"Isaac!" Bruce yells across the large field of grass. "Don't do it! This world isn't ready for the Abyss! It won't survive another wave!" Bruce shouts, unable to move forward. A bluish purple hexagonal patterned dome blocks everything out. Bruce pounds against it with his armored fist. Each strike cracks the dome, but as the demonic girl besides Isaac smirks it mends together with powerful magic.
"Oh my, if the Frost King can't break my barrier how in the world did you four manage to overpower the three headed dragon." Abaddon taunts. Her scaled wings lift her up with her feet hovering above the ground. She's already in her primordial stage. Her rank among the Knights of Hell is only surpassed by nine others.
"Abaddon you dumb bitch. We're giving you fuckers a chance to stop this. If that portal opens, who knows what'll come out." Karen shouts. She turns to face Bruce. "Bruce, we gave them a chance like you said. Let's end this." Abaddon glares at Karen with disgust. Her idol was reduced to an adventurer.
"Bruce, Karen, Wendy, Dean. I have great memories with you guys, but I can't forgive them. They dishonor us and threaten us, after saving their lives. No more! They will suffer the wrath of the Abyss and its legions!" Isaac shouts. He is a powerful warrior betrayed by the kingdom he loved, now he's surrounded by barrels of blood.
Isaac raises his hand, clenching his fist. Dark green lightning manifests overflowing his palm. He draws his longsword and lifts it towards Bruce. Dark green aura radiates from him like mist, seeping through the gaps of his clad dirty grey armor. His dark red cape flaps with the pressure like a flag in a strong wind. The ground cracks around him like a frozen lake. His helmet covers most of his face, but his silver eyes glared with determination like a warrior protecting his homeland.
"Omega. It's time." Isaac orders as he marches forward. Abaddon, and Igor follow their leader without hesitance forming an arrow-like defensive line. Omega nods and one of his horns begins to glow a vibrant deep blue. He conjures several runic magic circles that mirror the Libra and surrounds the boulder-like, floating black gemstone. He is an elven mage who was gifted by the source of magic, unbeknownst to his tribe, which deformed him in unnatural ways. Though not even his own kind would want such freak of nature. As the magic circles glow the gemstone cracks and glows a faint red.
"The honest blood of 360 people, lay restless." The barrels of blood besides them boil. "Through the surge of magic may bonds be born." Blood rises like a reverse waterfall and swirls in a circle. "Fuse to change the past and future." The swirls collide and gather above the gemstone, molding into a shape. "Forge the path ahead and pierce the sky." The blood shapes itself into a trident. "Join in arms and burn together! Mend into the greatest weapon! Mend into the greatest key!" Flames burst from the trident and start to twirl around the trident like a drill.
"Bruce! The gate!" Karen shouts. Bruce remains calm and draws his sword.
"No door of the Abyss will lay in wait! Unleash your Fate! Crimson Hate!" The trident launches itself into the black gemstone. The cracks deepen and spread, connecting while the faint red glows with new vigor.
"Do it." Bruce orders with a glance to Dean.
"Of course." Dean answers, tipping his brown pointy hat. "Shatter." Dean mumbles. The barrier shatters and Dean snaps his fingers. A transparent grey cage surrounds the black gemstone with the trident. "Done. The cage will remain frozen as long as I'm unhurt."
"Heh, you learned sealing magic. Guess the title of Young Sage wasn't so wrong." Isaac says. "Omega, fix it."
"Yes sir." Omega hovers his hands inches from the cage. His eyes begin to glow in a similar fashion like his horns as he studies the magic.
"Dean, try not to get hit." Dean chuckles, stepping back a few paces. "Wendy, be careful. Don't push yourself. Just keep us alive." Bruce orders.
"Of course, leave it to me. Not even the grip of death will stop me." Wendy nods happily, holding her staff close to her.
"Yeah, yeah. Just be careful." Bruce says, kissing her forehead.
"Does that mean you accept!" Wendy gasps with an obvious blush.
"I said I'll think about it." Bruce responds with a blush as he gives a faint wave. "Let's go, no mercy." Bruce says to Karen.
"I'll kill Igor and Abaddon. You can handle Isaac and Omega." Karen summons a masterfully crafted spearsword, from a magic circle conjured by sparks of white lightning, from her palm.
"Heh, ok I'll leave them to you." Bruce says. In a flash, Bruce appears in front of Isaac. Dense black ice gathers, cloaking his left fist. With a powerful blow to the face, Isaac is lifted off his feet and launched quite a fair bit away. A shock wave emits from the impact, shoving everyone except Karen and Igor away. Igor grins.
"So that's a member of the strongest adventurers. Wonder how I'll compare."
"Your feats are impressive. Clearing a B-rank dungeon by yourself, managing to fight a kraken and survive, killing an adult dragon. Very impressive, but isn't that kraken still alive?" Igor grits his fists before drawing his katana. Igor dashes forward to confront Karen.
She dodges Igor's slash and shoots a bolt of lightning from her palm. Igor endures it with his clothes tearing apart. He surrounds himself in golden energy attempting to hit Karen with his katana. His speed and strength increase ten-fold. Karen smirks as she dodges his strikes. She parries his blade to the side and readies a strike with her fist. A cracking air sound echoes as her fist approaches Igor's head. On impact, a shockwave is emitted and Igor is knocked into the ground.
"The kraken I fought, died on our first encounter." Karen taunts. Igor grunts as he lunges upward with a slash. Rocks burst from the ground and restraints Igor mid swing. "Anger is a powerful tool." Karen shoots a bolt of white lightning into the sky with her hand. It arcs downward and strikes Igor's back, digging him into the ground. "But only if you can control it."
Abaddon dashes into the fray and slashes at Karen's arm with her sharp claws. Karen reacts with a grunt and grabs Abaddon's wings as she rushes past her. She drags her to the ground in a quick motion.
"Don't touch me, bi-" Abaddon yells as she attempts to slash Karen, but is interrupted by the bottom of a boot against her face slamming her into the ground. Karen cracks a large portion of the ground as she stomps on Abaddon's face mercilessly.
"Shut up." Karen states. Igor leaps out of the ground and swings his katana in a fashion to cleave Karen's head. Karen glares at Igor with her ruby red eyes, halting his attack. His eyes widen and muscles tense as his legs shake. "What you're feeling now is fear." Karen vanishes in front of Igor. Igor flinches and steps back.
"What the?" Igor states, searching for her.
"Behind you." Igor turns around swinging his blade. Karen ducks into a crouch, dodging the blade with ease. She uses the strength of her legs and leaps off the ground with an uppercut causing another shockwave on impact. She leaves a large crater as she steps off the ground. "That was pretty good if I say so myself." Karen states, as she falls from the height of a tall oak tree. She lands on her feet and cracks the ground further. Karen, with strands of silver hair hanging over her face, stabs her spearsword into the ground and sweeps her smooth loose hair over her head revealing her ruby-like eyes.
Karen shields her eyes with her hand from the sun. She looks towards the sky tracking Igor. In a matter of seconds, he finally reaches the clouds. As he passes through them they change their shape. Karen grabs and lifts her spearsword towards Igor. Her hair starts to rise ever so slightly as streaks of white lightning generate around her. The lightning carves and scorches the broken ground as they connect. With a wide smile, streaks of lightning wrap around her blade.
Bolts of lightning shoot from her blade piercing the air while reshaping to form into a large tiger charging towards Igor. A shockwave cracks the ground as Abaddon lunges forward towards Karen like a drill. Karen stops Abaddon's quick movement with ease. She still holds her blade at Igor, maintaining the duration of the attack while gripping Abaddon's wrist. Karen snaps Abaddon's arm. A painful cry leaks as her blood spills onto the ground. Karen tosses Abaddon in front of her and with a disappointed glare she releases a blast of intense white flames, large enough to engulf a house.
Bruce approaches Omega glancing at the gemstone with interest. Omega leaps back gaining some distance. He stretches his arms to the side and closes his fist while his muscles tense. Dozens of magical circles with unique symbols are conjured around Bruce. After a few seconds of charging they shoot bolts of condensed energy like a gun turret. Bruce deflects a few shots while dodging the rest, but the rate of each shot increases to the point of making sonic booms. After getting hit a few times in the chest, back and legs, with significant force that shoves him a few inches of the direction or almost causing him to kneel. Bruce surrounds himself with a thick layer of swirling black wind, acting as a barrier that absorbs the impacts. Ice creeps from his feet as he steps towards Omega. The rapid spread of the black ice blankets the difficult terrain and freezes the few remains of grasses.
Omega tries to slow the ever growing spread, with his magical attacks, they prove effective for a bit until thick branches of ice emerge like a whale. As the branches arc onto the dirt ground a new wave of ice spreads. Soon the ice reaches Omega, freezing his legs together with the frozen ground. Bruce rests his longsword on Omega's bare shoulder.
"Any last words." Bruce says, with a cold glare. His emerald green eyes glow with fire-like energy. His tone freezes the air and Omega's glow dims.
"Sealing my magic, coward. Do it, it won't matter. They'll be others like us. Others that want to see this world burn and start anew." Omega says, closing his eyes while stretching his neck for a cleaner cut.
"Another fool trying to fix things by running away." Bruce responds. A loud shattering bang echoes through the air which is followed by several others in a continuous fashion. As if thunder was approaching the bangs got closer. Bruce looks up and notices a cloud moving at an incredible speed.
"He's here." Omega gasps. Bruce stares at the cloud as a humanoid figure leaps from it. It crashes onto the ground, cracking a large portion around him. Grey energy emits from him like smoke, as the chunks of rocks drift upward. He carries a thick staff decorated in gold designs on both ends. The creature stands from his initial landing posture and glares at Bruce with his bright golden brown eyes. He has dark brown fur that highlights his monkey features. His body is clad in gold and red armor.
"Hey Wukong. Nice of you to drop by."
"Sun Wukong!" Omega shouts.
"I was told I could fight the strongest if I came. Are you he?" Wukong looks Bruce up and down with interest.
"Who's to say? But who can give up the opportunity to fight an S rank monster by themselves." Bruce taunts. Wukong thrusts his staff towards Bruce, as it extends at speeds that surpass lightning. Bruce is struck in the chest and knocked quite a distance away. Omega watches with a smile as Bruce is sent flying and glances at where Wukong was attacking, but only finds the destroyed land as well as several shockwaves.
Wukong appears behind Bruce and swings his staff like a bat knocking Bruce high into the sky. Wukong leaps off the ground and appears above Bruce preparing to swing his staff downwards. Bruce twists his body and swings his sword against the staff, his arms tremble from the impact. Even as they fall Bruce fights back using wind-like platforms to hold himself in place for a moment before Wukong crushes them.
"You aren't using your full strength are you!" Wukong shouts, pushing Bruce further down and spins mid air to carry the momentum of the staff and swinging it down as it extends smacking against Bruce's sword again torpedoing him even faster onto the ground.
"Haha, you noticed." Bruce taunts basking in the sun. He leaps out of the way as Wukong crashes down with his staff, plunging it into the ground. Bruce reacts instantly and lunges forward coating his fist with condensed powerful wind. He socks Wukong, though without so much as blinking he retaliates by grabbing Bruce's hair pulling him down for a strike with his knee. Bruce staggers as blood starts to drip from his nose.
"Fight seriously!" Wukong strikes Bruce's chest with his palm then spins into a kick, slamming him against the ground. Bruce pushes off the ground and uppercuts Wukong with fist coated in strong wind. He withstands it for a moment with a disappointed glare. Then a delayed blast of powerful wind knocks him into the air and his expression shifts to more excitement. He feels a strong grip on his leg and is slammed against the ground. Bruce coats his blade in heavy condensed layers of wind as he thrusts it against Wukong's face. Wukong notices and bites the blade, halting its movement. "I'm impressed you managed to knock me down."
"You haven't pushed me far enough." Bruce taunts as he struggles to hold Wukong down. He disappears and reappears instantly behind Bruce, coating his hand in a grey smokey aura. He taps Bruce's back and releases a blast of greyish energy. The devastating roar fits the monstrous size of the blast as it can effortlessly over take a mountain.
Wukong is kicked away. He flips and faces the new challenger. Karen furiously glares as fragments of white flames circle her. Sparks of lightning begin to appear before she blitzes Wukong. He dodges her furious barrage and counters with a palm strike, but she endures and strikes back. Wukong smiles as blood drips from his nose. He engulfs himself in the grey aura and fights back allowing himself to get hit only to land even more powerful strikes. As Karen spits blood and staggers for a moment, Wukong grabs her head and slams it against the ground with enough force to cause the ground beneath them to collapse, creating huge cracks in the area. Karen breaths heavily as the lightning and flames fade.
"You are a strong one, much more fierce than that boy." Wukong states before he is lifted from behind and slammed into the ground. Before he could recover his footing a powerful blow to the gut blasts him quite a bit away. Bruce rushes to Karen and lifts her onto her feet. She staggers, but maintains her posture leaning on Bruce.
"Damn, even beaten you look beautiful." Bruce states wiping off the blood on her face. She smiles and attempts to stand on her own.
"Do you think we can beat him like this?" Karen questions, cleaning Bruce's bloodied face.
"To be honest no, he isn't going serious and in our current state even if we do transform, we have no idea of his true limits."
"But?"
"But fuck it, we can't improve without fighting stronger beings." Karen grins and they both close their eyes.
"Don't lose yourself." She comments, grabbing his hand. The ground shakes violently like an earthquake. The rubble starts to float into the sky. Wukong recalls his staff to himself and cracks his back, letting out a grin.
Karen tenses as black and purple armor slowly wraps around her. She lowers herself and lets out a roar similar to that of a lion as a large, stocky tail emerges from her getting armored as well. A bolt of lightning scars itself along her right eye before the armor clads her head. The armor shapes itself into a helmet carved similar to that of a lion's face with a silver mane. Lastly a black cloak emerges as she rises up in an imposing posture with lightning flicking around her. She summons her spearsword and points it at Wukong.
Bruce slightly increases in muscle mass as thick white and orange armor wraps around his body. He raises his chest as a pair of white eagle-like wings emerge. A white ring surrounds his pupils remaining in the center of his irises. Frost starts to cover the ground as many dagger-like icicles take shape around him, he grabs his sword with black wind and recalls it.
Wukong enters his posture, with his palm facing them and his staff behind himself. Wukong engulfs himself in his grey aura and frowns angrily. Bruce and Karen charge causing the ground to crack behind them. Wukong parries both attacks and counters, smacking them with his staff which causes a massive shockwave on impact.
Isaac, invisible, sneaks behind Dean and thrust his sword through him. The grey cage fizzles as it shatters like glass. The gemstone splits in half releasing a monstrous roar. An oval, transparent purple vortex, cracks the space above the black gemstone.
A massive monstrosity steps out of the vortex. With a single bright red eye-like feature, surrounded by armor-like plates that have fused with its body. Four horns point away from the front of its head. The grey metal like plates, infused with its crimson skin, are jagged and chipped, but sway like it's alive. Both of its arms have giant blades that make great swords look small. Two pairs of tentacles reveal themselves, colored a purplish pink with electric blue bolts of lighting flickering within them like a pulse. Each step pulls the rubble upward. It looks around the sky, and lets out a low growl of unknown nature. It walks with a stench of rotten flesh and stares at Isaac, towering him with ease.
"W-w-we." Isaac stutters, removing his helm. One of the tentacles wrap around Isaac and starts to crush him. The life in his face starts to fade and his skin starts to wrinkle. Within a few seconds, Isaac loses his strength and goes limp. The tentacle retracts into the creature's body. The monster tosses him to the side and vanishes with immense speed. He appears before Abandon and Igor. Doing the same thing to them, but with different tentacles. He glances at Omega then at Dean, as if deciding who to kill next.
Bruce notices the monster approaching Dean and leaps in between them. The monster gazes at the bloodied man in front of him with pure will in his eyes. The monster turns to Omega and grasps him with the last tentacle.
Wukong shakes the wounds on his body off and glances at the monster. Karen lunges with her weapon not noticing the creature. Wukong maneuvers behind her and shoves her against the ground. He holds her in place with his foot. He plunges his staff besides her head.
"Girl, what's that." Wukong points at the monster as it makes its way towards Bruce. Karen looks with a frown and widens her eyes as she spots the creature.
"They did it. They opened the portal." Karen quivers. She attempts to push off the ground, but is only able to rise slightly off it. "Get off me!" Waves of flames and lightning radiate from her. Wukong endures it as he looks around, finding his allies dead. He lifts his legs and steps to the side. Karen launches herself at the creature as she socks it at full force. It remains unphased as it reaches for her arm. Bruce lunges forward and grabs her leg pulling her behind him. The creature gazes at Bruce swinging down his bladed arm. Black ice traps the creature and continues to compress. Though it doesn't hold for long as it cracks before shattering.
"Karen, take me to the portal." Dean begs as he tries to seal his wound with magic.
"Are you an idiot?" Karen answers, as she picks him up. "Wendy needs to heal you. She hasn't done anything, but wait for her time of need."
"Don't be dumb. We both know that she needs to save her magic on healing for the both of you. We don't know what that thing can do."
"But your wound."
"It hurts, but I won't die from this." Dean touches his forehead against Karen's. "I want to help. I don't want to be on the sidelines."
"If you die I'm going to kill you." Karen states. She rushes next to the portal. She leaves Dean there and returns to help Bruce, who is trying his best against the creature. Dean observes the portal and holds his arms out containing both him and the portal in a hexagonal dome before surrounding it with several magic circles.
The creature slices across Bruce's chest and kicks him far. Karen tackles the creature, but is unable to make it budge. It elbows Karen's back, shattering that part of her armor. It prepares to stab Karen's bare back until Wukong grabs the blade an inch before it meets.
"I'm your opponent now." Wukong orders, twisting the creature's arm. With his arms coated in energy he palm strikes the creature launching him into the far distance. "Go heal, until you both are at full strength again. You are a nuisance." Karen stands without a word and rushes to Bruce.
"Bruce, we have to reach Wendy." Karen states, as Bruce tries to stand. A puddle of blood is under him. Karen lifts him and notices that his armor is crushed in him with a large slice scaring his torso. "Bruce!"
"Calm down, this is just a scratch." Karen lifts him off his feet and runs to Wendy. "She's going to heal you first, no questions asked."
"What? But you hurt worse than me." Bruce holds her face and squishes her cheek.
"I don't like it when you are hurt. Please, do it for me."
"This isn't fair."
"Life isn't fair." Bruce kisses Karen for a moment. "Tastes like blood." Her face blushes a rosy red as her arms shiver like a small animal that is threatened. They gaze into each other's eyes for a moment before Karen breaks it.
"Ah. W-what did I say about being so aggressive." Karen stutters, trying to frown her eyebrows.
"I know what you said, but if I don't go for it we won't kiss." Bruce explains. Wendy starts to prepare healing runes as she notices Karen and Bruce approaching. Wendy rushes to heal Bruce, but he stops her. "Karen first." Wendy hesitates and does as he orders with a frown. Bruce sits next to them watching Wendy heal Karen. He places his hand on Wendy's shoulder and a magic rune appears on the both of them. Bruce winces as Karen's wounds are healed.
"How do we stop that thing?" Wendy asks. Karen stands and closes her eyes, with full focus and deep breaths her armor starts to repair itself.
"Don't worry about that right now. Focus on healing Bruce." Karen aims at the creature with one of her hands. White lightning generates around her like an aura, it strikes her palm gathering and reshaping. A perfectly condensed javelin forms in her hands. Thunderous cracks scatter as she readies to throw it. The roars of white flames coat the lightning as the ground beneath her starts to crack from the pressure she's generating. She throws it with immense force making lightning seem slow. Multiple shockwaves explode along its path as it deeply splits the ground.
Wukong barely manages to dodge it as it cuts his cheek. The creature reaches for it unafraid. On impact the javelin detonates a massive explosion, engulfing both Wukong and the creature near instantly. The large dust cloud remains hiding the aftermath of the attack.
Bruce stands fully healed and regenerates his armor. Wendy starts to breathe heavily as she winces with each breath she wipes off her sweat and attempts to stand. He offers a hand to Wendy lifting her up to her feet. Bruce cups one of her cheeks and a magic rune appears on both of them, he flinches with pain. Wendy closes her eyes and puckers her lips. Bruce leans in, but stops inches from her lips. Dean appears beside them all with information.
"There is a way we can stop it." He explains.
"I already killed it." Karen claims. He shakes his head.
"No offense, but you aren't strong enough to kill it with just that attack."
"What do you know? I happen to use one of my strongest attacks." The dust cloud drifts away revealing Wukong significantly injured with burn marks, but passively healing the wounds at a slow pace. The creature remains barely standing with most of its upper body blown away. It roars loudly and immediately regrows the damage. Panting from fatigue, as it tests its new limb. It targets Karen with a glare. Wukong steps to the side with a grin and rests against his staff.
"We don't have to worry about the portal anymore, it's a one time use device that needs to be recharged. But that doesn't mean that Nero can't use it."
"Who the hell is Nero?" Bruce questions.
"Nero is the creature that came through, apparently it's a rather average ranking monster since anything stronger couldn't pass with the size of the portal." Dean states, conjuring a magic circle. "The only way to currently stop it is to seal it or reopen the portal to send it back." Wendy heals Dean's wounds as he explains.
"Just try to stall it until I generate a strong enough prison." Nero dashes at them with immense speed. It swings at Karen with its blade. Bruce blocks it with a wind barrier for a moment and pulls Karen away. She cloaks her spearsword in flames. Nero breaks through the shield and chops Bruce's arm off as Bruce tries to block it again. Wendy's eyes glow bright as a powerful pulse of her magic emits from Bruce's missing arm. It immediately returns as if it wasn't cut before. Bruce taps Wendy and winches before coating his fist in strong winds and launching several of his icicle daggers at the creature.
Karen slashes at Nero with terrifying strength, actually wounding it. Each dagger imbeds itself, freezing a large portion of the creature's body. Though it manages to overcome the damage and punches Karen to the ground before striking Bruce hard, lifting him off the ground with ease. It stares at Bruce and its eye begins to glow red hot. It projects a thick fiery red beam of intensified heat. On impact it blasts Bruce further up the air while melting his armor with relative ease. Karen punches Nero moving the beam's direction and starts to generate a similar intensity of flames in her palm. Nero disburses the beams and changes his target to Karen once again projecting the thick fiery beam. She counters with her own flames. The ground around them begins to liquify with the heat. Karen's armor begins to melt as well, but she endures and uses her other hand to enhance her attack with more flames increasing the size massively.
Nero walks through the flames as his beam acts as a barrier. He reaches Karen and emerges from her flames enduring the heat. He pulls her arms away and stares directly at her. He unleashes the beam once more crushing her against the ground. Bruce using his speed he reels back his cupped hands, as they are also coated in powerful wind, and slams Nero's head stopping the beam and causing a massive shockwave.
Dean teleports to the creature and seals it in a grey cage. Bruce, with worse injuries than before, helps Karen on her feet as she has similar wounds. Wendy rushes to them and begins the healing process once more clearly panting from the rapid healing she has done. Wendy falls on the ground exhaust and notices a crack on the cage.
"Dean!" Wendy cries.
The cage shatters like glass and releases a pulse of concussive force that staggers those nearby. The creature targets Dean and impales him with his blade before tossing him to the side. Wendy rushes to heal, but with her stamina it's at a slower rate. Nero targets Wendy next and slashes at her. Bruce blocks it and glares at Nero with fiery aura-like eyes. He has red, scar-like markings that course throughout his body. Nero's arms freeze as the icicle daggers stab him. He glances at Karen.
"Supernova." Bruce says, as he grasps Nero in a hug and uses his wings to fly high in the air. Karen stomps the ground and begins to gather lightning once more in her palm.
"Don't die, idiot." White flames explode outward and surround her like a wildfire trying to escape. "Wukong! Are you willing to die here! This is our only chance after this and we're done!"
"Since you really want to defeat this thing I'll lend a hand, but I don't think even with my help it will be enough." Wukong states, appearing beside her. He places his hand on her back and enhances her with his aura. "Just keep gathering energy until you can't anymore."
Nero stabs Bruce several times attempting to break free, but Bruce holds on tighter and begins to crush Nero. Bruce hovers high in the sky releasing a wave of frost slowly freezing Nero. In a panic, Nero fires his beam at Bruce point blank. Even with a wind barrier, his grip slowly weakens as he tries to endure the heat and burning pain of flesh.
"We'll start a family together, right?" Wendy asks.
"Yeah, that'll be nice. We can retire and live away from civilization." Bruce responds.
"I don't mind anywhere, as long as we stay together I'll be happy."
"Of course we're gonna stay together." Karen states. "You think I'm going to let you have Bruce to yourself?"
"Calm down, we've been together for years now, nothing is going to change." Dean states.
"Yeah, nothing will change." Bruce mumbles. A flash of memories invades his mind and triggers a surge of power to rise.
Bruce crushes Nero once more and begins to block the beam with powerful wind. Bruce shouts letting out an angry roar that reaches Karen's ears. In a hurry she surrounds the javelin with all of her flames and throws it.
"No, it's too early!" Wukong shouts. Nero notices the javelin and directs his beam at it. Wukong reactively throws his staff. It out speeds the javelin and collides with the beam pushing against it, creating a path for the javelin. The staff crashes into the creature displacing them. The javelin strikes Nero's back instead of the head. With the enormous explosion, the clouds blast away and the ground quakes violently. The shock wave blows far past them, tearing and burning the roots of trees with ease. Bruce loses his grip for a moment and both of them fall rapidly towards the ground.
Karen collapses onto her knees and retracts her helm into her armor and notices Bruce falling at a fast rate, but can't move her legs. She shouts as she struggles to move. She emits air pressure crushing the area around her. With sheer will she manages to stand and take a step forward. Though it's not enough. Bruce notices the creature falling with him. It slowly starts to move, reaching for Bruce as its eye flickers, unable to produce the energy necessary. Bruce responds with a smile as the marks fade. His armor crumbles as his wings wither. He's back to normal. Karen widens her eyes with fear as she's unable to move forward. They both crash leaving a crater on impact.
Wendy rushes to the crater with a limp. She slides down it and sees Bruce unconscious laying on top of a pool of his blood. She checks on him, but is interrupted by Nero. With its blades broken, it lifts Bruce by his head glaring at him with its scorched face.
"Wait!" Wendy begs. The creature slides his blade into Bruce's heart. It glances at Wendy and tosses the dead body at her. It remains still slowly healing its wounds. Wendy, desperately trying to muster magic, simply can't. "Come on, come on." She cries, pressing her hands over his wounded body. "Bruce, not you too. Please, I can't lose anyone else." Her tears don't stop. She lifts Bruce close to her. "Why! Did you take him away from me!" The creature stares with no response. "Karen! Karen! Please, anyone. Tell me this is a dream." Wendy grabs a dagger from her waist and aims it at herself. "Don't leave me alone." She brings the blade to herself and stops. She drops the dagger and hugs Bruce. "Don't leave me, I can't raise it alone." She takes his hand and places it on her belly. "Let's name it together. See them grow and leave home."
Karen limps towards the edge of the crater with Wukong's help. She sees Wendy holding Bruce's lifeless body. She stares frozen in place. Her tears sliding down her cheeks. Finally she notices Nero healing. She lets out a powerful roar that shakes the ground. A pair of black goat horns, with white markings on them, emerge and bends back alongside her hair. White lightning-like markings appear throughout her body. Karen charges at Nero. Before it could react Karen punches it into the ground. Her path left destruction across the ground. Without letting up she pursuits the creature.
"Die! Die! Die!" She cries with a roar, unleashing a barrage of strikes that crack large portions of ground open. Wukong barley is able to follow her with his sight, but Wendy catches his eyes. She begins to glow with a crystalline aura with yellow and white hues. Her eyes shift to a bright burning white as a golden halo appears above her.
"I can save you." She mumbles with a smile. A flash of light engulfs Bruce before vanishing. The aura around Wendy fades as the life in her eyes fade as well. Bruce starts to grasp for air and coughs, he spits out blood. Wukong stares in awe, not understanding what's happening.
"First that girl reaches the level of an Archdemon." He states glancing at Karen as she is releasing attacks that easily destroy mountains. "Now that girl actually made bringing someone back from the dead a reality." He observes further. Bruce shakes Wendy, but she doesn't respond. "Looks like it also has a price."
"Dean!" Bruce lifts Wendy's body in his arms. He rushes to Dean and lays Wendy in front of him. "Stop it. It's an order." Dean checks her pulse and shakes his head.
"Bruce, she's dead. I can't do anything."
"I said stop it!" Bruce yells as his wings start to grow back. His previous armor re-equips itself as he stares at Dean. "You're the only one that can halt the process. I won't make it in time. Please, Dean. Let me save her."
"I don't know what sort of plan you have, but she's already dead, nothing can bring her back."
"That's not up for you to decide." Dean seals Wendy in a cage that freezes time.
"You only have 30 minutes."
"Plenty of time." Bruce wraps wind around Wendy and flies full speed away from the fight. Karen stops and notices Bruce flying with Wendy. Nero tries to attack with his blade, but several blades of lightning crash into it despite Karen ignoring it. Karen lifts her arm up into the sky and gathers a ball of flames. Sparks flicker around it as it condenses looking almost like a comet.
"Time to end this. Not even you can handle this." It tries to fire a beam at her, but her glare frightens it in place. "Pathetic." She thrusts the comet against Nero. The fiery explosion engulfs a large portion of the land and turns it into a deep, burning ravine. Karen stands in front of it staring at the destruction, loses her horns and falls back into her original state before losing consciousness.
"Finally, a worthy opponent." Wukong lifts her up and drags her to Dean. He tosses her to him. "How long has it been since the last S rank demon emerged?" Wukong glances at the gemstone currently floating. The portal loses its color as Nero dies. Wukong grabs it and whistles. A cloud zooms down at high speed. Wukong jumps on it and flies away.
Bruce continues to blast through the land tearing holes through mountains not wanting to stop for anything. He crashes into the ground of a forest. It's large enough to be a country with several massive trees, but one stands out from the rest, the first tree of the forest. Bruce rushes through the forest until he reaches the base of the first tree.
"Godwin! I'm here!" Bruce shouts. He waits for a moment before the ground shakes. The tree moves for a brief moment as the ground starts to split. Bruce flies upward and moves away watching a ginormous tortoise force its way out of the ground. Its size is larger than that of a mountain. Bruce flies next to its massive eye, showing himself.
"Bruce, nice to see you again." It's voice is loud enough to cause small tremors, even though it's just whispering.
"I need you to save her." Bruce states.
"You know what it means to save her, don't you?"
"I don't care for the price, I'll pay it."
"Not that simple. She has to pay for it, with her freedom. If I bring her back she can't ever leave the forest, if she does she'll die and even I can't help her then."
"What? She has to retire being an adventurer."
"She has to abandon the rest of the world." Godwin looks at the two of them before going back into the ground. "If you still want to do it, say my name." Bruce watches Wendy's lifeless body in his arms.
"I'm sorry." Bruce holds her tight and shouts with no hesitation. "Godwin!" Several layers of magic circles trap them. Some of the trees on Godwin's back wither as they power the magic circles. The circles transform into wisps and fade into Wendy. With the last one gone Wendy opens her eyes seeing Bruce.
"I'm sorry." He pulls her close and hugs her. "I took your freedom. If you want to live you have to remain in the forest."
"I'll be fine Bruce. You don't have to worry about me. Go follow your dream, continue adventuring."
"I won't leave you. I'll take responsibility." Bruce places his hand on her belly. "For both of you."
"You knew?" Bruce drifts down with Wendy holding her up with a wind-like platform.
"I felt its presence when you revived me." Bruce puts his hands on her smiling cheeks and leans in for the kiss. "What should we call it?" He says before kissing Wendy again. This kiss is longer and with more passion as if not wanting to pull away from each other.
"If it's a girl, Selena." She states as Bruce goes for another round finally reaching the ground. "You name the boy." Bruce places his forehead against hers and laughs.
"Let's call him Marcus."