Once more the ear-splitting sound that came from the outside bypassed the hall—now it was nearer, and so heavy that it seemed to shake the entire stony building.
Tachibana Jiro stayed put.
That alone was sufficient to inform me.
"Behind you," Hoshino Rei spoke in the most subdued voice. "He is not afraid."
"No," I rejoined in low tones. "He is not idle."
The archway completed its opening.
Out of the archway came darkness like a tide, thick and suffocating, and along with it came the stench of rust and a smell that was ancient enough to have lost compassion. Within the darkness were shadows, great figures that were dragging their way forward with slow and confident moves that were even deliberate.
Words went up in flames over the doorway.
ZONE DESIGNATION: THE PROCESSIONAL
THREAT LEVEL: MASS CASUALTY
Rei breathed in sharply through his mouth. "That's not a battle. That's a slaughter."
The shadow coiled around my feet, tight and energized. It knew this environment—long halls, synchronized wails, the sound of numerous people being killed at the same time.
Jiro completely rotated to face us.
"Now you know," he spoke smoothly. "The importance of factions."
Suddenly figures were coming out of the darkness.
Not beasts.
Humans.
Candidates—weaponized, armored, and in the right place. There were not less than twelve of them. Some were wielding weapons made of either fire or ice. Others were simply manifesting the staggering of air, like a mirage due to the heat or due to the increase of air pressure.
A woman with long red-colored locks, which were held in a high bun, was leading the group. Her face was sharp and hard to read. She was carrying a curved knife which was made of black glass and the blade was resting on her shoulder.
She caught Jiro's eyes and gave him a slight bow of her head.
"Tachibana Jiro," she introduced. "You are tardy."
"And you are on time, 'Kanzaki Shiori'," replied Jiro. "I presume you have already started the process of recruitment."
Shiori showed her teeth in a narrow way. "The recruits are the leftovers of the battle."
Rei and I were standing so close that it was as if he was whispering directly to me. "That's a head of a faction."
"Indeed," I replied. "And she has already evaluated us."
Shiori's gaze shifted to me and halted.
Her face showed a change of expression for just half a second.
Curiosity.
"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed. "A resonance that is already matched?"
The shadow trembled with fury.
Jiro laughed. "It is clear why I was patient."
Shiori stepped in front. The people who were with her at the back moved slightly and created a loose semicircle around her. Their stance wasn't hostile.
But rather, it was quite the opposite. They looked like hunters.
"The Processional doesn't mind how many people there are," Shiori said. "However, we do mind. If you come with us, you will be the one to survive."
"What if we decide not to?" Rei inquired, with the spear casting a faint glow.
Shiori just shrugged her shoulders. "Then you will go your way."
The earth trembled.
Something huge moved from the darkness beyond the archway towards the light—it was a gigantic figure made of bones and stones, chained and stitched together. Its movements were slow, but nothing could stop it. Each step it took smashed the ground. It was covered with a bunch of chains that were all going in different directions and eventually vanished into the dark.
Words became very much readable in the air with fire.
PROCESSIONAL ENTITY: THE BEARER OF NAMES
FUNCTION: Cull
Rei whispered. "It's going along… pillars."
I took a closer look.
She was correct.
The creature's back was covered with stone slabs—ruined pillars—every one of them had names written on it. Dark names. Names of unlit candles.
Dead aspirants.
The Bearer lifted its head.
And let out a howl.
The eerie sounds made waves all over the walls smashing the symbols there. Some uncommitted candidates at the back panic and run in the opposite direction just as soon as the howl goes off.
They wouldn't even reach ten steps.
Chains shot out, encircling the bodies, and pulled them along with the screams into the darkness.
Names that were new were getting on the pillars at the exact moment when the creature was being carved on the back of the pillar.
Rei turned white. "Kuro—"
"I am aware," I said.
Shiori was looking at the scenario with a smile that barely expressed her delight.
"This is the time when the factions will show their worth," she said. "Our movements will be together. Our surviving will be together."
Jiro faced us again.
"Last chance," said he. "Pick a side."
The shadow swept up through my body, bringing back the memories vividly—people turning their backs, giving up, and quietly breaking their promises.
I locked my sights on Jiro.
"What is the fate of those who can't keep the pace?" I voiced my question.
He held his tongue for a moment, then let Shiori speak.
"They become a burden," she spoke without excitement. "And we do not throw away our supplies on them."
Rei was evidently very angry as she clenched her jaw.
That was all she could say.
I let out the breath I was holding very slowly.
"In that case, we will not come with you," I stated.
Shiori lost the smile on her lips.
Jiro let out a long breath. "Too bad."
The earth trembled yet again due to the approaching presence of the Bearer of Names.
The advertisement appeared again.
CHOICE REGISTERED
FACTION STATUS: INDEPENDENT
WARNING: INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES EXPERIENCE HIGHER MORTALITY
Rei's laughter was a single sound, sharp and bitter. "It figures."
Shiori pointed her sword at us. "Then don't perish in our vicinity. I hate interruptions."
The members of her faction moved—exactly as planned, slipping silently past us to take the reinforced path on the left. Jiro was next, still not looking back.
Once again, we were on our own.
With the Bearer.
Rei's hands around the spear became firmer. "That isn't something we can escape from."
"I think so," I concurred. "But we will be able to lead it elsewhere."
As the memories were forcing themselves into my thoughts, the shadow became fully visible behind me, the tallest it had ever been, and its edges were fraying.
"It's going to hurt" the shadow warned me.
"I'm aware," I said. "But still, go ahead!"
Then I made a move toward the front and called out.
"HEY!"
The head of the Bearer quickly turned to my side.
The sound of chains was heard.
A very brief flickering of text was noted, indicating instability.
BURDEN OVERUSE DETECTED
The shadow forcefully detached itself from my being, and like a wave of water, it spread and reached the names that were cut into the Bearer's body.
Memories cries came out all at once.
Faces. Sounds. Suffering.
The Bearer yelled in bewilderment and took a step back as the shadow was pulling—not its body but the dead weight it was carrying.
Rei was quick to act.
She took off running.
The light source of the Bearer was so bright that it seemed like it would burn everything around. She made a sharp turn of her spear, aimed it at a chain that was holding the creature's leg, and thrust her spear with all her strength into the chain joint. The chain burst and made a loud cracking sound.
The Bearer went down on one knee.
I fell down too, my vision was all of a sudden not very clear, and blood was oozing from my nose.
"Kuro!" Rei yelled.
"I'm—fine," I answered with a lie.
The shadow in me was expelled back with such force that it brought along with it a million echoes. My head was throbbing. It was hard to breathe.
Faintly, the text was visible.
PAIR RESONANCE: 18%
BURDEN STABILITY: CRITICAL
Rei seized my arm and pulled me up. "You're not going to do that again."
I gave her a lopsided smile. "Is it a success?"
The Bearer, their movement obstructed by the chains, was not able to move quickly enough behind us.
Long enough.
Rei led me to a small side corridor that had been overlooked by the factions.
"Hurry up!" she urged. "Before it remembers how to walk."
We sprinted.
The Bearer of Names behind us let out a furious roar.
And in the far distance, perhaps in a deeper part of the Descent, the emergence of new symbols could be signaled—two independent candidates who had just become very, very conspicuous were marked.