The light shattered into fragments that scattered everywhere, yet still created a path to follow. Red was painted everywhere like a pulsing painting with its sticky ink. Everyone's will was mixed with a biting anxiety.
The black eyes reflected the distorted forms; the environment constantly became more suffocating. Vasily ran without stopping; the shadow quickly broke into fragments that scattered, creating a path for the real one.
But how could he not be seen in the midst of such vibrant red that twists at the tip and stretches at the center? Was he really there, or was it just another moment where Vasily's bullet was swallowed by his own arrogance?
"Where are we? It feels so different from anywhere inside Leviathan; everything here feels so vibrant and pulsating."
Their feet were wet, soaked, and with it, a pain spread like a root over the ground. Carcasses were piled high, their decaying flesh oozing over the scarlet, and within the bones, a black liquid oozed.
Even without knowing its full form, the human silhouette still echoed in everyone's minds, but this was certainly a prank. A being that could not be swallowed by Leviathan's great throat must have a similar proportion to it. With this in mind, Candela was ready to become one with the darkness, to clothe herself in the night, and swallow the bright stars in the sky.
In Candela's hand, there was still a small fragment of the sword. Even though it was just a small part, its brilliance was intense, causing Candela to remain in the sight of Dante and Bernard due to its light absorption. She was so immersed in it that she didn't realize that as she sighed, the sword fragment pierced her flesh, creating a cut that spilled blood onto the ground.
"Get behind me now, Candela, quickly! Get ready, Killbit!"
The instant the red touched the red, a sound echoed, and all the bones present in that space gathered together. Even though they were incomplete, they penetrated each other, causing the black liquid to ooze, which propagated like light in space, taking the form of enormous black worms that intertwined around a rotting human body. Inside it was a magnificent black and white sphere.
The darkness was immense, just like the clouds in the sky, but unlike them, the lights coming from the spheres could not be hidden. A pulse was transmitted for everyone to see, a color so intensely blinding. The black worms slid over the bones in a grotesque dance that released even more light, pulsing along with the glow's extension as the being took more form.
The shadow once seen became an image that clung to everyone's mind, just like the black worms that were thrown into the air in a rain that took the form of stakes. The body remained protected, pierced by bones that gave rise to more black worms.
Vasily stood in front of Candela, launching a burst of energy; the creatures quickly distorted, taking on a less tangible form. Then the golden glow appeared, Vasily shook his head, and Candela then jumped high, using her darkness axe as support. She then concentrated all the light on the prism she carried, launching an attack directed at the black sphere. In response, the white sphere absorbed part of the black one, taking its place, and causing the attack to be launched back at Candela.
"Your turn, Killbit!"
The homunculus appeared, carrying his sword. His cut, charged with his Tempus Fugit, was directed against Lagrange, causing the sword to distort. The golden color shone brighter. In a quick movement, Vasily fired the attack at the energy wave launched by Ascaris. When his shot came into contact with the wave, it was redirected to the vibrant red wall.
Leviathan roared loudly, causing the entire environment to tremble. The viscous and the red distorted, launching themselves against Vasily, whose body was absorbed by the great impact, but he didn't even move; his eyes were closed. The golden color then vibrated. The black sphere swallowed the white one, and around Ascaris, black spheres made of bones and pulsating flesh appeared.
Vasily, even while kneeling, looked at Candela.
"Ascaris is a complex being; he behaves like a binary star system. He absorbs a sphere and creates an impenetrable shield, after which any attack is absorbed. When the black one swallows the white one, he transforms the attack into asteroids that redirect the focus of gravity to a target."
Killbit stood in front of both of them, his sword taking its form again; the black spheres went in the direction of the group. Killbit cut them all in half.
"The only way to hit him is you. You need to use an attack of pure light; it will interfere with the electromagnetic field he made, so transform the kinetic energy in Lagrange into light, and attack him with everything you have, but wait for the right moment. Now again, Killbit!"
Vasily pushed Candela back. Killbit directed his attack at Ascaris, who swallowed the black sphere; the repelled energy was caught by Killbit's Tempus Fugit the moment it defended, throwing him far away. The sword penetrated the red, causing it to launch itself at Vasily, attacking him fiercely again.
The Lagrange shone intensely in gold. Vasily stared at Candela and threw his weapon into the air; a large magic circle appeared above his head. Thinking quickly, Candela held the pistol with her other hand, transforming the energy into light, which she transferred to her cleaver, which turned completely black.
Killbit then advanced; the magic circle launched by Vasily penetrated the silver sword. As the blade turned, Candela was by his side; he then split the air, creating a space where Candela could move toward Ascaris's cores.
The light around her was so intense and hot that no black worm could touch her. The black spheres that came into contact with her disintegrated with the brightness of a real sun. Candela hit the core; it split, generating a large shockwave that threw her far away.
The being of bones and rotten flesh writhed, even letting out an echoing scream that left everyone confused.
The moment everyone's consciousness was redoubled, Ascaris became another being.
Its stature became colossal; the black worms absorbed more bones, giving a structure for a body to stand up.
The worms united to create a tissue, muscles, and on its face, a large white eye with a magical seal written on it.
On it, long appendages, at the center of its belly, a large mouth with teeth made from the remains of bones.
Ascaris was overcome with fury; this could not be a simple parasite, but rather a complete existence.
Ascaris then took its combat form.