Darius stood across from Akuro, green aura enveloping his body. Akuro had his eyes locked on Darius, studying his every move, waiting for a slip up. The one who made the first move would be the one to be struck down. Darius knew this, but even so he materialized his bow, drawing back the string as a silver arrow appeared, tints of green mixed into it.
Akuro flung a wave of aura at Darius with his scythe, but he dived to the side as he loosed the arrow. He thought, with certainty, that he'd hit his mark, but he was mistaken, as Akuro blipped out of sight and reappeared above him, scythe raised. Darius dug his heel into ground and kicked himself to the side, rolling out of harms way as the black blade struck the ground.
'He's fast!' Darius thought as he got back to his feet while keeping his forward motion, going into a full sprint as he fired off arrows in Akuro's direction, but none of them hit their mark. 'Damn!' He cursed as he narrowly dodged black talons stretching out towards him. As he continued to run he grabbed a sword off the ground and spun, skidding to a stop as Akuro crashed into him, the blades of their weapons colliding with one another. Darius punched Akuro in the face then with all of his strength, but only resulted in making his head turn.
Akuro slowly turned his head back to face Darius, who's fist was still against his cheek.
"Oh boy." Darius said before Akuro returned the favor, his fist crashing into Darius's face with much more force, sending him spiraling across the ground.
"Blessing of the second tail, speed!" Inari's voice came as she dashed into Akuro's path, her short sword embedding itself into Akuro's chest, though he didn't even flinch, instead he backhanded her, nocking her to the ground. Akuro pulled the sword from his chest, then raised it over his head as he stood over Inari… and then he stopped, a memory replaying through his head.
"Hope…?" Akuro mumbled.
"What… no, Akuro, it's me, Inari!"
Akuro's lips formed as if he was about to say something, but at that moment Sedori flashed into sight behind Akuro, his elbow crashing into his back with a resounding *SNAP* as the ground shattered at their feet. Akuro was unfazed even as his back was shattered. He bent back, a black cloud of aura enveloping Sedori before flipping him over Akuro's body and into the ground head first with much force that it made an indent in the earth, crushing Sedori's head completely as it was buried into the earth. Akuro then kicked Sedori in his collar bone, sending his body flying as his head was torn from his torso, blood spouting through the air.
Akuro's aura began to waver then, becoming static as he held both hands out at either side of him, aura gathering into both of his palms creating two condensed orbs of dark pressure.
Darius's eyes went wide. "Oh shit…" he dashed to inari, grabbing her into his arms as he ran as fast as he could towards the exit of the room, hiding behind a wall. "Stay down!"
Sedori's body stood, his head reforming and his wounds healing over. He than burst towards Akuro, a blade of aura appearing in his hands that he plunged into Akuro's chest, but it had no affect. And then he realized as his Aura Cloak faded that his aura had been absorbed into the orbs of shadow in Akuro's hands, and then an immense force pulled towards both of them, keeping Sedori from being able to get away. And then Akuro clapped both hands against the sides of Sedori's head, the orbs bursting into each other and exploding outward. The temple shook violently as everything in range was obliterated into nothing, Sedori's body being sent into oblivion, nothing left of it as the dark wave of pressure burst outwards, destroying the entire room.
Darius began to run down the hall, Inari following him just as the wave of darkness reached where they had been.
Darius and Inari came to a stop as the shadows faded, thought the entire temple was still trembling.
Inari's eyes were wide as she looked over the edge into the massive pit that had been created by Akuro's attack. At the center of the pit stood the figure of Akuro, his Aura Cloak completely faded now. His eyes were distant and seemed to look into something nobody else could see, until he fell backwards unconscious.
"Akuro!" Inari cried, jumping down the cliff and running to his side, Darius following beside her.
Inari knelt at his side, her head against his chest. "He's alive, his heart is beating."
Darius furrowed his brow and tilted his head in a confused expression. "Why are you checking for a heartbeat? You know he's immortal, right?"
"Oh, yeah. What is his power anyway?"
"He didn't tell you? He's literally the Omnipotent Death."
Inari's eyes widened, "Why didn't I think of that? Either way, why did he go psycho like that?"
"I don't know, I just hope he'll be normal when he wakes up, because to be honest…" Darius looked around the massive crater spanning the size of two football fields. "He's way too strong for us to deal with. Also where the hell did samurai guy go?"
"I'm here." Came a voice. Inari and Darius looked up at the lip of the crater. Sedori sat at the edge of the cliff, looking down at them.
Darius readied his bow.
"Relax. I have no will to fight any longer, I believe you all proved yourselves to be plenty strong. Plus," he waved his hands in a shrug, "all of my weapons were obliterated in that blow. I have nothing left to fight with. Not only that but I've already lost."
"What?" Darius responded, confused.
Sedori lifted his wispy see through hands, his body still materializing and recovering from the previous attack. He undid his clothing and showed his chest. Strange black markings were sprawled across his body and he turned to show his back, where the markings were even more prominent.
"I was not aware that scythe was the God Slayer. Anyone cut by it will have their aura sealed inside them, never able to use it again." Sedori spoke.
"Then how are you materializing?" Darius asked.
"There's a difference between actively using ones aura and the aura acting on its own. Being immortal means that no wound to your body will destroy or kill you, you can only die if your soul is shattered. Which," he raised his hand, a dagger held in it. "I have no need for my life any longer. To be honest, I'm pretty bored of living. That was fun though. Before I go, heed my words; don't trust the gods. No matter what."
"Wait, don't! Shattering your soul-" Inari began, but Sedori cut her off.
"I know, but there's no other way for my life to end, and if I can't even use my aura, then there's no point in me living. This is my decision." Sedori cut his palm with the jagged blade, then tossed it to Darius, who caught it, careful not to let the blade cut him.
"I wish you luck." Sedori spoke as his body faded into thin wisps of aura.
•
•
•
Akuro was trapped inside of his own head, reliving painful memories of suffering and blood. He was never able to protect anyone he cared for. He always lost everything he loved, and so he stopped making bonds altogether, he'd stopped caring. He was eternally alone. The image of Hope in a pool of her own blood flashed through his head. He felt rage rise up in him like a volcano ready to erupt. Then he thought of his father, and he thought of the gods who view their sufferings as little more than their own entertainment.
'I'm going to kill them all…' he thought 'I'm going to take all of my rage out on the gods who have forsaken us. I will show them the pain that I've endured, I will take everything from them… I will avenge Alina and Hope.'
"You and I share a similar goal then." Came a voice in his head not his own.
"Who… what? How are you in my head? Who are you?" Akuro called out. The image of a young boy with dirty blond hair and brown eyes flashed through his mind, the child being maybe the age of twelve.
"I'm a friend. You can call me Mato, though some of my friends call me Mato Tomato, you can call me that too if you want."
"I still don't get how you are in my head." Akuro said, then his tone turned dark and hateful, "are you a god?"
"Ew, no way!" The child yelled. "I'm like you."
"Like me..? Wait, do you mean you're a Deity?"
"Yeppers. Actually, to be exact, I'm the first Deity."
Akuro felt enraged, that the gods would put such a burden on a child. He wanted them dead.
"Same here!" Mato cheered.
"What?"
"I want the gods dead."
Akuro was shocked at the child's words, that someone so young could have such intentions.
"Because of them my family was slaughtered and I was forced to have this power. I want to bring down the heavens and behead every one of those corrupt jerks!"
"Yeah… I completely understand how you feel." Akuro said.
"I know. That's why I wanna give you my power!"
"How?"
"Simple really, all you've gotta do is come and place your hand on my gravestone, then flow your aura into it. If I deem you worthy, which I will, you will gain all of my power. It really is that simple!"
"Yeah, except for just one problem." Akuro said.
"Oh? And what's that!"
"I can't seem to wake up… I don't know why, I just went unconscious in the middle of combat."
"Oh yeah, that is what alerted me to your presence. You see, because of your rage, your aura became too much for you to handle, and so it took you over and you went berserk. You are quite scary, you know."
"What? Is everyone okay? What happened?"
"Figure it out for yourself. Now wake up."
Akuro felt a cold sensation run through his head, and then he woke up.
•
•
•
Akuro shot up, his head hitting something painfully.
"Owww…" came Inari's voice, "Watch it."
"Inari?" Akuro spoke as he looked around him in awe. "What… happened?"
"Thank… mmm not god but thank something you're normal again." Darius spoke from behind him.
"Did I…?" Akuro asked staring around at the expansive crater.
"Yeah… you went crazy and destroyed everything. You even attacked us." Inari said. "But we are fine, so don't worry."
"An what about Sedori?"
"Ooh that was his name!" Darius exclaimed. "Yeah he's gone. You took care of him yourself. You should know your scythe is cursed."
"What?" Akuro asked in surprise.
"Your scythe curses anyone it cuts and seals their ability to control their aura." Inari explained, "You hit Sedori with it, and it bound his aura. Then he gave up and killed himself with Darius's dagger."
"Akuro looked down at the ground at the black scythe and it's red markings. He then held out his hand, his aura absorbing it into him. "That makes no sense though, because I cut Onoma with it before. So how?"
"Is he immortal?" Inari asked.
"I don't think so." Darius said, "Akuro, you said before that Onoma can reverse time on his own wounds and replenish his aura with the same method, so my guess is he was able to reverse the curse as well."
"Yeah, I guess that would make sense."
"What? But how could he turn back time on the curse of his aura is sealed? He wouldn't be able to, that makes no sense." Inari remarked.
"Well there was decent time between when he was hit with the scythe and when the curse took effect, so I'm guessing that there is a period of time before it actually seals the aura." Darius explained.
"It's plausible.." Inari agreed.
"Darius?" Akuro spoke.
"Yo?"
"Why are you extremely intelligent one moment and an utter idiot the next?"
"Screw off."