8
The melting ice walls cracked at first, but slowly it crept up higher, more cracks forming along the way.
A series of bone spikes protruded up from the ground yet again, breaking the foundation of the cold walls, sending more large cracks forming. Loose shards of ice occasionally rained down, which had Skull's hope rising as much as the ice fell.
The assassin summoned one more series of spikes, this time, he thought as if he heard millions of shale smashing onto the ground. The ice wall splintered and gave way, the rows of it crashing on top of each felled one, the impact shattering more ice blocks. The collapse of the wall sent shards after shards of jagged ice pieces flying in all directions, creating a minor whirlwind.
Skull raised his forearm over his eyes, shielding himself from the mad swirling of the remnants from broken walls, as did the four demonic knights. However, that did not affect the four as much as Skull did, partly because they were well-armored, and partly because this was nothing significant since they superior physics could endure much more than a human.
The four stopped for a while before they continued marching forward, ready to annihilate this evasive target. The Abyss Knight reined his nightmare, whispering commands at it to hasten it's speed. The nightmare whinnied and raised it's two front legs in preparation for the dash, obeying it's master's harsh command.
The monstrous steed started bounding at Skull at breakneck speed, hoping to take him down and let it's master finish the kill.
Yet again Skull vanished, the exasperated knight slapping his steed ever more violently. The abused nightmare grimly sniffed the area, searching for the scent of a human, the assassin responsible for it's punishment.
The nightmare suddenly screamed, a piercing scream that would have sent a phalanx of yoyos scampering into their holes. The ebony knight looked underneath the undead horse to spot the bone spikes protruding out of the ground, stabbing deep into the underside. The agonizing scream persisted, not long before it ended when a disembodied foreleg belonging to the nightmare was sliced off by a vicious blade. The blade of the Infiltrators.
Skull appeared out of the underground again, his katar dripping with dark, murky blood. A pair of fiery, red eyes glowed brighter in hatred, fixing on the assassin. The Abyss Knight was without it's steed, for the handicap nightmare was lying in the dark pool of blood, unconscious from the loss of a leg. But that does not mean the knight was weaker without it, instead, he was just as worthy an opponent without cavalry.
Skull turned and left the base, droplets of water leaping off the puddle from his footsteps. All these while he had killed and wounded his adversaries, be it human or not, he did not feel any remorse or despair, until today. Somehow his merciless attack on the horse made his heart heavy. Something gnawed at him, bothering him. The assassin felt perplexed, pondering about previous experiences that never did affect him in any way. Then he shrugged off his thoughts and buried his emotions, resuming his persona as the killer devoid of emotions.
The other three stared at the macabre nightmare, then at the Abyss Knight, watching his every move.
"I do not want you to become a burden. You should go. Your sufferings will end."
After the mournful echo stopped, the Abyss Knight knelt before his alter ego on one knee. He stood up, placing his hands on the hilt of his sword, taking one last look at it, for he would never see it again. Removing it from the sheath silently, he brought the blade down, putting an end to the ghostly horse's existence.