SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound-Chapter 37: The Throne of darkness pt 2
Ren barely had time to catch his breath before Von lunged at him, the kunai gleaming in his corrupted hands. His grin was twisted, a sinister mask of the friend Ren once knew. The red glow in Von’s eyes was unrecognizable, devoid of life.
Ren sidestepped the first strike, but his movements were sluggish from the stab wound in his chest. Blood soaked through his shirt as he clutched it briefly, wincing. "Von! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Ren shouted, desperation in his voice. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
Von didn’t answer. He spun on his heel, striking again with deadly precision. Ren barely managed to deflect the attack with his blade, the clash of metal ringing in the air. Before Von could press the advantage, a sharp, spinning kick from Dalia sent him staggering back.
"He has been corrupted! If we do not save him in time, he will become like the monsters we slay! Time is of the essence, or you will lose your friend!" Dalia growled, taking a defensive stance beside him.
Ren gritted his teeth and steadied himself. He didn’t want to fight Von, but there was no choice. "I will save you," he murmured, mostly to himself. "And end this corruption once and for all."
The three of them faced off, the tension palpable. Dalia lunged first, her claws slashing through the air with deadly intent. Ren followed a heartbeat later, his sword aimed low to catch Von off guard. But Von moved like a phantom, dodging and weaving through their strikes with unnerving ease. He parried Dalia’s attack, twisted away from Ren’s blade, and with a powerful leap, created space between them.
From the shadows, the monsters surged forward again, drawn by the commotion. Their twisted forms screeched as they closed in. Ren, despite the pain gnawing at his wound, swung his blade in a wide arc, slicing through several of them. Each movement sent sharp pain radiating through his chest, but he refused to stop.
Dalia grabbed a stray sword from the ground and charged into the fray, her strikes precise and brutal. She fought like a whirlwind, cutting through the grotesque creatures with raw ferocity. But their reprieve was short-lived.
Von hurled a barrage of kunai at them, each one whistling through the air with deadly accuracy. "Scatter!" Ren shouted, diving to the side while Dalia evaded with aerial cartwheels. The blades embedded themselves in the ground, barely missing him and Dalia.
The separation allowed more monsters to gravitate toward Ren. Their clawed hands swarmed him, pulling at his legs and arms. He slashed and kicked wildly, cutting them down, but the smaller, creepier hands kept crawling back, latching onto him.
"Damn it!" Ren snarled, his movements growing frantic as the swarm closed in.
Von took advantage of the chaos, leaping high into the air and descending on Ren like a shadow. Ren saw him too late. Von’s blade came down in a deadly arc, but with a burst of energy, Ren rolled away at the last moment. Their blades clashed, the force of the impact sending sparks flying.
"You’ll be food for the rest of them!" Von hissed, his voice dripping with malice.
Ren’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his sword. "Not when I knock you out of my friend!" He pushed Von back with a burst of strength and delivered a spinning kick that connected squarely with Von’s chest.
Von staggered, his movements faltering for the first time. Dalia saw the opening and charged, her sword aimed at his side. But Von recovered with startling speed, sidestepping her attack and twisting his body in a fluid motion. His blade found its mark, stabbing Dalia in the gut.
She gasped, her sword slipping from her hands as pain wracked her body. Von kicked her back, and she crumpled to the ground, clutching the wound as blood seeped through her fingers.
"Dalia!" Ren screamed, his voice breaking, his heart racing at the potential loss of another friend. He rushed toward her, but Von blocked his path with a storm of homing ninja stars.
Ren’s instincts kicked in. He flipped and twisted in the air, evading the blades with acrobatic precision. His feet pushed off walls and debris as the stars chased him relentlessly. One nicked his arm, drawing blood, but he didn’t stop.
Von anticipated his movements and leapt at him again, crashing into Ren and slamming them both to the ground. The air was forced from Ren’s lungs as Von’s weight pinned him down.
Von raised his blade, aiming for Ren’s throat. Ren grappled with him, using every ounce of his strength to push the weapon away. "Get the fuck out of his body you demon!" Ren growled. With a sudden burst of desperation, he slammed his forehead into Von’s and kicked him off, the impact stunning them both.
Von staggered back to his feet, dazed, but his movements were relentless. He lunged again, but Ren saw the opportunity. He gathered the last of his energy and slammed his palm into Von’s gut, unleashing a burst of purifying light.
Von’s scream echoed through the chamber as the darkness began to seep out of him. His body convulsed, the corruption peeling away like smoke. Ren watched, breathing heavily, as his friend collapsed to the ground.
The twisted red glow in Von’s eyes faded, replaced by the familiar warmth Ren knew. Von lay unconscious, his body still but alive.
Ren dropped to his knees, exhausted and battered. "Friend! Open your eyes!," he held on to him fast and like a beacon of light, Von responded to his plea. He groaned loudly, feeling weak, his memory betrayed him but all he could see was Ren’s nearly golden eyes staring down at him.
"Friend..." he forced himself to sit up, seeing the relief in Ren’s eyes, "what...happened?" his eyes trailed to Dalia who was on the floor, clutching her wound, barely moving. His eyes were shaky and though his memory betrayed him, he could still see snippets of the horrible thing he did.
"It wasn’t your fault. We need to help her." he reassured him and went to Dalia who was struggling to stay alive, Von moved slowly to them as Ren tore apart fabric to keep the wound enclosed. She had a pained smile on her face.
"You...did it...I don’t know if—"
"Shut it! And breathe, you’ll be fine." Ren silenced her, not wanting to bear another loss, at this point, he just couldn’t. But as they worked to save her, the darkness that had seeped out of Von’s body began to move and take form.
The darkness that seeped out of Von’s wound thickened, curling and twisting unnaturally. The air grew cold as the dark mass pooled together, its form beginning to solidify. From the writhing shadows emerged a monstrous creature—its body massive and drenched in a glistening black ichor. Jagged claws extended from elongated, sinewy arms, and its gaping maw was filled with rows of serrated, blood-stained teeth, each one dripping as though it had feasted on countless victims. Veins of crimson pulsed along its slick, ink-like flesh, and its glowing eyes burned with malevolent intelligence.
The creature tilted its grotesque head, a gurgling laugh escaping its throat. "Ah... so you’ve come this far," it spoke, its voice a grating mixture of growls and whispers that seemed to echo inside their heads. "But your journey ends here. Flesh... I will devour your flesh."
It loomed over them, its sheer size dominating the chamber. Its head and arms twisted unnaturally, stretching far beyond what seemed possible. It barely moved its body, yet its limbs snaked through the air like whips, striking at them with deadly precision.
Von and Ren instinctively stood between the beast and Dalia, who was pale and struggling to stay conscious. Ren gripped his blade tightly, while Von clenched his kunai, his purple aura flaring in determination. Without a word, the two charged.
Reaper’s arms lashed out with terrifying speed, its claws slicing through the air like scythes. Von ducked and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe aimed at his head, while Ren deflected another blow with his blade, sparks flying as the impact reverberated through his arms. The creature’s attacks were relentless, its hands extending and curling around like living tendrils, forcing the two into a desperate dance of dodges and counterstrikes.
Ren leaped, slashing at the creature’s torso, but the blow barely left a mark on its slick, impenetrable hide. Von, meanwhile, darted in close, delivering a flurry of kunai to its side, but Reaper’s arm swung around like a whip, catching him across the chest and sending him sprawling.
"My blade can’t get through!" Ren shouted, his breathing heavy as he circled the beast.
Von’s eyes narrowed, scanning the creature as it continued its assault. Then he saw it—the slight hesitation, the way the creature instinctively pulled its head back whenever they got close. "The head!" Von shouted. "Go for its head! That’s the weak spot!"
Ren nodded, dodging another sweeping strike as he lunged forward, his blade arcing toward the creature’s face. Reaper let out an unearthly shriek as the blade connected, black ichor spraying from the wound. The monster recoiled, its arms flailing wildly, but it quickly adapted. Its glowing eyes locked onto Dalia, who was slumped on the ground behind them.
"No!" Von yelled, but it was too late. One of Reaper’s elongated arms shot forward, its claws wrapping around Dalia. The creature lifted her effortlessly, its jaws opening wide as it prepared to devour her.
Time seemed to slow. Dalia’s eyes fluttered open, her face pale and streaked with blood. Von’s heart pounded as he pushed off the ground, his legs moving faster than ever before. "Dalia!" he roared, his voice filled with desperation.
Reaper’s jaws descended, its teeth mere inches from Dalia’s fragile form—when a blinding bolt of lightning struck the creature’s head. The impact was deafening, the chamber illuminated by a flash of electric blue. Reaper screeched in agony, its grip on Dalia faltering as it staggered back.
Von lunged, catching Dalia just as she fell. He cradled her protectively, his arms trembling as relief washed over him. Dalia looked up at him weakly, her lips curling into a faint smile. "Thank you..." she whispered, her eyes unable to shift away from his.
Before Von could respond, a guttural growl echoed through the chamber. He turned, his eyes widening in disbelief. The beast that had announced her arrival, sprinting to skid in front of Ren was Luna. Her fur crackled with residual electricity, her electric blue eyes blazing with primal fury. Blood matted her coat, but she stood tall, defiant and unbroken. And she was angry.
"Luna!" Ren’s voice broke with joy, his face lighting up despite the chaos around them.
"No one can save you from me!" Reaper roared, his essence flowing out of the wound in his head. Luna barked aggressively, if she could talk, she would have called Reaper an ugly loudmouth that was about to be kicked in the ass.
"You have no eyes, obviously you can’t see you are about to get your ass kicked." Ren, Von and Luna took a stance, they were going to end this once and for all.
