Ryoiki: Void Ghost (3)

CHAPTER 6: Loss.

Hollow and Carmen stood at the large fancy gate to the lab.

Carmen held up the keyring Luke had given them, he had sealed the lab once Rada's take over was complete.

Carmen opened the gate, and the two walked onto the lab grounds.

The lab was a giant tower, almost reaching all the way up to the glacier.

Carmen stood in front of it.

"A bunch of crazed royals...go figure."

Hollow looked around cautiously.

"Stop." Carmen held his hand out, and Hollow froze.

There was the sudden sound of horrid music, as yellow energy began to form around the duo.

'What is this?' Hollow signed to Carmen.

"I don't know...never seen something like this..."

A large group of soldiers appeared, attacking the two.

Hollow unsheathed her new sword and went to town.

Carmen reached into his bag and began to throw around different alchemy concoctions.

The soldiers were taken out quite swiftly, and Hollow and Carmen rushed deeper into the lab.

The lab was elaborate, hundreds of floors of soldiers, corrupted royals, and crazed scientists all tried to stop the two. But nothing could slow their assault.

At one point though, Carmen stopped.

"Hollow! Come here!!! We need to get up faster!!!"

Carmen threw a handful of potions into the air, creating a large hole in the tower.

Hollow hopped at him, with Carmen catching her. Shooting a strong string of webbing up the hole and pulling himself and Hollow up like a grappling hook.

As the two were nearing the top, Hollow felt a strong energy signature approaching.

A cloaked man appeared under Hollow and Carmen and shot them upwards with a powerful spell.

They burst onto a open platform insanely close to the glacier.

Carmen and Hollow both quickly got to their feet.

The cloaked figure flew up after them.

He had a yellow glow coming off his hands and feet.

"The queen does not appreciate your intrusion."

The man spoke.

'The queen can kiss my ass!!!' Hollow signed to the man with one hand.

He growled and launched a beam of energy at Hollow.

Carmen tackled Hollow out of the way, throwing 4 exploding potions towards the man.

"Come on Hollow, lets clean house."

Carmen got up and summoned his webs, with Hollow prepping her sword in both hands.

The cloaked man stared at the two

"I will end both of you swiftly!!!"

The man growled, launching many orbs of energy at Carmen and Hollow.

Carmen stayed back, deflecting and redirecting the orbs with his own spells.

Hollow rushed down the cloaked man, wanting to close as much distance as she could.

As Hollow neared, Carmen cast a spell to distract the cloaked man. Throwing discs made of a metallic looking stone at him.

The cloaked man dodged and blocked the orbs, but it bought Hollow enough time to get in and begin slashing at him.

And quickly, his cloak fell in shreds.

With a kick to end of her combo of cuts, the man was sent backwards and rolled on the ground.

"Portic..."

Carmen stared at him...

The man, Portic, stood up and wiped some of the blood from his cuts.

He had large slimy antennae, and parts of his body seemed liquidly.

Hollow remembered what Carmen and Luke had discussed...Portic was one of the larger scientists of the kingdom prior to Rada...and was the first of the kings advisors to fall.

"You...both..."

His voice was slimy and gross, like he had tons upon tons of mucus stuck in his throat.

"This ends."

Carmen let out a hiss from under his mask and summoned more of the magic discs and shot them right at Portic.

Hollow ran ahead of them and distracted Portic, hoping to keep him down for long enough that the discs could slice him up.

But Hollows sword, and the discs, all slipped right through his melty snail like body.

"You cant winnnn...hahahaha..."

Hollow eyed him, before firing one of her energy blasts to send Portic backwards. Towards the ledge of the tower.

Carmen flashed next to her.

"Come, knock him off."

Hollow nodded at Carmen and sheathed her sword. Opting for claws instead.

The duo then suddenly dashed forward at high speeds, both channeling energy into their fists.

Portic tried to block...but it was too late.

Hollow and Carmen let out a powerful punch, and off the tower he went.

After it...Carmen seemed tired.

"Well...that was...something."

Hollow had looked down the tower to see where Portic ended up...but she just couldn't see him.

Carmen got to his feet and patted her back.

"its okay, we will find that slimy git."

"Now come on...lets head back to Lukes."

Carmen led Hollow back to the center of the arena...trying to find a way down.

But the sudden shadow above the two answered their question.

Portic slammed down from above, sending the trio flying all the way down to the bottom of the tower.

Her vision was blurry when she landed...but she saw something quite hideous.

Portic was standing over a puddle of blood, eating mashed bits of...of...

Carmen.

His mask was cracked, and laying to the left of Portic.

Hollow heard him laugh in joy and pleasure...taking a sick enjoyment from it all.

She felt her body burning inside...and the worldwent black.