CH 13: One after the other

Troy sheathed his daggers, a grim expression on his face. "Let's hope we don't find out too soon."

The boys stepped into the entrance of the labyrinth, its gaping maw swallowing them in damp, suffocating darkness. They lingered close to the front, backs pressed against the cold, moist walls as they took a moment to recover.

"Alright," Ace said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "We're gonna rest for a bit. Can't charge into the unknown like this. Need to be sharp."

"Fine by me," Troy muttered, slumping down with his arms crossed. "Just wake me when it's time to move. I'm not running headfirst into whatever nightmares this place is hiding without some sleep."

Ace huffed a soft laugh, but the tension in the air lingered. The group sat in silence for hours, their breaths steady but their minds far from calm.

Inside Troy's mind, however, the quiet was replaced by chaos.

"Hey, you assholes! I'm sure you saw what happened out there. I can't keep going like this. I need more power!" Troy's voice echoed through his mental space as he paced in frustration. His eyes flicked to the green silhouette of Envy, who regarded him with a sly, knowing look.

Envy's soft voice coiled through the air. "You've done well with what I've given you, but you're asking for more than I'm willing to provide right now."

Troy's gaze shifted to the towering figure sitting within a shimmering blue cage in the distance. Pride sat with his arms crossed, black flames flickering in his deep, piercing eyes.

"What about you, big guy?" Troy asked, his voice sharp with desperation. "I need your help. You saw what happened out there—I can't keep holding back!"

Pride's deep voice rumbled through the space, laced with disdain. "Why should I, a being of my caliber, lower myself to your whims? I do not take orders from a human."

Troy clenched his fists. "Then what do you want? What'll it take?"

Pride leaned forward, a dangerous smirk curling his lips. "Release this seal," he said, tapping the bars of his cage with a single finger. "Break it, and I'll consider bestowing you my power in your next moment of true need."

Troy hesitated, his mind racing. "Fine. Next time I'm in danger, I'll release you and the others. Then you'll be able to affect the world outside."

Pride's smirk widened as the black flames around him roared to life. "We have a deal, human."

Troy blinked back to reality, his heart pounding as Ace's voice broke the silence.

"Alright, let's go," Ace said, pushing off the wall and stretching. "We've spent enough time resting."

Troy rubbed his eyes and stood, still shaking off the tension from his internal exchange. "Sheldon, can you do something about this darkness? I can't see a damn thing."

Sheldon nodded, his eyes glowing faintly as he summoned a scout amalgamation. The small glowing orb flickered to life, its soft, golden light casting shadows across the damp stone walls. It hovered ahead, floating silently into the labyrinth's depths.

"Stick close," Sheldon murmured, his voice low. "No telling what's in here."

The trio followed cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. The air grew thicker the deeper they went, and the faint sound of whispers seemed to trail them like ghosts. The labyrinth felt alive—its walls pulsating faintly, veins of energy coursing through the stone.

"This place..." Sheldon murmured, glancing at the walls. "It's more than a labyrinth. It's breathing."

"Let's hope it doesn't bite," Ace muttered, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Stay sharp, and whatever you do, don't lose focus."

They pressed on, the dim light from the orb their only guide through the suffocating darkness. The weight of the labyrinth seemed to bear down on them, each step pulling them further into its sinister depths.

As they delved deeper, the first challenge presented itself. The floor ahead was covered in a grid of pressure plates, each one engraved with a different symbol. At the far end of the room, a massive stone door blocked their path. "A puzzle," Sheldon said, stepping closer to inspect the plates. 

"These symbols... they match the ones on the door." Troy frowned. "Great. So, what happens if we step on the wrong one?" As if to answer his question, a low growl echoed through the chamber. From the shadows emerged a pack of skeletal creatures, their bones infused with glowing red energy. They snarled, their hollow eyes fixed on the group. "Of course," Troy muttered, drawing his daggers. "A trap and enemies. Why not?" The skeletons charged, forcing the group into a chaotic fight. 

Ace leaped forward, his sword igniting with flames as he slashed through the first wave. Troy darted between the enemies, his daggers flashing as he targeted their weak points. Meanwhile, Sheldon summoned an amalgamation in the form of a spiked serpent, which coiled around the skeletons and crushed them with its acidic body. "Sheldon, focus on the puzzle!" Ace shouted, cutting down another skeleton. "We'll hold them off!" 

Sheldon nodded, his hands glowing as he sent the orb amalgamation to hover over the pressure plates. He quickly realized that stepping on the wrong plate would activate more traps, while the correct sequence would unlock the door. "I need more time!" Sheldon called out, his voice strained as he analyzed the symbols. "Time isn't something we have!" Troy shouted, dodging a swipe from a skeletal claw. He spun around, his daggers slicing through his attacker in a flurry of strikes. Ace gritted his teeth, summoning a wave of blue fire to push back the advancing skeletons. "Hurry, Sheldon!" 

After what felt like an eternity, Sheldon deciphered the sequence. He stepped onto the first plate, then the second, each movement precise and deliberate. When he reached the final plate, the symbols on the door glowed brightly, and the massive slab began to creak open. "It's open! Go!" Sheldon yelled, summoning a massive amalgamation in the form of a bear to hold off the remaining skeletons as the group dashed through the door. The door slammed shut behind them, cutting off the skeletons. The group leaned against the wall, catching their breath. "What the hell, we can catch a damn break," Troy said, his chest heaving. 

"Good work, Sheldon," Ace said, his ethereal eye fading as he extinguished the flames on his sword. Sheldon wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let's hope the rest of this place isn't as bad." But the Abyssal Labyrinth had no intention of making things easy. As they ventured further, the air grew colder, and the whispers grew louder. The corridors twisted in impossible ways, some looping back on themselves while others seemed to shift when they weren't looking. Eventually, they came to a vast chamber with a high ceiling. In the center stood a massive, ornate chest surrounded by floating orbs of light. 

The chest pulsed with the same energy as the walls, and the air around it crackled with power. "That must be it," Ace said, stepping forward. "The Ego's Heart." "Wait," Sheldon said, grabbing his arm. "This is too easy." 

As if on cue, the orbs of light began to coalesce, forming into a towering humanoid figure made of pure energy. Its eyes glowed with malevolence as it let out a deafening roar, shaking the chamber. "I knew it," Troy muttered, readying his daggers. "Nothing's ever easy."

The towering energy guardian roared again, its sound reverberating through the massive chamber. Its form shimmered like a sun, each movement radiating heat and light. Its limbs were long and jagged, and its body pulsed with the same veins of energy embedded in the walls. The crystal core in its chest burned like a miniature star, drawing the group's attention with an ominous hum.

"Stay sharp! This thing's faster than it looks!" Ace shouted, his third eye glowing fiercely as he took a low stance, his jagged sword blazing with blue fire.

The guardian moved in a flash, a blur of light and heat. It launched a massive beam of energy that streaked across the room, tearing through the stone floor. Ace dived to the side, rolling to avoid the blast. He leapt back to his feet and charged at the guardian with blinding speed, his third eye scanning for weaknesses.

Ace lunged at the creature, twisting his body mid-air to deliver a series of sharp, fiery slashes. Each cut burned brightly, carving glowing trails into the guardian's ethereal body. The fire clung to its form, sizzling and crackling, but the damage appeared minimal. The guardian retaliated with a swipe of its massive arm, but Ace anticipated it, twisting his body in mid-air to land a solid kick on the creature's wrist. The impact sent Ace hurtling upward, flipping as he unleashed a storm of slashes from his hands, surrounding the guardian in a fiery barrage.

The slashes struck the guardian from multiple angles, forcing it to stagger. But its regeneration was almost immediate; the energy lines in its body repaired the damage in seconds.

"Damn thing is fast and tough," Ace muttered, landing nimbly on the ground. His ethereal eye flared, analyzing the guardian's movements. He could feel his mind sharpening, the eye feeding him insights. He smirked. I'm starting to see how this thing works

While Ace kept the guardian occupied, Troy retreated to a safer corner, his breathing heavy. Inside his mind, the storm of Pride's presence was growing louder.

"You want my help now, human?" Pride's voice rumbled. The towering, flame-eyed figure stood behind the shimmering blue seal Lancelot had placed. "Pathetic."

"You saw how this thing fights," Troy spat, his green aura flaring around him. "I need more than Envy to handle this. Give me your power, and I'll release the seal. You have my word."

"Words are cheap," Pride said, folding his massive arms. "But very well. My power comes with a cost—your body may not withstand it for long."

"I'll take that risk," Troy growled.

The seal cracked and shattered as Pride's energy poured into Troy. Black flames erupted from his daggers, swirling around him as his aura shifted from green to black his mind felt like it was on fire, but his body surged with newfound strength. Pride's voice echoed in his head: "Use it wisely, human, or it will consume you."

Troy stepped forward, his movements now fluid and commanding. His daggers seemed to hum with power as black flames licked their edges, distorting the air around him.

"Alright, big guy," Troy said, his eyes glowing with Pride's fire. "Let's see how you handle this."

The guardian turned its attention to Troy as he rushed forward, moving faster than he ever had. The black flames from his daggers created a trail of scorched air as he closed the gap. The creature raised an arm to strike him down, but Troy vanished in a blur, reappearing behind it.

"Surprise!" Troy hissed, driving both daggers into the guardian's back. The flames from the blades surged into its body, disrupting the flow of energy within. The guardian stumbled, its glowing limbs dimming slightly.

The creature twisted to swat Troy away, but he ducked under the swing and launched himself up its arm. Each step left blackened scorch marks as he ran along its glowing veins. Reaching its shoulder, Troy drove a dagger into the joint, using Pride's power to destabilize the energy flow in its arm.

"Troy! Focus on the core!" Sheldon shouted, summoning a defensive amalgamation to block a stray energy beam.

"I'm working on it!" Troy snapped, flipping off the creature and landing gracefully on the ground. "Ace, I softened it up—your turn!"

Ace's third eye flared brighter as he darted toward the weakened guardian. His mind processed its movements faster now; every swing and attack felt slower, easier to read. It's focusing too much energy on its limbs to repair them, Ace thought. If I keep it busy, it can't regenerate the core.

"Blue fire: Railgun!" Ace roared, unleashing a condensed stream of blue fire from his mouth. The beam struck the guardian's chest, forcing it back as flames erupted across its torso. The concentrated attack exposed the core, which pulsed brighter as it tried to draw energy for regeneration.

Ace didn't let up. He dashed forward, his movements feral and unpredictable. Sliding under the guardian's legs, he planted his hands on the ground and kicked upward, sending a flurry of blue slashes directly into its torso. The slashes converged on the core, creating a shockwave of energy that rocked the chamber.

The guardian staggered, its form flickering as it struggled to maintain cohesion.

"Keep going, Ace!" Sheldon yelled, summoning another amalgamation—a pair of spiked chains—that wrapped around the guardian's legs and immobilized it.

Troy and Ace exchanged a quick glance, understanding what had to be done.

"On my mark," Ace said, his third eye glowing brighter than ever. He took a deep breath, fire swirling in his throat as he prepared a final, concentrated blast.

Troy nodded, gripping his daggers tightly. The black flames from Pride's power coiled around his body, making him look like a living inferno.

"Now!" Ace shouted.

Sheldon tightened the chains around the guardian's legs, pulling it to its knees. Troy darted forward, using the chains as a springboard to leap high into the air. With a roar, he plunged his daggers into the guardian's core, Pride's power surging into the crystal and destabilizing it further.

At the same moment, Ace unleashed a massive fire beam from his mouth, the concentrated heat and energy slamming into the core with devastating force. The room shook as the core cracked and shattered, sending a shockwave of light and energy through the chamber.

The guardian let out a final, guttural roar before its body dissolved into fragments of light. The crystal core shattered completely, leaving only silence in its wake.

The trio stood in the aftermath, their breaths ragged and their bodies battered. The room was dim now, the energy that had once pulsed through it gone.

"That... was insane," Troy muttered, collapsing to one knee. The black flames around him flickered and died as Pride's presence receded.

"You did good, Troy," Ace said, helping him to his feet. "We all did."

Sheldon leaned against the wall, pale and exhausted. "Let's hope there aren't more of those things waiting for us deeper in."

Ace picked up a shard of the shattered core, examining it. "This wasn't the Ego's Heart," he said grimly. "Just another layer of protection."

"Great," Troy groaned. "How much worse can this place get?"

As if in response, the labyrinth rumbled, and a distant roar echoed through the corridors. The trio exchanged weary looks before steeling themselves and pressing on.

The Ego's Heart was still out of reach—and the labyrinth wasn't done testing them yet.

The glow from the shattered guardian's fragments faded into the oppressive darkness of the labyrinth. Despite their exhaustion, the trio pressed onward, deeper into the twisting, living maze. Every step felt heavier as the labyrinth seemed to bear down on them, its walls pulsating with eerie veins of energy.

"Sheldon, how's your endo holding up?" Ace asked, his voice strained but steady. His ethereal eye flickered faintly, its usual glow dim after the intense battle.

Sheldon wiped sweat from his brow and nodded. "Low, but I've got enough for a couple more summons. Let's just hope we don't need them anytime soon."

"You're being too optimistic," Troy muttered, adjusting his grip on his daggers. "This place screams 'trap' everywhere you look."

As they moved forward, the air shifted—warmer, heavier, and laced with an intoxicating, floral scent. The glow of Sheldon's scout amalgamation dimmed as the walls around them began to change. No longer cold stone, they now seemed like the fleshy inside of a creature, and soft whispers echoed in their ears.

Ace's aggressive instincts kicked in as his third eye flared to life. He growled, crouching low and scanning the area. "Something's watching us."

Before anyone could respond, a haunting, melodic laugh echoed through the chamber. The walls shifted and opened into a vast, dimly lit room filled with crimson mist. At the center stood a woman, her beauty unnerving and inhuman. Her dark, flowing hair cascaded down her back, and her crimson eyes gleamed with malice. Bat-like wings unfurled behind her, and a sinister smile curved her lips.

"A succubus," Sheldon whispered.

"Well, aren't you three just delicious?" the woman purred, her voice laced with an unnatural allure. "You've come so far, fought so hard, and now you're here, ready to offer yourselves to me."

"We're not here for games," Ace growled, stepping forward as flames began to simmer in his throat. "Move, or we'll move you."

The succubus tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Oh, my sweet boy, I'm not just a hurdle. I'm the end for you." She raised her hand, and shadowy figures began materializing around her—demons with twisted forms and glowing eyes.

"Great. More distractions," Troy said, twirling his daggers.

As the demons charged, chaos erupted.

Ace leapt forward, flames erupting from his mouth in a concentrated beam that incinerated the first wave of demons. His movements were wild and relentless, each strike of his slashes tearing through the creatures with feral precision. At one point, he landed on the back of a demon, kicking off it to send a flurry of razor-sharp slashes raining down like a deadly storm.

Sheldon, summoning an amalgamation in the form of a hulking, fire-infused beast, commanded it to charge into the fray. The creature tore through the demons with explosive strikes, but each summon drained him visibly. He gritted his teeth, maintaining focus as he conjured smaller defensive amalgamations to shield himself and the others.

Troy, however, was different.

As the battle intensified, he paused, retreating into his mind where Pride sat, arms crossed and grinning.

"Ready to prove yourself, boy?" Pride said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Troy clenched his fists. "Just give me the power, old man."

"Oh, you'll get it. But remember who's in control."

Troy's body erupted with black and gold flames as Pride's power coursed through him. His daggers morphed, becoming longer and jagged, with energy pulsating along their edges. His movements became sharper, more destructive. With a single swipe, he unleashed a crescent of black energy that obliterated a cluster of demons.

"You're welcome," Pride's voice echoed in Troy's mind.

Troy laughed, his voice taking on a darker, more arrogant tone. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted the succubus.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You think you're strong? Let's see how you fare when your minds betray you."

Her eyes glowed, and the room seemed to shift. The boys were suddenly surrounded by illusions—faces of loved ones, memories of their failures, and whispers of doubt.

Ace staggered as he saw visions of his past—a burning village, the screams of his family. His third eye flared, and he roared, blasting a wave of fire that burned away the illusions. "You're not real, your illusions are cheap, I've never lived in a village!" he snarled, his aggression only intensifying.

Sheldon, shaking from exhaustion, saw his own fears manifest—his creations turning on him, his friends abandoning him. He clenched his fists, focusing on the task at hand. "Yeah what is this crap," he said, as he realized the vision was fake he broke out of the illusion instantly.

Troy, however, laughed. "Nice try, Old Hag," he said, his voice dripping with pride. "What gives you the right to think you're on the same level as someone of my caliber." He charged forward, his attacks growing more destructive as he embraced the arrogance of Pride's power.

The succubus hissed, her composure slipping. "Enough!" she screamed, summoning a massive demon to block their path.

Ace, now fully feral in his fighting style, leapt onto the demon's back, stabbing through its core with his sword while spewing fire into its face leaving nothing but a skull behind. Sheldon summoned fleshy chains that wrapped around the demon, holding it in place.

Troy leapt into the air, his daggers glowing with Pride's energy. "I'll finish this!" he shouted, driving the daggers into the demon's head before saying "The Kiss of Apollo" and releasing a burst of energy that destroyed it.

The succubus staggered, her power waning. Ace didn't hesitate. With a primal roar, he unleashed a massive beam of blue fire from his mouth, incinerating a hole through her entire stomach.

As the succubus's screams faded, the room shifted again. The crimson mist cleared, revealing a pedestal at the far end of the chamber. On it sat a clump of glowing crystals, each pulsating with energy.