Beyond could only hear the racket beside him.
One was a lunatic who kept muttering that he was going to detonate the Pauper's Rose inside his body. The other was a monkey, shouting loudly as he swung his staff in sweeping, upright, and thrusting strikes, determined to stay alive.
The noise made his ears hurt.
But his ears weren't the only thing that hurt. There wasn't a single part of his head, limbs, or torso that didn't...
No, his right leg didn't hurt anymore. It had been severed and was no longer attached to him.
Beyond couldn't move. His body was no longer under his control. He couldn't even turn his head, leaving him with an extremely narrow field of vision.
To make matters worse, blood streaming down from his forehead had gotten into his left eye. The stinging pain forced him to keep it shut.
That meant he could only see with his right eye, and all he could see was something in the sky.
The "thing" that had left him in this state happened to be right in the center of his vision. It looked like a huge ball of fire, roaring as it burned.
The ball of fire let out a mocking roar and beat its wings. It grew larger and larger in Beyond's vision... It was coming down, descending toward him.
Beyond felt someone tugging at his arm, trying to drag him aside.
He had no idea who it was. He only knew the person had probably failed, because they let go.
Amid the dragon's roar, the ball of fire drew closer, its heat scorching Beyond from head to toe. His body felt painfully dry, as though every last drop of moisture had evaporated.
He opened his right eye wide. The old scars crisscrossing his face