Sacrifice

THE BANE FOREST

Throughout their march, the team encountered so many foes that had to be annihilated before proceeding to continue. Ash was still unconscious all of that time. The fight he had and the injury he got were not simple at all.

It was at the very end of the Bane Forest that their state has scaled so much higher. Hordes of Fluffbanes and Fangbanes were attacking them nonstop. Fortunately, the team became much more powerful for those two banes.

Aeris were the only one of them who didn't fight, he tasked himself to carry Ash to safety. Leonna, Shizuna, and Nyro did all of the work. They fended off the hordes, and killed every bane that dared to come closer to Aeris… sorry, Ash. All of that happened while they were running. The banes' numbers were just too much.

The team even thought that their arsenal are infinite! Once they wipe out a horde, another one comes after only a second.

"Guys! Hang on! We are so close!" Aeris declared while carrying Ash on his shoulder. He already healed his back completely, all that's left was to wait until Ash wakes up and joins the assault.

The others glanced ahead while killing a foe who were jumping toward them. They saw it. An opening in the forest that promised concentrated sunlight on the ground. They are about to come out from that hell, from the Bane Forest.

They increased their push, fighting, killing, and sprinting to exit the forest the fastest they could. And finally, they reached the end of the Bane Forest. A full landscape of green hills and grass along with mountains on the far right and so many other astonishing areas spread around their sight. The banes behind them stopped and retreated.

A gust of wind struck at them. Desite it's something normal, according to the new environment they stepped in, they felt their hearts sink in terror. Shizuna, Leonna, and Nyro were terrified but Aeris… he was the most frightened of them. He knew exactly what will happen next.

The gust of wind came from behind, a signal that only means that a storm is coming in the shape of an abomination.

Aeris had to let go of Ash and rest his body on the ground and activate his title, the others summoned their weapons and prepared for inevitable fight.

That pressure they felt, that power they experienced for the first time, made their lives seem that its end is coming. Well, Aeris was the only of them who experienced this feeling before… along with Ash.

Yes, it was the moment that all of us had been waiting for. The moment when we finally get to see the strongest Hollowbane once more, the Vilewarren.

But "he" didn't come to the team walking! (Note: the "he" doesn't mean any foreshadowing. It simply means that they recognized the Vilewarren as a powerful foe that seem disrespectful to call it "it")

In a split part of a second, time seemed to slow down, the air got thicker with an aura so dense that made them suffocate. The Vilewarren appeared in front of Leonna, "his" claw was just a breadth of a hair away from slashing Shizuna in many peaces.

Leonna or any of her team couldn't even get the chance to be shocked. They still didn't even see "him". The true definition of a Hollow. The Vilewarren is without no doubt, not just the strongest Hollowbane, but the Hollowbane Lord.

After only one second, the Vilewarren was splashed in her blood, slashing her into four parts just like "he" did with Elarion.

Though the Vilwarren felt something strange. Like "he" was a pawn in another's palm.

Fate! The absolute! Nothing ever goes as planned in everything, except for Fate!

"Like I would let it slide again…" a familiar voice Hollowed through the area.

Leonna's fate would have remained the same, if only… Ash Verlane wasn't a traveler. Ash, who was supposed to be unconscious, stood just a mere meters to the left side of the Vilewarren, holding Leonna in his right arm.

Ash's Vermillion eye glared at the Vilewarren like a surge of pure energy of revenge. Ash wanted the slightest chance to present itself to barge in and take his revenge on that Hollowbane freak.

Ash was just starting. Being healed from a fatal injury that would have caused his death to fight the Vilewarren "himself" was another way to death. Yet Ash would never let this time slide like the last one with Elarion.

Leonna realized the state she was in and glanced at Ash who stared like a predator at the Vilewarren. The others stood watching in awe, seeing the least level of their team saving Leonna at the very last second.

"AERIS!" Ash shouted, calling Aeris in his most serious tone. The moment of truth finally came. Ash activated his Skin Fracture and tossed Leonna to Aeris. Leonna screamed as she was leaping in the air so fast she couldn't even see Ash launching her.

Aeris caught Leonna and stood straight while activating his affinity even more. His whole body shone blue as his title shimmered on top of his head more clearly.

The Vilewarren didn't move after launching his attack. If he had the ability to talk, his monologue would surely be: 'How in the hell did that human predict my attack?!'

He was frozen, unable to comprehend how a simple traveler could change the unchanged. Ash had just changed Leonna's fate. Or did fate was still unchanged and prepared Ash for this moment from the very beginning?!

'Hehe. Like I care. The Mangle never cares about anyone or anything, except his goals. His Revenge!' Ash's thoughts rushed through his mind as his partial manifestation took place. This time, the transformation was unbelievable.

[Skin Fracture: Activated!]

[Partial Manifestation: Hollowbane!]

White smoke rushed outside of his mouth while his eyes were solely focused on the Vilewarren.

Ash focused his manifestation on his limbs and his eyes only. Leaving his core vulnerable to any simple attack. Still, the glory in his posture never faded, the revenge in his eyes never subsided.

"GO! REACH THE CASTLE! LEVEL UP AS MUCH AS YOU ALL CAN! AND ONE LAST THING…" Ash shouted at his teammates and paused mid sentence. "Never forget the Mangle!" Ash finished speaking as he dashed like a Hollow he was toward the forest.

Aeris jumped from his place and ran with all of his fury and desperation. He didn't want to lose his first friend. Yes, his first ever friend.

"ASHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Aeris screamed with all of his vocal cords could withstand and ran toward the forest to aid Ash.

Thanks to Nyro and Shizuna, Aeris was contaminated. Shizuna changed her weapong into a tall black chain that circulated around Aeris and kept him in his place. Nyro slapped Aeris's face at the two sides. Leonna just stood there stunned, unable to even move her gaze from the ground or talk. She simple stood there.

"WAKE UP, AERIS! WE HAVE TO GO! WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT! ASH WILL SURELY COME!" Nyro tried to persuade Aeris, but the fury in Aeris's eyes were too much to handle. Though Nyro didn't believe his last sentence.

"ASHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Aeris screamed once more, trying to flee himself from Shizuna's chain.

"AERIS! NYRO IS RIGHT! ASH IS OUR SAVIOR! WE CANNOT LET HIS SACRIFICE GOES TO NOTHING! BECAUSE OF HIM, LEONNA IS SAVED! WE… we have to leave." Shizuna said, finding it so hard to say the last three words.

Before their eyes, the Vilewarren, who was just frozen in his place, turned his head towards where Ash disappeared and Hollow dashed instantly.

Aeris's pressure on the chain subsided, as he… was too late to react anymore.