CHAPTER 78: THE CALL FOR SACRIFICE

"LAYLA!" Anna was midair, about to slash at Kong when she saw Layla being hit by its palm and screamed out loud. she never expected the fallen Kong to target Layla instead of her.

Just then the Imoogi fired a pillar of fire at her. Shocked at the sudden reversal of target, Anna couldn’t react in time. she was about to get hit when Bren appeared in front of her with his shield.

the fire pillar hit with full force, pushing Bren back as he couldn’t get a foothold being midair. He hit Anna and both of them flew back to the distance.

They fell hard on the ground, rolled a few meters along it before coming to a stop.

With the help of her sword, Anna stood up gingerly. The impact was being felt by her body, her muscles were screaming, but she somehow stopped her legs from giving up and stood steady.

But before she could catch her breath, a shadow fell upon her, curious, when she looked up, the Kong was in the air right over her, swinging his fist at her direction.

Anna gripped her sword tight, her last bit of mana passed onto it and she took the stance for a slash. Just then a burning amber fist struck the Kong right at his jaw, caving half his face in as he blasted off to the distance, leaving a storm of dust along the way as he flew away scraping and rolling along the ground.

Anna was shocked as her jaw dropped to the ground. Luke was now standing in front of her with his back facing her. An amber runic circle spinning behind his back and a few strands of his hair transformed into fire, flickering with the wind, and his gauntlets burning in that mystical amber fire.

"Are you alright, elder sister?" Luke asked with worry.

"I’m fine but Layla was..." Anna turned her head towards where Layla laid motionless, but stopped in between as a golden runic circle was above her and she was being healed by Ruby and Fred stood guard in front.

Anna sighed in relief and was about to ask Luke what form he was in when Luke spoke to someone behind her.

"I can’t maintain this form for long. How much time do you need?"

"Just a few minutes. Try to keep him restrained, I need him not to move much." Raguel was levitating in the air as his eyes were glowing white and the diamond mark was lit on his forehead, scanning for any weakness of the beast.

"I’ll help you." Noah came forward.

Luke nodded at Noah. "Don’t move close. Poke him from the distance."

"We’ll help too." Anna said as Bren stomped his shield on the ground, showing his resolve.

ROARR!!

The Kong was up and roared furiously in Luke’s direction. It spit out some blood on the ground and looked menacingly at them. sizzling sound radiated out from his body as his wounds started healing at a visible rate.

"Come you bastard." Prana rushed to his feet as he rushed ahead. Noah, Anna and Bren followed Luke as they ran towards the beast.

Both the parties ran towards each other as the ground shook from the heavy thumps of the Kong’s footsteps.

A rotating hammer flew towards the beast and hit it just below the eye. The beast’s eyes closed as he turned his head sideways, surprised at the sudden arrival of a hammer and slowed down on its tracks.

Luke didn’t miss the chance as he vanished from the spot and appeared right above its head. his burning fist hit right at top of his head, slamming his head down towards the ground.

The hammer flew back into Noah’s hands as he smiled at the success. Bren threw the shield in the air, Anna jumped and stepped on it. Mana rushed to her feet as she jumped a second time with the shield as the foothold and slashed her sword at the Imoogi, that was about to attack Luke.

The Imoogi screech in pain when Anna’s sword slashed right where Layla had slashed it. Her sword cutting half of the neck almost reaching the bone and pushing forward.

But just then Luke rammed into her and pulled her along with him. they landed on the ground and rolled a few meters before standing up. Anna was surprised as to why Luke had pulled her away when she was almost about to kill the Imoogi.

But just then a wind sphere passed through right where she earlier was and hit the ground, forming a pit on the ground and dust flying away as she was not there to take the hit.

"Be careful sister. It’s too cunning and strong. We just have to hold until Raguel finds its weakness." Luke warned her as she nodded.

A drop of sweat trickled down her forehead, thinking about what would have had happened if Luke hadn’t saved her right now. finally, she started seeing Luke in a different light. The young baby brother she was trying to protect was now standing tall in front of her, fighting neck to neck with a disaster class beast and protecting her instead of being protected.

Unknowingly, a smile crept on her face, mocking her own foolishness and feeling proud for her brother.

"How long Raguel!?" Luke asked in a loud voice.

Raguel wanted to say something, but no words came out, hesitation and disbelief had suppressed his voice.

"Raguel!!?" Luke yelled when a ball of fire fell in front of him as he and Anna jumped back evading it.

They kept on moving around, evading and getting a strike or two in between. The Kong kept roaring and firing wind spheres and the Imoogi kept irritating them with the fire balls.

"I’m running out of time! SAY SOMETHING DAMN IT!!"

"I-It’s her." Raguel pointed at the face of the woman on the Kong’s chest.

A wave of shock ran in all those present, especially Adam, who was standing right beside Raguel.

He traced Raguels’ finger towards the direction he was pointing at, and when the face he saw that was being pointed at, he felt like a mountain falling on his head. The last hope that he had now shattered into a million pieces.

"W-What a-are y-you t-try..."

"We were late Adam. The souls have fused together. S-She...she has now become the core of that beast." Raguel sighed helplessly. He hoped he was wrong, but the truth laid bare in front of his eyes. He couldn’t deny now.

Adam slumped to the ground on his knees. He wanted to cry, but no tears were flowing out. he wanted to scream, but his mouth wouldn’t open. He wanted to run and save his wife, but his muscles were betraying him right at that moment.

Raguel put his hand on Adam’s shoulder.

"You have to make the greatest sacrifice now Adam, so that thousands of innocents can be saved, or else everything, the city, the people, the children, the homes, everything will vanish from this continent today."

"Haha...hahaha! Why would I care?" Adam gave out a helpless laugh. "You want me to sacrifice my world so that others survive? I don’t care who lives or who dies. I don’t care when I won’t even have a reason to live." Adam said in a cold voice.

Raguel sighed. He moved his am towards Adam and placed his palm on his forehead.

"Let me make you hear what your wife’s wish is." Golden mana spread out from his palm and covered his forehead as his eyes glowed golden and his mouth opened wide.