I was finally able to move and I collapsed onto the floor. I slowly got up and walked up to where all of their bodies laid on the floor, lifeless. I shot my hook into Epiales' shoulder. I pulled him to me and smacked his sword away. My body started to hurt but I didn't care. I grabbed him by the neck and started choking him.
"Die." I snapped his neck and put a hole in his chest with my bare hand.
I took my hand out and dropped his body. I drew my sword and cut off his head. Everything suddenly went black. I turned around and a total of four dark figures appeared.
"I can save them." I thought as I took a step forward.
When I opened my eyes, I couldn't move my body and I could hear the sound of chains rattling.
"No!" I tried to move.
"Oliver!" Nolan yelled.
Oliver laid on the floor with a sword in his head.
"No." Epiales pulled his sword out and turned to Julie.
"Run." I tried to yell but nothing came out. I felt something covering my mouth.
Epiales knocked Julie's weapon out of her hands, then cut off her head.
"Get out of there!" I tried to scream but to no avail.
I continued to try and move but I couldn't move my fingers at all. Epiales lunged towards to Sophia and Nolan. Nolan was cut in half and Epiales put his sword through Sophia's head. Skylark charged in but Epiales cut his head off and my ring shattered. I collapsed onto the ground and I got up slowly. I walked up to everyone.
"Why?" I mumbled.
"I could've saved them. Why was I still unable to move?" I turned to face Epiales and shot my hook towards him.
"Huh?" He dodged it.
"Not this time." Epiales lunged at me.
I drew my sword and knocked his weapon out of his hand, then cut off his head. Everything went black. I turned around and now a total of five figures appeared. I took a step forward and I appeared in the same place as before. I still wasn't able to move.
"Snap." A voice said in my head.
"Snap. Finger. Reveal. Binds." The voice sounded like a woman's.
I couldn't move my head and I was forced to watch everyone get killed again. I collapsed on the floor and I snapped my finger. My chains appeared but nothing was out of the ordinary. I snapped my fingers and my chains became invisible. I performed the same actions as before. Epiales lunged towards me. He was faster. I tried to knock his weapon away again but he moved to the side and got behind me. He raised his sword to the air.
I turned around and blocked his sword with my own.
"You really do have fast reflexes. Maybe I should use a little bit more strength." He started to push me back.
My feet started going into the ground.
"How long will you last until I break you?" I pushed him back and got out of our blade lock.
Epiales stumbled back and smiled.
"Let's have some fun." I stabbed his chest then cut him in half. Everything went black.
I turned around and took a step forward.
"Snap. Fingers. Reveal. Binds." The voice said in my head.
I was forced to watch everyone die again, while trying to snap my fingers. My body started to hurt more and more.
"I must control it." I thought as I tried to calm myself down.
I performed the same actions until we were in our blade lock again. I pushed him back and he ducked. He punched me in the gut then kicked me in the face.
"Hmm?" He walked up to me slowly while I got up.
"May I ask you a question?" I picked up my sword.
"You already did so shut up!" I changed into a defensive stance.
"Do you remember...the last time I killed them? I do. It was wonderful." He kicked Nolan's body to the side.
I held my swords grip tighter.
"So you do." He started to laugh hysterically.
I charged at him. The top half of his body went limp and he was still laughing. I stopped running and jumped back.
"Perfect! Then I'll put on a show for you, where you watch these mortals die over and over." He stood up straight.
"But I do want to do something with you before the show." I didn't move.
"So that's how it's going to be. Then I'll be the one to strike first." Epiales lunged towards me, I moved to the side and knocked him off his feet.
I raised my sword into the air.
"Stop!" He yelled in Mari's voice.
I stopped my sword. He smiled and kicked my sword out of my hand.
"You're very strange. You won't kill a friend but you don't get mad or cry when they die." I drew my great sword and blocked his sword.
"Shut up!" I pushed him back and cut his arm off.
"Oh I see, I can't believe I forgot you told me that." He picked up his arm.
"You have to keep your anger under control or you'll lose yourself and will hurt Aegis and Asurmaru." He reattached his arm.
"I never told you that." We entered another blade lock.
"Well not me, Epiales, but you told Mari. I share the memories of Oizys and Mari. So what they know, I know. For example, you can't use two specific Arts because of an unknown limit placed upon you." He smiled deviously.
"And of course, I know what that limit is and why you have it." I encased my sword in fire.
"You don't know anything." I pushed him back and we exchanged blows but he kept on getting stronger.
"Keeping your god entertained even in your current state? Impressive, but if this is all you have to offer, I am afraid you won't last long." He pushed me back.
"You are not my god." I scattered coins all around him and took my longsword out of the ground and threw it into the air.
I increased the size of the flames surrounding my sword. I opened the dark corridor and ran through them. He blocked all my attacks. My longsword fell onto the ground behind Epiales and I slipped into the shadows. I appeared behind him and tried to attack him but failed.
"Nice try." I punched him in the face, then grabbed him by the neck.
He cut off my hand, in return I managed to cut off a finger.
"I'm done with this." I sighed and the terrain around me collapsed and created a giant ravine.
I thrusted my sword into the ground. I took out my knife and held it with my mouth. I drew my sword out of the ground and pointed it towards the sky. The sky became cloudy and a bolt of lightning striked my sword. I contained the lightning into my sword and surrounded it with fire. The flames grew stronger and bigger, until it took shape into a dragon. I pointed my sword at Epiales and the dragon attack, enveloping him with its flame.
I held up my sword to my face and leaned forward, I started falling towards the bottom of the ravine. I used wind to propel me towards Epiales and made a slide out of ice to guide me while increasing my body's capabilities using an Art. I raised my sword above my head and spat my knife out. It started to bounce off the walls. The flames around Epiales disappeared. I started spinning faster and faster. Our blades clashed.
"If you're going to try and buy time for me to revert back to Oizys and Mari, sorry, but the ritual was perfect. Unlike the time with Audrey." He smiled.
"Tch." I drilled a hole into his blade but before I reached his face, I lost momentum.
"What happened to that strength from before? This is nothing compared to that." I smiled.
"You were right. I am strange. I not mad about you killing everyone, or sad, I am extremely pissed off." I growled.
Epiales caught the knife.
"Well if you're not going to take this seriously then I'll just start the show then." He stabbed himself in the head. Everything went dark and I turned around.
"What do I do?" I asked myself.
"Endure." A voice said in my head.
"Endure. Pain. Endure. Torture. Endure. Rage. Endure. Sorrow" It repeated.
"You must endure until she comes. Return." The voice said.
"Endure? Endure that? Wait for who?" I asked.
I looked around.
What else will I be able to do? I sighed.
"Create. Way." I looked at my hands.
But how long will I have to endure and how long will I even be able to last, I went over my options again but the light started to get brighter without me even taking a step forward.
I was back in my unmovable state. Epiales looked in my direction and smiled. He killed everyone in a different way than before. Epiales walked up to me and lifted up my chin.
"I will break you." He stabbed himself and everything went black.
5.
I struggled to move as he continued to kill everyone again and again and he was enjoying it.
20.
I still continued to try and move. He came up to me with an annoyed face. He came up to me and brought me everyone's head to me then held it up in my face. He cut the heads in half, burned them.
500.
Epiales walked up to me with an annoyed face.
"Your quite impressive for lasting this long." He punched me in the face, then killed himself.
100,000.
Epiales eventually got bored of killing them with his sword and killed them with his bare hand.
250,000.
He drowned them with boulders tied to their legs.
500,000.
Epiales stomped towards me.
"Why won't you break?" He yelled as he stabbed my arm.
He drew my sword them cut off my legs and arm, then killed himself.
1,000,000.
He set them all on fire in front of me and their screams echoed in my head.
50,000,000.
Epiales walked up to me after ripping everyone to pieces.
"So how are you liking your gift from the gods?" He smiled and snapped his fingers.
My chains became visible.
"They are the ones that are keeping you in place to watch this magnificent show." Chains were wrapped around my right arm.
They spread over my body and covered most of my face. I tried to move but more chains appeared from my right arm and wrapped around me. Epiales stabbed my arms and the chains parted for him. He continued to cut me before killing himself.
100,000,000.
Epiales buried everyone alive and threw their dead bodies in front of me then set them on fire.
1,000,000,000.
He started to perform and found new ways of tourtue on everyone.
250,000,000,000.
He then started to bring innocent people in and killed them in exact same way as the others.
500,000,000,000.
He started getting even more creative in way to kill everyone while yelling, "He will break!" over and over.
1 quadrillion.
I slowly opened my eyes and Epiales was killing everyone again.
"Stop." I said softly.
"Please." I said louder.
"No more. Please stop. No more." I said louder.
Epiales ran towards me with a smile on his face.
"Please stop no more. I can't." I repeated, crying.
He started to laugh psychotically and started stabbing, biting, scratching, punching me over and over. He then did the same to himself.
Everything around me turned black and a light shined behind me. I collapsed onto the ground. I began to cry.
"No more. I can't do it anymore. No more, please." I begged over and over.
I stayed on the floor motionless. The voices from behind grew louder and louder. I was drawn in by their words. My body lifting slowly lifting itself up. It moved towards the voices reaching out towards them.
"After a few go's your already going to give up?" I stopped then looked to my left and there was a girl with silver hair and sea green eyes.
"Ezekiel and Ansel were right about us we do look a bit alike." She said as she reached out her hand.
"Who are you?" I said weakly.
"Didn't Ezekiel or Ansel even mention me? I'm Audrey." She started rubbing her hand over my face.
"Wow your skin is so smooth and soft." I gave a weak smile.
"I guess I couldn't compare to you. You fought Epiales too right? You probably lasted much longer than I did?" I said, weakly.
"Your nightmare was watching your friends die in front of you as well right?" Audrey asked and I nodded.
"I don't remember why I even endure that for millions of years...actually...I don't even know how long it has been. I... I don't even...I don't even know how many times I have seen them die, but I can't do it. I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry but I can't. I'm not strong enough to. Please leave me alone," I said quietly as I fell to my knees, crying.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think you were waiting that long. I'm sorry."
I suddenly felt something wrap itself around me. Next a soft voice began to sing. The song was gentle and comforting. It felt somewhat familiar as well, almost as if I knew it by heart. Once the song ended Audrey began to speak.
"Each time a new cycle occurs there is a chance to save them. A new cycle begins when his target, you, truly experiences his nightmares, then he kills himself. Though small, there is a small possibility to get out of this loop. I guarantee this," She whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
I took a shaky breath, wiped my tears, and hugged Audrey back.
"If you didn't come when you did I would've gone towards the voices and who know what might have happened to me," I pulled back and looked away, "If you don't mind could you sing that song again, and could I join you?"
She nodded and we began singing. Once the song finished I had composed myself. I looked back at Audrey and we both smiled at each other.
"I was told to endure to wait for someone. Is that person you," I questioned.
"Ah, yes. I almost forgot. I had to bring you back," She answered.
"You did a good job," I chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm glad that singing helped you. It always worked for me. My mother would always sing to me to calm me down," she explained
"Huh, my mother did the same for me as well. You got a good voice as well," I complimented.
"Thank you, you do as well," she took out a key and handed it to me, "Here you go. I'm supposed to give you this."
"So what's this key for?" I asked.
"I don't know much. I was only told to give this to you and tell you this will be the small chance I was telling you about. Though when you go back you cannot fail. If you fail this key will disappear forever," she answered.
"I'll take any chance I can. Oh. I met with Ansel a while back and he said you might have more information about Epiales. Can you tell me?"
She nodded and started to tell me everything.
"And that's pretty much it." I got up and smiled.
"I guess it's time to go." I looked back at Audrey.
"You better finish the job." She said.
"That won't be a problem. You've given me a chance, I won't waste it. I can't thank you enough," I smiled.
Audrey poked me in the chest.
"Oh and thanks for taking care of my pendant for me." Audrey started to glow and she went into my chest.
Something was glowing in my clothes. I took out her pendant which was glowing.
"Hmph. Very well." I turned around and took a step forward.
"Now then time for the real show to begin."