“Gate, open…” The longsword got enveloped in flames once again but this time their color was more red than last time, more intense. “Gate, open. Flaming armor.” Intense red flames appeared on parts of his armor and made him brighter, a light that was visible from behind the third and fourth walls. Some soldiers even thought that the sun was rising and the night was coming to an end.

The monster simply observed as more and more fire appeared on Taizen’s body and armor. It tilted its upper body to the side with a cracking sound of the bones scratching against each other.

“Erupt!” Shouted Taizen and the flames on his legs exploded, pushing him forward as if he was shot from the cannon. When he was in the air he swung his longsword and aimed it at the monster’s neck.

Even at that speed, the creature stopped the attack by its face with a harpoon but this time without any command the flames on Taizen’s longsword exploded in the creature’s face. It didn’t damage it but the arm with a harpoon was pushed down. As he was falling he made a shorter swing from the top that scratched the monster’s chest and as it touched the ribcage another explosion occurred. Its upper body moved backward and the legs needed to follow so it wouldn’t fall. The algae on its body burned to the crisp.

After a few steps, it touched the wall of the nearby building and stabilized itself. At the same time, Taizen shouted “Gate, OPEN!” and he threw chunks of the pavement at the creature. It couldn’t react in time and the rubble exploded as it hit the monster and the building, making the wall collapse and the rest of the house fell on the creature, burying it under the rubble.

Taizen jumped forward onto the remaining of the house and shouted “ERUPT-” as he fell with his sword ready to thrust the ground where the monster was buried. He didn’t finish his chant and didn’t bury his longsword in the rubble because a hand made of bones grabbed him by the throat. The monster climbed up from the ruins and held Taizen high above the ground. He waved his legs and used both of his hands to free himself from the creature’s grasp.

The monster moved Taizen behind it and with a full swing of its arm it threw the man into the building on the other side of the street. Taizen flew and destroyed the walls of the buildings, going through two houses and landing on the street behind them.

Hearing the crackling sound of bones he quickly stood up to see the monster running through the buildings, through the holes he made when he was thrown by it.

The creature moved with inhumane speed and had its harpoon ready for a thrust that would go through Taizen’s chest. He looked around for his sword to defend himself but it was nowhere near him. With a quick decision, he shouted: “Erupt!” The flames on his legs exploded and pushed him toward the running creature.

The monster pushed the harpoon forward to impale the flying man on it but in the air Taizen once again shouted “Erupt” and the flames on his chest exploded lightly, pushing him a bit down toward the ground. Flying he was able to take a close look at the rusted harpoon.

He fell to the ground on the street he used to be before and recovered quickly to continue his run for his longsword. The skeleton creature didn’t run through the buildings but jumped on them from the street and threw the harpoon at the running man.

Taizen jumped forward for his longsword to get it into his possession as fast as he could to continue the fight with the monster. The harpoon hit the ground with a whistling sound that was much louder than the sound of cutting flesh.

The warrior was able to reach his longsword but lost his foot which was left behind the harpoon. He didn’t feel much pain because of the adrenaline but he saw how much he was bleeding. He ignited his sword and clenched his teeth as he placed the hot sword on his wound. Burning his own flesh to seal it.

The creature jumped off the roof to take its weapon back but it didn’t attack. It rapidly tilted its head to the sides as Taizen screamed as he was sealing his wound. The monster answered with its own high-pitched scream that made everyone’s ears tremble. It was as if a woman had her skin torn off with the shrieking sound added to it.

“Are you mocking me?” Whispered Taizen with slight annoyance as he stood back up, using his sword as a walking stick so as not to fall.

To his question, the monster only tilted his head to the side. Taizen let out a snort of disgust but hidden underneath it was a command “Erupt.” The explosion shot him toward the monster and he thrust the tip of his sword toward its head. The bone-made creature raised its harpoon to block the attack but it was too late. The sword went into the eye hole in the skull and once it touched the skull inside he shouted “ERUPT!”

The monster tried to grab him but before it could even lay a finger on him the flames inside its head exploded. Taizen wasn’t concerned about his safety, he aimed to kill. The explosion was so strong that it repelled him toward the remains of the buildings.

The bone-made creature stood in place as cracks spread around its eye hole and part of it began falling down, leaving an uneven hole in its head. His whole body was screaming in pain but he did his job, it was worth it. At least he thought.

The monster’s head moved down and took a look at bits of its own body, this time it screamed even louder, the windows of the buildings began to break, people felt as if something was unpleasantly scratching their brains and their ears were about to pop.

“Not enough for you…” Said Taizen as he barely stood, placing his weight on his sword that was cracked in many places and could break at any moment but he wasn’t done yet, for the people he was ready to continue the fight.

After the monster stopped screaming he heard something else. The barnacles and turtles were coming through the gap in the second wall and there were thousands of them coming. The bells began ringing to signal another bombardment.

“Let those people see tomorrow’s sun…” Taizen whispered and he stuck his sword into the rubble. “Erupt!” He shouted and as the flames began exploding he quickly said “Gate, open.”

All the rubble under him was pushed by the explosion and flew in every direction, once it hit the ground the remains of the house began exploding, destroying part of the city as well as killing the incoming monsters.

He forfeited his life but took many enemies with him. Taizen would be remembered in the whole world if anyone would survive this Tide.