Akuro felt nothing. He couldn't tell what he was even doing anymore, his body was just moving while his mind was numb. The only thing he could think of.. was power. Power.. power.. it was all he wanted, all he needed, the only thing he could possibly ever need..
"You wish for power, boy?" Came a voice like the hiss of a venomous viper.
Yes.. it was all he ever wanted.. the only thing he could think of.. he needed it.. he needed to be stronger..
The voice came again, this time in a dark laugh.
"Then I shall grant your wish.. let it consume you, let your urge to kill, to destroy, to obliterate everything, let it consume you completely. Shower this world in darkness.."
•
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•
Breathing heavily, Darius stood a couple yards away from Akuro. A massive pit was forged into the earth from the Dark Implosion, which had completely swallowed Darius whole. It took such a large amount of aura to recreate his body, and he was already running low from the previous fight. His Aura Cloak was beginning to waver, his legs felt weak. He couldn't even close his fist all the way, it was like when you just wake up or you are bitterly cold, your body begins to stop functioning.
He wouldn't be able to fight for much longer.
Then he felt a cold sense of dread.
He looked up at Akuro, who was now enshrouded by a swirling cloud of shadows, without any shape or form. Massive rocks began to rise into the air as the earth began to break apart. Darius suddenly felt his legs buckle as he was slammed to the ground so hard it shattered his kneecaps. An immense pressure began to condense around him, crushing his body and making it impossible to breathe.
And then the aura stopped shifting and just froze.
Darius watched with wide eyes as the shadows then began to condense, and within the next minute they disappeared completely.. leaving Akuro standing in his new form.
From what it appeared, Akuro had no Aura Cloak, yet he gave off such immense pressure that the air around his body was vibrating and the ground at his feet cracked. He stood there, expressionless. He wore a black robe and over his shoulders and lower arms were thick plates of black metal, layered and spikes jutting up from each plate. His hands were covered as well, spikes pointing out from his knuckles. The armor made his arms look much larger Than they really were. The chains that once clung to his arms now were only attached to his shoulders, the chain links flowing like flickering scarves in the wind behind him, the pressure causing them to thrash about. Plates of black armor also covered his thighs and shins while about his waist was a spiked belt. Thin blades extended from his shins and elbows. There was nothing covering his head or face, but even so that had also changed drastically. His features somehow seemed sharper, darker. It was like he had gone goth and black mascara had been added to his eyes, making his eyelashes appear longer, making him look almost like an Egyptian Pharaoh. Two sleek black horns extended from his head while gleaming black spikes of metal hung from his ears. His eyes were dark and emotionless, the crimson, lightless irises glaring down at Darius with indifference.
"A-Akuro..?" Darius managed, in disbelief of his friend's new appearance.
Akuro gave no response, he simply continued to glare down at Darius, almost the way one would look at a cockroach or a vermin.
Slowly, as if in slow motion, Akuro held out his hand towards Darius. And then began to form his hand into a fist.
Darius suddenly froze. He felt a cold pain run through his frame.. he knew this feeling... it reminded him of when the fought against Moorza's Soul Strings. He looked up at Akuro in disbelief and desperation.
Akuro was about to shatter Darius's soul.
•
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•
Youlgnir froze. His body became tense and his eyes grew wide as he shivered with fear. This aura.. it was like that day, the day Azazel...
Long ago, when only Gods and Titans existed, a high tier goddess fell in love with one of the Titan lords. This resulted in the mix of the two powers, creating Azazel, the most powerful being to ever exist.
The Titans were infuriated, disgusted by this disgrace. The Titan that fathered Azazel was executed, while the mother and the child stayed in the safety of the Divine Realm. The Titans threatened to wage war on the gods if Azazel was not killed. Though Azazel's mother fought to keep him alive, in the end, she could not defy the one ultimatum. The One Ultimatum was the being that created the gods, the entire race as a whole. He was the original God before Azazel or Youlgnir. His word was indisputable and could not be disobeyed by any god. Thus, the decision that Azazel would be killed came to be, but, when they tried to eliminate him, they found they could not. No matter what they tried, the attacks either never even affected Azazel or they were simply absorbed and made him stronger.
In the end, the mother offered up her life in place of Azazel's. The Titans accepted this.. but after her death, they said that it wasn't enough. The child must die as well. The gods were enraged at this, and decided against killing Azazel. This resulted in the first ever Immortal war. The gods won that war. Why? Because of Azazel. His power was greater than even that of the One Ultimatum. He was unstoppable and was really the main reason the gods were able to win. From then on, the gods and Titans have been mortal enemies.
Every war, every conflict, everything that is set into action now, is all centered around Azazel. His birth, his rise to the throne, his betrayal, all of it.
Why the Titans would agree to work with Azazel at any point? No one knew. It was uncalled for and surprising that the Titans agreed to work with the very reason that they started a war for. The entire event was clouded by mystery and holes that have yet to be filled in.
But, when Azazel was born, it sent a shockwave through the entirety of the universe, the birth of an all powerful being sent vibrations through the world, the solar system, and every galaxy in the entirety of existence. And this, this feeling that Youlgnir felt now, this was much like that day, the day Azazel was born.
And this could only mean one thing.
"The beginning of a new ending to the story of reality."
Youlgnir understood Azazel's words now. He never intended to kill Akuro. He intended to make Akuro his apprentice, his weapon to end all things.
And this feeling of dread Youlgnir felt now.. this was the beginning of the end.