"Don't sweat it. I'm the only one to have a grudge so let me live out this fantasy happily."
That voice was recognizable! Remembering their numerous brawls, Katie cleaved at the enemy stabbing her mentor from behind. Despite her intentions to completely exterminate him right then and there, he jumped back. Simultaneously withdrawing the steel from Alex's back while retreating, the Founder instantly raised it afterward.
He'd predicted the upward trajectory of the Source's incoming slash, the clashing duo noticing the yellow sparks unleashed from connecting the two metals. Unfortunately, Callum's stolen blade was effectively destroyed, the upper and lower halves of the sharpened steel flying into the clouds following their collision.
His leg instantly rose, thereby connecting with Kate's bust to send her onto the grass-littered ground. Alex jumped from behind the girl's recovering body below her, channeling all his energy into this attack and charging his fist forward so his knuckles would connect with none other than Callum's extended palm.
"You and I fought before, remember?" The Founder genuinely asked.
"Yeah. And I lost. But that was back when you had the Artifact. Now, the one who stands atop the realm of supremacy, second to no one is ME!" yelled Amara.
Alex entangled his free arm with the Judge whip and punched at Founder Rivers' cheek. Bending his knees into a crouch, Callum swiped at his enemy's feet, watching Alexander descend toward the ground. Before Alex's landing, Rivers' knuckles clenched together, preparing to smash his adversary's face into the rock-hard ground. Instead of uncontrollably collapsing against the grass-littered ground, Alex stood tall and felt the thunderous resounding might of Rivers' punch strike against his forehead.
"Isn't that smart?" mocked Founder Rivers.
He removed his fist from Alex's temples, shifting into a spin. Twirling around akin to a ballerina on stage, the Founder intentionally inturned his fist to connect with Katie's face as she went for a surprise attack at his rear. His knuckles sunk into her cheek, launching her into the surrounding forest to the right of her person.
"Y'all are so slow."
The Judge's whip darted every which way rather uncontrollably as if the movements the weapon was making were devoid of human intervention. Callum's hands raised, persistently blocking the repeated attacks aimed his way. Notwithstanding his hardest efforts, he couldn't match Alex's breakneck speeds when enacting such deadly techniques. Because of that, he was viable for an attack—it was undeniable a follow-up would arrive. The only matter left was the question of 'when'.
'Peace of Mind. Unrelenting Justice.'
The blurry attacks slipping from the whip started generating white lightning, snowy bolts electrocuting the air surrounding them. Unaware of the phenomena, the Founder's long white hair stood on an edge, the man barely stifling a sadistic grin. Without a doubt, the Judge was utilizing the legendary Peace of Mind technique to enhance his Requiem abilities. But he wasn't the only one capable of utilizing that power. Slapping away the whip coursing through the air toward his face, the Founder's left foot smashed into the grassy ground. Alex subconsciously faltered, completely halting the whip's erratic motions—unintentionally giving the Founder an opening. Lowering his head, his scarred lips parted, and once more did his gruff intonation incarnate into reality.
"Peace of Mind. Requiem Virus."
The Founder's fist stabbed the air, coursing through space, then eventually connecting with Alex's open chest.
'He's able to use Requiem techniques! But how?!'
The poison spread from the center impact until it would inevitably be cleansed by an interior technique of pure Requiem energy coursing through his innards to extinguish the ulterior virus coursing through his veins. Blowing away some loose strands prohibiting his white-eyed vision, Alex's fists lifted once more, glaring into the Founder's single red-eye.
'How is he able to fight against me without the use of the Requiem Artifact?' Alex contemplated, subtly backing away while Callum uncaringly wandered nearer.
"Surprised? Ya know, I'm actually on the weaker side." Founder Rivers swayed from side to side, spontaneously implanting his sole against the grass. "I have more energy than you. Vita, that is. But I derive that energy from the Requiem Artifact, that which my destiny is bound by. As long as that thing exists in this world, I'll regain my strength. Now I'm done talking..."
The Judge's tongue clicked.
'For some reason, I feel like I'd be a bad match against him as of right now. I need to heal Katie so we can overwhelm him together.'
After coming to that conclusion, Alex dashed away, disappearing into the plethora of greenery to his right. The Founder instantly gave chase, attempting to punch through the Judge's fleeing body. Unfortunately for him, Cal's knuckles grazed Alex's build--before his hand phased through the transparent afterimage his quickness generated. That was until a projectile cut through all surrounding shrubbery, colliding with the Founder's chest.
'Purge of Demons!'
But that was deflectable. Thanks to one little swipe, the projectile was slapped away and the Founder was safe. Momentarily. None other than Death's Source, with the embodiment of the Grim Reaper spirit hovering behind her, walked out from within the forest. Its legendary scythe in tow, the spirit expressed a deadly hiss toward Katie's unrelenting opponent.
"Ah, Death, huh? Looks like you were able to master the Source over the last five years. But it's alright. I'll still win in the end regardless," the Founder pointed his finger forward.
"Why do you continue to fight? What do you gain at this battle's end, when the fighting is said and done?" Kate spontaneously straight-up asked.
Callum was justifiably shocked by the suddenness of that question. At first, he was motionless. But as time went on and he further debated the query's inner depths, he moved his body in tandem with his voice. His hand over his chest, his lips parted.
"In the beginning, I felt the weight of my sins pushing me so close to the ground I felt I was sinking into Hell. Time passed and I learned everything. I ventured into the vastness of the world and learned the truth. I was born for a reason. Despite my numerous sins, I still lived. I managed to convince you, one of my many victims, to let me live. There had to be something more that I was missing. Even as I desired to stand by and watch the assured madness of the future play out, I pushed myself back into the fray. Because—"
The image of Icarus's face appeared in his mind's eye. It was undeniable. The two of them, one chosen by Angels and the other formed into a demon, were undoubtedly intertwined by fate. And that was all because of him. The legendary Founder put his all into everything, attempting to make the most of his skills to enlighten that poor ignorance. Cal smirked.
"There are still some things I want to protect."
Kate nodded. Covering her mouth with her hand, her dark-azure retinas were momentarily hidden by her fair-skinned eyelids. Only after she lowered her head did her eyes open and she released a breath previously lodged in her throat.
"Do you think killing me will ensure those people are protected?" Katie asked a second time.
"Riot strives for mass genocide, right? Sorry but please overlook my hypocrisy… because if that's so, then I have to challenge you. Not just for the sake of those people I care for, but for the sake of the New World I damned 15 years ago, I WILL strike you down," Callum replied.
Katie smirked. "Well, if you really want then–" She unsheathed her Blade, using half of the Blackened steel to temporarily cover her face. "Let's go another round. To the death."
"Whatever you say."
The Founder didn't move. He stood idle, his arms completely stationary at his body's sides. All that remained was for one of them to initiate it—and just as he'd anticipated, she'd instantaneously vanished! Emerging from a world where she was surrounded by everything gradually moving, Katie's foot raised and slammed with the crown of Callum's skull. His red-eye had seen through her invisible speeds, his arms already risen to protect his head's top. After she enacted that overhead kick, he peered past her body and noticed the idle spirit some meters away. In its hand was no longer the scythe the Grim Reaper branded so regularly, but Kate's Artifact: the Blackened Blade.
It threw the sword past Katie. Backflipping away following her failed attack, her fingers snatched the katana's white handle and she thrusted the weapon forward. The Founder's jaw unhinged, inadvertently mimicking the Jester by catching the sword's length via his teeth. Katie's eyes widened, attempting to remove the Artifact. That was when the Founder spotted the Grim Reaper's skeletal palm, reaching over its masters' shoulder so it could strive to slap Callum. Rivers ducked, kicking at Kate's knee and watching as she fell to the painless left knee. Then, the incoming scythe in Death's hand, trying to stick the weapon's curved sharpness straight the Founder's exposed skull.
The Founder caught the scythe's sharpness through his palm, kicking Katie to the ground and pulling the Deathly spirit closer so his fists could crush against the Grim Reaper's exposed skull for a face. Before the knuckles could smash Death's skull, the spirit grabbed his fist. It spun its victim around temporarily, expressing maniacal cackles. Inevitably, its grip over the Founder released and he was thrown into the plentiful array of unorganized greenery that came with the forest.
Tumbling out a roll after his bottom crashed against the grass, he jumped back the tiniest amount; barely dodging an imminent fist. He subconsciously retreated, occasionally bumping his shoulders against nearby trees. The attacker was Katie—missing her sword.
Having ducked under another kick, he pushed her away with both palms wide open. She momentarily stumbled, rebalancing herself against the flat terrain shortly afterward. The two of them now had some distance between. Katie was always the first to initiate the assault, dashing forward and intending to punch his face. Callum formed another fist, knuckles aiming toward her chin for an uppercut as she leaped through the air following her initial sprint. Seconds prior to his counter, the Blade appeared in her hand, and just then, the Founder's face was hit by the sword's ivory handle.
His head threw back. The Blade's tip PUSHED into his gut, slicing through his flesh and opening his stomach to reveal those disgusting innards that stunk so horrendously. The Founder coughed up blood and then stifled laughter. His hand grabbed the sharpness he was impaled by—then his eyes widened. All around his face, he was suddenly perspiring. The unsurpassable aura of Death itself appeared behind him, locking him into this position where he was unable to move… His heart skipped a beat.
"Got you…" spat the Deathly spirit.
"Good job, Reapy. Now do me a favor and hold him still, okay?" Katie flashed a smile toward her ghostly familiar.
But the Founder would never go down so easily. His legs were chained, but even so, he could still use his arms! Clasping his fingers together, he invoked the ancient techniques lost within the legendary Requiem bloodline.
"Peace of Mind. Requiem Destruction."
Callum, his fist infused with pure destructive Requiem energy, punched the ground. Death utilized the split-second it had, instead of opting for its protection, it warped to Katie and shielded her with its shrouded build. The explosion leveled the surrounding forest, leaving nothing but burning shrubbery and decimated trees in his wake. All that remained was who originated the attack: Founder Rivers.
Standing amidst the forest's destroyed state, Callum watched his knuckles express steam and sighed. "Those techniques really take a lot outta you, huh? The energy's hard to control and spreads a lot so that's only viable to those who understand the depth of it. Heh. I guess that means it's made for me then. What do you think, Katie?! How'd I do with that technique?!" the Founder loudly asked.
"Honestly, I thought it was a bit annoying." Death removed its torn mantle from over Katie, allowing the swordswoman to step closer—her sword still drawn. "Then again, I guess I'm a little biased," she said.
"Too bad. Here I thought Death's Source would approve of such full-blown destruction," Callum dryly responded.
"You thought wrong—"
The two stopped in their tracks. Beneath the ground upon which they stood, a rumbling arrived. Their heads turned toward the City in the distance, and that was when they witnessed that unbelievable sight. Arising from below the Evolutionary Capital, there was the black-shaded Tower, scraping the skies and dissipating the clouds. A demonic infrastructure originating from the Old World—destined to bring about humanity's end. The very thing that would rid the world of its chains would be none other than that infamous building.
For the second time in Requiem history it had risen so high it stabbed the sky. The Tower of Chains, erected once more to ensure the end… of all things.