Onoma stood before Sedori, crimson aura shifting about his body in waves. His Aura Cloak didn't seem to be completely solid, but it was close.
"You.. figured out how to use the Aura Cloak?" Sedori asked.
"Yeah, if only I'd figured it out sooner." Onoma said, looking down at himself. "The power boost it gives really is amazing."
Sedori replayed how Onoma had simply walked in and knocked Anubis aside. "Yeah.. it really is."
"You fucking brat.." came Anubis's hiss as he rose to his feet, his wounds healed over. "You'll pay for that.."
"Be aware," Sedori warned, "he's fast."
"Speed is no match for-"
*CRACK*
Flashed into sight before Onoma, the god's fist crashing into his face like a bullet and sending him spiraling end over end across the sand.
"Fucking idiot.." Sedori cursed, backing away from Anubis and watching to make sure he wasn't caught up in the black sand again.
Anubis's eyes turned to Sedori and his khopesh flew through the air, a wave of red aura shooting out. Sedori jumped away from the attack and, in turn, sent four swords flying at Anubis. The god, again, simply just let them skewer him. When the aura swords faded out, his pressure increased again.
'Is he absorbing my aura..? He must be..' Sedori thought. So then he has to resort to purely physical combat.
*SHINK*
A dagger sunk into Sedori's thigh as one of the souls attacked him. He grimaced and knocked the soul aside, removing the blade before he then had to dash away when Anubis flew at him swinging his khopesh.
Sedori ducked low, raising his katana above his head, deflecting the khopesh while materializing a shield on his other hand uppercutting Anubis in the stomach, causing the god to cough blood before being vaulted into the air. Above Anubis Onoma appeared in a red flash of light as he smashed his elbow into Anubis's back, the sound of the god's spine shattering echoing across the desert.
Sedori shot a hand into the air and as he did hundreds of swords rose from the ground into the air, casting a magnificent turquoise glow across the battlefield as the swords seemed to combine into one massive blade busted out of the earth and rushed for Anubis, skewering him in the air.
"Is this guy really that strong?" Onoma asked appearing beside Sedori. "He doesn't seem that powerful."
"Ah.. about that." Sedori said, "I think he is able to absorb aura like Akuro.."
"Wait.. then that means.."
"I fucked up."
In that instant every grain of sand in the desert turned black and began to rise into the air, the turquoise light fading out of the swords that had skewered Anubis as the god freed himself and dropped to the ground.
"You guys really don't seem to get it.. all you do.. is make me stronger." Anubis hissed, holding his khopesh above his head.
"Brace yourself!" Sedori warned as the blade was thrust downwards and a red wave of aura blasted forward, splitting the desert open creating a massive fissure in the earth. Onoma and Sedori had barley managed to dodge aside, narrowly avoiding the devastating attack, but when they were split up by the attack, Anubis flew towards Sedori, the god's fist crashing into his shield. Sedori felt his shoulder snap out of place from the attack. He grit his teeth in shock from the force, he hadn't expected for Anubis to have that much force behind his attack.
Anubis then held his khopesh over his shoulder before swinging it in a wide arc, the weapon cutting cleanly through Sedori's shield and severing his arm and cutting deeply into his chest, sending Sedori flying backwards through the air crashing through the army of souls before slammed into a rock face, sending cracks through the wall.
Anubis wouldn't let up his onslaught, bolting directly to Sedori, khopesh poised to skewer him. Sedori couldn't help but notice how the sword now gave off a red light and seemed to him with power.
As Anubis was about to pierce Sedori's body, Onoma flashed into sight ducking below Anubis's sword, his fist crashing into Anubis's lower jaw, the sound of the god's jaw and teeth shattering as his head was knocked off of his torso and he was knocked into the air. Onoma jumped above Anubis's decapitated body, twisting himself to add force to the swing of his axe as he crashed it down on Anubis, severing the god's body in two and crashing him to the ground below in an explosion of red aura that sent sand flying through the air.
Onoma alighted on the sand beside Sedori whose bones were still snapping back into place.
"That should keep him down for at least a bit." Onoma grinned.
"Dumbass. Now we've both fucked up." Sedori cursed.
"What?"
"Why'd you use aura in that attack?"
"Oh.. fuck."
"We need to stick to physical attacks only!"
"Yeah.." Onoma sighed, putting a hand on his head, "sorry about that."
"Tch! Here he comes!" Sedori said, another shield forming on his arm as he stood ready. Onoma simply stood open, holding his axe at his side, overconfidence exuding from him.
But as the desert seemed to come alive in a mass of black sand swirling like a chaotic storm, the figure of Anubis rising from the ground, crimson eyes locked on him, his confidence would quickly fade. The pressure Anubis gave off now was tremendous, it made Onoma feel like he was being crushed from all sides at once.
His grip tightened on his axe as he lifted it from the sand. He wasn't worried about Anubis's speed, his powers to bend time countered that easily but-
Fear struck Onoma's heart in that instant as Anubis seemed to teleport to him, the god's hot breath on his skin and crimson eyes locked on him.
Then the khopesh flew through the air, severing Onoma's body in half and cutting the earth open.
•
•
•
Darius had managed to find his way to the Gates of Xinoll, which would lead him back to the Midrealm, but, in his blind rage, he couldn't figure out how to open it and began to attack the gates. He'd send blow after blow of crystalline strikes at the gates, but no matter how much force he put behind his strikes he couldn't so much as scratch them.
The reason being was that the gates were indestructible, god nor demon could ever dream of even carving a dent into the doors. Not even the strongest of gods or the strongest of the Archdemons could damage these doors.
"Give it up, boy. There is no way out without the permission of the gatekeeper." Came a voice.
Darius turned his head to face the direction the voice had come from. Behind him stood a figure wrapped in black cloth, the hood pulled over his head, masking his features. The figure was nothing special, it seemed like nothing more than an old man with a wooden cane. The only interesting things about him were the chains about his shoulders and the markings engraved in the staff.
"Who the hell are you?" Darius asked.
"Who are you? How can you ask my name when you don't even know the identity of yourself?" The man spoke.
"Don't give me riddles, old man, I do not have the patience for that shit!" Darius growled.
"How about you calm down. You aren't going to be leaving Xinoll until you figure out just who you are. Or, better yet, what you are." The old man spoke.
"Stop playing games with me." Darius said darkly, his palm against the gates as his body began to shift, splitting apart into glass shards. Darius had to recover his balance, his legs deforming and forming again. "Damnit.."
"You have your answer right in front of your eyes yet you are blinded by your rage, like scarlet light upon black clouds blotting out the sun in the glimmering sky."
"Shut up!" Darius roared, crashing his fist into the doors.
"Silence might just be what you need. All though, I doubt you will figure it out yourself."
The old man began to walk towards Darius. "Rage is like a poison. Once it is in your veins it takes a long time to run it's course, and if you aren't careful, if you don't find your antidote, it will lead to your own downfall. Stop drinking from the vial, Darius, and wake up."
"Wake up!? Wake up from what?! Inari is dead! Sedori killed us! What is there to wake up from?! A shitty nightmare!? I wish that's all this was! But it isn't! I am plenty awake, and I have to kill Sedori for what he did!" Darius roared, a shockwave of aura emitting from him..
*CRI-CK-K*
Thin cracks split through the gates where Darius's hand was.
The man was silent for a long moment, then he lifted his head, a pale white eye gleaming at Darius from beneath the hood.
"You need to calm yourself, boy."
"Or what?" Darius growled.
The man lifted his staff off the ground.
*TACK*
The wooden staff hit the ground softly, and as it did a hum echoed throughout the chamber and the marks upon the gates began to glow. A loud hiss came as the doors began to slowly swing open, the sound of heavy stone scraping over stone sending shivers through Darius's bones. At first Darius thought the old man was letting him go.. and then he saw what was on the other side of the doors.
"What.." Darius asked in awe, "is that..?"
"Meet Cerberus."