The construct from which Grim made the soldier, barreled to the demonic goat. A rumble not unlike the other two focal battle points taking place. The soldier wielded the scythe with familiarity, slashes and hacks met the serpentine sword. The very touch of the two weapons creating odd bluish green sparks.
Grim's eyes remained pure white as he focused in on the goat. Hector didn't rest for a moment. Using [Metallic Slide] his metal boots slid across the ground as though gliding. Effortlessly, the young prince laid heavy strikes infused with light energy against the creature.
It was valiant but the creature deserved recognition in it's own right. It fought off both warriors with just it's serpentine long sword and occasional pentagram shield. The glass charged glass vial exploded on the door and it caused an immediate rampage with the goat.
A riposte that parried the scythe and thrust so fast that it could break the air. The soldier blocked with the shaft of the scythe preventing a gouging hole in it's being. Though the force did knock the soldier flying back.
Hector managed a furious slash on one of it's arms, causing the human like appendage to go flying. Nefarious blood spilling everywhere. Yet the strike left the young prince open to a demonically infused strike.
His bond simultaneously using [Holy Barrier] and [Metallic Shield]. The strength behind the swing launching them tumbling hard. The goat caught the arm that had been sent flying up in the air and looked at the door. The door itself almost completely ajar but now a large splash of holy energy on the horrid film of energy behind the door. It's pitch-black sheen now having a slowly expanding gold energy eating away at it. Kaz still attacking the now almost broken shield, determined to crack it. Ash swarmed by people as his now bloody body fought on. His face haggard as he fought people who had advantages in strength, speed, flexibility, and endurance.
'Hey look at the bright side, at least they aren't cognizant, otherwise I'd already be dead.' Yet it didn't stop the onslaught as well as some well-placed attacks attributed to their muscle memory.
With a wave of it's hand all the deranged ran back to their master. Holding the arm up in the air Hector already knew what the creature was going to do.
"Both of you stop him---" Hector couldn't even finish the sentence as a tremor came from the door came forth.
"Spirits of Darkness, Lust, and Malice. King of the morning star... come forth." In mere seconds all three tamer's eyebrows leapt. Desperation now in their faces. Something was trying to come through the door and though nothing had come yet, they knew it was trying.
Ash grabbed Pocket and jumped in the hole. Grim feeling a danger like never before swooped down and followed Ash temporarily leaving the soldier. Hector crushed a sphere immediately and Kaz feeling goose bumps down to his toes clapped two old talismans together.
It was only a pulse but it killed anything in it's range. Even the others fighting their own disasters turned their head back and felt it. Wrong, it was something so wrong it could make you feel like a foreigner in your own home. Sickness given a harrowing voice that called to any and all, pulling primordial fear that no one thought they had to the surface.
Everybody in the third battlefield area with the demonic goat was dead except Ash, Kaz, and Hector. The goat seemed to waste as it wailed. An androgenous voice calling out to the forbidden. Hector screamed a psalm as he raised an arm into the air.
Grim's soldier still there but barely hanging on as the bird pushed it to engage the goat once more. Ash channeling everything he had into Grim and his construct. Pocket sweat at having packed and filled the hole before the pulse reached them, an arduous task but achieved none the less. Kaz took out a bomb and poured holy water on it. The red paper filled with symbols glowed as if to announce how dangerous it was.
It was the last throw down they could manage. Every passing moment allowing something to get closer and closer. The damage seemingly being repaired as more and more was taken from the goat. It's previous muscle, hair, and even it's flesh used to power restoration to the door.
The soldier now overflowing with spiritual energy glowed gold as Hector continued his prayer. His hand now pointing to the soldier. It was but one slash but it encompassed everything the two boys had. Kaz immediately throwing the strange bomb at the door following the construct's last attack.
"GET DOWN!!!" The goat now completely close to wasting looked dead on at the golden soldier which spoke "BE GONE DEMON."
A boom and then silence. Ash only came to because of the shared pain between him and his two bonds. Pain wracking his body as Ash looked at his bloody body. The force of the bomb destroying damn near the entire battle area of the third battle.
Grim lied weak and bloody, both wings broken and consciousness fading. Pocket's legs seemed broken in a way that almost didn't seem possible. It was good he was unconscious or the pain would've magnified tenfold. Ash could hardly breath, nothing was visible past a couple feet in the hazy aftermath. Ash reached into his tattered clothing pulling out his bag of holding.
Several different pills went into each of their mouths as Ash tried to stand.
"Aghhhhh, Arghh, Fuck! Fuck!" Ash cried looking at his bonds. He couldn't stand and neither could they. He could still hear remnants of battle.
Ash focused on where the door was previously and didn't sense anything . A breath of relief until he saw Zamma.
"He of darkness bares witness to today's destruction." The boy's smile borderline the same feeling he felt from the door.
"A key to the play, a enemy to thee is for me." Ash was in too much pain and confusion for the clown's antics.
He tried to speak again but blood came out. Ash watched the blind boy hit him upside the head with his truncheon. Zamma dragged Ash's bloody figure to a little circle where Kaz, Mako, Hector, and Rosie. Everyone in sorry states; Lacerations, bruises, blunt force trauma, and broken bones. Not too far away was the goat lying with it's body missing organs, chunks, and anything important.
Zamma clapped his hands and waltzed to the goat which only had one eye. The creature weakly looked at him and Zamma let out his ever-concerning smile.
"This has been good fun friend. You almost brought one of them forth..." Zamma smiled to the goat and looked at the pile of strange goop lying not far away. Taking out his 'god's head' Zamma set it in front of the goop and it sucked it straight in. A sound was made from the head that made even the unconscious figures of the young heroes shiver reflexively. It was deep, and groaning, unlike anything a human could ever make.
The clown head looking every bit as ungodly as the goat itself. Yet even the goat seemed to shake the closer Zamma walked.
"Won't you be my friend? Hehehehehe." Holding the head to the demon. The demon became incased in a web spat out by the head. It wove into a cocoon, as the one eye's vision was steadily filled with black webbing, Zamma spoke. His voice different.
"A failure..... but don't worry. I have just what I need for you." An emphasis on the last part that caused the eye to widen but ultimately the demon could do nothing. Zamma's group bowed to him, saying nothing as did the boy himself.
Walking to the hole, Zamma smiled seeing that the boys were gone. "Oh Hector, it seems you don't wanna play. Ok we'll play another day, but your expiration date is near." The smile so taught around the boy the skin seemed centimeters from ripping, his eyes held a macabre excitement in them.
'I hope more chaos can come about, isn't that right?' Looking at the clown head it didn't respond but the bloody tears from it's sown shut eyes conveyed the answer.
******************************************************************************************************
Ash awoke to see the Pocket, Grim, Kaz, Mako, Hector, and his bond inside a tent.
Hector was awake and walking though he seemed to be limping, it wasn't just them though. Most of everyone who was anyone was in front of the realm entrance. Ash looked around, feeling a bit better having taken some pills before...
"That's fucking right, that clown cunt knocked me out." Fury at the boy's actions filled Ash before he sighed.
"That he did. He knocked all of us out. Had my baby girl here not carried us away, we'd be dead."
"Yeah that.... I think I need a drink." For once, he understood his old man's look having dealt with craziness day after day and wanting to drown it in alcohol.
Hector's armor was no more and he wore royal silks. Looking at the unconscious Kaz and Mako, Ash sighed once more. They looked beyond banged up, even more so than he did.
"Your friend there is full of surprises, maybe not as much as me but still."
'Is he seriously trying to flaunt right now.'
"Where are we?"
"Right by the realm entrance."
"Why haven't we gone through yet?"
"Politics and the need for information." A serious look on Hector's face. He sat down drinking some hot tea, a smile now covering his face.
"Break it down for me, what do you mean?"
"We are about to go through that portal and right now everyone is trying to consolidate information."
"All three terrors have been brought down. Yet questions and conflicts still remain."
Thinking something Ash's face strained, "How many alive?"
"Including you and me? Like, urrrmmmm, 25 people." Ash hissed at the number. Out of 200 going into battle only ten percent left? A month ago 1,000 people entered but now only 20 remained?
Hector still smiling sipped on his drink and responded, "Yep."
"That just means you're special friend."
The sound of arguing could be heard outside as Ash peaked his head out.
Looking at the surrounding figures, everyone was injured, even the people standing straight as an arrow had blood on them. Some of it undoubtably theirs.
'I see Baika, and that scrouge Otto, serial killer Artemis, Bertha, Alvin, Barbo, that evil chick Helena, and Kraven. Counting me, Kaz, and Hector.....'
Artemis still had four followers with her. Bertha had four, Baika had two. Ash pulled his head back inside before anyone caught notice.
"Why are they arguing?" Hector got up and stretched after finishing his tea.
"Multiple reasons. We had a plan, who stuck to it, and who didn't. Who wants compensation from who, and yada yada. You ask a lot of questions guy. You mind making me some food, I'm starving."
Ash was dumbfounded, "Aren't you a prince, can't you pull a pie out of your bag of holding?"
Hector raised an eyebrow, "I had to carry you all the way over here through dangerous------" Ash waved a hand conceding to the prince.
"Man you're kinda annoying. Got some ingredients?" A strange dichotomy took place, outside the tent various powers argued like they do while in the prince's tent the two enjoyed a scrumptious meal. Kaz waking up immediately to the smell and eating with the duo. No talking just slurps and burps.
The night passed as the trio opened up a bit. They laughed made jokes.... many, many fart jokes. The boys seemed like regular teenagers having fun rather than clandestine warriors in a battlefield beyond their imagination. Ash performed medical assistance for each of their bonds, Kaz checked their weapons and armor, and Hector shared some knowledge with them.
After a long talk, a good sleep, and good food, the trio set off. Grim was awake and could hold onto his shoulder while Pocket remained unconscious due to his legs being adjusted. It took Ash awhile to set his bones and the boy could only thank God, begrudgingly that Hector had some of the materials necessary to heal their bonds.
Opening the curtains everyone's attention turned to the trio. Hector limped but with the swagger of a prince, Kaz was able to ride atop Mako slowly. While Ash looked the least imposing, princess carrying Pocket.
Helena, Artemis, and Kraven all frowned looking at Ash. Looking back at them his eyes held defiance, the type that nary any of them liked.
Hector clapped his hands, " So I take it that everyone reached an agreement about their various issue? Let's all go home." Hector smiled but every last one of them except Alvin looked annoyed at the prince.
'He must be trouble, not like I don't already know that.' Ash marked his new friend as a potentially endless source of trouble. Though they did nothing when the prince was by him the closer the trio walked to the portal the more malice he could see in the three of their eyes.
Helena's gaze frigid like before but the message was clear. 'Say anything about seeing my innocence and I will skew you.'
Artemis held the least animosity with only slight revulsion at the boy who slighted six and indirectly insulted her god. Kaz was not left out of this gaze as the main cause of the incident. Emotion wasn't exactly written on her face and she mainly carried more intensity in her eyes when looking at the two.
Kraven on the other hand looked both shocked and livid. 'How is this peasant still walking? This troglodyte couldn't have succeeded where the others failed.' With a mere movement he was already in front of Ash. Ash could feel the animosity of the three but seeing Kraven caused his heart to jump.
One hand on his saber, Ash saw Kraven flash and drew the weapon immediately and blocked the punch in front of him. Ash barely remained on his feet with his saber and arms shaking. Kraven followed with a round house kick that was met with Ash's bone covered forearm [Bone Shell]. The kick launching the boy into a tree.
'Fuck that smarts.' Ash still held Pocket in a princess carry and he felt the various lacerations tear open. His skin immediately paled and sweat filled his brow, yet that did nothing to stop the one arm from supporting his one of a kind goblin. Ash's stance was weak and the conspicuous crack on the shell let everyone know that Kraven was a powerhouse nonetheless.
Kraven stood venomously, his red eyes barring into the prey who he would rip limb from limb. His hair was back but there were still sparse places. One of his arms was emaciated and he had less weight compared to when he first entered the realm. There was even dark circles under his eyes, but none of it stopped the disdain boiling in his blood.
'I'll kill this kid and drain his blood. Fucker's lucky I'm experiencing feedback drought, otherwise...' Kraven's demeanor started to shift as though seeing food. Mako breathed his signature flames at the boy as Kraven dodged back. Kaz standing by Ash ready to defend his brother.
"That's enough Kraven, we are done here. Step back and allow my friend safe passage or your head flies." Hector stood with his cute bond on his shoulder and his great sword unsheathed.
"Make me. [Blood God Arts: Blood Tide]" Blood rushed forth from a strange jar Kraven took out causing a tide to face the three. It became a ten meter tall wave smelling of sweet candy. The surrounding area that it touched sizzling and the air becoming insufferable to breath.
"[Parting Light]." Hector unleashing a massive strike of light that parted the sickening sea. Kaz using the strap on his mace to swing it in a circle until a flaming red wheel jumped forth. [Blazing Arc] several wheels of fire burning the acrid blood into nothing while Ash leaned against a tree.
"[Flash Point]" Ash had waited, charging the attack until a bullseye point appeared at the end of his saber. The bullseye a black and white representing the usage of death and spiritual energy. A zoom like sound and a energy filled stab rushed to meet it's mark. Kraven dodged out of the way, rolling to one side. His roll seamlessly turned into a sprint before he left an after image.
"[Blood God Arts: Blood Wings] [Blood God Arts: Blood Shards]" Reaching close quarters to Ash, Kraven unleashed a barrage of shards that blasted the tree he previously leaned on to shredded pieces. Ash quickly employed [Blood Flash] to maneuver between several different trees.
"Enough Kraven, you have disregarded my words and tried to kill my friend. Do not think that I have no way to deal with you because of your status as his son."
"Oh, the poor prince with so much responsibility has finally made a friend. Too bad he'll wind up dead like the others." Hector's expression hardened, a well-known secret that seemed to weigh on him.
Alvin spoke as a mental force propelled Kraven backwards. "I do think we have other matters to attend to. Additionally, I still need this one in order to confirm my hypothesis. Please refrain from damaging my materials."
Baika chimed in as well though he was exceptionally weak at the moment. "For the love of.... Kraven can you please stop with this 'grudge'. What is it that has you so worked up about this kid? You have benefitted more than anyone, other than..."
"Would that be me?" Everyone's eyes widened at the voice. Zamma stood at the realm entrance if he had been there the entire time. Artemis, Alvin, Barbo, Helana, Hector, Kaz, Baika, Ash, and Bertha all went wide eyed.
Nothing needed to be spoken as everyone had one question, 'Where the hell did he come from?'
"Bye." A flash and Zamma was through the portal. Everyone looked at one another before rushing through the portal as well. Hector called out to Ash and Kaz. "You guys can follow me. Don't know how things will be once we come out."
Ash looked tired but looked at his goblin and then his crow and smiled. "I got what I came for, so lets get out of here guys. Let's go see the world." Ash and Kaz shared a smile as Mako let out a moooo. One after another the kids entered the portal.