Three Spheres

Chapter 43 - Armor

Amadeo checks his pulse and breathing. "He's alive!", he thinks, dragging Johan to the place where he sketched a rough circle. Johan seems to be conscious, emitting a few groans as he tries to communicate. Suddenly, Amadeo puts a Camazotz* helmet over his head. Penan doesn't understand why, but neither question it. Reclining over Johan, the Paragon whispers:

_ It'll hurt a lot, okay? And this time I won't stop until you're 100%...

Amadeo drips sweat, but completely ignores the exhaustion. He begins an enchantment with mysterious words and the ground begins to light up in shades of white. Penan takes a few steps back. Johan grunts and groans in pain. Amadeo doesn't stop. Johan's skin begins to be replaced by the thick tissue of his indestructible scars. He feels his joints become stiffer, but the pain is completely gone.

The blonde falls down. Vanessa runs inside the fort in search of an elixir made of herbs and flowers for spiritual overload. Johan stands up, with stiff movements. He takes a few moments to regain his balance. He asks:

_ How did you know about the mask...?

_ Maybe a certain person from Ruber told me that you don't like the way your face looks when it regenerates... _ Amadeo smiles _ Maybe.

Johan doesn't say anything else and goes down the hill. Penan thanks Amadeo once again and also leaves, however, she feels useless in combat when he sees the man advancing in front of her: The creatures scratch, bite and hit him, but no injury is formed. Without pain as a limitation to his blows, he doesn't show a hint of hesitation. "He's wilder than an Adze** or than a Chupacabra***... !!", she thinks, melting with passion.

Johan runs hunched over. The only weapon left is his small dagger. He jumps on a monster's back and behead it. The severed head is thrown in the direction of two others. The creatures struggle with the impact and Johan soon appears from below. As he stands up, he sticks the blade in the abdomen of one of them, letting the muddy viscera out. The second one, he holds by the neck and strangles it, slowly. The creature fights back, but the pressure doesn't yield. Finally, Johan hears the neck snap and the body stops moving. He throws the dead enemy along with the dagger. The small knife pierces the forehead of one of the Golems, while another group is knocked down by the corpse. Johan leaps towards the monster and retrieves his blade. He uses it to rip another one's chest... However, one more foe approaches, fierce. Without difficulty, the boy penetrates his arm inside the creature and hits the jaw of the approaching enemy. He lets go and wipes the knife on his thigh. The enemies keep coming. He receives them with an almost vertical kick that crushes them against the ground.

Johan doesn't recognize what he is feeling. Anger, vengeance? Hatred? No... It all seems too complex. He doesn't need such emotions. His body moves on its own, seeing through the movements of dozens of abominable enemies. He feels good; strangely satisfied. His body resonates pure violence; a desire for destruction. "Maybe they're right...", he thinks, as he tears the torso of a creature without mercy: "The monster..."

However, a new tremor brings him back to reality. Everyone is scared.

Mooya tries to decapitate the Grootslang, but the Golems seem to defend it. Gamila's electricity ran out and she was also surrounded. Nobody stops receiving and returning blows, but the Fabulares and humans are more exhausted than the horde. Pulling the megaphone from her waist, Gamila exclaims:

_ MELISSA! Shoot it with my special arrow!! _ Lowering the equipment, she turns to the others around her _ Let's get out of here, quickly!

Mooya, Dreyfus and Phil obey. Moments later, Edgard and Gatsumiya wave for them to regroup. Melissa prepares the shot, while Grootslang gets up, slowly. She aims carefully and...