43 The Bonds That Break Us (2/2)

”Oooh Levi. I could really use some help over here.~” Dharma playfully called to the succubus.

”Not like these two are going anywhere anytime soon.” Leviathan playfully teased, dropping Hige's wounded body to the ground beside the hypnotized Hitomi. She stepped over him, walking in the direction of the skirmish, before phasing between Runfaust and Dharma. Levi looked at him, touching her chest. ”I'll take this old man, you play with the boring one.”

”Whatever you want, babe.” Dharma smirked, her eyes focusing to Pneuma.

The two-on-two fight broke out, as Dharma fought against Pneuma with her club and Leviathan phasing around Runfaust with her claw obstructing his axe's blows.

”You're eyes won't work on me, succubus.” Runfaust stated, his tone seemed annoyed as he continued to fend her off with continues motions of his axe.

”Who said anything about manipulating you?” Leviathan chuckled, as she evaded every strikes, but her eyes shifting over to Hitomi, who rose to her feet like a puppet.

”Kyu...” Hitomi said in her trance state, and leapt at Runfaust, with great speed. The sudden surprise caused him to cancel out his attack in panic. The little girl blocked his path, and he couldn't bring himself to strike her back.

Leviathan floated behind Hitomi, wrapping her arms around the girl, with a one hand's fingers gently gliding along to Hitomi's face.”I already have someone under my spell you see.” Levi explained, confidently.

The pounding of club to sword echoed through Runfaust's long ears, as Pneuma continued to fend off Dharma. Blow for blow the two matched each others attacks, without making much physical contact. Then finally, Pneuma managed to slip in a counter strike, just barely grazing the bridge of Dharma's nose with a slanted vertical cut. The oni appeared stunned, growing enraged as she gripped her club and slammed it roughly into Pneuma's side. This sudden attack knocked the silver haired Amygdala back, smashing her through a rock covered wall.

”Pneuma!?” Runfaust's attention was drawn from Levi and Hitomi.

Hitomi mindlessly rushed the towering fiend, knocking him to the ground as she tried to bite at his face like an animal under a violent spell. Runfaust couldn't take this anymore, he had no choice even if the girl was innocent.

”I'm sorry about this.” He abruptly said as he grabbed Hitomi's back with his tail hand and threw her clear across the chamber in Hige's direction.

Hitomi tumbled, before getting knocked out from the impact to the gravel beside the hare. Runfaust had no other option, and rose to his feet, before withdrawing more axes. The human-like hands covering his body like armor began to release their grasping position over his black sweater and slacks. They elevated up, outstretching from their position on his body and reached for Leviathan, even the hand clasped over his face. As it shifted, The succubus noticed that he had green gemstones where his eyes should have been, and they glowed violently at her. The black hands of his body continued to stretch further from him, flying her way as if to grab her.

Leviathan looked infuriated seeing Runfaust's extra appendages rushed her way. As they ensnared around her, they barely had managedwrap around the succubus' voluptuous figure, before Levi urgently spun upward like a tornado to levitate away from his grasping fingers. Just as she evaded him, she used the spikes of her claw hair to lacerate the incoming appendages from his body. Violet ooze like blood sprayed out from his severed limbs, causing immense pain to shoot through Runfaust's body. He fell to his hands and knees, struggling through the coursing pain inflicted on him. His axes dropped to his sides.

Debris picked up as Pneuma was flung back into the main chamber by Dharma, tumbling to the ground with trails of blood flying from her club inflicted injuries. The sword spun in the air as Pneuma lost her grasp to it, getting stuck in the ground far from the ongoing conflict. Her back connected with the floor, landing next to Runfaust. Both weakly gasping from their recent injuries.

”Pneuma...” Runfaust winced, reaching his hand for her face.

”Faust...” Pneuma wearily replied, as they looked to each other in panic.

Dharma tapped her club against her shoulder as she approached the central part of the battlefield.With her free hand, she wiped from blood that was trailing from her nostril with a sassy grin.

Not far from the battle, Hige was starting to come back to his senses, holding his hand to the excruciating pain coming from his rib cage. Sweat perspired from his brow as he winced, struggling to get to his knees. They felt broken, and the flesh covering them swollen from the internal damage. He shakily looked to the unconscious Hitomi, trembling as he staggeringly reached his hand to her. As his palm rested onto her shoulder, his one good eye focused to the rising conflict.

”Dammit...” He struggled to say.

”Hige? He's alive?-What are you doing!? RUN!” Runfaust shouted to him, from his position on the ground as he tried to get to his feet.

Hige's heart sunk, as Dharma and Leviathan's attention shifted from them to Hitomi and himself. Anxiety was settling in, as his body shook. Hige turned back to Hitomi laying there as he felt himself starting to cry out of fear. He frantically got to his feet, fumbling as she scooped up Hitomi into his arms and rushed off down one of the various tunnel passages.

”Dharma, don't let them escape. I think I can handle these two on my own with how mangled they are now.” Leviathan instructed her, playfully.

”This just makes the Queen's game more exciting. Don't you think, Levi?” Dharma smirked.

”Ooooh definitely. Hurry now hun, they're getting away.” Leviathan stated.

Leviathan turned her full attention to the wounded duo before her, as Dharma levitated into the air to pursue the fleeing hare. Runfaust was forcing himself to stand, placing himself between Pneuma and the ever looming Leviathan.

A grin formed across her lips. ”I see. So that's what you desire here. Let me-”Leviathan began to say as her body formed into someone else, along with her voice changing along with it. ”-give you what you want then. Heehee.” She giggled, taking the most unexpecting form unimaginable to them. Standing there with a devilish look on her face was the form of their recently deceased daughter, Molliana. ”This is what you wanted, right? Revenge for her death?”

”M-Molliana?” Runfaust stammered, struggling to draw his weapon.

”Faust, it's not her.... It's... It's not Molliana!” Pneuma tried to snap him out of his surprise.

”Everyone has something they desire, see I've learned sex doesn't drive every prey, sometimes it takes something different to get what I want. This way works so I can prey on those who love someone as well.” Leviathan stated, still carrying the appearance of the young cyclops.

”Molly...” Runfaust muttered, his tone becoming absent-minded like he was in a trance.

”Runfaust, she's not Molly!” Pneuma exclaimed, seeing through the true form of Leviathan standing there. ”It's all an illusion! What you're seeing isn't real!”

”No use shouting, not like he can hear you anymore. He's completely under my spell, like a dream. His body is under my control now, and there's nothing you can do to reach him.” Leviathan chuckled, as she mockingly shifted her gaze to Pneuma.

Pneuma stepped to a distance, and gripped to her sword that was stuck in the ground. ”I know why you chose to fight him instead of me.” She said pulling her blade from the ground.

She charged at Leviathan, holding tightly to the hilt of her sword. Levi thrusted her claw hair in response, but froze half way as Pneuma reveled the reflective side of her sword. The succubus seemed locked in her own reflection, but as the blade continued to shift into an attack, she snapped out of it and countered with her claw, knocking Pneuma backwards. The silver haired Amygdala slide backwards, keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground, despite her wounded state.

Leviathan looked livid, slinking backwards to get more space between them. ”You... How dare you use my reflection against me like that!!!”

”Keep this up and your vanity will be the death of you. So, I'll only say this once. Release your hold on him, you don't want to make me angry.” Pneuma demanded, shifting her sword again.

The gleam of the blade caught Leviathan's eye, just as Pneuma formed her wings. No move was made, as Leviathan hunched her body to get a better position for her claw to maneuver above her head. Kicking up debris, Pneuma soared in with sword in tow. Again the reflection caught Leviathan in a freeze frame, but just as Pneuma was within range the movement of her sword was obstructed from the succubi gaze for a mere moment. This moment however Runfaust swiftly placed himself between her, and Pneuma; convinced that Leviathan was his daughter. His arms outstretched in a protective state, but Pneuma was too close to cancel her attack's trajectory.

Pneuma had terror stricken eyes, as violet blood splattered onto her cheeks. There was complete silence in the air with a festering buzzing tone, ringing in her ears. All words seemed inaudible as her breathing was becoming erratic, with a shaken view of her sword penetrating through not only Leviathan's chest cavity, but also the gut of Runfaust; who had gotten between them. Tears erupted from Pneuma's eyes as she watched the two of them fall to the ground. Blood was coating around, the green and violet colors spiraling and swirling together like art.

Leviathan seemed to have died instantly from the blow, her eyes and mouth wide with terror as she decayed slowly into ash that floated off into the air along with a faint trail coming from Runfaust as he laid there on his side. Blood was trailing down his lips as he struggled to look at Pneuma. Words came from his mouth as he tried to talk to his lover, but she couldn't hear anything. It was silent, but finally a word broke through the infernal buzzing.

”Pn-Pneuma...” Runfaust coughed, his body leaking excessively.

Pneuma's eyes were glazed over with tears and she frantically turned to meet his gaze. She saw the fragments floating off into the air not only from their enemy but also her lover. Then she noticed the rain. It was falling all around them as if it was raining inside the cavern. Pneuma could feel her whole body shaking, as she dropped to her knees. She crawled over to him, with staggering breaths and she wrapped her arms around him the best she could. Her sword made it difficult for her to get close to him, but she managed an embrace.

”I don't understand why this... had to happen.... I can't lose you too...” Pneuma cried as she held him.

”It's ...not ...your fault... Don't... let this... take you... over....” Runfaust struggled to speak, as he gurgled on his own blood. ”I... was going to... die soon...anyway... Pneuma... You... you have... you have too... survive...” He was struggling to speak as she reached his hand to her face.

”It's inevitable Faust... I can't stop loving you... If there is such a thing as soul mates.... you were mine... You were always mine...” Pneuma cried, holding her hand to his.

”Pneuma.... you can't... die here...I'm sorry... I failed you...” Runfaust forced himself up to give her a kiss, before he fell motionless midway, with his body continuing to disintegrate away like dust into the air around them.

Pneuma was panic stricken as his body fell staring terrified as she kept crying from her distraught state. ”Faust? F-F-F-Fauussst!?” Pneuma cried out, grabbing tighter to him as she sobbed.

Panning behind her, the view showed someone reaching the passage, to witness the situation at hand. There stood Nye. She had stopped in her tracks, staring in shock at what was laid before her. She saw Pneuma clutching desperately to the remainder of Runfaust's body as it completely vanished without a trace remaining but the blood coating the ground and sword.

Nye had no words to express as she stared in shock. She forced herself to run to Pneuma seeing the visions of rain hadn't stopped. Her footsteps halted as she reached the older Amygdala, standing there as the other's weeping eyes met hers. Nye knelt down beside her, just looking to her with nothing she could even say. She didn't know what to do.

”Nyghtmare. That's the name you chose.” Pneuma said, looking to the younger woman, and she tried to restrain her tears of anguish. She took Nye's hand, holding it as she looked to her. ”There's not a lot of time left here for me, but I need to tell you something. I wanted to wait til this was all over... but...”

”It's okay.” Nye finally spoke, looking to her in confusion. ”Say whatever you need to. I'm here.”

”You're my daughter...” Pneuma tried to explain.

Nye was dumbstruck in response, having no idea what to even say. ”You're my mum? Then you and Geoffrey-?”

”I wasn't in love with Geoffrey if that is what you're thinking. You see, in the past I had been working with Runfaust to eliminate threats to our now former cause. We wanted to change things. Geoffrey was one of my targets, but I didn't just murder these people on our list. I took opportunity to reproduce since Faust and I didn't want to risk having a child that would become a Dream Weaver. Most of the offspring however didn't survive due to complications. I thought that you hadn't either.” Pneuma tried to explain.

”Pressing foreheads I get, but how did you get him to dance? He had to known what would happen.” Nye inquired, looking to Pneuma in concern as she saw how weak the older Amygdala's state was becoming.

”I suppose I was just a good dancer then. In a way he knew, but I was good at what I did. Killing, getting close... It's too much to really explain. So, I leave that for you to ponder upon at a later time. There's more I need to tell you before....” Pneuma replied, looking seriously to Nye, as her body seemed to grow weaker.

”Tell me.” Nye held to her mother's hand, definitely having grown more concerned.

”There are two others who survived, neither of which Runfaust was aware of being... well, my own.” Pneuma paused, turning her gaze to the bloody sword beside her. ”One is half Rhyme... you might not know him, but in case you ever cross paths, his name is Vaugn.”

”Vaugn?” Nye repeated the name, as she immediately remembered that ally of Eclipse's that shared the same name. She hesitated, but looked to Pneuma seriously. ”Who is the other?”

”It's... Ashewyn.” Pneuma lowered her head. ”He's your brother. I wish I could have told him that he's actually my son.” Pneuma began crying again, as she collapsed to the ground, weakly looking up to Nye as her heart rate rapidly increased, she seemed in a lot worse shape than her injuries led the eye to believe.

Nye was even more shocked by this, but seeing Pneuma collapse she knew she had to be strong. Taking Pneuma's hand, she kept her eye contact. ”Mum. I'll tell him for you. I promise.” Nye was struggling not to cry.

”You both grew up to be so wonderful...now though... is my time... to join... Faust...Protect the ones you love at all costs...You have to.....Live....” Pneuma's eyes went wide as she took one deep gasp, before her hand fell limp. The rain around suddenly faded as well.

Nye was left there, stunned at how tormenting the anguish physically reaches to cause death to an Amygdala, and due to that which she had learned. She was hurting this, but she had to survive. Nye rose to her feet warily, before departing back in the direction of the others. Determination began to take hold as she thought of Jackyn, wanting to keep him safe. They both had to survive this, or heart break would surely be the end of the other, just as it took Pneuma's life.