Chapter 23: The Face Of Evil
Atma
Be Attitude For Gains: Fight For Truth
- Location
- Somewhere: It'd be Specified, but....
Sol placed his hand on the statue and felt himself enter the void.
"Alright, this may be the last time I'm here, so let's get spending, " he said before the menus appeared. Immediately, he went to the techniques bar, purchasing everything he failed at when it came to his weapons and watched with no small degree of dismay as his red orb count dropped by 462,000.
"That, that one hurts. Okay, what can we do here?" Sol asked before checking through the rest of the options.
"I need more magic power, and I do not have enough for further boosting my demonic body… Well, Alex said I should grab more Purple Orbs." Sol said to himself before purchasing three and watching an additional 10,500 be taken from his wallet. As soon it did, he felt something, like warmth and heat within his chest, travel down and into his arm. Making a fist, he watched as a demonic energy swirled around briefly before settling.
He looked through several other items and grabbed Magic Knowledge 2, hoping it would help with illusions. That was another 5,000 gone. Looking through enhancements, he spied Physical and Magical again. It had been what felt like an eternity since he had last purchased anything from here. He tapped the Peak Physical, Basic Mystical, and Advanced Mystical options. He might never be on Alex's level, but as he watched another 80,000 slip away, he was content with that. He felt… well, Power, pure power, flooding him briefly before it faded. It felt good. It felt right.
He did not have everything he would need, but he was close enough, so he focused on items, purchasing 10 Holy Waters, an additional 4 Large Vitality Stars, 5 Large Devil Stars, and 1 more Blue Orb for the road. He still had just over 100k left, but he didn't really have anything to spend it that he felt he needed. So, with a nod, he closed the menus and returned back to the last demon realm.
Stepping away from the statue, Sol looked at Alex before nodding.
"It's all yours, man."
Alex nodded in gratitude before tapping the statue and shifting into the white-gold space. The various options that he could choose appeared in front of him.
"So… First of all, how many- Holy cow! One… One million Orbs." He stood there, slack-jawed and dumbfounded, for a few moments more before he managed to compose himself.
"Ok. Ok. So, now's the time to spend them all. First of all, max up the Blue and Purple Orbs." As he checked out the prices, he tapped the two options twice for each, spending a total of 116.000 Red Orbs for both types of orbs.
"Now… With my basics already maxed up, it's time to check something I had overlooked for far too much: my basic spells."
The various options unfolded in front of him.
Bullet Spell:250 Red Orbs Bought
500 Red Orbs Bought
500 Red Orbs Bought
"Now… With the logic that the better the base, the better the following techniques, I should buy… Everything. It comes up to… 93.300 Red Orbs. Considering the 116.00 I have already spent, summing everything up and subtracting them from my original fund, I still have… 1.026.850 Red Orbs."
He had to stop and blink once more: he hadn't even noticed that he had accumulated that much. It was pretty strange.
"Let's just… move on. I need to… Check the techniques for my weapons. If I can max them out, it will help." So, he moved down. And found a new category.
"Devil Trigger techniques… Of course."
Alex stopped halfway down the list. "Damn. I don't have nearly enough to take everything… and it's so strange to say this. Still. I thought that the prices in the games were lower than these ones?" He couldn't remember. And he didn't really want to remember. Furthermore, he reasoned that if the costs were lower, the reason for that was that Nero, Dante, Vergil, and whoever else had more experience than him and Sol in fighting and using magic.
"So, prioritizing. Damn, I want everything... Should I start with the DT techniques? Those do sound very useful…"
What followed was an epic discussion with himself about the pros and cons of buying something against something else. And it went on and on for… a while.
In the end, he had decided.
"The Devil Trigger techniques are a must… and cool as hell. The flight technique will have to be passed, for now, the one I have is still serviceable. The Geryon powers are getting all bought out because, yes. That will run me… 695.000 Red Orbs, leaving me with just.... 331.850 Orbs. Damn. These things really go away like water." His grimace didn't really change the situation, though, so he had to continue budgeting.
"Taking at least one armor option, and I'm going with the Laughing Kookaburra… Then grabbing the Funeral March for a Marionette, the Acuto for the Seraphim, then back to the boots and fans combo, getting the Step in Time - cause messing with Time is my thing, Sol, I don't care you added the Geryon pieces to your armor! - and the upgrade (also, isn't their name a Mary Poppins reference?), along with the Red Carpet and the Witch's Cackle, leaving me with…11.850. I don't think I can buy anything else with that."
For a moment, he felt discomfort before checking the list of what he had just bought and gulping.
"Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. Still… No, no more thinking about this." He selected the OK option and prepared himself for the deluge of power, experience, information… whatever was what the Statue did.
He hadn't prepared enough: in moments, he was sent back, slamming against the ground and groaning in pain.
Sol ran over to check on Alex.
"Are you okay!?" He asked worriedly.
"My wallet… Is weeping…" Alex murmured, looking upwards blankly. "More than one million Orbs… all gone…"
Sol unconsciously leaped back before shouting, "What!? Thats!?... Holy Shit! Please tell me you got your orbs' worth from it all?" Sol asked pleadingly.
Alex took a deep breath and pushed himself upwards. "I… think so, yeah. I couldn't max everything, but I got a nice power-up. Plus maxed up my basics, so that's always nice." And he summoned a cluster of bullets above his hands, making them rotate for a moment or two before dispelling them.
"...before we move on… Do you want to go to the Gates of Hell one last time? Drink something, a small celebration for the coming end… one way or another?"
Sol considered for a moment shaking his head. "I… I think we should go into this with clear heads. We can celebrate once we're free and clear. I just feel that something is coming."
Sol looked out towards the pale light in the distance. "Something about that light…" Sol said while trailing off.
"You're right, you're right, I'm just... scared. In a game, you can reload. This is real life." Alex smiled sardonically. "Which is kinda ironic for this to hit me right now, at the end of everything, especially considering the fact that both of us almost died more than once."
Then, he turned towards that light. "Well, it's time for our ending act, part one. You ready?"
"Ready as I can be," Sol said before taking a breath and stepping forward.
Alex reached him, and they started walking together towards the light. If that wasn't a metaphor for the situation, Alex didn't know what was.
The walk towards the light was bizarrely calm, with scattered remnants of demonic statues and weapons littering the path. As they continued and the intensity of the light increased, the roiling gray around them gave way to an open-air temple reminiscent of ancient times. What parts of the temple that could be seen against the light were nothing but opulent, grandiose, and yet restrained. The pillars that bordered the temple and reached towards the heavens were adorned with reliefs of demons and fallen angels, their images paradoxically writhing in pain and revealing in ecstasy. Among the pillars were the ashen shadows of various demons, with each appearing to be in a state of mid-battle, arms, and weapons raised in a final moment of defiance and fury.
As if to further stain this regal and godly image, a single blot of darkness stood in stark contrast against the light. With one hand raised high and the other held low with a spear in hand, the dark figure gave the whole scene an almost eye-like quality. Whether said figure heard the two hybrids approach or sensed them in some other way, he turned his head slightly before lowering his hand. The light began to dim, and he turned fully before slowly descending the stairs.
There was something about this man's appearance that was different from his fellow red eyes. A serene look was plainly evident on his face, and, like many who had taken the poisoned path to power, his features were almost inhumanely beautiful. This beauty was marred by the dark blue and bloodstained armor he wore. He stopped at the final step and looked at the two before smiling.
"So, Gabrielle is no more… as are the rest. I suppose I should have done this myself, but what needs to arise must be handled in their own time and place. You two served your purpose for a time." He said before looking back to where he had been standing previously.
At the top of the stairs was a pale marble wall that looked close to collapse and was cracked and worn in multiple places. However, the relief of a massive tree carved into the wall was still visible. Something seemed to shift within the wall, and it could easily be seen that it pulsed Inward as if something was pushing into it. The man sighed before continuing.
"But it seems that I must finally put you down like the meddlesome fools you are." He said as lightning began to crackle around his form.
Alex blinked. The entire walk towards this place was awe-inspiring. The whole place was beautiful in a way that defied style, like those ancient buildings.
And yet. It was also empty. Devoid of passion. It was beauty that was just skin-deep: an affectation, a mask. The hybrid could almost swear that if he had broken the surface, the underneath would have pulsed with rotting flesh and putrid blood.
"You must be Zeke. Or… What remains of him, I guess? Do you even have an ego anymore? Or are you just a puppet with another voice?" His words came out almost melancholic, almost sad.
Zeke faintly smiled, and there was truly demonic about it. "Merely someone who is looking for freedom, the freedom that only power can afford."
Sol looked at the man before asking his own question. "And the demon at the cause of all this? What about that, huh? Did all your followers and their victims die for nothing!?"
Zeke's smile grew wider. "The Blood is the life. As they spilled blood, so too did we take from it. It really shouldn't be that hard for you to understand. How many demons have you slain? How many of your fellow humans?"
"Fellow humans, not that many. Demons, a lot. But, to be fair, they were trying to kill us first. Fair's fair and all that rot." Alex said almost casually. "And I guess you know, considering the deal that you offered at the start, right? A subtle sort of contract? I'm not all that well versed in ritual magic - really, really not that well versed - but bringing people here without their permission must have taken a lot of power…" And he let his voice trail out, almost like a prompt for Zeke to speak.
"Power that was already here!" He finished excitedly, and for once, the joy in his face and voice seemed genuine. "When the bastard son of Sparda sought his throne, the amount of blood that was shed in this localized area was at levels unheard of since the time of the Old Demon King! With every drop that went to that fruit, there were always dregs and runoff. There was more than enough for another to make its claim."
He stepped forward, brandishing his spear. "A claim that drew so many into its glorious weave."
"Glorious?" Sol asked, "You've lost it completely, haven't you?"
"I'm starting to think that all demons lack pattern recognition. All of those who tried to take the power of Sparda and rule Hell were defeated. Anyway, the dregs of that power wouldn't have been enough to bypass the dimensional barriers. Not to bring six hundred and sixty-six people here. No, you did something else." And Alex smiled.
"Or, well, You didn't. You just used the Qliphoth, didn't you?"
The smile seemed to crack briefly, and the expressions of both incandescent rage and deep sorrow flashed briefly before Zeke shifted his shoulders. "The tree has its purposes, but it seems I was wrong of you. You're not fools…" He trailed off before adopting a stance.
"You're far too clever for your own good."
"Nah. I think we can tell you the truth, though. Can't we?" Alex turned to Sol, a questioning expression on his face.
"At this point? Why not? After all, we've come this far." Sol responded while readying himself.
Alex grinned, before turning fully towards Zeke, completely ignoring his offensive stance. "Well, rejoice! You're going to know why we both know so much about your plans, the Qliphoth, Sparda, and his sons… And who's going to eat the fruit, and why he will fail and fall."
Zeke took a step back, a shocked expression on his face at the hybrid's words.
"You see, your little spell DID take people from beyond the dimensional barrier… But it didn't move just upwards. No, it also moved a little sideways." Long hair swished as Alex opened his arms before resting them against the pockets of his pants. "So, you went and grabbed a couple of people from a parallel dimension. Still upwards, but to the left. Completely random. And that was when you fucked up. Because in ritual magic? Random is NOT good."
"You see, you are working with Sparda's power. That has a weight. You were working with the Qliphoth, creating a pocket dimension - I'm assuming here, btw, but I think it's a pretty solid assumption - and you were working against the souls of the people you were taking here. So, here's a question for you: when does two plus two NOT equal four?"
Zeke's face was blank, and seizing the opportunity, Sol cut in.
"You screwed up, and you let a few people in who had the inside track. If we were anyone else, we'd have fallen for those tainted red orbs from word go. But we didn't! And we spread the word to as many as we could at the time. It's not perfect, but given the situation, I think we did as best a job as we could have." Sol finished.
"What he said. But, hey, I understand." Alex was smiling magnanimously. "Working with non-euclidean spaces - which is when two plus two don't come out as four, by the way, in case you hadn't understood - is tricky. And I'm sure that you did your best." The undertone was that your best wasn't enough.
At this point, the hybrid was just taunting the possessed man.
And Zeke? Well he just started to laugh. It started as a giggle, low and quiet, and then it slowly rose into a higher pitch and intensity until it became very apparent that the laugh was utterly inhuman. And then it stopped and that look of placid serenity reasserted itself.
Alex just raised a single eyebrow, not even moving from his position.
"I'll tear the very core of your beings to pieces. I'll follow what's left and carry on unimpeded and uncontested." Zeke said quietly before leaping into the air.
"Move!" Sol shouted in alarm.
Alex didn't. Instead, Calcabrina was in his hands a moment later, opened, and a barrier flashed around the two of them a moment before Zeke slammed against it.
And was rebounded back, the barrier withstanding the attack without a scratch.
"Like it? I upgraded it right before this fight." Alex's expression was feral.
The smile was back, and a crazed look was in Zeke's eyes. However, beyond that smile, he remained as silent as the grave.
Sol, however, made more noise. Coming out and around Alex's shield, Sol thrust forward with Gevauden. With a quick movement, Zeke jerked his spear up enough to deflect the blow before grabbing Sol and throwing him over his shoulder.
A beam slammed into the demon-possessed man's back, and the look of concentration in Alex's eyes was the only sign of how much power he was pouring into the attack. The beam slowly thinned out until it was barely wider than a fist. And shone much more.
"Go Fuck Yourself." And, with these words, Zeke was sent flying forward, straight towards the mural.
As he hit the mural, the image it bore splintered further, and the movements of it seemed to accelerate in response. With a hiss of pain, Zeke began to pull himself from the mural before a fist slammed into the side of his head. There was a brief flash of golden light as Zeke rocketed into a pillar, the ensuing dust cloud obscuring his image.
"I should have opened with this," Sol said while ringing his wrist.
From the cloud, though, came the sound of thunder, and a mass of electricity began to pour from the cloud. It would have been enough of a warning to stay. The electricity began to twist its shape and coalesce into phantasmal spears that seemed to hone in on Alex and Sol before racing toward them.
"Son of a bitch." Alex didn't even have the time to shout. He only just shot forward, a hand holding Calcabrina for dear life, the other grabbing Sol by the shoulder, before swerving into a 90-degree roll away from the ghostly spears.
"We're going to stop in three seconds. Use Semyaza against the spears!"
Without a word, Sol began to utilize Dance of the Holy against the barrage, smashing aside the lightning spears as quickly as they came. Unfortunately, Zeke was ahead of them on this matter.
There was a noise, similar to the Laughing Kookaburra and Great Butcherbird, but more like a shrieking noise as Zeke began to fall towards them, the spear in his hands wreathed in thunder.
Alex moved. And a bubble of gray air appeared between them and the falling man, the spear hitting the surface and almost stopping.
"Nice trick. How about you try mine for size? Slow DOWN!" Dark gray energy shot towards Zeke, attempting to constrain his limbs and his movements, slowing down the time that he was experiencing.
The lightning seemed to twist and arc, pushing Zeke further through the time bubble. It was enough time for Sol to come around to push him back further. Standing in front of Zeke's descent, he clapped his hands together and released a thunderclap, which sent Zeke and the time bubble flying backward.
Alex blinked for a moment. "I didn't even know that those bubbles could be moved." However, while he was speaking, he changed his sword for his staff before twirling and summoning a Choir before moving forward, the various feathers of the staff vibrating.
"Try to throw him towards me!" His shout was directed at Sol while he kept his eyes on Zeke, who was getting back up while wreathed in lightning.
Sol nodded before attempting to maneuver around the ruins before reaching a position to perform another thunderclap. Only this time, it seemed Zeke had another trick up his sleeve. The lightning around Zeke churned within the bubble before he came bursting, aiming his next attack right at Sol.
Sol barely managed to raise his fist fast enough to block the spear. He held back a scream as the spear glanced off one of his gauntlets and through the gaps in his armor at the left shoulder. Sol created a blinding light with a cry before being flung into a pillar.
The lightning around Zeke surged into a more uniform shape, creating a shield around himself. He could be seen rubbing at his eyes and keeping them hidden while muttering to himself.
Alexander dashed forward, the staff twirling between his hands, while the Choir was shooting its projectiles toward the lightning-wreathed man.
"Are you stealing Ivan's trick?!" Alexander's voice echoed in the air, attracting Zeke's attention before he unleashed the spear of sound, narrow and sharp enough that it was going to penetrate the shield and hit the man unless the shield itself had more tricks.
The lightning around Zeke's feet vanished, allowing him to fall to the ground below. When the sound of a spear pierced the shield, there was a massive flash of lightning.
"No, Ivan stole it from me. He was always like that." Zeke said mildly before speeding towards Alex.
"Really? Well then. I stole something from your companions too. Want to see?" Alexander was grinning wildly before Seraphim changed for the Greater Butcherbird, the hooked side already going towards Zeke's hand, the one that was holding the weapon.
The hand that took the blow was dragged down, and he leaned in, pitching his forward to roll with the blow better. He laughed as he jerked his hand and released himself from the weapon.
"Ah, ha ha! Butcherbird! I wondered where that had gone too. They really were quite the pair, weren't they?" Zeke laughed.
"Yes! And look, I even completed the set!" Alexander shouted, before pivoting and slashing with the heel of the boots, the sharp tip hitting Zeke's arm and dragging away the flesh under it a moment later, leaving behind a spreading black blotch that seemed to move under his skin.
"You like them? I think they are my color."
Zeke stared at the growing spot and gave a wan smile before lunging forward and sending thrusts toward Alex. "I knew I separated them for a reason! Laura would have killed too many too quickly if she had both. Too few for the end! And regarding stealing, Stinger." He finished with a cruel grin.
He flashed forward with a very familiar move.
Alexander evaded with a pirouette, twisting and shifting, letting the head of the spear pass a hair's breadth away from his torso before the time around them slowed down to a crawl. Alexander's smile was downright evil.
"Thanks for that. I quite like them." And he turned again before slamming the heel of his foot against his head in a reverse roundhouse kick.
The kick sent Zeke's head directly into Sol's rising fist, which sent Zeke skyward. Falling to the ground, Sol clutched his bleeding shoulder.
"I owed you that one, asshole." Sol bit out while at his left shoulder as golden energy seemed to fade away from his right hand.
Zeke righted himself before rubbing his chin. His eyes were briefly wild before they returned to their mild state.
"That… What was that?" He asked, in a far too interested tone.
"A parting gift. There's more where that comes from," Sol responded.
"Come on. Hey, remember Alan? The tamer guy? He said something about an armor. Show me what he was going on about before he bit the dust, yeah? Or die; either way, it's the same for me." Alexander taunted, keeping his voice level, while the fans in his hands snapped open and sent several blades of air straight at Zeke.
"Armor? Ha…. hahaha!!!!" Zeke laughed before rocketing down towards them. All the while, his features began to change and warp. The resulting crash sent the two hybrids flying in either direction and where Zeke had landed, something else had taken his place within the torrent of demonic energy.
Zeke stood taller now, his clothes merging into hardened flesh and scales that appeared like a warped and twisted parody of the human. They covered everything save his head which was similarly altered. His long hair seemed to have straightened, looking almost like curtains of black midnight that reached past his shoulders. Yet it was his face that was the most altered. His eyes and mouth were such that whatever parts of his eyes could be seen looked more like the eyes of a large cat, cruel and sharp. His mouth was filled with rows of fangs that glinted in the lightning. And then he spoke.
"Allan… yes… the runt of the litter, so quick to kill, so quick rage. He was the beginning, the impetus that brought us together… that brought ME together. In the end, though, he was just baggage." With that said, Zeke slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, creating a massive storm around himself… that began to expand outwards towards the two other hybrids.
"Wow, that Devil Trigger really didn't do you any favor: you're ugly as sin." While his words were rather flippant, his tone was all but: he was well aware that anyone possessing a Devil Trigger was a VERY dangerous opponent. And this one seemed to specialize in large-scale attacks.
"But still, I expected something more, to be honest." More air blades were sent while Alex took a few leaps backward, getting more space to act.
Zeke gripped his spear in both hands and swung it like a banner, causing the lightning to arc around it like a giant fan before sending it toward the two.
"Ugliness? What is one's appearance before the draw of power?" Zeke questioned as the wave of thunder raced towards the two hybrids.
Alexander moved until he was in front of Sol, and before his weapons changed into Calcabrina once more, the shield appeared around them in a bubble, keeping them safe from the onslaught of lightning that Zeke was trying to drown them with.
"Why have only one or the other?"
Sol smiled before drawing Nymphaeum and aiming over Calcabrina's Shield.
"Sunset." Sol said as a burst of light shot from Nymphaeum before splitting in the air and descending upon Zeke. The rounds struck Zeke, knocking him off balance and canceling the torrent of lightning.
"So, that's how that works," Sol said while looking at Nymphaeum.
"Nice. Let's see if I…." A pinprick of light appeared at the tip of Calcabrina, before the entire canopy of the umbrella started shining, energy collecting on it. And still going.
"Can you keep him unbalanced for a few moments? I need to charge this." Alexander's voice wasn't strained, but the shield had disappeared, and Zeke had recovered from his momentary off-balance position and was moving towards them.
"Sure thing! Keep your eyes shut when I call out!" Sol said before firing another Sunset at Zeke. The rounds came down again, but this time Zeke, in an emulation of Alex, began to spin the spear in front of himself, creating a shield that destroyed the rounds. However, that wasn't all that Sol was doing.
Raising his hands to either side of his face, he called out, "SUN FLARE!" And there was a blinding light.
The moment Zeke moved to shield himself from the light - and the attack that came with it - Alexander stepped to the side, a single motion, the umbrella aimed straight at the demon-possessed man. Then, he unleashed all the energy that he had accumulated into a direct hit straight to the side of his ribs, a look of concentration on his face.
Blinded by the light, Zeke didn't realize what was coming and took the charged shot to the ribs. His mouth gaped into a wide silent scream as the attack sent him flying across the temple. He was still for a moment before twitching and smoothly rolling onto his stomach before trying to rise, hand clutching at his side. Something was shifting under the hand, something twisted.
Alexander didn't say anything. He just prepared himself to see what was going to happen: he knew - as Sol probably did - that this couldn't be the end.
"Ha… Ha… This pain, I haven't felt this in a loooOoOOOng tIIIIme." Zeke said as he turned to face the duo. Moving his hand away from his side, something could be seen slipping back into his hardened skin. His smile seemed to widen even more as his voice warped.
"Come oNNNNNnnn, give me more of this. Let me learn from this, let me becccOOOme StronGeR!" Zeke called out, twirling the spear before pointing it forward and letting loose a Stinger.
"You're pitiful." The hybrid's voice was low enough to almost not be heard, but it was heard all the same. And, with a step, Alexander vanished from his place, only to reappear on the other side of Zeke, leaving the man to face Sol with his gun already aimed at him.
"And, more importantly, you're dead."
"You're in my range…" Sol began as he threw the gun up, and Zeke's eyes unconsciously followed it. At that moment, Sol punched forward, aiming at Zeke's heart. "Dance of the Holy!" Sol roared as he began to rapidly punch Zeke's torso. Each strike lifted Zeke that much more into the air. And when his punches seemed to slow, Sol activated his Devil Trigger, ramping up his speed and strength until he eventually roared "Outer Heaven!"
Forming behind Sol, Semyaza's phantom began to join in, its fists joining with Sol's. Zeke's chest began to cave in under the rain of blows until, eventually, he stepped forward and let loose one final blow. His fist pierced the hardened flesh before he felt something within and tore it. He felt a sense of dark glee from Semyaza as he looked to see it was Zeke's heart.
Zeke dropped to his knees before his body seemed to jerk to a standing position. His eyes were wide as he unconsciously stumbled backward. He attempted, with what seemingly little strength to move another step forward, raising his spear high, before falling forward in an unmoving heap.
There was a stillness that seemed to persist for longer than it should before a strange huffing noise began to emanate from Zeke's body. He was laughing.
"Yep, it's pretty funny, isn't it?" Alexander's voice came from behind the man before the blade of Calcabrina pierced his back, going through the armor and body like a hot knife through butter, hitting the heart a moment later.
"Your strongest puppet, defeated by a couple of humans. Well, don't worry… We're coming for you now."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Zeke's body continued to laugh as his back began to violently bulge. His body arched as his back split open, and a dark blue mass tore itself free.
"AHHHH," It began with a chuckle. "Born through deception in life."
Two more voices, eerily similar but different, began to call out.
"Born through a raging struggle."
"Born through the weight of sorrow."
As a shape began to descend. It was definitely a demon, but the body was horrendously distended, and some things were trying to push themselves free of their fleshy prison. There was a sound of tearing flesh as two large masses tore themselves free, one colored red and the other gray.
The dark blue mass that was once within Zeke floated towards the other. They silently orbited each other before voices called out once again.
"Blood from None!"
"Blood from One!"
"Blood from Some!"
Together, the three masses cried as one. "BLOOD FROM ALL!!!
From all corners of the distorted realms it had created, those who bore its tainted power began to seize up and convulse. A dark purple orb shot forth from their bodies, carrying masses of red orbs. Together, they flew towards the three who would be one, surrounding them and binding them in a ring of blood until the energies stored within manifested. Thunder, Ice, and Fire came forth and pulled the red orbs deeper within themselves until there was only a single mass. A large yellowish orb slowly shifted and changed to reveal three fused faces. The eyes blinked briefly before looking down at the two hybrids.
Sol clenched his fists in fury. "We Must pay!? To hell with you!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So, This chapter took far too long to fully post. There were personal issues that cropped up (Little things that took up too much), and my laptop decided to have the mother of all fits. It thought that I didn't need to connect to the internet for any period for more than five seconds. That has been fixed now (Hopefully), and I plan to post the last remaining chapters over the next two days.
Enjoy everyone!
"Alright, this may be the last time I'm here, so let's get spending, " he said before the menus appeared. Immediately, he went to the techniques bar, purchasing everything he failed at when it came to his weapons and watched with no small degree of dismay as his red orb count dropped by 462,000.
"That, that one hurts. Okay, what can we do here?" Sol asked before checking through the rest of the options.
"I need more magic power, and I do not have enough for further boosting my demonic body… Well, Alex said I should grab more Purple Orbs." Sol said to himself before purchasing three and watching an additional 10,500 be taken from his wallet. As soon it did, he felt something, like warmth and heat within his chest, travel down and into his arm. Making a fist, he watched as a demonic energy swirled around briefly before settling.
He looked through several other items and grabbed Magic Knowledge 2, hoping it would help with illusions. That was another 5,000 gone. Looking through enhancements, he spied Physical and Magical again. It had been what felt like an eternity since he had last purchased anything from here. He tapped the Peak Physical, Basic Mystical, and Advanced Mystical options. He might never be on Alex's level, but as he watched another 80,000 slip away, he was content with that. He felt… well, Power, pure power, flooding him briefly before it faded. It felt good. It felt right.
He did not have everything he would need, but he was close enough, so he focused on items, purchasing 10 Holy Waters, an additional 4 Large Vitality Stars, 5 Large Devil Stars, and 1 more Blue Orb for the road. He still had just over 100k left, but he didn't really have anything to spend it that he felt he needed. So, with a nod, he closed the menus and returned back to the last demon realm.
Stepping away from the statue, Sol looked at Alex before nodding.
"It's all yours, man."
Alex nodded in gratitude before tapping the statue and shifting into the white-gold space. The various options that he could choose appeared in front of him.
"So… First of all, how many- Holy cow! One… One million Orbs." He stood there, slack-jawed and dumbfounded, for a few moments more before he managed to compose himself.
"Ok. Ok. So, now's the time to spend them all. First of all, max up the Blue and Purple Orbs." As he checked out the prices, he tapped the two options twice for each, spending a total of 116.000 Red Orbs for both types of orbs.
"Now… With my basics already maxed up, it's time to check something I had overlooked for far too much: my basic spells."
The various options unfolded in front of him.
Bullet Spell:
- Rapid Fire 1:
500 Red OrbsBought- Rapid Fire 2: 4.000 Red Orbs
- Bullet Storm: 8.000 Red Orbs
- Rapid Fire 2: 4.000 Red Orbs
- Double Bullet: 500 Red Orbs
- Charged Bullet 1: 600 Red Orbs
- Charged Bullet 2: 2.700 Red Orbs
- Bomb Bullet: 9.000 Red Orbs
- Charged Bullet 2: 2.700 Red Orbs
- Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs
- Full Barrier: 2.500 Red Orbs
- Strengthened Barrier 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
- Strengthened Barrier: 2: 8.000 Red Orbs
- Castle of Stone: 16.000 Red Orbs
- Strengthened Barrier: 2: 8.000 Red Orbs
- Empowered Beam 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
- Empowered Beam 2: 6.000 Red Orbs
- Laser Beam: 12.000 Red Orbs
- Empowered Beam 2: 6.000 Red Orbs
- Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs
"Now… With the logic that the better the base, the better the following techniques, I should buy… Everything. It comes up to… 93.300 Red Orbs. Considering the 116.00 I have already spent, summing everything up and subtracting them from my original fund, I still have… 1.026.850 Red Orbs."
He had to stop and blink once more: he hadn't even noticed that he had accumulated that much. It was pretty strange.
"Let's just… move on. I need to… Check the techniques for my weapons. If I can max them out, it will help." So, he moved down. And found a new category.
"Devil Trigger techniques… Of course."
Calcabrina (Combined Form)
- Float (Keeping the umbrella open, it will slow down any fall to a gentle float) -
2.500 Red OrbsBought- Levitate (As long as the Umbrella is open, the weight of the user is reduced to almost nothing. Higher jump, can walk on fragile and liquid surfaces) - Require Float,
5.000 Red OrbsBought- Fly (Glide/flight for a short distance with directional momentum chosen at the start of the movement) - Require Levitate,
10.000 Red OrbsBought- Defying Gravity (Unlimited flight, cost Magical Energy) - Require Fly, 300.000 Red Orbs
- Fly (Glide/flight for a short distance with directional momentum chosen at the start of the movement) - Require Levitate,
- Levitate (As long as the Umbrella is open, the weight of the user is reduced to almost nothing. Higher jump, can walk on fragile and liquid surfaces) - Require Float,
- Tar Beam (Only combined form, charged.) (Charge the entire surface of the Umbrella and shoot a giant beam.) - Require Beam Spell to be bought,
25.000 Red OrbsBought- Improved Tar Beam (Can charge the beam for longer. Damage is increased) - Require Tar Beam, 50.000 Red Orbs
- Float (Keeping the umbrella open, it will slow down any fall to a gentle float) -
Calca (Sheath)
- Rainproof (Require Barrier) (Strengthen the Barrier and extend it beyond the Umbrella's edge) -
5.000 Red OrbsBought- Waterproof (Require Rainproof) (Barrier is strengthened and extended more) -
15.000 Red OrbsBought- Impervious (Require Waterproof, Require Funeral March for a Marionette) (Extend the shield further; the barrier is strong enough to block any attack once. Cooldown after this use) - 50.000 Red Orbs
- Waterproof (Require Rainproof) (Barrier is strengthened and extended more) -
- Puppet Waltz (Require Beam Spell) (Lasers come out of the tassels hanging from the spokes of the umbrella, can be kept active during movement) -
15.000 Red OrbsBought- Funeral March for a Marionette (Require Puppet Waltz) (Calca gets thrown up in the air, lasers come down from the tassels, and it starts turning on itself, the lasers hitting all around in a casual pattern) - 35.000 Red Orbs
- Rainproof (Require Barrier) (Strengthen the Barrier and extend it beyond the Umbrella's edge) -
Brina (Sword)
- Running Stitch (The tip of the sword is charged with magical energy and, on hit, releases a thin beam of energy in the enemy) -
8.000 Red OrbsBought- Cross Stitch (Require Running Stitch, Require Beam Spell) (The tip of the sword can now leave behind up to two trails of energy that will shoot forward. Charged) - 20.000 Red Orbs
- Cross Stitch (Require Cross Stitch) (The number of trails of energy that can be used is now unlimited, but need to be continuously chained) - 40.000 Red Orbs
- Cross Stitch (Require Running Stitch, Require Beam Spell) (The tip of the sword can now leave behind up to two trails of energy that will shoot forward. Charged) - 20.000 Red Orbs
- Back Stitch (Require Barrier Spell, Require Beam Spell) (Enlarge the size of the sword by overlaying cutting barriers on it. The size can change from slightly bigger than normal to greatsword size. Weight is unchanged) - 25.000 Red Orbs
- Blanket Stitch (Require Back Stitch) (Can now enlarge the sword to bus size. Weight is unchanged) - 50.000 Red Orbs
- Running Stitch (The tip of the sword is charged with magical energy and, on hit, releases a thin beam of energy in the enemy) -
Seraphim
- Sing! (Basic attack)(An area attack that uses sonic waves to hit everyone around the user. Short range.)
- Contralto (The Sing! Attack rises in power and pitch, shattering hard materials and flying back the enemies around the user) -
7.500 Red OrbsBought- Mezzo-Soprano (The Sing! Attack rises in range, now reaching until middle-range from the user, sending the enemies even further away.) - 20.000 Red Orbs
- Soprano (The Sing! Attack is now at the strongest it can possibly be, rising in both strength and range, turning every material around to dust in an even wider range.) - 75.000 Red Orbs
- Mezzo-Soprano (The Sing! Attack rises in range, now reaching until middle-range from the user, sending the enemies even further away.) - 20.000 Red Orbs
- Contralto (The Sing! Attack rises in power and pitch, shattering hard materials and flying back the enemies around the user) -
- Solo: (A single wave of sound erupts from Seraphim in a narrow cone forward, with greater strength, but lesser area, than Sing!)
10.000 Red OrbsBought- Acuto (Solo now gains greater penetrative power and hits enemies behind the first one with piercing soundwaves.) 25.000 Red Orbs
- Choir: (Summon a sphere of light with wings that shoot sonic projectiles at the enemies in range.)
30.000 Red OrbsBought- Choir 2: (Summon three Choirs to help the fight instead of only one.) 55.000 Red Orbs
- Finale: (By spinning the Seraphim around, it creates a continuous sound wave that obliterates anything around the user. Movement is slowed down while using this.) 30.000 Red Orbs
- It ain't over 'till…: (The movement is now faster, and the more someone moves while this technique is active, the more the soundwaves grow in pitch and strength.) 50.000 Red Orbs
- …the Fat Lady sings!: (At the end of the technique, the user can slam Seraphim on the ground and release a charged soundwave that extends far around them and scales in power with the time the technique had been active) 75.000 Red Orbs
- It ain't over 'till…: (The movement is now faster, and the more someone moves while this technique is active, the more the soundwaves grow in pitch and strength.) 50.000 Red Orbs
- Sing! (Basic attack)(An area attack that uses sonic waves to hit everyone around the user. Short range.)
Laughing Kookaburra & Great Butcherbird
- Safe Step (Can extend/retract the heel at the bottom of the boots) Default
- Step in Time (Same as Time Step) 15.000 Red Orbs
- You Step in Time (Can now use Step in Time consecutively) 50.000 Red Orbs
- A Witch's Cackle… (Each hit with the Laughing Kookaburra will leave behind poison that will slowly damage the being that has been it) 25.000 Red Orbs
- A Hag's Laugh (The poison is now a Curse that will weaken and damage even those that are immune to poison) 75.000 Red Orbs
- The Red Carpet (Can move on any surface, no matter what it is, as long as it's supplied magical energy) 20.000 Red Orb
- Wings Made for Flying… (Can shoot two blades of wind by waving the fans toward the enemy) Default
- Wings Made for Killing (The blades of wind are multiplied by three for every wave of the fans after the first one) 30.000 Red Orbs
- Tailwind (When the fans are thrown, they are surrounded by a cutting wind that speeds them up) 35.000 Red Orbs
- Killwind (Once thrown, the fans now follow the enemy and try to hit him before returning to the owner) 70.000 Red Orbs
- Thorn's Kiss (Summon a spike of black obsidian under the enemy, attempting to kill it) 60.000 Red Orbs
- Butcher's Nest (If an enemy is killed by Thorn's Kiss, the user is healed) 100.000 Red Orbs
- Plumage (User can manifest an armor when the weapons are in use) Default
- Laughing Kookaburra (The armor turns completely black, and whoever hits it, the damage gets rebounded to them. Only one armor option can be used at a time) 150.000
- Great Butcherbird (The armor turns cinder gray before growing spikes and thorns all over. If an enemy gets punctured by a thorn, it grows inside them until they are dead.) 150.000 Red Orbs
Geryon Hybrid Powers
- Blink (Move from one place to another without any time in between. Limited to five seconds of movements, only places that are physically accessible):
7.500 Red Orbs- Bought- Blink 2 (Time of movement is extended to ten seconds): 20.000 Red Orbs
- Blink 3 (Time of movement is limitless, depending on magical energy consumed): 75.000 Red Orbs Bought
- Blink 2 (Time of movement is extended to ten seconds): 20.000 Red Orbs
- Time Bubble (Create a bubble of slowed time in front of you that lasts for three seconds):
15.000 Red Orbs- Bought - Haste (Speed your personal time up, moving faster and doing more things in less time):
35.000 Red OrbsBought - Slow (Slow down a target's personal time, making them move like they are in slow motion)(Consume Magical Energy):
50.000 Red OrbsBought.)
Devil Trigger Techniques
- Calcabrina
- Geryon-Iai, First Chime: Cutting Between the Seconds (The cut is done between moments, making it basically unavoidable as long as the victim is in range of Alex. It doesn't extend his range but grants the use of Blink to move before striking) Already owned
- Geryon-Iai, Second Chime: Heavy Blade of Times Past (The incredible amount of possibilities of cutting in his range turns Calcabrina into what looks like a great sword. The cut is repeated innumerable times once it hits.) Already Owned
- Geryon-Iai, Third Chime: Principle of Royalty (A manipulation of Time to lengthen a strike into a continuous, uninterrupted cutting motion.) 250.000 Red Orbs
- Seraphim
- Sing, O Muse, of the Rage of Achilles! (The feathers detach and vibrate, turning into a storm of sonic lances that shoot toward the enemy) Already Owned
- Sing, O Muse, of Patroclus' Faith! (A healing move, orbs of light surround the targets and heal them as long as they stay in place.) 100.000 Red Orbs
- Sing, O Muse, of the Immortal Lovers! (Nuclear explosion with sound) 250.000 Red Orbs
- Laughing Kookaburra & Great Butcherbird (The armor option is the DT technique for that weapon)
Alex stopped halfway down the list. "Damn. I don't have nearly enough to take everything… and it's so strange to say this. Still. I thought that the prices in the games were lower than these ones?" He couldn't remember. And he didn't really want to remember. Furthermore, he reasoned that if the costs were lower, the reason for that was that Nero, Dante, Vergil, and whoever else had more experience than him and Sol in fighting and using magic.
"So, prioritizing. Damn, I want everything... Should I start with the DT techniques? Those do sound very useful…"
What followed was an epic discussion with himself about the pros and cons of buying something against something else. And it went on and on for… a while.
In the end, he had decided.
"The Devil Trigger techniques are a must… and cool as hell. The flight technique will have to be passed, for now, the one I have is still serviceable. The Geryon powers are getting all bought out because, yes. That will run me… 695.000 Red Orbs, leaving me with just.... 331.850 Orbs. Damn. These things really go away like water." His grimace didn't really change the situation, though, so he had to continue budgeting.
"Taking at least one armor option, and I'm going with the Laughing Kookaburra… Then grabbing the Funeral March for a Marionette, the Acuto for the Seraphim, then back to the boots and fans combo, getting the Step in Time - cause messing with Time is my thing, Sol, I don't care you added the Geryon pieces to your armor! - and the upgrade (also, isn't their name a Mary Poppins reference?), along with the Red Carpet and the Witch's Cackle, leaving me with…11.850. I don't think I can buy anything else with that."
For a moment, he felt discomfort before checking the list of what he had just bought and gulping.
"Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. Still… No, no more thinking about this." He selected the OK option and prepared himself for the deluge of power, experience, information… whatever was what the Statue did.
He hadn't prepared enough: in moments, he was sent back, slamming against the ground and groaning in pain.
Sol ran over to check on Alex.
"Are you okay!?" He asked worriedly.
"My wallet… Is weeping…" Alex murmured, looking upwards blankly. "More than one million Orbs… all gone…"
Sol unconsciously leaped back before shouting, "What!? Thats!?... Holy Shit! Please tell me you got your orbs' worth from it all?" Sol asked pleadingly.
Alex took a deep breath and pushed himself upwards. "I… think so, yeah. I couldn't max everything, but I got a nice power-up. Plus maxed up my basics, so that's always nice." And he summoned a cluster of bullets above his hands, making them rotate for a moment or two before dispelling them.
"...before we move on… Do you want to go to the Gates of Hell one last time? Drink something, a small celebration for the coming end… one way or another?"
Sol considered for a moment shaking his head. "I… I think we should go into this with clear heads. We can celebrate once we're free and clear. I just feel that something is coming."
Sol looked out towards the pale light in the distance. "Something about that light…" Sol said while trailing off.
"You're right, you're right, I'm just... scared. In a game, you can reload. This is real life." Alex smiled sardonically. "Which is kinda ironic for this to hit me right now, at the end of everything, especially considering the fact that both of us almost died more than once."
Then, he turned towards that light. "Well, it's time for our ending act, part one. You ready?"
"Ready as I can be," Sol said before taking a breath and stepping forward.
Alex reached him, and they started walking together towards the light. If that wasn't a metaphor for the situation, Alex didn't know what was.
The walk towards the light was bizarrely calm, with scattered remnants of demonic statues and weapons littering the path. As they continued and the intensity of the light increased, the roiling gray around them gave way to an open-air temple reminiscent of ancient times. What parts of the temple that could be seen against the light were nothing but opulent, grandiose, and yet restrained. The pillars that bordered the temple and reached towards the heavens were adorned with reliefs of demons and fallen angels, their images paradoxically writhing in pain and revealing in ecstasy. Among the pillars were the ashen shadows of various demons, with each appearing to be in a state of mid-battle, arms, and weapons raised in a final moment of defiance and fury.
As if to further stain this regal and godly image, a single blot of darkness stood in stark contrast against the light. With one hand raised high and the other held low with a spear in hand, the dark figure gave the whole scene an almost eye-like quality. Whether said figure heard the two hybrids approach or sensed them in some other way, he turned his head slightly before lowering his hand. The light began to dim, and he turned fully before slowly descending the stairs.
There was something about this man's appearance that was different from his fellow red eyes. A serene look was plainly evident on his face, and, like many who had taken the poisoned path to power, his features were almost inhumanely beautiful. This beauty was marred by the dark blue and bloodstained armor he wore. He stopped at the final step and looked at the two before smiling.
"So, Gabrielle is no more… as are the rest. I suppose I should have done this myself, but what needs to arise must be handled in their own time and place. You two served your purpose for a time." He said before looking back to where he had been standing previously.
At the top of the stairs was a pale marble wall that looked close to collapse and was cracked and worn in multiple places. However, the relief of a massive tree carved into the wall was still visible. Something seemed to shift within the wall, and it could easily be seen that it pulsed Inward as if something was pushing into it. The man sighed before continuing.
"But it seems that I must finally put you down like the meddlesome fools you are." He said as lightning began to crackle around his form.
Alex blinked. The entire walk towards this place was awe-inspiring. The whole place was beautiful in a way that defied style, like those ancient buildings.
And yet. It was also empty. Devoid of passion. It was beauty that was just skin-deep: an affectation, a mask. The hybrid could almost swear that if he had broken the surface, the underneath would have pulsed with rotting flesh and putrid blood.
"You must be Zeke. Or… What remains of him, I guess? Do you even have an ego anymore? Or are you just a puppet with another voice?" His words came out almost melancholic, almost sad.
Zeke faintly smiled, and there was truly demonic about it. "Merely someone who is looking for freedom, the freedom that only power can afford."
Sol looked at the man before asking his own question. "And the demon at the cause of all this? What about that, huh? Did all your followers and their victims die for nothing!?"
Zeke's smile grew wider. "The Blood is the life. As they spilled blood, so too did we take from it. It really shouldn't be that hard for you to understand. How many demons have you slain? How many of your fellow humans?"
"Fellow humans, not that many. Demons, a lot. But, to be fair, they were trying to kill us first. Fair's fair and all that rot." Alex said almost casually. "And I guess you know, considering the deal that you offered at the start, right? A subtle sort of contract? I'm not all that well versed in ritual magic - really, really not that well versed - but bringing people here without their permission must have taken a lot of power…" And he let his voice trail out, almost like a prompt for Zeke to speak.
"Power that was already here!" He finished excitedly, and for once, the joy in his face and voice seemed genuine. "When the bastard son of Sparda sought his throne, the amount of blood that was shed in this localized area was at levels unheard of since the time of the Old Demon King! With every drop that went to that fruit, there were always dregs and runoff. There was more than enough for another to make its claim."
He stepped forward, brandishing his spear. "A claim that drew so many into its glorious weave."
"Glorious?" Sol asked, "You've lost it completely, haven't you?"
"I'm starting to think that all demons lack pattern recognition. All of those who tried to take the power of Sparda and rule Hell were defeated. Anyway, the dregs of that power wouldn't have been enough to bypass the dimensional barriers. Not to bring six hundred and sixty-six people here. No, you did something else." And Alex smiled.
"Or, well, You didn't. You just used the Qliphoth, didn't you?"
The smile seemed to crack briefly, and the expressions of both incandescent rage and deep sorrow flashed briefly before Zeke shifted his shoulders. "The tree has its purposes, but it seems I was wrong of you. You're not fools…" He trailed off before adopting a stance.
"You're far too clever for your own good."
"Nah. I think we can tell you the truth, though. Can't we?" Alex turned to Sol, a questioning expression on his face.
"At this point? Why not? After all, we've come this far." Sol responded while readying himself.
Alex grinned, before turning fully towards Zeke, completely ignoring his offensive stance. "Well, rejoice! You're going to know why we both know so much about your plans, the Qliphoth, Sparda, and his sons… And who's going to eat the fruit, and why he will fail and fall."
Zeke took a step back, a shocked expression on his face at the hybrid's words.
"You see, your little spell DID take people from beyond the dimensional barrier… But it didn't move just upwards. No, it also moved a little sideways." Long hair swished as Alex opened his arms before resting them against the pockets of his pants. "So, you went and grabbed a couple of people from a parallel dimension. Still upwards, but to the left. Completely random. And that was when you fucked up. Because in ritual magic? Random is NOT good."
"You see, you are working with Sparda's power. That has a weight. You were working with the Qliphoth, creating a pocket dimension - I'm assuming here, btw, but I think it's a pretty solid assumption - and you were working against the souls of the people you were taking here. So, here's a question for you: when does two plus two NOT equal four?"
Zeke's face was blank, and seizing the opportunity, Sol cut in.
"You screwed up, and you let a few people in who had the inside track. If we were anyone else, we'd have fallen for those tainted red orbs from word go. But we didn't! And we spread the word to as many as we could at the time. It's not perfect, but given the situation, I think we did as best a job as we could have." Sol finished.
"What he said. But, hey, I understand." Alex was smiling magnanimously. "Working with non-euclidean spaces - which is when two plus two don't come out as four, by the way, in case you hadn't understood - is tricky. And I'm sure that you did your best." The undertone was that your best wasn't enough.
At this point, the hybrid was just taunting the possessed man.
And Zeke? Well he just started to laugh. It started as a giggle, low and quiet, and then it slowly rose into a higher pitch and intensity until it became very apparent that the laugh was utterly inhuman. And then it stopped and that look of placid serenity reasserted itself.
Alex just raised a single eyebrow, not even moving from his position.
"I'll tear the very core of your beings to pieces. I'll follow what's left and carry on unimpeded and uncontested." Zeke said quietly before leaping into the air.
ZEKE: THE CRIMSON THUNDER
"Move!" Sol shouted in alarm.
Alex didn't. Instead, Calcabrina was in his hands a moment later, opened, and a barrier flashed around the two of them a moment before Zeke slammed against it.
And was rebounded back, the barrier withstanding the attack without a scratch.
"Like it? I upgraded it right before this fight." Alex's expression was feral.
The smile was back, and a crazed look was in Zeke's eyes. However, beyond that smile, he remained as silent as the grave.
Sol, however, made more noise. Coming out and around Alex's shield, Sol thrust forward with Gevauden. With a quick movement, Zeke jerked his spear up enough to deflect the blow before grabbing Sol and throwing him over his shoulder.
A beam slammed into the demon-possessed man's back, and the look of concentration in Alex's eyes was the only sign of how much power he was pouring into the attack. The beam slowly thinned out until it was barely wider than a fist. And shone much more.
"Go Fuck Yourself." And, with these words, Zeke was sent flying forward, straight towards the mural.
As he hit the mural, the image it bore splintered further, and the movements of it seemed to accelerate in response. With a hiss of pain, Zeke began to pull himself from the mural before a fist slammed into the side of his head. There was a brief flash of golden light as Zeke rocketed into a pillar, the ensuing dust cloud obscuring his image.
"I should have opened with this," Sol said while ringing his wrist.
From the cloud, though, came the sound of thunder, and a mass of electricity began to pour from the cloud. It would have been enough of a warning to stay. The electricity began to twist its shape and coalesce into phantasmal spears that seemed to hone in on Alex and Sol before racing toward them.
"Son of a bitch." Alex didn't even have the time to shout. He only just shot forward, a hand holding Calcabrina for dear life, the other grabbing Sol by the shoulder, before swerving into a 90-degree roll away from the ghostly spears.
"We're going to stop in three seconds. Use Semyaza against the spears!"
Without a word, Sol began to utilize Dance of the Holy against the barrage, smashing aside the lightning spears as quickly as they came. Unfortunately, Zeke was ahead of them on this matter.
There was a noise, similar to the Laughing Kookaburra and Great Butcherbird, but more like a shrieking noise as Zeke began to fall towards them, the spear in his hands wreathed in thunder.
Alex moved. And a bubble of gray air appeared between them and the falling man, the spear hitting the surface and almost stopping.
"Nice trick. How about you try mine for size? Slow DOWN!" Dark gray energy shot towards Zeke, attempting to constrain his limbs and his movements, slowing down the time that he was experiencing.
The lightning seemed to twist and arc, pushing Zeke further through the time bubble. It was enough time for Sol to come around to push him back further. Standing in front of Zeke's descent, he clapped his hands together and released a thunderclap, which sent Zeke and the time bubble flying backward.
Alex blinked for a moment. "I didn't even know that those bubbles could be moved." However, while he was speaking, he changed his sword for his staff before twirling and summoning a Choir before moving forward, the various feathers of the staff vibrating.
"Try to throw him towards me!" His shout was directed at Sol while he kept his eyes on Zeke, who was getting back up while wreathed in lightning.
Sol nodded before attempting to maneuver around the ruins before reaching a position to perform another thunderclap. Only this time, it seemed Zeke had another trick up his sleeve. The lightning around Zeke churned within the bubble before he came bursting, aiming his next attack right at Sol.
Sol barely managed to raise his fist fast enough to block the spear. He held back a scream as the spear glanced off one of his gauntlets and through the gaps in his armor at the left shoulder. Sol created a blinding light with a cry before being flung into a pillar.
The lightning around Zeke surged into a more uniform shape, creating a shield around himself. He could be seen rubbing at his eyes and keeping them hidden while muttering to himself.
Alexander dashed forward, the staff twirling between his hands, while the Choir was shooting its projectiles toward the lightning-wreathed man.
"Are you stealing Ivan's trick?!" Alexander's voice echoed in the air, attracting Zeke's attention before he unleashed the spear of sound, narrow and sharp enough that it was going to penetrate the shield and hit the man unless the shield itself had more tricks.
The lightning around Zeke's feet vanished, allowing him to fall to the ground below. When the sound of a spear pierced the shield, there was a massive flash of lightning.
"No, Ivan stole it from me. He was always like that." Zeke said mildly before speeding towards Alex.
"Really? Well then. I stole something from your companions too. Want to see?" Alexander was grinning wildly before Seraphim changed for the Greater Butcherbird, the hooked side already going towards Zeke's hand, the one that was holding the weapon.
The hand that took the blow was dragged down, and he leaned in, pitching his forward to roll with the blow better. He laughed as he jerked his hand and released himself from the weapon.
"Ah, ha ha! Butcherbird! I wondered where that had gone too. They really were quite the pair, weren't they?" Zeke laughed.
"Yes! And look, I even completed the set!" Alexander shouted, before pivoting and slashing with the heel of the boots, the sharp tip hitting Zeke's arm and dragging away the flesh under it a moment later, leaving behind a spreading black blotch that seemed to move under his skin.
"You like them? I think they are my color."
Zeke stared at the growing spot and gave a wan smile before lunging forward and sending thrusts toward Alex. "I knew I separated them for a reason! Laura would have killed too many too quickly if she had both. Too few for the end! And regarding stealing, Stinger." He finished with a cruel grin.
He flashed forward with a very familiar move.
Alexander evaded with a pirouette, twisting and shifting, letting the head of the spear pass a hair's breadth away from his torso before the time around them slowed down to a crawl. Alexander's smile was downright evil.
"Thanks for that. I quite like them." And he turned again before slamming the heel of his foot against his head in a reverse roundhouse kick.
The kick sent Zeke's head directly into Sol's rising fist, which sent Zeke skyward. Falling to the ground, Sol clutched his bleeding shoulder.
"I owed you that one, asshole." Sol bit out while at his left shoulder as golden energy seemed to fade away from his right hand.
Zeke righted himself before rubbing his chin. His eyes were briefly wild before they returned to their mild state.
"That… What was that?" He asked, in a far too interested tone.
"A parting gift. There's more where that comes from," Sol responded.
"Come on. Hey, remember Alan? The tamer guy? He said something about an armor. Show me what he was going on about before he bit the dust, yeah? Or die; either way, it's the same for me." Alexander taunted, keeping his voice level, while the fans in his hands snapped open and sent several blades of air straight at Zeke.
"Armor? Ha…. hahaha!!!!" Zeke laughed before rocketing down towards them. All the while, his features began to change and warp. The resulting crash sent the two hybrids flying in either direction and where Zeke had landed, something else had taken his place within the torrent of demonic energy.
Zeke stood taller now, his clothes merging into hardened flesh and scales that appeared like a warped and twisted parody of the human. They covered everything save his head which was similarly altered. His long hair seemed to have straightened, looking almost like curtains of black midnight that reached past his shoulders. Yet it was his face that was the most altered. His eyes and mouth were such that whatever parts of his eyes could be seen looked more like the eyes of a large cat, cruel and sharp. His mouth was filled with rows of fangs that glinted in the lightning. And then he spoke.
"Allan… yes… the runt of the litter, so quick to kill, so quick rage. He was the beginning, the impetus that brought us together… that brought ME together. In the end, though, he was just baggage." With that said, Zeke slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, creating a massive storm around himself… that began to expand outwards towards the two other hybrids.
"Wow, that Devil Trigger really didn't do you any favor: you're ugly as sin." While his words were rather flippant, his tone was all but: he was well aware that anyone possessing a Devil Trigger was a VERY dangerous opponent. And this one seemed to specialize in large-scale attacks.
"But still, I expected something more, to be honest." More air blades were sent while Alex took a few leaps backward, getting more space to act.
Zeke gripped his spear in both hands and swung it like a banner, causing the lightning to arc around it like a giant fan before sending it toward the two.
"Ugliness? What is one's appearance before the draw of power?" Zeke questioned as the wave of thunder raced towards the two hybrids.
Alexander moved until he was in front of Sol, and before his weapons changed into Calcabrina once more, the shield appeared around them in a bubble, keeping them safe from the onslaught of lightning that Zeke was trying to drown them with.
"Why have only one or the other?"
Sol smiled before drawing Nymphaeum and aiming over Calcabrina's Shield.
"Sunset." Sol said as a burst of light shot from Nymphaeum before splitting in the air and descending upon Zeke. The rounds struck Zeke, knocking him off balance and canceling the torrent of lightning.
"So, that's how that works," Sol said while looking at Nymphaeum.
"Nice. Let's see if I…." A pinprick of light appeared at the tip of Calcabrina, before the entire canopy of the umbrella started shining, energy collecting on it. And still going.
"Can you keep him unbalanced for a few moments? I need to charge this." Alexander's voice wasn't strained, but the shield had disappeared, and Zeke had recovered from his momentary off-balance position and was moving towards them.
"Sure thing! Keep your eyes shut when I call out!" Sol said before firing another Sunset at Zeke. The rounds came down again, but this time Zeke, in an emulation of Alex, began to spin the spear in front of himself, creating a shield that destroyed the rounds. However, that wasn't all that Sol was doing.
Raising his hands to either side of his face, he called out, "SUN FLARE!" And there was a blinding light.
The moment Zeke moved to shield himself from the light - and the attack that came with it - Alexander stepped to the side, a single motion, the umbrella aimed straight at the demon-possessed man. Then, he unleashed all the energy that he had accumulated into a direct hit straight to the side of his ribs, a look of concentration on his face.
Blinded by the light, Zeke didn't realize what was coming and took the charged shot to the ribs. His mouth gaped into a wide silent scream as the attack sent him flying across the temple. He was still for a moment before twitching and smoothly rolling onto his stomach before trying to rise, hand clutching at his side. Something was shifting under the hand, something twisted.
Alexander didn't say anything. He just prepared himself to see what was going to happen: he knew - as Sol probably did - that this couldn't be the end.
"Ha… Ha… This pain, I haven't felt this in a loooOoOOOng tIIIIme." Zeke said as he turned to face the duo. Moving his hand away from his side, something could be seen slipping back into his hardened skin. His smile seemed to widen even more as his voice warped.
"Come oNNNNNnnn, give me more of this. Let me learn from this, let me becccOOOme StronGeR!" Zeke called out, twirling the spear before pointing it forward and letting loose a Stinger.
"You're pitiful." The hybrid's voice was low enough to almost not be heard, but it was heard all the same. And, with a step, Alexander vanished from his place, only to reappear on the other side of Zeke, leaving the man to face Sol with his gun already aimed at him.
"And, more importantly, you're dead."
"You're in my range…" Sol began as he threw the gun up, and Zeke's eyes unconsciously followed it. At that moment, Sol punched forward, aiming at Zeke's heart. "Dance of the Holy!" Sol roared as he began to rapidly punch Zeke's torso. Each strike lifted Zeke that much more into the air. And when his punches seemed to slow, Sol activated his Devil Trigger, ramping up his speed and strength until he eventually roared "Outer Heaven!"
Forming behind Sol, Semyaza's phantom began to join in, its fists joining with Sol's. Zeke's chest began to cave in under the rain of blows until, eventually, he stepped forward and let loose one final blow. His fist pierced the hardened flesh before he felt something within and tore it. He felt a sense of dark glee from Semyaza as he looked to see it was Zeke's heart.
Zeke dropped to his knees before his body seemed to jerk to a standing position. His eyes were wide as he unconsciously stumbled backward. He attempted, with what seemingly little strength to move another step forward, raising his spear high, before falling forward in an unmoving heap.
There was a stillness that seemed to persist for longer than it should before a strange huffing noise began to emanate from Zeke's body. He was laughing.
"Yep, it's pretty funny, isn't it?" Alexander's voice came from behind the man before the blade of Calcabrina pierced his back, going through the armor and body like a hot knife through butter, hitting the heart a moment later.
"Your strongest puppet, defeated by a couple of humans. Well, don't worry… We're coming for you now."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Zeke's body continued to laugh as his back began to violently bulge. His body arched as his back split open, and a dark blue mass tore itself free.
"AHHHH," It began with a chuckle. "Born through deception in life."
Two more voices, eerily similar but different, began to call out.
"Born through a raging struggle."
"Born through the weight of sorrow."
As a shape began to descend. It was definitely a demon, but the body was horrendously distended, and some things were trying to push themselves free of their fleshy prison. There was a sound of tearing flesh as two large masses tore themselves free, one colored red and the other gray.
The dark blue mass that was once within Zeke floated towards the other. They silently orbited each other before voices called out once again.
"Blood from None!"
"Blood from One!"
"Blood from Some!"
Together, the three masses cried as one. "BLOOD FROM ALL!!!
From all corners of the distorted realms it had created, those who bore its tainted power began to seize up and convulse. A dark purple orb shot forth from their bodies, carrying masses of red orbs. Together, they flew towards the three who would be one, surrounding them and binding them in a ring of blood until the energies stored within manifested. Thunder, Ice, and Fire came forth and pulled the red orbs deeper within themselves until there was only a single mass. A large yellowish orb slowly shifted and changed to reveal three fused faces. The eyes blinked briefly before looking down at the two hybrids.
"THE INTERLOPERS. YOU MUST PAY FOR YOUR INTERFERENCE."
Sol clenched his fists in fury. "We Must pay!? To hell with you!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So, This chapter took far too long to fully post. There were personal issues that cropped up (Little things that took up too much), and my laptop decided to have the mother of all fits. It thought that I didn't need to connect to the internet for any period for more than five seconds. That has been fixed now (Hopefully), and I plan to post the last remaining chapters over the next two days.
Enjoy everyone!
