*BOOM*
The loud sound came from Mane's end of the battlefield. The possessed sword master was lying in a ditch. He had several burns on his body, yet they healed at incredible speed. The man slowly stood up as Mane witnessed for the nth time the wounds that he had made heal up. The fist sized hole Mane had just struck into the man's chest quickly sealed up, and the possessed man dashed towards Mane once again. The young boy dodged the clumsy attack and retaliated with his own.
*Bam* *crunch*
The now sluggish leader was sent flying back as Mane's fist connected with his jaw. There was a crunching sound as his jaw was blown cleanly off his head. Mane watched him fly away silently. His fury was unending.
"To kill one who is possessed you need to destroy his/her connection to his/her master. Unless you do that he will keep coming at you" the 6th reminded Man of what was to be done. It was Mane's masters who informed him that the sword wielder's strange transformation was as a result of 'possession'. It took them only a few seconds to explain what it was. And that led to the birth of Mane's fury.
"He knows" the 2nd observed. "He wants something else" she continued.
"You want a way to undo it, don't you?" the 3rd asked. But she already knew the answer to her question.
Mane nodded his head in reply as he blocked a kick from the possessed man and sent him flying backwards with another slap. Although the man was still fighting, he fought like an animal. All the skills he possessed when he was alive weren't being used. It was an effect of possession. Although the person who died would be able to fight again, their moves would be unrefined and crude. It was easy to handle them for a while, but no one had an endless amount of inner energy. Once one's connection to the edict was broken, they would be at the mercy of the possessed. That was why this technique was so dangerous – and why it was so rare.
"Few people have access to this technique. Only an extremely powerful god would have this sort of means." The 1st analysed. Possession was a powerful but dangerous technique. Few people had attempted to study it, and even fewer had survived its effects. It was a technique belonging to the darkness attribute. It didn't have a manual per se. So if one wanted to study it they would have to do so by analysing the works of others who had tried in the past. And because it didn't have a skill book it was dangerous to learn. The ones unfortunate enough to study it and survive either had their souls destroyed or lost their minds. The 1st knew of only a few gods who had managed to study this skill successfully. To be accurate, he knew of only two gods. One of them wouldn't bother to use this skill on 'mortals'. Also she didn't have a cruel heart. The other…
"You cannot undo the skill" the 1st informed Mane upon reaching the only logical conclusion available.
"Why not" Mane finally spoke out?
"Because the one who did this has power far beyond the current you" the 1st bitterly stated. If he was right then that monster had found his way to Zandor somehow. Even he in his prime couldn't state with confidence that he would be able to defeat that monster, much less a young Supreme like Mane.
"I do not fear the Dark God" Mane announced. His words took his masters by surprise. "How do you know that title" the 1st asked worriedly?
"You don't always have to keep things away from me. If you wouldn't tell me I would find out on my own." Mane stated. Since his meeting with Ananse he realized a few things. Indra and Ananse both knew about the Dark Kingdom. From their words the Dark Kingdom was well known among gods and ascenders. Yet Mane didn't know about the true power of this organization. He had been hunting them for years, but he had no idea that he was only cutting of the tail of a lizard; he wasn't doing any true damage. If Indra and Ananse knew this, then it was only logical that his masters who were gods and ascenders should be aware of it too. Yet they didn't say anything to him. They allowed him to live in ignorance and he didn't like that. He could tolerate them not telling him about what a Supreme was because his parents had asked that they shouldn't, but he didn't understand why information common to strong wielders was hidden from him.
"How much do you know" the 3rd sighed? She was always against the idea of keeping things away from the boy. But she and the 6th were the only ones of that opinion. The others were against the idea and felt that some burdens were too heavy for the boy. They regarded him a child. But the 3rd knew better. Mane might be a child but his brain wasn't so immature. It was better to let him know about some things so that he can prepare for them.
"The Dark Kingdom; The Dark God Seth; The Origin King" Mane gave his answer as he swatted the possessed wielder away from him like a man ridding himself of an annoying fly.
"I see" 3rd replied. "We talk when you are done. But 1st is right. You cannot undo possession. You can only end the man's misery" she added.
Mane gritted his teeth in anger. This was his planet! It was his home! He had killed many. Several scores of people had fallen to his power. But he had never been tasked with destroying the soul of another. Although that person was his enemy, he was still Zandorian! How could they expect it to be easy?
"I know it wouldn't be easy. And although I don't know what you're feeling right now, I think it would be best to end this quickly. We can research Possession after this is over" the 3rd comforted. Her words did help. Mane was still angry, but he realized that there was nothing else he could do. There was only one option in front of him now: kill the man and end his pain.
"When I meet the Dark God, I will end him painfully" Mane swore as his aura exploded once more. He got down on all fours and rushed to his opponent. He opened up his senses, fully exploiting his abilities as a beginner scholar.
*Bam*
*Bam*
*Bam*
*Bam*
*Bam*
Mane attacked in quick succession, and each blow took some flesh off. "Found it" he mumbled as he felt a strange object stuck in the head of the sword master. He deftly avoided the man's kick and struck his head.
"Absolute Darkness: Evasive Killing" Mane activated his glow. His hand passed through the 'dead' wielder's head like it was virtual and held on to the strange artefact that sustained the possession. Once he grabbed onto it he squeezed tightly and destroyed it.
"Brimstone" Mane activated another glow and burnt the body.
"Something's wrong" Mane observed as the ashes of the man he had just incinerated flew towards Abe's end of the battlefield.
"When a possessed is killed their abilities are passed on to all other possessed that remain. Which means-"
"Abe is fighting a possessed right now" Mane finished the 3rd's statement as he dashed towards Abe's direction. Unlike Mane Abe didn't have anyone to explain these things to him. Besides, the man he had just killed was a peak earth realm expert. If that power was passed on to another…
"I wouldn't just be a case of 9th stage earth wielder + 3rd stage earth wielder" the 3rd informed Mane. "What will be born will only be a step shy of the heaven realm" she continued.
Mane unsheathed his weapons as he increased his speed. From the distance he could see Abelard. As the ashes of the dead possessed were inhaled by the living one, he quickly activated his speed technique
"Star Flicker"
It was a good thing that his leases were still active. Otherwise even with star flicker he wouldn't have been able to get to Abe on time.
"We need to work together" Mane announced once he and Abe were at what he perceive to be a safe distance. Due to the turbulent nature of the power that the possessed was now unleashing they could only watch helplessly as it assimilated its new power.
Abe nodded in reply. He was no fool. He could sense that what was being born was more than he could handle.
"What is that thing" Abe asked. Mane seemed aware of what was happening. Mane furrowed his brows as the fluctuations the possessed was releasing gradually calmed down.
"A dark technique: Possession. It forces one's soul to fight on even after death. The soul is destroyed when the technique is broken"
Abelard's expression grew hardened hearing the explanation. He balled his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his skin. He finally understood why Mane was so mad. Since Mane was here I could only mean he had dealt with one. He had 'killed' that thing several times yet it wouldn't die.
"You have a way to deal with it" Abe asked?
"Yes" Mane replied.
"Good. When I find the imbecile who did this I would tear him to shreds" Abelard announced.
"I am of the same opinion. But that imbecile is a god. We need to grow vastly stronger" Mane coolly stated.
"Then grow we shall."