Numbers x Casket-Chapter 5: Burn To Oblivion

The next morning, the team advanced deeper into the abandoned city, looking while searching for clues. The group of ten people decided to divide their members into five to finish the mission as fast as possible.

All they needed was to find evidence regarding beast trafficking. To make it fair for everyone, they used a stick lottery. Those who would pull the stick that had the same length would be partners during the entirety of the expedition.

"This is the shortest, I guess," Efraim looked at the piece of wood on his palm.

His finger was even longer than it. Then, seconds after, Lindsay approached him while holding a stick with the same length as his.

"Great! We're partners!" She exclaimed in excitement.

The other men from the team looked at Efraim with a hint of jealousy; the thought of being accompanied by a beautiful maiden on a mission made their hearts skip a beat.

"Attention, everyone!" the captain called to all of his members, and upon seeing them looking at him, he began to speak.

"This mission is only about scouting and gathering evidence. If you encounter something or someone dangerous," he paused and looked at everyone's eyes before continuing. "Please, don't put your lives on the line; fall back and don't hesitate to use the signal flares to call for help. Is that clear?"

Upon seeing that the entire team nodded, he spoke once again.

"Remember, do not enter the arena, no matter what happens. This place will be our gathering spot. Return before sunset," he added.

Then, without wasting any more time, he ordered. "Move out!"

The equators went their separate ways. Some investigated the underground tunnel while the others went to the city's university. Meanwhile, Efraim walked in a casual manner while Lindsay followed him from behind.

"Ahmnn, where are we going? Why are we heading back? Don't tell me..." Lindsay asked, curious about the man's actions.

"You can stay here if you want," Efraim replied without halting on his track.

"No! I'm going with you!" Lindsay insisted.

The man just glanced behind to see how desperate she was, and upon seeing her wholehearted expression, his lips curled into a smile.

After walking almost half a kilometer. The pair reached the arena. Lindsay gulped as he looked at the cracked walls and the darkness looming inside.

Efraim entered without a single bit of hesitation, and Lindsay followed his steps without making any noise. She hugged her staff while looking around. The dark surroundings made her a little bit scared, but the sudden brightness coming from the candlelights that lit up one after the other caused her to move closer to the young man.

"I told you, you need not come here," Efraim uttered, and then he pulled out his blades.

Soon after, cheers from the crowd occupied the entire place, and after a few seconds, the clacking sound of clashing swords resonated as well.

"What's happening?" Lindsay cried out.

"Don't move away from this spot; defend yourself with the strongest shield you could deploy," Efraim ordered, and then he ran around the arena.

The next second, he searched for the hole that he made last night, and upon seeing it still there, he returned his focus to running.

"Walls as hard as steel, heed thy call, surrender to my will! Come forth, Petra!" Lindsay did as she was told.

She cast a summoning spell, and a magic circle materialized beneath her; then a massive golem with four heads facing in all directions rose up from the dirt.

The next second, it knelt in front of the woman and extended its giant hand. Lindsay stepped onto it, and the golem stood up; then a brown-colored barrier enveloped her and her summon.

At the same time, Efraim continued running as fast as he could.

"Please, show some reaction," he uttered.

He had no idea how to defeat the apparitions, and if things went wrong, he would just escape like he did yesterday night.

During that time, he noticed a strange light coming from his earring, and it was the first time he saw any reaction from it, and he was now hoping that it would react the same way as before.

But contrary to his expectations, it showed no signs nor any kind of light. Given this fact, he looked at Lindsay to check her status.

The next second, he stumbled on something invisible, which caused him to fall on the ground.

"Efraim!" Lindsay yelled, concerned about his safety.

She was about to command the golem to move when Efraim's voice echoed in the dome.

"Don't move from there!" He said before standing up.

'Damn these things; they can attack me, but I can't even touch them. That's not fair,' he complained inside his thoughts as he continued running around, thinking of his next course of action.

Then several minutes had passed, and the annoying cheers and laughter from the audience seats died down. It was replaced by an ear-piercing roar, enough for the dome to vibrate.

"What is this now?" Efraim asked.

Several seconds later, the tremor didn't stop; instead, it became louder and closer, as if someone big was walking towards him.

'This is getting insane,' Efraim pondered.

He stopped for a while, but he was sent flying the next second. His body slammed into the wall, causing debris to fall onto him.

"Efraim!" Lindsay shouted.

Then, Petra, the four-headed golem, moved and came to his rescue. However, the moment it reached Efraim's location, cracks began to appear on its defensive barrier.

"I told you, don't move from the spot. They only attack those who are moving," Efraim explained while wiping the bloodstain from the corner of his lips.

Then he stood up, but the moment he did, he was hit in the abdomen, which sent him flying several meters away. His body drew an arc in the air before crashing into the audience seats, and then large chunks of debris fell onto him.

Afterward, the loud cheers from the invisible crowd returned, and the cracks appearing on Petra's barrier were increasing in number.

Scared from the series of events that transpired before her eyes, Lindsay raised her staff and invoked another spell.

"Oh great spirit of fire, let your strength be scired, the way you desire!" She said.

Then, a magic circle large enough to cover the entire stage of the arena appeared. It had a sun in the middle while embers of flame scattered inside the hexagram. The next second, the lines on it lit up in a red color hue, and burning lava rose inside the area.

However, the attacks coming from all directions didn't halt, as if the sea of fire never took effect. Upon seeing this, Lindsay raised her staff once again; she was about to invoke another set of spells when an explosion occurred from the audience's seat.

As soon as she looked into it, she saw Efraim's silhouette, and a smile blossomed from her lips, but it only lasted for a second after realizing something was amiss.

"W-What in the world is that?" She stuttered; her voice escaped like a choked whisper.

Efraim stood up there, his right eye glowing in an emerald-colored heptagram while a viridescent vertical line ran through his right forehead all the way to his cheek.

Meanwhile, the white casket dangling from his right ear turned black in color, and the cross on its surface became a shade of green.

The next second, Efraim extended his hand, pointing it to the arena, and traces of green energy began to gather in front of his palm.

"Burn to oblivion," Efraim said; his voice was hoarse and filled with enough menace to send shivers to Lindsay's spine.

Afterward, everything was set ablaze; green flames ignited in the ruined place. The cheers of laughter disappeared as they became cries of despair.

Then, the apparitions became visible to Lindsay's eyes. There were humans, beastmen, and even fiends fighting inside the arena. Upon seeing them closed, she couldn't help but feel scared; tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. However, the scene only lasted for a second, as several magic circles appeared on all of the apparitions' limbs. Afterward, the magic circles glowed a viridescent hue and exploded at the same time.

Lindsay was astonished and stunned at the event that transpired before her eyes.

The candle lights died down, but the green flames continued to burn, and Efraim was now looking at her. And as soon as he raised his hand, small magic circles materialized between Lindsay's limbs. On her neck, both on her wrists, and even on her feet.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

"E-Efraim, n-no. D-Don't do this! Wake up!" Lindsay stuttered; fear was evident in her eyes, and then tears began to flow on her cheeks.

"Efraim," she called him for one last time.

However, the equator didn't respond; he just stared at her without an ounce of emotion, and the next second, Lindsay's mind went blank as her world turned upside down. Her head fell next to her severed feet before her body collapsed on the solid ground.

. . . . .