Chosa inched closer, each stride a battle against the burning pain flaring through his body. Mimpo stood just ahead, his grotesque smile widening, his eyes jittering with chaotic glee. Chosa's blade glinted under the flickering lights of the manor as he raised it, ready to end the fight.
But in an instant, Mimpo's expression shifted—his eyes bulged almost out of their sockets, and with a burst of maniacal laughter, he sprang backward, executing a perfect backflip. In the blink of an eye, a hidden blade attached to the tip of Mimpo's jester shoe slashed across Chosa's face.
"AGH!" Chosa stumbled back, clutching his left eye as blood poured through his fingers. His vision blurred dangerously.
System Activation: Minor Healing.
He gritted his teeth and immediately triggered his healing skill. Warmth surged through his face as the worst of the wound closed, sparing him from blindness—but his vision remained hazy, barely able to make out shapes from the injured eye.
Mimpo cackled madly, pointing at Chosa's bleeding face as he danced in place. The sight of the jester mocking him only fueled Chosa's rage.
Think, Chosa, think! he told himself.
Then it hit him. A plan sparked in his mind like flint striking stone.
Without hesitation, Chosa surged forward again, the weight of pain and frustration turning into explosive momentum. His sword lashed out in sharp arcs, driving Mimpo onto the defensive. Each strike was dodged narrowly, Mimpo giggling hysterically, even yawning exaggeratedly as if the battle bored him.
Step by step, Mimpo retreated, twirling and weaving until—
Thunk.
He backed into a wall.
The brief flicker of realization crossed Mimpo's face.
Chosa grinned through bloodied teeth. "Got you."
He thrust his blade forward, aiming straight for the jester's chest.
Mimpo's wild eyes softened into a serene, bone-chilling smile.
Before Chosa could react, Mimpo tilted his dagger expertly, sliding it along Chosa's blade with eerie precision. With a quick twist, Mimpo knocked Chosa's balance off, his dagger flashing across Chosa's waist.
"Guh—!" Chosa gasped, staggering backward as blood seeped from the deep cut.
System Warning: Critical Damage.
In his mind, Luna's voice rang out with brutal clarity.
"Chance of survival now: 1%."
Chosa ground his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. "Shut up," he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on his sword. "I'm stopping him... I'll stop him no matter what."
Meanwhile, chaos raged elsewhere.
Kaisel roared, slamming into the grotesque jack-in-the-box creature with all his strength, causing it to stumble back with a series of grotesque clicks and howls. Seizing the opening, Kaisel sliced into one of its twisted legs. The creature let out a hideous scream, a noise so raw it sounded almost inhuman.
But it wasn't down yet.
With a roar, the abomination charged forward, swinging its malformed arms like scythes. One of its jagged claws caught Kaisel's forearm, cutting deep. He grunted in pain, staggering back a step.
Kaisel's eyes burned with focus. Gritting his teeth, he charged again, slipping beneath another wild swing. He slid low across the blood-slick floor, maneuvering behind the monster. With a fierce upward thrust, he drove his blade deep into the creature's back.
A mist of dark vapor erupted from the wound, revealing a glimmer of something crystalline—an exposed heart.
Kaisel's eyes widened. That's it—the core!
He raised his sword to strike the crystal, but the creature roared and twisted violently. One massive arm slammed into Kaisel, sending him flying through the air. He smashed into the wall with a heavy thud, the impact rattling the entire hallway.
On the other side of the battlefield, Lila fought her own desperate battle against Pippo.
Pippo's laughter echoed through the hall, his twisted form lunging at her with a jagged dagger in each hand. Lila cast another spell, a shield of shimmering light flashing into existence just in time to deflect his strikes. Even so, the sheer force pushed her back, her boots skidding across the marble floor.
Pippo's eyes gleamed with sick pleasure. "I love fighting little girls!" he squealed, saliva dripping from his mouth. His grin split wider, the skin at the corners of his lips cracking gruesomely.
Lila steadied herself, wiping blood from her mouth. Her magic flared to life once more, her next spell already forming on her lips.
All around, the twisted dance of death continued.