The blinding flash took everything from the walls, leaving a long trail that penetrated them like existing marks, casting away all the shadows and taking them for itself. Everything that wasn't as beautiful and imposing as the flame that came from deep within the soul in a cry of liberation was taken by it. Even the great beings a few meters away were decimated.
The sword that had taken on a grandiose form was now nothing more than a powerless spark hidden within
Beatriz's body. Her eyes were a brilliant violet, her expression one of anger, with arched eyebrows and lips pressed together.
Even though he wasn't the target of the attack,
Killbit felt how powerful she was. His heightened senses made him realize how small he was in the face of it all. The young man closed his eyes and fell to the ground, but before he knew it, his power had returned to normal. Killbit smiled; there was still hope of becoming as strong as Beatriz.
Candela ran to her brother before he hit the ground. At that moment, she heard words from his mouth that left her feeling good, so she didn't bother healing him. Killbit had evolved so much that he'd become more like humans, having to replenish his energy through sleep. So she calmly soothed his head.
Beatriz looked at Faust, turning her head to the side, and he did the same. She turned to the other side, and he followed suit; she clenched her fists, and he did the same; she threw a punch, and
Faust followed suit. Neither of them came away with a scratch, but the surrounding environment shook and boomed like lightning in the middle of a storm.
"To my dismay, you're back. I wanted to crush you now, but I can't. My little brother is sleeping; I can't wake him." She stood facing the Homunculus. "While you were having a crisis, your creator took good care of things. He made a brother for you, or rather, another idiot".
Beatriz laughed, and Faust copied her body's movements. "In a way, this golem reminds you of your brother, the difference being that yours is sweet while your sister is a lonely old woman. If my creator were as incompetent as Gustav, I'd still be suffering in the Colosseum". She ran her hand through Candela's hair, adjusting it, and Faust was afraid to copy. "But that doesn't make his sins disappear!".
"I agree, giving birth to you should be considered an act against humanity". She grabbed Beatriz's wrist and intertwined their fingers. "It's a shame we can't fight. You've lost the only thing that gave you a chance against me. I feel my strength growing, and my doubts disappear from my horizon".
He hugged Candela, resting his head on her chest. "You're funny for someone with amnesia," he quickly remembered how to make lame jokes. He looked at Faust, who held Candela's head. "Your brother is so beautiful sleeping, without any deep scars and without any hatred for whoever did it, but that won't last long".
"For once you said something that made sense. I'm glad your creators didn't at least beat your brains out". She looked at Faust, who backed away. "Very clever, very good. I realize more and more how blindly I was devoted to Gustav. He's the one who trapped me in this hell where you live, little demon".
She took a step back and sat on the ground. "You're better than I thought. Henri is right to find you a worthy opponent. Now I'm without my sword. Killbit is dreaming of me. I'll have to hand my life over to you. Take good care of it. Golem, take Killbit".
Even if the two didn't like each other, it wouldn't change the fact that their union was necessary to complete the mission they were given. Only with each other would they find the answers they so desperately sought.
No matter how much time she spent observing Killbit's actions,
Beatriz couldn't understand how Killbit got to the tower. Even though he was only a few days old and created without any other experiments, the young man became increasingly frightening. His organs weren't destroyed by the flames of his sword; every enemy he defeated was stronger than him.
Beatriz saw herself in him, but something made them different; she wanted to find out why at any cost. Even trapped in her own mind, the Homunculus felt everything August felt; his thoughts passed through her too. She was sure he wasn't the same one who created her, but what could have made him change so much?.
For a brief moment, Candela's body was no longer focused on battles, her mind lost in a desert of memories. She found herself focused on not being bound by past constraints, but she would still do as Gustav asked, eager for his new order. She didn't know why this was a natural thought for her. What could the two of them have to make her feel this way?.
In a few steps, they arrived in front of the golems. Candela gave space for Beatriz to attack, who delivered powerful blows that identified the golems' cores. Meanwhile, Candela with her illusions split them in half.
Killbit quickly woke up. He saw both Candela and Beatriz's smiles as they talked, not wanting that moment to happen again with his eyes closed.
"Do you have any idea what that attack by those winged ice beings might have been? They weren't made of magic like golems; it was someone's technique".
"I'd say Bernard had something to do with it, since he occasionally releases some beasts, but his power has nothing to do with ice". "It could be someone who knows about the rebellion and is watching us".
"Good point, makes a lot of sense. We're always fighting the golems, and we don't even realize they're not there to defend the place, but rather to observe us. Some of them are already whispering things in my ear".
"Being sung to even by clay, this must be the first time anyone has sung about you. Sorry, I couldn't miss the opportunity. The three sectors are aligned with the orders of the leader of the Tower of Babel project".
"If the three of them are, why are we heading to the Sloth Sector? Maybe Bernard is setting us a trap for the sector leaders, to set you up again as a pleasure target?".
"No. Bernard may be slender, but he couldn't do anything that would trip him over his own feet. The Sloth Sector is a mystery; it's not the scientists who run it, but the Homunculus, Vasily".
The silence crept in subtly.
Faust put Killbit on the ground, awake.
In a few steps, they reached long gates.
Candela took a deep breath; her Cleaver appeared.
Everyone's eyes met.
Everyone threw themselves against the tower.