Chapter 26: Flashing Memories

"WE MADE IT!!" A prisoner emerges outside the dungeon Exit along with two other inmates. "SO what now Kali-" The prisoner froze as he watched Kalika sit herself on the cliff, embracing the landscape before them.

"What the hell is going on here!? WHY ARE WE ON A CLIFF!!"

Kalika glared back at the men. She ignored them, turned back to look at the scenery.

The angry inmate started to approach Kalika, pissed. "You were supposed to get us out of the dungeon!! Don't take us to a dead End!!"

"I did get us out. All you have to do now is climb down."

One of the prisoners looked down the cliff, quickly coming to the consensus that they'd likely die climbing the side of the cliff. "I don't think that's an option for us."

The angry prisoner grabbed the back of Kalika's collar, forcing her to look at him. "She tricked us!! It's just like Tilus said she'd do!"

"You actually listened to that washed up guy."

The man readied a punch, but quickly found himself wreathing in pain. Blood started to curdle down the side of his mouth and before he realized it he was tossed off the side of the cliff by Kalika. Her blood blade dripped with the fresh blood of the man she just killed.

Kalika started to turn to look back at the landscape. "If you two still want to escape, I suggest you climb down now. there's maybe another minute-"

"Aaahhhh!!!" one of the men screamed.

"Or perhaps not…"

Kalika turned back to find Ek along with two other demon guards with him.

"CIEL!! YOU BASTARD!!!" The prisoner attacked Ek only for his blade not to penetrate the demon's general's skin.

Ek grabbed the man's face. "You remember the penalty for escaping the dungeon, right?"

The man looked on, terrified. In an instant the man was dead, with a guards spear being roughly pulled out his skull

"Kalika… I thought you said that you'd stop escaping." Ek said quietly.

"I did. And I'm still following through. If I wanted to, I could just jump down this cliff and be resurrected. But then you'll send squads of demons and beasts after me again."

"Then why are you out here then??"

"I don't know, I just like the view." Kalika inched herself close to the edge of the cliff. At this point I could see the rocky and grassy terrain below.

She's seemingly about to fall. Suddenly Ek grabbed the back of her collar, throwing her back into the dungeon. Kalika's head impacted the cage behind her! She finds herself back in the arena fighting Ek!

"What the hell was that!!"

Kalika quickly tried to get off her back only to find herself being slashed in the face! She's sent flying into the air again. A heat rose in her hand and head. Starting to become an annoyance for her.

Kalika blinked her eyes to find Ek now above her in midair. In a swift motion a spark, and a brief clash of blades before Kalika is sent directly to the floor. She now coughed up blood.

"H-he's too fast!!"

An explosion from inside her chest is felt. She knew this part of her body.

"D-d-did my heart just explode!??"

Kalika found herself gasping. Her head and hands were now on fire forcing her to usually clash their blade with Kalika hand and head instantly became cool again. Before she knew it her neck was sliced, bringing death upon her again.

She opened her eyes to find that she was clashing blade with Ek once more.

"That happened a lot sooner than I expected." Ek said.

They started to continuously clash their blades with Kalikia on the defensive. It became harder and harder to anticipate the strikes as a few fell through. It was a familiar yet alien feeling, like her mind was still trying to catch up.

Yet again the feeling of an explosion in her chest sounded out. Kalika flinches, giving an opening for Ek to land another decisive blow to her.

"W-what is going on here!??

"I suppose you don't remember that, that our blood blade kills its human user." Ek nonchalantly stated.

"W-what!?? And he's telling me now!"

Kalika opened her eyes to find a very young Rhonda looking very concerned.

"W-what happened?" Kalika uttered. She then screamed in pain from the hand and head. "IT'S HOT! I-ITS HOT!! AARRGGGHHHHH!!!!"

Rhonda instantly pulls the dagger from her hands, only to find herself standing with Ek about to strike her with his knee. She Dodged, and quickly got ready for a counter. She planned for another strike only for it to be caught.

She looked up to finding Lillian looking down at Kalika disappointed. She could feel sharp pain throughout her body, as though she's been stabbed through many times already.

"Tell me Kalika, How the hell did you get this!!"

Kalika's arm got torn from her body. she then found that her arm was flying across the arena from Ek's most recent attack. This was followed by another explosion in her chest.

"B-but, I'm not holding it!" Kalika's eyes widened, as though she came to a realization. "Hold on…"

A swift slash from Ek and Kalika's head flew off. She could see her body be Kicked. Another moment later she witnessed her body getting up! And moving on its own!!

"W-what the hell-"

"-Is going on with me??" 

Kalika had made an attack from above. They clashed once more! Ek looked at Kalika confused by her last statement.

"BRAVO. BRAVO." Rakon echoed.

Neither of them paid attention to him. Instead keeping eye on each other, with Kalika looking more worried than Ek.

"Your fight the last hour has been entertaining, but perhaps-"

"-You've forgotten about the penalty of the contract. Kalika." Rakon looked into Kalika's eyes.

An overwhelming sensation overcame her and she quickly fell to her knees.

"Urgh! Y-you bastard!"

Taking her chin by the hand he drives it up so that she'd look at him. "You only have yourself to blame. It's not my fault that you tried breaking our agreement. Now release the blade."

Kalika does as she is told, releasing the blade from her grasp. and yet again she finds herself in the arena with her stomach cut writhing on the floor. Confusion evident in her eyes. She looked up to find Ek standing over her.

"I guess there's no changin you after all. You're better off giving up now, there's no way in hell you're winning against me.

He drives his blade towards her head. Kalika barely avoids the attack, leaving a scratch on her face. She rolled back to her, holding her stomach.

"I can't give up now!"

Kalika retaliates, but it's easily blocked.

"I-" Ek starts to talk.

"-thought we were friends!"

Kalika found herself in the past again. She was interlocked with Ek. They were surrounded by dead demon guards in the dungeon hall. Behind her lay the destroyed dungeon exit that was covered with rubble.

"Friends?? FRIENDS!?? WHY THE HELL WOULD I BE FRIENDS OF A DEMON!! YOU'RE ALL LIARS! LIARS THAT USE OTHERS AS THEY PLEASE!" Kalika yelled.

"UWWAAA!!! OH, NOW THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU!"

"SHUT UP!!" Kalika clenched her jaw, anger evident. "W-What the hell gives you the right to speak. You'll never know the pain I've had to endure all this time!!"

Kalika broke through, slashing at Ek's face. This shocked Lillian who was right behind Ek. she watched as he fell to the floor with a fresh new scar.

Kalika glared at Lillian with cold eyes. "So you actually came…"

Lillian quickly gathered her senses. "This ends here Kalika."

Kalika could only laugh at Lillian's statement, she soon slipped into a maniacal laughter. She slowly ceased her laughter seeing that Lillian was waiting for some other response. "You know Lily…" Kalika raised her blade. "Now I'm wondering... if I can cut you too."

Kalika starts running at Lillian only to blink and find herself running to Ek instead. Her body reacts on its own, attacking Ek. This time the attack went through and subtly scratched the surface of his skin.

This turn of event shocked Ek. he looked up to see that Kalika was still posing as if she finished her attack. Kalika's surprise was evident on her face too, but not for the same reason. She then found the will to drop the blade from her hand.

Neither of them move an inch. Kalika breathing started to become more heavy as the seconds passed by from the exhaustion.

"I-I Remember… o-or I'm at least starting to remember…It's all just coming in flashes. I don't even know what I've been doing this entire fight!!" Kalika became a little more frightened. "A-am I even human anymore???"

"Of course you're human. You Idiot." EK posed his blade ready to continue, and attack Kalika in what seemed to be a wide opening. 

Kalika quickly came to her senses upon noticing Ek making his move. She quickly dodged his attack, and the following flurry of swipes and slashes he made with his Dagger. She caught an overhead attack stopping it and miraculously holding it off. But slowly her strength started to wane from the pressure.

"Damn it! Just give it up!! No one has to die if you forfeit!!" Ek yelled.

"Ten minutes left." Rakon announced.

With a quick glance Kalika could see Rakon place a restrained and muffled Kel in front of him. "Wait. What is he doing here???"

Kalika watched as Ek became more pale, something she would've thought impossible with their skin color.

"FINE!! IF YOU WON'T GIVE UP I'LL MAKE YOU WANT TO!!"

Ek with all his strength plunged his dagger through Kalika's eye and then straight through her face. Kalika screamed, completely startled by this action and quickly felt a flood of pain, emanating from her face. She instinctively grabbed her face only to find herself falling. 

She couldn't feel her feet anymore. Knowing what Ek did she glared back at him.

"Y-you bastard!!"

"Don't look at me, You're only bringing this upon yourself Kalika. Whatever contract he's holding over you this time isn't worth it! SO JUST GIVE UP!!"

"I REFUSE!" She retorted.

Hearing her response Ek swipes his dagger, easily dismembering Kalika's left hand. Kalika bares with the pain, and sees that he's now aiming for her stomach.

"I refuse… I refuse to let him make a mockery of me!!"

The attack was blocked, the blood dagger manifested in Kalika's hands. She gave a frightening, yet familiar dead glare at Ek before completely repelling him from the ground!

Rakon witnessing this alongside a capture and tied up Kel, looks on in satisfaction. 

Kalika looked at the blade in her hand now confused. "How did I-" 

Without warning, a hot sensation traveled throughout her entire body. It felt as though she was burning from the inside out. This left her reeling , barely able to stand. Yet again her heart burst. "None of this makes any sense at all!"

Kalika hazily gazed back at Ek, seeing him charge forth. To her eyes he became so slow. She blocked yet another attack.

"I JUST REALLY WANT TO KILL HIM!!"

Kalika broke through his attack, landing another hit! This time she penetrated his skin. Kel watching this start to visibly become concerned.

Their fight continues with Ek dismembering her arms and legs only for her heart to self-destruct moments later to reattach back to Kalika. Soon Kalika found herself in dance, going toe to toe with a demon general of all things.

A nostalgic feeling surfaced within her heart, a battle she would've thought long gone. A battle that left the dungeons in ruin and devastated. A battle against her demonic sister.

A clash once more and she's back in the Arena. She can see Ek's determined yet exhausted face. Kalika wouldn't have ever imagined that she'd actually see a demon exhausted.

The last grains of sand from a huge hourglass finishes reaching the bottom. "Time is up Ek."

Despite still being interlock with Kalika he quickly turned around to Rakon. "D-DON'T DO IT!!" 

Using this opportunity Kalika stabbed Ek in the back. surprising him.

Both Ek and Kalika watched as Rakon picked up an Iron looking pipe on a wooden stick filling it with powder. He pointed it straight at Kel's head, putting Kel in a panic.

"For the crimes plotting against the King and Queen of the demons, the life of General Kel is hereby… Forfeit."

"NOOOOOO!!!"

A loud explosion sounded off. A moment later, the entirety of Kel head and chest had a torrent of fire running through him. This left Kel's body in a grotesque state.

The blade sunk deeper into Ek's body, shortly after he coughed up blood. "Y-you monster." Ek in utter shock fell to his knees. 

Rakon laughed gleefully at Ek's comment. "You're the one who said that two hours would be more than enough. It looks like here… you only have yourself to blame…"

"That bastard was only using me again, wasn't he!" Kalika gripped and plunged the dagger much deeper. "Not that it matters right now."

Kalika suddenly pulled out the dagger from his back, attempting to plunge it into his chest. To her surprise however, Ek caught her by the wrist trying to keep her from killing him.

"D…Don't do it Kalika." he wheezed. "You're making a big mistake…"

"S-shut up!! My only mistake was not killing you sooner." Kalika wrestled Ek to the ground where she now laid on her back, with the blade soon finding its way to the neck. 

"Kalika…whatever you do.. Don't trust Rakon…"

Kalika clenched her teeth. "JUST DIE!!!".

The dagger was stabbed into Ek's neck, just under his chin. After a few moments, Ek was finally dead.

Kalika took a short rest to catch her breath before getting out from under the dead demon. She started to hear clapping from behind her. She ignored it, choosing to look at Ek body.

"How many did I kill?" Kalika asked.

Rakon slowly pulled the blood blade from Kalika's hands. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer the question."

"Hmm… I haven't kept track of myself, but a smart girl like you should be able to figure it out." Rakon shortly after grabbed Kalika's chin to have her look at him. "The more you kill, the harder it becomes to keep track" he smiled.

"T-that doesn't help." Kalika jerked her head away from his grasp looking around the arena. She found that it was filled to the brim with piles and piles of dead bodies of demons, beasts and humans. She looked down at her hand to find it looked bloody and upon lifting her head back up, she found that the arena was clean.

"I'm not like them. I'm still a human..."