A/N: Thanks to Kathwood67, ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, monsunopower, Glowblade998, and monsunolover for the reviews! We're down to the last few chapters now! Though there's still a lot more coming up.
Sorry for the wait! We lost the file for this chapter and had to start from scratch.
Enjoy!
"-And by the third month, I met a young lad from the lowlands. He had been there a lot longer than I. You could see it from the way he was used to the darkness, but that could've also been because of where he grew up..."
The three had traveled far down the winding corridors and stairs rather quickly. Or at least it felt like they had. Being blindfolded and carried along made it hard to judge exactly where they were heading. But there was one thing that helped Beyal figure out where they were, and that was the temperature. The further they went, the colder it got, which meant they were going down into the lower levels.
He couldn't remember what was this far within the temple, but there was an increase of the energy in the air. Wherever they were heading had to do with monsuno, and that just meant bad news.
"-of course they were always getting mad at everyone, especially the Keepers," Duo continued speaking. She and the bookman had started chatting a while ago, obviously bothered by the silence that stretched along. Admittedly, it sounded like she was dictating rather then talking directly to the bookman, often ignoring his questions or interrupting what he had to say.
"We thought about coming up with a plan of escape, but then..."
She trailed off, and suddenly came to a stop. Beyal could feel her shake, but it was hard to tell from what. He tried to shift his hand towards his belt. They hadn't taken his cores yet, which meant that there was a good chance of escape...
"... Well? What happened?" the bookman asked. She didn't respond, and continued to walk along, quicker this time.
"Hurry up old man," she said, "We're being followed."
The bookman let out a groan, his footsteps coming after them. He seemed to have a hard time following, as his breathing got heavier.
"L-Let's stop for a minute," he panted out, "I'm sure we could-"
"I told you we're not supposed to linger," she snapped, "The last thing we need is for Suno to come along and not have that wretched door open."
Beyal perked up. A door. He didn't remember any particular door that was important in the temple. Of course, there were tons of secrets that were kept for the sake of monsuno. But what type of thing could they want that was here? It wasn't the knowledge of the Five Tribes, since that was in the library...
Dismissing that thought, he decided that getting free was the best option at the moment. He could ask questions later. Slowly, he managed to grab a hold of Glowblade's core. When his fingertips touched, however, a flash of images crossed his vision.
The temple.
Monsuno.
Blue, red, and yellow flashes mixing into one.
People shouting.
Familiar faces blending into each other.
A man with brown hair.
Jinja.
Alpha.
A one-eyed man.
Bren.
Tango.
A half monsuno.
Commander Trey.
Charlemagne.
A boy with black hair.
Dax.
Jeredy Suno.
Sophia Suno.
Chase.
Locke
Blinding light...
Everything came so fast and dizzying that he would've fallen over if he were standing. As the visions started to slow, he tried not to move too fast. He could barely process anything as the images quickly faded and left him in darkness. That wasn't quite like a normal vision. It was faces and feelings that were contorted all together. What was...
"Hey. Wake up!"
The blindfold fell away without warning, and Beyal clenched his eyes shut at the torch light. He slowly blinked, and let out a muffled gasp at seeing a large door at the end of the room. It wasn't familiar at all, and he couldn't help but wonder what it was doing here in the temple. But it was obvious that was the door the two were talking about.
"I'm going to put you down now," Duo said, "But know if you try to run, I'll slice through your legs faster then I did that other boy. And if you say something other then what we want, I'll still slice through your legs."
He nodded, knowing that was no empty threat. She took the cloth from his mouth and set him down. He rubbed his cheek, trying to get the soreness out of his jaw. She didn't wait, immediately taking his wrist and leading the way.
He didn't have time to think about his visions as they walked forward in silence, especially with the bookman lurking in the back, as if asking Beyal to make a move. When he glanced back for a brief moment, he could've sworn there was a flash of silver metal in the old man's hand.
"... At least this will all be over," the woman sighed, "And once we get inside, this dreadful place can finally be destroyed."
Beyal froze, his feet stumbling for a second as she halted for him. They were going to do what to the temple? He knew that there would be destruction from the incoming battle, that tend to happen at all the ancient locations they would go to. But for the temple- his home- to be destroyed...
"You should be glad that this place will be gone," Duo said to him, going back to tugging him along, "It's nothing but a bunch of old relics that were kept by even older men. At least you can still get something out of your life instead of wasting away in these godforsaken walls."
The ceiling shook above them, making some dust fall down towards them. The woman stopped a few feet away from the door, gazing up again with a frown. She let go, and Beyal rubbed his hands up his arms, getting a chill without his cloak.
"While I can't read all of it, this obviously requires something for it to open," she said gazing down, "So... What is it?"
Beyal bit his lip, and looked up at the writing that stretched from the inside beyond the outer edge. Even thought the door looked like it could turn to dust from a single touch, the writing looked like it was just done a few hours ago. He took a few small steps forward, silently translating it.
The more he did, the more anxious he got. This language was something that he barely remembered, only once getting a lesson on it. It wasn't like the writing in any of the other ruins or locations dealing with the Five Tribes either. It was a combination of the ancient languages used within the temple, but with a malicious message.
His eyes moved faster over the writing. Pure monsuno power was just beyond. But to gain it...
He lowered his gaze, unable to read any more of that horrible writing. How. How could something like this be here in the temple? Why would anyone put this here?
"What's the hold up?" The bookman barked. Beyal jumped, remembering the other two behind him.
That's right. The bookman was trying to find the temple and the rest of the monks years ago. If there was something down here that was monsuno related, of course Master Ey would want it to be blocked. But still. Going to an extreme like this...
He couldn't do it. Even if he was threatened, there was no way he could go through with the requirement.
"... I can't open it," he said quietly, now looking to the ground.
"Eh?"
"I can't open it," he said, turning to the two, "It required... Sacrifice."
The two gave him a blank look. He let out a sigh.
"It needs life essence. Something that shows proof of the price of a life that is willing to go inside."
The bookman shrugged, "Alright. Easy enough. We have a bunch of monsuno essence upstairs. I'm sure a few vials will get us through."
Beyal shook his head sadly.
"No. Not monsuno essence. Human essence," he said, still looking to the ground. He clenched his fists, saddened to see such a barrier down here in the temple.
"It needs... Blood."
HLP
"Spike!"
Dax ran into the room without much care for himself. He had seen the old man from Klipse, but that hardly mattered at the moment. Not with Spike in danger! Hargrave grabbed his strike launcher, but Dax wasn't afraid. He already knew the monsuno wouldn't work down here. Which was why he charged forward without any hesitance even as the old man pulled the trigger.
The core zipped past him, and Hargrave gave a surprised look as the teen jumped right over him. He kicked backward at the old man for good measure, hearing him land with a grunt. Dax turned to see both Hargrave and his core lying on the ground now.
He ran to the control panel, faintly seeing Spike's silhouette in the tank. He knew what experiments that Klipse had planned on using for himself, so of course he'd try it now that he had another subject. And someone who was willing!
As he typed away and started pushing random buttons, Dax knew that was the truth. He had seen Spike's expression in Axistown. After that battle he looked so empty and lost... And he knew that look meant that Spike was willing to give up on everything. He had that look when they first met, and it took weeks to get the other to smile. And even longer for him to open up.
"Don't worry! I'll get you outta there!" Dax grunted as he started pulling assorted wires out. He hoped that one of them would trigger the door, or at least get the monsuno essence drained from the tank. After a few more, an alarm went off.
A red light flashed, and suddenly, the glass door swung open from the tank. Dax jumped back with a yelp as the water and monsuno essence spilt out. It drained out into the room, barely missing the old man as he stumbled back to his feet. He let out a gasp.
Dax raised a brow, but heard a groan behind him that got his attention. He saw Spike's figure getting up to his hands and knees, and he took a step inside.
"Spike! Are you okay?" Dax asked, hovering his hands close just in case, "I came here as soon as I got out I-"
The wind was knocked right out of him as a fist collided into his gut. He let out a gasp, thrown back some distance. He rolled to his side, wincing at the pain. The old man saw, and took out a communicator.
"Sir. I'm afraid your experiment has been compromised!" he said, "Come down to the eastern corridor as fast as you can!"
The old man ran over to his core on the ground, scooping it up and looking down at it to see what was wrong. Turning back to the tank, Dax saw Spike slowly get up to his feet, slumping forward. He let out a moan, taking a step, then another, nearly falling over as he gripped onto the sides of the glass.
Even in the faint light, Dax could see the other's figure shifting and changing, as if there was something crawling under his skin. Spike exhaled a few times, reaching a hand out.
"... Dax," Spike said slowly, voice hoarse and low.
The lowlander stayed still, trying not to let his gaze waiver, "... Yes?"
Spike shifted from one foot to the other, as if he had forgotten how to use his legs. His head was bowed, and Dax couldn't see his face. He prayed that he wasn't too late, and that maybe his brother wouldn't end up like Jon Ace. But by the way that his veins started throbbing and sweat shone on his face, Dax had a sinking feeling in his gut that told him otherwise.
Slowly, Spike raised his hand up towards the other, trembling as his fingers curled and uncurled. His head raised a bit, slowly looking up to Dax. The other teen swallowed hard, seeing Spike's eyes getting bloodshot.
"I... Need to... Pay you back... For... Ev...Ery...Thing..." he huffed out slowly. He raised his hand again, the muscles and veins distorting. Dax winced at the sight, but prepared himself. Instinctively, he reached for a core, but found none.
Spike charged forward, and Dax waited until the last second to jump out of the way. A shower of rock and dust erupted as the other teen collided into the wall. Dax used the opportunity to run over towards the Eklipse technology.
"C'mon. There's gotta be something here!" he huffed, trying to figure out the numbers and data, or even find something that looked like it could be useful. All the readings said was that Spike was still alive, and that the transfer of monsuno energy was incomplete. He looked back to see the other teen groan, half his figure now growing grotesque as it tore through his orange jacket and shirt.
The first thing Dax thought of was Jon Ace becoming a monsuno. And that just made him think about how painful it must've been. As Spike stepped away from the wall, he let out another groan, falling to the ground as his right arm and legs started to bulge and contort.
"G...Get... Back... Here."
Dax went back to frantically searching. He didn't see a cure or antidote anywhere (not that he was expecting one), but maybe he could at least reverse what happened by using this machine-
Glass shattered as a large chunk of wall hurled itself into the mechanism. Dax quickly stumbled back as sparks flew from the dashboard. He looked back to see Spike rising from the ground, half his figure now started to resemble Toxic Ace.
"Spike! You gotta stop mate!" Dax exclaimed, "You're losing yourself. Why can't you see that?"
Spike let out a laugh, his monstrous hand flexing, "You… You're just... Jealous!"
He rushed forward again. Dax ran behind one of the power boxes, watching as the other teen bashed through it like nothing.
"Oh geez. Why can't we talk about this like pals. We're friends after all. I'm not going to fight you," Dax said, ducking down as Spike threw the other half of the machinery at him.
"You. We have... History... But... That's all...!" Spike hissed, then let out a roar. The ceiling shook, and Dax clapped his hands to his ears. When he looked again, he was launched backwards into the wall by another hit, this one in the chest, "I... Have power... Now...!"
Dax let out a gasp, falling to the floor as Spike let out a pained sound. He gripped onto his monsuno arm as his veins started to turn bright red.
'I can't beat him like this,' Dax thought. He coughed a bit, slowly getting back up as he reached into his pocket. He felt the Forge Cores that he took from Tallis still there, and was tempted into spinning them. They might not listen to him, but what other choice did he have?
"Go... Ahead... And call out... Your monsuno...!" Spike huffed, "I... Will just... Tear them... Apart!"
Spike let out another pained sound, falling to his knees. He gasped a few times, gripping the ground as he got back up. Dax stood up a bit taller, silently watching. Power. That's all that Spike wanted. Even if it meant turning into a monster and going through immense pain. He just didn't want to be afraid anymore.
He didn't want to be alone...
Dax knew fighting wasn't going to be the answer. That was the thing that got the two of them into this mess. He needed to reach Spike another way. One that didn't involve monsuno.
With a swift motion, Dax reached into his pocket, took out the Forge cores he had, and placed them down on the floor. He kicked them away, watching them skid across the floor and falling short of hitting anything. He looked back, seeing Spike look at him with a confused look.
"W-What... Are..."
"I won't fight you," Dax said, then raised his hands, "I told you before, and I'll tell ya again. I'm not willing to fight my brother."
The two stared at each other. Dax didn't look away, even as Spike stalked over. Because even with how the other could crush him like a bug, Dax knew he wouldn't. And by the familiar look in Spike's eyes, that much was true. At least that's what he was betting his life on.
Spike raised an arm, just a few feet in front of the other.
"Y-You're... Trying to trick... Me... Again... Aren't... You...?"
Dax shook his head, "No. No tricks here. Just the two of us talking. It's not my style, but I'm willing to try anything if it means getting my brother back."
Spike raised his hand higher, intending to strike down at the other. Dax continued to stare up, fixed on not resisting. He could see doubt swirling in the other's gaze. Slowly, Spike lowered his arm.
"You... Just want to... Make sure I'm... Out... Of the way... For your... Other friends..." he sighed. Dax shook his head.
"Really? If you still think that then the monsuno essence has really fried your brain," he said, "I could've gone with the rest of them and escaped by now. Heck, I could've gone and gotten my monsuno back."
Spike growled lowly, his arm rising slightly.
"But I didn't," Dax said, showing how he didn't have his bandolier with him, "I chose to run down here blindly, even knowing that there was a chance that you wouldn't understand. I could've tried to find Jinja, or even go and regroup with Chase. But they don't matter right now. You need me more."
He reached his hand out in a familiar gesture. Spike's eyes widened. For a brief moment, Dax could've sworn he had the same doubtful look as the day he had left the orphanage. But this would be different. It had to be.
"I'm not gonna leave you. Not this time."
Spike lowered his arm slowly, eyes locked with the other. His other hand shook as he reached towards the other.
"Dax..."
There was a glimmer of red in Spike's eyes that got bright, and before he could react, Spike grasped onto the front of Dax's shirt and shoved him against the wall.
"S-Spike!"
"I-I...!"
There was laughter from the far end of the room. Dax blinked away the pain to see Klipse's butler standing by the broken remains of the machine, holding onto a small device.
"Wh-what did you-"
"Don't think that Klipse would make another experiment without a few precautions," Hargrave sneered, "Much like Jon Ace and Six, Klipse thought it would be a good idea to implant a controlling device into this subject as well. Too bad for you."
He pressed a button, and Spike let out a growl. He turned, tossing Dax carelessly across the floor. The other teen rolled a few times before coming to a halt.
Dax grit his teeth, getting back to his feet slowly. He tasted blood, and spat to the side. Spike was moaning in pain, clutching his head. He let out a roar, falling to the floor. Hargrave let out a laugh.
"Go grab those cores and bring them to me," he said, tilted his head towards the Forge Cores. Dax looked over towards them, and then back to Spike, who was still cringing in pain. He was at a loss of what to do. He knew that if he were to follow with what Hargrave said, eventually the two would both become experiments. But on the other hand...
Spike let out a choked sound, his eyes starting to water.
Dax couldn't just turn tail now and leave Spike as a monster. He had to do something!
He limped over to the cores, his left leg sore from where he landed funny. He picked them up in one hand, staring briefly at them before hearing Spike give another noise.
"You better hurry boy! Otherwise I'll be taking it out on your friend there!" Hargrave said with a smirk. Dax frowed, and looked down at the cores. Trying to spin out was way out of the question by this point. Not only would Spike see and most likely feel betrayed, but Hargrave would sooner dispose of Dax then try and face him head on.
"Well? Hurry up and hand them over!" the butler ordered. Dax took one last look at Spike before stuffing the cores back in his pocket.
"If you really want them, come get them!" he exclaimed, his hands clenched into fists. The old man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"You little wretch!" the old man hissed, then pressed onto the panel. Spike gasped, his eyes glowing red. Dax took a step back, seeing the other eyeing him with a dangerous look. There was no familiarity in them at all. Only bloodlust. Dax couldn't even react as Spike surged towards him with newfound strength.
Luckily for him, he didn't need to.
Another large body collided with the monstrous teen. The two rolled a few times as roars filled the room, Dax running out of the way as they battled. He let out a gasp, surprised to see that it was Driftblade now wrestling with Spike.
"Dax!"
The teen gasped again, looking over towards the entrance to see Dr. Suno running towards him, metal case in hand "I got here as soon as I could. Where's Chase?"
Dax blinked dumbly, then shook his stupor away, "How am I supposed to know? No offense, but I've been a little preoccupied at the moment to be watching little Suno."
A shout got the two's attention, and they saw Spike try and fight off Driftblade. The monsuno was firm, keeping the other pinned down to the ground. Jeredy's eyes widened at the sight.
"Is that..."
"A monsuno hybrid," Dax finished, "Well. Half of one."
Jeredy knelt down, opening the case that he had. Inside were a variety of vials and syringes. He picked two, filling the needle up and tapping the bubbles out quickly.
"A little unexpected, but that's why I come prepared," The doctor said, "Hold him down Driftblade!"
The monsuno grunted, leaning further down onto Spike. Jeredy stood, syringe in hand, and ran forward. Spike threw his arm towards the doctor, who jumped out of the way in time. With a shout, Jeredy stabbed down into one of the pulsing red veins on the other's arm. As he pushed the plunger, Spike let out a roar, thrashing about.
He knocked Jeredy away, trying to get Driftblade off as the serum started working its way through his system. Dax watched with wide eyes as his movements started to slow, and finally, he stopped. Spike's swollen appendages started to throb before slowly shrinking back to their original form. He continued to moan in pain as muscles and bones popped back into place. As soon as he had stilled, Dax didn't hesitate to run over and slide next to the other.
Driftblade moved away, seeing that the teen wasn't a threat to anyone now. Dax let his hands hover uselessly over the other until he decided to check for a pulse. It took him a minute to find it with his own heart still racing. It was faint, but it was there.
"Is he okay?" Jeredy asked. There was a bruise blooming on the side of his face, but otherwise seemed fine. Dax nodded, then looked to the case that the doctor held.
"How did..."
"Jon Ace has been starting to feel the effects of his Toxic mode again," Jeredy puffed, trying to get his breath as he knelt down, "I prepared for it a few hours ago, including a more powerful cure just in case. We're just lucky that we got to your friend before the full effects took place..."
Dax let out a sigh, and couldn't agree more. Obviously Spike started fighting against the monsuno essence after their talk, but if it weren't for the doctor, then there was no telling what would've happened.
"Thanks a lot doc," Dax said, leaning back. As much as he loathed the work that the doctor put him through, the man sure could come through when he needed to, "By the way, when did you get here?"
This time Jeredy let out a sigh, "About twenty minutes ago I think. I got lost going down those tunnels so its probably been sooner then that. I picked up the energy readings down here and figured that it was something that Klipse was planning on using."
"That you were right!"
The two gasped, turning towards the remains of the machine to see Klipse step from the smoke, a frown on his lips. Dax and Jeredy immediately got to their feet.
"You may have stopped my little side project, but you're not about to put a damper on the main event!" He said, raising a core.
"Hyper Backslash, LAUNCH!"
The core clattered against the wall, filling the room with red light as the familiar Eklipse monsuno appeared. Only this version was clearly an upgrade from the metal armor and size it was now sporting.
"Dax," Jeredy said, taking a hold of Driftblade's core, "You better get your friend out of here. It's gonna get messy."
Klipse let out a laugh, "That's what you think, Jeredy. But believe me, it won't take long for me to beat you! Not with my new monsuno!"
Dax watched Dr. Suno for a brief second before wrapping one of Spike's arms around his shoulder. As much as he wanted to help the other, there was no way of doing that without his monsuno. The next best thing he could do was get help for Spike from S.T.O.R.M. and come back.
He limped towards the exit, casting one last glance at the two doctors before their fight would begin.
HLP
The ceiling above them shook again, a few large chunks of tile crashing down and breaking against the stone floor. None of them acknowledged it. Not with the message being revealed.
"... Huh. Who knew the old man had it in him," Duo sighed. The bookman jumped, then looked up to the door. Beyal kept his gaze down, nails digging into his palm. Why would his master want this here? Even with a threat like the bookman, this wasn't...
"... Oh what's wrong? Your master disappointing you?" Duo sighed, "You really shouldn't be surprised. That old fool kept way too many things a secret. And for what? Didn't really do much in the end-"
"Don't say anything bad about my master!" Beyal hissed, placing his hands on the door. He continued to look down, unable to stare at the words but unwilling to look at the two, "He knew what we needed to do to... To keep going..."
As much as he believed that, there were plenty of things his master kept secret since he was born. Monsuno. His sister. Where he had come from… He blinked away the tears forming, knowing that now wasn't the time to feel pity.
"We should hurry," Duo said, turning towards the stairwell leading back up, "I have a feeling the battle upstairs will be finished soon."
"Alright. Then let's get some blood!" The bookman exclaimed.
She produced a blade, now staring up at the door with a thoughtful expression. Beyal kept his head bowed, resting his forehead on the door. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't stop them. Something like this wouldn't stop them! They were all-
A gunshot rang throughout.
Beyal let out a gasp, quickly turning around as the bookman's smirk grew.
Duo looked down as her body fell, seeing a bullet hole pierce through the center of her cloak. She collapsed to the floor with a thud.
The bookman grinned to himself, gun lazily drawn in his hand. He took a step towards her body, looking down with a frown.
"Huh. No blood. Even when I had a clean shot," he said, then shrugged, "No matter. I know at least one other here who has some!"
He raised the gun at Beyal, who pressed his back against the door, feeling the cold wood run up his arms. The bookman let out a laugh.
"Who would think I'd finally corner you here?" he said, "Too bad the old man is already gone. I would've loved to see his face right now, knowing that the last of the monks would be wiped away!"
Beyal quickly grabbed a core. The bookman scoffed.
"You really think you could spin out faster then a bullet?" he sneered, "Besides, you and I both know that cores aren't going to work. Not down here!"
He cocked the gun, and Beyal clenched his eyes shut.
"Good bye, little monk!"
Another gunshot.
The bookman laughed, but soon stopped. His smirk faded, quickly going into a frown.
Beyal held his breath, fighting the urge to open in his eyes in fear of the worst. When nothing happened, he slowly opened them, realizing that there was no pain and that he hadn't been hit. He looked up, gasping when he saw the woman now standing again. Except she was standing in front of him.
She let out a chuckle, that soon grew into full laughter.
"Sorry. But his blood won't do," she said lowly, pointing up at the door, "We need tainted blood."
Before any of them could react, she sliced a blade through the air, making the gun split in the bookman's hand. He let out a surprised gasp, eyes bulging.
"While I can't read all of it, I can't forget that word. 'Tainted,'" She sighed, metal pieces clattering to the ground, "If only because that's what he called me when I was exiled."
She drew her blade up again, striking the rest of the gun away. The bookman let out a gasp of pain when she got his palm.
"W-wait!" he exclaimed, cradling his hand as it bled out, "You- you still need me!"
"Ha. For what?" Duo scoffed, raising her bladed hand, "Your worth has long since been gone. And you've been plotting on trying to get rid of us just like that other man, Klipse. At least now you could be of use-"
Before she could step towards the cowering man, the monk boy stood between them, arms spread as if to shield the old man. Duo raised a brow.
"This isn't right," he said, "Even if his crimes are... Horrendous. Nobody deserves this."
Duo kept her skeptical look, lowering her arm slightly. She stared down at the boy trying to challenge her, seeing the bookman frozen in fear in the corner of her eye.
"... Even after this man murdered everyone you know and tried to kill you, you would stand in my way of disposing such a worm?"
Beyal kept his gaze fixed on her, unwavering. She couldn't help but laugh. She swiped wide in a thrust, making the bookman let out a shout and fall backward. Beyal didn't budge, even as her hand came dangerously close. He winced when she cut his cheek, but still stood there.
She let out another laugh.
"I guess Ey chose his successor well," she said, a bit bitterly, "Quite noble... But you're in the way."
Without blinking, she seized forward and hoisted Beyal into the air with her other hand. He let out a surprised shout, trying to get out of her grasp.
"Wh-what're you-"
"See you on the other side, monk boy," she said, bringing her fingertips down to his forehead. There was a brief moment where he struggled before his gaze went blank, and his body went slack.
The bookman, taking that as a sign, got to his feet and started to run for the corridor. Before he knew it, the woman was in front of him, blades drawn once again. He stumbled back with a shout, then glared openly at her.
"If only you aimed a bit higher," Duo tutted, pulling down the jacket and shirt she wore. The bookman let out a gasp, eyes widening. In the middle of her chest was a gleaming green stone, embedded into her skin. Just below was a circular, metal plate that was sparking from where the bullet hit.
"This thing is obviously not made from earth, being able to take the damage that it did and still work," she said, then shrugged, "But you did managed to give me back some control of my body from that little leech. And for that I'll give you some mercy."
She drew her blade up, watching the bookman cower back. He looked in every direction for something to use or for a way of escape, but found none.
"How sad that the man who took out the monks was nothing more than a coward," she said chuckling, "How ironic that I'll be the one avenging them."
"St-stay back!" he stuttered, and reached down to grab a core. She tutted him.
"Don't think your monsuno can save you. The seal down here keeps monsuno from coming out. You're on your own."
The man, clearly not knowing defeat, reached into his cloak to try and find a weapon. He found a blade, throwing it carelessly forward. She smacked it away with one hand, and quickly shot a shard straight into his shoulder. He let out a pained scream as he was swiftly brought to the ground, unable to move as it pinned him down.
"Are you done yet?"
The two looked over towards the entrance to see Ehna strolling towards them, a steel gauntlet in hand with Exi trailing close behind with a dismayed, tired look.
"Almost. Just need one last ingredient," Duo replied.
"Good. Because someone's coming down here," the brown-haired teen said, "And I have a feeling it's you know who."
The woman nodded, looking back down at the quivering old man. He clutched onto the shard in his shoulder, face starting to lose color as the floor below him started to stain red.
"Y-You're all monsters!" he barked. They each gave him varying looks. Ehna looking passive. Exi staring at the ground. Duo, however, glared at him in disgust.
"Maybe so. But you're the one that decided to attack this peaceful place, knowing they couldn't fight back. But you already know that don't you? Pretending to be one with that useless robe," she said slowly. Her gaze fell away, now looking up towards the door again, "The rules that the monks follow are laws that prevent them from committing some of the most foul and violent acts. After all, to hold secrets as great as the Five Tribes, one needs to be free from impurities."
The ceiling shook harder, a roar echoing down the stairs.
"However," she continued, eyeing the bookman with a deadly gaze, "when one breaks away from one of those rules, they are no longer bound. They must desert the temple and never return."
The bookman was now struggling to get free as the woman approached, her hand forming back into a blade, this one larger then any of the previous ones, now being aimed straight between his eyes.
"Guess what rule I broke?"
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