Chains of Corruption Pt. 02

"And if not?" Sid asks.

"Well, I..." Mara begins.

"Then you're gonna have to step up Sid." You reply.

"W-What?" Sid stammers.

"If anything goes wrong we're probably going to die, which means it's up to you to try to save as many people as you can." You say bluntly.

"I... I understand. You can count on me, on all of us." Sid says.

You nod and then two slender arms wrap themselves around your waist.

Gwen hugs you tightly and says, "I'd tell you to be careful, but that's pretty stupid considering what you're about to do."

You sigh and turn to her before saying, "Gwen, I... I don't know what's gonna happen..."

Gwen cuts you off and says, "Well I do, you're gonna go kick this guy's ass like all the others and then you're coming back to me, understand?"

You smile and say, "Yeah, you're right."

A short while later, High Rock Mountain comes into view but something is wrong. The clouds surrounding the mountain are much darker than usual and they're swirling around it as if propelled by some unseen force. The closer the ship gets, the stronger the winds become until Sid begins having trouble keeping it steady.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Sid says as he struggles to maintain control.

"Can you drop us off at the peak?" You ask.

"I think so, but are you gonna be alright out there?" Sid responds.

You nod and say, "Yeah, just drop us off and then get out of here."

Sid nods and Gwen holds your hand tightly as the ship gains altitude. A few tense minutes later, the Valkyria finally reaches the peak and lands near the wreckage of Hakon's home. You turn to Gwen and give her one final kiss before you lead your group out of the ship.

As soon as you step outside, the intense winds and bitter cold relentlessly batter your body. The Valkyria lifts off and heads back down the mountain as Mara's eyes begin to glow. She creates a small barrier around your group to shield them from the cold and motions for you to lead on. You trudge your way to the edge of the cliff and look down into the crater below where you see the cause of the recent tremors.

The thick blanket of snow that once filled the crater has been completely removed, exposing the ancient remains of the city of Rydell. In the center of the crater is a structure that looks like it's made out of broken pieces of the surrounding buildings. It looks haphazardly built and it is held together with several massive tendrils of dark energy.

"At least we know where he's at." C.C. says trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm ready, let's do this." Astrid says with a devilish smile.

You carefully make your way down into the crater and begin walking towards Nero's palace. The trip is silent, everyone preparing themselves for a hellish fight. As you approach, you see Mary and her smiling golden mask standing outside the front entrance, as if she was waiting for you.

"You finally came, and I see you've awakened your power. He was right, you will be so much more delicious now I can almost taste it." Mary says.

Mara releases her shield as Astrid says, "As much as I'd like to kill you right now, we're not here for small fry."

Mary laughs and says, "I see, well in that case..."

Suddenly a pitch black hand tears through Mary's chest, spraying the ground with her black blood.

"Be careful... what, you... wish for..." Mary says in a horrible, gurgling tone.

Her flesh attaches to the arm protruding from her chest and she begins being absorbed into Nero as he lowers his arm and lets her lifeless corpse dangle before it is completely absorbed.

"Do you still not understand the futility of your actions?" Nero says coldly.

You take a step forward but Nero unleashes his power in full. It feels like an unbearable pressure is bearing down on you, keeping your group at bay.

Mara looks confident as she says, "I will rid this world of your evil once and for all."

Nero laughs and says, "As ignorant as ever I see. I was sealed away in a void for millennia and still my power influenced this world enough to corrupt even the gods that banished me. They were truly powerful beings, but the two of you are like the dirt beneath my feet. I've already absorbed everyone else that had magical potential, but I had hoped you would teach this one to awaken her divinity, so I spared you until now. It seems I made the right choice, two goddesses should sate my appetite, for a few hours."

"What the hell are you going to do, kill everyone in the world? Then what, there would be nothing left." You say in frustration.

Nero turns to you and says, "Yes, that's the plan, but you're wrong about one thing."

"What?" You ask in confusion.

Nero smiles and says, "There would be plenty left, like this world for example. I will use this planet as my vessel and seek out other worlds to corrupt, and thanks to you, I've already chosen my first destination, Earth. From the way Zero described your memories, it sounds like they will have no way to defend themselves against me."

This is far worse than you could have imagined. Mary has told Nero about Earth and now he's set his sights on your home world. There's no telling how far it is from Thanos or how long it would take him to get there, but he's right, no one on Earth would be able to stand up to him.

Nero laughs and says, "Good, it seems I have your attention now. Do you see? Your actions are futile, I am eternal!"

As Nero laughs maniacally, you hear Kira whispering behind you.

"Let's go while he's distracted." Kira says quietly.

Mara shakes her head and replies, "Not yet, we need him to think we're retreating, not leading him into an ambush."

You know Nero won't stand around forever and you don't want anyone else getting hurt before you even make it to the demon world.

"Stay back, let me handle this." You say.

"What? You can't take him on alone." Astrid says, almost sounding concerned.

"I have to, none of you stand a chance against him and Mara needs to focus." You say as you step forward.

You let your energy flow into your palm and grasp your blade of light as you walk towards Nero.

Nero smiles and says, "Eager to die are we? Very well."

Nero stands his ground as you approach and start sprinting towards him. Now that you don't have to worry about hurting yourself, you unleash your full power with every slash. Nero is able to evade your attacks but he's losing ground, slowly being pushed back toward his twisted castle. You push yourself harder, becoming faster with each attack, but even at this blinding speed Nero is still just a step ahead.

Finally, Nero backs into the wall and says, "Looks like you've got me, what will you do now?"

His twisted grin tells you he's got something up his sleeve, but you charge in anyway, hoping to land a clean blow. As soon as you are in range, the tendrils of dark energy holding together Nero's palace suddenly move. The huge pieces of stone buildings embedded within them make the tendrils too large to dodge, and they crush you into the icy ground in front of Nero.

Nero crouches down and grabs a handful of your hair, forcing you to look up at him as he says, "I know you've only recently been awakened, but this was pathetic." Suddenly Nero grins and says, "I have an idea, Zero told me about how close you are to the other human. How about I bring her down here and corrupt her? What was her name again, Gwen right?"

Every ounce of energy you have is surging through your body and you're able to slip out from under one of the tendrils. With less weight bearing down on you, you release your energy as a shockwave, allowing you to break free of the remaining tendrils. You lunge at Nero but with his hand still on your head he simply drives your face back into the ground.

"So I was correct?" Nero says as he begins scanning the skies. He looks back down to you and says, "Where is that flying machine of yours?"

"Leave her out of this!" You yell as you break free of his grip and get to your feet.

Nero stands up and as soon as you make a move, two tendrils burst out of the remains of his palace and wrap themselves around you. You manage to keep one arm free but the rest of your body is immobilized.

Nero walks closer and looks you over before saying, "Perhaps I will corrupt you and make you kill her, wouldn't that be amusing? She certainly wouldn't see it coming."

You reach out trying desperately to grab him, strangle him, anything at this point. He laughs and walks a few steps closer, your fingers mere inches from his golden face. Nero raises his hand, and you quickly channel energy into your palm and grip your sword. The blade of light appears too fast for Nero to dodge and it pierces through his eye.

For a moment, you wonder if he could be dead, but then he begins laughing. He moves his head to the side, tearing his own flesh against your blade until he is free. His wound festers and immediately heals as he grabs your blade with his bare hand.

"That was a cheap shot human..." Nero says in an ominous tone. His expression turns to joy as he suddenly yells, "It was perfect!"

The tendrils lift you high into the air at Nero's command and throw you back down towards him, but you quickly create a magic circle underneath your feet, using it to leap over Nero and land on the opposite side.

"Interesting, I wonder where you learned that little trick." Nero says as he turns to face you.

You ready your blade and say, "Does it really matter?"

Nero shrugs and says, "I suppose not, ready to continue?"

Nero raises his arms and suddenly the world disappears into a sea of endless darkness. Only the shining plates of your armor and your blade of energy are visible, like a lantern against the pitch black darkness. Your eyes are useless here, but you have something better.

You focus your senses and sure enough, it's quite easy to find the source of the malevolent energy. You can't tell how he will attack, but knowing where it's coming from is better than nothing.

You feel Nero's energy shifting around in the darkness and then it rushes toward you. You shield your body in a thin barrier just before he attacks, hoping to dampen the blows you are unable to block. You raise your sword and feel his claws crash against it.

His strength is overwhelming, even with only one arm pushing against your blade. You struggle as your sword is slowly pushed back and quickly wrap your hand in energy before placing it on the back of your blade. You push back with all your might, but Nero suddenly relents, causing you to lose your balance.

Something impacts your armor from behind and knocks you your knees. Another violent strike against your ribs sends you tumbling across the ground. In this darkness, it's impossible to tell what's going on and you know you have to find a way out before he is finished toying with you. You get to your knees and raise your arms, creating a dome of energy around yourself as Nero approaches.

"This won't save you little girl." Nero says mockingly.

He raises his hand and hits your shield with full force, but surprisingly it holds up.

Nero laughs and says, "Oh you're full of surprises, aren't you?"

He raises both of his arms and begins lashing out against your shield almost too fast to see. You know you don't have long before he breaks through and then you get an idea. When you were fighting First, your power engulfed a very large area and destroyed any corruption it touched. You doubt it would be enough to kill him, but maybe it can break this illusion.

Seeing no other option, you quickly gather energy as Nero continues chipping away at your barrier. Just as you feel your power overflowing, Nero's arm breaks through and he begins prying apart your barrier. You release your energy in a shockwave that knocks Nero onto his back and shatters his dark illusion. The darkness fades away and you see that the battle has taken you further away from your friends.

Nero sighs as he slowly rises to his feet and says, "You are beginning to irritate me woman." He looks you in the eye and continues, "Of all the countless beings that have stood against me, you alone have earned my undivided attention."

'Good, he's completely focused on me. Now all I have to do is let him think he's winning and wait for Mara's signal.' You think as Nero's power begins to surge.

Nero's corrupted energy becomes visible around him as he begins walking towards you. You blink and suddenly he's right in front of you smiling. Nero's fist impacts your ribs and lifts you off your feet. Nero grabs you by your face and slams you into the ground hard.

You struggle as his pitch black hand covers your mouth and you feel his energy rising quickly. Your body moves on pure instinct as you create your blade of light and sever Nero's arm. You quickly roll away and return to your feet as Nero's arm regenerates and his black blood pours onto the ground, causing it to turn a sickening dark purple color.

You charge in and swing hard, but Nero catches your blade with his bare hand. He grips the blade of energy tightly and you notice streaks of black flowing through it. Fearing he will turn your weapon against you, you quickly open your palm causing the blade to dissipate before your release you energy in a massive blast. Nero is pushed back by the blast and although he took it head on, he is still in one piece. His black flesh festers as it regenerates and Nero begins laughing.

"This has been entertaining, but I think it's time we ended this, I still have a planet to conquer after all." Nero says mockingly.

You tense up and prepare for another clash, but two tendrils of dark energy burst up from the ground and bind your ankles. As your attention momentarily shifts to the tendrils, Nero quickly closes in and kicks you across the face. With your feet rooted to the ground, you fall backwards and desperately try to block Nero's next attack.

You conjure your sword just as Nero's claws come into range and they crash against the blade of light. Sparks of energy fly as you push back against him, but with your back to the ground, he has the advantage. Nero crushes your blade and it disappears as he smiles and leans down to speak to you.

"Mmm yes, that scent..." Nero inhales deeply then continues, "The smell of fear has always intrigued me. Your own body betrays you and seizes up, leaving you at my mercy. That look of hopelessness is utterly delectable."

"Go to hell you piece of shit!" You yell in anger as you struggle in vain to free yourself.

Nero smiles and says, "I've was trapped there for a very long time, but I can show you what it's like."

Nero places his hands on your shoulders and his energy flows through his hands and into your armor. It burns, more than if you were actually on fire, and you can't help but scream as you desperately try to free yourself. Nero laughs and presses his fingers into the shining metal plates as if they weren't even there.

You wrap your hands around Nero's throat and quickly release your energy. The blast decapitates Nero and he stumbles backwards as you quickly destroy the tendrils and get to your feet. You charge in, not wanting to give him time to heal and although he isn't completely reformed yet, he is still able to fend off your attacks.

As soon as he has regenerated Nero begins attacking wildly, forcing you back. His attacks are reckless and leave plenty of openings, but with his regenerative ability, he doesn't really need to be cautious. You try to defend and use his relentlessness against him, but the flurry of attacks soon become too much to bear.

You block the first few attacks, but Nero keeps pushing the pace and soon you are helpless as he pummels you from every angle. The impacts reverberate through your body and you begin to feel lightheaded. The speed of his attacks makes it seem like he has much more than just four limbs.

You feel the warm blood flowing down your face as the cold wind howls in the distance. Nero lands one last vicious blow and sends you flying into the air. You tumble helplessly as Nero leaps into the air and quickly catches up with you.

Nero grabs you by the throat and squeezes hard as he says, "I've enjoyed our time together, but now I want you to die."

He throws you at blinding speed towards the icy ground and immediately follows it with a massive blast of dark energy. You watch the ground rapidly approaching as the blast of magic races toward you, but you stop midway, floating inside a light green sphere. The dark energy impacts the barrier and flows around it, hitting the ground under you and creating a massive hole in the earth.

You look back and see that Mara has caught you with her magic. You feel your wounds healing as the sphere makes its way to the ground and dissipates.

Mara yells loud enough that Nero can hear and says, "Mika, he is too powerful, we must retreat for now!"

'This is it, time for the real fight to begin!' You think to yourself as you begin sprinting away from Nero.

"Running away? There's nowhere on this planet you can hide from me." Nero says as he takes off after you.

Even with your increased speed, Nero is right behind you and gaining quickly. Your friends have already gone through Mara's portal and she reaches out towards you as you approach. You grab her hand and leap through the portal together, landing on the cracked, dried out ground of the island. The portal quickly seals behind you and you take a look around.

All of your companions are here and no one looks injured, so far so good, but Nero is much stronger than you expected and you get the feeling he's been holding back this whole time. Mara quickly ushers everyone out of sight and puts up a small barrier.

"This will keep Nero from sensing us, now Priscilla, create copies of each of us except Astrid and Mika." Mara instructs.

Priscilla nods and one by one, perfect replicas of your friends begin to appear.

"This is so simple when I use your energy." Priscilla muses.

"Now have them gather near the fortress and as soon as Nero shows up, make them run towards the portal." Mara says.

Priscilla nods as you and Astrid make your way to the fortress. Minutes feel like hours and the eerie silence isn't helping either. After what seems like an eternity, the skies begin to darken overhead.

"This is it, you ready?" Astrid asks, giving you a half hearted smile.

You nod and reply, "Yeah, be careful in there."

Astrid laughs and says, "I'll be in the back lines for once, you're the one that needs to be careful."

"Y-Yeah, thanks." You respond, unable to look away from the ominous swirling clouds overhead.

The skies seem to rip apart as massive tendrils of dark energy open a portal in the center of the swirling clouds. Nero appears and begins falling through the sky as you and Astrid turn to run. You take off down the tunnel and glance back in time to see Nero land and begin chasing you into the tunnel. You follow Astrid through the narrow passageway and into the room housing the portal.

You both leap through and as the illusions follow, they disappear leaving only you and Astrid on the other side. Astrid unfurls her wings and takes off toward the palace as you jump off the cliff and try to put some distance between you and the portal. The demons that stayed behind meet you down below and you look back towards the portal as Nero makes his way through.

Chapter 19 - Astratta

Nero lands on the cliff and calmly walks to the edge, gazing down at the resistance gathered below. He steps off the edge and slowly descends to the ground as a demon walks forward and stands next to you. He raises his sword and yells as the rest of the demons charge toward Nero.

"No, wait!" You yell, trying to stop them before it's too late.

Nero calmly walks forward as a horde of demons surround him and smiles as they tense up. The demons attack all at once and in the blink of an eye, they're gone. Nero's corrupted aura stops them in their tracks and rips them apart from the inside before they even get into range. Demonic blood rains down over Nero as severed limbs fly out in all directions, the only remnants of the nearly fifty demons that stood beside you only moments ago.