of the girl he cares so much for, he had to do one last thing. 

"Don't worry about me! I'm strong, you hear?! I'll make it back quick and qualify--so don't wait for me!"

Waving off to Iris and Valerie, he yelled out with the brightest smile he could muster before disappearing around the corner of the rightmost passageway of the murky labyrinth. 

"...You better, idiot…"

Holding both of her hands close to her chest, Iris listened to the frequent footsteps of the young man grow more distant. 

"C'mon, three stooges, I don't have all day…"

Muttering to himself under his breath, he raced down the repetitive halls of the domain in search of the malicious trio. 

Finding himself entering a large, open space occupied only by four main pillars alongside what looked to be medieval torture devices, he came to a screeching halt as something didn't sit right in the air. 

It was a repugnant chamber; blood stained nearly every inch of the room, mainly seeping into the savage, brutal devices, leaving an iron-like, gut-wrenching stench to linger in the musty air. As always, it seemed like it was a room taken from a territory not original to Purgatory. 

Still, couldn't whoever made this place find some better furniture than this? He thought. 

Tattered curtains hung low, presenting a jet-black fabric that obscured the vision of the entire chamber--leaving many blind spots for him. 

Trickling droplets of blood fell from the rusted ceiling, monotonously hitting the floor below, each time triggering his fight or flight instincts. 

The sound of metal being dragged across the ground in a slight screech brought his movements to a complete halt; standing still, surrounded by the obscuring curtains--he waited. 

Drip. Drip. Drip. 

Listening to each drop hit the floor was a test of his patience, keeping his hand steady at the hilt of his trusty blade. 

In a heart-accelerating moment, the curtain to his left suddenly ripped open as a projectile tore through it, aimed and primed at his head. Responding to this surprise attack, he quickly unsheathed his blade from its leather home, swinging its metallic essence at the malicious object in a clean deflection. 

"Come out. I think we both know time is valuable." 

Stating this loud and clear, he waited as he listened to the newly born presence of footsteps conjure all around him. 

As I thought; there are three pairs of footsteps. It's them, he thought. 

A sudden spike in magical energy alerted his instincts, allowing him to act accordingly to whatever was coming from his left, "Dunkel: Veil!" 

Manifesting the shadowy, spiral shield of dark magical energy, it blocked an incoming roar of flames that swallowed the curtain in its path. 

"Not wasting any time, are you?...Neither will I." 

Whispering to himself, he began to push forward against the tunnel of wild flames with his magic-born shield held in front of him. Rushing forward with further reinforcement surging through his legs, he pushed against the maw of fire, ramming the shield directly into the body of the attacking mage. 

Condensing the flames to such a small space resulted in an eruption of flames, exploding in a violent display as he jumped back. 

He had to be affected by that, he thought. 

Before he could watch the smoke dissipate, another attack came--this time, from directly behind him. Only the extremely close-proximity footsteps warned him as he swung back, blocking with his steel tool against the malicious strike. 

At last, he got a good look at one of his attackers; bodies wrapped in white jumpsuits, stretching over their heads as only their mouths were left shown--in which they seemed to lack any skin around their mouths. 

What the hell is wrong with this guy?! He thought. 

Clashing against Belus was a jagged, saw-like sword that looked to be purposefully forged in such an unorthodox way. 

Animalistic; it was the only word he could think of it to describe the men he fought. Without being able to have the time to push the one right in front of him away, another came charging with two, jagged daggers slathered in some sort of liquid pointing directly towards him. 

Shadowstep! He cast. 

Vanishing from the spot he stood, he appeared behind the one wielding the unrefined broadsword, taking a swing at his back only for the man to sink right into the solid floor in front of his eyes. 

"Eh?"

Missing his swing, he stumbled forward--falling right into the pathway of the dagger-wielding assailant, who parted his lipless mouth to display his lengthy, repugnant tongue. 

Crap, I can't dodge this one! I didn't realize how exhausted my body was still! He thought. 

"Helios: Stagnation Erasure!"

Commanded from seemingly nowhere, a bright light was manifested, twisted, and condensed into a bright orange, fiery beam that launched towards the dagger-wielding man dressed in an all-white, skin-tight uniform. 

Displaying an inhuman degree of flexibility, the short, hunched-over assailant stretched over backward into a reverse flip--maneuvering out of the way of the flesh-melting spell. 

"...That magic...Iris?"

Looking to the side, his suspicions were confirmed, seeing the blue-haired girl holding her hands forward as the heated essence formed of pure light and fire dissipated. The look she held during battle was completely different than normal; holding such determined, resolute eyes. 

"I'm here to help you, if you have a problem with--"

"Watch out!" 

Interrupting the girl as she spoke, he yelled out--nearly stumbling over as he witnessed the mysterious attacker that had vanished into the flooring reemerge behind Iris, raising his blood-stained blade over his head. 

In that moment, the only thought racing through his mind, firing off every synapse in his brain--"save her". 

Pushing his boot from the stained stone flooring below, he cracked the durable material before unleashing forward into a burst of shadowsteps. 

I was ignorant. But you helped me realize something, Iris, he thought. 

The absolute speed in which the spell was launched consecutively made it look like it was a singular movement to any outside eyes--ending the spectacular movement between Iris and the slippery killer. 

I need you. It's not about protecting you; you're strong--we have to protect each other. I can't do it alone, not in this world. Without you, I'd lose myself. That's why--I need you by my side, he thought. 

"Graaah!"

Swinging his sword from behind him, swerving his hips, and pouring his reinforcement into Belus--everything he had went into that swing--there was no room for restraint. Bringing the impeccably sharp edge of his enchanted broadsword into a full swing, he effortlessly carved through the assailant's steel, blowing him back with the force of the emotion-filled attack as a clean-cut was left across the torso of the enigmatic foe. 

"Ren…?"

Answering her utterance of his name were only heated breaths as the young man stood there with both hands still tightly wrapped around the hilt, watching the mysterious foe as he laid on his back. 

"Not on my watch!"

This time, it was the familiar, ferocious voice of the draconic maiden--sounding out from within the center of the chamber as she interrupted one of the men from launching a spell towards the two. Crashing her knee into the figure's head, he was sent crashing into a wall with a violent, resounding impact. 

"Nice save, Val!"

Iris called out, causing Ren to look back as well as he continued to huff, still in shock from the events that transpired within such a short amount of time. 

In unison, the last standing member of the wicked trio attempted to take one last stand was witnessed by both Ren and Iris--who extended their hands towards the foe. Shoulder-to-shoulder, not a single word needed to be exchanged--only their wills and desires aligned. 

"Dunkel: Lance!" 

"Licht: Arrow!" 

Launching together, the arrow formed of exuberant light as well as the lance born of shadows traveled through the air before colliding against the white-uniformed foe, knocking him out in a small-scale explosion that shook the foundation of the accursed chamber, rumbling it as sediment rained down. 

"...We did it." 

Commenting with a slight smile, Ren's claim of triumph was intervened by his own realization--looking back to check on the foe he had flung back. 

Before he could call out or attempt to apprehend the assailant that laid on his back against the ground, the man's body once more sunk into the solid surface. 

"Crap…"

"It's alright, Ren. I doubt they'll try anything again--now they know we aren't easy targets. Still...I wonder who they are; they looked...peculiar." 

I can agree with that, he thought. 

Being reassured by Iris, he silently nodded his head before returning his sword to its sheathe. Just as he turned to face the girl, he received a sudden flick to his forehead--causing him to instinctively wince, though it didn't particularly hurt. 

"Yeah...I deserve that." 

"Mhm! Think hard about what you did today!" 

"Yes, ma'am."

He playfully nodded his head a few times as if being reprimanded by a parental figure. Looking at her after opening his eyes once more, he gave her a smile that she shared. 

"Thank you, Iris."

"Of course." 

"I'm honestly surprised you went against Val's word--"

Without being able to further continue the conversation, something caught all three of their eyes--the miraculous appearance of three impies, all together, strolling in the space just above them in a circle. 

"What are the chances…?"

"You know...I don't think this is luck. I think someone is looking out for us." 

Ren answered Iris' awed words as he cracked his knuckles, preparing for the final chase of the prelims. 

"Ready? Iris? Val?"

"Yeah!"

"You bet!" 

"Valerie, Iris, Ren--qualified! Please remain still as you will be momentarily warped to a waiting room!" 

It's only the first step of many arduous ones, but--we did it, together. Thank you, Iris, Valerie--today I've learned something valuable, Ren thought. 

With that announcement sounding through the vast labyrinth, another one followed soon after, "Nineteen slots have been filled! One slot remains! Two minutes are left--make your moves now, challengers!" 

Those words alone made it feel as if the entire domain had come alive; magic unleashed itself, voices ran rampant--it was do-or-die, and one, red-furred panda found himself in this moment of sudden death.