Chapter 45: Nightmare’s Plan
No POV:
[You’ve noticed, haven’t you?]
"Tch."
Though he didn’t want to admit it, it was clear as day...
"Nightmare is here..."
"Oi! Noob! What’re you doing? Make yourself useful and get your ass over here!"
Hayley yelled. She and Yuri were locked in a deadly exchange of blows.
**WHIP**
**BOOM**
Yuri’s tendril flew, hitting the ground and causing a small explosion.
[Ding!]
[Accessing Devil Information...]
[Name: Yuri]
[Rank: A]
[Warning: Beware of tendrils]
Axel gritted his teeth. Yuri’s tendrils have really become a problem.
[Axel!]
Instinctively, Axel moved. Moments later, a tendril slammed into the ground where he stood.
**BOOM**
However, before Axel could properly gather his bearings, Yuri followed up with a kick straight to his chest.
"Gah—!"
He was then sent tumbling backwards, flying into a building.
"Shit!" Hayley cursed as she tried to follow up with a kick to Yuri’s side where he was open.
"Hehe" A tendril wrapped around her legs throwing her upwards.
"Did he get faster?!" Hayley gasped in surprise as Yuri appeared above her aiming to follow up with an axe kick.
**BIFF**
Luckily, Axel intercepted— blitzing through with a kick of his own.
"Hayley! We need a plan!!"
However, Yuri wasn’t having it. He shot a tendril forward, embedding it into Axel’s shoulder.
**BOOM**
The explosion blew him away, causing him to crash through multiple buildings.
"Jax. I need you!"
As soon as Jax heard this, he smiled.
"Shit’s really getting on my nerves..." As he said this, the rifle he was holding disappeared and something else started to form in front of him.
He grasped it, holding what seemed to be a handle with both hands.
"Coming, princess."
The moment he said this, right then and there, a machine gun materialized in his hand.
The muzzle started spinning, generating sparks of red...
He aimed, and...
"Oh, yeah."
Gratatatatatatatatata
Then came a torrent of bullets, completely decimating the area.
It tore through the devils and blasted directly towards Yuri.
The street shook as Jax wore a grin on his face. The bullets destroyed everything in sight flying towards Yuri at high speeds.
When the barrage stopped, Jax lowered the gun.
"Phew... I’m all out..."
Then he looked forward.
And smiled...
"Guess even that wasn’t enough huh?"
Yuri stepped forward and scoffed.
"I commend your efforts but you have to do better than that."
Yuri spoke, filled with holes—his organ threatening to spill.
Even though he was wounded, he showed that even that wasn’t enough to fully immobilize him.
"I must admit though. This is getting fun," he said, summoning more devils.
Some falling from the sky, others coming from the ground—growling and ready to wreak havoc.
"Vax!"
Right on cue, Vax sprinted forward. The air seemed to cut open as he reached in and pulled out a longsword.
He moved with measured and controlled steps, cutting through the devils that spawned in a flash.
**CHING**
He swiped upwards, a crescent slash of devil energy tearing through the devils in the distance.
Hayley clicked her tongue. Running out of options with each passing moment.
"I would have healed you but I doubt it’ll mean shit," Hayley spoke, turning to Axel as he walked towards them—clutching his shoulder as he moved.
**BOOM**
The street rumbled as lightning flashed across the sky.
A pillar of light shot upwards and clouds covered the moon.
[Objective: Defeat the devil]
He glanced at the map again. The light came from the same direction as the red dot.
Hayley clicked her tongue. Things were escalating...
"Ahh I guess that’s my cue." He pointed at Axel. "I’m supposed to bring you in right about now but it’s annoying to see you’re still standing."
He scratched the back of his head. "What a drag."
Then in a flash, he appeared in front of Axel, punching him so hard that it blew the wind out of him.
Still struggling to breathe, Axel tried to throw a punch but Yuri was quick to dodge. Too quick...
**BIFF**
Axel was hit, the blow sending him flying...
Yuri followed up and wrapped the tendrils around his throat before slamming him hard to the ground, the impact rattling every bone in his body.
Hayley tried to intercept but Yuri swerved to the side, sending a kick to her side.
However, she was quick to react and managed to block with her forearm though taking damage.
**CHING**
Vax, in a swift motion surged ahead, slicing off a few tendrils before proceeding to cut off his head.
"I’m loving every bit of this..."
"—!!"
For the first time in a while, an expression of shock found its way to Vax’s face as he witnessed his sword caught between Yuri’s teeth.
"Ugh!" But before Yuri could bite down on it, Vax kicked him away then used the hilt to hit his chest.
**BANG**
A bullet came flying, blasting through Yuri’s arm.
By now Axel was racing towards him—blades at the ready.
Then they clashed.
Each clash caused an explosion as the tips of his tendrils detonated with every collision.
The street shook again...
This time the pillar of light had grown brighter...
"Hayley! Jax and I can handle it. Take care of the rest..."
Though reluctant, she nodded.
"Try not to die." Then turning to the direction of the light, she called: "Vax! With me"
With that, they both ran towards the source of the light.
.
.
.
.
.
Upon reaching the cemetery, they slid to a stop.
Hayley’s eyes widened at what she saw in front of her:
The ground was alien to her. Drawings of pentegrams littered across the ground —black and smoking like something had burnt them into the ground.
The tombstones were desecrated. Some completely removed from the ground, others either dented or completely destroyed.
In the centre, a beam of light shot upwards, disappearing into the sky and behind it, sat Nightmare. His pale skin shone as it reflected the light—red veins pulsing through his body...
His eyes were shut, his breathing shallow— he was calling upon something... something ancient and terrifying.
The pentegram beneath him glowed. A sick glow of dying red as something oozed from it and flowed across the floor.
Sensing a presence, he finally looked up.
"I asked for the boy. What are you doing here?" However, realizing it wasn’t Yuri, he exhaled.
"What’s this?"
Hayley stepped forward. "What are you planning? I honestly didn’t expect you and Yuri to partner up."
Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "’Partner’? Yuri isn’t my partner. He’s... a pawn. An important piece of my plan."
"Plan? What plan?"
Standing up, he answered: "Eager to know are we? Fine then. Since this is the end, I’ll let you know."
Hayley tensed. She didn’t know what to expect but she expected the worst. This had been the devil they had been chasing for weeks. If he was that smart to survive till now then he knew what he was doing...
"I am going to resurrect our King. For too long have we devils lived at your mercy, using our powers to hunt and kill our own. Such barbaric customs end today."
Hayley’s eyes widened. "King? And you said you needed someone... could that mean—?"
"Yes. The one you call Axel is currently the key and the final piece to actualise my plan." he narrowed his eyes as he spoke "Today is the day he dies—"
Before he could finish, a faint growl reverberated behind him.
Suddenly, a pair of stony hands grabbed him from behind, keeping him in place.
"Did you really think we’d just stand by and let you have your way?" Hayley spoke, eyes burning as her energy surged. "We’d rather die than watch you succeed."
"Vax!"
Descending, he readied to strike. His devil energy enveloping his sword.
Nightmare sighed, completely unbothered by what was coming.
"Fine then, have it your way."
**BOOM**
~~~~~
"Are you sure it’s wise for you to send the strongest of your group away? You’re going to die. You understand that, don’t you."
Yuri—whose tendrils had regenerated asked.
But instead, what Axel did next shocked him.
He smiled...
A wide, unhinged grin. One that did not belong to a human being.
"Die?" he asked as his aura flared. Phase two of Scarion fully kicking in.
"Very funny. Jax! Cover me" Saying that, he dashed forward.
Jax stared for a moment before he shrugged.
"Sure, whatever you say..."
**BANG**
.
.
.
.
.
"Look, it’s been fun but I can’t keep wasting anymore time on you."
Yuri spoke as he approached Axel’s body that lay on the ground.
Parts of his clothes were torn and he was covered in his own blood.
He laid there unmoving—taking shallow breaths...
Jax stumbled out from the building he was shot in—his legs shaking. He was giving his all just to remain standing...
"Damn it." He raised his gun and tried to shoot but his hands were too shaky and tired to aim properly.
Yuri raised a tendril—the blade at the tip gleamed.
’As soon as he dies, the Scar Devil would take over. I’ll lead it to the cemetery when that happens.’
**CHING**
[Host has reached a mastery of 32]
[Host has reached a mastery of 35]
[Both requirements have been met]
**BOOM**
[You have activated phase three of Scarion]
Comments