Now I and Historia, both of us were chasing that unknown shadow in those scary lanes of that workshop. Our heartbeats were fast, but in the mind was just this one hope that perhaps this shadow itself can lead us to Helena. While running, we again reach a place like an open square, but this place was looking completely different and terrifying from the previous place.
Not even a single ray of light was present here. The silence was so deep that even one's own breaths were being felt echoing. And in that thick darkness, only a blurry guess of the things around could be made. Long and black shadows like pillars were standing all around, which were perhaps holding up the shed of that massive warehouse, but at this time they were looking like some demon.
Historia, who was standing a little ahead of me, as if she were trying to sniff out some danger in the dark. I asked her in a low but serious voice, "Historia... after all where have we come? For one, it is so dark here that even seeing things around oneself is becoming difficult, and on top of that, we didn't find Helena either."
My restlessness was increasing. Continuing my talk further, I said, "Come Historia, let's get out of here. If we keep standing in the open like this, and that too in such darkness, then an attack can happen on us anytime. We should go back into those corridors of the workshop, where at least we will get a place to hide."
In that thick darkness, hearing my talk, Historia stopped. She slowly turned back toward me, and in that silence, her blue diamond-like eyes sparkled like some glowing crystal. There was a strange glow in those eyes. She looked directly toward me and asked me to use my 'Thunder Strike' ability.
Hearing this thing from Historia's mouth, I became completely surprised. After all, why is she asking me to use my most destructive power? I told my helplessness to Historia in clear words that I cannot use it right now. I told that to come out of that pit, I had already thrown a large part of my Aurum energy. The level of 'Aurum' inside me had fallen so much that there were very few chances that I could use that lightning again.
Hearing my talk, a line of tension emerged on Historia's face. She replied in a low but serious voice, "Master, I am having a deep sense of someone's presence here... Perhaps that woman is quite close to us."
But her warning was not even complete yet that suddenly reality broke like some glass. And in the next moment, a fierce attack happened on us! Suddenly a wave of invisible Shadow Tentacles lunged toward us like death. Those shadows were so silent that it was difficult to see them, but I and Historia, both were able to feel their lethal speed and the pressure created in the air. Death was once again very close to us.
That dark and deserted square of the warehouse had now turned into a battlefield. Waves of shadow tentacles, invisible to us, were lunging toward us like a hungry python piercing the air. The silence was now broken by the sharp sounds of the rubbing of shoes and clashing of steel.
Historia tightened the grip on the hilt of her sword and a cold flash sparked in her blue eyes. And she stood like a protector, becoming a shield in front of me. As soon as the first invisible strike happened, she rotated her sword in an arc in the air without looking. A sharp sound occurred and some black liquid substance scattered in the air, which turned into smoke as soon as it fell on the ground. That invisible tentacle had been cut into two pieces. Then another attack came which Historia reflected upward with the strike of her sword; upon her doing so, the tentacle, without stopping its speed, went and collided with the metallic sheet roof of the workshop; the collision was not very forceful, but due to its collision, a small hole was made in the metallic sheet, due to which a ray of light began coming from that hole; that light was not very strong, but it filled our place with light like a bulb.
The kidnapper woman, who until now was hidden in the shadow of darkness, was forced to come out from her place seeing this agility of Historia. Her voice echoed in the lanes of darkness, "A girl of an ordinary Sequence is able to see my shadow tentacles? Impossible!"
And that woman had come in front of us; she had worn that same red gown and had kept her face Veiled. I and Historia both were surprised; we had heard that woman's voice for the first time, but that woman, upon coming, danced her fingers in the air in a strange way, and suddenly dozens of tentacles at once broke upon Historia from the side of the ground. The atmosphere was so terrifying that the pressure of the air had increased. Historia began to fight those Shadow Tentacles with the help of her sword. The speed of her sword was so fast that she was looking like a warrior. Every strike was precise, every defense lethal.
I was standing aiming my gun, but between those invisible strikes, taking an aim was like shooting Historia. I saw that the kidnapper woman was now directly attacking Historia. Using her powers, she would sometimes vanish behind a pillar, then sometimes suddenly appear exactly behind Historia.
"Die!" that woman shouted and she made a ball of fire on her hands and threw it toward Historia.
Historia did not give up. She performed a somersault and while being in the air, deflected that ball with her sword. That ball collided with a heavy item and turned it over to the fire. Seeing this capability of Historia and her martial art, that kidnapper woman also became completely surprised. A line of worry was seen on her face for the first time. She was not able to believe how someone can neutralize the attacks of shadow tentacles with such precision.
"You... you are not some ordinary Paragon or girl!" that woman spoke while panting. Then she asked, "Girl, who are you? Are you some such magical machine which only knows how to fight? What is your existence and what is your name?" Upon which Historia replied while fighting itself, "I am a loyal servant of my Master; my name is Historia Chester." Hearing which that woman spoke, "So your name is Historia, but your Master is your existence—what kind of answer is this? And does your Master not have any name?"
Upon which Historia also wanted to give some answer but as if her words got stuck in her throat. Standing by the side, I was watching all this. The fight was now at its peak. Some scratches had come on Historia's body, but her blue eyes were still shining like a hunter. She slammed her sword on the ground and moved forward. A blue aura began to come out from her sword, which was piercing the existence of light and darkness together. Swarms of tentacles were trying to surround her, but she was cutting every obstacle like grass and weeds.
That kidnapper woman now began to retreat. She diverted five big tentacles toward me at once so that Historia's attention would wander. Those tentacles were coming toward me; I was ready to fight them. Seeing them coming close, I attacked them with cards, but the cards got stuck on their surface and my attack became unsuccessful. "Master!" Historia shouted. She threw her sword into the air with an incredible speed. The sword came like a rotating wheel and cut into pieces every tentacle reaching near me. And I saw a liquid-like rope was tied to the gripper of the sword, with which perhaps Historia can pull her sword toward herself whenever she wants. At that same moment, Historia pulled her sword and using her full strength, directly mounted an assault on that woman.
Every movement of Historia, every move of hers was breaking that woman's self-confidence. But the heat of that bloody struggle could be felt in the entire workshop. Suddenly, Historia caught her sword back while pulling it in the air and became ready for a final, destructive strike. That kidnapper woman was now badly troubled, her shadows were now becoming weak.
And at that dilapidated square of the workshop, that terrifying war had now reached its decisive and scary turn. Historia's sword was piercing the air with the speed of lightning, and with every strike, she was breaking the security circle of that kidnapper woman. But that woman, who was connected with the depths of darkness, was not going to give up yet. A mad glow flashed in her eyes and she threw her entire magical power into a final attack.
As soon as Historia raised her sword up for a lethal strike, suddenly the darkness spread on the floor lunged upward like some swamp. In the end, in the fight of Historia and that kidnapper woman, that woman succeeds in seizing Historia with the help of her shadow tentacles. Those black shadows wrapped around Historia's hands, legs, and neck like an iron chain. Historia tried to free herself using full strength, but the grip of the tentacles was impenetrable.
A devilish smile emerged on the face of that kidnapper woman. She extended her hand toward Historia's forehead and with the help of her tentacles itself, released a fierce wave of 'corrupted energy' inside Historia's body. That corrupted energy began to run in Historia's veins like some poison. That pure blue aura, which was Historia's identity, was now slowly becoming muddy and black.
This attack was not just physical, but was a strike directly on her soul and brain. As soon as that black energy reached her brain, Historia's mental balance began to deteriorate. Marks of pain and mental conflict could be clearly seen on her face. Scary shadows and unheard screams began to trouble her. That unbreakable willpower of hers, which until now had been my shield, began to kneel before this dark assault.
Her grip became loose, the sword slipped from her hand and fell on the concrete floor with a sharp echo. Her body became completely exhausted and she went into the embrace of a deep unconsciousness. Historia, who until now was standing like an invincible warrior, was now hanging like a broken doll among those black shadows.
I was standing far away watching all this, my scream had stuck in my throat itself.