Man-man dodges a deadly attack from Skin. His defense isn't strong enough to block her attacks. If he has to compare Reaper with Skin then her attacks are 10 times dangerous.
Reapers attacks were fast but methodical. His strategy is to one hit kill his opponent. But Skin is different. She is using only wild brute strength. Not just that, but her attacks are even more erratic than usual. Even with her broken bones, missing fingers on her hands and feet. She is still a monster that doesn't care about itself.
Man-man hasn't seen her fight like this before though. Is this also because of something that happened when he wasn't here?
He has noticed the strange relic on the ground. It looks like a dark crown that a king would wear.
'The king.'
Is this a frozen blessing made in its image? He isn't sure but it did something to Skin when she touched it out of curiosity.
What did it do to her? Took control of her? Manipulated her? Made her into a puppet like how Midori did?
'No. That's not it.'
Man-man is logically and he will make a conclusion based on all the information he has gotten. Everything is not point that something of that nature. It is something else. Something related to her trauma.
Her words that she is screaming, her distress and her movement have totally change. It has to be due to something traumatic.
Man-man remembers the story Skin told him. When he heard it from her. It felt like something was missing. Did she block that part of her past? Why? He isn't sure.
Only way to get more info on that is by listening to her ramblings. She is screaming while battling him. She is chaotic and has no sanity in herself. She looks fragile but look like a wild monster ready to kill in hate.
"I didn't kill them. Why won't you believe? I didn't do it. No. NO. You will not leave me like them."
Man-man dodges another attack. He is trying to block half of her swings and then jumping out of its way. He can't fully block them but he can miss direct them to some degree.
But even in this chaotic state. Her combat ability is still as much deadly as before. If he isn't careful. He would surely die.
"It is that things fault. It made me do it. It forced me to kill…NO. That is a lie. You believe me, right?"
Man-man's face is expressionless and he hasn't said a word. But it seemed to be like Skin is just having a conversation with him. A broken and one sided conversation.
He can't wrap his brain around this irrational behavior. He words don't make much sense, her actions don't match her words and it is all so inconsistent. Everything she do is so irrational and illogical.
'She killed someone? So?'
He can't understand what is the problem. She had no problem killing before. But now that she remembers killing someone in particular. She can't handle it? This is inconsistent.
It doesn't make any sense to him.
Man-man misses one dodge and Skin's polearm graces his belly. It leaves a deep wound on his body. He is able to leap back to get out of her way but the damage is done.
Worst of all, it doesn't seem like the wound is going to heal.
'She can turn her blessing on or off then. Good info.'
The fight kept on going and going. Man-man can't attack her as that means leaving himself wide open. Even if he has a weapon that can be stretched further. He is still limited by strength.
If his strategy and skill is top notch. He can't compete with Skin's brute strength. She is much stronger than him.
"Nobody. Why does nobody love me? What have I done? Why is it me? Before it's my mom and dad. Now it is you. Why? Tell me?"
She isn't really letting him speak. But he also thinks that talking to her wouldn't be much help. How can he convince her to not kill him?
He had talked her out of killing Nem and Louis back then. But that time she was sane. Now, she isn't.
'Irrational.'
He has tried understanding her. But has failed again and again. He doesn't understand why would someone care if someone else love them or not. He doesn't understand why would someone not kill their prey and just keep them around as a play thing.
That play thing is Man-man for Skin.
He just can't understand what is her deal. She is skilled and her combat abilities are dangerous. She could be free of these human needs. So, why be a human? Why is she so human?
'An irrational human.'
His expressions are impossible to decipher. But from the inside, he is so much tired and hurt. His wounds aren't healing anymore. Her attacks are starting to land more and more.
It doesn't seem like he can't win this fight straight on.
Finally, he is sword is shattered in pieces. He can't re-shape it anymore and not just that but his arm is also broken now. She broke it very easily.
He is forced to corner and Skin is in front of her with a crazy face. Her tears haven't stopped and she still looks so distressed.
"You love me, right? I know you do. You will not leave me ever, right?"
Man-man didn't respond. He didn't know what to reply. He can't tell what will work and what will make the situation worse. Words are complicated.
Skin gets the tip of her polearm near Man-man's neck. He can tell that it means if he moves. He will be dead.
"You love me. I know that. Even though they left. You still love me. To make that possible, I'll rip your limbs off so you can never leave me. Just like everyone else."
Man-man can't help but remember the same words. These words were said to him by someone else. According to them, someday he would be just like them. A limbless body on the floor.
_ _ _
Before coming to the Blood valley. Skin and Man-man had taken a detour to somewhere else. That somewhere else is a cave within a cave and within another cave.
According to Skin, this place is where she is hiding her treasure. A treasure of love.
Man-man wasn't sure what kind of place is it. He can only think of one thing that it is a place where she hides anything that is important to her. But what could it be?
Is it weapon? Some human food? (It is impossible acquire tasty human food so it may as well be valuable. Chosen don't need to eat much but eating yummy things is quite good.) Or maybe something that is precious to her in some way.
Man-man doesn't have anything precious. So, he can't begin to guess what can be treasured by another Chosen in hell.
He and Skin move through the dark. She has made fire to see. But it is still pretty dark inside of the caves. Also, very cramped.
Man-man is lucky that he doesn't have Claustrophobia. Otherwise, going inside of such a deep cave and fight Sinned souls hidden in them would be difficult. Fears are also just illogical human behaviors. So, Man-man doesn't bother with them.
"I haven't met them for so long. I am excited."
Man-man doesn't say anything. He just waits until he sees with his own eyes what she is talking about. It is impossible to tell what is serious and what isn't serious with her.
Sometimes, Skin just talks with her polearm. Man-man can't understand this coping mechanism she has built for herself. It is quite strange.
Soon after three or four hours of crawling deeper and deeper into the caves. They finally reach the place Skin was talking about. Then she points to a tiny hole that is barely big knew for someone to crawl inside.
"This is the entrance. I had to make it smaller and hidden or sinned souls might get inside, you know.
Without questioning, he crawls inside the hole. First is the one to crawl inside is him. He couldn't see anything cause of the dark. But soon, Skin crawl inside too and with her torch. He is able to see the horror.
Man-man observes dozens of limbs plied up on the ground. Each limb belongs to a Chosen and if the limb hasn't changed into a Sinned soul that means the Chosen is still alive.
He looks up and sees many limbless bodies hanging from the floor and wall. They all are Chosen. Few are female and rest are male. It is easy to tell that cause everyone is naked.
Each Chosen also doesn't look hurt or have damage on them. Only conclusion that can be made is that she is using her blessing on them.
Skin stands up and a smile creeps up her face. She is delighted to see her lovers once again.
"Hello my loves, I've been waiting to see you all for so long. I missed you all but now I am back to give a lover's kiss."
Every Chosen is panics but doesn't seem. It is like they all are incapable of speaking. If Man-man has to guess then their vocal cords or tongue is removed to prevent any sounds. Few even missing their eyes.
'It isn't like they need it in the dark.'
Skin speaks.
"Before that, let me introduce to someone else who never argue and never try to leave me. It is my new love, Man-man."
It is quiet. Too quiet even. There is an uneasy feeling in the air.
Anyone would feel unease or fear in a situation like that. Anyone who loved or tried run away from her she torn off their limbs and hid them in this dark cave. She has taken all of their freedom and kept them to herself.
It is quite a terrifying to see.
However, Man-man isn't fearsome. He is just calculating the situation. He can see a dozen of limbless Chosen. He is sure that their may have been even more in the past.
It is hard to capture of Chosen and keep them imprison. Cause of their blessing, few are impossible to be contain. She might have tired to but killed them in the process.
He can also see the few Chosen's ears, nose, lower jaws and hair are also removed. Maybe that it to imprison. She really did an excellent job in keeping these Chosen caged here.
He is actually impressed.
But Chosen aren't just object they need sustenance too. They either need to kill or eat. However, that problem is solved with Skin's blessing.
She can keep them alive by just giving them contain healing and her obsessive love. It also seems like she need to be in contact with them in every few months to her blessing active. Is this the reason she came here?
He is still just observing and calculating her blessing's power. He isn't fearful of her. It also doesn't seem like she would torn off his limbs. As she said she only do that to those who argue or run away from her. Man-man should be safe, right?
Skin's smile dims. Then she looks at Man-man and speaks.
"What do you think?"
Her question is vague and doesn't seem to be in relation to anything specific.
"There isn't much air circulation here. It is quite hard to breathe."
It is hard to breathe here. But those Chosen are alive so there has to be some preparation made by her to have air or something.
Skin speaks.
"Yeah. There isn't much here but it is fine…"
Skin turns around towards the limbless Chosen and a smile crawl back on her face. Then she finishes her sentence.
"…Because they're only need my love."
Then she goes to kiss each and every Chosen.
Man-man is on the side just observing the place. He is just trying to understand how did she made such a place or did she find it. That is quite unlikely as it seemed to be human made. Or Chosen made.
As he is thinking about these thoughts. A voice disturbs him inside his mind.
[Aren't you so calm and collected. No fear whatsoever.]
Man-man stops thinking and becomes mindless. He doesn't know this Chosen's capabilities. Could this Chosen also read his mind? He is cautious.
He does have a little, very quiet, conclusion in his mind that it is one of the limbless Chosen. That has a blessing to speak through its mind.
[I can't read mind. Just think and I will hear it.]
He still doesn't answer.
[So boring. Everyone here either boring like you or just screams like a madman. But no, let's take that back. You are not boring. You are actually interesting.]
Man-man doesn't trust it and so he keeps quiet.
[I also followed hers like a dog and didn't argue. But look here I am. You would be just like us soon. So, don't worry. Then we will have a whole lot of time in our hands to talk.]
Man-man looks at the limbless Chosen again. It is terrifying to be here all alone without your limbs and have limited senses. Anything would become crazy from this kind of living. It is like hell in hell.
He can't comprehend that reality though. As he hasn't experience it and he doesn't have to believe or care about what this Chosen is saying.
It just wants a reaction out of him. It just wants some entertainment.
[You will be one of us. The moment you met her. Your fate is sealed.]
Man-man ignores the crazy Chosen's voice. It is just also just ramblings of a madman.
However, this does make him think. Why is she doing this? This is bother and unnecessary. Humans need love, not a Chosen.
He has lost his own humanity long time again. He can't even tell if he is really did born from a human. But Skin is different. She still pretends to be a human in her own crazy way.
It makes Man-man feel an emotion that he thought he had forgotten. And that emotion is jealousy.
He doesn't understand human and now that he is around such a Chosen who keeps on trying to be a human. He feels even more empty inside.
However, his life depends on understanding Skin. That is because this is just a flashback and he is still in the chamber with Skin.