Break of Dark
3nd of October 2006 A.D.
Out of the corner of your eye, out of your many, many eyes you see the space between you and the snipers flash like shards of glass razor thin floating in the air, no doubt throwing a lot more light into the sun blind eyes of the Akuma than in yours. Wards or no it's going to make them squirm. As for the one before you, he does not flinch, nor turn his head, nor even twitch at the rattle of disciplined shots from the mercenaries as the take up firing positions to cover you.
He's moving faster, he's moving
a lot faster now, more than even Eiko in the midst of her act the air itself boomsas iron hard limbs pass through it sheers as the sword passes through it.
That is because it's literally supersonic, some corer of your mind babbles. As counter you aren't as fast, nowhere near it, but you are more skilled than this thing that had been alive for centuries uncounted, you know when he will act before he does, you faint and you parry, not every blow but enough that what gets through is not enough to do more than scratch your armor.
You wonder if this is what dad feels like when he is dueling one of the Denarians, knowing that the foe before him
should outmatch him by age and the power of their dark master and yet matching them blow for blow.
Turning your sword abruptly you parry not with the edge but with your stone-encased fists.
Maybe this time...
Without warning there's a blast to your left and above to your left and above. Einherjar doing Odin's work smashing open the building from which you have been taking fire with a morter shot. Though there aren't any flames like a Hollywood movie the gout of ash and black smoke billowing from the hole in the roof is satisfying to watch.
"I wonder at the wisdom of having them fire betwixt the duel," Usum muses, his previous worry giving way to cool analyses.
"We appear to be better armored than our foe."
That might not be the worst idea in the world, you admit reluctantly. Trying to scab the Voice of Kakuri is like prying though a wall made up of swords only to then try to carve a hole though concrete. Scant comfort that he seems to be having as little luck as you, or that he has not tried to wrap you in the coils of
nihilus again. He probably can't do that, not with having let out the fury of Yomi, only the demon arts are his to wield now.
"Path is not open. Over. Attempt failed Repeat, path is not open..." Clippy repays of her own volition from the Monoc communication network.
The akuma's mockery of a smile grows larger: "You shall tire child and I shall not. I am the will of one who has judged your kind for years beyond count, fight of flee it matters not. In the end all shall fall under his Hand."
"Is that what you tell yourself when the day-sleep takes you, that we are all doomed to the cesspool you willingly crawled back into?" you laugh, hoping to goat him into more reckless attacks.
Alas you may as well have have been trying to taunt an avalanche into shifting its path for all the good it does. You decide to be a bit more defensive, maybe you can goat him into overcompensating... and then he commits just enough to swing round you and cut you in the back of the knee with a lighting fast back stroke Fortunately your hamstrings area about as easy to sever as steel chords. Chanting sweets again as Gard draws as close as she is able to the duel and in your mind's eye you see a rune that was old when the first longship was set to water, dagaz, the rune of day, and bane to those who are bound to darkness' embrace
Rune-bound blessing active (All DCs against beings which shun the sun -1)
As the akuma narrows its ruined eyes upon you it seems that good luck comes in pairs, for you do not need Clippy to give a sign of Lydia's success. You hear her voice in the very fabric of the veil shakes...
"Mae'r drws yn egwyl"
And breaks asunder.
You do not have time to wonder what might be on the other side, you decide to go all out, trust your armor to take the blows and carge out his black heart. And then he still...
fucking... parries.
Someone is screaming in sheer blinding rage and that cannot
possibly be you because you still have perfect control of yourself, you see with perfect clarity, you move with perfect focus. And yet it's not that be moves any slower, nor with any less skill, it is that like with his lack of response to your taunt he moves with singular unshakable purpose and that itself is... predictable. With one final leap, fifteen feet in the air, one sweep of your sword you take not the heart of the Will of Kakuri, but his
head.
Akuma takes 11 Damage -> Slain
The same grasping will that had extinguished his shadow reaches out to consume and though you gain no more essence for it satisfaction wells within at the knowledge he will never again walk the halls of its master and whatever remnant of the person it had been will be at peace.
Will of Kakuri Soul Killed
You try very hard
not to think of the fact it tastes like your favorite chocolate ice cream.
Regain 2 Essence -> Now at 7/12
As cheers erupt from behind you, mostly from the trio of vampires, though Odin's warriors proffer their congratulations you wonder for the first time what it must have looked like to see you fight an invisible foe. Before you can ask you are greeted with the sight of your dad and Harry running out of a ragged hole in the world ringed with silver flame. Both of them are covered in what you can only describe as demon gunk, though in Harry's case it's more... crispy and your dad is carrying a familiar man in his arms. Looks like J get's a happy ending as well
"I did it, it's dead!" you shout.
More than dead, you think but don't add aloud. That is not a power you want bandied around. "We need to clar out the rest of them, save the Jade Dogs..."
"Best do it fast," Murphy warns, eyes shining with relief as she looks at Harry... and other emotions you would rather not think about.
Shaking off the reminder of problems you cannot stab you turn to "Billy, Andrea, are you alright?"
"Are we..." the lanky-haired vampire boggles. "Boss are you alright? What the fuck was that?"
Andrea meanwhile had moved next to the still distinctly demonic looking corpse of the greater akuma, you guess that shape is as true as the other for its ilk and so would not change back, and picks up his sword.
"Hell yeah this thing is strong!" she says, almost at the same time as Harry telling her not to touch. She seems fine though maybe she would be less sanguine about it if her demon weren't riding so close to the surface, wrapping her lifeforce in its coils
What do you do about the Greater Akuma's remains
[] [SWORD] Claim it, maybe you can reforge it
[] [SWORD] Let Harry destroy it
[] [SWORD] Gift it to Monoc for Gard's help in the fight
[] [SWORD] Write in
[] [BODY] Claim it, it might be a little creepy, but having eaten his soul it would be a bit silly to be squeamish about the body
[] [BODY] Let Harry destroy it
[] [SWORD] Write in
OOC: Infernal exaltations, making soul-murder taste like your favorite desert since the First Age 
