Chapter 98: The Seal
Takeshi pelted again, the wine bottle this time shattered closer. Glass shards splattered like rain, rushing into the monster's legs.
The monster trembled again; it slowly sat up with bleeding legs.
An innocent face full of rage, the monster stood up, eyes of hatred looking downward. It growled with a threatening tone:
"You are Yokai, yet you want to hunt me?..."
Before it could finish speaking, Airi pelted the bottle at the monster's face; the force this time was quite weak so the bottle did not break. But the monster fell backward and was falling down.
Airi and Takeshi showed clear joy. Takeshi immediately ran down, while running he took off his shirt and ripped it apart.
Successfully catching the monster. The monster still kept its eyes tightly shut, face grimacing in great pain.
Takeshi did not say a word; he immediately wrapped his shirt around the monster, legs tied tight, hands pulled behind and tied.
Immediately running down to the basement, followed right after by Airi.
The monster was still struggling; it intended to say something. But being clamped under Takeshi's arm as he moved, he squeezed tight, making it unable to speak.
Running down below. Elyssia and Ayaka were also drawing the final lines to finish the seal. On the ground was a circle drawn with the blood of Elyssia and Ayaka. The seal had complex lines, interwoven with one another.
On the ten fingertips of Ayaka and Elyssia was blood due to both continuously biting their fingers to draw.
Takeshi spoke loudly:
"Finished?"
Elyssia nodded.
"Finished."
Takeshi then placed the monster in the center of the seal, where an octagon formed the midpoint.
The monster seemed to recognize something familiar yet haunting. It lay thrashing and screamed loudly:
"What the fuck are you doing? Let me go now, why do you want to seal me?"
"Damn it, let me go. If you release me, when I recover my strength, I will grant you immense power."
Takeshi felt quite annoyed as the child's voice screaming made him feel like his ears were about to bleed.
He approached and unleashed a punch straight into the monster's face as it lay on the floor. Its body shifted from the force. The punch made the monster's face swell.
"Too noisy."
He tore the remaining fabric from when he tied the monster.
"If not for completing the trial, I probably wouldn't treat a child like this.... But you are a monster."
In the monster's eyes, Takeshi only moved his mouth without making a sound. Now in its eyes was only fear, its mind as if going insane.
Takeshi stuffed the fabric he had balled up and muzzled the monster's mouth.
The three girls at this time were putting their heads together and reading the book.
Feeling the silence. Airi waved her hand calling Takeshi close.
"Takeshi, come here and memorize this."
…
After a moment of memorizing, Elyssia seemed to have finished. She then turned away and looked at the items on the floor.
…
Then quickly all four of them also finished memorizing. Seeing that, Elyssia spoke up:
"It seems there will be a price, judging by the books, likely the price follows one of these four items."
Airi nodded.
"Right, but if the price is just something, it's temporarily fine, but the problem is if an error occurs during execution, our whole group might likely die instantly."
Takeshi pointed at the circle: "Then try reading while outside this circle. We practice first."
Ayaka nodded.
"Right, practicing first will be better."
Airi: "That works."
In the meantime, Takeshi saw the monster was still trying to struggle since earlier. He stepped over and unleashed a thunderous slap; a "thwack" sound rang out. The monster seemed to be in pain and stopped struggling.
Airi glanced at Takeshi.
"Do you hate it?"
Takeshi shrugged and shook his head.
"No, but I see it like a worm, so I gave it a slap, that's all. Besides, it's fine anyway."
"Being tough before dangerous enemies."
Airi sighed.
"I give up on you, just make sure to read accurately. Otherwise the whole group dies clean."
Elyssia: "I think we shouldn't practice until we memorize it perfectly."
"If we memorize and master it perfectly. When doing it for real, there's a chance we'll make mistakes; this often happens."
"Therefore only practice a few times. Still keeping the weight of failure is sometimes what makes us complete it."
Airi nodded.
"Right, if in a bit we read a few times and still fail. We will still do it for real."
The group tensely nodded together; everyone understood this was the crucial step.
…
After a moment of practice, the group nodded together, expressions showing great determination, but in the depths of their eyes lay worry.
Ayaka was the most worried. Speaking normally was easy for her, but if forced to speak according to a script, she found it very difficult.
Elyssia bit her lower lip; she walked closer to the items used for the seal, worry clearly shown.
-"This is the final step; if it fails then everything is considered ashes."
She remembered the expectation Elyssia had given her with the original rights, trying to remember what he said and what she had gone through.
Elyssia picked up all four items and turned back.
"Which one do you guys want?"
Takeshi: "Choose randomly, what's there to worry about?"
Takeshi was both tense but also tried to make his mind relax.
He spun around once, still remembering the direction he needed to choose an item; his eyes were squeezed shut and he reached out his hand to touch an item. Takeshi chose the eye.
He opened his eyes and stared at it with a pensive gaze.
Ayaka seeing Takeshi choose with eyes closed, she also closed her eyes and spun once, then touched an item; she opened her eyes.
Ayaka had chosen the hand.
Two items remained; Airi and Elyssia looked at each other in silence.
Airi: "You choose first, Elyssia."
Elyssia shook her head.
"You choose first."
Airi sighed; she also closed her eyes like the others and spun once. She reached out her hand and took the black chain.
And Elyssia would use the black metal cauldron; it looked like a pan but slightly deeper.
Elyssia: "Read in the order as assigned; as soon as one ends, follow up immediately."
The group then nodded, but full of worry.
Four people, standing in four directions of the sealing circle. Both hands gripping the items in their hands.
Airi as if realizing:
"Elyssia's cauldron will have fire burning on it; remember to hold it right. And Ayaka, the hand must be face down; don't let it flip."
Elyssia: "The seal says use blood, then let's use blood."
The whole group bit blood from their hands; the warm sensation from the blood was gentle on each person's lips. Droplets of blood fell onto the seal.
Suddenly, the seal glowed. The light was fiery red, illuminating the whole room and reaching every dark corner. Casting onto the faces of the four standing with eyes tightly shut in focus.
The monster now was extremely terrified; it tried to struggle but its body was squeezed so tight it turned purple all over, making it unable to do anything. It could not scream because its mouth was muzzled.
It seemed the seal had accepted the things they paid as the price.
Airi, Takeshi, Ayaka, and Elyssia. They all felt they lacked something, but did not care and still kept eyes tightly shut continuing the seal.
Feeling the time had come.
Takeshi was the first to speak; he still kept his eyes closed, reading loudly and clearly. At the same time, the eye in Takeshi's hand was slowly closing:
"O source of darkness, I call your name.
You have crossed the boundary, now return to the abyss.
Open the gate of the seal!"
Continuing immediately after Takeshi. Elyssia read exactly when Takeshi finished. At the same time, the cauldron in her hand flared up with a large flame, heat casting onto her face, but she did not allow herself to be distracted:
"Gathering from four directions, four souls in accord. My flame burns bright to light the way. Lock tight with this oath!"
At this time, the monster struggled harder; it tried to escape in vain, eyes of hatred staring under Takeshi's feet.
Now it was Airi's turn; she immediately caught the rhythm. At the same time, the black chain wrapped around her person and squeezed tight, but she still tried to endure and continued reading, not allowing herself to stop for a small rhythm in the middle.
"By blood, by bone, by indomitable will. My shackles wrap around you for a thousand lifetimes. You cannot escape!"
The seal flashed even more fiery red. Red chains crawled up from the ground and wrapped around the struggling monster, then squeezed tight making it open its eyes wide in pain.
As soon as Airi finished reading, Ayaka immediately read following up. The hand in her hand now seemed to move, then it slowly interlaced with her hand. Ayaka felt it, felt it very clearly, but she cast it aside and read:
"From darkness, return to darkness. From nothingness, return to nothingness. This seal is complete."
From the last word Ayaka read out, it was like opening a door. Under their feet now was like a burning hell full of lava and black rocks, they emitted rising heat.
Then the chains pulled the monster downward.
Instantly, the red light disappeared in just a flash, returning the basement to darkness.
Feeling nothing else flashing. Takeshi slowly opened his eyes; he looked around at everyone still with eyes tightly shut. Then looked down at the ground.
Takeshi rejoiced and shouted loudly:
"Everyone, open your eyes; the monster has disappeared!"
The three girls immediately opened their eyes. They observed the surroundings.
Radiant smiles gradually appeared on the faces of all four.
Elyssia shouted out:
"WE SUCCEEDED!"
Ayaka standing next to Airi lunged into Airi's arms, hugging tight and burying her face in Airi's chest.
"Wonderful."
Takeshi while running was jumping, but though joyful, he still did not forget to run far from the stone block.
Suddenly, a sound from behind cut through the festive air.
The man staggered forward with a head full of blood. He stepped down the final step and took a heavy breath.
The group was both bewildered and terrified as they turned back.
Elyssia with pupils trembling continuously. Her hand dropped the cauldron which was still hot, making her hand severely burned as it fell to the ground.
The "clang clang" sound rang out as if making the atmosphere in the basement even heavier.
Elyssia breathed rapidly, her eyes darting continuously. And stopped at the sword leaning against the wall.
She immediately ran over, grabbed the sword, and lunged.
STAB!!!!!
The group, not yet over the shock, was now even more stunned.
Elyssia stabbed the sword straight through the man's chest. His body, following the force of the stab, arched backward. Deep red blood soaked his chest, mouth spitting out blood as he fell onto the stairs.
Above all, she knew if she did not act. Everything would end.