"Do not underestimate him, Akuro." Brimgarn's voice growled in Akuro's mind.
'I don't intend to.' Akuro responded.
"You sure? Because from my perspective you seem to be blinded by rage. Take a look at your Aura Cloak, it's losing its solidity because you are losing control." Brimgarn pointed out.
"He's not wrong, Akuro. Just look. Your aura is chaotic and losing its shape." Mato said.
Akuro clenched his jaw and bit his lip, the taste of blood touching his tongue. 'Just shut up already!'
Both Mato and Brimgarn went silent then, Akuro's mind a sound of static. "I don't need your opinions. I don't need anyone's! I will follow my own path.. my own way!" He roared aloud, not just to Mato and Brimgarn, but also to Moorza.
"Just because you throw a fit doesn't mean it will change anything. The outcome here is the same. You will die." Moorza spoke, his eyes glaring down spitefully at Akuro and Darius.
"How exactly do you plan on killing us?" Darius asked, turning to Moorza. "We are immortal, and from what I've seen you don't have any weapons that can seal or shatter our souls."
"Oh, soon, in due time you will perish." Moorza responded. "It is written in the stars."
"Wow, how original of you to say." Darius said. "Akuro, ready?"
Akuro nodded, taking a deep breath to calm his rage. It didn't have a large affect, but his Aura Cloak became slightly more solid.
Akuro then knelt down and put his hand against the pale ground, shadows encroaching across the ground like ivy. Moorza studied Akuro with interest and confusion, as it did not seem he was directing the attack at him. Then he realized. As he turned to Darius and threw out his Chakrams, it was too late. Five mirrors formed on all sides of Moorza, from them burst waves of black aura that then engulfed Moorza in a massive ball of shadow, like a black hole, swallowing the god and enshrouding him in darkness.
"Nice!" Darius cheered. "It worked!"
Akuro grit his teeth in frustration as he willed his aura to consume all of Moorza, so that he could then shatter the God's soul, but it was strange. Even though he could feel the aura Moorza gave off, it was as if it were an illusion. He could not absorb any of it, nor could he even sense a soul inside Moorza, it was as though he were no more than a walking corpse, animated by aura not of its own.
Darius took note of the fact that Akuro seemed to be struggling.
"What's wrong? Can't you absorb his aura and shatter his soul?" He asked.
"I'm trying!" Akuro yelled. "But it's like he doesn't have a soul!"
"What? That's not even possible, is it?" Darius asked, turning to the massive ball of shadow in the sky. "Damnit! This isn't good.."
The ground suddenly began to tremble and from the earth rose four pillars surrounding Moorza and the two Deities. The storm of black aura suddenly shifted as a hissing sound emitted from it, and a moment later it began to shrink down rapidly until it vanished completely. Moorza then stood there, atop his pillar, an orb held in one hand giving off a faint light. It had absorbed all of Akuro's aura.
"It was a good attempt. Amusing really." Moorza spoke. "But it is not nearly enough."
Akuro stood back up to his feet, breathing heavily. He'd used most of his aura already, the fight being longer than what he was used to. Not just that but he had no one to absorb aura from. If he could absorb aura from Moorza, then he would be able to fight longer. That's when something hit Akuro, clicking in his mind, and as it did, his eyes narrowed down to his target in tunnel vision.
"Darius." Akuro spoke.
"Hm?" Darius asked, turning to Akuro.
"I think I know where his soul is."
Darius watched Akuro for a moment, confused, then followed his gaze.
"The orb.."
Moorza held his dragon orb in the palm of his left hand, then put it against his chest, the orb phasing through his body and sinking into him. When the orb sank into his body, his other sword reappearing in his hand, his aura seemed to grow exponentially. The swords grew larger, as did the chakrams. His horns grew larger and his scales became harder and more sharp. The silver flakes in his wings began to give off a brilliant light as his wings grew.
Akuro then recalled that he ha absorbed the aura of both Nezzra and Nerrik and when he did it seemed to flow into his chest area. Of course. He was a half god half dragon, meaning he doesn't hold his soul in his body, he holds it in the orb. That is why he give off aura, but it could not be absorbed nor could his soul be shattered.
"We need to find a way to somehow get to it." Akuro spoke.
"Doubt it will be easy. I imagine it loses its solid state when it goes inside him, meaning we can't touch it." Darius pointed out.
"We will have to hit it with everything we've got when he uses it." Akuro said.
"Enough with the chatter." Moorza spoke. "Whether or not you know where my soul resides does not matter. You will not be victorious here."
Moorza rose both hands into the air. Suddenly the air inside the surrounding four pillars became heavy, as though gravity were increased tenfold. Akuro and Darius's legs buckled as they fell to the ground hard. Blinding silver light emitted from the tops of each of the pillars. From two of them a strange sort of wire or string began to form, the strings slowly growing and reaching towards the Deities.
But then a loud ring, like the sound of a church bell, ran through the air and a moment later a burst of white flames blocked out the sky and engulfed the pillars. The pillars then began to crumble away, breaking and falling apart, the strings and aura fading.
As gravity returned to normal and Akuro and Darius could stand again, Moorza's eyes turned to something in the distance. As the white flames died away, Akuro forced himself up off of the ground and followed Moorza's gaze to see a figure standing a ways off in a white Aura Cloak with the mask of a Kitsune.
It took Akuro a moment, but then he realized who it was. "Inari?!" He called. "What are you doing here? Get away! He is too strong-"
"Shut up!" Inari yelled. "Im tired of you acting like you need to protect me. Im tired of you treating me like a child! I am a Deity too! I can stand on my own two feet!"