Chapter 20 - Evolution through Ashes

Jack and Deylor blinked several times as they looked at the huge screen.

All expanse FFA

Winner wins.

Deylor quickly looked at Jack to start a plan only to find himself in a sandy and grassy area. The sand formed paths whilst the grass was garden height.

Deylor soon saw his teammates behind him before a horn sounded.

The team met and plans formed.

To sum it up, Deylor would look for a team and would then report the situation. The current plan was to move as a whole after scouting a group.

Deylor closed his eyes before the dense red aura once again formed around his body. Deylor swiftly set off around the arena.

It didn't even take 2 minutes before Deylor found a green haired boy however he was far from aggressive. The boy wailed in pain as crawled across the ground legless. His eyes were huge and strained, he left a bloody trail. He wailed in pain. Deylor flinched as he looked at the boy.

Why had he not been teleported. Was it an illusion?

Deylor stopped all lines of thought as a chuckling man with a large belly walked in black. His chicken mask stretched on his face as he hobbled to the crawling boy.

His fist raised.

A bloody mess of a head remained.

But Deylor wasn't concentrating on that.

The environment shuddered as the man punched.

Dangerous... Deylor thought as he prepared to leave. His eyes bore the image of a pile of corpses behind the man.

And before Deylor could even lift a toe.

A green demon lay in his sight. The surroundings darkened.

Deylor erupted with dense red energy before the illusion shattered.

The obese figure was already in front of Deylor though.

Deylor coated his entire fist in red as he threw his best punch.

Two fists collided.

The impact made the surroundings tremble.

And for the first time in a while. Deylor had lost a clash of fists.

Deylor groaned as he was blasted back. His trail had formed a rising cloud of dust.

Another illusion formed.

The world of black returned.

Deylor repeated the process.

The man rose his fist.

Deylor smirked.

Blood spilt.

Deylors aura had sharpened.

But the happiness was short lived as this scene too shattered.

The chicken man laughed gloriously.

"What a dangerous counter to my hit and run strategy."

Deylor furrowed his eyebrows unaware if he was in yet another illusion. The man behind him quickly helped him realize his situation.

A white fist blasted into Deylors aura. Deylors sharpened aura could only weaken the energy attack before Deylor was once again sent flying back. Deylor clashed with the white fist again and again before he worked his way too victory.

The white fist was actually mainly an energy attack. The only physical part was the startup. Deylor merely had to see the direction of the fist and dodge accordingly. Deylor and the white fisted man clashed several times as their after images showed on the battle field. Deylor sweated as his energy levels dropped uncomfortably.

The enemy before Deylor prepared yet another attack and to his surprise it landed.

"FOO-."

The sound of blood spilling spread as a thin line of red travelled from left to right.

A severed head hit the ground.

Deylor frowned.

A white fist met his eyes as he turned around from instincts.

Deylor sharpened his aura.

Blood spilt and Deylor was pummeled back.

Deylors back hit the ground as his opponent coughed blood as his wounds bled. A pool of blood formed as he stood still from all the aura remnants that had pierced him.

Deylor raised his finger.

Game over.

The man fell slowly as his heart stopped beating.

Deylor too coughed blood as his energy hit 0. The last beam was all of his efforts and he had to keep it for 2 seconds to go through an almost invisible energy barrier present on the mans skin. Deylor panted heavily. The man of illusions who he met first had long vanished and it didn't make Deylor feel even a bit better. But now was not the time to feel good. Deylor hurriedly rushed to his teammates even using a tiny bit of his demonic power. The arena was in chaos and Demon Hunters weren't exactly investigating as of now. Deylors eyes met the worst image.

3 of his teammates were laid down. The nearby area was filled with ice and earth as well as several re-directed abilities. Jack was barely hanging on as he used his bloody hands to keep blood from gushing out a huge wound in his chest. The wound was so big it wouldn't be surprising if an organ popped out.

But what concerned Deylor more was a man with a pig mask casually bending Jacks swords in half with one hit.

Deylor closed his eyes as he erupted with pure demonic energy.

Fwoosh.

Deylor travelled through the air as he arrived for a swift kick to the mans head.

But as if time was slowed the man looked back and met Deylors eyes. And as he met eyes with Deylor he smiled.

He moved his arms slowly before he gripped Deylors leg and smashed Deylor down. Deylor coughed blood as he felt something crack. Deylor swiftly sharpened his aura giving a small surprise to his attacker. Deylor used this time to back off. To Deylors shock the man healed his bleading hand.

The bulky man in armor walked towards Deylor as he rose fists.

Deylor erupted with demonic energy as he too rose his fists.

Deylor was hit left and right as he tried anything. Dodging, punching, kicking. Alas, the only result was Deylor struggling to meet his punches.

Deylor screamed at himself inside.

'Stronger. Faster. Smarter."

Deylor erupted with more demonic energy as he became a sudden blur to the pig masked man.

Small dents gradually grew bigger as the pig masked man clashed with Deylor.

Deylor now streamed Demonic energy as two black horns grew from his head.

Deylors eyes had long turned red and veins were surfacing on his face.

' I need to be faster."

The two traded blows again. The man had speed and reaction that pummeled Deylor left and right. The man wasn't even afraid of having his wrists impaled by Deylors sharpened aura as he swiftly regenerated.

The two fought left and right as dents appeared on the pig mans black armour and more injuries appeared on Deylor.

Soon more men in black fought with the pig masked man.

Deylor was overwhelmed with the forces as Jack fought with his last sword.

Boom.

A sudden attack threw Jack out.

Deylor fought against 20 men.

He flashed around as he desperately dodged and returned attacks left and right.

Deylor released more and more demonic energy as his horns grew larger and his appearance more demonic.

Meanwhile...

The public could only gasp as they looked at a flickering screen.

"Demon..."

Deylor only focused on the fight as he released more and more demonic energy. His surroundings were engulfed by the dense red aura as his punches were now even pushing back the pig masked man. But it still wasn't enough.

A barrier formed as Deylor slashed and punched.

Deylor was soon bombarded with attacks as his energy was at an all time low.

"Why..." Deylor muttered as he looked at the incoming attacks.

"Why do you have to hurt us?" Deylor looked in sorrow as his eyes bore the image of numerous attacks coming his way.

"WHYYY." Deylors voice broke into a trance as something within him erupted.

A vortex of black flames tore through the surroundings as the entire map was coated in the black vortex of black flames.

The black flames tore through the attackers as even the pig masked man struggled to maintain his healing.

Deylors new appearance was odd. His eyes became slits and his horns were now longer and more curved towards the back. His body was filled with black strands and carried ghostly flames. Deylor reached his hand out.

A blitz of black flames roared. The attacks screams of agony spread as the flames tore them apart.

Deylors memories hit him like bricks as his semi-consciousness in this form activated.

3 months ago...

Deylor woke up in the middle of the night as his eyes darted across his dorm room.

And then Deylor looked at his chest. Deylor placed his hand in the middle of hsi chest.

Beat. Beat.

Deylor froze.

Deylor placed his hand firmly.

Silence.

Deylor calmed down as sweat formed on his forehead.

"No way, my heartbeat was just louder than usual, I can't have felt another heart. Right?"

2 Months ago.

Deylor froze as he clutched his chest.

Jack looked at Deylor concerningly.

"You okay Deylor?"

Immense heat had come from Deylors chest.

"I think... so." Deylor replied hesitantly as the heat died down.

0 months ago. Deylor opened his eyes.

A vast sea of black flames was all he saw.

His enemies had long since became ashes. Behind him his teammates were unconscious and weak but Deylor looked at himself as he felt his powers slowly growing dimmer. Deylor only needed to look twice at his surroundings before he knew the situation

On the outside...

A man of green flames stared at a screen in shock.

"Abyss demon."

A woman in work clothes on his left frowned.

"But we learnt they went extinct 7 thousand years ago."

The man of green flames spoke slowly.

"Yeah. We did and it looks like, they're far from it."

"Where are you going?"

"Someones gotta do the job..."

The man left a trail of green flames as he flew away.

Deylor grimaced as he saw his fate.

Guillotine?

Electric chair?

Public shooting?

He was now the enemy of the human race.

And the man in front of him was evidence.

No words were spoken but flames were spread.

A man of ethereal green flames had appeared before Deylor. His uniform bore the number 56. A dangerous hero who grew by using his flames that parted seas.

Deylor now watched as his sea of flames parted from a condensed ball of flames.

The man before him had more control or quality whilst Deylor possessed more quantity and amount.

Deylor formed several flame balls as he summoned a vortex of flames but this time horizontally.

Boom.

The vortex spread in an instance but green flames parted it again.

Deylor summoned even more black flames as his powers dimmed faster but the bright green flames were consumed.

Deylor heaved a sigh of relief before a bright light emerged.

And a green spear struck.

Deylor was blasted 50 feet back as he rapidly summoned a sea of flames but as he looked at the sea of flames two green eyes emerged.

Bang.

Deylor was now hung by the neck as the green flame materialization dragged him across the ground.

Deylor grimaced.

Now or never.

Deylor lifted his arms up as he boosted them with flames as he pulled the ethereal man onto him by coating him with black flames and Deylor raspily spoke.

"Boom."

Boom.

A huge black vortex emerged as Deylor felt his newfound powers fade even faster. His opponent lit up again as he charged at Deylor but he walked into a sea of flames. He did his infamous parting but with every sea he parted another engulfed. Until the green flames dimmed.

The sea of black soon collapsed as the 56 ranked hero fell. His body scorched andh is flames gone he was defeated.

Deylor coughed immensely as black blood spilt.

"So even the colour of my blood is different now?" Deylor grimaced yet again.

And Deylor used the last of his powers to leave as he left behind a trail of black.

A trail of black that would remain for years.

2 years later...