Chapter 48: Mask Revenant III
The crimson fog thickened, pressing down like a living weight. Every breath Ravi took tasted of rust and rot. He stood back-to-back with Waker, his blade drawn, and his every muscle taut. Somewhere beyond their narrow circle of visibility, the Revenant was waiting and watching.
A whisper slithered past Ravi's ear. He spun, but found only the mist. Another whisper followed, this time clearer: "Let me consume you ... " His fingers twitched on his sword.
"How charming," Waker replied through gritted teeth as he also heard the whispers. "A demon that whispers sweet nothings while trying to kill us."
Ravi replied in a calm tone, "Waker, I had a plan ... "
As he explained his plan in whispers, the ground beneath them suddenly pulsed. A dull thud like a heartbeat.
"Move!" Ravi shouted.
The floor cracked open below them and they dodged the jagged fragments of black stone. A black towering humanoid shape creature wearing a flawless black mask - Mask Revenant, rose from the fissure. It lunged forward, forcing Ravi and Waker apart, but to its surprise, both boys attacked without hesitation.
Waker deliver a golden punch, while Ravi swing his silver sword vertically. Revenant body glowed faintly with black light and their attacks brought second to no damage to Revenant. Both blows met the Revenant's body with a dull thud, black light rippling from the impact. The creature stood unharmed.
It suddenly leapt high in the air, and as it did, two new arms tore from its torso. Each arm stretched unnaturally towards Ravi and Waker. Both jumped back in time to avoid the claws.
The slam from the claws leave deep craters on the ground. The Revenant didn't stop as it hurled jagged obsidian bone shards at them without pause as it landed.
Ravi and Waker were just exhausted to their limits, they barely able to defend themselves against the Revenant attacks. Moreover, they couldn't able to replenish their essence in this place.
Ravi deflected most with his sword, sparks spraying, while Waker dodged or shattered them mid-air.
Nevertheless, they couldn't able to dodge all of it as many shards hit them and send their bodies to an undescribable agony. Every shard that struck tore bloody holes into their flesh, the pain making their limbs numb.
Their bodies filled with bloody holes, although they were able to protect their critical areas.
They were in a bad position and shape, the Revenant could kill them with a single swipe of its claw in their current condition. The Revenant didn't stop as its four arms reared back. It took out four black, blade-like bones that emerged from its chest and lunges at them in a blur.
Despite knowing their condition, and Revenants Power, Ravi and Waker also lunged with numb eyes and dreadful will without any fear of death.
Wasting no time, Ravi hurled his silver sword to Waker, who caught it without question.
The Revenant's first two swords slashed at Ravi—he caught one with his bare, bleeding hands and pinned the other beneath his boot. The blade pierced deep into his palms; pain roared, but he refused to let go.
The creature tried to spin him away with brute force, but Ravi locked its arm in place, every muscle burning as he used all the remaining energy he had.
Meanwhile, Waker blocked the other two swords with a shield of golden aura. The moment all four of the Revenant's arms were occupied, he poured all the remaining of his golden essence into the silver blade. Golden light raced along the steel as he aimed at the faint fracture between the mask's eyes.
The Revenant sensed the danger and wrenched one sword free beneath Ravi's foot —slashing diagonally at Waker.
Ravi smiled through the blood. Got you.
He used a little bit of his remaining essence and twisted the trapped arm, just enough to wrench one of the Revenant's own bony swords free. The sudden shift left the creature open.
Waker pivoted sharply on his left foot, spinning to his right, dodging the swing by a hairy's breath. He copied the combat technique of Sira that he saw her performing, a few times during their journey to Astral Mountains.
The Revenant's momentum carried it forward—straight into Ravi's range, its back exposed, its guard broken for the briefest of moments.