"Can I have your beautiful heads?"
This chilling request from the unknown masked man made Oscar and the rest shudder. Their bones froze to ice. It was spoken so casually, as if he was asking for directions rather than body parts.
The masked man stared fervently at Celestina and Emily; his green eyes, visible behind the mask, glinted dangerously, not like a predator eyeing prey but a child finding a new toy.
"Our heads?" Celestina looked chillingly at the masked man. "What kind of twisted person are you?" Her anger was evident in her shaky tone.
"That's right; you don't know who I am. We have to be acquainted first before getting intimate. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Doyle, Doyle Gwuyn. What are your names?"
Oscar felt his back quiver from this masked man's demeanor.
'They're similar….'
This person's actions overlaid with his master, Draven's, well-mannered display that contained hints of madness. Seeing that invoked a response from Oscar. His body tensed up more than needed as his teeth clenched hard.
'An insane criminal that behaves with etiquette. At least Master had limits, and he probably unleashed his craziness on the prisoners. This person doesn't have that control.'
"Our names are not meant for the mouths of scum to utter." Celestina retorted with a vicious tongue.
Doyle shrugged and sighed before opening up his cloak to reveal what was inside. A view that made George's pale face paler; he was about to throw up what little remained in his skinny body. Oscar and the others wore faces of disgust and horror.
Wrapped around his waist were heads or what were once heads. They were incredibly small, only the size of mere inches. The skins were darkened, the eyes and lips were shown shut, and the hairs were barely hanging on.
These heads were undoubtedly female from the slight features Oscar noticed. Celestina and Emily flared up in anger, seeing the heads of innocent girls strung up into these disgusting trinkets.
"Bastard…." Emily uttered angrily.
Doyle was indifferent to Emily's and Celestina's enraged stares. He continued to chatter away.
"I have to thank Regi and his team for running into you. I'm fond of beautiful girls like you two. Especially you." Doyle pointed at Celestina. "Your head will be the centerpiece."
Celestina's silver Ein flamed outward from the blatant provocation, forcing Oscar and the others to take a step away. Doyle, however, was seemingly unaffected.
Oscar was afraid that Celestina would lose her cool and readied himself to attempt to stop her from rushing in.
This Doyle was dangerous. The pressure he exuded and his lack of reaction to Celestina's Ein suggested he was far stronger than her.
"I sent Regi and the others out to collect Greater Apprentice Beast cores to facilitate my centipede's advancement to an Elite Exalt." Doyle stroked the head of his Black-Heart Centipede; its legs wriggled around as a low screeching noise came out of its mouth like a purr. "But they died under your hands. The only useful thing they did was allow my egg to hatch and catch a glimpse of you."
"Oh! Now that I think about it. The Greater Apprentice Exalt cores that they collected should be in your hands. This is even better for me." Doyle laughed under his mask. He released dangerous levels of vile green Ein.
Oscar and the others responded with all their power. Their Eins shone like brilliant stars burning before the end of their lifetime.
"Do you all feel it? He's a Greater Elite Exalt…." Celestina said with bated breath. She didn't expect Doyle to be so powerful.
"Hmmm. The girl is a Lower Elite Exalt, while the rest of you are Greater Apprentice Exalts. There is that unappealing Middle Apprentice boy. Some tag-along?" Doyle insulted Oscar, who had veins popping on his face, but he remained calm.
Doyle returned his gazes to Celestina and Emily, eyeing their orange and black hair along with their jewel orange and blue eyes, "Mmmmmm. I'll have to get your names soon." He swiped his hand over the various heads on his waist. "Once I have you both, I'll separate your heads from their bodies. Then take out the eyes and tongue, sew them shut, and flay the scalp. I'll boil them in an herbal mixture and leave them to dry on these very rocks. Finally, my masterpiece will be complete as I coat your heads in the ashes made from your bodies."
His voice got increasingly deranged and shaky as he spoke excitedly about the gruesome, vile things he would do to them. Oscar watched with alarm. Madmen were the most difficult to handle.
"Everyone." Celestina addressed them all. "He's far too strong for us. Running doesn't seem doable, but one of us can survive if we all split up. If you manage to survive, somehow make your way back and inform the Pavilion."
"Run?" Doyle seemed amused. "How will you run from this?"
Doyle snapped his fingers.
Then dust began to rise from the distance. This cloud of dust was getting bigger and closer with each passing moment.
Finally, the source was within view. It was a large wriggling mass of black bodies and legs. It was an entire horde of Black-Heart Centipedes.
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK
The exact number was unknown, but they all stared at Oscar and the rest, clamping their mandibles and sharp teeth, creating the unbearable clicking noise that had Oscar and the rest on edge.
SCREECH
The Mother Black-Heart Centipede ordered the rest to encircle the prey and not rush in. Its master wanted to savor this moment, not let it be spoiled. Doyle's word was law.
Oscar's eyes swept from left to right. There was only a mass of centipedes in every direction.
"This is…." George gulped. "It's a mass of Middle and Lower Apprentice Exalt Beasts, but I sense two other Greater Apprentice Exalt Beasts."
"It should be those." Phillip pointed at two larger centipedes. "They have bigger carapaces, and their legs are longer."
"Looks like we can't run away." Emily swung her staff around. "Let them come; I'll massacre them."
"Well then." Doyle waved his hand as a big sphere of Ein formed and shot to Celestina's side. It was incredibly fast and smashed straight at her. "I will separate you from the rest."
"Kuh!" Celestina put up her 'Hexagon Mirror' in time, but the sphere of Ein broke through instantly, and she was forced away far to the side.
Oscar and the others tried to chase her, but a mass of centipedes blocked their way.
"It's fine!" Celestina shouted. "Deal with the centipedes and leave this guy to me."
Since their escape was cut off, the only route available was to fight their way out. She did not know why Doyle wanted to separate her from everyone else, but this was fortunate for Oscar and the others.
Without Doyle's overbearing presence and interference, her group could escape this encirclement. She had to buy as much time for them to escape.
"That's what you're thinking." Doyle mouthed out every one of Celestina's thoughts while moving along with her. "How touching that you have such faith in your companions, but they cannot defeat my army, not with their queen at the helm."
Celestina focused and diverted the sphere of Ein away.
'That wasn't a spell or technique; it was just a mass of Ein concentrated and flung out. Yet it destroyed my shield easily.' Celestina roused her Ein to greater levels. Her dragon anima roared out with great determination.
"Grade Eight? You must be a valued genius of the Pavilion. How great! You truly are my ideal." Doyle chuckled. "Do you know why I separated you from the rest?"
Celestina did not answer but manifested a 'Radiant Lance', sending it piercing through the air to Doyle.
This powerful spell of light did not shatter but was stopped by Doyle's hand. His hands were covered in a dark smoke that kept spewing out more. The lance began to darken as it eroded. It was collected, and the darkness around his hands grew bigger.
'Grade Two Hands of Night'
Doyle's spell transformed his Ein into darkness and coated his hands. Anything that touched these hands would be imprinted and start eroding away from the darkness. The more Ein it eroded, the more it would grow in strength.
"You're a light user, girl? We truly are meant for each other.." His Ein surged more as his elemental spark made his darkness even darker, close to a black hole.
Celestina's Ein shone brighter in silver radiant light.
"Back to my previous statement. I separated you from the others because I want to see your face twist in pain and suffering as your friends are torn apart and eaten. Of course, that orange hair girl's face will be avoided. I can't wait….That confident, powerful look in your eyes turns to deep despair as you can't do anything." Doyle shuddered from the thought.
"Oi."
Celestina's voice cut his imagination short. Contrary to his expectations, she stood firm and radiated confidence.
"My friends aren't so weak as you think. And I will not go down so easily." Her rapier shone as Ein wrapped around it. She burst forward at astonishing speed.
Doyle lifted his darkness-covered hands; his eyes looked playfully at her. This will be some good entertainment before the show.
"I can't wait." He smiled under his mask as his eyes curled like crescent moons.
…….
Oscar and the others stared down the horde of centipedes around them. He looked at them and then at his team with a pensive look.
"There's around 100 of them. Two Greater Apprentice Exalts centipedes to our left and right. The mother in front is near the Elite Exalt realm." Oscar said.
"We can see that. Do you have a plan, Oscar?" Emily asked. Oscar was usually the one who came up with the strategies when they were out on missions.
"Not really a plan, but a last-ditch effort. Do you trust me?"
""No problem.""
Phillip, George, and Emily answered. Phillip and George held respect for Oscar from being opponents during the Grand Gathering. Emily had trust in her friend.
Oscar smiled. He was glad to be with them at this difficult time.
"It's do or die."
