From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 43  Empty Voices

Jade's heart pounded against her ribcage, each beat echoing the lingering echoes of the battle.

As Jade surveyed the battlefield, the scorched and battered ground bore witness to the ferocious combat that had just unfolded. Her fingers gripped the hilt of the dagger Ashaiki had thrown to her, the metal cool against her heated skin. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As the cloud of black smoke rose to the top of the barrier, mixing with the shifting fog emitting off the barrier walls, the scene revealed that Erebos was gone. Waddell stated, "Did he blow up?"

"No, no, I'm just too fast for that," Erebos remarked, appearing suddenly to place a hand on the back of Waddell, throwing him off balance in shock. Swiftly, Erebos summoned a coin into his palm, jetting it through Waddell's shoulder, spraying blood across the field. Just as swiftly, Tyree came flying in with a blue-blazing kick, but Erebos caught it with his forearm, releasing an invisible force that pushed both Tyree and Waddell back.

 They skidded along the ground, grimacing from the impact.

Erebos then pulled out a small dial, which began to flash orange. "Sorry, you two, my time has run short," he stated, his words chilling the air.

 "Go ahead and give me everything you both have in one strike. I promise not to move, but after that, it's my turn to strike." His warm smile was a stark contrast to the deadly proposition he presented.

 He shot a glance over to Jade, his sly smirk sending a shiver down her spine. Jade watched on, her disgust for this creature deepening with every passing moment. A sinking feeling slowly set in as she began to grasp the reality that this man, or rather a creature, was responsible for killing Ty.

Tyree and Waddell exchanged glances, a smirk playing on both their faces.

"If you're handing out free shots, you must be thirstier than you look, you pathetic excuse for a vampire," Tyree retorted, as he began to focus, channeling his energy into the palm of his hand. His entire body seemed to hum with the shifting energy. Meanwhile, Waddell conjured a massive ring of fire that multiplied into a dozen different rings, jetting out in all directions around Erebos, who stood unfazed.

"What creativity, I will give you that," Erebos remarked, clear amusement painting his expression as he observed the fiery spectacle encircling him.

Tyree didn't waste a moment. "NOW!" he yelled, as both he and Waddell slapped their right and left hands together, respectively. The mixed energy Tyree had gathered created a vortex of white flames that encased them both, while the blue flamed rings surrounded Erebos, each jetting their energy towards the first ring.

Waddell's urgent scream cut through the tense air, "Jade, get down!"

With every ounce of her being, Jade heeded the call, ducking for cover as the field erupted into a tempest of fire and fury.

In a swift motion, Jade hit the ground as a white flash of intense heat burst from their hands, traveling through each loop and growing larger with each circular motion. It swiftly encrusted the entire surrounding area around Erebos, forming an almost perfect sphere before expanding and connecting with the nearby hoops, creating a full circular inferno with Erebos at the center.

Erebos's demeanor shifted from playful to panic in a fleeting moment as he became fully submerged in the flame.

 Tyree couldn't help but yell out, "How do you like your steak, Erebos? Well-done or charred to a crisp, you jackass?"

Moments later, the attack dispersed into thousands of shards, leaving Tyree stunned as Erebos planted his hand on his neck, crushing him against the barrier wall. Erebos, now covered in severe burn marks that were slowly healing, appeared slightly aged by the ordeal.

"I do have to apologize," Erebos sneered, his voice oozing with venom. "I planned to take your attack head-on, but you dumbasses would have ended up killing yourselves if I let the attack hit its climax."

Tyree coughed, struggling to lift his arms as he was hoisted off the ground. His body began to betray him; overheating from the attack, he grew weak and fought to keep his eyes open. Erebos's grip around his neck tightened mercilessly. Meanwhile, Waddell, with exhaustion clouding his eyes, summoned a short flame dagger and darted towards Erebos in a desperate attempt to slash at the arm holding Tyree aloft.

Erebos was quick to counter, slamming his free hand into Waddell's forearm with brutal force. In the next instant, his hand transformed into a long, spiked tendril that stretched far beyond what Waddell had presumed was the retreat zone. The tendril slammed across Waddell's chest, opening up a severe gash from which blood began to leak profusely. The force sent Waddell crashing to the ground, where he lay unconscious.

Erebos's device began to blink red subtly, eliciting a curse from him as he tightened his grip, ready to crush Tyree's windpipe.

 "It was a fun match, and I'm sorry I can't play with you anymore. Maybe if you ge—" His words were abruptly cut off when he felt the cold steel of a blade pierce the back of his neck. Jade leaped up from behind with alarming speed, striking him with the unique blade that Ashaiki had thrown at her earlier.

Erebos cursed, recognizing the distinctive pain caused by that blade.

 He gave a light whistle, releasing his grip on Tyree, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

 In response to Erebos's whistle, his coins darted forward, piercing Jade's hand and slicing past her shoulder, causing blood to spray out as she cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.

The scene continued to unfold as Erebos's skin kept burning with an odd red glow.

 Tyree, watching on, felt his anger boiling at the sight before his vision gradually faded, surrendering to unconsciousness.

Erebos then turned his attention to Jade, kneeling down to meet her gaze. "Ms. Jade, is it?" he said, his voice carrying a dangerous calm. "I spent a while trying to find where you were before anyone else could get to you."

His eyes bore into hers as he continued, "You're fine where you are now, but there will come a time when someone, possibly stronger, comes for you, and they won't be your ally."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before adding, "If you ever want to meet Ty again, I'd suggest you get a lot stronger."

Erebos walking over to Waddell with the cracked open rib cage with blood slowly filling out of his mouth placed a finger over his head as a small orb protruded his chest as the wounds closed up and he turned his focus back on Jade.

 Without warning, he flicked his hand at her head, sending her tumbling back a good 3-4 feet. She hit the ground hard, falling into unconsciousness as blood began to trickle from her head.

With a sinister smirk, Erebos bundled a portion of her hair into his pocket, a trophy from the encounter. He then stepped into a portal that opened beside him, vanishing from the scene. As he left, the barrier crumbled and fell, leaving behind nothing but a bloody, chaotic mess.