From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Nanako watched as the man disappeared at the first touch. Gisorn stood untouched, no scratches, blemishes, or scars, just a cocky smile as he stared down the group.

"Now, who's next to die?" Gisorn taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

Armond Zaraki stepped forward. "Figure something out while I distract him!"

General Mattison shouted, "Wait, we can—"

But Armond was already moving. He unleashed his small cylinder, which exploded into a double-edged sword. The weapon shimmered in the light as he spun it around, aiming to strike down Draven. Draven sidestepped, moving with an almost inhuman grace. His hand shot out, gripping the sword's blade. In an instant, the weapon vanished.

Before Armond could react, a spiked chain materialized, whistling through the air. It wrapped around his arm, the cruel spikes tearing through flesh and bone. Armond's scream echoed through the battlefield as his arm was severed, blood spraying in an arc.

Desperately, he tried to jump back, clutching his severed hand, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Gisorn's smirk widened as he tapped his chest. Armond vanished, leaving only a pool of blood where he had stood.

Nanako fully picked herself up to her feet. She watched as General Mattison sighed and stated, "Alright, Silvius, let's make an opening for the rest of the group to move forward. I believe he teleported King Griswald and Master Dagon to the same place… just a hunch, but wherever they were sent, I think the King is handling it just fine.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He's still in his younger state, so… let's focus on getting Pegasus out of here."

Nanako noticed the determined glint in Mattison's eyes as Silvius nodded. "I still don't have much energy to use my wine, but this should be a good opportunity to gain guidance with my weapon. Let's do it."

Nana stepped forward, her voice firm. "I will back you up! Todd, you stay front and focus on protecting!"

Todd nodded, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Of course, just don't get killed, please. Ty would be very upset with me."

"Yeah, I imagine so," Nana replied with a slight smile.

Gisorn, arms crossed, sneered at their planning. "Your planning will amount to nothing! You've lost your king and now your dear master or whatever he was."

Face the fact you will be freeing the Dragoon or any of the other curses, wielding his pen in his right hand he flexed his hand as dozens of spiked chains jetted out toward the group as Nana yelled out, "Don't worry about the chains! Push forward."

Feeling a burning sensation on her shoulder, she tightened her fist on her red hand that was slightly smaller than the rest of her body, pinpointing mentally all of the chains. With a snap of her fingers, explosions rippled around the cavern covered in green moss and plants. The scent of burning vegetation mixed with the acrid smell of magic hung heavily in the air.

Nanako watched on as Silvius, guided by a middle arc of wine over his shoulder, rushed forward. His movements were fluid, almost drunkenly graceful, yet precise. General Mattison, weapon at his side, launched an attack forward with a red crow moving off his hilt, the bird's wings cutting through the air with a fierce whoosh.

"Right, I will trust them with this right now. Orin, you have a big role to play here. How good of a shot are you?" As she spoke, dozens of spiked chains came raining down on her that she had hit originally. The sound of metal clashing with the cavern's stone echoed loudly.

Todd came running in with his staff fully extended, spinning it around his body, deflecting each of them. The rhythmic thudding of chains against Todd's staff created a percussive backdrop to the chaos.

Throwing his staff into a spin as it held in the air for a second, Nana watched as Todd slammed his hands together, creating a whirlwind that pushed back all of the chains again. The gust roared through the cavern, scattering debris and sending the chains clattering against the walls.

"Don't worry, go with your plan, Nana! I won't let a single chain get through!" Todd's voice was firm, filled with unwavering confidence as he maintained the barrier of wind around them.

Nanako shook her head for a second and stated, "Right, thank you. I will buy you some good beer when we get out of here and find Ty! Okay, Orin, that's your name, right?"

The young boy, putting his hand through his green hair, replied, "Y-yes, how can I possibly help in this situation? I will just end up getting in everyone's way!"

Nanako stepped closer to Orin, her eyes meeting his with a fierce intensity. "Listen, Orin, you have a skill that can turn the tide. Trust in yourself. Focus on the target, and don't let doubt creep in." Her words were a lifeline, pulling Orin from the depths of his insecurity.

As the whirlwind raged on, the ground beneath them trembled with the power of Todd's defense. The chains clanged against the invisible barrier, sparks flying with each impact. Orin looked at Nanako, determination slowly replacing the fear in his eyes.

"Come on, I know you aren't that stupid. I know you aren't one to back down or stay away. I saw you and your friends try to fight at the Cathedral when everyone hid! You've been practicing, so your role is the most important here."

Orin took a small step back, his voice trembling. "How could I possibly compete with these big hitters… especially after losing King Griswald and Master Dagon…"

Nana walked up to him, standing slightly smaller than him, and smacked him in the face. The sharp sound echoed through the cavern, a jarring reminder of the stakes they faced. "You have to get that pen out of his hand, Orin! As soon as General Mattison, Pegasus, Silivius, and the staff girl are gone, it's going to be up to us to push forward and get that book!"

Orin, even more startled, stammered, "What do you mean when they're gone?!"

The intensity in Nana's eyes didn't waver. "Exactly what I said. They're buying us time, but it's on us to finish this. You're stronger than you think, Orin. Believe in yourself like we believe in you."

Nana responded sharply. "Just trust me." As Guido stood to the side of him, he stated, "Is there anything I can do in this situation?"

Nana turned to him as General Mattison and Silivus attempted to strike down Gisorn. Gisorn dodged and sidestepped each attack, his movements fluid and mocking. They, in turn, dodged his attempts to touch them while deflecting the chains. A few chains cut and dug into them, leaving shallow wounds that bled through their clothing.

The air buzzed with the sound of clashing metal and the grunts of effort. Nana, complexed and with a blank face, stated, "I kinda forgot who you are," she said with her hands cupped together. "What can you do?"

Guido's expression turned serious. "My full armor is actually my 'weapon.' The more hits I take, the stronger I become. I have trained my body to take more and more pain in order to increase my physical strength!"

As he spoke, the battle raged on behind him. The clang of weapons and the hiss of chains filled the cavern, creating a chaotic symphony of combat. Silvius, his face strained with effort, launched another powerful strike, the force of which sent a shockwave through the air. Gisorn merely smirked, deflecting the blow with ease.

"I see, and how much pain can you take?" Nana asked.

"Uhhhh, a lot?" he responded.

Nana snapped her fingers, sending a blast straight at Guido's covered face. He went crashing into the wall, shouting, "Ahh, you could have warned me!"

Moments later, General Mattison fell to the ground as Gisorn mockingly stated, "I got you." He placed his hand on Mattison's head, and in a flash, he vanished along with Pegasus, who grabbed onto his ankles seconds before getting snatched away.

Silvius seized the opportunity, his eyes narrowing in focus. He rained down the rest of his wine shaped as a spear. The liquid weapon shimmered in the dim light, speeding toward Gisorn. In a blink of an eye, Gisorn wrote in the air, "Reflect." As the spear inched toward his chest, a mirror of water formed, shimmering and rippling.

The spear collided with the watery mirror, and in an instant, it reversed its trajectory. The liquid spear slammed into Silvius with brutal force, the impact throwing him against the wall. He slumped to the ground, blood mixing with the spilled wine, a look of shock frozen on his face.

Gisorn chuckled a bit and stated, "Oops, I guess I won't need to send him anywhere. I can let his rotting corpse be a message to anyone else who ever comes by."

"Shit," Nanako muttered, watching on. "Let's move."

The group scattered, hearts pounding. Nanako felt the weight of desperation clawing at her chest, but she forced herself to focus. The cavern seemed to close in around them, the darkness pressing down like a living thing.