Dein jumped back up the moment he entered the fog. Moments later, he felt the center of his head burn so he dove deep into the fog.
Moments later, two arrows shot past where he was just standing.
Dein took a deep breath…
'I guess there's no running away now huh…'
Well, it's not he could run, not from this two at least. And if he does, he'll only get lost in the fog, probably going meet a horrible death by some nightmare creature lurking around.
At the same time… Dein really, really just wanna ran away from these two again. He lost quite horribly the last time after all.
'I don't think… I'll ever be able to call myself a Legacy if I do'
Not after everything he did in this nightmare that is. Using traps to kill someone, backstabbing another, and committing mass murder. Can he even still look Freya and his father in the eye after this?
He doesn't know yet. But if he defeat this two… then hopefully he could.
In a sense, it's his way of redeeming himself as a Legacy…
[What about the Nightmare you have to kill then?]
A serious tone spoke in Dein's mind. Hearing this, he bit his lips. It bled due to his sharp teeths as he looked down. Not saying anything back.
In his mind, the serious guy seem to roll his eyes in a sigh.
[Haa… I guess we're dying today then.]
Dein just said in a bitter tone.
"I'm sorry…"
Hearing his words, the Scaredy one followed in a trembling voice while the Little girl just asked cautiously.
[N-no… no way. There's gotta be another way! W-we, we have to run! Escape them, grow stronger and come back later!]
[D-does dying hurts mister? I don't think I want to get hurt…]
Dein gritted his teeth.
To be honest, this Nightmare is just… impossible. It cannot be done, not by the way the situation unfolden at least. If Dein had escaped his first cage much earlier, if he had not been caught again. Then probably… probably this nightmare won't be as impossible as it is now.
He could probably find the nightmare creature Clay talked about and kill it in its sleep. But all of that is just 'probably'.
In truth, h doesn't know what the Creature looked like, where it is, it's rank and class, and if he could even kill it.
In fact, he wasn't even sure if that monster is actually the key to ending this Nightmare. Everything up until now is just speculations and assumptions… maybe even hope.
And the fog just made the already difficult nightmare to a totally impossible one.
So much so that in truth, Dein had already given up when he found out the fog had already swallowed the nightmare creatures.
He's just afraid to admit it at first…
That's why he's going to give everything he has in defeating these two, so he could at least keep his honor as a Legacy Scion of the Hearth Clan.
And not be a disgrace…
Steeling his resolve, Dein took a deep breath again. He pushed the voices in his head to the very end of his mind. The trio seems to be unable to accept the fact that they'll all be dying today but they also cannot do anything against it.
It's not like they have a solution anyway. Dein had already seen the ending of this Nightmare when he had just entered it. It will become a burned, lifeless place. Everything probably died in the battle of the Flame and the Fog and the same would happen to Dein as well even if he escaped everything that could kill him right now. So there's no escaping death.
Finally, let go and exhaled. He lowered himself to the ground and and with a groan, pulled the arrow from his side.
'Arggh! Dammit, fricking hurts…'
He looked up and started running, the moment he saw Clara and Lei entered the fog as well. He flexed his muscle and threw the arrow at them.
It hurts really, to be moving around like that but when Dein saw the arrow fly towards the two. He immediately changed his location.
Meanwhile, Lei scoffed. Cutting the arrow in half midair.
"Hiding in the fog now huh? Y'know this tactics won't really work against us right?"
Soon enough, after hearing his words. Dein felt the pain, making him stop as in the next moment, an arrow flew past his face.
He smiled anxiously.
"Fricking monsters…"
But Clara didn't stop. It seems she's taking out all of her anger right now as she made arrow rain down on Dein one after another. He continued avoiding them, hiding in the trees but some still hit him.
'tsk… just how? How can Clara see through the fog'
Dein observed, but just then. He heard her speak. Her voice that should've been a scream in this distance sounded like a whisper.
"On your left…"
Dein instinctively turned left just for his eyes to widen as Lei suddenly appeared in his right, plunging his wooden sword in Dein's back until it came out in front.
"Got you…"
Lei voiced with a dark tone.
Blood flowed down Dein's slit mouth. The pain the unbearable, it was the first time he has ever been stabbed with a sword and yet, Dein did not have time to stop. Instead, the moment the blade stabbed him, his arm turned to whipped the spear behind him.
Lei was caught off guard and his face was cut. He jumped back, pulling the sword with him.
"Tsk, again with my face, you rat!"
Dein staggered, pain washing over him as blood kept pouring down his wounds. He has lots of holes in his body now. Nevertheless, he kept his balance, watching the two surround him.
"Sorry, argh… I was actually aiming for your eyes again but I missed"
Hearing this, Lei gritted his teeth.
"Now… aren't you quite mouthful, for a dying gremlin that is."
Dying? Well, that's not the word Dein would use to describe his condition. After all, [Distasteful] won't let him die this kinds of wounds that easily.
Although the pain might.
Dein clicked his tongue, readying himself.
"…Hey, I seem to notice your friends left you. Wouldn't it be to catch up with them now? …You might get lost in the fog later y'know?"
This time, instead of Lei, it was Clara who spoke. Her voice full of anger and contempt.
"That's none of your business monster… because, we're not leaving until you're dead."
With that, she shoots an arrow again but Dein avoided it immediately. Running behind the trees. Seconds later, a voice spoke in his mind again and Lei once again appeared.
This time however, Dein was prepared as he blocked the sword's strike with his spear only to be met with a barrage of it.
He tried his best but couldn't keep up. He was cut again, gutted, stabbed, and by the time he managed to disengaged from Lei by kicking him in the chin that made him stagger and fall to the ground, shaking his head. Dein was already just a mangled flesh covered in blood.
His guts was falling to the ground, his dark skin full of holes and his flesh were falling off. Few arrows were also lodge in his body but somehow Dein can still stand.
It was because of the trio, influencing his mind so it would ignore the pain.
It was still painful though..
Dein cough up blood, he tried to deliver a finishing blow to Lei who got knocked down after being hit on the chin but a bow suddenly hit him in the face.
Literally… as Clara chose to engage in close combat.
She raised her bow before bringing it down on Dein's head again. He tried to block it but his spear broke at that moment. The bow hitting him square on the head.
Dein gritted his teeth. He gripped the broken spear and tried to stab her but a kick simply landed on his face, throwing him to the ground as his eyes water in pain.
"What? You're still alive?"
Clara asked in a slightly suspicious voice. But she seems to be delighted that that is the case as she walked towards Dein slowly. Knocking another arrow on her bow before shooting it on Dein's thigh.
"Arghhh…!"
Clara knocked another arrow.
"Why scream? Is it painful? How much does it hurt?…"
She shoots another one as tears started building up on her eyes.
"…Is it much more painful than being burned alive? Much more painful than what you did to Clay?"
Clara reached for her quiver again, only to find no more arrows inside. She bit her lips as she stood on top of Dein.
Dein was in pain, so much pain. Even the trio seems to have fallen asleep again. Overusing their ability to influence Dein it seems. So all of the pain from being stabbed, shot at, cut, sliced, all of it, were crashing down on him like a boulder.
The only reason he managed to remain was Clara kept shooting arrows on his thigh even as he tried to crawl back in futile attempts.
Seeing this, Clara stepped on his thigh...
"Arrghhh!!"
Dein practically threw his head back in pain. He was crying in pain. Almost losing his mind as Clara reached down to grab one of her arrows piercing Dein's body only to place it on her bow again.
"Tell me… w-why did you do all of that?" She paused, trying to hide a sob "No… scratch that, you're a monster, of course you'll do that."
She aimed and let go of her bow, shooting Dein on the shoulder.
"What did you to my brother? What happened to Clay inside the Shrine?"
Dein gritted his teeth, fighting the pain. He saw Lei watching the interaction on the corner of his eye but he couldn't care less. He couldn't even think right due to the pain.
And yet he still answered.
"I, I killed him…"
He said in a trembling voice as Clara gnashed her teeth in anger. She screamed, knocking another arrow on her bow as pulled the string with everything she had.
"You monster!!!"
But she suddenly stopped. All of her strength seem to leave her body as the tears that's uncontrollably falling down her eyes was replaced with shock. In front of her, the very own replica of the person she had treated as her own brother her whole life suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"C-clay…?"
She whispered in a trembling voice as if hoping the 'person' in front of her would answer. But instead, she saw as the head of a spear pierced his silent brother's back. Her eyes widened even more as she let go of her bow to try and save Clay.
Only for her brother to dissapear like a shattered glass the moment she reached him and for the very same spear to plunged deep in her heart.
She looked down, watching Clay's echo vanish before registering the pain. Her eyes widened in horror and blood poured down her lips as she looked at Dein with horror, her eyes trembling as if unable to understand what's happening.
Meanwhile, a voice spoke in Dein's mind as his hand trembled, a dark expression on his monstrous face as he watched Clara die by his hands…
[Your Echo has been destroyed]
[You have slain an awakened: Clara, Chosen of the Sacred Flame]
[You have acquired a memory]