Chapter 8 The King of the Dead

I woke up because of a sudden extreme heat rushing in on me. I sat up a looked over to where Albel was sleeping, he was gone. I noticed that the door leading into the lava caves was open now. I figured that he had gone inside. I got up and walked over to the door, I had to cover my eyes with my hand because it was so hot in this place. I started to walk inside.

"Albel...You in here?!" I yelled. As I did this, I saw him through the mist and smoke.

"Can't you ever just stay put for once in your life?" He asked walking up beside me.

"Yeah sure I could, but only if I wanted to. And just so you know, I never do. What were you doing anyway?" I asked. He waited a moment before answering.

"Just checking everything, making sure that the route was still the same as it used to be."

"And?"

"It's all the same, so whenever you're ready, we can leave." I immediately went over to pack everything up. Today was the last day we had to kill Romero. So we had to hurry.

"Ok, let's get going." I said

"You're sure in a hurry." Albel said

"Well of course I am... today is the last we have to kill this guy, right?"

"...Yeah" I was expecting him to look worried, but he didn't look worried at all. But he had to be, I mean how could he not be?

"Aren't you nervous...even a little?" I asked as we walked inside the caves. The heat was overwhelming at first. But it gradually got better.

"No, not really. Now that your here, I can break his barrier so he'll be simple."

"Aren't you being just a little overconfident in yourself? He might be tougher than you think."

"Bah, you obviously still don't know who your talking to...besides the only thing that was tough about him was his barrier and that's no longer a problem."

"Whatever you say...just don't go rushing right in and getting yourself killed, okay?"

"That won't happen."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Alright then." I looked around and I noticed a door behind a pile of rocks.

"Where doe's that door go?" I asked. Albel looked over at it, his eyes narrowed and he smiled.

"It leads straight where we need to go..." He walked over to it "...this must be the shortcut he was talking about."

"Who?"

"Romero, the last time I came here to face him, he said that I was being stupid for going the long way every time."

"Yeah, but there's only one problem."

"What's that?"

"How are we going to get to the door? Those stupid boulders are in the way." Albel walked around it a couple times, and then shook his head.

"Not exactly sure on that part yet." I went over to help him try to figure out what we were going to do. We tried a lot of different things, but our attempts were in vain. We sat there for a while just looking at it. I could tell Albel was starting to get angry.

"You know, there is still the long way, we could go that way." I suggested. Albel sighed and shook his head.

"No we can't, I wasn't planning on telling you this...but there wouldn't have been enough time to go that way. It takes at the least a day and a half to get through that way."

"And you weren't going to tell me this?!" Albel shook his head, "What if I hadn't noticed that door? You would have been dead for sure...did you really want that?! Because I really hope you didn't."

"You care too much about others, you know that? You should look out for yourself more."

"What for? So I can end up like you and not even care if I die, just as long as I didn't need to ask for someone's help?"

"...We're wasting time fighting about this." Albel said. I knew he was just trying to change the subject, but he was right. I was so mad at him for this, all I wanted to do was take out my sword and make him fly into the wall with my Reigresa. That sounded like a really good idea...hey wait a second...

"...That's it..." I stood up and walked up to the boulders.

"What?" Albel asked, standing up.

"Reigresa...It's an attack that allows me to control my target, I can use it to move the boulders."

"And what made you think of this all the sudden? You obviously didn't think of it earlier."

"I wanted to use it on you and fling you into the wall with it." I said, smiling. He looked over at me.

"Look, I didn't tell you because...I didn't want you to get all worried about it."

"And you didn't think I would've been worried if we were only halfway through the Temple by nightfall?" I was being very serious with him at this point.

"I guess...I never thought about that." He admitted.

"Figures...never thinking things through. You see why I'm worried that you'll do something stupid while we're fighting Romero?"

"heh...you have a point...I guess." I sighed. I took out my sword, pointed it at the boulders and circled them.

"Reigresa!" The boulders glowed red, I moved my sword up, then to the left, shoving the boulders into the wall.

"Turns out you're pretty useful." Albel said, smiling. I put my sword back in the sheath.

"Please, you would have already been dead if it wasn't for me. I'm extremely useful." I said. We were both laughing a little.

"Well...here we go." I said. I was really nervous, I hoped that this man wasn't too powerful, but Albel and I were pretty strong now so, I was hoping we could pull this off.

"When we go in there, we can't turn back."

"I know."

"I want you to hide when we get in there, okay? I don't want him to see you right away."

"I can do that, when do you want me to come out?"

"I'll tell you...just stay alert."

"Alright." He walked to the front of the door and pushed it open. Everything got cooler and the entire area seemed to be ash and rock. Albel pointed to a crevasse in the wall, I ran to it and hid there.

"Romero! Get out here!" Albel yelled. I heard a rumbling and a throne came up from underground. There he was, he was dressed in red, his hair was long and black, and his skin was pale white, I also noticed that he had a sword in a sheath on his side.

"So, you decided to give it one final try before your soul becomes mine, did you?" He said with a smirk.

"Your mine this time Romero, I won't lose to you again!"

"Considering the fact that your on your own once again. I seriously dought that."

"We'll see about that!" Albel took out his sword. Romero got up and started running towards Albel, he pulled out his own sword, it was a Flaming Blade sword. I could see his barrier around him.

"Akina...Now!" Albel yelled. I jumped out of the crevasse and ran toward Romero, Albel at my side. Romero was surprised by my sudden appearance, but of course this is what Albel wanted to happen. We both took our swords and pierced Romeros' barrier with them and it disappeared.

"So, you figured it out...I'm surprised, but no matter. You're nothing to me even with your little friend." He chanted something and there was suddenly a wall of, what looked like to me, blood that surrounded us.

"Just in case you try to run." Romero said

"No chance! We wouldn't be so kind to you!" I yelled. He looked at me with this blank stare.

"Akina! Break eye contact...now!" Albel yelled at me...but I couldn't, his eyes were taking hold of me. Albel slashed his katana into Romeros' side, making him cry out in pain. I looked away from him, Albel took hold of my shoulders.

"You okay? Look at me." Albel said. I looked at him only to notice Romero right behind him, ready to strike. I pushed him out of the way, Romeros' sword clashed with mine.

"Well aren't you a feisty one." Romero said. That made me angry. Feisty? I'll show him feisty. I pushed his sword down and kicked him to the ground. Albel shoved his sword into his stomach. Romero screamed, but he pulled out Albels' sword, Albel being pushed back in the process. Romero jumped up to slash Albel in the back with his sword.

"Albel!" I ran to Albel and caught him before he fell to the ground. The cut was deep. Albel was shaking.

"I'm fine! Focus on Romero! You wanna die here?!" I looked up, Romero was about to strike him again, I put my sword in his way, stopping him for a moment, he was pushing back, overpowering me with his sword.

"You wretched woman! Get out of my way! Unless you have a death wish."

"You're so full of yourself, you have no idea who you're dealing with!" I grabbed Albel and jumped back as I let Romeros' sword cut into the ground. Albel pushed himself up to stand, he looked like he was in pain, but was running at Romero, he slashed his side then turned to slash his back. Romero fell to the floor.

"Alright that's it, I've...had enough of this!" Romero said as he put his hand out towards me.

"Sariyous!' Romero yelled at me. I suddenly felt a burning in my throat, then my wrist, and then my stomach.

"The wounds?!" Albel yelled as he ran over to me. He was right, the wounds that he had inflicted on me were coming back they were exactly the same...except they burned and hurt about ten times worse than the last time, Albel caught me as I fell to the floor, he knelt beside me.

"How the hell did you do this!" He yelled as he turned his head towards Romero.

"Simple...I read her memory while she was under my trance. And recreated the wound that had mysteriously disappeared."

"Albel I'll...be...fine just kill him...you're almost out...of time." I said to him. It was difficult to breathe. He looked at me then at Romero. He got really angry.

"I'll kill you for this!" He yelled at him as he charged up and pierced him through his heart.

"Damn...you!" He pulled out the sword. But how was he still alive? That should've killed him. The only way he could still be alive is if he was...

"The living dead." Albel said "That's why I can't kill you!"

"Correct...your facing the King of the Dead!" Romero said. I thought I was going to pass out, or I was going to die here. The pain was overwhelming me, I suddenly saw Albel run to me.

"Akina...just hold on, you'll be okay...That's a promise!" Albel said.

"He's...right behind...you..." I whispered, Albel looked behind him, just in time to block Romeros' attack. I looked over to my other side and I saw my brother, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, now I was sure that I was going to die. After a moment Albel's father came up to stand next to my brother.

"Don't worry, that's a promise that he will keep Akina." Albel's father said. He and my brother walked up to me.

"Just hold still." My brother told me. Then he took out a vile of some kind of potion, and put a drop of it into my wounds. I felt the pain start to recede little by little. Then it became easier to breathe. I watched as the wounds disappeared.

"Are you the ones...that healed me in the first place?" I asked them, they nodded, then they disappeared, revealing the fighting that was taking place still. I got up and ran up to Romero and put my sword to his neck. The look on his face was pure surprise mixed with fear.

"You...really underestimated me and Albel and now because of your foolish mistake, your going to die here." I said

"That's what you think." He pointed behind me. Then I thought of the time. I turned around to see Albel fall to the ground. My eyes widened. He wasn't moving. I dropped my sword and ran to him and fell by his side, I was crying.

"No! Not now!" I put my head down on his chest. He was dead because I took too long. I heard Romero laughing behind me, I lifted my head up and looked right at him.

"You!" I stood up and ran at him, picked up my sword hat laid at the ground in front of him in an instant but he kicked me away as I was standing up. I was on the ground I looked up at him. He was smiling.

"Albel...take care of her." Romero said. I looked over at Albel He stood up. He came running at me, sword in hand. I ran from him, I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't going to fight him. Then Romero appeared in front of me, I ran into him and fell to the ground. Albel tried to pierce his sword into me but I rolled out of the way of the sword. I got up on my knees by the time Albels' sword was upon me again. he cut my shoulder. Albels' face was just as before.

"Albel stop this, I know you don't want to do this!" I yelled as his sword cut into my side. Romero was laughing again.

"You don't get it do you? It doesn't matter what he wants to do...he does whatever I tell him to." He said. He was going to attack me again, but this time I was able to block it. Though he was pushing me back. I tripped on a stone that was on the ground. As I was falling I had a lot of flashbacks of our journey together. I hit the ground Albel was pushing down on my sword hard. I looked in his blank red eyes. Then I realized for the first time that...

"Albel...I...I love you!" I was crying, I knew it for sure now. I really did love him. But it was already too late, he was under Romeros' control now. I looked at him. He showed no emotion but...there were tears falling from his eyes.

"You can hear me." I whispered.

"Shut up girl! It's too late, he belongs to me!" Romero said

"T-That's not true...R-Romero!" Albel said. I looked at his eyes they were returning to normal. I couldn't believe it.

"Damn you!" Romero can running at us, Albel shoved both of our swords into him. This time it looked like it truly was hurting him. Then I noticed Albel's father off to the side, he was smiling at me. I smiled back, then he came over to Romero. Albel looked up.

"Father?" He said.

"I just wanted to say congratulations, son. And please...stop blaming yourself for my death...I did it out of love, just as she was going to."

"But I-"

"I have to go, and I'm taking this one with me..." He grabbed Romero, "Goodbye son, and Akina...thank you for saving my son." I nodded, he left us. I stood up so did Albel. Turned to me.

"I thought you were dead, when you stopped breathing. I just gave up after that. I had no idea..." Albels' voice trailed off.

"When I saw you fall I...I wished that I was dead. I didn't want to believe it." I was crying again, I found myself hugging him.

"And…uh…just so you know...I was telling the truth. I really do love you. I know that now." I said, anxious for a response from him. I thought I had made a mistake telling him this when he never said anything back. In fact, he didn't say anything for quite a while. Until I heard him take a deep breath.

"I...I love you too." He said as he hugged me tighter. I don't think I could've been happier, at that moment I must've been the happiest person in the whole universe. I was sure of it.

"I…never thought I would ever say that to anyone in my entire life." Albel said, I laughed a little.

"Neither did I." I said. Albel pulled away from me, looking right into my eyes. I noticed that his eyes seemed to be a lot softer than they used to be, he kissed me. After, he looked around for a moment. Then sighed.

"We should probably head back tomorrow when it lighter outside. It'll be safer that way." Albel said

"Yeah you're probably right. Besides our wounds need to heal a little. Wait…that reminds me what about the gash in your back?" I asked him. He turned around. It was gone.

"heh...my brother healed you."

"Your…brother?"

"Yeah, he's also the one that healed the wound's that I had from before...that's why they were gone so quickly."

"Oh, that make's some sense. Well, we better get going. We should at least be back at the entrance of the caves before we stop and rest. Alright?"

"Yeah, okay. It's not that far away anyway." We took our swords and made our way back to the entrance. We bandaged up the cuts and wounds we still had and then laid down our blankets. They were closer together this time. Albel and I were closer now than we had ever been before. I had never loved someone like this, not until today. It made me smile. After everything that had happened you would think we would fall asleep quickly. But we ended up staying up most of that night talking about our pasts. I bet we didn't actually fall asleep until three hours later.