The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 86: Last Stand

Chapter 86: Last Stand

Ardent Friend:

An Apex Rift Walker. It was an existence that we had only ever discussed as a joke from fear. A Rift Walker that went beyond a rank 10. Did such a thing exist and if so, what did that mean for the survivors after the Fall? We laughed at the concept, hoping it wasn't true, but it never faded from our minds. Questions would always come up. How did Zen fall in the battle at the Washington dungeon? How could a person powerful enough of ripping a rank 10 in half be beaten? What happened to the Oni's Maiden, the supposed Heroes of the East, the Elven commander Ratansi Concurser? After the Fall, our communications across the world were diminished. Dungeons would disappear overnight and never be heard from again.

Now I faced that being we feared. A Rift Walker more powerful than any other. An Apex. It's blade like arms crushed down upon me as I tried to block them with my sword only for its neck to swing down, jaw open and snap against my side. Pain beyond just being bitten ignited against my skin but even as I tore myself away, clear crystals were already working to repair the damage. I was sweating profusely, my mind on fire as I forced myself to keep up with its speed and erratic movements.

It lunged again. I parried its arm away and drew my rifle at point blank range, firing it repeatedly. The bullets created by Shin and empowered by the Void were designed to bring down the Wyvern King and although it cracked the Rift Walker's chest, its assault only paused for a bare second. The monster's tail swung, snapping the rifle in half. I jumped back firing with the Quickdraw instead. Each bullet slammed against it, leaving holes that it simply shrugged away. Then it was upon me again but before it cut through me, I vanished to its other side, my sword bearing down with all the might I could muster.

"Just die!" I screamed, hoping against my instincts that I could fight it. The sword I had taken from the Ardent of another world, stronger than what we could achieve now, its blade cracked into the Rift Walker's shoulder only to be halted as its neck turned and its jaws clutched the searing metal. Against the black abyss that contained within its mouth, even the Void seemed to fade. A snap resounded and my sword shattered. A moment later, its leg lifted and broke into the little of what armour remained on my chest. I flew back, roughly colliding against the sandstone that had been lifted bare due to its evolution.

"And there we go again!" Kazu commented from above. "Our Friend downed. How many times has it been? How many times will he get up again? Will our Hero achieve his victory?"

I coughed crystals. I couldn't even remember how long we had been fighting for. How long did the World Tree's seed have left? Parts of my body that had been ripped apart laid against the ground. With how I was dressed now, the amour was more of a hindrance than a help. I threw off what remained and groaned to my feet.

The Rift Walker regarded me without emotion. There was no hate in its hollow eyes, no hunger, lust or any other passion. It was a soulless killing machine and if I didn't stop it, it would rampage throughout the world until finally there would be no hope left. My intervention trying to change the future I knew just caused it to happen sooner.

"What's wrong Ardent?" Kazu called mockingly. "Are you really just holding on for help? Your friends and family are gone. The Architects are busy elsewhere. No one nowhere can lend you a hand. You are on your own. Now push more. I want to see exactly how brightly you can burn!"

The entire time Kazu spoke, the Rift Walker came back at me. Its bladed arms, swinging with the intent to cut off another limb. Most times I dodged, barely using the powers within me to keep myself afloat. Without the connection to the Faceless King, I would have been a corpse, digesting in the centre of the Rift Walker. Without the World I wouldn't have the speed or capacity to move. Without the Void, I'd have no way to hurt it. Yet, despite it all, all I had to show for it was a few cracks against its porcelain like skin.