Tyonis spared only the briefest of glances at Franny's Mystic Script. His attention was obviously elsewhere while the necromancer focused on solving the riddle. He continued to scan their surroundings, searching for the most minscule change in them, ready to strike out at a moment's notice.
He forced himself to blink when his vision began to blur. With a frown, he shook his head, unable to clear away strange opacity. Did he keep his eyes open too long? His hearing began to fade, the silence replaced by a faint, white noise that resembled static. Franny's voice drew him away from the distraction.
"I think it goes like-"
Whatever else the girl would say was drowned out by an immense blare. Her voice was modulated to the point where it sounded more like a whale's cry than words he could comprehend.
"Oh shi-"
Tyonis tore his gaze away from Franny and spun sword brandished out, only to see white.
He blinked, his blade frozen, mid-swing.
A faceless man of pure white skin 'stared' straight at him. No, it possessed no face nor features; like a balloon of white. It was impossibly tall, towering over Samurai by several feet. Yet, somehow, it had managed to contort its body to lower its head at Tyonis' level, only mere centimeters away.
After what seemed like an eternity, Tyonis exhaled and coughed blood.
He looked down to see a long, slender arm punched through his chest cavity. A glance over his shoulder told him that the monster had ripped out his left lung. That explained the blood and difficulty breathing. His vision spun as the monster lifted itself upright, dragging the impaled Samurai into the air. His arms were weak. Knightsbane was too heavy and slipped from his fingertips. The Faceless gripped Tyonis' head and TWISTED, snapping it on and off like a bottle-cap.
His eyes began to shut. The last thing Tyonis saw was Franny's expression of pure terror as hundreds of black tentacles reached for her-
-----
Tyonis blinked. Cold sweat poured freely from every part of his skin.
"I think it goes like-"The doornob began to slowly turn as it acknowledged the Summoner's answer. Tyonis was already moving. Hespun as hard as he could, sword brandished, relinquishing his vice-grip on Franny's hand. His battlecry echoed through the static, swinging madly through his blurred vision. Every instinct he had screamed at him to strike.
Knightsbane bit deeply into the outstretched arm of a tall,
Faceless man, but did negligible damage. A quick scan of his HUD told Tyonis this was a futile battle.
Level 40 The Faceless. The Slenderman."Franny," Tyonis began as the
Faceless Slenderman slowly rose from its crouch to tower over them with a shadow that should not exist considering how the hall's lighting was positioned.
"It's blocking the exit out. I want you to run into the next hall and shut the door. Those doors probably act as zone markers. If that's true each one of these rooms is a self-contained Instance. I'll follow you once you get through." By now the
Slenderman pulled itself to its full height as dozens if not hundreds of black tentacles began to emerge from its spine.
"It eats children, Franny." Tyonis' voice was firm even as his HP began to drop just from the
Slenderman's aura. He wouldn't allow Franny to suffer that, even if Adventurers were immortal, the psychological damage would be immeasurable.
Even if it cost him everything he had and more, he would not permit Franny that fate.
Tyonis shot a glance at the door to the next Hall. Even now, the doornob was still turning. So, he would have to buy time.
An immense gale exploded from where the Samurai stood, cracking the ground with its power.
Ace Move: Bushi Chousen."Be gone, Shadows.
Fade back into oblivion.
Ask not I, for the answer is clear:
Thy defeat is certain."
The Faceless lifted a hand that had, at some point, turned into a hideous claw, and swung down.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tyonis brought his own blade to bare, pouring every bit of his body into
Parrying the first blow. Knightsbane screeched in agony as it clashed against the monster's impossibly sharp nails. The kinetic force of the blow traveled through the Samurai's whole body. Tyonis felt his bones snap, yet his stance held thanks to his superhuman endurance.
Even after
Parrying, his
HP dropped by 40%. At that moment, Tyonis gave up any hope for survival.
"FRANNY, PLEASE RUN!" He desperately screamed as the Slenderman lifted its other arm to slaughter what remained of the Samurai.
