[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 71 - 18: Curses and Sacrifices [11]

Chapter 71: Chapter 18: Curses and Sacrifices [11]

The pain didn’t last long though, because his thoughts were instantly interrupted by a loud, earth-shattering roar from the monster.

"Agh!" Ardyn covered his ears instinctively.

Even at this distance, he could feel the violent wind and shockwave hitting his body, causing him to shut his eyes. It was so loud that he felt as if he were on the battlefield himself.

When the roar finally subsided and he opened his eyes, his heart stopped as he saw the massive tendrils erupt from the monster’s form, reaching out like snakes hungry for prey. The tendrils flailed wildly, causing Ardyn to quickly turn back towards the house.

Let me make it in time...!

He reached the door and shut it behind him. Then he dove to the side.

Just as he did, the tendril crashed into the door, shattering it into pieces. Ardyn covered his face defensively as one of the sharp pieces flew past and nicked his arm.

That was close! He swallowed, adrenaline coursing through his veins. If I had been a second too late, I would’ve...

The appendage tore through the house, smashing furniture and walls in its wake. Ardyn had no time to waste. He had to get out of here.

Lifting his head, he spotted an open window not too far from him. It seemed that the owner had forgotten to close it due to the unexpected evacuation, which meant Ardyn had luck on his side for now. It was a bit smaller than he wanted it to be, but it would do for now.

I’ve never done this before, but...

Ardyn climbed through the window and landed in a roll, finding himself on his back. He quickly got to his feet, panting from the adrenaline. The tendril continued to whip around the house, sending debris flying everywhere.

Then he turned and ran, taking no time to look back at the shattered house. He sprinted to the intact bridge he had spotted earlier and crossed it, breathing a sigh of relief as he reached the next district.

Where am I at this point... Ardyn looked around and saw the destroyed bridge leading to the center of town, where the fountain miraculously still stood. Once again, there was that nagging feeling in his head, as if his brain was trying to remind him of something.

But what?

Just what was so special about that fountain?

While Ardyn was lost in thought, the tendrils suddenly froze in place. Stunned by the sudden halt in movement, he instinctively looked up to the sky.

The dark clouds parted even wider than before, allowing a few more rays of light to shine through, which was truly a welcome sight in this darkness.

Then a shining comet fell from the skies, leaving celestial flames in its wake. With an earth-shattering impact, it struck the outskirts of the city, submerging it in a massive splash of water like a tidal wave.

Gusts of wind blew violently from the huge impact, causing the water droplets to reach Ardyn even from this distance, splashing everywhere.

What was that?!

He lowered his arm and stared as the comet he had just spotted turned out to be another colossal being, radiating so much light that it was blinding. Eyes wide, he stepped forward to see more, feeling entranced for some reason.

Even at this distance, he could see the giant figure holding the monster down, effectively subduing it. The dazzling figure, possibly a celestial being, held a lance in its hand. Without further ado, the radiant figure plunged the weapon straight into Calamity’s torso, causing the monster’s tendrils to flail helplessly in response.

Is that... Ardyn swallowed. Did Evan summon that thing here?!

Does that mean that it’s over now? Will the Calamity finally get sealed away?

Despite his thoughts, Ardyn couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong. He couldn’t even bring himself to feel relieved.

Instead, a small, foreboding sensation settled in his gut, growing until he felt nauseous.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was right.

Moments after the celestial being had pinned down the monster, the tendrils came to life, flailing and thrashing even more violently than before. It was as if it was protesting against the restraint.

Taking no chances, Ardyn darted past a ruined building and dived towards a partially collapsed wall, crouching behind it. He breathed heavily in a mixture of fear and tension.

I can’t take any more of this. I’m not fit to live a fantasy adventure kind of life at all, he thought, groaning internally. It barely even registered in his head that he hadn’t slept much at all ever since he came to this world. He was basically just running on adrenaline now.

It’s so tiring having to run around back and forth. I’m practically dying here!

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Ardyn’s spine, as if his instincts were warning him of impending danger. Then, before he could react, a massive tendril emerged from above and plunged toward him.

Ardyn’s panic surged and he tried to dodge, but the roots moved with unnatural speed, closing in on him rapidly.

What?!

In one swift motion, the tendril wrapped around him, trapping him in its suffocating grip. The world spun as he was effortlessly lifted from the ground, causing him to flail desperately.

Shit! It got me!

Ardyn was held up in the air, and his panic turned into a terrible realization when he caught a glimpse of the celestial being also wrapped in the monster’s tendrils, the two of them locked in a fierce struggle with each other.

"What the hell is this?!" Ardyn exclaimed aloud, his survival instincts kicking in as he struggled to pull the vines away from his body. "Let me go! What do you want with me?!"

As if in response, the tendrils tightened their grip, cutting off Ardyn’s protests. He tried desperately to breathe as he felt himself slowly suffocating.

Am I gonna die? Damn it!

"H—Help me!" he couldn’t help but yell, though to no one in particular. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t do anything at all!

The tendril carried him through the city, right towards the monster and the battlefield itself. Ardyn’s eyes widened as he passed Evan, who turned out to be hovering in midair, surrounded by a bright yellow-orange light.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, causing Evan’s eyes to widen.

"Wha—" Evan’s mouth parted in shock. "A—Ardyn?!"