An abrupt voice cuts through the intense scene, a statement so absurd in its normality amidst the chaos.
Azathoth's heart skips a beat, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion. His mind, a maelstrom of thoughts and strategies, is jolted out of its focus. He's left momentarily disoriented, the calmness of Lumin's voice contrasting starkly with the violence of their situation.
{What the... Lumin?! Now's not the time-}
﹝I'm just checking in.﹞
Lumin replies, his tone calm without a ripple.
﹝You've been quite active, mentally.﹞
Despite his surprise, Azathoth can't help but feel a touch of irritation at Lumin's detached composure. The younger man seems entirely unruffled by the mortal danger he's in.
{Fine, keep your observations to yourself for now. I need to focus.}
Azathoth replies, trying to keep his mental voice steady. Lumin responds in silent agreement.
Despite the unsettling interaction, Azathoth finds his focus returning. He sets his sights on Virzod, ready to continue their combat. His heart rate settles as he prepares himself, again reminded of his primary objective: survival.
In the shadows, the observer's gaze turns cold, a thin veil of disappointment and scorn colouring their perception. Their interest dwindles, waning like the last ember of a once roaring fire.
And then, with an almost palpable air of dismissal, they retreat from the scene, leaving the two combatants to their contest. Though once again, Azathoth is pulled from focus.
﹝Is this Virzo-﹞
{Yes! This is Virzod. Now shut up!}
Lumin's voice recedes, leaving Azathoth once again alone with his thoughts. With a surge of determination, he forces himself back into the battle, his focus now entirely on the figure before him.
Across from him, Virzod seems unbothered by the pause in their fight. He stands tall, an epitome of power and domination, his gaze fixed on Azathoth with an unsettling intensity.
{Focus.}
It's a mental command, a mantra that he repeats like a heartbeat.
{Survive.}
Virzod's silent stare, as chilling as the depths of space, bore into Azathoth. But, the unfaltering look didn't intimidate Azathoth; it energized him. It served as a stark reminder of the danger, yes, but it was also a challenge - a taunt.
Azathoth surged forward, his movements a blur as he launched into a swift offensive. Each strike reinforced with tenacious vigor. Virzod, however, matched him, every parry and counter a testament to his own deadly grace.
The two clashed, their struggle echoing through the expanse around them. Each attack, each counter, pushing them both to their limits. It was an all-consuming contest of will and strength.
The battle between Azathoth and Virzod is intense, the former being driven back step by step. Every slash and thrust from Virzod is precise, calculated, relentless.
With imminent defeat, Lumin is displeased. He articulates ideas, trying to find a solution.
Azathoth is pushed to his limits, every defensive move costing him dearly in terms of energy. The disparity between their abilities seems to grow with every passing second.
Suddenly, the familiar and unflappable voice of Lumin invades his consciousness.
﹝'Analysis'﹞
Azathoth barely manages to suppress a mental snort. But not a moment later, a notification pops up in his vision.
[Error: No directory for 'Analysis']
Confused, Azathoth is about to ask for details, but Lumin makes haste.
﹝Run 'Analysis' on the battlefield.﹞
Trying to understand Lumin's intention, Azathoth tries to voice his question again. But before he can get a word out, another notification interrupts him.
[Running 'Analysis' on the battlefield.]
Azathoth can hardly afford to split his focus, but he cannot suppress his curiosity about the results of Lumin's analysis. He parries another onslaught from Virzod, his muscles screaming in protest, and riskily focuses on the notification that had sprung up in his mind for a split second.
['Analysis' in progress...]
{Come on, Lumin...}
Azathoth mutters under his breath, a hint of desperation seeping into his voice. Inwardly, he urges the analysis to be complete, knowing that any edge could prove vital in this desperate struggle.
﹝I am trying; the loading speed is out of my control.﹞
[10%... 20%...]
Each update on the analysis's progress feels like a lifeline. Even as he fends off Virzod's relentless attacks, a part of him waits with bated breath for the results.
[30%... 40%...]
A sudden, vicious jab from Virzod cuts through Azathoth's defences. The impact rattles his bones and sends a shock of pain up his arm. He grunts, gritting his teeth, and launches backward to distance himself from Virzod.
[50%... 60%...]
Azathoth's heart pounds in his chest, each beat echoing the countdown of the analysis. His gaze darts back and forth between Virzod and the progressing notification, the seconds ticking by like hours.
[70%... 80%...]
﹝Just a bit more.﹞
Lumin's voice resonates, steeling him for another round of Virzod's onslaught. He can feel a new wave of attacks brewing; the air is thick with the tension of the coming storm.
[90%... 100%. 'Analysis' Complete.]
The moment the notification chimes its completion, Azathoth's eyes flicker as Lumin's voice rings clear in his mind.
﹝Azathoth, he's following a set pattern, alternating between offensive and defensive stances. His left side is marginally weaker. Exploit it.﹞
In Lumin's vision, he sees an array of complex data from the opponent's attack patterns to his physical weak points. This matrix of information has been processed, simplified, and now provides a tactical advantage.
Lumin's voice resonates with certainty, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Azathoth. With the new insight from the battlefield analysis, he has a potential key to turn the tide of battle.
He immediately puts the information into action, lunging at Virzod's left side. The results are immediate and rewarding. The flicker of surprise in Virzod's eyes doesn't go unnoticed by Azathoth as his fist grazes the man's left shoulder.
"Damn it."
Azathoth grumbles as Virzod sneers, his eyes glinting dangerously while watching Azathoth.
"Trying something new, are we?"
He mused, grinning widely as he shifted his weight. It was a subtle movement, but Azathoth immediately recognized the change. Virzod was altering his fighting style.
Azathoth's heart clenched as Virzod advanced again, his movements drastically different. The rhythm and pattern Lumin's analysis had revealed were gone, replaced by an unpredictable and erratic dance that left Azathoth scrambling to defend himself.
Lumin was eerily quiet, and Azathoth had a moment of blind panic when the analysis system glitched, the message in his head glitching.
[Error...Error...]
The disruption was jarring and Azathoth narrowly avoided a sweeping blow from Virzod, his own counter-attack weak and off-target. Virzod laughed, the sound echoing in the empty battlefield.
"Seems like your little trick isn't working anymore, Azathoth!"
Virzod taunted, his renewed vigour making him even more formidable.
Azathoth gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus as he backed away from another of Virzod's ruthless attacks.
{Come on, Lumin... Do something!}
Azathoth thought desperately, hoping that the hope Lumin gave him could adapt fast enough to this unexpected turn of events. His defence was slowly crumbling under Virzod's relentless assault, and he was at a significant disadvantage without the guidance of 'Analysis'. Lumin responds to Azathoth's desperation.
﹝Working on it. Be patient. Re-calibrate 'Analysis'﹞
As the battle continued to rage on, Azathoth felt a glimmer of hope when he heard the message in his mind.
[Re-calibrating...10%... 20%...]
He had to buy time to hold off Virzod until Lumin could complete the new analysis. Every second counted now, more than ever, as he met Virzod's onslaught with every bit of strength he had left.
His only chance of surviving this battle lay in the data Lumin was racing to gather and analyze.
{Hold on, Azathoth. Just a bit longer.}
He thought to himself, dodging and deflecting as best he could while waiting for the decisive edge he needed to turn the tide once again.
Despite the mounting pressure, Azathoth maintains an ironclad grip on his composure, even as the relentless onslaught from Virzod threatens to shatter it. His eyes flicker constantly to the corner of his vision, where the progress bar of the recalibration stubbornly crawls upward.
[30%... 40%...]
He dances back, just barely sidestepping a sweeping kick from Virzod, and in his peripheral vision, he sees the progress bar tick up another notch.
﹝I'm trying to speed it up, but it's more complex than before.﹞
Lumin's voice sounds strained in his mind, and Azathoth has to suppress a growl of frustration. Every second that passes brings him closer to the edge, to a defeat he cannot afford.
But then, something changes. If possible, Virzod's attack pattern shifts again, becoming even more erratic. He mixes feints, tricking Azathoth into moving the wrong way or blocking the wrong side.
{Damn it, Lumin, I need that analysis now!}
[50%... 60%...]
Azathoth's heart pounds in his chest as he tries to keep up with Virzod's ever-changing attack pattern. His body is starting to feel the strain, muscles aching, and his breath becoming laboured.
[70%... 80%...]
In his head, Lumin's voice sounds tense yet composed.
﹝Nearly there, Azathoth.﹞
Suddenly, a swift and ruthless jab from Virzod sends him sprawling back, his defences shattered. Azathoth struggles to stand, his body protesting with each movement. A gasp escapes his lips as he painfully lifts himself, his gaze never leaving Virzod.
[90%...]
Azathoth braces himself for Virzod's next attack, but it doesn't come. He glances at the towering figure of his adversary who seems to have halted his onslaught. Virzod's expression has shifted to a strange mix of irritation and confusion, his gaze not fixed on Azathoth but on something behind him.
Suddenly, an all too familiar pressure envelops the area, the oppressive sensation sending chills down Azathoth's spine. A cold realization dawns upon him, causing his heart to skip a beat.
{He's back.}
Azathoth can't help but feel a pang of dread. However, the sudden interference in their battle and Virzod's reaction give him a moment to breathe and gather his bearings.
At the same moment, the re-calibration of 'Analysis' suddenly stops.
[Error: Unable to re-calibrate 'Analysis' due to external interference.]
A chill runs down Lumin's spine as the message echoes within. He grits his teeth, the initial surge of hope he'd felt at Lumin's efforts snuffed out by the grim reality.
{Damn it.}
﹝Something is interfering with my analysis. What is going on Azathoth?﹞
Azathoth's gaze hardens as he reluctantly tears his focus away from Virzod, looking over his shoulder to the source of the interference. The sight that greets him sends a chill down his spine, his breath hitching in his throat.
{It's my father, Lumin... He's here.}
An imposing figure looms in the distance, emanating an aura of malevolence and raw power. The figure's gaze is cold and unforgiving, zeroed in on Azathoth with an intensity that could freeze the fires of hell.
Even from this distance, the figure's presence commands the entire battleground, his sinister energy warping the very atmosphere around them. Azathoth recognizes the dark power of pride all too well. His father, a being of unmatched pride, has returned.
Azathoth watches in grim fascination as his father raises a hand, a ripple of power surging forth that sends Virzod stumbling back. Unlike anything Azathoth has ever experienced, the pressure is nearly unbearable, making him gasp for breath.
"Stand down, Azathoth."
The order is simple, yet laden with an authority that can't be denied. Causing him to stiffen. The frigid tone sends a jolt of trepidation down his spine, and he turns to face his father, a sense of foreboding settling over him.
The disappointment in his father's eyes hits harder than any physical blow, the disapproval a palpable force that weighs heavy on his shoulders, like the chilling gust of an approaching storm.
"You are a disgrace to the Royal Demons of Pride."