Gates of Penance-Chapter 21: Blood bath

Each step towards the central arena felt like he was marching towards his death. He could barely hear his footsteps over the pounding of his own heart and the desperation that currently dominated his mind.

’In only a few minutes, I’ll either be dead or alive.’

The fear he had felt when he had first entered penance and faced a sinner was still fresh in his mind. He also remembered his second battle against another sinner and how in both duels he would have died very easily if he didn’t have help.

Nacht firmly gripped the death march and entered the battle area of the arena. He couldn’t help but notice that the closer he got to the shard in the middle the more violent the blinding light became. It was clear that in order to obtain the shard, they would have to be the last team standing.

Both him and Alister simply waited at the edge of the arena along with the other sinners until finally the trapped star gave a small pulse of white light.

Suddenly, the light in the arena was bearable enough to be unhindered in battle, signalling the beginning of the end for his time in the crucible.

For the first few moments no one moved, and no one wanted to. After all, why would anyone want to make the first move and show the other teams their abilities while simultaneously weakening themselves for the next fight? It would put your team at a disadvantage and increase the odds of getting yourself killed.

In the crucible, it was far easier to die than it usually was. This was due to the condition that was placed on every sinner that entered the crucible. If their partner died then they would as well. So knowing all of these things, no one would be stupid enough to make the first move, well... at least that’s what he initially thought.

"Alister... what the hell are you doing?"

Alister took a step forward before he summoned a spear, presumably a relic he took from one of the sinners he had killed on the previous floor.

"I’m getting this party started!"

The spear glowed with a red hue, clearly activating an enchantment that was innately tied to the spear. Alister lifted the weapon and threw the spear. Nacht and everyone sinner in the arena watched with confusion as the spear shot towards the star. A sinner shouldn’t have the strength to throw a spear from such a distance. However, unlike a normal spear which would succumb to gravity, the spear simply ignored it and headed straight for the star despite the lack of speed and force.

Nevertheless, Alister had managed to hit his target.

Bang!

The star shuddered for a moment, then its light shined more brightly, becoming even more blinding than before. Nacht felt the temperature of the floor begin to rise. It was negligible at first but within less than twenty minutes the heat would become unbearable and the star would begin to consume the floor.

This was inevitable but It seemed that Alister had hastened the process. There time was cut short so it was a given that someone was going to get inpatient.

"What have yo—"

A sinner who was about to shout at Alister stopped midway before having to dodge an arrow that was aimed at his heart.

With that, the final battle of the crucible began.

A myriad of abilities manifested themselves onto the arena and it didn’t take long for the first sinners to die.

Their screams could barely be heard over the clash of metal and steel.

Nacht readied his saber and stayed close to Alister as two sinners darted to them from the front.

To win this battle, Nacht didn’t need to kill the most sinners. No, he needed to survive.

Alister gestured down towards the arena floor.

’What the hell is that supposed to mean?’

He had no idea what Alister meant but he didn’t have to wait long.

Alister lunged forward to meet the two sinners in the front while Nacht made the wise decision to stay back.

Every time he watched Alister fight he seemed to be in a different league entirely. However, this time he seemed to be more passive. He blocked every attack aimed at him, even managing to react and adapt to the sinner’s rune which allowed him to reinforce his skin to become as durable as armour.

It wasn’t until one of the sinners overextended his lead leg and got it swept from under him that Alister went on the offensive. Alister flung him over his back and slammed him into the ground with immense force, causing the arena floor to crack and shudder before it crumbled beneath the force of the blow.

The arena looked to be made with material that was originally meant to contain the strength of an enlightened sinner. Now after all these years, it was weakened enough to be broken.

The floor crumbled and the sinner was left trapped underneath the arena. In the next moment Alister finished off the other sinner. Nacht could hear the near inhuman screams of his partner screaming down below as his soul was destroyed.

Nacht shuddered.

However, he didn’t have the time to pity the mans screams.

Another team of sinners was making their way towards them.

Nacht looked at Alister.

"Well that’s my cue... don’t die."

The edges of Alister’s mouth quivered.

"That’s the goal."

In the next moment, Nacht dropped down into the chamber beneath the arena floor.

It was a large drop but he still managed to handle it.

He landed into a small pool of red water... or at least what he presumed to be water. Upon further inspection the liquid’s deep red tint wasn’t from the crimson light reflected off of it’s surface but rather, an innate quality of the liquid itself.

It was blood and a lot of it.

Not far away from him was the hollow husk of the enlightened sinner which was almost fully submerged in the shallow pool of blood.

Once he realized what he was standing in, Nacht began to reel in disgust.

The ratchet smell of blood finally made its way to his nose, causing him to gag.

’Don’t throw up!’

It took only a few seconds for him to come back to reality and realize that he was still in danger and could die at any moment.

enduring the rancid smell, he took a quick glance at his surroundings.