Akuro could feel his body being torn apart cell by cell as the explosion swallowed him, destroying his lower half. What was left of his body flew through the air and slammed to
The ground, spraying blood.
His wounds began healing soon as he landed, but the progress was slower now that he was wounded to this degree.
"You are fucking pathetic." Akura's voice came as he strode towards Akuro. "You honestly expect me to believe you are another version of me? That's an entertaining idea.. really, I'm so amused, but honestly, I'm more insulted than anything."
As Akuro's legs began to rebuild themselves layer by layer his mind raced. He was trying to desperately think of any way to counter his opponent, seeing as his current abilities wouldn't do it. He couldn't use the same tricks he used to.. he had to get creative.
He couldn't use reality bending on Akura.. if he was to use that power at all he'd have to use it on things around him.
Akuro grit his teeth and focused on the ground below Akura.
"The fuck are you doing?" Akura asked, noticing Akuro's change in demeanor. "Do you honestly think you still have a chance? Really now.. you can't possibly-"
The earth beneath Akura's feet suddenly vanished completely, leaving an infinitely deep pit below him. Then two massive slabs of stone appeared on either side of Akura, crushing him, though he held out his hands and pushed back against them, keeping them from completely smashing him. But then two more slabs appeared that slipped in between the opening from either side, crushing Akura from the front and back. As soon as he was buried in stone, Akura was dropped down the pit as black aura wound itself about the stones like a seal. As he fell, the earth suddenly returned to the way it had been before, as if nothing had ever happened to begin with.
Akuro let out a breath of air that he'd been holding in the whole time and began to pant greedily.
For a moment he thought he'd done it, it wouldn't be easy to care be your way through all the layers of the earth… but..
*KRA-KOOM*
A massive beam of black light shot through the earth in Akuro's direction and from the hole it had carved into the land Akura flew through the air, his hand crashing into Akuro's throat as he skidded to as stop, heaved Akuro over his shoulder and crashed him into the earth head first, splitting his skull and sending shockwaves through the ground.
"It was a good attempt, bitch," Akura spoke, raising his foot, "BUT YOU ARE FUCKING DEAD!"
*KOOM*
The landscape shattered from the impact of Akura's foot colliding with Akuro's chest and sending him through the air like a bullet shot from a rifle. Akura raised his hand and a black hole appeared above Akuro as he flew, the orb of shadow dropping down on him.
Akuro crashed his hands into the ground, his nails being torn and ripped as he clawed at the earth to stop himself. As soon as he slowed down enough, he flipped himself over and planted his feet into the ground, carving deep tracks into the land before facing Akura and then, using his legs like springs, launched himself forward. Just as the black hole struck where he had been, he came point blank with Akura, throwing a fist for his opponent's skull, but Akura leaned back, grabbed Akuro's wrist and then slammed his hand into Akuro's elbow, snapping his arm backwards at the joint.
Akuro wrenched his arm free and spun on his heel, his foot flying for Akura's head, but he dodged the attack, though it was just a feint. Akuro suddenly leapt back and then pulled on what seemed to be a black string of aura. The God Slayer shot up from the earth behind Akura, the scythe's blade piercing through his frame before Akuro then wrenched the scythe and Akura towards him with all his might. Akura flew towards Akuro, his body flailing for a moment before…
*CRACK*
Akuro's foot came down on Akura's chest like a meteor, sending massive cracks and splits through the earth from the impact.
A hand clasped around Akuro's leg tightly before twisting and throwing Akuro to the side, sending him rolling end over end across the ground before skidding to a stop.
"Why do you still fight me?" Akura asked. "It's obvious that I am stronger than you, is it not?"
"Tell me," Akuro spoke, "how do you defeat one who is stronger than yourself?"
"You don't. Not unless you make yourself stronger."
"Exactly." Akuro's eyes flashed as he waved his hand, his aura beginning to condense into a shape. "Adapt. And evolve."
His aura began to churn as it took the shape of something huge.
It was a black dragon made purely from aura, it stood at about nine feet tall on all fours and had a ghostly figure, black aura clouding its body and its wings like chaotic clouds of shadow. It's crimson eyes watched Akura hungrily while black horns curved up from its head.
"Erebus." Akuro said coldly, "Kill."
The dragons body suddenly bolted forward and massive jaws crunched down on Akura, swallowing his arm completely. The black holes had no affect on the dragon, Erebus, whatsoever.
"The fuck..?" Akura cursed in shock as he began to back pedal away from the charging dragon, but as he was retreating Akuro suddenly appeared behind him. The blade of the God Slayer now jutted out of Akura's chest through his back, then he was spun through the air over Akuro and slammed to the ground.
"DAMN YOU!!" Akura roared, forcing himself off the ground and trying to pull the scythe out of his body, but Akuro raised him into the air. "LET ME GO!! FIGHT ME YOURSELF YOU FUCKING-"
*CRUNCH*
Blood splattered across the ground as Erebus's jaws sank into Akura's body, swallowing his entire upper half before ripping it off.
Akuro felt newfound power rushing through him in that moment as Akura's aura was stolen and added to Akuro's. Erebus was able to consume the aura of anything it consumed, then transfer that aura to Akuro.
Akuro flicked his scythe, launching the remains of Akura's body to roll across the ground as he began to heal.
"Erebus." Akuro spoke, "annihilate him. Now."
The black dragon then raised its head, a hissing sound emitting from its throat as aura began to condense into its chest before a beam of black aura shot from its jaws.
*from a sky view*
A stream of black light shot across the surface of the earth, cutting across the country of America and obliterating everything in its path before passing the earth's curve and breaking through the clouds and the atmosphere and disappearing into the void that was the universe.
Akuro stood facing his destruction with a grin. A massive gash had been carved into the earth, five miles deep and seven miles wide.
Erebus's body began to slowly vanish due to exerting all of the aura it had, what was left now returning to Akuro, who watched as Akura's body slowly began to rebuild itself layer by layer, bone, tissue, flesh, muscle, fat, skin, all of it. His body had been completely erased by the attack.
Akuro slowly walked towards Akura, intent on taking away all the aura he had. He didn't know why he couldn't absorb Akura's black holes or the aura in his attacks, but he did know he could absorb it directly from him.
Then a shadow figure formed in front of Akuro, stopping him.
"Azazel." Akuro spoke, "why are you here?"
"Because, you cannot kill Akura. Not yet. And you cannot absorb all of his aura, unless you want to kill both yourself and him. He is an alternate version of you, if you absorb him you will both die."
"Well I can't exactly just let him live." Akuro said.
"You don't have a choice. He still has a part to play in this story." Azazel said.
Akuro's eyes laid on the version of himself that was still seemingly in shock and healing from his wounds.
"Don't you think completely destroying his body cell by cell was enough for now?" Azazel asked.
"Fine. Then what do you propose we do with him for now?" Akuro said.
Azazel looked back at Akura. "We send him back to his reality."
"What reality does he come from exactly? Why is he so scarred up? Why is he so strong?" Akuro asked, "he said he was the one who almost killed you.. why is he that powerful?"
Azazel was quiet for a long moment, then spoke, "it's true. Akura and Gozzu are the only beings to have ever been able to wound me, permanently at least. He is from a reality we call purgatory."
"Purgatory..? I think he said something about the earlier."
"Yes. Purgatory is… the first."
"The first? The first what?"
"The first reality."