"You seek to rid yourself of your weakness, you underwent an attempt to kill yourself and now that you've spoken to me, you wish to do something more with your life. You want to atone, that's what it is, isn't it? If there is one thing that I know more than anyone, it is the truth that there exists only one truth in this world, and it is unavoidable. No matter how much you head down the road believing that being alone is the best thing for you, you'll only end up deeper in the abyss of darkness created by your anger and hatred for yourself and your past," The vocals of the Hawk King began to reverberate further out from just his ears, filling the entire space and drenching the area in his crispy smooth yet raspy cords. If you were a bird soaring overhead and watching as these two rulers began to stare down at one another each with differing intentions than the other, you'd see the Requiem Emperor on the right with the Hawk King on the left.
It had been a few hours ever since they'd went behind the Castle of the Hawk.
With each passing second inching closer and closer toward the end of the night and the brightness of dawn, the tension began to increase in temperature for the coming match would be a continuous number of blows exchanged. Griffith's stance was calm, both of his hands behind his back like the suave and gentle charismatic man he was, the Hawk King's skinned covers protecting his eyeballs. His breathing controlled by his lungs, it was though it were simply on automatic and he didn't have to worry about anything like it becoming irregular.
Meanwhile, contrast to this, The Emperor's position couldn't be more battle ready, right arm slanted right toward the enemy with a murderous gleam reflecting in his eyes. Nevertheless, despite this intent to kill simply visible from the veins sliding up his arm to them in his neck and to even the way his aura began to chaotically spread out from the man's chest unraveling like a scarf from the very astral fabric of his heart.
The next second, it was like no time had passed at all, and the duo of rival rulers began to clash together in the middle. Splashes belonging to the ocean they stood on going everywhere into the air, the water particles and some droplets began to get onto their faces. And despite that, their vision hadn't been prohibited, considering the duo of rivals were both right head at one another staring with that same look in their eyes. That same glare that you'd give someone that dared to wrong you, for what they did was so truly unforgivable that they didn't even deserve forgiveness. When you're ready to throw away your humanity just for the sake of justice, revenge or freedom, there was only one word in which this phenomenon could be described as,
'Dark Determination!'
The sparks began to fly out as the metallic weaponry started to push against themselves with intense pressure, Ben's gifted katana meeting the steel from Griffith's hawk-like talons. The latter of the two having raised his arms to protect from the overhead slash of the sword that Ben had intended to go for, sparks flying everywhere from the collision of weapons.
The Elder Emperor beginning to grit his teeth as the unnatural scraping of materials pressuring up against each other began to infest its way into his ears, the King remained, unwavering, he focused right on the battle and immediately had an idea. The calmness of the King clashing against the ferocity of the Emperor, both of them heading right for the kill despite their difference in facial features. Because make no mistake, there was but only one thing on their minds, and without a shadow of a doubt, that was to annihilate the other. The eyes of Rivera started to drastically increase in their amount of heat, and if the Hawk wasn't fast enough, he'd be sliced right down the middle without hesitation.
Helmet peeling over his head utilizing the technology of the future, Hanniel simply let his arms fall so the katana would meet the top of his helmet. Luckily, Rivera had planned for this, and as soon as it planned to meet against the armor, it'd vanished without a trace. Arm descending as the way gravity intended, The Hawk knew that if he simply let this man touch him anywhere, it was over. If this truly was the Emperor of Time, this would be a difficult battle, no doubt about it.
Flipping backward once and then transitioning that into flip, Griffith grunted in irritation, knowing that the speed of the lasers that Ben released from his eyes eventually would be too fast for a normal human to dodge. And even with this armor, his arm would come off seeing as how that was where his enemy was aiming, so he had to be wary of what he did next. Brute force wouldn't work, he needed to be quick and throw lots of blows onto him so he'd lose his balance.
Yellow lightning began to spark of this shoulders and body, every part of hai features began to stretch forward as he zoomed so that only the energy he gave off from the speed began to exist in the air. Darting from left to right and left to right as the lasers always shot onto where he previously stood on the air, Ben's snowy pupils began to turn back to normal as Griffith had inched closer than ever before with his fist preparing to meet the face of his Emperor opponent. Without a trace, he vanished into nothingness as if he'd never even even there in the first place, the Sir King halting right in place.
Feet skidding across the ocean so that waves and pieces of the start would generate behind him leaving droplets in the air gradually beginning to fall, Griffith began to turn his head to prepare for another attack. Yet, the shadow of the Requiem Emperor had towered over him, leading for his eyes to widen; he simply slashed sideways at his nape breaking the helmet to pieces that began to descend into the depths of the sea.
The Hawk grunting as he summoned a spear to manifest in both of his hands, the Emperor swiftly ducked knowing the sharp tip would be aiming for his face. Stopping time once again, he jumped into the air and smashed right down onto the wooden grip so the weapon Griffith used would break in half. Then landing back onto the water with a gentle ripple effect beginning then abruptly stopping, his fingers gripped at the collar of the Sir King from the back. Time resuming as normal, Hanniel widened his eyes for just a moment, searching for something to escape the grip of his rival before he was thrown right into the air behind himself.
While falling through the air and flailing about randomly in the middle of the sky, he began to stop his movements as the air began to vibrate. Each circle on his fingers beginning to illuminate the same sky blue, the rainy clouds began to gather overhead, Ben on the water staring right ahead at the Sir Hawk King. Just then, as the thunder began to rumble the very earth, King Griffith clapped his hands together the same way so a distinct ring would sound out as he did,
"Zeus's Thunderous Will: Incarnated!"
Lightning began to reign down from the gloomy heavens, creating a supposed crater in the space of sea right beside Ben. Raising his arm, as the water began to ascend until the air, the crackles of electricity were seen ripping through the fluid leading for him to groan in irritation. Jumping over the space that blanketed the sea, more of the strikes of energy began to spread open the heavens each intended for the Emperor of Time. Pushing out his feet, the air sent him further closer to the clouds, like a soaring Angel that ruled over Heaven, he pierced right through the cloud so he could be surrounded by an abundance of them. All grey in shade yet all roaring with the familiarity. Booming audio as it sparked all around him, Ben's eyes began to dart rapidly searching for the mastermind of this scene so he could end this elemental attack on his person.
The strikes began basic to dodge and weave out of at their natural pace seeing as how Griffith neither Ben had an intention to slaughter the other. The Emperor's tanned-skinned eyelids began to shut over his white eyes as he searched through every probability and variable for where his enemy could be hiding, moving like a rag doll as each new strike just began to graze the space beside him, Rivera's neurons began to fire like never before,
~There has to be something, with my limited enhanced sight, I don't think I can sense or see the King. Nevertheless, there's something weird going on here, there are more than a hundred lightning strikes going off every second, and I'm dodging them effortlessly without even touching them. There's something odd there, the only one faster than light is Jason and Madi, I'm not even teleporting or opening any portals to match the speed of the plasma. Furthermore, whenever one of the lightning bolts grazes near me, I don't feel the air begin to vibrate or electrocute giving me a tingle on my spine or even goosebumps, maybe. These aren't...~
Widening his eyes in realization, he clapped his hands together, the same as Griffith did only moments prior to him. Eyelids shutting once more before they spread open dramatically, each of the clouds began to generate new lines aimed right toward him. Yet time began to slow and gradually grind to an eventual halt, the Emperor of Time declaring gently before it wound up to begin even louder as he spoke at a higher volume,
"Priestess's True Lightning. Soul Aid,"
Griffith's eyes began to broaden wider and wider at the sight he was witnessing before his very eyes, each bolt of lightning beginning to culminate as the tips seemingly shocked Ben's body at all sides before the Hawk King prepared for a final strike to the pinnacle top of his head. The Emperor gritting his teeth, an explosion was detonated by soul and physical connection as the final attacks collided in an epic ball of fire and electricity at the same time. Both rivals thrown out, Griffith couldn't even let out a scream, tumbling onto the land in front of the never ending sea- using his palms to push him up- Ben's attack kept him locked onto the ground.
Meanwhile, the Requiem Emperor had been launched the opposite direction, flying further and further down the eventual horizon that seemed to have no ending- he turned his head to be met with the shadow of his other self, the Superior's lips donned with that sinister grin that seemed to care for nothing but chaos and murder, Ben's eyes widened in surprise before he stopped himself in mid air.
BOOM! Echoed the sound barrier as it suddenly shattered to pieces... the idle body of a broken man lightened by the lunar body cast his darkened body onto the World he towered over. Jacket moving as it ripped through the wind as gusts of air sent chilled reverberations into it, the summer night began to be overtaken as the sun began to rise from behind the flat horizon. The Emperor of Time began to let his feet rustle against the blades of green beneath him, a gust of wind projecting outward as his footwear began to touch against the ground.
Blink! Eyelids shutting then sliding back into his tanned skin, the solar energy of the sun shining onto the left of his skull. The heat natural as the brightness of the summer began to illuminate the heavens once more with its signature fiery temperature, leaking in to replace the gloomy atmosphere, the thunder clouds began to subside. The new day upon them both, Griffith felt the paralyzing experience fade away, standing upright as he messed with the metallic gloves his talons had been embedded into. The satisfying sound of armor being rustled echoing into the duo's ears, he rubbed his wrist after adjusting the gear onto his hand,
"That was a good energy fight, I must say, I didn't think you'd deduce that I were the lightning bolts. I also didn't expect for you to come up with such an amazingly powerful counter so quickly, you truly are magnificent, Emperor Rivera," Complimented the Hawk King, feeling the armor tighten against his limb, he stretched out his arm witnessing the rest of it peel over his undergarments like the nanotechnology Ben had used for his Android servant.
Impressed by the sight, he shook his head for a second, aiming his head lower so he could show a gentle smile over his lips chuckling for a moment,
"Ah, it was nothing, really, I have been doing this for a while now. Despite that, though, you were a truly formidable opponent. And, now, seeing as how none of us were rendered unconscious or gave up, we should finish the spat. But this time-" Unsheathing the sword that his brother had given him for this mission, Ben began to spin it around before implanting it forward into the green. Dirty scattering around, both of his hands stood casually atop the grip. The Warrior Emperor glared with determination, finalizing his statement with a raspy and informative, "We shall show our skills with the blade."
Unable to sleep what with August and Kristina flirting loudly in the living room, the protege of the Reaper, the Judge, decided to go out for a stroll to see how this all worked. Stomach rumbling to show the sense of hunger he was feeling, he couldn't help but groan, spotting a vendor wrapping sandwiches in aluminum foil. Smiling, he decided to tie his hair up into a bun so he didn't look like some hobo with his messy strands. Reaching the front of the merchant still with the tie between rows of teeth, Al used his hands to bunch his girls Imma collective amount,
"Uhhh... fcan I get-" Rolling his eyes after spotting the ingredients and noticing the merchant visibly trying to decipher what he was saying through his muffled speech, Alex did his hair quickly with time slowed around for him and him acting quickly for everyone else around him. Exhaling as he stretched his arms into the air after straining them from the speed he'd moved at, joints cracking at once, he he listed off the ingredients and the bread he'd liked for the sustenance he'd been craving.
Watching as the merchant began to wrap it in aluminum and throw it into a plastic bag, Alex decided to take out some coins he'd been given from the Phoenix as payment. Shaking his head, the merchant bowed his head in respect, Al brightly grinding at the notion shown to him. He decided to pay it back with the same bow before shoving his coins into his pocket going about his day to find some place nice to eat, turning his back to the man for some teenagers to walk right past him toward the vendor. Paying them no mind, the young adult believed them to be going there for the same reason he did, which was to just buy a sandwich early in the morning.
For all he knew, they'd been studying late for exams- something like that. However, just then, the most disturbing noises he'd never want to hear exit a young man's mouth began to echo out further and fill the air around him. Stopping his tracks, turning his head for just a second tilting it so his left eye would only barely be visible, he listened in,
"Give us all the fucking money you have with you right now and nobody gets hurt... I just want the money, that's it,"
"Oi.."
All three of them turning so they could face the image glaring right at them, the middle of the Judge's eyes held that same murderous intent he held for his enemies. The air started to vibrate, concrete lifting to obey the chaotic will of the Requiem Judge as the aura began to unravel out from the center of his frame. Piecing together around his anatomy, it was almost as though a monster had been incarnated into the form of the young man, the Truth's blazing stare singed at the spirits of these insolent children to his front. The one to the front saw this as a challenge, despite it being silent, he charged right ahead branding a simple dagger.
Engravings carved into the side of the metal glowing at the familiarity of mana being infused into this weapon, he pointed it right at the chest of the man in front of him. Easily charging it up so he could utilize it with the intention of making it an insulator, a crazed stream with the superheated energy taking the form of something blazing like fire began to unleash out the tip... but it was simple. Leaping forward, his fingers clasped onto the face of the child taking hold of his face before slamming the back of his head forcefully down onto the sidewalk. Snarling as if he were a rabid animal searching for their prey, Alex watched as the other two of the teen's friends began to kneel in respect.
Shaking his head so the rabid blood-lusting psychotic state he was currently engulfed by would fade, the darkness of the aura began to evaporate. Exhaling with a disappointed sight visible in his eyes, Alex did what he did best, taking out the tie in his hair so his strands would begin to cover his features. White orbs peering out from the shadows cast by the light brown locks stretching out from his head, The Judge questioned these boys,
"What's up with you idiots? Why try to rob this perfectly nice old man here, he's just handin' our sandwiches,"
Just then, the young man on the right began to lift his head, Al's bones turning so he could see eye to eye with the boy leaning against his knee. Arm draped over it, he listened intently as the teen explained it all, taking off some of the black clothing because of the blazing heat from the sun,
"Our parents were sent to the dungeon in the Capital, it's 200 per person, and we don't have the cash on us... we didn't plan to hurt him,"
There was no doubt, after simply patting on his head so he could feel the beating of his heart, he was telling the truth. Yet, it seemed odd to him for some reason, sending them all on their way and paying for the hospital visit for the kid who had his face smashed onto the ground... he began to ponder. When they were hides into the Castle, he didn't remember the Phoenix or the Hawk King ever telling any of them about a dungeon. Nevertheless, from the way his vocals were shaky and the sweat ran down his face to the way his eyes were shaking about to cry, Amara deduced that young man wasn't lying. Meaning that something was amiss here, despite the promises and mouth-fed truths that everything was perfect.
Ideally, he'd have Rose support him, she was his partner in crime and all that stuff- but it seemed he'd have to do things on his own. After accepting that he had to shut his mouth and at least TRY to act stealthy so he could gain some inside information, he was tapped on the shoulder, some of the lightning generated shocking the rubber of the Detective's glove. Flailing his hand before the pain began to extinguish with a twirly stream of smoke emitting out from it, Alex met the eyes of the Fool Detective Prince himself, Azazel Karlo.
Widening his eyes in surprise, the 20-something jumped back in surprise from his future brother-in-law, accompanied by that same murderous glare that he always looked at August with. This time, though, unlike all the others before, he was unsure if this face was filled with truth or played up for an intimidation factor. Parting his pink lips so he could say something, black and red Takyr began to spark out from the flat palm of Karlo- and just like that... Slap!
Holding his cheek from the sting he was just given, Alex couldn't help but chuckle, rubbing his skin before completely facing Azazel to the front. The Detective scoffed, unable to hold this cold exterior for long, he simply turned his head away before embracing the young man parting his head... and though this was extremely odd to him, Al didn't complain one bit, embracing the man back and smiling. As he pulled himself back, Azazel looked up to gaze at the huge sight of that tower scraping the clouds with the tip of the structure. What a story it told, just by standing there with a simple Hawk passing by, Karlo couldn't help but grimace. Biting down on his tongue, he turned to Alex patting him on the back so he could follow him,
"So, I managed to see what happened when I got here, there's a dungeon?" Inquired Azazel with his hands in his jeans, looking around, children running by, it seemed rather peaceful on the surface. And yet that was the very thing that kept him from smiling in the first place,
"It's called an investigation for a reason, you old shithead. Everything always seems to be too good to be true, so I need your help, we need to infiltrate the lower ranks of the Castle," Alex demanded, and Karlo couldn't help but let out an impressed snigger at the statement the younger of the two had left out.
If he were still a teenager, he'd likely get angry and yet some stupid insult at the kid, but, for some reason, all he did was chuckle and nod. Both of them moved forward that day, to find out the truth behind this false paradise and what laid below in the artificial utopia that this location seemed to display.
The curtain of paradise would start to fall as the peering eyes of the curious Investigators began to sneak a peek into the depths of the Royal Capital... where despair was surely dwelling; they moved forward to find out the truth behind this diabolical mystery plaguing their very beings.