705. A Cry For Help

705. A Cry For Help

“Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.”

The Ankou recited above Mae as Deiman and the Impuritas Gustus clashed in the chamber of chains.

“I believe I made myself clear when I said that all three of them needed to return alive. But on behalf of Mori and his namesake, it would be a disgrace to turn my head away from that anomaly.”

“Deiman! Did you hear that?! You don’t... have to worry about me – Gaaah!”

“The message of the Brightest Star did not specify how we will return you, only that you return alive. A Maestro with no Heart to latch onto is bound to become a lost little lamb.”

A sharp pain spread across her back and prevented Mae from crying out any further. The Ankou sank his bony fingers into her flesh, pushing aside muscle fibers as he compressed her ribs like an accordion.

“I, for one, once knew what pain was like. How it holds us. Freezes us like the promised abyss at the bottom of the inferno. Pain is a cold thing, is it not, Maestro? Only the living can be played like instruments by your kind. They fear death and pain the license of submission. But it is through pain that one is forced to cherish the sands of their fleeting hourglass.”

Mae’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as he plucked on tendons and nerves like strings.

“Hypocrites do not deserve a place beside us in the heavens”

“You’re not afraid... that you could be next on the chopping block...? All of you... Ankous... are just as heartless as we Maestros are...”

“The reality is that many of us higher up do indeed have hearts of our own. Otherwise, we would not have lost a spectacular candidate Star. Hypnos was so close to gaining an Apple.”

The Ankou watched Deiman intently as he fought with Autumn in his arms. He could only utilize his staff to meet with Gustus’ devastating swings, and use magic encased in light to control the battlefield.

“You aspired for an Apple too.” He twisted his hand within her body.

“I... Didn’t...”

“You wanted to become complete like us.”

“Nothing... like you... We Maestros... wanted to be acknowledged by the world...”

“Is that not any different than becoming a Star? To become complete? I’m curious about that one. Deiman, was it? It’s beautiful. A Corrupted that still retains cognitive reasoning. Rationality born from the depths of insanity. To be not only true to yourself, but to remain sane is achievable after all.”

Suddenly, he robbed Mae of a rib, leaving her screaming as he held it up like he was brandishing a dagger.

“But we are deemed ‘impurities’. We cannot become Corrupted. We were robbed of that ability to become our true selves. The Apples and the Piece of the Fallen Star are our only avenues. Once they realize that regular people can achieve such forms, all of the Derma Layer will call for war.”

The Ankou was certain of this. It was unfair to them that they were barred from Corruption, which they saw as the ultimate exaltation of their gnosis; their self; and everything they believed in.an and Gustavus were evenly matched. Were it not for Autumn, Mae and the Ankou, then Deiman would have easily slain him. The odds were too stacked against him, and his heart was too brittle to allow Mae to suffer any further.

Additionally, Autumn’s life continued to slip between his fingers. The longer the battle was drawn out, the closer to death she’d become. There was no guarantee that they’d let Autumn live.

Aside from her eyes, she was just an ordinary human.

“... Is that why... the Amalgam... took the Painters under their wing... and brought our instruments out of the Derma Layer...? Don’t you think... that we... partnered with the wrong person...?”

“There are many people like the Brightest Star seeking for something as abstract as our one collective wish. The Broken Thorn consists of the delusional who are not even impurities like us. The enigmatic Authors, Unblessed beasts close to the Rivers of our continents, sightings of horrors beyond our shores, people who came before us. We’re merely the only ones who are in the spotlight of, as our accursed enemies of Act X would say, this grand theatrical. Now watch. The human is dying.”

“... Then stop this already...! You have a healing Serum! Use it...!”

“That would be a waste. I was told to bring them back alive, but that Corruption has far more value than a girl with red eyes.”

“You – DEIMAN RUN! AUTUMN IS GOING TO TURN INTO A CORPSE PUPPET! SHE’S – AAAAAAAH!”

He tore out a handful of ribs, rendering her incapable of speaking any further.

“Do not interrupt this Danse Macabre.”

Autumn was quickly drawing her last breaths. She weakly squirmed in Deiman’s arms as explosions of stone grazed her skin. She looked up at Deiman through bloodied eyes and whimpered:

“I... don’t want to die...”

“Then embrace the immortality that the Gods have offered us!”

“I would rather... lose everything I have... than to become... like them... like you.”

“Ahahaha! You disappoint me, Autumn! Just like that hag! You are both mages! Can you even comprehend what you can achieve when years no longer tick down on our lives!? We can remain human forever! We can outlast every disease!”

He slashed at Deiman, barely missing his face as they engaged in close quarters combat. Deiman had to keep flinging himself backwards as his floating staff clashed with enough force to create sparks between their weapons.

“Every calamity!”

Each heavy clang caused the ground to destabilize. At the worst possible moment, Deiman’s lost his footing. His staff blocked a downwards swing as the two became locked in a long clash. Gustus’ adamantium blade loomed over them, slowly inching its way down.

“And every piece of filth that swarms our lands! It will all start with you, Demi-Human!”

“No... It won’t... I will not keep bowing and nodding my head along to every human that blames me for things I never did!” Deiman finally spat back, his conviction enamoring a dying Autumn.

Slowly, he pushed back against the blade.

“... Deiman...” Autumn whispered. “... I’m... going to tell you something... risky... It’s a technique... I learned from my Teacher’s master... But it’s too strong for... me... Funny, how we both... had teachers... In another world... maybe we both could’ve... attended a magical academy...”

“Stay with me Autumn! We’ll get out of this! I will... I...!”

“... You’re a genius... so I think... you might know this one...”

Autumn | HP: 10 | 450