User blog:Baluar/Arc 3, chapter 10

This chapter will be posted by parts, due to its length, and to increase the drama. :D

Meanwhile… 

I am getting a little bit tired. Sure, becoming a God Eater does increase your stamina and strength, but Nia must weigh a good 90 kilograms. Carrying her is tiring me out. I guess if I only stopped for a second. I drop Nia delicately in the floor, and then fall exhausted myself, trying to grasp some air after moving Nia around for what’s probably been a couple of hours. Suddenly, I see Nia moving, which scares me out. I ask her:

-Nia… What’s going on? – She slowly turns around to see me.

Later, in the tunnels… 

I finish fighting the last wave of hellworms. While they are indeed dangerous creatures, my unnatural rage allows me to cut through them as if they were hot butter. The last one has ended up stabbed with Katy, then putting her in fire. That caused the being to explode – literally. After that, I can’t do anything but to wander around aimlessly through these tunnels, hoping to find… something.

While wandering around aimlessly, it was inevitable for me to come across a few hellworms. I reduced them to shreds with my gun before anything could happen.

Eventually, after hours of wandering around, I suddenly arrive to a huge tunnel. Worms are all over the place, and they do try to swarm me, but once I turn Katy’s flames on, they all get away.

<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-[Don’t do that too often, ok? It tickles.]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-[Whatever, lady.] – I turn off the flames, but the worms don’t come in close.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Then, I see the worms are ordered in military formations. That suddenly made me suspect. There’s someone controlling them. Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Rachel… seriously? You can clone yourself now?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Rachel? – That voice? No way… – No, Baluar. I’m sure you recognize this voice.

<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">-W-wha… how… this is impossible… Nia? – I turn around. It’s her.

<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Somehow, she’s here. She’s changed her clothes for a dark purple dress. I had never seen her like that.

<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-No, my dear brother, it’s not impossible. I was behind this all along. Did you really think I was wounded? You could carve a path through my dear worms just as easily as you could cut through butter. I could have done the same thing. I was only hoping to draw you here and finish you off.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-What are you talking about? What happened to Lili? – I ask her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-I killed her. She thought I was joking when I rose up, but her face got to normal when I pierced through her with my Arc. – Oh, my… What’s going on here?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Why? Why amass this army, why would you do all this? Just why, Nia?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Have you ever thought on how it feels to live at the shadow of someone else? I’ve always lived under your shadow, dear brother. Despite you once swore we were equals, despite we never were “better” than the other, I always was your second. Whenever we made something, it wasn’t “the twins”; it was “Baluar and Nia”, in that order. If I managed something of my own, it was “Nia, Baluar’s younger twin ”. Since we were kids, you always were the one that led our fates, giving me little chance to disagree with your opinions. Do you know how it feels to be powerless, to be always the second, despite having more than enough to command nations, enough to rule over the world? Oh, the irony.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-But you were never interested in that…

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-I never showed it, which is an entirely different thing. Or did you think you knew everything about me?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Is there anything I…?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-There is nothing you can say, and nothing you can do, my brother. – She knows me. She knew what I was going to ask. – All you can do is delay your inevitable death at the hands of my army.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-So be it. Just remember I always lov…

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Oh, cut the “I love you” thing, brother. I never really cared about you. – Each word is a torture on its own. The hellworms suddenly turn their interest again on me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-[Ready for the last go, Katy?]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-[Ready, Baluar. Whenever you say.]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-You can be certain I’ll die, but I hope you don’t mind if I take these bastards with me.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Then I begin to cut through them with the flaming Arc. While I know I can deal with each one of them easily, the fact that there are a couple of thousands of them makes me realize that I have no chances. I cut through worms while my sister looks at me with an absolute detachment face. Suddenly, Robb shouts:

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Hey boss, looks like- What the hell? Nia?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Long time no see, Robb. I guess you’ll have to die as well.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Great. So our ally now turns out to be insanely crazy. Another day at work, guys. – One of my allies says.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Hey, uhm, you could help me with this, you know? – I say, while punching a hellworm and spilling all of its insides in the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Oh sorry. We’re right there, Boss. – Robb replies.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">And so my allies join me in my suicidal quest to take as many of our enemies as possible. I say:

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Alright guys, we’re probably on the verge of death. – To boot, Nia’s too far for our bullets. – Something to say, maybe?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Nah. – Robb answers.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Don’t think so... Haven’t got in enough shenanigans [OUT OF STORY NOTE: Mwahahahaha!], though. – Arthur said.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-No. – Ken’s answer is very simple.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-I do regret that my collection isn't complete... – Lyrr "jokes" (I think).

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">And hours and hours and hours and hours and it never ends. They seem to be infinite. Nia just looks at us, without any visible expression.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Out of nowhere, something explodes right besides Nia, throwing her away and making the hellworms lose control, and we hear an echoing voice:

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Now it’s your chance! Finish her off.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Woah, that sounds like an interesting guy. It’d be nice to meet him one day. – Lyrr comments.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">I hear Ken answering something, but I’m already alongside Nia, trying to make her surrender.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">-Give up, Nia. You’re on your own. You know I can beat you.

<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:20.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">-Give up? Shut up! – She says. Her God Arc is aside her, and she picks it up and begins the fight by trying to cut off my head.

To be continued...