Incubus Ascension-Chapter 24:Anos: The Black Knight

Liam watched Anos, the Red Knight, start walking toward him, each step slow and deliberate like he had all the time in the world.

The closer Anos got, the bigger the difference in their sizes became impossible to ignore.

He had to be at least seven feet tall, maybe more, and built like a damn wall.

Liam’s heart started hammering so hard he could feel it in his throat.

He flicked his eyes around the hall, desperate for anything he could use.

The place was huge, mostly empty stone, but there were these thick pillars running along both sides.

They looked solid enough. Maybe he could get behind one, buy a few seconds.

Liam broke into a sprint toward the nearest pillar on his right.

Anos must’ve seen him move because he immediately raised that massive sword of his with both hands.

The blade came down in a vicious arc aimed right at him.

Liam dropped into a crouch at the last possible second.

The sword whistled over his head and slammed into the pillar behind him with a sound like thunder.

The stone split clean in two, the top half crashing down in a cloud of dust and chunks of rock.

Liam coughed hard, eyes stinging and watering from the dust.

Before he could even catch his breath, iron claws clamped around the back of his shirt and yanked him backward like he weighed nothing.

His head smashed against the wall hard enough that he saw stars. Warm blood started trickling down the side of his face.

He forced his eyes open, blinking through the blur. Think. Think fast, damn it.

Running head-on at this guy was suicide. He needed to avoid fighting him altogether, grab the red lotus, and get the hell out.

But he had to slow him down first or he’d cut him apart before he even reached the stairs.

That’s when he spotted it, the red lotus, glowing faintly inside a glass case on the second-floor balcony, overlooking the hall.

Liam shoved off the wall and bolted for the wide staircase.

He took the steps two at a time, lungs burning, until he hit the second floor.

Anos was still down below, walking toward him at that same unhurried pace, like he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

He stepped right into the middle of the open space beneath the huge chandelier. Perfect.

Liam remembered the glue-ball skill he’d picked up ages ago, sticky little projectiles that hardened on impact.

If he could cover him enough, maybe he could pin him in place long enough to drop something heavy on him.

He raised both hands and started firing. The glue balls shot out in quick bursts, splattering across Anos’s chest, arms, legs.

Liam kept going until Anos looked like he’d been webbed in place. His boots were glued to the floor, arms stuck halfway up.

It worked... for about ten seconds.

Then Anos started thrashing. The glue stretched and cracked as he yanked his arms wildly, roaring in frustration. Liam didn’t have much time.

Liam drew his sword and looked up at the chandelier.

The rope holding it was thick, but his blade was sharp. Could he reach it from here? No time to second-guess.

He sprinted forward, jumped, and swung with everything he had.

The rope parted with a snap. The chandelier dropped like a guillotine, crashing down onto Anos in an explosion of metal and crystal.

A deafening crack echoed through the hall and Anos’s movements stopped.

Liam didn’t wait to admire it. He raced back down the stairs, firing more glue balls at him just to be sure he stayed down.

Once he was certain Anos wasn’t getting up anytime soon, he scanned the room again. There, the red lotus, in its glass case near the throne.

Liam sprinted over, smashed the case with his sword hilt, and grabbed the flower. He shoved it inside his jacket and ran for the main doors.

That’s when a bone-rattling war cry erupted from under the wreckage.

Liam’s legs almost buckled. His heart slammed against his ribs so hard he thought it might crack them.

But he forced himself forward, bursting through the doors and into the night.

He risked one glance back.

Anos was already rising. His red armor had turned pitch black, blacker than anything should be, like it swallowed light.

Liam knew that look. He’d seen it before, in his last life.

The Black Knight.

The same one who’d cleaved through three massive walls around Lumina City like they were paper.

Back then it took him five years to reach that form.

Now he’d just sped it up.

Liam’s stomach dropped. If he was this strong already, how much worse would he get?

Stronger than before. Strong enough to wipe out cities in days instead of weeks.

Liam gripped the red lotus tighter through his jacket and ran.

Down the mountain path, through the forest of dead, armored corpses still standing like twisted trees.

He didn’t stop until he was gasping for air and the town lights appeared in the distance.

It was fully dark by the time Liam reached the edge of town. Then he saw more lights, torches, campfires. A group of armed men.

He crept closer, staying in the shadows, and his blood ran cold when he recognized the symbol on their banners.

ATLAS.

They were after him and Olivia again.

Liam moved toward the largest tent, keeping low. Voices drifted out.

"...tomorrow afternoon. We hit the apartment hard. They won’t expect it so soon."

His pulse roared in his ears. He turned and sprinted toward town, toward the old apartment where he’d left Olivia.

They didn’t have time. He had to get back, warn her, figure out how they were going to face them tomorrow.

Liam reached the building, climbed the rickety stairs to Rem’s mother’s floor, and knocked hard.

The door opened. Olivia stood there, eyes wide.

He pushed inside without a word and headed straight for the kitchen.

Thanks to memories from his previous life, he knew exactly what to do with the red lotus.

He crushed it, mixed it with the few ingredients Rem’s family had, brewed the cure as fast as he could, and poured it into two cups.

He carried them to the bedroom.

Rem’s mother and her big sister drank. At first nothing. Then color started coming back to their faces. Their breathing eased.

Rem threw her arms around her mother, sobbing. "Thank God... Mom, you’re okay now. You’re really okay."

Her mother started crying too, hugging Rem tight. After a minute she looked up at him, eyes shining.

"You have my gratitude," she whispered. "Truly."

Liam nodded. "No problem. I couldn’t stand the thought of Rem growing up without you."

He took a breath, hating what came next.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but we’ve got trouble...

We’re being targeted. ATLAS is coming for us, tomorrow afternoon. We need to prepare. Fast."