As he opens the door, he says nothing as he walks inside. He takes a crimson handle made of crystal.
Bloody Heart
Item Description
My dear family, I sacrifice my heart to forge a blade that can tear apart anyone who threatens you. I promise you as #####, so honour my name and protect your future. I regret that it came to this, but my power will always serve you—so never forget that, even if I am not here.
He stabs the edge of the handle without hesitation into his chest and draws out an alarming amount of blood, turning it into a blade of solid red blood. The blade is made of liquid, yet it has a sharp edge and keeps its form without losing its liquidity. PL2 doesn’t make a single sound during the whole process as he watches his health bar deplete by half. He hears footsteps from the other side of the dark arena.
“He is humanoid.”
PL2 smiles, takes out a red candy, and eats it as his health bar quickly returns to full. He raises his blood-red sword like an omen of war and blood. He whispers,
“Oh master of war ####, king of ####, I ask you to clear the fog of war and show us the way to aim our swords.”
His sword explodes in a red glow as a beam of light shoots from it to the ceiling, forming a bloody red moon that bathes the entire arena in its glow, banishing the darkness.
“Let the hunt begin.”
The Apostle of Eternity rushes at him with a black sword of abyssal darkness. PL2 meets him head-on with intensely focused eyes. The Apostle slashes upward; PL2 dodges to the left, but the sword’s trajectory follows him. He puts his hand over the massive dark blade, uses it to vault himself over the sword, and kicks the Apostle. He then lands on the sword, pinning it to the ground, and slashes with the red sword. It’s blocked by the Apostle’s arm, who releases the pinned blade and punches PL2 with his spare arm. It’s too fast and close for PL2 to dodge.
He uses his left arm to block, but he’s thrown back by the blow’s strength. He lands on his feet—blood from his nose, his hand bent the wrong way. He wipes away the blood and sets his arm straight. He looks at the Apostle with a smile and a look of excitement, not even glancing at his injured hand.
He holds his sword and speaks in an alien tongue:
“Oh great champion of war and blood, to whom we offer our life-blood so that it may burn and forge our path—hear me ##### the great sword of humanity, the Lord of Blood. Set my blood aflame; let me wage war in your name.”
PL2 makes a small cut in his palm, covers the red sword with blood, and it bursts into flame. His whole body follows; his eyes turn red and sparkle as he rushes the Apostle with explosive speed. Fire consumes him, transforming him into a demon of red flame. As he reaches the Apostle, he stabs his red sword into the Apostle of Eternity’s head. The Apostle raises his hand, manifests another sword, and swings it sideways at PL2. PL2 lets go of his sword and vaults over the strike. His red blade reappears in his hand; he slashes, leaving a blazing scar across the Apostle’s armor. But the Apostle’s relentless pressure continues.
Before PL2 can land properly, the Apostle swings upward. PL2 mostly dodges, but a cut lands on his arm. The Apostle follows with a punch to the face as PL2 lands. He dodges to the right and manages to stab his sword into the armor near the joint of the hand holding the sword—but the Apostle counters by stabbing at PL2’s head. PL2 dodges, but a cut appears on his left cheek. PL2 moves faster than ever, his power terrifying. He blocks the Apostle’s next slash, pushing him back and finally gaining a moment’s respite. He whispers,
“Extant.”
A burst of equal speed shoots from the sword, aiming at the Apostle’s right-arm joint. It shocks the Apostle, penetrating his armor. PL2 whispers, “Flame,” and for the first time, the red sword ignites in fire. The Apostle recoils as the flames burn him and he desperately tries to break free. PL2 smiles as the Apostle bursts past him, sword in hand. Suddenly, dark energy surrounds the Apostle in a sliver of aura. He swings his sword sluggishly, though still fast, and PL2 easily redirects the attack.
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The Apostle readies his other arm for a punch. PL2 reacts, attempting to cut the hand, but his sword, as if frozen in time and space, refuses to move—PL2 is too slow. The punch lands, sending him to the ground. He reacts quickly to avoid being pinned, jumping back to his feet as his sword reappears in his hand.
“Cover… burn.”
His sword explodes into a mist before him. As the Apostle rushes into it, PL2 snaps his fingers and the mist bursts into bloody red flames, forcing the Apostle back and creating distance. He thinks, If anything touches the sliver aura, it can’t move until it leaves. His sword appears once more in his hand. He holds the molten blade in his left hand and speaks in that alien tongue again:
“Oh #### the great liberator of all, dreamer of a free world, grant me the power to burn every shackle and obstacle that stands in my way. Grant me the strength to earn my freedom; grant me the power to summon an unbound weapon, one that can set the world ablaze in my vision so that the world shall burn in your name.”
Yellowish flames surround him from every direction, forming a weapon he barely remembers—a simple pistol made of fire. The two flames dance in chaotic, blood-red harmony, drawing strength from each other. PL2’s health bar drained by spells, he swallows another red candy. He eyes the glowing sun in the arena’s center as he aims his weapon and fires, hitting the joint of the arm holding the Apostle’s sword, pushing it to the brink. He fires relentlessly; the Apostle takes cover behind his great sword, the sliver aura freezing bolts of fire in time.
PL2 holsters the gun and drops it as the two flames split—one going to his leg, the other to his red sword. The Apostle calmly rushes past the suspended bullets; moments later, they explode where he stood. With increased speed, the Apostle reaches PL2 and swings his sword directly above him with almost invisible velocity. PL2 bends his body in a bizarre arc, glancing at the Apostle’s side. The flame around his leg explodes, propelling him forward with tremendous speed. He slides as if on ice, dodging the Apostle’s blade with inhuman agility, and reaches the Apostle’s back just as he attempts a backstab. The Apostle’s joints and head bend at impossible angles, evading the slash with monstrous speed. PL2 manages a chest wound nonetheless.
He uses his red sword to create a firewall once more, buying himself a moment’s distance. He looks at the Apostle, but instead of rushing, the Apostle stands still, holding his sword aloft, and utters one word in a commanding tone:
“Siphoned.”
PL2’s motion abruptly slows. He watches the flames and his health bar drain; the light leaves his sword and his body, flowing into the Apostle. The last thing PL2 sees is the flame he once commanded splitting him in two as darkness claims him.
“How do I deal with mana exactly?” he shouts in anger, his world consumed by darkness. His slowed body is destroyed by flame—then PL1 stands before a warm, red, floating jellyfish that revived him from death’s embrace. He waits silently, holding his breath.
PL2: “He’s annoying, and that spell is bullshit.”
PL1 sighs in relief.
PL1: “All that talk and we lost—and yeah, fuck that spell; it was annoying.”
PL1 laughs.
PL2: “I was about to be beaten.”
PL1: “We never beat anything on the first try.”
PL2: “It would have been a nice conclusion too.”
PL1: “...”
PL2: “Remember when I convinced you to fight that truly powerful monster—the strongest we ever fought—without any trick? You did better than I expected. It took you a while, but you did it. So even without your spell, you’re not hopeless—don’t give up.”
PL1: “Want to know where you got your confidence? And if motivating me is the point, mentioning her is a bad idea.”
PL2: “Come on—you acted like you weren’t ecstatic when you won. You were laughing manically; you couldn’t believe it.” He sighs, a little disappointed.
“But now it’s close to ending.”
(Uncertain, trailing speech from the entity no longer present)
PL2: “Done.”
System Notification: Prey slaughtered.
System Notification:
“I shall burn it all for solace. I shall burn it all in the name of a new beginning.”
He recalls something the System told him at the very beginning:
“Goodbye, Ikiru. Goodbye, PL1. I loved being with you both.”
PL1, seeing the message, says nothing and heads straight for the door, his eyes turning cold. A while later:
PL1: “Done.”
System Notification: Victory achieved.
PL1 to Ikiru: “Want to say I loved you or that I enjoyed being here? That would be a lie. So let me be blunt: I wish to never see you again. It’s a shame you ended up like this. I’m terrible with names, so you can probably forget yours. One last thing I have to say, you stupid shit—”
He says it as a single tear falls from his eye.
“I don’t forget stories easily, so finally… fuck you.”
