Matriarch Despair introduce herself to us while themselves kneeling in front of her, the speech laced with creative but cruel insults. "I'm not your typical generic Goddess or so whatever babysitting sky mommy. Anyways, don't better ask if I didn't know everything about your personal lives or some useless preferences because here, your names and memories are just noise. Void doesn't care about your dignities, nothing different from porking your own dignities for an ounce of chipped silver. By the way, pleasantries is too boring isn't?. There's a sword rack at side of altar, pick it up or else?"
Nikolai and the 4 newcomers included Takeshi pick the glassy steeled longsword and quickly form in line and Matriarch Despair announce the mechanics. "This is free-for-all combat, you are going to kill each other, as I said. There's no room for unnecessary negotiations or refusal, don't worry my children. Death is non-existent here, your injuries even fatal can be regenerate instantly. Now start, work your asses off".
The female newcomer named Maibelle Rutherford sloppily swing her sword against Nikolai, he lunge the sword straight in her neck with practical efficiency and minimal movements. Takeshi attempt to sneak attack but Nikolai's guard stance had blocked his surprise attack, the longsword pommel bashed into Takeshi's head has cleanly decapitated him by following horizontal slash. Extreme sharpness of sword cut Nikolai's finger but regenerated rapidly. Another newcomers named Akihisa Mei and Liang Feng double team to overwhelm Nikolai and block it's potential opening stance.
Nikolai throw his longsword to Feng like javelin and impaled his upper chest. He quickly pick up the discarded sword as Mei desperately charging at him, Nikolai postures in side guard stance had thrusts her into lower chest part. Maibelle awakes from unconsciousness after her neck finish regenerating, she smiled creepily at Nikolai indicate symptomatic progression of psychosis. As she reaching for the sword, Nikolai vertically splits her head in half. Ruptures fresh blood like fountain and pinkish brain matter spilling in sacred floor of cathedral. Smell of crimson iron is too overwhelming even the dead will complain and rolling now in their own respective graves.
Reverend Agony appear at the side of confessional, he applauds on impressive performance of Nikolai's act and other newcomers. Doesn't mean, it implying praise but perfect marketability of new toys for grand scheme of things. Magistrate is very glad regarding new products, completely entertain the Estates in raw yet fresh concept of storyline.
"Since you are done, why don't two of us waltz each other with our own blades. You contemptuous rat?" Matriach Despair's chilling retort make Nikolai convulse in fear. She is beyond mortality, it is impossible to fight her with just mortal weapon even the sword made of baryonic matter that beyond human's capability to produce artificial one. Matriarch Despair pulls out translucent stiletto that reflects the microscopic world, Nikolai quickly postured in guard stance to block incoming attack and she blitz toward at attoseconds reaction frame in non-local instantaneity. Matriarch Despair cleanly decapitate him without a single spill of blood and the headless body collapse in floor.
Nikolai choked in terror, holding the neck while gasping for breath. Prescience occur in his neurological map does show millions of simulated probabilities lead on it's own endless and despairing death in different fashion of artistic gruesomeness. Crimson Reverends encouraging rebellion unless you're brave enough to take millions, billions, either trillions of deaths without breaking sanity just to defeat them. Really? Yes, possible unless you have loose screws in head, imagination is rent free but stupidity is getting tax here. Why should rebel against a system if the system also rebelled against you for masturbating own frivolous trivialism in indifferent existence.
Maibelle's sanity further shatters in despair. The curse of biological immortality had repeatedly killing herself while manically laugh in pleasure of agony. The cheap yet very realistic slasher scene when Maibelle cutting her own stomach open, yanking the bloody intestines out and then she tied it around her neck like goddamn decoration that horrified Feng and Mei. Broke down in tears and pleading for mercy to someone save them from deliverance of insurance does pretty common in religious drama.
So pathetically oversaturated, bland and obviously predictable response from people who doesn't believe in existence of Hell. Takeshi only stare blankly at Haemanthus field signifies his newfound obsession, a man once cling in garden of earthly delights of lust, power and ambition. Now, he become ascetic of absolute obedience and docility has mean to serve, love and devote the very system torments him like beaten dog, whining around in the cesspit of delusions.
Reverend Agony watching the awkward personal moments with indifference and for him, it is boring recollection from Cathedral of Cosmos. Suffering is the motif of duplicity and only matters if you have story to tell but still doesn't matter because the so-called fate is nothing different from wind-up toy. Everything is pre-determined just only to do is perform the very basis of life and complain if you want because in fact, not everyone care about the noise produced by insignificance. Polluting clarity amidst vagueness of common sense.
"All of you may rest, my children. The next trial begin sooner. Also don't forget to form friendship and cherish affection admist adversity. Comfort each other then forget the animosity, you may pretend this never happened before. Love your enemy and embrace what are you from within". Reverend Agony's ominous sermon and his serene demeanor is not something should not be taken lightly. In this alien world, every words weigh law and contain consequences.
Matriarch Despair dismiss us to clean themselves from aftermath of monotonous carnage. Thick stain of blood crusting on robes, smell still lingering around as the floor paints red like messy canvas. Nikolai and others descent into church grotto. They walk 40 paces toward shallow lagoon and take bath together without looking or talking each other. Mei help Maibelle to wash her body while Takeshi and Feng stares blankly at life size statue of Matriarch Despair then shamelessly prostrating in ground though naked and praying in something gibberish with pietistic fervor.
Welcome to afterlife re-education camp. Nikolai nothing to help but sneers and remind something from famous classic dystopian literature like George Orwell's 1984, the scathing irony of oppressed worshipping oppressor, licking someone's feet over scraps. Both Big Sister and Brother so very pleased in their own gullible infantilism, pity on those guys. Maibelle shriek in terror when the moment she accidentally take glance on Nikolai. Mei immediately embraces Maibelle to calm her down also Mei avert her eyes in fear indicate the hostility still lingers.
And then, she profanely shriek in rage and cried violent threats. "Fuck off, you freak psychopath. Don't ever dare to touch or look upon us even with. I will gouge your fucking filthy eyes out and shove it your mouth!". Nikolai and two other men still remain nonchalant. Her cry, anger and complaints are nothing but background noise for irrelevance. Seriously, she has nerve to bitch around and still thinking this is some random sequence of fever dream. After taking bath, they change the tattered clothes for new one in opulent wardrobe. Nikolai quite fascinated in architecture design of cathedral, it's extremity of asymmetric-symmetric topology trick the perception into thinking the place is moving around like centrifuge.
Reverend Agony is playing harpsichord at left side of altar, accompanying Matriarch Despair as violinist. They sat themselves in pew to listen in musical performance of Crimson Reverends and not afford to risk be subjected by wrath of these two powerful entities. Matriarch Despair start performing, Nikolai pause for a moment when he recognize the musical piece, it is Giuseppe Tartini's Il Trillo del Diavolo (Devil's Trill) because Major General Kovalchuk once invited him to watch classical performances in National Philharmonic Orchestra during Major Kovalchuk's birthday.
The graceful Larghetto sways the stars, gracefully dancing amidst melancholy of void. Soothing the very soul of despair, storming the mortal's heart beneath darkness. Matriarch Despair's descent to Allegro moderato, the ominous atmosphere inside of cathedral hall including outside turns everything in crimson hellscape. Haemanthus field revealed it's hellish nature, the valley of flesh and vegetation of innards. Projects unimaginable atrocities spanning boundlessly where screams and plead of the damned echoes eternal torment. The screeching devilish sound of Adante make Nikolai's instinct screams and he order around immediately to get the sword to prepare for worst scenario. Five direwolves huge as tiger broke into cathedral, their eyes is brimming with unfathomable bloodlust and hunger for flesh.
"Remember, follow the beats of my feet and attack synchronously. Don't ever dare swing sloppily or attempt to attack independently also maintain your defensive postures. Now move and form in circle". Nikolai and his four comrade-in-arms move the pews in square form as barricade and kept themselves in tight formation. Nikolai tap his feet loudly in common time (4/4) and first direwolf pounce towards them, the direwolf crashed miserably at pew, get killed through coordinated attacks by stabbing the critical parts like neck and severing the legs. Nikolai deliver the finishing blow by beheading it, to ensure the monster can't take advantage anymore in chaotic situation.
Matriarch Despair reaching the conclusion of performance, Allegro assai the final movement. Arpeggio and trills shrilling with inhuman virtuosity. Fiery sound of cadenza exhorting the very deepest evil of Hell intensifying bloodlust of direwolves and rumblings of the damned. The remaining four direwolves surrounded the group. Nikolai urgently decide to adapt in 2-1-2 formation and let himself to deal with two direwolves. Maibelle act as bait and charge recklessly met by second direwolf's paw swipe causing her neck graze gruesomely. As direwolf about to eat her, Maibelle's fatal injury regenerated rapidly. Mei surprise attack as direwolf caught off guard by bait and crippling the direwolf through cutting one of the leg. Maibelle repeatedly thrusting it's neck followed by Mei's sneak attack, she lunged at the forehead of beast effectively slain the direwolf.
Feng taunt one of the third direwolf to isolate the numerical advantage against Nikolai. Direwolf chase Feng and run toward marble column where Takeshi hiding. He postures in middle guard stance, tightened the grip and preparing for surprise attack. As Feng successfully lured the direwolf in designated death trap, Takeshi ambush the direwolf and thrust it's neck. Feng feints in 60 degree angle in left side to evade the paw swipe and postured in high guard stance to deliver vertical slash severing the carotid artery, blood sprays the floor. Direwolf whimpers and convulsing until it died.
Fourth direwolf pounce to Nikolai, he posture in low guard stance then he move the whole body and right foot in 45 degree angle to feint and evaded the paw swipe. Direwolf caught off guard, blade severed one of the foreleg. Nikolai chop off it's head without hesitation just like clinically detached surgeon. The fifth direwolf is the pack leader which more larger than previous four. The agility is bit little slower but physical strength is quite strong as adult Siberian tiger. Nikolai and his four comrade-in-arms finally reach the conclusion of trial. Takeshi and Feng position in marble column, hiding nearby Nikolai to assist him.
Since the sword is made of baryonic matter that lighter than aluminum. It's durability still remain unknown and the sharpness enough to cut through tungsten or any object with thickness around 20-60 inches of diameter. Nikolai not hesitate to throw sword away like javelin, struck direwolf's forehead within 1 meter distance. The giant direwolf convulses and howling in pain. Takeshi and Feng deliver the final blow, cutting off the legs then thrust it's neck followed by vertical slash to sever carotid artery. It sprays plentiful blood like fountain was visually more pleasing than the previous one.
Matriarch Despair applauds on their performance with little bit boredom in her expression maybe not out of impression but research subjects is bearing fruit. They quickly form in line and kneel in front of her as rite of reverence and she about to deliver her announcement. "Congratulations, my children. All of you survive the second trial and Estates are very satisfied for your service. Remember one thing, our excellency Indomitable Magistrate and Emperor of Origin will come to observe the final trial. Voila! Your fantasy adventure starts sooner in Simulacrum and let the taste of the eternal cycle of bottomless despair. Hahaha!"
Nikolai and others cried down in horror. They convulse in sheer terror when hear the name of Indomitable Magistrate and Emperor of Origin. The unfathomable being far more greater and boundlessly grand than Crimson Reverends. Mei and Maibelle hugging each other highlights both physical and emotional vulnerability, crying not for hope of salvation. Realizing the reality is no longer theirs, probability dies down in oblivion of decoherence. Noise swinging around in endless unpredictability and watching wave function collapse at the moment when new reality emerges that exceed callousness of devil than the Hell of a man.