Thank You,
Knight Teir: "Rue Ryuzaki", and "Tyronter"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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What had just happened was so urgent, so overwhelming, that Brit had completely ignored the water glass clutched in his trembling hand. But now, at this exact moment, his gaze fell on it again. A spark, sharp and blinding like lightning, flashed through his mind and jolted him to attention.
"This glass of water…" He whispered the words unconsciously, his voice low, almost drowned by the chaos around them. The lightning in his mind reappeared, only this time it wasn't faint; it cracked and blazed brighter, louder, as if urging him to act.
"This… this isn't just ordinary water. This liquid… It's meant to help us beat the game. And now… now we're standing at the hardest point of all. If there is ever a time to drink this water, it is now!" His heart hammered as he repeated these thoughts again and again, as though trying to convince himself. His eyes glimmered with a sharp determination that hadn't been there before.
Without hesitation, Brit's gaze shifted upward, locking on Vale and Kiwo. At the very same instant, both of them noticed the glass as well. Their eyes widened. What looked like plain, ordinary water shimmered strangely, almost as if some hidden power slumbered within its depths.
"Quit stalling! Drink it!" Vale yelled.
His voice cracked the tension like a whip, and as he shouted, he cast a nervous glance toward the massive orange creature looming behind the heavy metal door.
The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder, backs pressed tight together. Ahead, the door rattled, and beyond it stretched a narrow corridor where shadows twisted in the faint, flickering light. Within those shadows writhed the shape of a massive orange-yellow monster, its grotesque slug-like form heaving as if breathing, its eyes gleaming with an unsettling intelligence. It was watching them. Waiting.
But what unnerved them even more was not only what lay ahead, behind them lurked horrors far worse. Ancient entities, shriveled old men, faceless shy people, and countless other abominations from the Foundation's vaults stalked the darkness, their presence so oppressive it felt like the walls themselves would collapse.
The only reason Brit, Vale, and Kiwo were still alive was sheer luck. The fight between "The Old Man" and 'The Shy Guy' had drawn much of the chaos behind them, while the death of the pale little girl had lured the zombie horse monkey away. For the moment, that fragile balance had spared them.
But everyone knew it wouldn't last, the chaos would catch up to them sooner or later. The wall of terror was closing in, and not far behind it lingered another nightmare: the neurologist, whose very name was enough to make hardened hearts falter.
Seconds. That was all they had. Brit could feel the weight of every second slipping away, dragging doom closer.
The air grew colder. Their skin prickled. It felt as though invisible hands were already brushing against their shoulders, as if at any moment the faceless shy one might seize them. Their hair stood on end, goosebumps erupting across their skin. Their hearts squeezed tight, caught in a vice of fear.
And then Brit's eyes fell on the water glass again. This was no ordinary glass; this was the conceptual water. The moment recognition struck, he felt something deep inside, like a thread connecting him to the glass, whispering to him, urging him. It was a premonition, sharp and undeniable.
Yes. This was it. This was the key. Now was the time. He had to drink. Even if he didn't know how it worked. Even if it didn't work at all. Somewhere inside, Brit knew that if anything could alter their doomed fate, it was this water.
But before he could act, Vale and Kiwo noticed too. Their eyes locked on the glass in his hand, and without a word, they came to the same conclusion.
Vale didn't hesitate. He bellowed at Brit, his voice cutting through the chaos: "Drink it now! Don't waste another second!"
Brit froze, torn, the glass trembling in his grip. His instinct was to pass it on, to let them drink instead. His lips parted as if to protest, to argue. But Vale gave him no time. After his shout, he snapped his head back toward the orange monster, muscles tensed and ready for the inevitable clash.
Kiwo's voice joined in, sharp and urgent. "Brit! Drink it! Hurry, it could be our only chance!"
Brit's mouth tightened into a hard line. His thoughts blazed like lightning, racing, colliding, sparking. In less than two heartbeats, his decision was made. He lifted the glass high, tipped it back, and swallowed the strange liquid in a single desperate gulp.
There was no time to doubt. No time to hesitate. He had to act. They all had to act. Because beating the game that was the only thing that mattered. Even if one of them had to be sacrificed, as long as the mission was completed, it would be worth it.
As the liquid burned down his throat, Brit suddenly remembered the gas mask from another world strapped to his face. With trembling hands, he tore it off and thrust it toward Vale and Kiwo, "Quick! One more can survive with this!"
Vale snatched it but immediately shoved it into Kiwo's hands. He had already taken the brunt of the side effects. His role was clear: to protect, to make sure the others reached the finish line, no matter the cost. So when there was only one item that could save another, Vale did not hesitate; he gave it up.
Kiwo bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, but she did not argue. She grabbed the mask with shaking fingers and slipped it on. The moment she did, both she and Vale froze. Brit's body… was fading. His outline blurred, becoming hazy, his skin losing substance until he was translucent, like mist. In seconds, he was nothing more than a faint silhouette. Then, gone. Completely invisible.
Both Vale and Kiwo gasped in shock.
"It's the water…" Vale muttered, eyes wide. "That glass of water, damn, it really worked!"
"Amazing…" Kiwo whispered, though there was no time for awe.
Because behind them, the nightmare was roaring closer. The shy one's howls rattled the corridor, each scream gnawing at their sanity. The plague doctor's whispers slithered through the air like poisoned daggers. Every sound was a weapon, sharp and merciless, dangling above them, ready to strike.
"Put the mask on tight!" Vale shouted, his voice raw.
Kiwo nodded sharply, her final words to him a cry from the heart: "Be careful, Vale!"
Then, with a burst of light, she vanished, gone without a trace.
And now, Vale stood alone. The cacophony of the battlefield pressed in on him from all sides. The clash of ancient horrors rattled his bones, yet his senses, sharpened beyond those of normal men, caught something else. A figure. Drawing closer. Step by step.
"You need to be healed…" The voice slithered into his ears, cold and merciless.
Vale's lips twisted into a grimace. He didn't even bother to glance back. Instead, he pushed forward, shoulders squared.
"Like hell I'm waiting around to die!" he roared.
With a bellow that echoed through the corridor, Vale surged forward like an arrow released from its bowstring, charging directly at the orange monstrosity. And the beast responded in kind. It stirred, its massive body shuddering, and lunged toward him with surprising speed.
"COME!!!" Vale thundered, his voice booming with defiance.
He lifted his fist high, every muscle coiling with explosive power, ready to deliver one final, fatal strike.
The monster's tentacle whipped forward, reaching for him.
The distance closed in an instant. And then, impact. But what followed was not what anyone expected.
Just as Vale's fist was about to slam into the monster, its slick, alien tentacle brushed against his skin. His body froze. His expression, fierce and resolute only a second before, faltered. And then…
He laughed. At first, a chuckle, then louder, higher, until it became a grotesque, booming howl of laughter. Mad, unnatural, and echoing with something not his own.
The monster's vast body coiled around him, enfolding him as his laughter grew louder, stranger, until the sound alone was more terrifying than silence.