When we arrived, the guards at the gate stopped us for inspections. Seeing that we're not human, those guards got some funny ideas to taunt us.
"Oi, you seem to be new here so you'll be given a special fee. Just 2 silvers and we'll let you in."
"Yeah yeah, just two silver."
It's somewhere near midday. Something like this was within minor calculations of mine, so to deal with this I just use some minor mind tricks to make them hallucinate slightly. What they saw was my true form, Absolute Death, and with a reproduced and massively nerfed Aura.
"..."
No words were uttered, and they suddenly gave way for us to enter. Fools, I'd say, daring to stop me, Merlin Avalon who now possesses the body of the infamous God of Death, from advancing further.
......
"Hello, original."
"..."
I am inside a pocket dimension the original made for us to have a conversation. Though, it'll just be mostly me who will do the talking.
"Tell me, what's the plan? Moving forward, what do you plan on doing now that I've given some scraps of information?"
I wanted to relearn what my true self is like, what it feels like to be whole again. But, as expected, to understand someone that's foreign to you it won't be easy. And it's also harder considering the one that I needed to relearn is my former self, someone, or rather thing, that almost no one could figure out.
"Nothing for now, resume your operation."
"...Original, can I become you again?"
"...Negative, it's not a possibility now that you've been contaminated."
"But is there any other way? Can you… can I use my ability over Soul at least?"
"Impossible, you would only self-destruct if you attempted anything. You've lost your touch, and doing anything like that would only result in a premature death. The most you can possibly do is modify targeted Souls. As for me, I won't be helping you, but you probably already know that."
"...Tch."
I click my tongue, something that I would've never done if I was still the same person as the one in front of me.
"So, I'm a pawn now…?"
"Unfortunately… unless, you want to riot and revolt?"
"Haha, the one thing I still have in common with you, original, is that we both hate variables. So, since I'm now a pawn, I might as well stick to that set variable. This conversation was a good one, thanks original."
"...Hmm."
The pitch black silhouette in front of me disappeared, assimilated into the endless darkness around us. Leaving me as the only thing that stood out in this endless dark.
'...Welp, can't do anything else now. Let's just stick to the schedule as planned.'
I've gotten a rough outline of what my original intend to do in the foreseeable future. First is obviously the restoration of the Celestial Dark Palace, next will be the raid of Legends, which I'm currently in development, and then finally the big reveal that will cause an uproar. Three phases that will deliver a swift impact onto this World that once belonged to us, to him, I guess.
'Let's return.'
I return my consciousness to my body and the surroundings regain their colors. I realized that I was in some kind of arena, with cobblestone flooring and an old man in his fifties or something in front of me.
"You've got some guts, Mage. I hope you can cast as quick as you spew those insults earlier."
'...Merlin, what did you do?'
......…
Minutes before that, Merlin Avalon was in control of the main body. He was traveling with Albern and Sherby like normal, and when it was at the gate he used his Magic suddenly which caught Albern and Sherby by surprise.
"Why did you do that…?"
"What did you do to those wimps? They were shaking like they saw an endless horde of Undead or something."
"Nothing much… don't put your mind to it as much.''
Merlin Avalon, as he coexists with the clone version of Absolute Death, the personality traits begin to rub with him and force a collision of personality. Now, as their personality traits mixed, Merlin was a little bit more irritable and became a bit more prone to hostile actions than normal.
'I should keep myself under control better… inner voices, Merlin. Inner voices.'
Merlin was having trouble trying to keep himself in control. The personality conflict is sparking other emotions, such as rage, to spiral out of control more frequently and unstable.
'Now, as for the upcoming meeting… how should I handle it?'
Then, as if to bury that thought, he shifts to his current objective which is to greet the one that'll take the collars off for Absolute Death, his clone at least. He realized after a while, that this entity he's been with is only a derivative of Absolute Death and not the main original. But although that's the case, although the one ordering him around is a fake, a copy, he couldn't come to terms with disobeying orders.
'Tch… having me around his hands like some kind of toy. Absolute Death… you really are one sick and smart bastard.'
Rage suddenly engulfed Merlin, making his Mana spike and form a haze around him that stimulates the emotions he's having. Something was very wrong and Merlin could feel it, but somehow he couldn't stop it. These rampaging, unstable and unhealthy thoughts flooded him. It overwhelms him and puts him in a tough spot.
'.......Calm down, Merlin.'
As the haze cleared, people were already affected. He's been walking straight for a while, with Albern and Sherby following behind, but they've stopped because they detected the haze from Merlin. They watch as the people around them, now that they're in a more slightly populated area with commoners going around, go crazy and unleash a frenzy of nasty words on each other.
Merlin finally snapped out of his trance state, which made the haze disappear and allowed Sherby to tackle him from behind.
"The hell was that for?!"
"Ack! W-Watch the damn back! It's not done-"
"Merlin, you have been strange this past hour… is something the matter?"
The commoners all stared at the commotion with interest, but some were confused as they were still recovering from the after effects of the Mana influence.
"...Nothing, just get out of my hair would ya?"
"...Unhand him, Sherby."
"Tch."
The brute woman let go of Merlin, loosening her forearms around him but before completely releasing him, he teleported out and stood with his back against them.
"Well, let's go. Make it quick and nothing drastic will occur. Hopefully, that is."
The crowd dispersed when Merlin's calm gaze swept over them. His Mana was settling down, but there are certain spikes that still try to emerge. He restrained his thinking, restricting it to only basic instinctual thoughts and observable facts.
'.......'
From now, he's effectively just a mindless puppet running on a given objective. The Mana around him could be faintly discerned by the naked eye, and this made the rest of the commoners they encounter on the road give their way to them.
This city didn't have carriage traffic, fortunately, or else other problems might arise if the carriage they encountered belonged to someone important.
"Sherby, know where the City Office is?"
"Yeah, been there before. I'll lead the way, just keep an eye on the guy."
Sherby and Albern were in the front now, walking a certain distance away from Merlin since they could feel how potent the Mana was around him. They weren't normal humans, and one of them is a Demi-human with potent senses, so the difference in Mana can affect them more greatly than the average human.
Albern looked back while Sherby guided them to the City Office, where Merlin and Albern can get the collars off.
......
When they're escorted to the City Office's top officer, someone who has the authority to remove the collars for them, they're met with a fairly old-looking man with his female secretary.
"Greetings, foreigners… and miss Sherby."
"Just Sherby, young man. No need for honorifics."
"Please, I can't be rude to one of the old Heroes, even if she happens to be a rude and violent woman."
"Hahhh? You still have the tendency of fucking around and find out, huh? Boy, I'm going to-"
"I'm jesting, miss Sherby. Please don't take it that harshly."
"Tch…"
"Hello, mister…"
"Ah, right. Andre, you can just call me that. And what about you two?"
"Albern Altrusia Elinorth, and this here is Merlin Avalon."
"Albern and Merlin, and you're here to get those collars off, right?"
"Yes, we're-"
"But unfortunately, I don't think I can do that for you two. You see, removing it requires the assistance of a Master Mage from one of the towers. Since you've come here so quickly, I didn't get the chance to send out a letter yet."
"...Don't screw around, I can remove this collar myself."
"...I can take that as a threat, right?"
"Treat it however-"
"Apologies, Andre. Merlin is a little agitated right now, he's not usually like this. Please don't take what he said the wrong way, I'm sure he didn't have the intention of illegally removing the collar without permission."
"...Mister Andre, request to dispose of them."
A cold air was surging in the room. It came from the secretary-like woman that's standing off to the side. She exudes positive and direct hostility towards them, Merlin in particular.
"Now now, Felicia. Don't do anything rash to our guests, especially to a former Hero."
"Hero or not, one of them has insulted your authority and made a mockery of your sincerity."
"It's fine, honestly, try and control your icy temper, Felicia."
"...Noted, sir."
With the temperature going down to normal, the old man that's called Andre spoke once more.
"So, is what you said true?"
"It's nothing more than childsplay for me, the reason why I didn't is because of orders."
"Orders… well, it seems like you're a law abiding person, I assume?"
"...Yes."
A simple yes that's responding to a similar question. Merlin, who's busy focusing on controlling his rampaging emotions, cooled down when he remembered just what kind of existence he's now working under. Absolute Death, the best and most terrifyingly successful Player in World Saga Online, the longest running game to ever exist and will ever exist now.
"Nothing to add… then, how about this. We have a pretty big practice arena in the back, personal property that I myself spent to build. Fight, win, then you have my exclusive permission to perform the removal of those collars."
"Haha…hahahaahahahaha!"
A laugh burst forth from Merlin, amused by the proposition of conditions. He soon subsided, his face returning to a neutral with eyes devoid of emotions.
"Alright, I accept."
.........
'And that's the basic rundown of it, sir.'
I listen to Merlin's explanation of what transpired to lead to this event.
[You are in a Duel!]
[An Instant Quest has been issued and modified for your future goals]
'Hoh?'
The second line was new.
[The Instant Quest {Display of Dominance} has been generated]
{Display of Dominance}
[Quest Difficulty: B]
[Quest Conditions: Fight your opponent with only tier-1 Spells, make them feel the disparity in your strengths]
[Quest Reward: Affinity with the City's Official Andre +1]
[Quest Failure: Your reputation as an Arch Mage will be slightly reduced]
It's a Quest with a Difficulty of B, not the most boring nor the most tactically inquiring. I have a vast array of Spells at my disposal, and couple that with Merlin's Build and added Stats, I can practically go face to face with an army millions strong.
'Not that it can be done with Humanity alone.'
I stand before my foe, now with a better grasp of the situation. An old man who works in an office and is the highest authority within the Colloran City, this city I'm currently in.
'Well, tier-1 Spells are flexible enough to make this a possibility. The only variable that can make calculations shift is the opponent.'
I begin to silently form the Mana in the atmosphere, shaping it for convenience sake and for faster Casting.
'Wow… now that this is Reality I can really feel how surreal being able to control Mana is.'
Back in the game, the Players have very intuitive and complex control over the various things their Character can do. As a virtual reality game, the senses are incorporated for a more indepth and 'satisfying' experience. The Players have a very high degree of control in the game compared to the other games in its genre, fully giving Players the ability to even make Skills and Spells.
"Let's begin at the count of three. Felicia, if you would do the honor."
"Of course, it would be my pleasure."
The woman, I can detect a high Mana affinity with ice within her. The circulating Mana was being frozen, but not enough for it to become solid. The high affinity makes it harder or outright unable to use any other element, but it comes with massively enhancing the performance of any Ice-related Magic.
'Hmm… maybe my original will seek her out one day.'
A high affinity with an element is always beneficial for power reasons, and nothing can compare to Death when it comes to seeking more power.
"One..."
'Now that I think of it, maybe he'll keep her alive?'
"Two...."
'Nah, he'll probably make her a slave to one of the floors… maybe she'll fit in Hugor's palace of ice?'
"One….."
'Enough lingering thoughts-'
"Commence!"
'It's time to see how-?!!'
But before I could finish the thought, a white flash exploded in front of me, blinding me for a split second.
'Curse this mortal body…'
A hand impaled me through the chest, right in the middle no less. In front of me, who was just approximately thirty meters away from me, was now looking at me with eyes squinted to a slit.
"The battle ends here."
"...Huhuhu, foolish."
Indeed, what a foolish thing to say.
"Mana Release."
I release the Mana in my Rings and this causes Andre to be overwhelmed. Then, as his face hardened, his eyebrows knitted because he could still feel that I'm not going down anytime soon.
"What…"
He whispered softly and then quickly disengaged. The wound on my chest, a hole from front through back, was starting to heal at a rapid pace. Bone regrowing, flesh wiggling like millions of worms, and soon the wound closed like it was no big deal.
"..."
I re-examine my surroundings. It's a spacious place, capable of free roaming up to about 80 meters with this arena being around 40 meters in diameter. A very spacious place indeed, and the material making of the arena is tough as well, probably able to withstand at least the less damaging tier-3 Spells in my arsenal.
"Alright, now let's see how fast you can move compared to my companion."
I began triggering the already formed Magic Eyes, making them light up. The scene of approximately seventy Magic Eyes all surrounding us in a dome was made. This causes Andre to have a shift in expression, one of dread and confusion.
"First volley. Water Mist: Charged Electrify"
The first wave of Spells are casted from the selected Magic Eyes. A mist of water, supercharged to be very susceptible to electricity. Three Magic Eyes were spewing the vapor, and this slow build up made Andre panic and start moving. It was in desperation, and his target was naturally me.
"White Flash, Electrify!"
He took three steps, exactly three long steps and he was suddenly in front of me.
"Hahaha, wrong move."
His right arm was charged with lightning, white streaks of flashing electricity began to charge his arm with a dangerous crackling sound. He made a slashing motion, tearing and also searing my flesh and muscles with each swing. However, it regenerated back with every swing. A regeneration rate that was terrifying to see, as the arm moved to tear and sear, the flesh, blood, and muscles regenerated back in its track.
"Tick tock, my dying prey."
Like a cornered prey that he is, struggling to avoid the inevitable is what he's trying to do. And he wasn't doing a good job to get out, but a fantastic job at entertaining me.
"...Lightning Spark."
Then, all of the Magic Eyes turned purple in an instant. This signified his death. And, with a different crackle, his fate was sealed.
"...Just kidding~."
Is what would've happened if I was seriously trying to kill him. The explosion of blaring purple lightning was devastating, seen from the scorched ground of the arena. Andre was unscathed, saved by yours truly. Before the explosion, I wrapped him in protective Mana, completely isolating him from the damage. I, on the other hand, wasn't spared the explosion. I could've done the same, but chose not to.
"So, what do you think? Have enough yet?"
I was regenerating from the explosion, most of my clothes were stashed away before the explosion happened, so right now I'm quite exposed to the elements as I speak.
"If so, then please honor your part of the deal. I'm getting really uncomfortable with wearing this collar thing."
"..."
A ding sound was signifying the Quest's completion.
......
"What the fuck was that?!! You just exploded on yourself, how are you still standing here?!!"
"...Sherby, I would appreciate it if you'd just stand back a bit. And please, you look like you're gonna bite off my arm with how close your face is."
Back at the office Andre was working in, Sherby was having a full body check-up on me. Her probing hands, her fiery eyes that held a dangerous curiosity, and her wagging tail were all the bad signs that now I'm her center of attention.
"Tell me! When I snapped your bones and stuff, you were still suffering on the way here. Then how the fuck did you-"
"Sherby, there's a time and a place. Now's not the time nor the place."
Hearing Albern's excellent advice, Sherby snapped out of her curiosity and stood up straight.
"...So, since you've proven yourself to be capable, you have my permission to do as you please."
"Thank you, mister Andre. You've been kind."
And so, with the already made Magic Eye that's engineered to 'hardwire' the collar, I aim its center to the gem in the middle. Then, a faint blue spark connected the center of the Magic Eye with the gem, releasing the collar from my neck in two parts.
"Now, can we excuse ourselves?"
I did the same to Albern and with our business here concluded, I decided to make a quick exit from this place.
"Wait, can I… ask what you three will do? Will you be staying in this city perhaps?"
"...We're on a mission, mister Andre. One that Humanity will surely be supportive of, but will also doubt its credibility."
"Mission…? May I inquire about its purpose, and maybe name?"
"...Have you heard of the existence of Absolute Death?"
"Absolute… no, I haven't. May I ask what is this Absolute Death?"
"What it is… what he is, is the final being that all will meet. He is Death personified and given physical form, a terrifying being that hasn't been around for untold years, forgotten by this age."
I gave a brief overview of what he is, what this pawn once was, and turned around to leave.
"If this existence piques your interest, then do try and find whatever remains of him in ancient texts, oral or written. Though, I doubt he's still prevalent."
This also left my companions stunned as well, with Sherby making an awestruck expression from my description.
......
"Felicia, can you make a journey to the Grand Libraria in the central capital for me?"
"...Is it because of what that Mage said?"
"Merlin… I haven't heard of that name, but also try to find any records of him as well."
"Sir, it is just something an Outsider spoke of, it can't-"
"This is also an order, Felicia."
"...Yes, sir Andre. I will depart immediately."
With that, the first mentions of the forgotten God resurfaced once more in Humanity. This mention brought along the interests of the public, and the worries of those that've survived.
......…
A massive typhoon with two beings in the middle. One of an old Sea King, the other of a challenger that seeks to reclaim his home. Two monsters, a father and a son, their battle was ferocious as they exchanged blows with their weapons.
"Kuh!"
A blood red trident, one that has transcended its previous form from all the slaughter and bloodshed it has spilt over the last untold years. A monster worthy of recognition, a son worthy of recognition from his father.
"Feel our disparity yet, challenger? Feel the immense gap between our strengths yet?"
"Kuah!"
With each bash and swing of the mysterious red trident, blows capable of evaporating mountains were delivered onto the mortal vessel of the father. Each swing produces a crisp sound and sparks flew. His gasps added to the symphony of desperation. His moves are sluggish and his posture grows weak.
"Have you felt enough? Does this fill you with despair? Does the slow pain that crawls on your every being drive you into breaking?"
The father was tossed around the place that was once a great hall. The castle that the father remembered, it once was great, it was once built somewhere around here. Yet now, there was nothing. Just the flat seabed of sand that they're fighting in.
"Challenger, have you felt our disparity enough? Will you yield?"
"...You talk too much, fool."
The questions were redundant. It was unnecessary. It was making the father angry.
"...What?"
"Haven't anyone told you that when you're fighting-"
He lunged forward, the Daemon Slaying sword Nokrun Aldan charged with the Aura of Daemon Slaying. The effects it had on living organisms are paralysis, but with more than a certain amount then instant death can be applied, though it varies from people or things.
"...Yes, someone did tell me that before. A long… long time ago."
The son goes in for the thrust, aiming for his father's heart. The speed was within a blink, almost instantaneous even. Death was imminent, but this was what he was aiming for.
"Kuack!"
Impaled through the chest. Blood splattering like a fountain. His eyes were bloodshots, and his mind tossed into a frenzied mess.
"Kuuuuuhhhrhhh."
The father's face twisted in pain and agony, a performance worthy to call it real. He felt nothing, but his mortal body provided the stimuli, so he reacted based on it. In truth, this pain he felt was nothing compared to the mental degradation he goes through on a daily basis.
"...I expected more. You failed to impress me, challenger."
With a twist, he swung the trident and the father's body came along with it. It was violently torn away and ragdolled through the ground. In the end, moans of anguish came from him as he lay dying in his pool of blood.
"...Let the waves carry you to your final resting place. I'll allow that one final solace."
"...Heheheh… ku hahahaha…"
A slow, menacing laugher resounded as the supposed on death's door challenger stood up. His eyes now have veins pulsating around it, his forehead was then instantly covered in the same pulsing veins as the now bloodshot eyes turn pitch black. The monster has come out to play.
"Hahahahaha, you really are such a fool, boy. Your father was right, you talk too much."
The son knows the identity of the one controlling the body. A Monarch. A monster that once reigned as the Heavenly King, an Equal to Heaven.
"Demon King Wukong."
"Kuahahahaha, how did you know? Guess the cat's out of the bag… or rather I should say monkey?"
"How did you…"
"Escape? Well, funny thing, one moment you were in the most peaceful place not minding anything, then you're just suddenly tossed into this place. You know, I'm in quite the mood to wack something. Mind it being you?"
"...Your insanity and absurdity seems to have grown. Demon King, I will allow you to leave. I wish not to hurt one of father's-"
"Yadabadabu, I can't find a flying fuck to give ya rambling, kid. It's gonna be like this, ya hear. Either I wack ya to relieve my anger, or I fail to do so. That's it, simple, clean, and fair."
"...Then prepare to die, Demon King."
"Oh, I won't count on that."
The son was perplexed by the existence of a Monarch. They should be with his father, wherever he is, and serve under him. One of them shouldn't be here. A place that his father no longer resides in.
"I'd like my staff, but the sword will do. I mastered all types of weaponry, so this'll be quick!"
The Eastern Demon King lunges forward. This sudden battle didn't fluster the Sea King, rather he didn't even think about the how, just accepting it as a fact and that he needs to kill the rogue Monarch.
"My father… where is he, where is that man!"
But, emotions dwelling deep within him betrays the confident, determined Sea King. His father, the presence of a Monarch, is here. There's no evidence that a presence of a Monarch means his father would be here, but somehow his intuition is telling him that he's here. He's right in front of him.
"...Well, curiosity doesn't suit your forte, kid. Best to stick to what you do best."
With that, Nokrun Aldan, the Daemon Slaying sword, was wielded by an Eastern Demon King.
"Encore, my boy!"
He lunges forward, gripping the handle and swinging in a wide horizontal arc.
Backward step, then counterattack with a thrust. Blocked mid-thrust from its left opening, then deflected with sparks flying. Both of them withdrew, then re-engage again. The Sea King held his trident sideways in both hands, blocking the incoming downward slash from the Demon King.
He pushes his right hand upward, where the head is, and aims down then pushes again. The Demon King rotates his body and then roundhouse kicks the trident off trajectory. The Sea King proceeds with bashing his body, attempting to knock the Demon King off balance.
"Oop!"
The rough armor did some damage, but the Demon King was too nimble. He was knocked backward, but he used that momentum to do a backflip and then a summersault before sticking a landing.
"Nice one. Mind if I use it this time!"
The Demon King lunges forward and thrust, but such a strike was easily dodgeable with minimal movement. But, it was what the Demon King wanted. The Sea King moved his body sideways to the left. Then, the Demon King crouched and then spun with his leg stretched. It was a fast and fluid movement, which caught the Sea King off guard.
"Gak!"
Then, the Demon King jumps up and thrust down, aiming to impale the Sea King through his chest.
"Enough!"
But, a crashing tendril of water came from the side knocked the Demon King out of his attack. He didn't grunt, but after sticking yet another landing and stayed crouched, he let out an amused laugh.
"Kuhahahaha! Struck a nerve, did I?"
"You were always the most annoying one. But, I still held respect for you because of your title as Monarch, the same rank as my terrible father. But now, without my father here, without the being known as Absolute Death, your strength seems to have dwindled."
The Sea King regained his footing and looked at the Demon King through the slits in his helm.
"Your strikes are sloppy, and it's not just because you don't have your signature weapon. You were a Grandmaster of Arms, capable of wielding any weapon with proficiency matching that of experts with hundreds of years of experience."
Then, the Sea King reaches his hand up and takes off his helm, revealing a rather scrubby face that hasn't been cleaned for who knows how long. His sharp, piercing red eyes that're like that of a reptile. His frown that's so deep it made one think that it's his default expression. And most shockingly, the once long flowing azure hair was now short.
"So, our battle here means nothing. I am not even going to bother showing you my true strength, you're just what you are now in a literal sense. A shadow of your former self."
With a disgruntled look, he points his trident upward towards the sky. In response, the sky cumulated and formed a storm cloud, then from it a single bolt of lightning shot down.
"But, I will give you the honor of witnessing the majesty of my new technique. Sky Call: Thunder Roar!"
Then, in sync with his name calling, the trident pulses, sending a wave of supercharged lightning that makes the Demon King act without saying anything.
"Supreme Sky Sword: Sunder Heaven!"
A slash of greater destructive potential. A blade of whirling, violent winds gathered and came down. It breaks the wave of incoming lightning, but fails to hit the Sea King due to his proficient movement.
"You're far too weak for me, without father's help you might as well be no more than the challengers I face."
Obvious words of ridicule, but for some reason the Demon King, known for his short-temper, wasn't overreacting as the Sea King predicted. No, on the contrary, he was smiling.
"Then you haven't seen anything yet, kid."
Using the gap that's suddenly created, the Demon King began the next phase as planned. The second and final phase.
"Kuaaahhhhhhh!"
He let out a pained scream, as he then supercharged his Aura that's the color gold. It began to be tinged in red, traces of Daemonic energies permeating and replacing the Aura.
"Haha… hahahahahaha hahahahaha!"
A maniacal laughter that was distorted. It was the aftereffect of using Daemonic energies, you start to become a Daemon. It's pretty straight forward really.
"Now, the real fun begins.''
It was no longer the Demon King who spoke, but the character known as Emir Amadin. The suspected entity that resembles the Sea King's father.
"...Then, let your fun time begin."
The battle enters its climax.
The typhoon that surrounds the two began to play a role in the battle, acting as tendrils that come in to attack or intercept the slashes. The Sea King used his new lightning ability as an AoE, single-target, and range attack. He covers the ground in water for an electric field that pulses, he lunges forward with a thrust of a wide horizontal swing, and he shoots the accumulated lightning into bolts.
This battlefield was very disadvantageous for Emir, but it was no match for his sheer tenacity and most of all healing capability. The electric shocks, the impalements, the bashes, swings, and brutalizing skewers were very nonchalantly shrugged off by an equally monstrous healing factor. It was to the point that, at one point, Emir's head came flying off from his body. But, he quickly grabbed it and placed it back like sticking something back in place.
Thrust, thrust, thrust again. Consecutively executed within a second, yet after another second the wounds healed as if nothing happened. Sideways bash to the head, overhead downward swing to the shoulder, and then electrocuted with lightning from above. It went as far as the Sea King grabbing Emir by the neck and consecutively skewer him. Blood splattered and flew all over, and yet Emir was still able to swing his sword at full power, without so much as staggering.
Filled with frustration, the Sea King cast the berserk Daemon aside and then threw his trident, impaling the Daemon in place.
"You're a tough one, Daemon. Nothing could phase you, no blow I inflicted was able to shake your violence. What is this, power? It's not even possible, no, it's an impossibility. No Daemon could have this much healing power to them. This is absurd."
"Ku… kuahahahaha hahahahaha! You talk too much!"
Forcefully pushing himself out of the trident, he then lunges at the Sea King with his sword ready to take his neck. But, the Sea King threw a straight square to the Daemon's face. This punch did something, and it was staggering the Daemon for a moment. Not because of the pain, but because of how unexpected it was.
"I haven't just used my trident. I've also honed my close combat capability. I'm now a slightly worthy match for that lizard after all these years.''
The Daemon continued its assault, but was punched, kicked, and even headbutted by the Sea King, who now took a more methodical way of fighting and inflicting pain. Previously, he only aimed for the body, damaging it and brutalizing it to the best of his abilities. But now, he aimed at specific points in the Daemon's humanoid body, paralyzing specific parts of his body. This method of fighting was much more efficient, and much more deadly to the animalistic Daemon.
"Nothing but a lowly beast."
This process lasted for a long time, close to an hour. For battles, in this case melee, it's usually within 10-20 minutes, 30 max for newbies. For a battle to last for an hour, it means they're at a stalemate. The Sea King was only able to repeat what he does, for hundreds, then thousands of times. Paralyzing the Daemon's body, over and over again.
But, it wasn't all for nothing. With continuous effort, the paralysis can actually be applied permanently. This requires a lot of repetitive pinpointing strikes. This dulls the nerves in that spot, gradually the part it connects to will be dulled forever.
"...You're cornered now, Daemon. Relent, and I might spare you a gruesome death.''
A proposition in consideration for the tenacious battle. This was the most anyone has ever pushed the Sea King, making him use not just his trident.
"A gruesome death… fuck you!"
A set of words other than laughter. Anger was in his tone as he shouted, resentment for what the Sea King just said to him.
"Why reject my kind offer? Soon, you will lose your body, so this deal isn't too bad for you, is it?"
"Kill me, kill me right!"
Infected by a Daemon's mindset, the once calm character Emir was now a rage-filled monster with nothing but endless violence in his mind. The thought to slaughter, to kill, to shed blood whether it is his own or his enemies'.
"Ah, I see… You've lost your mind?"
Keeping up his momentum, the Sea King was overwhelming the Daemon and then, it fell down forward like a puppet cut from its strings.
"And now, you've lost your body."
The Sea King steps on the back of the Daemon's head, like a hunter successfully subduing his prey. But, even with this achievement, it didn't make the Sea King smile. His frown was somehow even deeper, his eyes narrowed to a slit.
"You're a fool, no, I shouldn't say that. You're nothing but a maniac and a beast. Unworthy, unsightly, and disgusting, as all Daemons are."
Words of spite, hatred, and contempt were directed towards the Daemon. He slowly grinds his boot on the Daemon's head, pushing him into the sandy ground little by little.
"Now, it's time to end this farce."
Moving his boot over to his back, the Sea King stomps down with considerable force. Blood splattered, and finally, the Daemon was laid to its cold rest. But, an undying determination still burns, fueling its intent to battle and die an honorable death. Like all Daemons wish.
"...Ultimate Skill:
"Hmm?"
Daemonic Reborn. A flame exited the now cold body of the Daemon, flying into the air. This made the Sea King stare in curiosity. But, curiosity soon turns into an unsettling feeling. A gut wrenching feeling that made him dizzy, lightheaded to the point of fainting. An obnoxiously large amount of Daemonic energy was discharged from the flame, and from it a form was made. A mold that took the shape of the ultimate monster, the ultimate creation of the Realm of Hell.
The descent of a Great Daemon. Now, the full build is revealed. A powerhouse possessing both physical might, rivaling the two physical heavy Guardians that is the Sea King and the Sky Dragon, along with an Aura so profound it left the Sea King shaking.
"...Now, now you face doom."
A perfectly sculpted body, strong and toned abs, muscles, and sharp devilish facial features. Grayish black ash skin, and he wore little coverings on his body too. Black eyes that have a singular red dot in the middle. Long flowing hair that's like the eternal night. Wide, outstretched wings that're like those of bats, with a hook-like fingernail at the middle joint of each wing.
"What…"
"This is my true form, shed away the mortal vessel I dwell in. I was born as a Human, but with the right blood and training, I turned from a meager Human to this supreme form. A Great Daemon, the abomination of Life, an unkillable existence. That is what I am now."
The declaration of a monster. Of a monster that has instilled the fear of Death into the Sea King, like his father did with just his magnificent presence alone.
"Haha, what, scared now?"
"...You're too arrogant, Daemon."
"It's Great Daemon for you."
Summoning the Nokrun Aldan to his right hand, the Great Daemon flew down at a shocking speed and slash down. The Sea King was taken aback, but still successfully defended against the even more shocking strike that has befallen him. The strength behind it was close to triple the amount of strength he previously displayed.
"You're wide open!"
The Sea King attempted a sneaky upkick from below. But, the Great Daemon flapped its wings once and he avoided it without much difficulty. The strength, speed, and now even his reaction speed was tripled to what it was before. The Sea King could confidently say that this being, this entity before him, whether or not it's his father, he would get a fantastic battle that would stay inside his mind as a memorable one to relive.
"And you're too weak now."
Landing onto the ground, the Great Daemon folds his wings and takes a stance, positioning his sword in front. He tilts his body forward, and his sword tip parallel his face.
"Speaking more arrogantly, I see."
"With power, arrogance and pride is boundless."
The two charged at each other with the clear intent to kill, to brutalize and conquer the other with pure skill and raw physical might.
The battle shook the typhoon, making it grow unstable as it seemed to move inward. The Sea King's focus was now more honed in on the fight at hand, so his control over water is reduced in favor for sharper senses and greater body control.
Slash, bash, thrust, and body attacks. Combos woven together like a dance to overpower the other. Fast, deadly, and precise. Raw, primal, and unrestrained as the surroundings and the ground was scorched from Hellfire and the lighting that came down.
Their battle soon took to the sky, as the Great Daemon slash upward with the force needed for the Sea King to be airborne. The Great Daemon presses the attack, slashing wildly with no technique required. The Sea King was knocked further and further into the air, only able to block each attack that came his way.
This monstrous battle was so magnificent that, in the distance, a mermaid was left staring at it with eyes of adoration and admiration.
"Two Kings…"
Out from the typhoon, the battle still continues with the Great Daemon on the offensive. The said swirling water typhoon closed completely, and now the raging ocean is their battlefield.
"What a tenacious spirit. It seems like I helped you regain what has been lost for some time."
"Indeed… indeed you have."
The ocean where the Sea King stands was as calm and flat as the ground on land. The Great Daemon isn't flapping his wings, yet he still manages to stay airborne just slightly above the water.
Both Kings stood their ground and stared at each other. An unknown air dwells between the two. No animosity, no aggression, no raw emotions. Nothing, but pity for their circumstances.
"...."
"..."
As hard as it is for a father to look at his son's terrible growth, and for the son to not only recognize his father, but also come to hate him. The two spared each other their pity, spared themselves any explanation or comments, and just decided to battle it all out, airing their thoughts through it.
"Sword of Destruction: Heaven Carnage!"
"King of the Sea: Rising Tsunami!"
An overhead swing charged with a blood red Aura, and a rising swing charged with a majestic blue Aura. One capable of destroying anything to oblivion in its path, and one capable of leveling an entire continent with ease. These two strikes meet, and an explosion of Aura occurs, painting the entire scenery with a mixture of dark blue and bright red.
The collision knocked both of the Kings back. The Sea King pushes the water back as he slows his momentum, while the Great Daemon unfolded its wings to come to a full stop.
"Sword of Destruction: Hell Blitz."
"King of the Sea: Azure Lightning Charge!"
Supercharged with a lightning bolt from the sky, the Sea King lunges forward with the Great Daemon doing the same. A visage of Hellfire dons the figure of the Great Daemon, and the Nokrun Aldan, a Daemon Slaying blade, was coated in the very thing it's supposed to be suppressing.
The collision this time resulted in a dark red and bright purple scenery to light up the surroundings. This time, it lasted a bit longer than last time, but ultimately resulted in the same thing. They knocked off each other with more momentum, but the Great Daemon was able to do his stabilization again without much trouble. The Sea King on the other hand was having a bit of a hard time slowing himself down, but he eventually managed to.
"..."
"...Your weapon is broken, Great Daemon."
Holding onto nothing but a hilt now, the Great Daemon doesn't respond to the Sea King's comment. Instead, rather surprisingly, the Great Daemon stabs himself right in the chest. Blood soon overflows from the wound, but the Great Daemon didn't seem fazed by it. Rather, he smiled widely. The pitch black eyes of his had red cracks and lines connecting to the red dot.
"Now this is going to be fun. A sword of flesh."
Pulling the sword out from his chest, the blade was now replaced with a writhing, disgusting-looking slab of flesh the shape of a sword blade. A traditional knight's claymore, a pulsating piece of flesh completed with a line of eyeballs in the middle. The edge was white, like bones, and sharp from the looks of it.
"I've never tried this, but it is interesting to see."
And so, the battle continues. But this time, it's a notch up from the confrontation of Skills. Compared to the previous two bouts, this one is going to be brutal.
"Aura Release, Mind's Eye, Ocean's Blessing of Domination, Iron Scale, Conqueror's Fortitude, Arianne's Blue Mist, Barbaric Instincts."
Aura Release for bonus Aura-related Damage. Mind's Eye for the Accuracy buff. Ocean's Blessing of Domination for boosted Stats. Iron Scale for the Damage Reduction. Conqueror's Fortitude for increased Damage Reduction and immunity to Mental Debuffs. Arianne's Blue Mist, a Passive effect upon casting, creates a blue mist around the caster that provides Regeneration, but has the demerit of relaxing the caster's mind, putting them in a nulled state. Barbaric Instincts for the increased Strength, Agility, and improves overall senses, however it makes the caster's mind that of a beast that hungers for combat and bloodshed.
"Daemonic Release, Monstrous Flesh, Eye of Predicted Chaos, Daemon's Might, Hellfire Combustion, Pain Nullification, Greater Ability Boost."
Daemonic Release that greatly enhances all Daemonic traits and massively increases Stats. Monstrous Flesh for increased Regeneration. Eye of Predicted Chaos, a Passive upon casting, allows the caster to predict up to four moves the opponent is going to make. Daemon's Might for increased Stats, mostly for Strength, Agility, and Vitality. Hellfire Combustion, a Passive upon casting, makes the blood of the caster to always be in a constant state of burning in Hellfire, the native fire of Hell that can melt and burn away anything organic or not of Hell. Pain Nullification for the obvious Damage Reduction, particularly the sensation of pain. Greater Ability Boost for another increase in Stats.
''Let's make this our last, Great Daemon."
"Huhu, alright."
Accepting the proposal, the Great Daemon flaps its wings once, gaining altitude high into the air. All kinds of effects were oozing from the two from the Skills that they casted. They're at their peak state, with everything as decked and increased as possible. If anyone from the current World were to witness this, they would undoubtedly shiver constantly without being able to stand. Such Auras, it's so monstrous that some old folks might say they're on the level of the New Trinity and Evils.
"HaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!"
"GhraaaaaaAAAAAA!"
One descends, while one commands the sea below to elevate. Upon collision, they broke off immediately and then rushed at each other. Blocks, parries, counterattacks. Swings, bashes, slashes, and combo attacks like punches, kicks, and body slams.
Thrust and slash collided. A left punch thrown, but blocked by the trident's body. Colliding kicks that made the sea below retreat and even turn into vapor. Unseen slashes, and in response bashes and swings. The only sound was the air being cut countless times. It's silent at first, but then a boom would suddenly resound. This repeats over and over again, with water splashing all around them. A perfect standstill, but not for long.
"Acceleration!"
An Aura Skill that boosts the speed of an action. The Sea King's thrust was suddenly faster midway, and this breaks the stalemate and leans towards the Sea King's victory in an instant. The Great Daemon was pushed back and had to retreat from the fight. But, the Sea King didn't allow that to happen.
He stuck to the Great Daemon stubbornly and aimed swings, bashes and thrusts at different intervals and angles. The great offense left the Great Daemon with little options in terms of action. All he could do was avoid and dodge the incoming attacks, not parrying or blocking.
"Release!"
A close instant death. If it wasn't for the verbal cue, then his head would've been taken off from his body. An almost instantaneous swing, one that left a slight cut across his neck. It healed, but the cold sensation was still there.
"King of the Sea: Tide Breaker Form."
To regain the momentum, he activated a stance mechanic. Wielding the trident in a reverse position, he goes into battle with a slower speed than before. When in the right distance, he positions the trident to go into the water below, controlling it as he moves it diagonally upward.
Tide Breaker Form is a heavy hitting stance that makes use of the Sea King's affinity for water. Each hit is to be accompanied with a water effect that's further strengthened by Mana. Upon impact, the feeling will be like that of a boulder hitting you. And the word 'boulder' can be a lot different for everyone.
"Hmm, know our differences? Good."
The Sea King misses, obviously because he's now slower than normal. Tide Breaker is a heavy hitting stance, and like any other heavy hitter, speed is always a problem for them.
"Then, since you're going in this direction, I might as well show you how different we truly are!"
The wings faded, and he stood on the calm water the same way the Sea King is. However, the incoming overhead strike didn't stop.
"Ultimate Skill: Hell's Break."
The reason the water supported the Great Daemon and didn't sink immediately under his weight, was because it was frozen. A cold air, one capable of slowing down the blue mist around the Sea King, and froze the surrounding water of the ocean they're battling in. The claymore also makes a new appearance, now glowing a blue hue as the writhing flesh stops moving and the eyeballs froze into crystals.
The Great Daemon slash upward, attempting to stop the overhead strike, and so he did. The water froze, and then shattered as the two weapons made contact. The Sea King instantly lost the battle of strength. It wasn't a stalemate like last time, and the current Sea King was in the heavy hitting stance known to break even Level 800 Tanks easily.
"What? Shocked?"
"H-How…?!"
"Haha, I told you, we're just too different. But… you've indeed grown, Sea King Reshval."
A small chatter, before the Great Daemon repositions for a wide horizontal swing. Like hitting a baseball, the Sea King was knocked away quite the distance towards where the archipelago is.
The Great Daemon chased after the flying Sea King, freezing the ocean with each step he takes. However, the ocean before him rises and creates waves that're like walls, trying to intercept the Great Daemon even in the smallest way possible.
"Tch, simple annoyance."
He smashes through the waves, again and again without stopping. He reaches the Sea King, who's descending while his eyes are locked to the Great Daemon.
This process of being thrown like a ragdoll with each impact continues for three times, and at the third time the archipelago was only a few thousand meters away.
The Sea King wonders what the Great Daemon's intention was, but soon finds out when he detects projectiles coming his way from the back.
"...Challengers?"
Elves, and they're children as well.
''What are you hoping to-"
"Well, aren't they lively already? Looks like those fishes really gave them the spooks, huh?"
The Sea King didn't know how the Great Daemon was suddenly very close in his range, in front of him to be precise, and then his hand grabbed his face.
"Kuh!"
But, the Sea King didn't allow this simple oversight to cloud his judgement. If he's going to go down, then he'll make sure they both go down.
"Thunder!"
The clouds above immediately darkened and a lightning strike came down. The Sea King thrusts the trident and pulls upward facing the sky, then the lightning strikes the Great Daemon and deals massive damage, frying his flesh and scorching him black.
"Hahaha… I wished our battle could've been longer, but I have plans to stick to. However, I will say one thing."
As the Great Daemon's form begins to wither away in black flakes, he smiles at the Sea King, then whispers the words he wanted to hear for so long.
"You've done a good job, my son. I'm proud of the man you have become for this home."
But, sticking to the plan, he executed the final Skill to give Elves a chance at beating the Sea King.
"Ultimate Skill: Negative Force."
All sorts of Debuffs are suddenly placed on the Sea King. From Burn to Poison, to mental effects like Nausea and Madness. With this, the Sea King was weakened close to four times from all the Debuffs.
"I hope you don't go too hard on those children, but give them a beating nonetheless."
"Urghk… make up, your mind, jeez."
"Huhu, I'm sorry."
With that, the Great Daemon is vanquished completely. The Sea King falls, taking all kinds of projectile beating to his body until he eventually makes landfall.
"Urghk!"
"W-What is that?"
"Keep calm. Don't lose your composure."
"......"
The Sea King rises, and a ding only one person should be able to hear resounded to him as well.
"...Ahhh, so this is why he wanted me to give you a beating."
He turned to the sound, and there stood three Elf children with weapons and Magic pointed at him warily. His menacing Aura, now reduced to only one third of its original output, was still able to frighten the children.
"I am Reshval Von Kirlan. I am the one who shall test you, and see if you're worthy of his presence."
[Reshval Von Kirlan, the Sea King (WEAKENED): 330,657/?????? HP]
.........
[Name: Emir Amadin, the Daemonic Abomination]
[Level: 908]
[Race: Half Daemon/Human]
{Statistics}
Strength: 75,008
Vitality: 300,978
Agility: 68,556
Dexterity: 68,556
Intelligence: 67,999
Attunement: 12,674
Brutality: 67,243
Charm: 55,867
[Health Points: 769,436/769,436]
[Mana Points: 74,658/74,658]
[Bloodlust: 0/100]
{Skill Set-up}
[Daemon of Destruction, Kirion Khorath] (8 Skills and Passives)
[Abomination of Strength, Khan Kirjin] (4 Skills and Passives)
[Hellfire Monarch, Rea'kar] (5 Skills and Passives)
[Beast of Hell, Ilan Uram] (4 Skills and Passives)
[Eye of Hell] (4 Skills and Passives)
[Luciferam, First of Five] (10 Skills and Passives)
{Titles}
{Daemon Child}
{Monster King}
{Beast of Blood and Carnage}
{Destruction Incarnate}