()= thinking/ Replacing
*= actions
/= whispers
""= Phone
--= Narrator
~~= Timeskip
Darren POV:
I arrived outside the castle with my cursed daggers already summoned along with Lucas and his scythe as well as Yuko with his blade.
Darren: Final chance to back out.
Yuko: Nah.
Velzard: Nope. I need to see what happened here.
Kurumi: As long as you don't back out, then I won't back out.
Lucas: This castle belonged to Gabu from the start. No way would I back out from having this castle.
Darren: Are we prepared?
Everyone: Of course.
Darren: Lucas, just a warning. There will be three trials. First one is combat, second one is mentality and third one is facing your biggest fear.
Lucas: That's what Kiriya told you right?
Darren: yep, now we should go.
Lucas: the first one is mine. Don't steal my opponent.
Lucas POV:
I walked through the door with Darren and Yuko smirking behind me as we walked inside the room with a man sitting there watching TV.
???: So you are my opponent?
A man wearing a marine coat that said justice appeared.
Lucas: I am Lucas Yuto, the Ice Monarch's vessel.
???: You have returned. My king. I am Aokiji. But no matter what, being the Third General of the ice ranks. I will have to defeat you, my lord.
He dashed towards me fully making use of his ice specialty to create spears and send them towards me. I summoned my scythe and deflected them.
Lucas: I know how fast you are now.
Aokiji: Thank you for the praise. But, I see that you have degraded to be able to not keep up with my speed as the third commander.
Lucas: You're the second strongest third generals in this world am I correct?
Aokiji: You are correct. But now I shall defeat you-
Aokiji suddenly had a sword stabbed through his stomach as he slowly faded into ice particles.
Aokiji: Run... My King.
Lucas: *puts hand out* Reverse.
I absorbed him into my shadow and I sensed many generals like Aokiji who had their life energy stolen in which I also absorbed. The soldier slowly revealed himself.
Darren: Who are you?
???: I am Jean. The commander of the Iron Body.
Rose: YOU WERE MY COMMANDER!
Jean: Ah, yes. How that foolish Monarch should've followed the path of the light monarch. It is sad that he did not follow and was killed in the end.
Rose: He was killed because you were teaming up on him.
Darren: Calm down, Rose. So you were the commander that I was ordered to fight huh?
Jean: Can you even defeat me?
Darren: By myself? By all means no.
Jean: Then?
Darren: But by us three. We can.
Darren dashed towards her with his cursed daggers in hand in which she blocked with her sword and kicked him into a wall while dashing towards me and slicing off one of my arms with such speed.
Lucas: AHHHH!
Jean: See, if you don't get serious soon. You'll die.
Darren: Lucas.
Lucas: yeah?
Darren: Go to the next door and complete the next two trials.
Lucas: Huh?
Darren: YUKO AND I WILL HOLD HER OFF! GO!
I dashed towards the door in which Jean almost caught up to me before I could heal my left arm. But a familiar sword protected me from the blow.
Darren: RUN!
Lucas: YES!
I entered the gate and with it, I was summoned into a dark room.
Lucas: This is where Darren had to be trained of his mental health huh?
Suddenly, a clone Darren appeared in front of me and walked towards me while striking me on the face.
Lucas: Should've seen that coming.
(For Clone Darren I will just call him CD)
CD: Weak, you're too weak to be called on the same level as Yuko and I, but why didn't you save me back then?
Lucas: I'm sorry-
CD: YOU THINK WHAT SORRY CAN SAVE WHAT YOU DID TO ME?!
He took off his shirt which revealed his body that was covered in scars which was given by his parents, brother and bullies that were at school.
CD: HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK I SUFFERED WHILE WAITING FOR YOU ALL TO SAVE ME?!
Lucas: I'm sorry but-
CD: BUT WHAT?!
Clone Yuko: You failed as his friend. How can you call yourself his best friend if you would abandon him when he needs it the most.
Lucas: Please I'm sorry.
Clone Rose: I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I EVER FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU!
Lucas: Rose?
Cone Rose: I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE TYPE OF PERSON TO IGNORE PEOPLE WHEN THEY NEED IT THE MOST!
She slapped me all the while walking behind the two who just started kicking and punching me.
Lucas: Those hits hurt. But Darren. That was nothing compared to how much suffering you had to endure.
Lucas: You're my best friend. I'm sorry for not noticing your pain.
The clone flinched for while before returning to his usual poker face.
Clone Darren: You're dead to me.
Lucas: I know you don't mean that.
Suddenly, the scene changed and I was forced to watch how much Darren suffered for the past few years. All of the suffering, the doubts, the pain and how much despair and insanity has he already been through.
Lucas: Darren, what happened to you?
The screen suddenly showed Darren sitting in his room with blood all over the floor.
Darren: If I died, who would come to my funeral?
Lucas: I would come to your funeral.
I yelled at the screen, despite this being fruitless.
Darren: Yeah, Lucas? No. He's probably fake like everyone else. He would just leave eventually and leave me with no one to rely on.
Lucas: (That's not true.)
Scene changed when he was out one night and was chased by a robber and he mercilessly killed him while smiling like an insane person.
Lucas: (Darren, I know what happened to you. I won't leave you as your best friend. Yuko won't either. None of us will. We've given up on you too many times.)
I was suddenly changed into a different room. Which means that the third trial has to start now. Darren, passed the trial as he never lost his cool. But what his fear was, was enough to make someone go insane. I just wish that mine would be the same. Suddenly, hundreds and hundreds of cockroaches and snakes started to climb up my body while leaving me immobilised and unable to speak.
Lucas: (SHIT!)
They started crawling up my legs until my body was fully paralysed and I started to breathe while keeping my cool.
Lucas: (Good shit that no cockroaches was able to get in my mouth.)
They suddenly stopped crawling and I was spat out of the room with a few bruised muscles. I had passed the trials...