Chapter 151- Bleed (Part 3)

Chapter 151: Chapter 151- Bleed (Part 3)

Chapter 151- Bleed (Part 3)

Rize didn’t even notice what happened before it did. He was too occupied with Venera to see her hand move as she grabbed her sword and swung it fast, faster than his eye could even see. However, again, his senses kicked in and saved his life at the very last second before she could slice his neck off.

He pulled his sword out as he instantly tried to block the hit. The two blades collided violently, sending sparks everywhere along with a huge amount of essence.

"Hah... Hah..."

Rize’s hands shook as he breathed heavily while staring at Venera. Her blade was next to his face, touching his cheek as it left a cut on it. He clenched his teeth as he stared at Venera coldly.

"What... are you doing... Venera?" He asked in a terrified tone. He didn’t understand why Venera attacked him out of nowhere. Had he not reacted in time, his head would’ve flown off his shoulders, and he would be dead.

That was a cold strike to kill that didn’t carry any hesitation in it. His heart sank as he watched Venera slowly lift her head and stare at him. He felt as if the world around him stopped for a second.

Her eyes were pitch black with no white parts whatsoever. She looked terrifying, completely emotionless, like a monster rather than a person. Rize’s face paled as his lips quivered.

"Vene... ra?" He muttered in disbelief.

The girl didn’t reply and instead pulled her sword back before she swung again. Rize instantly moved and deflected the hit.

’Shit!’ He clenched his teeth as he pushed the girl back and tried to create some distance. However, at that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine as someone snuck behind him.

Rize instantly jumped away, trying to dodge the possible incoming hit.

"AGH!!!"

Rize was simply a split second too slow as the sword cut through his clothes and penetrated his back, leaving behind a deep gash as he stumbled and fell on his back. He groaned in pain as he felt his back burning.

Then, as he tried to stand up, he saw a silhouette leap in the air above him. His eyes widened as he saw Venera descend on him like an arrow from the sky.

*Swish*

Rize tilted his head to the side, barely fast enough to dodge the deadly attack. A huge cloud of dust formed around him, making him cough. Then, when it settled, he looked to the side and saw it... The blade was mere inches away from his face, planted into the ground.

"Fuck..."

’She’s actually trying to kill me. Is the monster controlling her?’ He thought to himself as he watched her pull the sword out before she stabbed down again with even more intent. Rize instantly kicked Venera in the stomach, pushing her off of him as he jumped back.

At the same time, Rose attacked him from the side as she sent several flying fireballs toward him. Rize dashed forward, dodging the explosions. But he didn’t even get a split second to breathe as Venera chased him with her sword at her as she attacked him.

"Guys... I... don’t want to hurt you!" He yelled. "PLEASE SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"

His yells fell on deaf ears as the two girls kept attacking him relentlessly from every angle. Rize tried to dodge and deflect as many as he could without hurting them. He knew that they were being controlled, and harming them could potentially put their lives or this test at risk.

’I need to find a way to break the illusion without hurting them, but...’

*BANG*

A large fireball descended on Rize’s head. Using Endless Hunger, he created a large barrier above him that absorbed the hit. However, Rize still felt the hot temperatures of the flames attack his body that made him protect his face.

’Her fire is too damn hot!!’

As Rize pulled his arms down, he saw Venera trying to ambush him. He instantly swung his sword, stopping her attack before it could get close to him. However, suddenly, Venera changed directions as she ducked down and attacked him.

’Wha-’ Rize’s eyes. He didn’t expect that attack out of nowhere. So, he instantly shifted his grip on the sword as he stabbed down.

*CLANG*

The change in momentum made him lose his balance as he fell back several steps. That split second of vulnerability was all the two girls needed as they instantly attacked at the same time.

Rose sliced with her sword, making Rize use his Endless Hunger to try and protect himself from the hit. The sword sliced through the black matter and left a deep gash on his arm.

But, that was never really the strong blow they were looking for as while he was trying to defend himself from the incoming attack, Venera stretched her palm forward as she aimed it at his chest.

The boy felt as if his senses were going to leap out of his mind as he realized the immense danger he was in.

"Venera... N-"

"Reverse."

Before he could even react, Venera uttered those words... Then, for a second, everything became white for Rize. His ears rang, his eyes were blinded, and he couldn’t even think as every inch of him became numb.

He only recovered as he realized he was flying in the air at horrifying speeds. He slammed into the first tree, breaking it easily, then the second, and the third. He rolled down on the ground several times and slammed against the last one.

A large trail of debris and dust was left behind him as he lay there, motionless... Swimming in his blood. He had a deep gash on his head, several broken bones, and a barely conscious mind with weak breaths.

"U...gh..." He muttered under his breath as he lay there, completely destroyed. Everything felt so hellishly painful that he couldn’t even speak or make pained noises. His eyes hazily stared into the darkness, not aware of what had just happened.

However, as the two silhouettes approached him, he realized what had just happened. Rize... was defeated.

The two girls stared at him with their pitch-black eyes. Rize could only part his lips slightly as he tried to say some words. However, he was unable to make any noise. He sucked in a breath before he watched Venera point her sword at him.

Rize stared at her with eyes filled with emotion before he saw the sword lift in the air as he closed his eyes. For a moment there, Rize accepted what was about to happen. It was all too sudden. It happened in less than 5 minutes, and yet here he was, facing death.

What could he do besides accept that realization?

’What would happen to Venera if she realized that she killed me? Fuck... What would happen to her when I die? Would the mist consume her? Would she also die?’ He thought to himself as his lips quivered. ’This is... cruel... What a cruel joke...’

As he laid there, paralyzed, the sword started descending toward his neck. However, at that moment, out of nowhere, the mist came out, and with it, the whispers came back.

"You have bled for us, Rize."

"You have seen the truth."

"Have you understood?"

"What bleeding means?"

The voices that spoke to him grew louder and louder as the mist wrapped around the girls and then wrapped around him. Rize couldn’t resist it or escape it this time as it coiled around his body, ready to consume him and leave nothing behind.

’If I could’ve... been killed... by Venera... It would’ve been a far better outcome...’ He thought to himself in great pain. This wasn’t the end Rize hoped for when he came to this world. He hoped he would die after achieving everything he wanted to achieve.

He yearned for a death that would leave him satisfied, not one that felt so bitter and cruel that he could only bear it with great pain. It hurt him far more than his wrecked body.

Either way, Rize was dead, and he knew nothing could save him. He was stuck deep in the woods, far away from any human contact, with this mist chasing him and his two companions trying to kill him. He needed some sort of miracle to escape this one, a miracle far bigger than any other close-call death encounter he had.

As the mist reached his nostrils, ready to enter his body and kill him or control him, suddenly, almost out of nowhere... Something happened.

A huge distance above the forest, high in the sky, in the darkness of the night, a small ember of light manifested out of nowhere. The light grew in size slowly until it was the size of a fist before it suddenly shot down to the ground at horrifying speeds.

Piercing through the canopy, it landed straight on Rize’s body as it exploded into a huge wave. The essence it generated was enough to shake the entire world and disturb everything within it.

The mist was pushed back as if it were burned by the light itself. Venera and Rose cried in pain as they coughed blood and were blasted back several dozen feet.

It was as if the entire place was stripped of its darkness and cruelty for a split second. Only the holy light remained within it.