Love is to sacrifice it all for your beloved.
Your legs are shaking?
You are trembling?
Their grip leaves red marks?
It hurts?
It bleeds?
Their slaps leave purple bruises?
Love is to sacrifice cutie.
They love you so bear with it.
Blood dripped on the sheets.
Disgusting figured towered over her small figure.
It hurts...
Diarmuid slowly opened his eyes only for them to meet a familiar ceiling. Grey concrete ceiling similar to that from the research facility welcomed him. He placed his palm on the ground before lifting his torso up and getting into a sitting position. He was half naked and he could see two small green cables which were going inside his chest.
"Wouldn't move too much if l were you. Don't want to activate it do you?"
He jumped back in shock after hearing an unfamiliar voice. Before him stood a boy a lot older than him, he seemed to be a young adult and had shoulder length blue wavy hair. His facial hair was no more than thin black lines on his chin. He was muscular and pretty tall compared to him who had his development rushed with all drugs and hormones injected into him as a part of the experiment.
His eyes gazed down before taking a step forward and leaning down.
"I would say stress from the look of it. I have seen worse for sure don't you remember the guy we saw at the hospital while passing?"
"Yeah the fingerless one...l feel happy they let him go after that. He didn't deserve all this"
Diarmuid turned left and saw someone wearing a heavy armor like that of a knight. It was plated and between every crack he could see chain mail. His helmet was under his armpit and he was sitting on the table with calm almost composed look like that of loyalty. He had brown short hair with long sideburns and a cleanly shaved face. He had darker skin compared to the rest which was weird after all he is the one that had an helmet.
"Are you gonna stop getting all close and comfortable and instead lift him up?"
Armored figure walked forward and pushed the other guy away from his shoulder. He sighed before moving to his right.
"Thanks..sorry l am relatively confused, is this a part of the training or a new examination?"
"Heh looks at this boy! He still thinks he is in the boot camp!"
The figure wearing no more than a shirt and a jacket on top laughed while slapping is thigh back and back before speaking again.
"Ohhh l welcome you to hell! Look look l am even crying!"
With tears in his eyes after laughing for a long and boring minute he took a few steps back and fixed his posture.
"Weird like always...well my fault for trying to understand the old man's followers. You are not in the research center or a place similar to that. This was a bunker used by the highest ranking officer before we came here it seems."
Highest ranking officer? That I doubt l even knew them after all l failed the final exam.
"You probably hit your head hard or something we are not sure. You were the only one alive when we arrived."
Armored figure left the concrete bunker after looking at his clock. He seemed to be an hurry which was contradicting considering his calm nature until now.
"Don't worry about him as you know they have to pray at certain hours of the day or they think they will be torn apart instead of being welcomed at their embrace...such childish beliefs."
He walked towards Diarmuid before grabbing the cables going inside his chest. Diarmuid stood still, clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Nothing happened in the end until a sudden pain of this insides being pulled alongside the cables pierced his skull. With a scream he took a few steps back.
"Aren't you supposed to count from 3 to 0 before pulling!"
"Nice way to talk to your superiors...I was wondering if pulling them one by one would have been better...but l decided upon pulling them all out."
Why are they always putting me in the same place as these weirdos!
Diarmuid looked around searching for something to cover himself with but as someone would have expected there was nothing around not even his uniform.
"Your previous uniform was covered in blood so we gotta rid of it. We need all the soul users in the frontline so she decided to get you those gears."
"Gears?"
The boy looked around before rolling up the cables In a bundle and then put it in the device that was previously connected to his chest.
"I wouldn't even talk to these weirdos if it wasn't for all that happened. Even the churches were forced to step in yet now that the Queen of Malice came to this line."
"Churches? So the rumors were true about them...after all they had soul users and weaponry."
"Yeah of course we did after all the faggot you call the king can't even protect his own people. We were forced to organize and take care of things ourselves."
He spat on the ground before letting his eyes dart around as if he was looking for something before sitting on the wooden chair.
"Lady of Melancholy was the first one to step in. They sent four saints and more than 50 soul able personel and from all that only one saint remained. Heard they lost an arm against the Eternal Storm. After more than an hundred thousand died the Eternal Storm fell."
"So that is how it all happened...they told us that our forces were able to kill it yet churches were never mentioned."
"That is called propaganda. King and his glorious army won again long live the king!"
He jumped back up and did a salute before sitting back down.
"Yeah...l am a believer of Melancholy mother too. I hope their souls end up with peace and their loved ones lament the memories left of them."
He lifted his left arm to draw a line on his chest with two taps one at the beginning amd one at the end. He looked down and saw something weird. The hole in his chest was already healed which was abnormal by any means. But maybe his soul activated without him knowing so he didn't want to bring it up.
"We got no choice now. Everyone must do their best especially since that beast arrived here."
"Why? I thought Queen was on another line. Isn't this weird?"
"Ask that to your superior...we couldn't find his corpse so he is definitely in the belly of one. As for the sir Ricardo he is no more. He was like scrambled eggs once they found him."
Diarmuid covered himself after remembering that he forgot to yet he continued looking away from him almost as like a habit.
"He didn't get killed for sure so l would say it was a suicide. Poor man couldn't even handle things here even with all his privileges."
He chuckled like a little kid before stopping awkwardly. He let his hand wander in his pocket before pulling out a dice.
"Odd or even? You won't be leaving before she has her ughh...not that you would like to leave like this. Let's play brother let's play!"
Diarmuid stood and looked around for a few seconds. The scene was no more than awkward but he had no choice.
I should ask a few things like who she is and how the war is going right now. I mean maybe she is someone l know. No l doubt the girl that was sent to the logistics wasn't a believer l doubt she could become a saint.
"Come on l am waiting here!"
Diarmuid pulled a chair over to the table before sitting down.
"Sorry had something in mind."
"Yeah no wonder, was about to die and rot here like a corpse. It has been 200 years for sure, odd or even?"
"Where is the cup?"
"I didn't expect you to wake up today. It has been a few months to say the least, we wanted to send you back yet she refused."
"So l have been laying in that same place for months?"
"We think so. We actually reached here only 5 months ago. The slow switch that happened because of something that you and your buddies did. Don't worry we rolled you over once in a while."
"Even. So who is she? And l survived all that time without eating anything? And l was just fine?"
He rolled the dice. White cube rolled on the wooden table before landing on 4. He clicked his tongue and cursed with a silence voice.
"Unlucky as always. Don't worry I am not a swindler so l won't make you answer questions or only ask them when you win."
"I mean to be honest that would have been fun..."
His words were cut in half by an annoyed voice.
"Yeah but a waste of time. Now go go go l doubt she will take longer to come."
"Sure so.. how long has it been since the war started?"
"More than two years l would say if you are talking about the whole thing. But this line was empty before we came here and the line was a few kilometers back. After whatever the thing you guys did things calmed down and the new person in control which is actually the pope."
Pope? King wouldn't have let the church control the army by any means. He is a king after all why would he give away authority.
"Sorry to ask but which pope was it? Even."
He rolled the dice yet again only for it to land on two. Curses left his chapped lips before he spoke again with the persistent annoyance in his voice.
"Pope Udrea Akinskin. I support what he did to fend off the Queen of Malice, he saved my life with that and we are better than ever when it comes to landing the killing blow yet...he sees human life as no more than numbers."
That is what you get from the pope of the God of Cogs and Hammers. Their gospel is known to be strict too at least that is what others used to say.
"What an ungrateful person you are Caferino. He would have had an heart attack if he heard someone like you cursing behind him."
The disturbing voice of a fan hitting some kind of metal covered the entire atmosphere as a new figure entered inside.
How tall is he? Never saw something like that is it even an armor or more?
The figure was an armor clad giant. It was bigger and taller than any human Diarmuid saw before and even just one of the arms was as thick as his entire torso. The armored figure walked forward after speaking with their distorted voice similar to those you could hear on radios.
"Always coming on the worst time... This is her by the way. She stays in that tin can all the time, a coward like her people."
With the sound of pistons moving the huge mass caused a slight irritation for both. Caferino got up and and made his way to the door. He stopped before the heavy figure before slapping it a few times.
Before anyone could say anything he was already outside. The figure stood silent for a few seconds before speaking in a sarcastic tone hard to distinguish because of how distorted it was.
"He is always like this. Hating on everyone while he is the best of us!"
"So you are..."
"Strings of fate bound us all into a loop."
Diarmuid opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about yet his words were stuffed into his mouth as she continued speaking.
"We are tied to each other on different levels. Platonic, friendly, selfish, selfless, obsessive, repulsive. Strings bind us all,strings of love."
"I have heard of this...isn't this the tale of the cat and the girl?"
"You know l think the closest there is to my world is that of a children's book .There is no prince turned into a cat, no magic to save me or anything like that."
Figure got closer with each of their steps shaking the ground like small earthquakes. Diarmuid took a few steps back with an almost fear in his head, and instinctual one telling him to back off. He could feel the obsession behind those words.
"I waited for years. Hopeless dark nights with tears in my eyes until l saw you, my single, my perfect, my heavenly string. Crimson like the sun that is setting, lighter than that of silk, trembling like a cat under the snow...my own thread."
"Sorry l really don't know what you are talking about...l don't even know you."
"We both know each other Diarmuid. You just don't remember it cause l made it that way. When l tied that string to my finger l felt everything you felt and ever feal. Your anger, your fear, your disgust, your responsibilities. I saw it all and felt it all."
The torso of the metal giant slowly opened. Pistons lifted the plates revealing an inner armor similar to that of a cage that was there to protectfrom impacts. Cables covered in metal plates and screens showing no more than a monochrome image covered the insides.
Pistons lifted the inner cage revealing a figure. The annoying sound of the fan stopped as the figure inside leaned forward with all their lima still behind connected to the armor.
"I know everything about you...knowledge is love isn't it?"
She had short brown hair that landed over her brows which was covered in sweat like her entire body. She wore a white shirt instead of the classical uniform. Something was different about her eyes, a crimson halo formed around her iris. She took multiple deep breaths before speaking once more.
"You can see it too don't you? The red string of love. Can you feel the beating of my heart, my desire for all there is about you? The struggle and pain l went through just to reach this point in time?"
Diarmuid lifted his hands and stared at the red string tied to his middle finger. The more he focused the more he could feel. It shook again and again beating like a heartbeat.
"I am the Saint of Promised Love Avdotya Akulov at your service my beloved partner."
"This is your soul right?"
"Yep this is the soul of the glorious Saint of the Church of Cogs and Hammer. I would even say that l am the one that is the sole reason all these people survived until now, even you."
"Me? What do you mean?"
"If l didn't did what l did you would have been publicly executed with rifles. But normal bullets can't kill someone like you so you were going to get ripped apart and get sent to the cathedral where they would have used the Wrench of Recognition to erase you."
Diarmuid looked at her with a smug face almost happy that his worries were for nothing and the girl infront of him is just kidding with me.
"Yeah yeah obviously, what did l even do miss delusional? Why would they use a so called Wrench to somehow erase me from existence while they can just lock me up?"
Her face went from a stoic one to that of one filled with joy as he said that.
"You killed exactly three hundred sixty one soldiers. I didn't add the ones you filled up after all their brain activity was that of a living human. Yet killing all those people wouldn't have got you erased by an artifacts of the highest caliber. You knew too much."
"You expect me to believe this? Three thousand? Do we even have that many people in this line right now? How can someone like me kill all those people but more importantly why would l kill all those people and what can someone like me even know? The last thing l remember is being one of the worst in my platoon after refusing to kill an innocent person to show my loyalty to the army."
Diarmuid looked at the ground with his back bent, hyperventilating, trying to breathe unable to calm his breathing after finishing his cry of sentences that held no meaning.
"I know..."
Heavy steps shook the ground as she approached him. Her face was that of a maiden that was ready to embrace all that suffered, a saint that will accept and forgive the sins of this poor boy.
Metal form leaned forward, she leaned forward and landed a kiss on his forehead before pressing her own against his.
"I know....I know everything about you. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to blame yourself for something that you were forced to, I know it all. The lives you took and the suffering you went through. It is all over now. I will take away all your suffering and give you the only thing you ever desired. True happiness without the fear of breaking it like a fragile vase.
He didn't back off against her but the look on his look changed. His eyes were focused on the concrete ground as if it was the blood covered wooden floor from that day. He lifted his had and scratched his head with his fingers lacking something scratch with.
"I killed mom..."
"I know."
"I killed dad as well. I killed both just because l wanted to take revenge. Just because l couldn't leave past behind."
"I know. Like l said l know a lot. I know how you felt, how your hands trembled at that moment, how you thought this action of yours was actually your mercy. I know it all because l felt everything you felt."
"It really was...red rashes appeared on her body. I heard her and him arguing over and over talking about a name l only heard on radio once in a while, they must have been famous. They gave us a lot of money and...things changed. I was happy you know genuinely happy yet."
"Yet there was no cure for her sickness she wasn't a carrier unlike him and slowly she lost weight and her skin started peeling in patches revealing muscles underneath."
"I had to kill her...it was my mercy and for my revenge...l killed him too."
Tears fell down his face as he failed to put the sentences together, each word reminding him of all he did.
"Red kiss is known to kill while making it's victims suffer. It is common among poor so he must have paid all that to keep their mouth shut."
Diarmuid pulled back as if nothing happened and sat on the chair which was once an unlucky gamblers seat. Wiped his tears with his hands.
"Well this was weird...sorry l am not the type to cry infront of others let alone share things about me but well you kinda pushed things too far too fast."
"Yeah you are right. Sorry l was selfish, you should be able to feel it too but waiting for something your whole life and achieving it...it is such a pleasure nothing can replace."
"Yeah l can but can't expect me to act all lovely can you? I don't know you and unlike your side l can't see your memories or other things too. So things are one sided if you get it."
"I do. I saw this future too. Flower blooms only when the time is right and everyone knows that. Here is your uniform"
A hatch opened at the back of the huge mess of steel causing two gauntlets and two boots to fall down followed by a loose shirt and pantaloons.
"You don't need a lot unlike us other than striking force. You don't know how to use soul weaponry right? I know."
"You know it is kinda weird when you say I know when it comes to everything. And yeah l am not a paladin and most of them were sent to other groups. I can't use soul as you can guess."
"I know, and l know that it will change too. I will fulfill your desire for you. Before all of us fight against the great evil that is infront of us we will get to have a lot of time together. All of us l mean."
Diarmuid walked forward before leaning down and wearing the socks and the boots before the rest.
"You want me...no me and my soul to grow stronger don't you? Why would you even want that? Cause of your love? Wouldn't it be more logical if you locked me down here until everything ended."
She chuckled for a few seconds before agreeing with him.
"Wish l could. Do you think l would take the risk of you getting hurt for no reason? I know I have no choice. In all possibilities we escape we both die because of some unknown force which is probably an artifacts. But if l keep you here and lead others we all die in every possibility. We killed her in most yet we never returned from it.
"So you want to fulfill my desire so that we can both live."
"There is a lot more l want to know about you. There is a lot more l want to do with you. Among all those colorless, worthless bonds only your's is red, true and real."
The more l think the weirder she feels. Her entire motive seem to be me being somehow different than others but that's it.
After wearing his uniform and the rest he turned back to her with a small smile on his lips.
"Well whatever happens happens. I doubt l care that much, fog isn't here anymore."
"Don't worry about anything and well for what will happen after all this we can talk about it later my dear Diarmuid."
"I will go out to take a look. You know l doubt it is my place to be surrounded by saints as no more than an average soldier."
I must have lost whatever position l had before with the saints taking over.
"You are my paladin, not some random soldier?"
He stopped in his track before looking back with confusion on his face.
"Surprised right? Sorry but l had to act emotional towards you when they first saw you so that l can later say that since all my paladins died against the Queen of Malice I need you, my beloved as my paladin. I hugged you the first moment we met so that l could cover the names with my armored self and later restart your heart in periods so that you can heal them all without waking up. Your memories were harder to ger rid off but l managed to. I destroyed more than l must but at least got rid of his existence."
Diarmuid looked at her again who turned at him once more. He could could feel her own feelings, love. These weren't actions based on malice but love.
"I feel sad for lying yet this was the only way l know to avoid the artifact of the church and keep you safe. And for the names l think you can guess for yourself."
"Yeah l get that...not sure what forced me into that but there must have been a reason."
"I know. So are you gonna let me hang here? My limbs are about to give up if this goes on like this!"
Diarmuid rushed to her after hearing the sudden change in her voice. By following her orders he release every limb one by one. The plates could only be opened from outside at least that is what it seemed like. Under some of the plates were pins similar to those on hand grenades. They could be put back in after lifting both of the parts.
Her shirts arms were cut revealing her arms. She seemed relatively strong with broad shoulders and visibly muscular arms. Nothing could be said for her lower half that was covered with a pantaloon stuck to her legs from the moisture.
"Put the pins back on. The armored are designed this way so that we can't be threatened to exit it without risking things like a bad landing. This one was used in the city before all this so it still holds this feature even though it is useless here. It takes 20 minutes to take off because of the lack of pistons to open the plates on the limbs. Those steroidsband hormones that were injected to all of us became useful at last."
"So all of you used it too. I thought it was something unique to us created with an experiment."
"Now that you mention after going out ask him where you can get suppressants, just to be safe."
So they have then here too. Not that those were a sure working solution but l remember it saving more lives than it failed to.
"Time is coming, don't want you to miss him. So before you go do you have any questions? I know l am kinda forcing things on you my beloved but you will appreciate it even today."
She is good looking to be honest but if he was right how does she handle that? Maybe she sweats most out after all that thing looks no more than a metal coffin.
"I sleep inside this and when I have to I use the knight method."
"Huh?"
"I know what you think too. But well l wasn't surprised that you wanted to ask that. What were you even going to ask?"
"To be honest in the end l was probably going to ask if there is another reason you love me. Other than the whole string thing of course."
She circled back and forth around the suit for a few times without saying anything. Diarmuid could feel from the string that she was conflicted between answers and stressed about.
"No. There is no other reason. I love you because l know everything about you that's it."
Diarmuid knew she wasn't lying yet the moment itself was just awkward causing him to think about it more. After saying take care he left from the door.
What the fu*k!
Nothing came out from his mouth as he stared up. It was the middle of the night or maybe not. A huge figure was on his right covering the entire sky with it's length that rivaled those of mountains. It was impossible to even figure how it looked but it didn't take a genius to figure out that this was the Queen of Malice.
I should have asked how things went. How are we even supposed to killed this.
He walked forward with his booth creating a splashing sound with each step as he walked blindly in the trenches. He could see dark figures around him as he walked in the flooded trench.
"Hey brother do you know what happened around here?"
Silent eyes stared at him. Eyes without anything behind them. Tired and exhausted eyes with dilated pupils. They looked confused more than tired. The man opened his mouth yet nothing came out.
Diarmuid took a few steps back in hurry only to bump into someone and jump sideways in shock falling down to the ground in the progress.
"Don't bother talking, they are always like this. So you met her after all this, must have been a nice experience."
"It was weird I guess. She is eccentric that's for sure but not much to say other than that. It is funny l am on the ground again."
He lowered his hand and lifted Diarmuid up without any problem or difficulty.
"Are you coming or no? Since you didn't eat anything all that time you should be able to join."
"Join what? Don't tell me we will be doing some dances around a candle."
He let out a laughter after seeing the words Diarmuid spoke with the scared look on his face. He put his arm on his shoulder before smiling.
"It is not something like that. It is a traditional event that happens four times a year when the morning and the night are twelve hours each. It is a tradition of us sons of our dear father."
And here we go. I wonder if he will convert me into a believer at the end of the night, might cook me up too l am not sure what these people do. She threw me here to meet him so it can't be that bad.
"Yea sure let's go take me there. Got nothing to do and...they don't look alright."
"Yeah poor fellows."
His voice seemed sad almost as if he wanted to lament something.Diarmuid followed him through the trenches and after a long walk they found himself in a kitchen like place with a table in the middle.
"Welcome back brother and who is it that you got there? Never saw him before is he one of the new recruits?"
Before him were 5 people sitting on wooden chairs with plated before them. The table had candlesticks in the middle covering the room with the yellow hue. The one that spoke looked a similar to him at age but unlike his long sideburns his were completely shaved up to the top. His skin color was similar and he was wearing a heavy armor like that of a knight like him.
"Why is he even here? Well whatever sit down brother not planning to stand up there all day right?"
Another one spoke with a smug on their face.
"Sorry l am still kinda stunned after all that."
"That's the sleeping beauty you are talking to."
The eyes turned to Diarmuid who was shocked by the sudden attention.
"He looks good for someone that was laying there for months."
"Imagine waking up to this fu*ked up state"
Diarmuid looked around to everyone around him. They must have been his paladins.
I should ask about how things are.
"So forgot to ask but how did things even come to this point?"
Silence covered the room, after a long time spent with their mouths sealed one of them spoke.
"Saint John sacrificed himself. He and saint Frederick launched themselves into the beast and burned their fire. God bless their soul."
"God bless their soul."
"God bless their soul."
All the eyes locked on Diarmuid again as he said it later than others embarrassing himself infront of everyone.
Later in the conversations he learned that sun gods believers fast four times a year and he could join this celebration ritual because of a verse in their gospel that said: One shall respect all and join all in respect, respect is a commandment.
"Like I said we drink hot red wine which is a symbol that acts as our fathers molten blood that is the reason why we gather up four times a year to remember his love that shines every morning."
"Not anymore."
"I heard that! Father wants us to light our own path this time."
Before things could escalate a voice filled with determination echoed in the kitchen.
"I will be the sun that lights our path, revenge will be taken and molten blood shall burn the path to our salvation."
"That's our saint! You know wish you were one of us but can't say much, that weirdo must love you a lot to visit you every day. What is even special with you."
"No idea but what can l say l was always a charmer."
"Not with that bald head!"
Laughter covered the room as he brought the heated pot filled with warm wine and placed it in the middle of the table. Diarmuid touched the guy next to him with his elbow before whispering.
"I know it is too late but what is his name?"
The guy looked at him with a shocked face.
"Which one? The mustache?"
"No no the sideburns."
"Sideburns?"
He stayed silent for a while before gasping.
"Him!"
And now everyone heard it. Should have kicked the guy infront of me.
Silence covered the room before he broke it.
"Forgot to tell you my name right? Jose is my name. Jose of the Healing Sun."
Diarmuid felt as if the weight of millions of planets left his shoulders.
"Is the healing only in the name or can you actually heal?"
"I actually can but enough talking who will go first?"
I should go first l am the guest after all.
"Can l go first? Come on l must have some privileges as a guest here...right?"
"Come on boss let him go first, bet he missed the taste of wine. How long has it been for you? Two whole years?"
"My whole life which must be...I don't know how much those drugs changed me uhhh...no idea."
"You look around 15 so must be 11 or something, enough yapping lips on the pot buddy!"
"Wait no coupe?"
"Who would have a coupe in the army now go drink."
"Why so harsh is it hard to wait for your turn?"
he lifted the pot with both hands and pressed his lips. The burning feeling started with his lips and made it's way to his mouth. The taste of wine was both sweet and strong. He made the mistake of breathing right after swallowing the warm wine causing his nose the burn with the rookie mistake. He passed the pot to the guy next to him and it rotated around the table.
"Why do we have so much remaining? What are we even gonna do with this?"
"We want something other than water to drink with the dinner as you can expect."
Jose got up and brought another pot after placing metal cups infront of everyone. He filled the cups with rice and handed everyone a metal spoon.
"So we had cups all along."
"Brotherhood is to share the same pot and food."
Well that is somewhat understandable.
The meal was what could be called mediocre but they didn't have a better choice. The rice was sticky and too soft which Diarmuid didn't like but the conversations, jokes, the laughter and all that came with it made this the best meal he ever had.
He felt like he was a part of this brotherhood.
He liked the feeling of simple happiness
The beach where pus rained from the sky now had a bright, perfect sun above.
"Let's lift our cups for our new brother!"
Huh oh yeah. Never expected things to go this good. I am on the awkward side too after all.
"For the brotherhood of sun!"
"For the brotherhood of sun!"
Cups with forgotten grains of rice clashed each other over the wooden table.
Days passed as preparations continued. Every day he would meet with them and eat dinner together. Every morning he would meet with Avdotya and talk about random things. The darkness, how things ended this way, theories about the existence of those beasts. After the failed sacrifice which was no more than both of them exploding themselves something happened. The eternal flames were sucked by something, mass became more and reality collapsed. It sucked everything even light itself becoming a ball of nothingness. Queen survived through this and in an enraged state reached here where she started increasing it's size with an unknown method.
"Can we even kill it?"
"Like I said before we killed it multiple times. But considering the current situation and the steps you took there is two paths. You will either die for nothing or we will both survive."
"And then?"
"Nothing. I never saw beyond that. I guess I an not all knowing after all."
"Well there is no reason to know all that. Once this beast dies we can do whatever you want. They will probably pay us a lot after this. You can leave the church and we can buy a middle end house. We would hire a maid to come clean twice a week and wash the clothes. We would go to plays and eat at restaurants. Don't get me wrong l would appreciate your cooking more it is your's after all.
Giant figure turned to him before looking at the sky again. Her heartbeat was so fast that Diarmuid wanted to bring it up yet her voice didn't allow that.
"You changed a lot. Is this acceptance?"
Diarmuid looked at her with a wide smile as if he found the perfect opportunity he has been waiting for years.
"Is that why your heart is beating like that? Are you scared that this is just acceptance or are you happy that it might be something other than acceptance?"
"Yeah...l just hoped thay things could go beyond just this bond between us."
"I love you. I love you because I can, not because of things I know about you but because of things you did for me, things you feel towards me. Maybe l am just delusional and after all your attention l started feeling this way."
"I know."
"What is love?"
"I don't know."
"I know. Looking at this dark sky every day made me realize it. You love someone when you are ready to face your end with them."
"Will you die for me?"
"So you want me to die for you?"
"No."
"Then what is it?
"Can't you see it? All this things I did were only for one single thing, for you to live. I want you to live for me."
Tears fell down.
Is love really sacrifice?
I know nothing about them.
They come and go.
I rarely see one for more than once.
I know nothing about them yet I have to sacrifice?
This isn't fair!
So this is how you look like mom.
I love you?
One day Diarmuid decided to leave early from the kitchen that was used by them because he didn't feel hungry. The food was no more than a poison for his soul slowly melting it with it's low quality. After going outside and walking through the trenches filled with soldiers who he later learned were given stimulants issued by the pope so that they can keep going he saw someone. He was on top of the trench smoking something by himself.
"Hey brother! What is it you don't seem to be in the mood. Did something happen?"
Before him was Caferino whom he only saw once in a while and said hi. Their relationship never went too deep since even compared to the others he was hard to talk to.
"So you ever get the feeling that...things would have been different if you never made that one mistake?"
"I made a lot but here I am. I guess we have to accept all that happened and move on."
"So you want me to ignore it all and continue living?"
"Not ignoring you just have to accept it. What will you get for blaming yourself for everything that happened? You failed that time yes so what?"
"Yeah you are right...did she tell you the reason my paladins died? It was because of me. In our first assault I refused to fight head on against one of those monstrous ones. I told my paladins to surround it before using our soul kill it but...that was our biggest mistake. We tore it apart yet right at that moment l watched as all of them got ripped apart.
"How?she told me about them having abilities that can warp reality but that was just too much. Killing all of them..before l could even react."
He took a deep breathe before letting the smoke he inhaled out towards the sky.
"No matter how much l try to I just can't. What dis l do to deserve this? I wanted to preserve myself for what was going to come...I never knew that they were all going to die because of my selfishness.
"I killed mom and dad. I killed both of them for a selfish reason. I am a sinner yes, I blame myself for it yes but in the end of the day I have to keep moving. The same goes for you. When the day comes you have to move forward and face it all."
He stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"I know what you did. All the things that happened and more. Your eyes are like sea, l could read them clearly. Don't worry l won't report this to the cathedral."
So he knows it all like her. It feels weird how people can learn all there is about you and you don't even feel it.
"Well whatever dead is dead. I don't even care at the moment about whatever happened back then. I don't remember anything that means it wasn't me."
He pointed the thick cigar to him expecting him to take it.
"Sorry I don't smoke."
"Just take it."
After Diarmuid took it and held it between his fingers awkwardly as he continued speaking.
"I started working for the church when l was around six. Dad was a strict believer and when he discovered l could use soul he told them that they can use me however they want. It wasn't a bad experience don't get me wrong. I was used to interrogate sinners and saw a lot."
"Isn't there laws agains something like this?"
"Not really, no one knew after all. Rituals of our domain done by the Saint at the time who l can't really remember was able to keep them from speaking about me. After years of this l became a paladin. After this I was put under a squad and met them all that day."
"Was it like how it is here? Paladins put under a saint?"
"Somewhat...are you gonna smoke that or no?"
"Ohhh.."
He put the cigar in his mouth and tried to breathe in front his mouth. The sudden feeling of the bitter fume entering his mouth caused him to cough letting the cigar fall on his palm. The thich roll covered in oily paper was nothing like he expected.
"Well at least it didn't fall to the ground. Hard and almost painful yet after a while you start liking the smell, almost feel pleasure."
He lifted his palm for him to take the cigar. He wanted to ask more only for him to elaborate. His tall figure was hard to see yet from his voice it was obvious he was holding back tears,trying to change topics, escaping from a single thought.
"I had someone l loved. It never went beyond that, every time l had a chance l failed.There would always be a pain stuck in my throat keeping me from expressing my feelings. I could only stand back and smile when she looked at me. I felt somewhat happy, disappointed in my inability yet l could still witness her smile. She died for me. She died so that l can survive, when one of those mermaids grabbed me she jumped on it. She stabbed it again and again yet others came. When l swam up and looked around dived again hoping to save her...never saw her again. I had nothing of her, nothing."
He pulled out something thick from the front pocket of his uniform which was like that of a sailor.
"I pushed everyone away, dying in our path is something to be expected. I thought if I was no more than someone higher than them, no more than a superior. I thought things would be different."
From the thick stick he pulled out a rope. He striked something, letting the rope catch fire. The light hit his face, face of a broken soul.
"I am dying...Just four more days and l can die while being useful. Just a bit more and I can meet them once more...I miss her...I miss her so much that death feels no less than a blessing. There is no one around me to die...they all died. I can be useful for once before reaching the love of my life, how lucky l am..."
Under the yellow light of the lighter blue scales shined, letting out all types of colorful beams. Almost translucent blue scales covered his left cheek, ending right before reaching his eye which was no longer human. Under his eyes were dark bags and his blue hair seemed messy compared to when he last saw him. Slit shaped,light brown iris looked at the boy before him. A weak trembling smile appeared on his face as he spoke once more.
"Let's save this country...we will be well known heroes right?"
Diarmuid took a step forward and hugged him. The lighter fell on the ground before the spoke.
"Yeah but don't speak like that you will be alright. We will return and they will make statues of us. We will be known im all of the hive. We will have medals on us and smiles on people that meet us."
The beach where the sand met the ocean of pus became past, clean and blue, calm yet filled with life. The new ocean met the sand and the world took one more step to salvation, to become the haven of him.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me for anything. I did nothing."
"We have been talking for a long time, you have no obligation to talk to me yet you are here every morning."
"I can't just feel the beating of your heart and your overwhelmed mind and just ignore these. Unlike you I have to talk to know you."
"What can l say l am good at my job."
"Wish you were better at flirting as well. I know l am supposed to be doing things but come on we see each other once a day and just stare at the dark sky. I don't know how to do these things."
"Help me take it off."
Diarmuid looked at her shocked after hearing her stoic voice.
"The armor? Sure I mean you must be tired of being there all day."
After a long struggle for both of them she jumped down from the suit. He didn't realize it before but she was taller than him.
"Before you ask the reason you don't smell anything is because you were laying in a pool of pus for longer than a year."
"What?"
"I am kidding l am kidding l knew you weren't gonna ask that or anything at all. I just wanted to show you something."
She grabbed the arm of the suit before turning her wasn't left and right before bending back with her hands on her back.
"It is hard to get used to. I feel like a hanged coat in there."
She turned back at him with a smile on her face. She seemed joyful which was different from her classical stoic state.
"Do you know how to dance?"
He looked around to see if anyone was here but of course they were alone inside the bunker. After a sight he got on one knee and lifted his hand asking for hers.
"I have no idea but l wouldn't miss this chance."
She gave him his hand before staring at the ground for a few seconds.
"Sorry I was daydreaming. Well let's start with our stance. You must stand straight infront of me. Your right hand will be on my waist and my left hand on shoulder. With your other hand hold my left. Not just hold it but let our fingers intertwine."
Diarmuid followed her commands causing him to feel a different feeling from the string, it felt as if she was proud.
"Let's start simple. Step forward with your left foot, then open your right foot wide to the side. Then take a step back with your right and a step back with your left so that it is at the starting point. Then return your right to the starting point."
"Not normally but this is a nice start. When people dance they slowly spin counter clockwise and you have to lift me up from my waist while rotating every now and then."
"Never knew dancing took so much effort. I always thought it must be pretty easy. You are lighter than l expected too."
"Yes, dancing is no more than two people bonding with each other, letting their eyes meet,letting their fingers intertwine. It is a way to know what kind of person someone is."
"You really are weird. I think I will never understand you even with all the time we had. I am sorry."
"I know. Who said we just have these times? We have a long life after all this. I found you and I will never let you go."
"I doubt I can or will either. You are awkward, stoic and hard to understand yet no one would have done the things you did for me. I just want to ask you something."
"Go ahead but don't ruin the moment."
"You made me meet both of them so that l can realize something right?"
"I gave you happiness you wanted. When we first met you just wanted a life with no responsibilities thinking it will be your happiness yet your slothful nature brought nothing but ruin. Now you get it don't you? Your happiness came from the ones around you. They might be sad so lament for their loss, they might be happy so celebrate with them. In the end you just wanted a place for yourself so that you won't feel worthless."
When she puts it like that everything feels worse. Well she is blunt but honest at least, what more can l ask for.
"The gauntlets make weird sounds when l wear them."
"That means you already became a paladin."
"Isn't it weird? Isn't there factories that have soul using machines? I heard they do on a radio."
"Yes but those use the vein system which is same as fueling them with blood."
"Why not use the same with the gauntlets and the boots?"
"Simple because one is constant yet it can't provide enough power so that these weapons would be worth it."
"I ruined the mood didn't I?"
"Nothing you do can ruin my mood I was just kidding."
"Whatever let's dance like there is no tomorrow!"
"How was it out in the sea?"
"Pretty bad considering we all ate dried up food until we could return which took weeks if not around a month."
"A month! What did you even do in the same ship for a whole month!"
"Nothing much, I used to take files and things like that from our archives and read them but as you can guess no one should read those boring texts without being threatened to."
"Well can't say we have it better here, most people here are drugged to the core, so much so that I doubt they count as humans anymore."
"None of us do. We live here like rats because of those fags. We eat their shit as they sit in their mansion and eat their meat. "
"Things woukd go beyond a porridge if they let us eat those bugs to be honest."
"Have you ever ate a mermaid?"
"No? How do they even taste? Don't they look like humans?"
"To be honest they are pretty similar. They have a skin similar to us but it doesn't wrinkle when they stay underwater. They have gills right where our ribs are and they are actually lretty strong even though they are slim like a fish. Before you ask it doesn't look that possible"
Why is everyone assuming I will ask those things. Do I have horny carved on my forehead?
"What kind of life did you have before all this? You must remember something."
"I actually do. I started to live with my grandma after my parents died. We had good savings so things were fine. I joined the army when she died."
"Wish she was here to cook for us. I am tired of eating porridge, boiled chickpeas in porridge or rice with beans."
"Rice with beans isn't that bad. I actually like that one, better than porridge at least."
"You are right. It is still better than what we were forced to eat on patrols so I shouldn't lampoon our food."
"How are you at the moment?"
He spat on the ground before scolding Diarmuid.
"You know how to ruin my mood don't you? Are you and that weird sun guy trying to kill me like this?"
"What is even your problem with him? He seems like a relatively nice person not that we talked that much, l kinda have no topic to talk about so we just say hi to each other and laugh at each other's jokes."
"He thinks of all this as no more than a stage. Our pain and suffering is just a stage for him to shine on. He is the main character of this play."
Yeah he seemed to be a bit..expressive but it doesn't seem that bad.
"Don't worry you won't have to see him after all this. If he is the self proclaimed main character he would never let others die."
"No the opposite. I doubt he even cares about something, he is always so high, careless, brave. I wish I could be like him."
"Are you jealous? To be honest even I am jealous of people like him. They have what they call determination which we all lack as normal people."
"Maybe they are just delusional that's all. Courage comes from idiocy as well, it is hard to say which is him."
"Are you scared of future?"
"I am scared of everything, future, present and even the past. Every moment is painful knowing the smallest mistake can take everything away from me."
"Don't worry nothing in this world can kill me, as you already saw from our duels I am kind of immortal."
When Diarmuid looked up he could see a small smile on his face covered in translucent scales.
"It feels nice knowing I have one less thing to lose. Don't worry l will tear apart those little pests like letters."
"Don't worry if things get too bad I will pull you back like a fish on the hook. I won't let this world lose it's unluckiest guy."
This feels sad to watch.
I know but you were the one that wanted to learn everything, no turning back from this.
It was the day where all would end. Tanks were lined in the front with the infantry made out of drugged people that made others question if they even knew where they were and how to even hold their rifles. Infront of them stood the reason of all evil, Queen of Malice that covered the entire sky, cutting out nearly all night.
"Excuse me, excuse me I have to be on the front."
Diarmuid could hear the sound of engines coming from the sky. He wished to see the balloons or the things they called zeppelins. He knew they existed yet it was impossible to see them.
"Today the blasphemous beasts that took away the light of the day shall be purged with the fire of our hope and determination!"
"We shall rip that whore apart once and for all! Let's rip it to pieces and return as heroes!"
"The world shall celebrate today as the start of a new era! Humanity shall win and evolve like it always has!"
Diarmuid reached the the front where all three saints were taking turns and giving their speeches. He felt sad for missing the first half of it yet he felt happy to reach her at last.
"Today is the day. Let's end it all once and for all."
"Today is the day light will purge the darkness, love will destroy carnal desires."
"What was that sun part for?"
"You will see. His light will show us the path and we will kill that beast."
Should l hold her hand? She can't feel it even if l do this is just a metal armor after all.
Diarmuid looked around and then reached out for the hand. He was scared for the horrors he was about to face considering she told him before that they will have beasts at the level of saints.
He looked around and saw Caferino wearing a metal helmet that covered his entire face. He let go of the hand before going towards him.
"Are you ready? You remember the plan right?"
"Of course l do! And well do you think everything will be alright? Maybe you should have followed my nails plan instead of his."
Is it bad that l don't want hundred holes all around my body?
"There is no need for that level of directional movement. I can only save one person at a time after all."
"Well don't you dare make a mistake or l will curse you from the other side."
That would definitely be lethal. I might die from some unknown sickness if l get cursed by him.
"Same goes for you. Don't think that she would want you to die. She would want you to live until the end and show those pests who you are."
He took the helmet off, at that single moment he looked like the happiest person in the world. On his disfigured face was a childish smile, innocent smile, a smile that leaves the rest in the shadow, one that is worth more than all there is.
"Let's see the end together and write our name in the history books."
"Hey! Are you gonna ignore us before this important moment?"
Diarmuid turned back and met the brothers of sun. Each of them looked joyful like usual as if they weren't about to fight the great darkness that was gathering power every day like them.
"Sorry I have to talk to them as well see you later."
"See you at the ceremony."
Diarmuid went to the group with a weak smile on his face, with each second spent the pressure on him felt greater.
"Why are you all acting like we won't see each other tomorrow? All of you are knights of the sun! How dare you speak like you will lose against this beast that devoured our light!"
"That's my boy! Even after my talk their voice is filled with despair. What kind of blasphemy this is, it is the prophesied hero of light you have next to you."
Jose appeared out of nowhere before and placed his hand on Diarmuid's shoulder before scolding them.
"Well shine the light already what are you waiting for? Show all of us the might of the one that will bury the light away."
"They are pretty similar don't you think that?"
"Not really, Diarmuid just knows how to talk to someone, unlike you."
"All of you must be courageous like him! He woke up to war and darkness yet he is still standing tall."
"It is time."
Before he could finish his sentence Avodtya reminded him of the operation. A sigh left his lips before he lifted his arm again and went to the tip of the army. He took his sword out of the scabbard on his waist. The sword looked no more than a classical two handed longsword other than the sigils on the blade that symbolized the God of Sun.
"I the Saint of Healing Sun demand your power father! Give us your eternal light and salvation, give us your love and fill our hearts with hope!"
He lifted and slammed the sword down stabbing it into the soil. Right at that moment an unknown light began to cover the entire field. The ethereal light shined upon the dead soil devoid of life and revealed all that is evil. Before them were thousands, no millions of insects standing under the Queen as if they wanted to devour everything in their path if it meant she could be safe.
The Queen was not a beast, a monster or anything that humans could comprehend.
Before them stood a mountain of flesh, flesh of humans, flesh of beasts, flesh of everything.
Diarmuid couldn't keep looking at the being beyond comprehension so he stared at the ground.
The whistle that ordered that charge covered the entire battlefield as everyone started charging forward like mindless beasts. Bullets rained down from the sky alongside the artillery support causing those pests formation to break. Everything seemed fine until it just stopped. With a sudden explosion zeppelins fell down towards them. Screams covered the battlefield and burning figure fell one by one. Diarmuid looked at the ground and kept running knowing that his part was about to come.
"Diarmuid!"
After hearing the voice of Caferino he looked around in shock trying to find him. Before his eyes could even react a figure dashed at him and grabbed his arm.
"I am counting on you love."
Before he could comprehend what the stoic voice said he was thrown into the sky by her. His body spinned around before something hit him. His vision became red as some kind of projectile pierced his body, nearly ripping him apart. The sheer force sent him higher but something was different. His body wasn't spinning but instead he was falling down head first. After letting his late cry of pain he screamed with a fragile voice.
"You did it!"
Blood covered spears of ice landed on the ground as thousands of insects ran towards them. Before anyone of them could even reach the army behind it their bodies were ripped into pieces. Each spear was covered in strings that moved at a rate fast enough to saw through their flesh like it is nothing. Diarmuid landed between the spears causing blood the splatter on the ground.
He could feel a slight movement on the red string of love, it was like that of the feeling of appreciation. The pain of ripped insides dissappeared instantly as he got up.
So this is your will huh honey.
"Infront of you!"
Diarmuid lifted his head as his vision slowly came back. Before him stood a weird insect. It was really thin but it was as tall as Avdotya inside her suit. It's eyes were like that of a mantis, pseudopupil reflected Diarmuid as he lifted his arms.
Why are they so similar to those normal sized insects? Did they evolve from them or something?
It lifted it's blades before slowly moving forward. It's body stayed tall without swaying or any fast movement. It slowly closed the distance before falling down.
Diarmuid dashed forward after watching the beast lose one of it's legs to the strings of his. He could feel the gauntlet charging up ready to slam open the skull of that monster.
"Aaahhh..."
Before he could react the beast launched forward with it's claws digging on the ground. The torso fell on the ground as blood gushed out and covered the monster.
Strings appeared on it's body before forcing it down to the ground. Strings pulled the torn body together before the beast could break free. Diarmuid jumped back in shock as the beast jumped on him the moment he got up, tearing the strings with an eerie silence. Before it could rip Diarmuid into pieces a figure jumped on the beast crushing it and leaving nothing behind but a corpse.
"That was better than I expected now I need that Diarmuid gun!"
"Is this your soul?"
"If it is the pain thing yeah but there is a lot more to it. Now come here we got a lot to purge."
Diarmuid ran at her who's armor looked a lot different. It was covered with different weapons with a machine rifle on her right hand, a weird wrist launcher on her left wrist, a platform on her left shoulder to shoot things she called rockets and a cannon on her right shoulder. Sha grabbed the Diarmuid with her left before stabbing through him with the rifle.
Bursts of bullets pierced him again and again the bullets missed all of the bugs ahead but hitting them was never her purpose. Strings tore the bugs apart as the bursts traveled through the crowd.
"Don't you find it absurd how your will is all about controlling what you love?"
"If you have time for chatter than you can help them too."
After the group cleared up she grabbed the now half naked, half ripped apart Diarmuid and threw him forward. After rolling on the ground for a long time he opened his eyes to see himself on a pile of corpses.
Well at least she can aim right. She seems unusually annoyed today. I should get her a present after all this.
"Made that pile just for you! Come down here we got one of those big ones here."
"Coming!"
Diarmuid rolled down the hill before meeting Caferino again. He had a huge halbert in his hand a lot taller than himself. He wasn't wearing an armor but rather just a sailor uniform.
Before then stood a beast on all fours. It was covered in what seemed like an exoskeleton shaped like plate armor. It had a line of horns that started from it's head to it's back. It seemed to have no weak point visible but it didn't take a genius to see that there must be one under.
"Can your strings cut through this?"
"Even if we already had it covered with blood it woukd be a no. Now it is a definite no! I only have the ones on my abdomen."
While Diarmuid continued explaining it like he wasn't in the middle of a warzone the beast charged forward. Diarmuid turned back as a reflex and pushed himself away but Caferino stood his ground. Just when Diarmuid closed his eyes expecting for him to get crushed under the beast or get impaled or die it just didn't happen. Under the beast appeared a spike made out of ice that impaled the beast and lifted it up.
"Work more than you speak we are in a f*king warzone here."
Diarmuid stopped in his track before looking back. He could only see corpses laying on the ground, soldiers shooting frantically against the incoming wave of insects, each person had their own life yet they were wasted here like they never mattered. Tanks getting sliced without any problem, people screaming in pain both mentally and physically trying to find the courage to move forward. Paladins of sun fighting against multiple of the strong ones at once. Missing limbs, destroyed dreams and hopes. Everything died in this land that died long ago.
"Move!"
Both continued running forward against the thousands of monsters that were charging towards them. They were climbing on each other, ripping each other apart just to be the first ones to reach their end.
Diarmuid charged forward and punched again and again with each punch releasing shockwaves with the help of the charged gauntlets. He had never been forced to fight in a situation like this let alone train for it. He used to spar with Caferino and the Sun brothers yet the sheer amount of enemies was too much for him. It was first just a blade stuck on his body but things ould got worse.
Diarmuid grabbed one of the bugs that looked like a spider and started swinging it arounf like a mace trying to keep them back yet they didn't care about anything and jumped on him mindlessly. As blood splattered on them he used the strings and sawed through them giving himself an opening to scream.
"Help me!"
Nothing came out more than that. He fought as hard as he could swinging his arms, sending shockwaves that tore apart the bugs yet they just kept coming. His eyes darted around trying to see where Caferino is until he saw it. With a sudden burst of ice spears appeared on the ground impaling thousands of them. Caferino dashed towards Diarmuid that was getting eaten alive after being cornered unable to fend them off.
"Use the boots too dumbass!"
He charged in swinging his halbert in wide arcs leaving nothing but corpses behind. It just took a few seconds for him to kill all of them that were near. He moved like a wild beast. For Diarmuid his speed was something he couldn't react to let alone reach.
"We can't fight these any longer we have to reach that Queen and end it all."
"Shut up let me think for a second...go find her. I am sure she has enough firepower to tear it apart. The plan is a failure we can't get closer they have the number advantage tell her this too."
She knew this didn't she? What is even in her mind? She knew things would turn into just a war between the strongest people on both sides yet still insisted upon using all our forces instead of using our range advantage? Why?
"See you later. Don't let them catch you but if they do just call for me."
"Still joking in a time like this you little brat!"
Diarmuid ran away with his eyes darting around trying to find her. He knew she must have been behind yet had no idea about her direct location.
No matter how much he ran around in the battlefield he couldn't find her. Corpses piled up, guns were fired yet she wasn't there. He could feel her with the string yet couldn't find her. Diarmuid wanted to return back only to see a sight he never wanted to, a thought he wanted to avoid.
Explosions lifted dust and covered his sight. An eerie feeling filled his mind before he saw something on the ground, his own melting flesh. He lifted his hands only to see his melting skin. Diarmuid ran forward hoping to save them before the same happened to them too.
Before him were the torn apart, melted corpses of them, his dear brothers. Their eyes were lifeless, cold, nothing was inside them anymore, their gaze had no meaning.
Jose was laying on a huge corpse, one of those weird ones that was different from the other mindless beasts. He was ripped in half, decapitated, smashed helmet laid on the ground revealing his smashed face. Skin slowly melted before his own eyes.
Phosphorous! They can even replicate this?
They will never laugh again.
They will never drink wine again.
They will never eat rice again.
They died for you.
That whore they call the Queen must die!
"Hey get on my back!"
Before his eyes she stood tall. Her hand was open towards him as if asking for his hand.
"Why...why did all this happen? I thought you knew the future I expected everything to go perfectly I thought..."
"This is how things are..."
Diarmuid climbed on her arm and than her shoulders. Before he could ask any questions the back of the suit changed opening two holes. Pure energy gushed out from the holes lifting the suit to the sky.
"We are getting overwhelmed so we will grab him too before flying to the Queen. I shoukd be able to create a hole in that mountain."
"Is this even a part of the future you saw!"
"He wasn't supposed to die...I did everything why did it change...why did the future change!"
Stress, pain, regret, doubt and all to feel rushed through Diarmuid's mind from the string. The sudden change shocked him but more importantly what was going to happen? How can future even change if they followed it? Did someone other than her change something? Did he make a mistake? All his sentences even his actions were planned before hand by her to match that future yet why is it all falling apart?
"You! That fu*king fake messiah did this! He is still trying to fu*k things up even now! I will kill him...I will kill him and leave nothing behind from his corpse."
"Look forward!"
Before them were insects ripping each other apart, climbing on each other's corpses just to reach higher towards them. The pile was getting higher and higher making it a fact that they will be caught before they can reach the Queen.
"Jump down."
Diarmuid felt nothing other than determination and trust from the string. A voice inside his head told him to listen to her after all she must have an ace up her sleeve. He jumped down with his arm open hoping to land without any problems. His soul was already reaching it's limit and if things went like this he knew he was going to die.
He opened his eyes again and before him was a somewhat slender figure. She stood tall ready to face anything that will come at her.
"You could get out of it so fast?"
"The cage comes out making it impossible to use it again. I am tired of relying on visions of distant futures. Get up and let's end this once and for all."
"Of course my dear maiden. I have been waiting for this for a while. Let's dance until the end!"
Diarmuid walked up next to her and looked forward. It felt as if there was no end to their madness. His eyes gazed at his right where she had her hands wrapped around her body before she chanted.
"I am the Saint of love that took the pain of thorns. I vowed to walk on this path decorated by rusty nails of lust. My body can rot, pus can leak from every hole yet my love will always stay pure, untouched. I am the one blessed by strings yet only one is my beloved. I pray to you the one born of cogs, lend me your authority as your saint."
A red halo formed above her head and crimson blood dripped down from it. Her iris turned fully crimson. Reality shattered and her clothes changed to that of a brown elegant dress.
Diarmuid looked up to see that he had the same halo above his head too.r reality shattered as his gauntlets and booths dissappeared and got replaced by an elegant suit worthy of a gentleman. He looked down at his hand only to see a golden ring on his middle finger. He looked right with a slight smile and their eyes met. She opened her hand revealing her golden ring.
Before they could charge all the beasts infront of them were devoured by a wall of fire. Diarmuid was about to look back but something stopped him. Primal, instinctual fear telling him to stop.
If l look l will die. I will surely die!
What is it does your flame burn for?
It burns because it is rightful. It burns because it must. If my flame is extinguished by darkness then who's flame will save them.
Is your flame truly righteous?
My flame only burned those that are filthy, those that never deserved to live. I followed the orders of God as his mere follower.
Do you remember the time you burned down that village?
They were no more than worthless lives that began in filth end ended with blaze. They believed in those filthy insects and prayed to them.
Was all of them sinners?
Sinners or future sinners. They were already too deep on the path. My flame never burned anything that isn't filthy.
You failed to protect them.
I was too careless, I watched as they died because of my inability, my weakness, my mistakes. My flame was tok weak, my orders so weak, my body so weak...
You were prophesied to be the one that will bury the night yet you couldn't even become the only thing you were fated to.
If I was better...if l could see their mistakes, if l could train them harder this wouldn't have happened...why? What did l do to deserve this!
If I told you there is a way to return to the ruined world once more what would you say?
Don't.
You don't want to? But why?
There is nothing left on that world that is worth my gaze, everything died they all died.
Such a poor child you are. Let me take those eyes of yours and give you flames that will burn it all. Ignorance is a bliss.
A voice of determination filled the battlefield. Jose's decapitated body burned it's fire, existing just to purge all that is evil. He bent down and grabbed his own head before putting it in place. His golden blood burned and melted everything it touched. He grabbed his sword and stabbed it to the ground shaking the world itself. The sword melted and a new one made out of pure light took it's place. Cracks leaked light as an halo appeared above his head.
"Every day exists because of night. Good exists because evil does. World is a balance between virtue and sin. Good will die sometimes, evil will die sometimes. This world is filled with sin, even my own sins. I will purge this world leaving nothing but light in my wake. Witness my flame you filthy abominations created from mud and lies! Today you shall witness the end of it all, night shall be devoured by light and the sun shall be born!"
He wasn't human anymore.
"With flame as my blood and iron as my heart I promise on my existence, today is the day darkness of this world will die!"
Nothing after these could be comprehended by humans.
Millions become nothing in a moment, not one of them could even react to the flames. They ceased to exist, no they never even existed in the first place. The flames burned the trenches and what remained of it to the ground leaving nothing. Insects ran away in fear before an animalistic cry echoed in the battlefield. Diarmuid opened his eyes at last and witnessed a disgusting sight. Before Diarmuid even said anything he heard a voice painted over by fear.
"Don't look behind...what is behind is an angel of purge with flames burning all that us filthy in it's blind eyes leaking blood of fire."
A huge reptile with crooked limbs, a head that lacked a mouth, a muscular figure chained to it's back. Translucent blue scales shined under the light as it charged forward in a mindless state. It ripped through hundreds in it's mindless rage. Claws ripped the insects apart one by one as they ran away in fear. A beast was born, beast with no mouth that screamed violently. The animalistic cry was no more than a muffled scream of pain. Before Diarmuid could even say anything they returned. They suddenly attacked the beast from all sides. The disfigured body of the beast was being torn apart by the disgusting pests before something happened.
"Erica!"
All of them were impaled from inside out by spears of ice before shattering and becoming nothing more than a corpse. In the middle of the chaos stood the beast. It's chest slowly ripped open and a small figures upped body appeared before screaming. He looked around 14 with no facial hair and with short blue hair that didn't even reach hia eyebrows. As he screamed in pain the figure chained to the beasts back slowly freed her arm from the chain before hugging him with only one arm.
"This time let's always be together love."
Her arm wrapped around his neck before choking him. His eyes became darted around, nothing came out from that mouth again. Before he closed his eyes he saw Diarmuid.
I am sorry desr friend...I don't think I will see what happens after the war.
Cubes of ice formed and came up from the ground before forming a stair like structure towards the Queen of Malice.
He stopped breathing and the beast died alongside her.
"Let's go!"
She grabbed Diarmuid's hand before jumping from block to block trying not to slide off before her eyes witnessed something.
"They are going to clash!"
She closed his eyes getting on her knees while making him do so as well. She looked at both sides before speaking.
"The sword of that angel is made put of the corpses of the paladins of sun. Some kind of beam covers it that extends towards the sky."
Diarmuid kept his eyes shut believing that everything will pass and they are so close yet after watching with his won eyes how someone close to him died like that fear settled in his heart.
"Queen created six zones where even light is getting sucked inside it it looks like she will make them clash with each other creating enough power to kill the Angel of Sun."
Before diarmuid could ask something it happened. Sword of the Sun clashed with the beam made of the released power of the colapsed zones. A sudden impact threw them off the steps made of ice and then crashed into the Queen. Diarmuid opened his eyes and lifted her up before looking around. They were inside the Queen's body which was now burning and collapsing after being hit by the sword. Walls were made out of flesh and organs. Genitals hanged from the walls and the disgusting smell of amniotic fluid entered his nose causing him to curse under his breath.
He looked behind to see the warzone only to see something no human should have seen. Reality was torn and the place where the attacks of both sides clashed appeared to be a rip. Tears streamed down his face as he uttered a single sentence.
"All Diarmuid's must suffer so that he can live."
Lips trembled and tears slided down his face. The sight before him was one he never wanted to saw yet it was the only salvation.
He turned back and saw Avdotya staring at him with tears in her eyes.
"please don't..."
He took a step towards her before holding her hand and lifting it to his lips.
"My love is selfish Avdotya...I entrust you."
She grabbed her with all his strength before throwing her to the rip. She refused to resist and just screamed with an agonizing voice.
"To myself."
She dissappeared alongside the rip as of she never existed.
"I am sorry... I don't think we will be able to dance anymore."
He was alone. No one he knew was alive anymore yet he felt happy, happy to be able to save the person he loved in the end. With an exaggerated smile on his face he jumped down into the inside of the mountain of corpses.
Corpses on that beautiful beach dissappeared.
His body hit pillars of flesh and blasphemy before falling to the endless abyss. With a splashing sound he slammed to the end of it all. He opened his eyes into the true end.
From the walls of flesh made of insects and humans came out crippled abominations covered in sticky amniotic fluid. The sight caused Diarmuid to gag yet he walked forward to end it once and for all.
Begore him the seed of true evil stood, Queen of Malice. But she was no more than a human. Her lower body was fused with the mountain of flesh itself she had long black hair covering her entire face and a skinny torso. She seemed to be covered in a mixture of blood and pus. Before Diarmuid could get close she lifted her hear and said one word.
A word of blasphemy.
A word that never existed.
A word beyond human comprehension.
His flesh ripped out from his skin as he fell down to the ground. His flesh merged with the mountain as his entire mind and body got corrupted.
He held a wooden brush made of horse hair before dipping it in l types of paints.
Strokes after strokes yet nothing happened.
Each stroke no matter the color resulted in a disgusting black, destroying yet another canvas.
Thousands of strokes, hundreds of canvases yet he couldn't.
No color in this world could draw the girl that didn't exist anymore.
He looked around and saw that only a patch of sand remained from the beautiful beach. The rest was devoured by the disgusting black.
"Guess this is the end."
He stepped up from the stool and walked to the edge of the only patch of beach remaining. He looked at his left hand only to see the severed string. His memories were getting destroyed by the influence of something higher and now he didn't even know how she looked like. Right before he could jump he saw something, maybe a delusion maybe just a bit more.
""
A figure made of darkness appeared and held out her hand and said words that didn't exist anymore. With tears in his eyes he took the hand and they danced, they danced until the end of all. They danced until darkness devoured them both.
"I love you."
Red strings appeared and forced the corrupted flesh into a human like form. The flesh squeezed and warped as the strings forced it into the shape of a human. It lacked arms and eyes yet it moved forward against the one that destroyed it all.
Queen lifted her head again and screamed words of blasphemy yet nothing happened. It's body grew grotesque yet the strings forced it into it's human like shape one more.
It left bloody footprints behind, bloody footprints of love.
Queen looked up towards the beast, no the Saint of Selfish Love.
Strings melted and warped the reality creating the arm of the girl that danced with him until the end of all.
It lifted her arm and slammed down her fist again and again.