151: Scrambled senses in Nightworth

Scrambled senses in Nightworth

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Brixton raised his golden staff, and as he brought it down to strike the ground, a cloud of dust swirled upon impact. He said, "Don't think just because you took down one person, it will be easy to defeat the three of us."

"Why don't you quit chatting and attack?" Dante successfully provoked the man as he raised his hand while yelling at him. 

"AHH!!" Brixton thrust his heavy staff forward, its weight surpassing that of ordinary earthlings. The staff surged at the speed of wind, and Dante realised that extracting the remaining crystals from these haughty Elders wouldn't be as simple as it had been until now. 

Dante jumped away from where he stood just as one end of the staff struck the ground, causing a tremor as the earth rumbled beneath. 

Brixton smiled as he observed Dante skillfully dodge every one of his attacks, unable to land any retaliatory blows as he continued to defend himself. He said, "I have always wanted to spar with you."

"If you had mentioned it before, I would have buried you sooner," Dante responded, not losing the unwavering calmness in his gaze. 

"By killing four of the Elder ministers, you are the one who is walking to his grave," Brixton retorted, and when he brought his staff down to land a blow on Dante, the latter caught hold of it with his hands. "You are already in a trap and will not be able to leave Nightworth."

"I don't plan to leave until I am done with all of you." Dante's eyes turned fierce. He and Brixton reached a deadlock as they tugged at the staff, each trying to pull it to their side. 

Exerting his full strength, Dante was about to yank the staff when Brixton smiled, and he rotated the staff as if it were a key. Not a second later, the minister jumped backwards from his previous stance, sword in hand, leaving only the sword's sheath in the archdemon's grip. 

Brixton used the sharp end of the sword to launch a relentless assault, while Dante used the sheath to deflect the attacks. When the opportunity presented itself, Dante was able to land an attack on Brixton by using the sheath to strike the minister's head, causing him to roll and collapse onto the ground. However, out of nowhere, another sword came to strike from behind, only for Dante to catch hold of the blade. 

Dante turned around, his hand bleeding from the deep gash on his palm, and confronted the second most important Elder minister. 

"Mornach," Dante greeted as he bent the blade, to which the second Elder minister offered him a slight nod. 

"Good evening, Dante," Mornach responded, staring back at Dante. With a hint of regret, he stated, "That was my favourite sword."

"Never thought you to be someone who attacks from behind," Dante replied, before wrenching the sword free and sending it flying far away from them. Behind them, Brixton coughed up blood into his hand, his gaze fixed on Dante with an intense glare. 

"I will fucking kill you! Ack!" Brixton coughed up more blood, unaware of when Dante had struck him aside from his head. 

A smirk crept onto Dante's lips as he raised his hand, holding a purple stone between his fingers. He remarked, "Did you honestly believe I was merely dodging, or was I weaving a web just for you?" He glanced back at Mornach and snapped his fingers. Just as Brixton had stood up, seemingly to retrieve the crystal granting him protection, he abruptly exploded into a mass of blood. "So disappointing after all that talk." 

"Brixton has always liked to bark," Mornach responded, and he drew two additional swords. "Looks like it is just us two." 

Dante's crimson eyes scanned the minister before him, and he noted out loud, "You don't have your crystal on you."

Mornach smiled and said, "I am not like the rest of them to carry the stone with me," and their expressions turned serious. 

The next moment, Dante and the man engaged in a fierce duel. The former wielded the same sheath that belonged to Brixton. As Mornach lifted his leg and landed a kick on him, Dante blocked it and countered it with a hand strike, only for the man to evade the blow. Mornach said, 

"You know, I admired you because you had always preserved yourself and not let anything bother you. So, why go to such lengths for a woman now?" 

At the mention of Anastasia, Dante's focus wavered for a split second, providing Mornach with an opening. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the minister drove his sword directly into Dante's chest, perilously close to his beating heart. Mornach stated, "Women hold no credible value, and sacrificing your life for her is foolish."

Dante felt his muscles tear as the sword's blade pressed deeper into his flesh. However, before Mornach could do or say anything else, Dante surprised him by drawing the sword even further into himself, which compelled the minister to step closer to him.

Mornach attempted to pull his sword, but Dante didn't let go of the blade, a smile forming on his lips as he uttered, 

"Apparently, both you and I were wrong until now." Pulling his head back, Dante then smashed his forehead against the minister's with unexpected force. Wrenching the sword free, he added, "I don't have time for small talk today, and if not a snap, there are other measures."

The minister was still trying to regain his balance, ready to launch another attack, when Dante struck him with the sheath. He grabbed the minister's hands and twisted them behind his back, causing the man to scream in agony as his arms were forcibly torn from his shoulders. 

Blood sprayed from the minister's shoulders, and Dante placed his hands on the man's head before violently tearing it from his body. He didn't know where this one's crystal was, which only meant there was a possibility he could be brought back to life. He kicked the sword sheath to grab it and then tossed the severed head into the air, delivering a forceful kick that sent it flying into the distance, fading into oblivion. 

"Now, where are Anastasia and Magnus?" Dante questioned the cowering men. 

And while Dante stood on the outskirts of Nightworth, Anastasia found herself at the heart of the town. The remaining guards who entered the room where she was held captive were swiftly ensnared and consumed by the voracious plants, leaving no sign of the guards' existence.

Raising her hands, Anastasia compelled the chomper plants to retreat, leaving only cracks in the ground. When she stepped out of the room, she prepared to run through the curved corridor, but her path was blocked as Noor appeared in front of her, wearing a frown.

"Who let you out? Your abilities must have awakened," Noor remarked, and she signalled one of the men present to relay the information to Magnus, who promptly ran from there. "Trying to escape, but you are going nowhere." 

Anastasia stared back at Noor, standing on the opposite side of the corridor, and she said, "I would have advised you to step aside, but I cannot turn away from what you did to my sister." 

"So it appears we have reached a consensus that you are a hypocrite as well. One that only acts innocent." Noor laughed before pulling out her daggers from their sheaths at her back. 

"You are right," Anastasia responded, adopting a resolute stance. "People get uncomfortable when you don't act the way they expect."

"What pretty words." Noor smiled and said, "You will soon be placed in the pillar, where you will finally be of some use." 

Suddenly, the creepers slithered into the corridor, transforming the entire space into what resembled a forest tunnel. Noor didn't seem fazed by it, producing something in her hand that resembled dust. 

While the other guards were dragged down and devoured by the chompers, Anastasia saw Noor scatter the ash-like substance around herself and in the area behind her. It was when the older woman muttered something that the dust disintegrated every creeper and plant it touched, causing them to wither instantly. What was that? Anastasia wondered to herself. 

"During my time in the palace, I enjoyed sneaking into the old hag's room. She possessed some very interesting things that I helped myself to and learned to use," Noor revealed, offering an explanation about what just happened. She said, "Ginger would be happy if she knew she had an apprentice. Your stupid plants are of no use if they are all going to die, don't you think? It must make you feel stupid to realise you had befriended your sister's murderer." 

"You are a nobody, and that's exactly how you will die," Anastasia retorted, because one way or another, she was going to end this woman, just like she had ended Marianne's life. An eye for an eye. 

Anastasia lifted a handful of the same ash that Noor had dispersed and cast it back onto the woman. Her action provoked a sense of annoyance in the older woman, as her vision was compromised. In that gap, Anastasia picked up one of the fractured stones from the cracked floor and used it to strike the murderer's head. 

"Argh!" Noor grunted in pain. Despite her obstructed vision, she managed to dig her nails into Anastasia's arm. 

Anastasia felt like her arm was on fire as Noor's nails dug into her flesh. And as agonising as it was, it was overshadowed by the pain of her recent loss. In response, she tugged at the pouch fastened to Noor's waist, letting its contents scatter onto the ground. 

"You bitch!" Noor screamed upon seeing this, and before she could inflict harm upon Anastasia, the latter conjured a circle around the woman, preventing her from stepping beyond its bounds. But the next moment, the woman's laughter replaced her anger. "Master Magnus will be utterly pleased with me once he finds out what I was able to do in such a short period of time."

"You don't care about dying…" Anastasia murmured and saw Noor smile in response. 

"Why should I? Magnus will bring me back to life, and even if he doesn't, I have fulfilled my goal of killing William," Noor responded, her gaze fixed on Anastasia. 

"You want to kill me? Go ahead. Everyone hates the villain, but no one recognises the circumstances that shaped or motivated them. Because everyone is consumed with hate." 

"A villain can change their course and become a better person," Anastasia responded to the woman's words, as the time for seeking sympathy had long passed. "In the past, Dante killed many people. He took numerous lives, but he turned over a new leaf. Or reverted to the person he once was. People do things for a reason before they amend their ways. But your reason has surpassed any justification, and your actions have caused grave pain... which I will never forgive."

The pain stemming from Marianne's loss was beyond Anastasia's ability to mend, but this, this she could rectify. 

Anastasia raised her hand towards Noor, and at the same time, a group of guards came running from the far end of the corridor. 

As if realising that the young woman had made up her mind, Noor uttered, "You are a fae. A source of light, and your kind doesn't align with death." 

"Maybe not," Anastasia replied calmly, as a breeze began to stir within the enclosed corridor. She said, "However, I am an archdemon's soulmate, and I am a corrupted fae. If death is the means to avenge someone, I will not hesitate in its pursuit."

"Anastasia, wai—" Noor's words were cut short as a brilliant light erupted out of Anastasia's hand, blinding everyone in the corridor. 

The cacophony of the walls and roof exploding obscured Noor's screams, allowing the evening light to fall to the ground. In the midst of this, Anastasia shielded her face with her arm. Once she lowered her hand, she noticed that, as the dust gradually settled, the charred bodies momentarily stood upright on the ground before withering away in the direction of the wind. 

With the passageway shattered, Anastasia leaned over the now-absent wall, granting her a view of the town in which she had been confined until now. When she heard footsteps reverberating from below, she wondered how to get away from there. 

"I will see you later," she whispered to Noor's lingering ghost. 

Beside her, the vines started to move in tandem, intermittently intertwining to form a makeshift ladder. Not wasting time to risk being captured and restrained once again, she climbed down the vines. However, before she could reach the ground, the vines snapped, and she fell to the ground. 

"Ouch!" Anastasia cried out, feeling the wounds on her arms remain unhealed despite her desire for them to mend. 

"Seize her! She's escaped!" one of the guards exclaimed upon spotting Anastasia. 

The moment the words left his mouth, the guard's legs were ensnared by the vines, hoisting him upside down. Soon, the chompers emerged from the ground, one after another, silencing the guard's shouts. As she ran from there, she mumbled, "I am definitely going to Hell."  0

When Anastasia took another step forward, a tunnel materialised under her feet, and she slid into it before it sealed shut. She was abruptly thrown onto the hard-floored ground, causing her to wince. 

"Welcome to the den, Anastasia." 

Anastasia's eyes widened, and she pivoted to find herself in the company of Magnus, alone in the expansive room. 

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​​She was so close! Anastasia cursed in her mind. Pushing herself to stand, she raised her hands in the direction of the insane archdemon. Acting without hesitation, light emanated from her hands, only to swiftly dim and fade away.

Addressing her, Magnus said, "Did you know this place was constructed from the very rocks found in Hell? It is the same rock that fortifies the Devil's tower. Strong and sturdy, capable of withstanding anything. Just like…" He laughed. "You must be wondering why I remain unharmed." 

When the demon shifted his gaze to the side, Anastasia followed suit, and her eyes fell upon a dead Elder minister. Frowning, she looked back and forth between them. 

"Minister Alrad possessed a powerful ability, a power that shielded him against a fae's attack, as his ability was derived from an amalgamation of faes," Magnus said. 

"Faes?" Anastasia repeated. 

"You think the Devil refrained from hunting and exterminating the creatures?" Magnus inquired of her. "He's killed so many of them, amassing and trapping their powers within little crystal spheres." He went on, "This is precisely why I will create a superior realm for the souls to gather—a leader unlike the Devil." 

Anastasia questioned how to banish this demon to Hell so that he would never return to the living realm. Apparently, her previous attempt had failed as the demon had faked his capture, only to be later found roaming the living world and claiming lives. Her eyes fell on a chair equipped with restraints, and she heard him say, 

"That one is for you. It has been ready for many years." 

"You claim not to be like the Devil, but you are following Viktor's footsteps. Killing people at your whim—first the minister, and now me." 

The comparison ignited a surge of anger within Magnus, and he threw a table in her direction, which Anastasia quickly dodged. He growled, "I am better than him!" 

When he tried to grab and drag her to the chair, she used all her strength and pushed the demon away from her, causing him to experience an electric jolt upon touching her. 

Anastasia's attention was snagged by a glinting dagger, and she quickly picked it up. As she observed Magnus gazing at her in a quiet rage, she retreated a step to keep her distance from him. She heard him say, 

"A foolish fae, one who doesn't know how to use all her abilities. But I know how to make use of you. You see the pillar here?" He extended his hand towards a translucent white pillar. He said, "This is where your life force will culminate, ultimately fulfilling my goal."

"The books said you followed Dante to the living realm," Anastasia said while trying to prolong the time. She carefully added, "Were you looking for his approval? If you want him on your side, this is not the way to do it."

"Actually, I want him to revert to the way he used to be when I first met him." The psychotic look reappeared in Magnus' eyes as he said, "He was filled with so much hate and anger. He was perfect. And you would be mistaken to think that someone like you can alter the future I have planned. I have blocked every single aspect of this land to ensure I have full control. From confusing and distorting the senses, and now..." 

Magnus snapped his fingers, and Anastasia felt a trickle of fear run down her spine. But seeing nothing happen, she cast a cautious, wary gaze in his direction. 

She saw his grin broaden, and following his line of sight, her eyes widened in shock. Behind her was a mirror, reflecting the first Elder minister named Alrad. He had turned her into the minister.

'What do you think you are doing?!' Anastasia questioned, only to realise that her own voice hadn't come out of her mouth. 

Magnus swished his hand, and the real minister's body vanished. 

"I am always the one changing, and I thought you would find it rather enjoyable," Magnus stated, walking towards the wall. He inquired, "Do you know Dante is on his way here? He killed the other Elder ministers, and it's not hard to imagine that he will want to kill the last standing Elder minister as well." 

Saying those words, Magnus turned invisible upon touching the wall, and a second later, the door to the room flew open. 

Anastasia's eyes fell on Dante, and a sense of relief washed over her. Yet, at the same time, dread and panic filled her mind upon seeing him seething with anger and enveloped in rage in his demonic form, ready to kill the minister standing before him. 

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