The legacy of the dark blood

Chapter 87

Settlement of accounts

The behavior of the animals when touched by the curse of the blood had been mentioned several times. They did not understand, however, what Chris's presence in that place responded to. Nick was the first to approach him fixing the sight of his pistol right between his eyes, likewise, Kira followed him with her bow and arrows. Chris was ready to raise his small machine gun against them, but not without first receiving a shot from Nick in the shoulder that forced him to stop and retreat, his hand did not tremble when it came to punish the ex-officer.

"Well," Nick began, addressing Kira coldly, "I'm going to give you the opportunity to explain to me what you are trying to do".

"I see something strange in him," Kira repeated with her bow in hand, "he has reached the maximum state of putrefaction, but I can see that he still holds some reasoning".

"So what?" grumbled Nick, "we're not taking this thing to prison, let's get this over with at once".

Chris began to laugh insanely, still suffering from his brutal wounds, only the dark blood kept him alive even in such circumstances.

"Go ahead Deisler," Chris growled, his voice now thicker and more broken, "Haven't you been waiting for this moment for years, you ended my life before I got here, because of you my Lena is no longer here!"

"I'm telling you for the umpteenth time Schreiber, I had nothing to do with that attack," Nick raised his voice and placed the barrel of his rifle on Chris' chin, "just because I got mixed up with those terrorist groups to quench my thirst for revenge doesn't mean that I was in charge of all their plans. It cost me dearly to learn my lesson and it seems you too, all that hatred and resentment infused by me has brought your level of contamination to where it is, look at you!" Chris smiled wickedly at him, trying to raise his gun once again.

"Don't you realize that this war is already lost?" Chris laughed shaking with gun in hand, forgetting that he had no ammunition "Holzmann has won, Anneliese's return is imminent, we already have everything. When that happens you will realize that you have fought for nothing, and if I leave today, YOU ARE COMING WITH ME!" Chris raised his machine gun, before he could even aim it, Nick had already opened fire on him, in less than a blink of an eye Chris' torso was covered with bullet wounds that now accompanied the bear's slashes.

The ex-officer lay on the ground, his muscles contracting, Nick lowered his weapon thinking that he had finally paid a just tribute to his captain and other comrades who had lost their lives. When it seemed that everything was over for him, Kira fixed her bow again towards a hidden place among the caverns, an unfathomable presence emerged from the darkness, its eyes illuminated with gold and scarlet colors; again, Doctor Günther and Doctor Langenberg were in front of them, the tone of their skins and their vitreous nature let them understand that it was nothing more than an apparition induced by the place.

"It's too late for everything," Dr. Langenberg was the first to speak, now their voices spread with a ghostly echo, "our memory lives on in this place thanks to all those who have placed their vote of confidence in us, like Mr. Schreiber".

"I told you, that you would not get rid of me so easily," Günther added, "the time of the ritual is near, the moment of Anneliese Holzmann's reincarnation is imminent. Her power will grow, our memories live, together with her we will be more alive than ever" Nick shot at the shadows, it was expected that its effect would be null "once united, we will always be, always, don't forget this- The dense ruinous mist that covered the dark animas emanated from a dying Chris".

"We have now completed all the requirements," cried Dr. Langenberg, "there will be no turning back. Join the new order or behold the destruction of all that you fight for".

In the middle of the two souls, Nick managed to distinguish the figure of a small girl that was formed with black smoke, she looked familiar, it was Anika, her face was unmistakable. The smoke curtain grew, Anika was now an older woman.

"The power of matter transmutation marks the end of the reach of the power of the individual's mind in conjunction with the gift of dark blood, never before have alchemists achieved a similar accomplishment," Günther said, Nick looked at him with disdain.

The apparition became more and more intense, in the faces of Günther and Langenberg was evident the impiety and corruption, a scene of apocalyptic tinge that was interrupted after a scream of Chris that returned the place to its original state. Kira had buried one of her arrows in the man's heart and another in his throat, the ex-agent's body had been charred as his dark blood turned to a white powder.

"This is what I wanted," Kira mentioned, "I already knew that Günther had connected his mind with one of yours Nick, just like he did with Ludwig, Dr. Langenberg and he managed to do it with your friend Liz. Fortunately we managed to rescue her before she became submissive to the Holzmanns, as for Chris, we had no choice but to destroy him, but in the right way and for that it was not enough that he was devoured by a bear," she mentioned putting away her bow and arrows, "now he can rest in peace, besides, we have finished with another memory of Günther. Now the mental power of the Holzmanns will diminish, now all that is missing is for your American friends to find Friedrich".

Nick was at a loss for words, he looked at his cousin without making any gesture, passing from Chris' corpse to the bear's, only before in Gumprecht he had seen it.

"That's good. You put yourself at risk to save this poor idiot," said Nick in a cold voice.

"I have fought alone with hundreds of beasts, I saved your friend from the executioner and I fought one on one with Ulrike Holzmann. Fighting a slimy bear is no big deal, besides, how could we miss the fact that he made our job easier with Chris" After Kira's words, Nick was still looking at the corpse of the mammal tainted with every stain of impiety, appearing to be more a demonic being than a creature of the forest "by the way, did he think that you killed his fiancée?"

"It was a group of Islamic terrorists, with whom we organized the attack against Warren" Nick answered "Somehow the poor wretch saw in me the murderers of his fiancée; that was really why he hated me so much and ended up giving in to the curse" the cries of the beasts of the forest were now more present, something big was coming "Do you remember what Schreiber said before he died" Kira rolled her eyes, it was evident that some memory was tormenting her.

"It's too late" Kira hesitated "that's what he said, also that they have met all the requirements for the reincarnation ritual, but wait, that means" with every word her nervousness was more evident, the last thing she remembered was Anika's figure in the smoke transforming into an older woman, now she understood what they meant, the worst of the presentiments came to her head "oh my God, ANIKA!"

The presence of the beasts in the forest indicated that some terribly abominable event was about to take place over Anneliese's chambers, everything was ready, the moment of truth had arrived. They had to meet with their group and locate the Americans as soon as possible; they were about to carry out what would probably be the most fearsome of their missions so far.