Each new blow that connected their knuckles sent another shockwave, larger radiuses, and gusts of wind sending their hair strands back. That wound in his chest seeming to drip that blood without end, even infusing the cut with life energy worked to no avail. Their feet swiftly bouncing, leaping, and sliding them as they snapped around in the air and the desert floor. The Reaper scoffing, arms raising so the sharpness of their claws could continually snap to pieces as they hit against his wrists. Azrael's crazed expression still over his shadowed face, August was purely on the defensive for this fight. Without any opening left for him, he used his enhanced swiftness to bounce and throw himself from the ground once his feet touched it. His strikes and slashes were as quick as the Requiem's very own feet, with no end to it, no sweat leaking out of the pores on this creature's covered lips.
Even blood began to leak out of the back of his very wrists, August gasping at the sight as he clenched his teeth together- raising his knee for a split second as the Angel of Death changed their hands. Unfortunately, he only had a split second to react considering the speed they were going at, Rivera couldn't even stop time to rest, even that could leave him vulnerable to his opponent seeing as how he knew none of this guy's moves besides strength, fire, and super speed. He had no room to make risky, all he could do was throw every attack he could as a way to damage this... thing.
The second the knee had impacted the Wings of Darkness' knee, his head was thrown back, spit flying out from his parted mouth. Seeing this as his chance, and he needed to be careful as the plasma was rebuilding so Shattered Limit could protect him- he needed to go all out while waiting. Inhaling sharply, his chest began to descend, through the edges of his clenched teeth, steam started to leak out of the sides as if they were streams of frosty air. He was strong enough, he was a god. EVERYONE ELSE WAS BENEATH THE REQUIEM REAPER!
A simple punch to the face was all that was needed, angled toward the ground, August easily warped his body- skeletal interior with everything else around the heart rebuilding at lightspeed. Azrael was destined right to hit the ground and make a large crater, seeing as he was punched with an amplified punch infused with the signature Peace of Mind Requiem Technique. Rivera had other ideas, using his quickness to his advantage, he reappeared behind him- just as his back was about to hit him in the face. Two tendrils of both light and dark, plasma and the shadows from the blackness of night burst through his Angelic enemy's chest. As the tips emerged from the front of Azrael's center, they began to lock onto the outsides of him, then yanking him down to where Aug was previously standing. Screaming for a second, The Wings of Darkness grunted, his rear sinking into the hardened platform of the desert ground beneath him so a miniature crater would form, rocks cracking and bouncing into the air from the impact.
Before the Darkened Angel's frame could truly implant into the ground, it bounced with the strength of the pulling sensation it was yanked down with. Momentarily levitating in the air without a way to move, immobilized by the slowness of the world around him, the Requiem Reaper laid a thunderous punch to the right gut. Lightning booming through the air and clouds as his knuckles implanted right into the side of this rival of his, their body was launched to the left, if you were looking from above with a bird's eye view. But just before he could get any further away so August would have to teleport a larger distance than intended, another kick came right from the back, aiming him so he could fly into the air. Just as he emerged from below the clouds, he was caught by the throat and thrown right ahead- green lightning sparks generating off of every inch of his body. August had no idea what he'd do, what it'd do to the Earth, but he knew that it would end this creature- right then and there. Just as he readied this final attack, his lungs were about to break as he parted his lips- about to scream, the tips of his fingers sparking with that signature Requiem energy.
"I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME!!!!! NOT HERE, NOT EVER... WILL I LOSE THIS LIFE!!!! YOU PIECE OF SHIT, I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU RIGHT HERE- RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! PEACE OF MIND! PIERCING OF THE HEART: CELINE!!!"
The usual differentiated colors of his eyes had changed once again, the right green shifting to the deceased Celine's shade of crimson- the half-aura of emerald and red fading away. His heart lighting ablaze, the energy- the determination, that ball of fire in the center of his eyes... everything led up to right here. Right now. This piece of shit could injure him; the self-proclaimed strongest creature in the entire multiverse, he needed to end this. Here and now, with everything he had in his soul, in his body- NO MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER WHO ELSE WAS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE! HE NEEDED TO PROTECT HIS SISTERS... HIS 'BROTHERS'... HIS FATHER... HIS MOTHER!
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!-"
TAP! A simple slap to his nape had caused him to go limp, losing his footing in mid-air before he warped with a purple streak following his vessel. Holding his grandson in his arms, the Emperor reappeared beside the old man, Alex running out from the back of the rock he was hiding behind shouting out the duo of father and son,
"BEN! URAKU! LET ME HELP... I CAN DO THIS!!"
The Father spared a glance to his son, nonchalantly holding his hands and covering them in his pockets as he scratched at the side of his neck. Ben yawned, stretching out his left arm and pushing up only his thumb so Alex could join the fray with the roaring thunder of a bolt of lightning as it soared through the clouds. Posing with his foot out, Ben, bored out of his mind, pulled at the softness of the turtleneck he'd thrown over his chest and sleeves. Examining him through the glass of his spectacles, no records came upon anything... not in this universe anyway,
"He called for you, apparently? Friend of yours?"
That sarcastic inquiry that'd croaked out from the throat of the Emperor of Time couldn't be more on the mark, the Guardian holding no reaction or clever comeback drenched with wit. All he could do was gaze... stare into the eyes of the lost relative he'd lost, the forgotten Angel of Death and the Wings of Darkness. Rubbing his beard, Ben turned, Amara bouncing up so he could stand straight, then jumping up and down on the tips of his toes with his head turned to the right. The student and the master listening to none other than their originator, their father as he began to explain the origin behind this mysterious creature,
"This... is my brother; your uncle. He, too, was a Fallen Angel, like Lucifer, Rahab, and Icarus. Except, Satan took pity on him. He thought it wasn't right, for me to have someone I cared so dearly be lost at such an early time. He was reborn as the Angel of Death, and unfortunately, in my youth, I rejected him. I obeyed my Father's will as He found out that Azrael still lived, and slaughtered Him, right then and there. Satan still had hold of his soul and placed it into whoever's body this is. He's here for revenge because of what I did... back then,"
"Well, we both have a grudge to pick with you, then. But, there's one thing I must do. This bastard touched my son, he made him bleed. My SON... we're killing this piece of shit. No matter your feelings, Dad,"
Ben gave a response to the expository dialogue Uraku had spat out, kneeling as he lifted the body of his unconscious white-haired child. Cradling him close to his chest, he gritted his teeth and held in a scream of anger, Alex glancing down in worry for his superior. To which Rivera's lip shivered, with a sharp inhale, all he did was poke his chest so he could be sent back to his mother.
As he appeared in their bed, Cecilia cradled her boy in his chest, the hatred in her eyes fueling the determination in her heart.. she needed to do something. She was no Requiem, nevertheless- she was powerful, she knew it. Just to avenge the damage done to her boy- Lane-Rivera ran out of her shared bedroom as she searched for her youngest daughter.
All lined up and ready to attack the Wings of Darkness, bones snapping back into place, he snarled and hissed, tusks protruding out their bottom lip. Ripping off the mask over his lips so it could tear from the touch of his sharpened claws, their eyes of blackness pierced the eyes of the youngest there. The Requiem Student grunted at the sight of this monster, wings spreading out so they could burst out of his spine, stretching out entirely. Azrael glared at his brother, who'd lost him so long ago- everything seemed silent, all that entered the air were;
The nervous ragged breaths of Alexander, rage boiling in Ben's eyes as he glared with murderous intent at his long-lost uncle, and the signature apathetic uncaring aura oozing out from Uraku's very being. It was as if an imaginary tumbleweed glided over the screen... it didn't need to be stated, the trio vanished with various booms of thunder entering the dark clouds of the night. The fight had begun.
Pushing one foot out so he could stretch out his fist, Azrael's pupils quickly darted around with a puzzled expression carved out onto his facial features. None of them seemed to have their physical forms out right now, either that or they were moving... faster than the eye could register. Beings able to surpass the swiftness than even he usually went at. Requiems truly were such a delight to test and experiment with!
But speed never amounted to anything, coordinating everything you did with every other attack you used your quickness was a part of it. Leaning his head back, the incoming kick to the left of his head had been intercepted, Alex's ankle grabbed as he was yanked and thrown right across the desert. Jumping off from the ground just for a few inches, The Wings of Darkness tilted his head back for a split second then registering their streaks of lightning. Whatever footwear they'd worn over those feet had burnt away at the speed they were moving at, and Ben had aimed a knee right at his chin. Side-stepping out of the way, an incoming kick aimed for the peak of his very skull seemed to ping out, the limb smashing into the ground. Dust levitating and blinding his vision momentarily, Uraku stood in the crater, fuming with determination as Ben slid on his feet- rocks attaching to his skinned soles. Grunting at the stinging feeling of it under his foot, the Emperor of Time was seen leaping over his Father's head. The debris hiding the Guardian for but a moment, Ben rose both his arms, knuckles cracking as his fists prepared to reign down fury and hell upon the top of this Angel's skull.
Azrael generating negative energy off of him, those fists- if he wasn't careful, they'd splash him into nothing but a puddle of blood with pieces of bone scattered about. Especially considering they were infused with the Peace of Mind Requiem technique, his foot repelled him off the ground floor as his wings levitated him further into the air- winds guiding him. A vein about to pop in his temple, Ben snarled at the sight of this pathetic creature, he hadn't even landed a hit on neither him nor his father. And still, he was an irreverent rebellious pest. The Watcher began to step out of his crater, wiping dust off of his clothing with a disgusted sigh. Arms together, the Father of the Triplets and the Wings of Darkness- lost brothers through time, couldn't help but glare at one another. Another elevated in the air, flaps of their blackened extensions of feathers keeping him hovered. All Uraku could do was glare... with hatred. Not only for himself and this corrupt hide of someone he previously called his brother, but for the Man he once decided to call his Father. Whose rules and demands he'd follow to a tee, like a disgusting puppy on a leash; as if he were a slave. No longer was he bound by such a hideous fate, he knew that much. He needed to do more than just kill this impostor of a relative.
He needed to free him, just as Ben did with Ryder, eradiating The Outcast's split personality from the mind of the Moon. Though he'd been standing so very still, that didn't matter, the power of the Celestial building up in his soul before spreading over the remainders of his anatomy. The rocks and the sand beginning to lift from the overwhelming presence of such perfected power, the Guardian of Space... couldn't hold back. Not here, not now, not ever,
~Son, time your attacks with mine. Getting disorganized again would lead to us having more openings for him to counter. Follow my lead and move on my signal~
No point in objecting, while Ben had dealt with more of these universal threats from wherever, some including his uncle and aunt- he was still younger than this piece of shit he called his father. The Emperor began to bend his knees so he could crouch for a moment, heartbeat racing, breaths steady with his chest rising and lowering at a smooth rate. Clenching his teeth together, the steam began to leak out, hissing as if there'd been a gas leak in a kitchen. Skin squeezing so hard you could as the nails dug into the center of his palm, the Emperor let out a final exhale, the azure bits and bolts of lightning beginning to spark out from every part of his muscular taller frame. The Requiem energy building up in his fists and legs, Ben couldn't help but let out the most sadistic and psychotic of smirks.
In the corner of his eye, he could spot the signal, and as Azrael extended out the rest of his right arm, ready to fire off an attack- Uraku slightly moved his foot. The father and son vanished soon thereafter, with the Wings of Darkness gasping in surprise at the suddenness of their disappearances. Despite how fast they'd be moving as they used that technique, there'd be something he could sense, but this battlefield was drenched in that overwhelming energy of human-like determination. BANG!
He didn't even have time to react, the pain was extraordinary, he felt every bit of it in less than a second as whatever hit made an impact on his chest. Likely an energy-based light ball, Azrael didn't sit still for long, the more obviously confused and puzzled he acted on the outside with his movements and expressions- he was giving them the advantage. Blades began to form together out of the tops of his palms, as largened and widened spikes that'd slash anyone who came even the slightest inch close to multiple pieces of flesh, organs, blood, and skin. Limbs together, he turned his palms out so they'd face the further-away front of his body, eyes moving at the speed of light- the fastest he could muster attempting to locate the ever-moving Requiems of Time and Space.
Punch to the gut, hunch over, spit out blood. Ben tripping his enemy using that blow to the stomach as an intro into a combination of multiple moves. Losing his balance, Azrael's face hadn't even moved, having not even processed anything at the speed the Emperor was moving at. He seemed to disappear and reappear at will, booms of time echoing through the stars and void of space above the clouds as he continuously threw blow after blow. Time hadn't stopped, that'd only just pressure him further, all Azrael was doing was descending at a gradual- VERY gradual rate. A knee to the back, breaking the Angel's spine, then stomping down on his face so he'd fall through the pace of slowed time. Then a simple kick to the left gut, before raising his palm so he could slice right through his right wrist watching his hand fall- Ben used this to his advantage. Pushing out the fingers of the palm, infusing it with the enhanced Peace of Mind technique so he could slap Azrael miles away. Time resuming to its usual pace, Azrael's immediate trajectory was halted by a soaring knee- the Guardian puncturing his back before then using his other free leg, Uraku kicking the side of his head so his brother would go flying to the left once more. Wings attempting to burst out of his split spine, Ben caught the Angel by his throat, throwing him with an extreme force into the clouds.
Using his time in mid-air to balance himself, Azrael shook his head, vision blurry- he then rose his arms, the charging force of his older brother coming in to ram him right in the front. The clash between the distant relatives sent blood flying as Uraku looked at his family, twisted and corrupted by the man he once thought to be Humanity's Savior. But there was no argument, not anymore, he knew he was right and he would end this, right here. Without any more hesitation. All he had to do... was to do this... Azrael and Uraku exchanged blows, both at equal strength, Ben watched from the clouds above. The thunderous boom of Jason's lightning coming beside him as the Blanketed reality was unzipped by Madi's fingers, the Triplets staring right up at their father. Memories of the present sent right to them, they were frozen, seeing it all from his perspective.
Uraku went for a chop to the throat, his brother using his elbow to impact the wrist of the Hierophant so he'd begin to fall and tumble out of stability. But that just meant more for him, if they were going to fall... they'd fall together. As he was about to hit the ground, Uraku went for the grabbing of the ankle, warping the duo of brothers above the atmosphere with a simple thought. Having yanked him down... they fought, one by once, exchanging hits and going for another impact as the other was countered easily. A punch to the right cheek was hit out of the way, then a blow to the stomach, before a kick to the side of the head as Uraku angled himself higher for but a moment. Azrael began to tumble out of his grip... hazy vision hitting him again, about to fade- another punch was thrown to his face. Destroying parts of his skin so the skull would leak out as the dormant energy tore away at the flesh, the Guardian began to ready another fist...everything seemed to slow. This was their destiny.
Two brothers separated for millennia reunited by the strands of fate in this sick game of hatred between distant nations, the stars began to disappear. Both above the clouds, diving at a slower rate than usual, the Guardian began to leak tears out of every side of his eyes. The glow brightening and brightening with each new second, opening his mouth so his gritted teeth would show- electricity shocking his brother's face. Everything had led up to this moment, confronting his past, avenging his brother- the path to making things right. Ever since that fateful day when she had those triplets, ever since they'd been born into this world and he didn't spend every single waking second of his life with them, this started,
"I could never tell any of you this, it's disgusting, and none of you would take me seriously. I always wished I could go back, change things for the better so I could see your cute little faces when you all woke up for the first time. I was never there for you, for your mother, and not even my best friend... my brother. I won't hesitate any longer if the coming Advent is my end then I want you all to know. I always... cherished you,"
Not even a sonic boom could hear their ears after that, their hairs are blown away as Madi began to raise her arms, covering her face, Jason shaking his head as he uncovered his katana- and Ben was still. Paralyzed with shock as the dust began to swarm over their bodies and faces, all they would see was their father's fallen body. Him on his knees holding the burnt skull of his brother in one hand... as his other began to raise, a fist glowing and shining in the moonlight.
The darkness of the night began to fade, pieces of the light pouring over the horizon as Uraku's fist brought silence upon the land. Cecilia slid to a halt, Ryder kneeling to help his daughter behind his rival's wife while Azazel tended to Alex's damages. All of them were stunned, Ben began to collapse and fall to his knees as the tears began to fall. His brother too, and then his sister. What would have happened if he would've been able to stay... if he was there for them through their childhood, after their mother died? The brothers and sisters sobbed together before their eyes locked onto him, Uraku staring at them all as his pupil vibrated and shook. What more was there to say... they looked at him, he looked back.
Ben gently flicked his brother and sister's limbs off of his neck, the tightening grip as they held onto their baby sibling difficult to escape from... but he managed. They stood, gazing into their eyes as the sun continued to rise, nothing seemed right. What, would he hate his father for all of eternity? No, that's not what his mother would have wanted, she never would've wanted any of this. This wasn't an unfeeling God who cared about nothing but the mission- this was a man, tortured, used as a puppet. Over and over, forced to abandon his children, the woman he loved...
"You... saw? What I think... how I feel. I'd always-"
"I always knew... we always knew. What our father is... who he seems to be,"
The moment of silence dawned over this setting, as the heat began to accelerate, Ceci couldn't help but smile- Ben's fallen head as he looked to the ground ascending back upright so the father and the son could make eye contact. Madi and Jason stood behind him- eyes widening, pupils shrinking, the next words that came out of his son's mouth. Nothing of what he'd expected,
"Is our dad..."
It was enough to make such an unfeeling monster like him begin to weep like a baby, his arms bringing them all together as the Father held his children in his arms. All smiling and crying at once, Ceci smiled at the sight, Ryder shaking his head with a proud smile as Matt throwing Rose's left arm over his neck- couldn't help but click his tongue as he said gently,
"Crybabies..."
Their mother was gone. Fate was ordained, everything went as to how it should. But they disconnected from the man that was supposed to be their father, leaving them without a parent for almost fifty years. He could never replace her, all four of them knew that especially him.. the only thing he could do was make up for it. Be a good man, hope to be an amazing father for the time he had left- for lost time,
"I love you... I love you all. So so much,"
The boys had no strength to speak, all she could muster for them was a broken creaking,
"We love you more...."
To Be Continued in the Conclusion to the Angel of Death Arc.