Chapter 46: Mask Revenant
The Mask Revenant charged forward, each step sounding like a thunderclap, vibrating the stone beneath their feet. The violet torches burned along the walls, casting its monstrous shadow into warped shapes that chased them across the arena floor.
Waker braced himself as a golden aura erupted around his arms once more — but it flickered weakly, half-starved by the strange environment.
"Ravi—my golden essence reserves are almost gone," he warned. "Five minutes at most, I guess."
Ravi's fingers tightened around his silver sword. The sigil at his neck pulsed white and black like a beating heart. He felt everything inside him screaming to collapse, but there was no time left for weakness.
"Don't try to overpower it," he said quietly. "Just keep it off me. I'll look for a weakness in its runes."
Before Waker could reply, the Revenant was already upon them.
Its body cracked with raw force as it brought a massive clawed arm down like a guillotine.
CRASH!
Waker lunged, blocking with both forearms. His golden aura shield shattered instantly under the strike. Waker was thrown across the arena like a broken doll, rolling in a heap — groaning but alive.
Too strong, Waker thought. He said grumpily in a weak voice, "Hey, are you something engineered to kill Essence wielders?"
The Revenant reared back with impossible speed, twisted one arm behind itself … and hurled a barrage of black stone shards through its arms in Ravi's direction like shadowy knives fired from cannon.
But Ravi vanished as a flicker of white-shadow exploded beneath him — he reappeared atop a broken column on the far side of the arena. The shards pierced deep into the stone where he had just stood.
Ravi observed the Revenant carefully. This thing was Sharp, Fast, Ranged, and Adaptable. As if it was designed to hunt them.
Ravi's violet eyes flared, searching its runes — hundreds of sigils embedded beneath its armour, forming a complex array across its torso and spine.
"Umbra Technique — Second Light."
His blade erupted into radiant white light, forming a crescent arc that he launched toward the Revenant's chest. The crescent arc moved with the speed of light, and the strike hit dead centre …
… but it vanished as if it had sunk into water.
Ravi's heart sank. "It … absorbed it?"
A distorted voice echoed through the arena — playful yet cruel. "This is a test, little sigil-bearer. The Revenant evolves, the more essence you use … the stronger it becomes. It'll be a drag if you take a long time to kill that thing. Isn't it?"
Ravi's mind raced; meanwhile, Waker forced himself upright, coughing. "That's great. Any other good news?"
Ravi gritted his teeth. "We can't destroy it with essence alone. We need to break its masking core — that demon mask on its face — or the runes will keep regenerating."
Waker's eyes widened. "So we need to knock it off? Why didn't you say it earlier?"
Ravi nodded, stepping down from the column. "Distract it. Bring it toward the broken pillar so I can climb behind it."
Waker smiled grimly. Despite the pain, he rose — golden aura erupting once more.
"Alright. I'll be the bait." He lifted a chunk of stone with his fading aura and hurled it at the Revenant's head. "Hey! Cracked-tooth!"
The stone slammed between its shoulders. The monster's head snapped eerily toward the noise with a snapping growl.
Waker widened his stance. "Come on then," he whispered. "Take a bite."
The Revenant charged with a thunderous voice. Waker spun, sprinting toward the ruins near the centre of the arena. The monster followed like a nightmare unleashed, crushing stone beneath its claws. Waker's aura fueled his speed, but only just for now as it was gradually decreasing.
Ravi moved simultaneously — shadows clinging to his body, slipping through the darkness along the opposite side. He reached the broken pillar.
Waker reached the edge of the ruined pillar and vaulted over it—
—The Revenant struck at him, but its claws were tangled momentarily in the stone heap. At this moment, Ravi saw the opportunity.
Ravi burst from the shadows, sprinting with all essence he could push into his legs. Every step made his sigil blaze — blistering pain seared his nerves.
He leapt, and his silver sword flashed — not toward the body, but up toward the horned mask.
The Revenant jerked in surprise, its body twisting with impossible flexibility. Ravi snarled, bringing the blade down hard at the same time—
The sword edge connected against the mask.
CRACK!
A small fracture appeared just between the mask's eyes.
But before Ravi could strike again, the Revenant headbutted him.
Ravi's body flew backwards mid-air. He landed hard, rocks crushing beneath him.
Pain shot through his ribs. He felt that his already cracked body had further cracked.
His vision blurred … and yet in that blur, a different strange form caught his gaze.
Up high … above the arena wall …
A hooded figure was watching, perched on the highest black pillar. Its presence felt colder than cold itself — very much human … but in a way Ravi couldn't name or explain. He was wearing a ferocious white demonic mask.
"Was this the same figure from the red castle? No." Waker asked in a defeated tone as he noticed the figure as well.
This one wore chains around its wrists. And its eyes were empty pits.
"No," Ravi answered, "But be careful ... "
The Revenant was already lunging toward him again for the kill.
Ravi forced his body up, blood filling his mouth.
He neither had essence left nor time.
Still … he raised his sword one last time to defend against the Revenant's claw.
But before the creature could strike, golden chains suddenly burst from the floor around the Revenant's ankles — locking it still for an instant.
Ravi turned. Waker was kneeling on the other side of the arena, his golden aura now wild, unfamiliar … stronger than before.
His voice came out broken but defiant: "We're not dying down here … not yet!"
Ravi clenched his jaw and forced himself to stand. They still had one chance.