XXXIV - The Den Invasion
On the next morning, it was a Saturday, and the portal was opened. Juan, Philip, Dante, Leonardo and the other monks were on the bridge in the garden. Upon their arrival, dozens of snakes approached, crawling across the lawn to welcome the visitors. Men and women dressed in black suits and sunglasses appeared. They encircled their enemies.
The wizard cast a ray of light on the snakes and they became the resident warlocks. Before the fight really started, they heard a voice.
"Wait a moment!" Someone shouted while leaving the castle's big gate.
It was the leader, the representation of evil, Klaus.
"There's something I'd like to show you, Juan. Three people want to see you."
"Tell me now what you plan to do, you viper of hell! I knew the serpents' boss would arrive at any moment."
"I have the Book of the Dead, which means that I can bring to life anyone I want. So, I decided to prepare a special surprise... See who I brought to life! Although I particularly think you don't deserve it." The warlock smiled sarcastically.
Gertrude, Heidi and Jordan came walking, hand in hand, from behind the castle. They were Juan's family. Silene escorted them. They were wearing the same clothes they had on hundreds of years ago when they lost their lives.
Juan fell on his knees the minute he saw his family. He couldn't believe his eyes. Nonetheless, he knew the warlock was capable of this. That power came from the book he had stolen. Philip approached him and put a hand on the sorcerer's shoulder in a sign of support. With teary eyes, he lifted his head to see before him the best of his life, which had been taken away so violently. Did Death give him back his beloved ones?
His children and wife wanted to run to him, but Robson, dressed in a suit, forbid them. First, he placed a sword in front of them, then, he positioned the blade against the girl's neck. Next, he returned to his most terrifying form, the hideous creature he had always been. Silene positioned herself next to Klaus.
"Don't you dare to move a finger, you dreadful monster, or I promise that I'll kill you," said Juan in a hoarse voice as he stood up in such a rage that it seemed that he had grown in the same proportion of his fury.
From over the horizon came a loud thunder. Everyone looked up to the sky. Gradually, dark gray clouds covered the celestial blue. Lightning bolted in the vastness, leaving everyone scared with such power. Deafening thunders echoed all around. Intermittent rays of light shone on the frightened faces. Was the mage the author of such tenebrous change of weather? Everyone thought so, and they were right. The wizard's rage empowered him exponentially. But that was exactly what Klaus wanted... To destabilize the young man's mentor by seeding hatred in the old man's soul, so that he would not be able to think clearly.
"Calm down, Juan! He's bluffing..."
"Move, wizard, and Fratello will end your family for good. I brought them back to you as a reward for you if you remain motionless during this battle. I know you swore to help the Ghost Boy, but will you miss this unique chance to have the ones you love back?"
"Please, Juan. Don't react. You may have a chance to live with your family again. The monks and I will take care of this worm and his followers."
The old man knelt again and looked down at the ground, static. It began to rain. The drops on Juan's face mixed with his salty tears. Would he have to remain still once again and see his family being killed in front him in the same way it had happened in the past?
He had to decide. But having the opportunity to recover his family only to lose it again was too much for him.
"Don't forget, son! Use the knowledge from the book that is part of you. Your power is greater than everyone else's here."
"Leave it to me, master."
Suddenly, the boy's eyes shone, and he began to float in the air up to a height of sixteen feet. His hair turned as white as snow and his eyes turned golden. Philip was as light as air. From high above he could examine everyone around him. He opened his arms, summoning the forces of nature. Bolts of electricity descended to his hands. Everyone was amazed, including the monks. Philip began to throw the electrical charges he was draining on his enemies. Many were hit by this energy, and they fell defeated on the ground.
Silene shot Philip with a semi-automatic rifle.
"Die, Ghost Boy!"
He dodged the bullets that passed by his body, which was dressed in a white cloak. The Phantom Man had full power over his senses, and he could see the bullets passing by him as if they were in slow motion. With a twirl of his fingers, he sent them back to their origin. Silene avoided them too, but some warlocks near her were hit and fell injured, but only for a short time. Despite their damaged organs, each one of them managed to get up.
A group of men in black shifted into their real features as warlocks. They wore black hooded cloaks that showed only their faces. Armed with swords and pistols, the people trained by Silene ran towards the monks. A savage battle began, wickedness against justice, good against evil.
From up above, Philip threw shurikens to stop the wizards. The sharp stars pierced the enemy's eyes and foreheads. The monks were using their weapons against their rivals as well. Leonardo attacked some Basnets coming his way with his nunchaku. Dante confronted Maurizio by delivering Kung Fu blows to his face and chest that made the sorcerer dizzy. But he soon recovered from the blows and with his sword he attacked the monk, who was forced to use the stick that a friend had thrown him to defend himself from the adversary's charges.
A sharp blow cut Dante's stick in two. But despite the smaller pieces of wood, he continued to fight and hit Maurizio several times, up to the point that the warlock passed out and fell on the ground, at least for some time. The monk went after others to fight against.
Philip looked at the creature that had his mage friend's family captive. He descended to the ground, then ran towards the monster. Klaus was fighting the monks with his sword, and the monks stroke back with their sticks and nunchakus. He recalled the time when he fought them at the monastery to steal the book.
He knew quite well that they were fierce Kung Fu fighters. After receiving a few blows, he gave up the thrill of the traditional war ways and simply cast a spell that turned one of the monks into a statue. He was static after turning into a human rock. At seeing that, the other monks got scared, but they kept on fighting.
Silene was leading the group in combat against the monks. Philip approached the Doppelgänger, looking at it in such a way that burned it from the inside. The creature already knew that power that left its soul in flames. It dropped the sword, but Juan's family stood still. They did not run towards the mage. Klaus paused fighting for a moment, feeling the pain the monster felt, since it was a part of the him. Leonardo took the opportunity to stick the tip of the baton inside Klaus' abdomen. Despite being taken by surprise, Klaus struck back and pierced his sword into the monk's abdomen as well. Blood gushed from his belly, and Dante came over to try to help his mate. Klaus looked at him in a dark evil way. He was about to turn him into a statue when Philip threw a fireball at him, distracting him.
The monk took his wounded friend to somewhere safe. He laid Leonardo under a tree. A pool of blood surrounded him.
"Leonardo, don't leave us yet. Stay in this world. We need you."
"Take care, my friend. Keep on fighting to save humanity."
These were the brave monk's last words. With tears on his eyes, he felt his breath fading away. He closed his friend's eyelids, and then returned to the confrontation, carrying a strong sadness in his heart.
The creature and its master had gotten unresponsive for a few minutes. During this break, someone told Philip to open the portal to the other world. He realized that the voice belonged to an elderly monk who had sent him a message from the spiritual realm, and opened it.
"Young mage, you must tell your friend Juan that his family is actually resting in the lands of the other world. I've met them in person when visiting that path. Those who are there are just illusions. In fact, they are Klaus' warlocks. Let me in!" He asked Philip, confident, because he knew the power of the Book of Souls.
"Geh durch die Tür des Lebens!" Philip spoke the powerful enchantment that allowed beings form the other world to pass through the door of life.
The old monk entered. He immediately shed a light on the family, and their true selves showed up in a flash.
"That's why they didn't run to Juan's arms as soon as they were released," Philip concluded.
Juan realized he had been deceived, all of that was a farce. He picked up a stick and headed towards Klaus shouting a battle cry. The Basnet leader had recovered from the wound by using a spell. The two old enemies began a fierce fight. Juan hit the warlock's belly with a frontal blow, and he struck back by delivering a punch on the old man's face. The wizard spit some blood, but then hit another blow on the rival's face.
"How could you use the image of my family to deceive me, you vermin of darkness?"
"Stupid mage, haven't you learned my methods yet? Anyway, where you're going, none of these matters. You can look for your family in the place that I'm sending you to."
"You take everyone that crosses your way for a fool. But you won't get away unharmed from this battle. We are going to send you to hell, where you belong."
"I'm immortal. Have you forgotten, you idiot?"
"Juan, take the sword," Philip shouted as he threw him the blade, while he fought Fratello.
The young man drew a dagger from under his cloak to defend himself against the creature's claws.
Holding the sword with anger, Juan thrust it into the warlock's heart. Klaus looked down at his chest. He saw the blade stuck into his heart right in the spot that would've meant certain death to anyone. But he laughed out loud, then he plucked the blade out of himself and sardonically stared at the copy of the deadly weapon.
"I've switched Night's Fury for a false one right under your noses and you didn't even notice it. Do you understand why I'm always the winner, now? I'm smarter than you'll ever be."
Klaus drew the real sword from under his cloak and positioned himself to hit Juan. Since the old wizard was also immortal, he could only be killed by Night's Fury.
When he prepared to attack his opponent, who was still shaken by the enemy's illusion and bait, someone stepped in front of the old sorcerer. It was the elder monk, who knew that Juan could not die at that moment.
"Go, my friend... The world still needs you. Shut down the portal that separates the universes."
"Thank you, my friend," Juan said with sadness.
Blood spilled from the brave elder's mouth, who once more showed he had the values he believed in.
Philip left Fratello aside for a moment and approached his mentor to help him. He took Night's Fury out from the monk's chest. He turned to dust and the wind blew his remains away.
Then the young wizard moved Juan away from Klaus, who was also walking to some safe place. He needed to recover from the blow he received in his heart.
The young man realized that Juan was too old for a battle like that. He also noted that Klaus was standing by the castle's entrance, reciting words from the Book of the Dead that shouldn't be spoken. He was summoning more warlocks to fight with him. This time an army walked through the portal, preparing for the great battle.
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