Chapter 132: The Basement

BOOM!! KA-CLUNK!! KER-CLANG!!

The children would be brutally dragged down to the depths, hitting against the harsh earth and scraping their bodies along the stone and dirt, trying to maneuver themselves away to avoid being a smear in the walls. When they were sloppily slammed down into the lower level, the hands all tried to beat down the children, hoping to bury them in the earth through the rubble itself. Harvard and Zazel would both try to cast their magic, with Harvard creating a barrier around them and Zazel casting Asmodeus to burn away the arms and push them back from whence they came. Harvard would try to create a potion to heal their injuries, whilst the Demon kept an eye out for any further figures that wanted to attack them, looking around at their new setting: a cavernous tunnel with seemingly no end due to the darkness being thick. The walls looked like they were lined up with skeletons, implying that wherever they are, they were deep within its confines. As the two healed themselves up, courtesy of the Card Magician, the two would disable the shield and try to advance, assuming they were in the clear. The more they explored the dark hallway before them, the more they feel worried at the atmosphere around them. It was quiet, yet it wasn't peaceful. It was like death loomed over them at every corner, unable to predict where it would strike next.

Before the boys would say anything, one of them would be struck, forcing them to kneel down. Harvard would try to check for the wound, as well as the source of it: A Snake bite. There was fortunately no venom that leaked out from it, yet as they explored more and more, they would be bitten again and again. Some at their neck, some at their hands, some even at their back, which would have them shake off the snake to ensure they wouldn't try to continue such harm. More bites were made on the other parts of the body, as well as the clittering and crawling sounds that echoed in such isolation, implying it to be a spider. Their wounds were spread out, and while they were easily dealt with using a potion, they still came after the children the instant such wounds were healed. Even having the usage of the Devil's flames wouldn't be enough, as the creatures would simply wait and surround the two, forcing them to expel it to ensure they do not get close, yet within that instance, they'd try to bite and gnaw at the children's body. More blood was being spilled, though only through the minor wounds they sustained. The repetition quickly became obnoxious, starting to realizing what they were doing. Rather than trying to kill them directly, the small creatures are utilizing a torture technique to kill them slowly: Death by One Thousand Cuts.

A Torture technique where they slowly bleed out the victim by mere bites and slices that barely graze the skin, only just enough to make them suffer its miniscule yet effective pain.

As they realized such a method of execution the shadows are wishing to use, the children immediately took action, with Zazel having his body be coated in flames by Asmodeus, being able to subside its pain through the fire. Harvard, meanwhile, would cast his last spell that he showed to the Demon: Mecha. By applying it onto himself, his body would slowly begin to harden, turning himself into solid steel, allowing his body to be not only impenetrable, but also stronger in terms of power, though he is shown to be visibly slower. As the Shadowy animals desperately tried to find a spot where they can strike at them, they would either be met with steel or heat, both of which they avoided entirely. As a response, the creatures would slink to the shadowy walls, where the boys could hear its earth dragging somewhat, being smaller and smaller for the hallway to go. The boys began to run as fast as they could, with Harvard forced to be pulled back due to the new form, witnessing the walls closing in, the land wanting to consume them whole. He would resort to spamming a card to cut the distance in order to reach there faster, yet because there was nothing to even see, the two would feel like there wouldn't be an exit for miles. Their hope was starting to wane, yet they pushed onwards.

Worse matters, they could hear something approaching. Looking back, they would notice a shadow person chasing after them, sprinting in a form unlike any other, maneuvering themselves around and about the caverns to its advantage, bouncing like a spring to maximize their movement. The children went into a full panic mode and started to go faster, running out of this desolate, endless maw that they were forced to escape from. They would put all their focus in getting to the end, desperately using anything and everything they have to reach it, whether it would be using magic or copying the shadowy figure's moves to increase their speed and efficiency. The walls are getting closer, they could see the end before them. Something was up ahead, yet due to the compaction, they were forced to shimmy along. The walls grew closer and closer, yet as they looked back, they would notice the looming figure still maintaining their speed and maneuverability despite the tight space. Before long, Harvard would have had enough and tried to push the walls apart, using its strength to break them apart, providing an easier time to traverse, primarily for the Demon. "GO, GO!!" He would demand, offering himself to be the cost for Zazel to push on, whilst he'd see the figure approaching. He would brace for impact as he'd see the darkened silhouette appear, hoping that they are just as desperate.

KER-CLANG!!

The sound of metal banging together was made as the figure tackled Harvard through the hole, barreling the both of them through its passage into a new area, with the boy keeping his eyes closed as he embraces such a demise. "Relax....I'm on your side..." A calm voice was heard from above, to which caught the child off guard. Both he and Zazel looked up at the figure, amazed at the person who essentially saved Harvard's life.