Annie's heart raced as she stepped deeper into the shadowy labyrinth, her grip tightening around her glowing sword.
The oppressive air seemed to thicken, stifling every breath, as though the very atmosphere around her was alive with malicious intent. The temperature dropped, her breath visible in the cold, yet she pressed on, undeterred.
Then, as if the darkness had come alive itself, three figures materialized from the shadows. Their red skin gleamed like freshly bled rubies, and their eyes burned with an eerie, malevolent glow. They were Purgatorists.
One of them, a hulking figure with a deep, guttural voice, spoke first. "Who are you?"
Annie squared her shoulders, meeting their gaze with unwavering resolve. "The so-called 'witch' by other humans," she replied, her voice clear, yet edged with a hint of coldness.
The Purgatorists muttered among themselves, the low murmurs like the rustling of dead leaves. One of them, a sleek figure with a long, flowing mane of white hair, stepped forward.
His eyes never left Annie as he said, "From the overworld, huh? She's quite strong. The question is, is she strong enough to resurrect him?"
Annie's eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing. She knew exactly what they were referring to, and the realization only fueled the fire burning inside her.
"With all the problems that have been going on in Purgatory lately, I knew one of you had to be the cause of it. But three Purgatorists? That's way too much… even for me."
I've heard stories—humans coming to Purgatory with the intent to resurrect you. But damn, I guess they really put in the work to resurrect all of you."continued Annie talking
One of the Purgatorist , a tall, heavily armored figure, spoke. "Oh, there are going to be way more of us. So make sure to get used to it." His voice was deep, like the rumble of thunder before a storm.
The Purgatorists stepped out of the shadows fully, revealing their forms. The first was a towering brute encased in dark, jagged armor that looked as though it had been forged from the bones of some ancient beast.
His red skin was barely visible beneath the layers of iron and steel that covered his body. His eyes glowed a fiery orange, and his movements were slow, deliberate, as though he were a walking mountain of destruction.
The second was the white-haired figure, his hair long and wild, flowing as though caught in an eternal wind. His sharp, piercing gaze matched the deadly elegance of his movements.
A long, gleaming sword was sheathed at his side, its blade reflecting the faintest glimmer of light. He exuded an air of calm confidence, like a predator toying with its prey.
The third, far smaller than the others, was agile and lithe, carrying two gleaming daggers that seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light.
His eyes darted from Annie to his companions, calculating, waiting for the right moment to strike. He had an air of playfulness to him, as though he found amusement in the chaos around him.
Annie steadied her breathing and tightened her grip on her sword, her mind already strategizing. "So, you're not just resurrecting your kind," she muttered, her voice a low growl, "you're making an army."
The white-haired Purgatorist, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, tilted his head. "An army? Perhaps. But it's not just about numbers." He stepped forward, his eyes glinting with something dark. "It's about power."
Annie barely had time to react when a loud, reverberating bang echoed through the cavern.
The ground shook beneath her feet, and a great gust of wind blew past her, sending her hair whipping around her face. She whirled, instinctively raising her sword.
Vel'Zorath, the Purgatorist with the creation of ' castle' , had just triggered his creation to escape from Menma's berserk rampage.
"Oi, I thought you were going to kill the witch already!" Vel'Zorath's voice was a cold mockery as he leapt from the castle's many rooms , . His creation, powerful and unique , allowed him to escape effortlessly.
Before Annie could react, Vel'Zorath turned toward her and raised a hand.
"Purgatorist creation // castle," he intoned with an eerie calmness.
In an instant, the very ground beneath their feet shifted and rumbled. Large stone walls erupted from the ground, rising with terrifying speed and force.
The stone structure expanded rapidly, encircling the battlefield, its jagged edges creating a massive fortress.
The walls were thick, seemingly indestructible, and the gates slammed shut behind them, trapping everyone within its confines.
Vel'Zorath stood at the center of this newly erected fortress, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Welcome to my castle," he mocked, his voice echoing off the walls.
Annie narrowed her eyes, feeling the weight of the situation settle upon her. "Not bad, but I don't intend to be a prisoner for long."
With a swift motion, she raised her sword and slashed through the air. The glowing blade cleaved the stone walls near her, sending sparks flying, but the structure held firm.
"Purgatorist creation // castle's swallow," Vel'Zorath commanded.
The stone walls around them seemed to come alive. Massive, jagged tendrils of rock shot toward Annie, attempting to trap her in their grasp. But she was quicker, leaping back and avoiding the stones as they crashed into the ground.
Her eyes flashed with determination. "You think you can keep me in here?"
She slashed through another set of tendrils, her blade cutting through stone like it was butter. But just as quickly, more tendrils erupted from the walls, pushing her back toward the center of the castle.
Menma, now in a berserk state, howled in fury. His massive demonic form twisted as he threw himself at the stone walls. With a roar, his claws tore through the thick rock, the sound of cracking stone filling the air.
"Menma, focus!" Annie called to him, trying to bring him back to his senses.
But his eyes were wild with rage, his body twitching as the power of his demonic form surged through him. He was no longer in control.
Vel'Zorath took advantage of Menma's blind fury. "I see your pet's losing control," he taunted, raising his hand. "Let's see how well you handle this."
He gestured, and the walls of the castle began to close in, narrowing around them like a vice. With a wave of his hand, the air grew dense, the weight of the stone pressing down on them.
"Purgatorist creation // castle crush," Vel'Zorath commanded.
The stone walls rumbled with power, and the entire structure seemed to constrict.
The force was immense, but Annie refused to back down. She slammed her sword into the stone, the glow intensifying as she broke through the pressure.
She turned toward Menma, but what she saw made her heart stop.
Menma, his body contorted and trembling, was in the throes of his berserk transformation.
His eyes were now a furious red, his veins black and pulsating with dark energy. His mouth was twisted into a snarl, and his claws scraped against the stone ground.
"Menma…" Annie whispered, her voice filled with concern.
Menma's form trembled, his hands clenched into fists, the blood dripping from his wounds staining the earth beneath him.
"Lilith…" His voice cracked, his expression a mixture of rage and sorrow. "She's gone, Annie. They killed her. The Purgatorist… he killed her."
Annie's heart twisted, but she couldn't afford to lose focus. She placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. "We'll avenge her, Menma. But first, we need to finish this.
Suddenly, the white-haired Purgatorist with the sword appeared, his hawk-like wings unfurling behind him in a flash. "Purgatorist creation // hawk wings!" he shouted, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
Massive wings of dark energy sprang from his back, each feather sharp as a blade. He soared into the air with terrifying speed, cutting through the fortress's interior with precision. The winds howled as he swooped toward Annie.
Annie raised her sword just in time to meet his blade. The clash of metal rang through the air, sending shockwaves through the castle. The white-haired Purgatorist grinned, his eyes narrowing as he pressed the attack.
"Impressive," he said. "But it's not over yet."
Meanwhile, the third Purgatorist, the one with the daggers, was moving through the castle , his small frame darting between the stone walls. He raised his hands, and debris from the surroundings began to shift.
"Purgatorist creation // multiply," he hissed.
In an instant, the air was filled with flying daggers and sharp debris. The projectiles zipped through the air, threatening to pierce through Annie and Menma.
Menma howled again, his claws slashing through the flying projectiles as he fought to regain control.
Annie, her focus unwavering, deflected the daggers with her sword, the glowing blade cutting through the air like lightning.
She darted forward, meeting the white-haired Purgatorist in the air as they exchanged fierce blows.
The battle escalated, the entire castle trembling under the weight of their power. Each strike, each clash, sent vibrations through the stone, but neither side was willing to back down.
Vel'Zorath Was just standing on top of his castle, swinging his legs , when the fourth Purgatorist approached him...
"Are you not fighting ?" Vel'Zorath asked the Purgatorist. " No , you know i don't do well in teamwork!" said the Purgatorist .
"Yeah you are right, don't worry we will finish this " replied Zorath
as he looked down at the chaos around him. "Alright! Let's finish this "
As Vel'Zorath raised his hand and called out, "PURGATORIST CREATION // King's command!" the very ground beneath them trembled.
The air grew thick with tension as the castle's very structure seemed to shift and warp. The walls groaned and cracked, and the environment began to shift violently around Annie and Menma.
The entire surrounding changed in an instant. What had once been a confined area, a ruin of stone pillars and shattered floors, now became a twisting maze of fluctuating rooms, shifting from one place to another.
The ground beneath them quaked as stone slabs moved like pieces of a puzzle. The very air itself seemed to twist and turn, as though the room was alive and trying to swallow them whole.
Annie's heart raced as she tried to steady herself. She gripped her sword tightly, her feet slipping on the uneven ground.
Beside her, Menma, still in his berserk state, howled in frustration, his claws tearing into the shifting walls.
The chaos was overwhelming. One second, they were fighting in one room, and the next, they were thrown into another. The layout kept changing, and the unpredictable movements made it nearly impossible to predict their surroundings.
It was as if the castle itself had come alive, attacking them from all sides.
Above them, the ceiling split open, revealing another layer of stone, which came crashing down like a deadly wave.
Annie jumped, just barely avoiding the falling debris as the floor shifted beneath her feet, sending her tumbling into a new room.
The walls moved, squeezing in from both sides, and the ceilings retracted, shifting with the force of the castle's power.
Menma was struggling, his body twisting violently, his monstrous form unable to keep up with the rapid changes. His claws slashed through the stone, but the more he fought, the more it seemed like the castle was simply toying with him.
Every swing he made only tore through a wall that shifted out of reach. His movements were getting more erratic.
Behind them, the white-haired Purgatorist with the wings creation smirked. He hovered above, his wings flapping with precision as he darted between the changing rooms, feathers like daggers aimed directly at Annie and Menma.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a storm of sharp feathers, each one a deadly projectile. They sliced through the air like missiles, cutting the walls, the floor, and anything in their path.
"Purgatorist creation // crow's feathers," the white-haired Purgatorist shouted.
Feathers swarmed like a storm, spinning through the air with deadly speed. Annie leapt to the side, barely avoiding one as it grazed her cheek.
Menma, still disoriented and enraged, swung his claws, trying to destroy the flying projectiles, but they came at him in waves, each time more intense than the last.
"Annie!" Menma growled, his voice guttural and strained. He lashed out again, but a cluster of feathers pierced his side, sending him crashing to the ground with a roar of pain. His blood stained the shifting stone floor, and for a moment, he lay there, breathing heavily.
Annie's heart clenched as she saw him fall, his demonic form losing its strength with every passing second. She knew they couldn't keep fighting in this chaotic environment.
They were being overwhelmed, and Menma, in his berserk state, wasn't getting any stronger. If anything, he was getting weaker with every blow.
The dagger-wielding Purgatorist, standing on the other side of the battlefield, grinned as he saw Menma's weakness. With a snap of his fingers, he activated his creation.
"Purgatorist creation // multiply!" he shouted.
Rocks and knives appeared from thin air, multiplying in an instant. The ground cracked as stones shot up from the floor, their jagged edges cutting into the walls and creating an avalanche of sharp objects.
The multiplying Purgatorist didn't stop there. He added his daggers into the mix, throwing them at Menma and Annie like a storm of death. The stones, rocks,feathers and knives collided with the shifting walls, creating a deadly labyrinth of projectiles.
Menma, his claws still bloodied, swung wildly, trying to break free from the overwhelming assault. But the sheer number of objects coming at him was too much.
One dagger pierced his arm, sending him crashing into the wall. His growl of frustration echoed through the room as he struggled to push himself off the ground.
Annie could see the desperation in his eyes. She knew they had to get out, or else they would both be overwhelmed. She clenched her teeth, her mind racing. They couldn't keep fighting here. The surroundings were too unpredictable, and they were both running out of time.
"Menma, hold on," she muttered to herself, taking a step back.
Annie knew she had to act fast. She focused her creation , her fingers trembling as she prepared her next move. She raised her hands to the sky, summoning the purest form of her creation—the light.
"Witch creation // wings of light," she whispered.
A shimmering light enveloped her body, the ethereal wings forming behind her. They weren't physical, but the pure energy they radiated was undeniable.
Annie took a deep breath and, with a single, powerful movement, summoned the wings to carry her. The wings of light flared brightly, the glow casting everything in a blinding radiance.
She dashed forward, her light wings propelling her through the chaotic scene. The shifting walls and ceilings couldn't stop her now.
She moved through the space with an otherworldly speed, cutting through the storm of daggers and rocks that surrounded them.
Menma, still on the ground and struggling to rise, looked up at Annie as she approached him. His body was covered in bruises, his movements sluggish. The rage in his eyes was still there, but it was clear that he was no longer in control.
"Annie," he muttered weakly, his voice barely audible.
Without another word, Annie bent down, her wings flaring as she wrapped her arms around Menma. She lifted him up effortlessly, her wings propelling them both upward through the air.
The rocks and knives continued to rain down around them, but Annie's light shielded them from the onslaught, creating a barrier that deflected the projectiles.
She soared upward, the light wings carrying them higher and higher, escaping the chaos below. The shifting rooms and stone pillars seemed to lose their grip on them as they flew further away from the battlefield.
Behind them, Vel'Zorath watched, his lips curling into a sneer as he saw Annie and Menma break free.
"Running away? Pathetic," Vel'Zorath hissed, but he knew this was not the end. They would meet again.
Annie didn't look back as she soared higher into the unknown, the light wings carrying them toward the distant horizon. Her heart raced, but she knew she had made the right decision. They weren't safe yet, but they were alive.
As she said sorry to her friends and her last remaining guardian " im sorry Lilith , everyone one else , i will avenge you!"
After some flying she reached the rest of the witches.
"My queen" They started running to her , as Annie fell to the ground, with Menma on her hands...
"Quickly, bring healing potions" as they gave the potions to them , and after a bit , they started taking effect.
Annie was the first one to wake up " The... The Purgatorist they came and killed Lilith" said one witch while sobbing
"Yes I know, there are 4 of them, they almost killed Menma as well" said Annie
"I will make sure each of them pay, for what they did... but not today, we need to gear up!"said Annie with a strong voice, as they started walking towards the portal
Menma who was still getting carried by Annie , woke up" where is Lilith" he said with a weak and tired voice.