Chapter 21 - All Out Destruction

{21} - Io: All Out Destruction

The Lost roared as Sir Evans slammed his foot into its head. The Lost swept its claws at him. But a burst of flames rose from his soles, and he leapt back down onto the ground as the Lost screamed.

Io leapt forward, her halberd glittering white as she swung. Her blade scraped against its body, her blade barely making an inch into its flesh. 

She frowned for a moment. Sir Evans and Louis Amamiya had done much more than she had. The Lost's body offered no resistance to their flames. It was wary of them, and fought back against them with cornered abandon.

She had done nothing in comparison. And an uncomfortable feeling rose in her chest with every failed attack she'd made.

She tried again. She pulled her halberd back. Dug her heel into the stone. And then she spun and struck. And again she failed. The attack Sir Evans had taught her—one that'd torn down buildings, made useless. 

Sir Evans had explained that this was natural. "The thing's resistant to Physical." He'd explained when her first attack had failed. She would've lost her head had Sir Evans not saved her then. "Keep your distance. Attack only when its guard is down."

She understood that this was natural. But,

But,

She struck again. Her halberd bounced off instead. And before she could attempt another attack, the Lost had recovered from Sir Evans' attack, and she quickly leapt back before its claws could dig into her skull.

It bent low. Ready to leap at her. But then a volley of fireballs exploded into its back, and it screamed. Louis Amamiya leapt onto its back just moments later, and sent a fireball straight into its open jaw before jumping away.

Sir Evans appeared suddenly, sending another stream into the Lost's throat before delivering an uppercut that forcefully shut its jaw. The flames exploded within its body, and plumes of smoke rose from its mouth and nostrils as the Lost screamed. 

As she watched the two men battle, a feeling rose in her chest. It was airy, and uncomfortable. It almost felt like there was some invisible weight pushing down her chest.

Her grip on her halberd grew. 

There was a word for this, she knew. Some emotion she was feeling that she couldn't quite describe. Torn away by her lost memories, and chained by her existence as the Queen's brood.

And normally her thoughts would've strayed. The Attendants were beings dedicated to serving Successors who carry the Queen's Relics. Emotions, memories, bonds, understanding—they meant nothing to a being created for one sole purpose.

Except the Queen's hold on her was wavering. Fraying. Another force, leagues larger than the Queen, had taken its roots within her.

So the oppression in her mind faded, and she realized what it was.

"I'm frustrated." She said. It was clinical. "It doesn't feel good."

An explosion rang across the Lost's face. It howled, black blood dripping from its eyes. The ground cracked as she leapt forward.

She swung. Her halberd smashed into its flesh. It dug barely an inch into its body. She tried again. Swung again. Her halberd hit its lower jaw. Her halberd bounced off. Again. She swept her halberd into the left side of its face. Her halberd screeched, as if she'd just scraped it against stone.

It's frustrating, she found. To see her attacks fail over and over. 

She should stay back. There was no need for her to involve herself. Sir Evans and Louis Amamiya would destroy the Lost with ease.

But she kept attacking. She swung her halberd over and over. Leapt away when the Lost recovered, and charged back in when it was staggered. Over and over and over.

Because, somehow, a budding desire formed in the husk that was her heart.

[The Skill -Attendant of the Queen's Blood- is degrading!]

Her halberd began glowing white once more.

Several minutes later, she noticed something. Sir Evans continued to strike the same spot between the Lost's eyes, and Louis Amamiya made sure most of his attacks went into the Lost's jaws. 

Why? The rest of the Lost's body was much easier to strike. And yet the two men continued striking the same spot.

"It's weak there." She whispered, watching as Sir Evans once more slammed his heel down between the Lost's eyes.

But what could she even do? She couldn't force its jaws to open like Louis Amamiya could. Nor could her halberd dig any deeper into that spot between its eyes. She'd tried, several times. It would never work. It could never work.

…or could it?

[The Skill -Attendant of the Queen's Blood- is degrading!]

A foreign excitement thrummed in her heart. She would not-, could not die. The blood in her veins refused such an easy exit. Rebirth would follow her every death. The tainted air would not corrupt her. She could not be destroyed.

And it was that safety net that gave her the confidence to move.

[The Skill -Attendant of the Queen's Blood- is degrading!]

She ran forward. The Lost turned to her, eyes bleeding black as it swept its claw at her. She dashed beneath it, and with all her strength she threw her halberd at the Lost's head.

Her halberd screeched as it smashed into its skull, before flying into the air and stabbing into the ceiling. She leapt up, past its claws and right towards the ceiling. The Lost turned towards her, claws raised to strike, and then froze as it saw her angle herself down towards it, her foot kept attached to the ceiling by the inhuman force of her grip on her halberd.

Distantly, she noticed Sir Evans watching her, a grin on his lips.

[The Skill -Attendant of the Queen's Blood- is degrading!]

Strength filled her legs. The ceiling broke as she leapt down. And her halberd glittered white as she slammed it into the Lost's skull.

And again, her halberd made it only a few inches into its flesh. It was as if she'd struck right into stone.

But this time she didn't relent. She didn't pull back. Like an ox she only pushed more strength into her arms. Forced the vile blood coursing through her muscles to do more than it had ever done.

It should not have worked. This was not how Revenants worked.

The System kindly looked at this limitation, flipped a metaphorical middle finger, gave her a pat on the back, and whispered 'Do your best.' as it glared at the dying roots of the Queen inside her.

[The Skill -Attendant of the Queen's Blood- is degrading!]

Veins of pearly white, similar to the pearlescent glow of Bloodsprings, spread across her arms. Power surged through her, in an almost-uncontrollable river. A sharp crack sounded, and suddenly her halberd was a few inches deeper. Another crack soon followed, and her halberd dug a few inches more.

The Lost seemed to realize that something was wrong. But it didn't move. Couldn't. It was pinned down by a force stronger than it'd ever felt before.

And then, finally, another crack sounded. Flesh tore open, and blackened blood flew into the air. The Lost screamed, staggering back as wiped the massive sound she'd dealt with its claws.

"Knew you'd do it." She heard Sir Evans say, and she blinked as he suddenly came up to her. There was a proud grin on his lips. "That Lost was resistant, not immune. The fact that your halberd had even injured it showed just how strong you are." He patted her head. "Good work."

She felt a smile lift her lips. She didn't feel the need to force it away.

And then her arms exploded in pain. She made nothing more than a small wince, but Sir Evans noticed. His smile became a little more wry. "Your arms hurt, don't they?" She nodded, and he huffed. "Alright then. Sit back." Flames rose around him. "I'll finish this thing off."

She began to nod, and then stopped. An urge rose in her as she watched the Lost stagger away. She could see the fear in its eyes. The agony. 

Excitement pumped in her chest. She stood up.

"No." She lifted her halberd over her shoulders. It began glimmering white once more. "I can still fight."

Sir Evans stared at her for a good moment, before he smiled. "Well, alright then." He turned and winked. "What'd you say, Louis? Mind giving my friend some help?"

"I do not mind." She heard, and she turned to see Louis Amamiya walk up to her. Though a mask covered his face, she could see his smile. "That was most impressive."

She shook her head. "No. You could've taken it yourself."

He huffed, and held out his hand. "Louis Amamiya. Though most call me Louis."

She stared at his hand for a moment, confused. And then she heard Sir Evans laugh before he guided her hand to Louis'. "It's a handshake." Sir Evans explained. "A greeting."

"Ooh." She coughed. "I am Io."

Louis nodded. "Miss Io." Louis turned to the injured Lost, and his sword erupted in flames. "Can you still fight?"

She nodded, and the glimmering white veins glowed brighter. "I can."

And then as one they moved.

Sir Evans charged forward in a storm of fire. The flames coiled around his hand, and with a shout he slammed his fist into the Lost's lower jaw. The impact sent the Lost up into the air, screaming.

Louis followed behind him. The sword he held burnt with fire, and a dozen cuts opened all across the Lost's body. Black blood leaked from them, burning away into dark mist as a giant fireball formed over his palm. He sent it crashing into the bottom of the Lost's body. It flew higher into the air.

Io dug her foot into the stone, and then she leapt high into the air. She came right upon the large wound she'd inflicted on its head. She took a deep breath, Raised her halberd over her shoulders. And she was almost enveloped in pure white as the intense glow of the veins across her arms became even brighter.

Then, she slashed.

And the giant Lost was split in two. Black blood splattered all across the stone, and the caverns shook as the severed corpse crashed into the ground. 

She landed not too long after. Stared at the dead Lost she'd killed. And smiled.

[-Divine Bloodlust- Skill has been Achieved!]