[REND] B2. 6.5 - Monster in the Labyrinth

We can share thoughts? My first instinct was to disconnect from Deen. I hated physical touch. ‘Mental touch’ was several levels more abominable. No way I’d let Deen rummage through my thoughts! Spooky Erind was different because she was an entity from another dimension; the ickiness factor of human connection wasn’t there.

(Erind! Can you hear me?) Deen’s telepathic message hit me again, wrapped in desperation. Stupid emotions got transmitted, too? I could also sense the pain she felt. (Is… Is this an illusion, too? Erind!)

It was only the span of a couple of seconds, but I received a lot more than just words from Deen. She knew that she was trapped in her mind and hoped that I was real, calling for her from the real world. However, she was also suspicious whether this was a trick. A part of her was guilty for pushing through with this fight instead of fleeing. She beat herself up for the possibility that we’d all die here. It’d be her fault then.

Though her thoughts were amusing, I couldn’t spare the space to laugh at them. Our disgusting connection! What do I do? This was way worse than the Core connection we had at the docks!

I shut off any thoughts from my end. Hopefully, that worked. Should I switch connections to my original body?

But I had difficulties controlling my body the last time—it was like a toddler learning to move, but with super strength. I couldn’t beat Illusory Eyes with that. Back to my plan of saving Deen first. We needed to get her Guardian Angel back online. And I had to do it fast while the present was still within the range of the Guardian Angel’s future sight before the illusions took over. That should mean that victory was assured in this period, right?

(Deen, it’s really me,) I thought back, breaking into a run because Illusory Eye’s started to target me with its ginormous limbs. (I’m using my Core ability, that’s why I can communicate with your mind.) I did my best not to think about other things.

(Break me out of this illusion world! I know that I’m—Argh!) Illusory Eye had swatted Deen against the wall with a mighty flick. Her unmoving body cracked the wall and left a bloody impression before falling to the ground.

(Stand!) I thought with all my might. It was an order, not a simple mental chat. (Stand up, Deen!)

And Deen’s body did follow my command, shakily pushing herself off the ground and straightening her body. This proved I could bypass Illusory Eye’s mind shenanigans. Our hope!

Deen stood for a second before wobbling.

No! A strong pushback. My thought commands were hitting a wall. Deen was resisting me. Suspicion, confusion, and fear. Her body tensed up and toppled like a cut tree. Illusory Eye then bashed Deen again.

Dammit! I should’ve explained about my body control power to her before using it.

(Is this part of your ability, too?) Deen asked. Increased wariness. She was trying to probe into my mind for my intentions. (I feel you inside my mind, doing things.) Lots and lots of confusion, too. I had no idea what this felt like on her end, having her body controlled while her mind is trapped in an illusory world.

(I’m puppeteering your body with our mind link,) I hastily explained.    

(Prove that you’re Erind.) 

(Uh, how do I—?)

(Say the first word that you think of!)

(Croissant?) Right after that, Deen’s mind opened up to me. The sensation was difficult to put into words because it was unlike anything I had experienced before. The closest I could compare it with was figuring out a super difficult problem and realizing how everything was so easy all along.

Deen tugged at my mind. She might be clinging onto it as an anchor while trying to free herself of Illusory Eye’s mind trap. It was like I had thrown her a rope while she was sinking in quicksand. She now had the means to pull herself up.

And she was also helping me use my powers.  

From a burdensome struggle to a walk in the park, Deen’s consciousness guided my own to establish connections with her limbs. Deen was the bridge for more control. She was better at using my powers than I was! Maybe she was the real main character all along?

No! This was my thing. And I was going to save everyone. It was the right call to link with Deen instead of the empty husk that was my original body. What would it be like if I tapped onto an unwilling person?

(Hurry up with your plan.) Deen shared fractured images of a crazed-up version of me. (Your illusion version is clawing my eyes out.)

(We’re going to attack the Adumbrae. Surrender your body to me.)

(That’s something an Adumbrae would say.) Deen probably didn’t intend that snide remark to reach me. Her mind became subdued. (I trust in you, Erind.)

(Dive forward.)

Deen leaped to avoid Illusory Eye’s attack. But the direction of her dive was off because I misjudged her positioning, and she ended up hugging the wall. I sent an order to avoid the next strike, but it was too late. Illusory Eye’s following swipe flung Deen to the back of the room. Illusory Eye must’ve comprehended our aim and was keeping Deen away.  

(Uh, sorry.) Full control didn’t equate to the finesse in movement that I had expected. It was like playing a video game with unfamiliar controls and the wonkiest camera ever. Add that giant fingers were attacking me while I was playing. And I didn’t even like playing video games!

(Is there a problem?) Deen probably didn’t realize that I could sense her creeping distrust in my ability to save us. Not that I could blame her.

(New plan. I’ll transmit commands. You amplify the action.)

(What? I’m still trapped in—)

(Ignore the illusions! Think that you’re moving in the real world.) Quite challenging to explain what I meant while avoiding getting crushed by Illusory Eye. I managed to wear my metal mannequin mask while in the illusion world. If Deen and I worked together, we’d be able to control her body better—now, that was a thought I didn’t expect to ever have in a billion years.

(I got it.)

(Run forward. I’ll control smaller movements. Just run fast!) I kept my instructions simple, backed up by images of what I wanted Deen to do.

Deen succeeded in partially controlling her body while under Illusory Eye’s illusions. Huge props to her! Our connection might have something to do with it. I adjusted Deen’s steps, aligning her course with our enemy.

As Deen charged at Illusory Eye, I ran parallel to her. Following my instructions, she shielded herself with her arms and accelerated. She smashed through machines in her way, like a careening big rig. She even squished one of the human bodies. In comparison, I had to weave through the mess in my path. I almost tripped on the cables.

We were almost there! Once Deen reached the Adumbrae, I’d order her to attack the eye inside its mouth.

Illusory Eye didn’t move from its spot. Couldn’t it walk away while doing its illusion thing? Awesome if that was the case. But it could still attack. Not awesome. It pulled back its enlarged limbs and swept them forward to rake us away.

I controlled Deen to jump in between the Adumbrae’s appendages, perfectly avoiding them as she continued her charge. But that cost all my concentration; I failed to evade the pillar-like limb coming at me. The impact was so strong that I ended up in pieces.

As if the world slowed to a crawl, I observed the crazy sight that was my arms and legs twirling away in different directions. My dismembered head tumbled through the air, too. I landed among some rocks.

How was I still alive despite being only a head? My connection with Deen remained intact, though my arm had flown elsewhere. This wasn’t over yet.

Only one thing was on my mind. (Charge! Charge! Hit the Adumbrae!)

Okay, so that was two things. More than two things because I also sent Deen images of my last view of the Adumbrae before I was disassembled. I hoped that this would work.

I heard a crash followed by a piercing shriek. Deen must’ve collided with Illusory Eyes. We did it!

More noise. Growls punctuating thuds. Was Deen fighting the Adumbrae?

I managed to roll my head to the side using my cables of hair. Unfortunately, a piece of rock blocked my view. I continued with my commands: (Attack! Punch! Kick!) If Deen did all sorts of moves, some were bound to hit the Adumbrae.

A voice came from somewhere below me. “Ugh… hurts like… a bitch.”

Was that Myra? I was the mini-crater that cradled Myra’s flattened golem body. The illusion of power was broken!

The pile of rubble I was on moved. Myra climbed out of her destroyed armor, pushing off a slab that also sent me rolling away. “Wha-what the hell’s going on?”  

I shouldn’t call for Myra. She didn’t know about my transformation, and it’d take too long to explain. Focus on Deen. She should be up against the Adumbrae with her Guardian Angels’ help.

(Deen, are you alright?) I asked while directing my body parts to come crawling back to me. They were all connected by a different kind of string, which I pulled with my will. Such a stupid body this was.

(Bad spot.) That was Deen’s only coherent mental words.

The rest of her thoughts were a jumble of moves. Left. Right. Jump back. Tons of stress. Utter concentration. Deen was following her Guardian Angel’s instruction while fighting the Adumbrae. The Guardian Angel should be able to keep her alive, but she probably wasn’t strong enough to win.

It was up to me, the main character, to save the day. I continued pulling my body parts. The first that reached me was my foot. I tried taking off my mask with it, but it wasn’t happening. Where was my hand?

I pushed my head upright with my foot working in tandem with the bit of spine I had left. Thankfully, there was nothing in front of me, and I could see what was going on.

Deen and Illusory Eye fought at the back of the room. More like Deen was only evading the Adumbrae’s spidery limbs that had shrunk to the size of spears instead of doing actual fighting. The Adumbrae appeared to have lost its jaw, and presumably, that stupid eye inside it. But it was regenerating. Deen couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Once the eye was back…

Myra approached them. She stopped and looked around as if in a daze.

Was she thinking this was also an illusion? If I were in her spot, I might assume that the Adumbrae was actually Deen, and I was getting tricked into attacking my friend.

I needed my hands to remove this mask! Were they stuck somewhere? Could I return to my Erind body through sheer will? What if I asked Deen to come over and—?

(Power.) A single thought from Deen came.

She asking me for power? She must’ve been told to do so by her Guardian Angel. Did that mean this form could give power? Spooky Erind, where was the instruction manual for this body?

I cleared my mind. Search for this power. Feel it inside me.

Not my head. In my chest, whirling energy was balled up inside it. This could be the power that the Guardian Angel meant. How to get it to Deen? Through our connection was the answer. I concentrated on transmitting energy to Deen, hoping that something would actually happen.

Green light flared several feet behind me, bathing the room for a moment. It must be my chest and whatever was inside it. Waves of energy passed through the connections linking my scattered body parts.   

(Go to Deen!) Our link lit up for a moment as globules of green passed through it. My right arm was on the other side of the room.

The green orbs reached Deen. They entered her body.

And then, nothing happened.

That was it? Would she become stronger? Would she get new abilities or something?

Deen stopped jumping around like an overexcited ping pong ball. Illusory Eye stabbed Deen’s chest with a spear. Illusory Eye’s joints buckled and spurted purple blood, and the spear bent. It didn’t appear to have penetrated deeply.

Was Deen that tough all along? Or was it due to my power?

“I got you!” Deen shouted while grabbing the spear. She turned sideways and pulled the Adumbrae toward her with a powerful yank.

Illusory Eye didn’t have time to react. It stumbled forward as Deen winded-up a punch. Deen threw her fist forward. Her arm enlarged to thrice its size, inflated muscles stretching her short sleeve until it tore. Her fist connected. The Adumbrae entire upper body burst into a purple mist.

“Holy hell…” Myra stepped back.

“That’s insane,” I said. One hit, and it was over? If I had a movable jaw, it would’ve dropped.  

Myra turned around, surprised at my voice. She spotted me. “What the—? This is all still an illusion?” Her confused expression turned into anger, and she rushed over, probably intent on stomping me.

“Stop! It’s me, Erind! This is my power!”

“Erind?” Myra’s foot was above my head.

“Don’t!” Deen jogged towards us. Her arm had deflated as her stretched shirt fell off her right shoulder. “It’s over, Merge! This is all real. The illusion’s gone.”

Myra put down her foot. “So, this…?”

Deen picked my head up. “That’s really… Croissant. You know, her codename? Remember that Gabe told us that she’ll be the key to winning. She transformed into, um, this metal form, breaking free of the illusion.”

“You’re just a head?” Myra looked down. “Here’s a foot. Is this yours?”

“Yep. Some other parts there, too,” I said. “If you could help me collect myself… literally.”

Myra picked up my foot. “Why is your body spread everywhere?”

“I got hit by the Adumbrae and got disassembled. I’ll be able to put myself back together, I think.”

“Then you’ll be able to return to your original body?” Deen asked, repositioning my head so I could look up at her.

“Yeah, I can… Original body? Look for it! I didn’t transform! My original body is somewhere here!”   

(Author's Notes: I suppose this was a good run for the first combat usage of Pino. This also showed how powerful Pino's buffs could be. Insanely strong, really. There's a whole lot more testing needed to know about Pino's power. The good thing is that Deen and Myra would be there to help Erind. Going to be a fun bonding moment for the Three Bs. And it seemed that Cecilia wouldn't be a one-time character. Thank you for your support!)