Here we are, the 5th Nightmare!
Ignia: Have fun, guys!
Yes, I hope that I can keep on satisfying you
my dear readers!
Let the fairy tale begin.
The 5th Nightmare
Elsword's POV
Flames.
Hot.
It's too hot.
I'm melting.
Everyone's burned to death.
The flames burning me too.
"NOOO!"
I woke up from my nightmare.
I'm... still alive...?
The last thing I can remember is...
Everything's red.
Flames surrounded me and burned me.
"Karis!"
I suddenly remembered that Karis' also there.
I look around.
"Karis..."
I saw her.
She's sleeping beside me.
Good... She's breathing...
I wonder why Ignia would do all of this?
And... Why she didn't finish me off?
I'm sure Aisha and Vara's treating Harza's wounds.
Her wounds are far more severe than me and Karis.
"Els... Word?"
Karis slowly get up from her sleeping bag.
"You're okay, Karis?"
"I'm okay... Ughh... But, where's Ignia?"
I shook my head.
"I don't know too, she just vanished like that. Aisha and Vara should know what happened."
Karis nodded and we got out to find Aisha and Vara.
We get into the second cottage, they're inside. Harza's breathing too, she should be fine.
"How's Harza, Aisha?"
"She's fine, she just need to rest. Her wounds are severe after all."
I can see many slash and stab scars. But she will be okay since she got a high regeneration ability. I can see most of the scars are being healed.
"Ignia, where did she go?"
Karis asked Vara.
"The moment after she burnt Elsword, she disappeared, even I don't know where did she go."
"I see... To think that she will betray us..."
Karis looked sad.
I hope she's not going to distrust everyone.
She rarely get betrayed after all.
"It's not like we can do anything anyway, good thing we're still alive."
I said to comfort her as I patted her back.
I got out of the cottage.
The night sky is beautiful.
I really want to take Karis to the jungle to stargazing, but I don't think she's in the mood to do so, Aisha and Vara's also doing their best, it would be so rude of me if only I that have fun and playing around, I would like to avoid that.
So I tried to find something I can help with.
But I can't find anything.
"It's really boring to have nothing to do."
My wounds are healed.
I wonder why a normal human like me possessed this ability.
I can only assume it's because Berserk's inside of me.
Not to mention the power of his Laevateinn.
That sword can melt everything.
Even Karis' scythe used to be melted by it only through a single contact.
But that's not a power I seek for.
I want power, that can protect those who are important to me.
"... How can there be such a power?"
Yes, there's no power that can protect people.
Protect and destroy are two different things.
If you seek power, there's only 'Destroy' in the end of the journey.
Protect is merely an illusion you get from that power.
Using protect as an excuse to destroy everything.
I want to protect them.
I don't mind to be a villain as long as I can protect them.
But if I seek power... I might need to abandon everything I have.
I need to be stronger by myself and not by abandoning anything.
Suddenly a voice that I recognized was heard.
"Good evening, onii-chan."
I immediately look at the voice behind me.
There stood Ignia in her burning form.
Stood would be wrong. Because she's floating right now.
"Ignia!"
She look at my eyes with a sad look.
"... It seems like you're okay."
"What do you mean? You tried to kill us!"
"... Yes, I tried to kill you all and I will keep doing this until you all die, onii-chan."
I can feel my anger's rising.
Ignia's more evil than what I think.
"If you want to fight I will fight you again!"
Ignia shook her head.
Just what is she planning?
She just looked at my eyes.
Something must be wrong here.
"Ignia, just what do you want here."
"... Onii-chan."
Her scarlet hair's starting to emanate red aura.
I focused my hearing to her.
I can see her tears.
Why is she crying? What's she crying for?
My anger subsides when I see her tears.
She hesitated to say something.
"Onii-chan... I..."
*Bang*
A gun shot was heard.
The next second, Ignia fell to the ground, she was hit.
"Ignia!"
Blood.
Ignia's blood is spreading on the ground.
"U... Ughh..."
Ignia's hurt.
She's shot when she's off guard.
She doesn't even bring her spear.
I hugged her body.
She's shot at her abdomen.
If she's not being treated...
"My, my... Looks like I missed. I actually aimed at her head, also, that's not what I commanded you to do, Ignia. Fufufu."
"-! You!?"
"I'm sorry Elsword. I did EXACTLY look like that Chung, but I'm not him, I'm Orive of the 'Void's."
He looked exactly like Chung, and that Silver Shooter...
The difference is he's purple, he gave dark auras.
He's exactly different than Chung, since he didn't bring his cannon.
"Where's your cannon?"
"Cannon? I don't need it. It's too fancy and too hard to use, this gun's more than enough to kill all of you, it's efficient, light, and can fire silent bullets."
He's really underestimating us.
Not to mention he's making fun of Chung's cannon.
"O.. Nii-chan..."
"Ignia!"
She looked really in pain.
Her wound is not healing, she didn't possess regeneration ability like us.
"Oh my, Ignia. You don't need to ask why I shot you just now, right?"
Orive spoke with a smirk at his face.
Somehow I'm getting annoyed by that face of his.
"... Orive..."
"You tried to leak an important secret, that's why I shot you. If you dare to leak it again, I'm not sure what will happen to your sister, hahaha!"
Orive laugh cheerfully and Ignia's trying her best to suppress her tears.
Her sister? Did he mean that Wind Priestess, Anundran?
"What do you mean, Orive?"
I asked him.
"Actually, I must not tell you anything, but I'm sure you will die here and now, so I will tell you. Anundran, the Wind Priestess has been kidnapped by our leader, Zeron."
Zeron? Did he mean the leader of the 'Void's?
"You're right, Elsword. Zeron is 'Void's leader. He's the one that's conquering the Kingdom replacing that useless and weak king. Hahahaha!"
I glare at Orive.
"For what you guys are kidnapping Anundran?"
"I have no obligation to tell you, but I can only say it's for convincing Ignia the Flame Priestess to kill you all. But, it seemed like she can't do it, what a useless pawn."
I stood up after laying Ignia sitting on the ground.
"Ignia, please endure it for awhile. I'm going to finish this."
"I'm sorry, onii-chan... He... Said that he will kill Anundran if I don't follow his commands..."
She's crying, her scarlet hair's starting to lose its flames. Her tears flow endlessly from her red eyes. She's enduring this too much, not to mention she's still a young girl. You should've told me earlier! I must find a way to rescue Anundran.
I can't forgive 'Void's no matter what.
They're going down!
I summoned 2 Cornwells since I don't bring my sword.
Orive smirked as he prepared his gun.
"You want to fight me, Elsword? I bet you already know the capabilities of a gunman."
"Yeah, and that's why I'm going to take you down-!"
I charged forward and I throw both of my cornwells at him.
He evaded it of course, but I summoned another 2 cornwells to my both of hands.
I'm not called 'Infinity Blades' for nothing.
"Heh, as expected of the 'Infinity Blades Elsword'. If you're not serious it wouldn't be fun!"
He leapt backward and shot his bullets at me.
I deflected them and I summoned swords on my head when he's on air.
"Swords Assault!"
The swords are chasing him.
How will he avoid this?
He smirked.
I felt a bad feeling about it.
"Void Bullet!"
He shot the bullet and that bullet turns into a small black hole that absorbed my swords inside.
"I see, a void bullet, I've heard about it but I never saw how it works."
"Be grateful, because you will be the first to experience the feeling of being absorbed into void!"
He fires 2 more void bullets at me.
Those bullets are not so fast, but it's dangerous.
So I evaded them.
"Tsk..."
If he kept on firing those bullets I can't get near.
Not to mention that gun's not using amunition.
It used his magical power.
If he's exhausted I can strike, but he didn't seem to get even a sweat.
This is going to be hard.
"What's up, Elsword?! I thought you want to finish me? Hahahaha!"
He taunted me as he shot, what an impudent bastard.
I'm starting to get tired from running.
It's very hard to breath.
I fell to the ground because of exhaustion.
"Onii-chan!"
"Hahaha! What a view, Elsword!"
Crap... I can't run anymore, at this rate...
I'm going to...
Elsword, use my power.
'Huh? Berserk?'
Why you again...
Looking at you running around like this pissed
me off, I will lend you my power.
Use Laevateinn.
'Even if you say so how can I use it!?'
'Aren't you the only one who can use it!'
You fool, I'm able to use it because it's you
the medium that contained me.
Without you I can't even summon Laevateinn!
...
'I understand, then how can I summon it?'
'I'll tell you, I'm not sure if it will work out fine!'
Just imagine the form of Laevateinn and
call its name, you remember it, right?
'How can I forgot such an overpowering sword.'
I will try.
I tried to stand up.
I recall Laevateinn's form.
The burning edge, the red sword from hell.
The flames that will burn everything.
"-Laevateinn!"
Cornwells at my hand starts to emanate flames.
Its form began to change.
The two edges sword; cornwell turned into an one edge sword.
The white color of Cornwell's edge changed into red color.
The handle of the sword shaped a dragon's head.
My head's filled with the information of what the demonic flame sword Laevateinn can do. Surely, it's not a sword for anyone can use.
My body's also burning, I can see flames are surrounding my body.
"That sword...!"
Ignia who's a Flame Priestess seemed to recognized it.
But I will hear her explanation later.
"No matter what sword you're using, if you can't get close a sword is nothing."
Orive smirked.
I only smiled and held Laevateinns high.
I said with a calm tone;
"If a sword user can do this, gunman are nothing, right?"
I swing the Laevateinns in a cross shape.
From the slashes, it emanates a Flames that forms a cross that charged Orive.
"-!? Guaaahh!"
Orive who's underestimating Laevateinn's burned by it.
But that's not enough to kill him.
"That's...! It's similar to Zeron's...!"
I thought I heard Zeron, their leader's name.
But I don't care. He looked scared.
"Where's your guts just now, Orive?"
"Guh-! 'Void Bullet'!"
He fires those bullets again. However, I know Laevateinn can handle this.
"-'Lava Burst'!"
I swing the Laevateinn toward the black holes that came to me.
A burst of liquid fire that can burn everything.
The liquid fire's absorbed, but in a single second, the liquid fire solidifies and blocked the black hole so that it can't absorb anything.
"Impossible!"
"Oh, yes it's possible."
I walk calmly.
With 2 Laevateinns at my hand, I don't fear anything.
This is power. Power to destroy anything in my path.
I feel like I want to laugh.
This feeling's great!
"P-Please, I will go back to 'Void's and never return again... So..."
"Stop joking around, you've got no more tricks, huh? It's because you underestimated Chung's cannon, that cannon's able to do anything, unlike your weak gun."
"I-I know! I will train myself with that cannon! I will also follow you! So-!"
"Shut up."
My glare was filled with a bottomless intent to kill.
I charged Laevateinn with immense flames.
"Hiii-!"
"ONII-CHAN! DON'T!"
I burned Orive with the immense flames from hell.
His scream of death can be heard.
I thought I heard Ignia's scream, but I need to kill this guy.
Kill?
Wait- Why...
Why I... Kill?
"... What I'm..."
Laevateinn starts to lose its flames, it returned to Cornwell's form.
I fell to the ground.
"Onii-chan!"
Ignia ran toward me even when she's injured.
Idiot... You're injured...
I can hear Karis and friends' voices.
Looks like Harza's okay now, I'm so... Glad...
I lost my consciousness there.
Ignia's POV
Onii-chan...
His body's emanating flames.
His eyes are not the gentle eyes he used to show me.
His gentle red eyes... Turned into cruel blood red eyes.
That sword...
I looked at those evil flaming swords.
The flames it emanates... Is not a normal flame.
Also, its the very opposite of my Purifying Flames, the Holy Flames that burns souls.
Onii-chan's flame is the Corruption Flames, the Evil Flames that burns everything that block its path. Laevateinn, the demonic flame sword...
Orive's burned to nothing.
There's nothing left, not even cinders.
Onii-chan... Just who are you...?
Why did you possess such a horrifying flames?
The 5th Nightmare End
Here's the 5th Nightmare, I'm sorry
it's a bit short, since there's not much to
Tell from this chapter, I hope I can make the 6th Nightmare
longer than this one.
Ignia: Onii-chan's so scary...
Poor Ignia...
See you next time!