A deafening explosion rang out across the prison yard as a stream of fire shot upward.
Daren's precise attack gave the prisoners hope. They saw a whole stack of dynamite explode at once, leaving the Bone Keeper unable to defend itself.
Crack.
Pebbles rolled away as a figure rose from behind the smoke screen.
"GHA!" Enor spat out a mouthful of blood as his back was covered in burns.
He, like everyone else, quickly turned his gaze to the Bone Keeper.
TREMBLE!
The Bone Keeper collapsed to one knee while its left side was mutilated. The left arm was gone, as was a chunk of shoulder, and its back and side were covered in bleeding rips, but...
'That's not enough.'
Kreyn frowned. This was not the result he was expecting.
"Ha... Hahaha!" Enor laughed despite the blood flowing from his mouth. "What? Did you think a pack of dynamite would bring you victory? Don't be delusional!"
Then, Enor's gaze darkened as he pointed his cane at Kreyn.
"It's time to end this farce. Bone Keeper, kill him!"
Kreyn braced himself for the Bone Keeper to throw a bone at him, but instead, the Bone Keeper opened its jaw, revealing a bright red light.
Whoooooooooosh.
The crimson orb reflected in Kreyn's wide-open eyes, cutting through the wind at tremendous speed. The Bone Keeper could not only wave its arms like a puppet, but also had its own abilities, which Kreyn did not know about and was not prepared for.
The only thing Kreyn felt was a push from behind. Out of the corner of his eye, he managed to notice the tips of obsidian hair before he collapsed to the ground.
BLAST!
The explosion sounded behind him while stones flew over his head.
He turned around to see Valyra covering him with her body. Her face was contorted with pain, since her back was full of pierced shards.
Gratitude? Fear? Maybe guilt? Anyone in Kreyn's place might have felt all of these things, but he had a different vision.
Clutch.
He grabbed her by the back of her head, digging his fingers into her hair, and stared straight into her eyes.
"Victory will be mine!" Kreyn exclaimed as he pointed at Enor. "This fuck will die, and you will have the best seat!"
A smile spread across her face. It wasn't what Valyra expected to hear, but she couldn't think of anything better.
Enor frowned as Kreyn stood up and walked confidently toward him. He removed the blade from his belt, as well as the small pouch he'd previously received from Daren.
"What? You think you can beat me in a fight?" Enor mocked him as the Bone Keeper stepped forward, glaring at Kreyn as if he were the prey. "If I didn't have my guard, I could easily crush your face with my bare fists!"
"Shut up."
"Agh...? What did you say?!"
Kreyn sighed as he swung his blade, leaving a wide cut on his palm.
"Now you say that, but what will happen when you actually lose your pet? Hmm?"
Anger covered Enor's face. "Don't talk nonsense! Scum like you could never defeat the Bone Keeper."
"Well... What can I say?" Kreyn pulled a red orb out of the pouch, inside which was a sleeping purple larva. "You're not willing to go to the same lengths as me."
He crushed the orb as the purple larva attached itself to Kreyn's wound. His face twisted in pain as the larva began to jerk violently, releasing a mist.
When they were planning their strategy, Daren had shown him these larvae. They weren't just their trump card, but a joker that could lead them to either victory or defeat.
Enor's eyes widened in disbelief that Kreyn had decided to do this.
Laura, who was watching from the sidelines, knew very well what was about to happen, as did the prisoners who worked every day in the deep parts of the mine.
'Does he really want to do this? He's suicidal!' She screamed inwardly.
Without hesitation, Kreyn rushed towards the prisoners, picking up the prepared bundle of dynamite from the ground. He threw the dynamite over his shoulder and, ignoring the larva, ran straight at the Bone Keeper.
The great guard could have smashed him to the ground like a fly, but the wounds from the explosion were taking their toll, and the Bone Keeper couldn't move as fast as before.
"Shit! Get away! Don't let him get close to you!" Enor waved his hand.
Whooooooosh.
At the same moment, Kreyn threw the dynamite forward and slipped under the Bone Keeper, leaving the larva on its ankle.
The danger was not in the larva or the mist, but in what was to follow.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The ground shook with such force that it felt like an earthquake was coming. The prisoners grabbed onto the columns and walls to keep from falling, and the pebbles on the surface trembled.
"NO!" Enor exclaimed as a huge shadow burst out of the ground.
A jaw full of glowing green teeth arranged in several rows swallowed the Bone Keeper whole before closing with such ease as if it were devouring a simple meal.
The great monster, the Arakta Worm, headed high above, casting a shadow over half of the prison yard despite the bright sun.
Its many eyes looked in all directions, but apart from the larva, there was nothing else of interest to such a hunter.
Everyone waited for the Arakta Worm to leave the battlefield, because as long as this monster was here, any conflicts ceased to matter. One Arakta Worm, especially one this large, could easily destroy the prison.
Well, there was one person who expected something else.
BLAST!!!
A deafening explosion erupted right in the throat of the Arakta Worm, while streams of flame burst out along with pieces of flesh.
A bloody rain flooded the prison yard as the massive monster's head crashed into the building, breaking through the ceiling.
Laura, Valyra, Groza, Azura, Liam, and Daren froze in shock, like all the prisoners, unable to believe what had happened.
But... someone wasn't going to waste any time.
Crack!
The cane slammed into Kreyn's jaw as a powerful blow knocked him to the ground.
Enor climbed on top of him, furiously throwing punches at him.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
One punch after another landed as Enor held nothing back.
"I said I would do this!" Enor growled in rage. "You killed my guard, what now?! What can you do in battle against an Origin, you weakling?!"
BAM!
Blood gushed from Kreyn's nose as his vision became blurry. He was exhausted while Enor hit him with all his might.
Still... Enor's heart was not at ease. He felt that something was wrong.
"Ha..." Kreyn wheezed as a smile slowly spread across his face. "You're right, I lost, but..."
A light flashed across Kreyn's eyes.
[The second Epos was created.]
"You don't understand that I've already won."
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Three powerful auras appeared out of nowhere as Enor slowly turned his head to see the menacing glares of Groza, Liam, and Azura.
Now, the seal was broken, and they had regained their powers.