Gunlaug cursed and screamed at Harus, who was heading toward him.
"Don't let that thing throw its spear by any means!"
Harus nodded his head and deactivated his aspect ability.
Having its vision return suddenly, the Tyrant lost its balance for a second.
Tessai, who was waiting for a chance to strike, raised his two axes and struck one of its knees.
The axes couldn't cut through the hard skin of the Tyrant, but they were able to dislocate the knee.
The Tyrant let out another cry of agony, turned to face Tessai, lifted its spear, and lunged at him.
Tessai, who already backed away, dodged the spear and ran toward another leg and tried to attack it.
This time, though, the tyrant raised its leg and hit Tessai with its feet.
Fortunately he raised his two axes just in time to take on the force of the attack, but he still got thrown away.
"Aghh, if it hadn't been for my aspect, I would be half dead."
Gunlaug, who already covered the wound of his missing arm with his echo, rose to his feet.
He glanced at his missing arm and sighed. 'This will do for now.'
Creating a spear and holding it with his right hand, he lunged at the Tyrant.
"Harus, Tessai, aim at the eye in the middle of its chest!"
Tessai, who was dodging another spear thrust, screamed back with annoyance.
"I already know that! It's just impossible to reach enough distance to attack it!"
Harus, who was behind Gunlung, summoned a bow and an arrow, aimed it at the eye, and shot.
The arrow flew fast, and just as it was going to reach the eye, the Tyrant suddenly turned his body and blocked the arrow with his remaining arm.
'Well, that confirms it.' Gunlaug thought as he thrust his spear at the Fallen Tyrant's leg.
***
'For Spell's sake how the hell did it have a spear inside its stomach?!'
And not any spear, but a sure-hit spear!
Faraam cursed every curse in his dictionary, and as someone who lived in the slums, his dictionary was huge.
"At this rate they will not win. Not until that spear is dealt with..." Faraam whispered.
He needs a new plan. Something that can help them or kill that thing.
Faraam looked around, searching for something, and then he saw it.
Above in the sky, a handsome young man wearing light lamellar armor, with luscious dark auburn hair and mesmerizing green eyes. His well-fitted armor was made out of burnished brown leather, with deep blue embroidered garments beneath.
He knew who that man was; his songs have reached even slums, and Faraam was quite a fan.
His songs really helped with his headaches back when the rebellion was going on.
And imagine his surprise of finding Nightingale stuck here too.
"Nightingale, come down for a second!"
Surprised to hear his title, Kai looked to where the sound came.
There he saw the infamous man who came back from the west of the Forgotten Shore signaling him to come.
Kai thought for a second and then descended down.
"You called for me?"
Faraam nodded his head.
"I have a request for you that must be done."
Kai bowed his head a little and apologized.
"I'm sorry, but I'm really needed right now for searching for any survivors."
"That doesn't matter right now."
Kai frowned and tried to speak but was stopped by Faraam.
"Listen, Gunlaug and the other two won't win against the Tyrant with how the battle is going on. They need help, and if they don't receive help, they will die, and so will every sleeper in the Dark City."
"And how will you help them? And why do you need me?"
Faraam smiled, "I'm glad you asked. I need you to fly me above the Tyrant."
"...What?"
"I need you to fly—"
"Wait wait, you don't need to repeat that. Why would you want me to fly you above the Tyrant?!"
Faraam's smile turned to a grin, "You will see."
Kai thought for a while, then sighed, "Fine, but are you planning?"
"A kamikaze."
"What is that?"
Faraam shrugged, "I don't know; I just created a word."
Surprisingly that was the truth.
***
Gunlaug turned to the right; there he saw Tessai buried in the rubble of a building. To his left was Harus, who was barely standing on his feet.
And then he looked at himself. Blood gushed out from his left missing arm; his golden armor was nearly destroyed, blood covered his head, and his vision turned red.
'We got our ass beaten...'
Gunlaug chuckled quietly, but Harus, who is beside him, looked at him with... concern.
"I'm fine, Harus; don't worry about me, and take care of yourself. You look a lot worse."
The Tyrant in front of him raised its spear, intending to throw it, but Gunlaug lunged toward it, trying to stop it.
But it was a trap. The moment Gunlaug entered the spear range, the Tyrant swung its spear, hitting Gunlaug in his chest and sending him flying away.
Gunlaug cursed and tried to get up, but his body failed him.
He looked up to see the Tyrant aiming its spear at him.
'Ah... so this is the end...'
But... he then saw it. Up in the sky, two men were flying? Well, one was, and the other was being held by the first.
They were none other than Kai and Faraam
As the Tyrant raised its spear and started the momentum to throw the spear.
Kai let go of Faraam, who summoned the [Sword of Despair]. He fell toward the Tyrant, who saw Faraam but couldn't do anything.
As he reached its chest, where its eye is. Faraam stabbed the eyes with the sword.
Blood gushed out of the eye, covering the [Nightfall Armor] completely.
The Tyrant screamed in pain and started moving hysterically like a horse, trying to get Faraam off it, but Faraam held on.
'Fuck, it's not deep enough!'
Gunlaug, who was watching this, ordered his echo to turn into a spear, and with every remaining power he had, he threw it at where Faraam was.
"Faraam!" The scream made Faraam look at where Gunlaug was and saw a spear flying toward him... and going above him...
"What kind of aim is this, you fucking idiot?!" He said as the Tyrant raised its arm to crush him.
'Is this how I'm going to die? because of a cursed aim?'
But he didn't, as his savior took the golden spear in the air and stabbed it deep in the eye.
It was Kai, and Faraam looked at him with dread.
'No, no, no! You will not steel my stolen kill!'
Faraam held the spear and took his sword out and stabbed it again.
And then he heard it.
[You have slain a Fallen Tyrant, The Fallen Guardian.]
[You have received an Echo]
'...Yes, fuck yes! I hit the jackpot!'
Suddenly he was pulled away by Kai as the Tyrant fell so he wouldn't become a paste of meat.
"Is it dead...?" Kai asked.
"Yeah, the Spell announced it."
Kai nodded his head in relief.
"I'll go help behind."
Faraam nodded his head and watched as Kai flew away.
After a few seconds he rose up and walked toward Gunlaug, and when he reached him, he sat down and summoned something in his hand.
Gunlaug raised his head, and spoke, "You have my thanks; if it wasn't for you, we wou—"
Suddenly Faraam covered his mouth and then felt something enter his mouth.
"Yeah, yeah, just shut it and eat this."
Gunlaug felt something moving in his mouth, slithering its way in his skull; pain assaulted him from his head, causing him to nearly pass out. But then the pain stopped as he felt something in his head where his brain was stop moving.
Seeing Gunlaug stop screaming, he took his hand off Gunlaug's mouth.
"Y-You what... have you put... inside of me..?"
"It's a parasite," Faraam answered, "that goes to your brain and makes it its home. Of course that parasite is an echo of mine, and I can order it to crush your brain anytime I want. So, I hope we work well together."
Faraam grinned and spoke in a sarcastic tone, "My Lord."
"It was you who att—"
Suddenly he felt great pain in his head.
"Yes, it was me; I was the one behind everything. So, please stop yapping, and go to sleep."
Gunlaug's eyes nearly closed; he lost a lot of blood and was going to pass out, but before that he whispered something.
"You monster..."
Faraam chuckled, "Well, that's rude."
But Gunlaug didn't hear that as he already passed out.
Faraam took a deep breath; he had finally done it. He now took control of the Bright Castle through Gunlaug.
Now what is remaining is to find the keys Marcus spoke of, siege the Crimson Spire, and leave this place.
"It wouldn't be that hard, right?" he whispered.
.....
....
Faraam wished he never said that.
After two years of searching, he found nothing. Two years stuck in this godforsaken place without any progress, just like the people who tried to leave before him, he lost all hope as well.
***