Earlier with Ritsu
"I can't let him get away!" Ritsu muttered under his breath, his boots pounding against the stone floor of the darkened hallway. The oppressive aura of Ryuzen's demonic energy pulsed like a living heartbeat, guiding him forward.
As he rounded a corner, ten dark guild members sprang from the shadows, weapons drawn.
"Earth Shell Barrage!" Ritsu shouted, slamming his hands into the ground. Jagged turtle-shaped projectiles erupted from the floor, striking down the ambushers in an instant. The force sent their bodies crashing into the walls, groaning and unmoving.
Ritsu barely broke his stride as he continued his pursuit.
The chase ended in a vast chamber at the heart of the fortress. Standing at the far end, Ryuzen waited, his dark purple aura swirling like a stormcloud. The air crackled with malice.
"Tsk. Persistent as always, Terra Aegis." Ryuzen sneered, his crimson eyes locking onto Ritsu.
"Ryuzen," Ritsu said firmly, his voice echoing through the chamber. "This ends now. I won't let your wicked ideals lead to the burning of innocents and another convergence event !"
"Wicked you say?" Ryuzen's chuckle reverberated, low and cruel. "Tell me something Terra Aegis is it truly evil to reclaim what was stolen? To restore what was once taken from ones family?"
"Family just what are you going on about?"
"It doesn't matter. Your little hit squad might stop my initial plans to cultivate my demon army. It was thwarted by your little hit squad but good thing is I came prepared with a back up." Ryuzen growled, his aura flaring violently. "Now this Terra Aegis The blood of my family flows me and I'll do whatever it takes to crush anyone in my way and reclaim MY kingdom." Ryuzen then unleashed a black tornado.
"Earth Shell: Fortress Wall!" Ritsu countered, summoning a massive turtle-shaped shield. The storm collided with it, sparks of dark magic scattering as Ritsu skidded backward from the impact.
Before he could recover, Ryuzen was already upon him.
"Hm too slow!" Ryuzen's punch shattered the earthen shield and connected with Ritsu's ribs causing three of them to crack, sending him crashing into the wall.
Ritsu staggered to his feet, raising his hand defensively as Ryuzen's blade descended. "Earth Shell: Stone Fist!" Ritsu blocked the strike with a hardened gauntlet of earth, retaliating with a sweeping strike but was easily dodged.
"Predictable." With unnatural speed, he lunged and grabbed the talisman.
"What are you—?!" Ritsu gasped.
Ryuzen tore the talisman in half, its fragments dissolving into ash. "You thought you'd use this against me? What a Fool."
Dark magic pooled in Ryuzen's hand as he snapped his fingers and the floor beneath them seemingly opened up like a mouth leading four demons to come out of it.
"Enjoy, Terra Aegis. I have better things to attend to," Ryuzen sneered as his body was consumed by swirling purple energy. He vanished, leaving behind the trio of demons.
Oni-Kiba, a hulking brute reminiscent of the Oni from Japanese folklore, towered over Ritsu with crimson skin, twin curved horns, abnormally large tusks coming out of it's mouth, and a massive spiked club resting on its shoulder. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto him with primal hunger, and a guttural growl escaped its fanged mouth.
Beside it, Yurei, a twisted specter draped in tattered funeral garments, floated silently. Its pale face was obscured by long, soaked black hair, and its hollow eye sockets glimmered faintly with blue fire.
Third to Ritsu's right, Jorogumo, a spider-like woman with grey skin, six red eyes, spider like mouth, a revealing kimono and six black stingers on its back.
Finally was a the Tengu a humaniod figure with a red face, long curve nose sharp talon-like feet and black crow wing and a naginata shimmered with a dark purple glow in it's hands. Ritsu to a long look at it but cleared his mind, it wasn't like some of tengu lines he was used to which where benevolent and guard some of them most sacred parts of the country but the line which betrayed the world and sided with the demons in the war.
The four demons circled Ritsu like predators sensing weakness in their prey. Oni-Kiba struck first, raising its colossal club and smashing it down with bone-crushing force.
"Earth Shell: Tectonic Wall!" Ritsu roared, slamming his hands into the ground. A massive stone wall erupted in front of him, absorbing the brunt of the impact. But before he could recover, Yurei glided through the debris like mist, its icy claws slashing across his chest. A cold shiver seeped into Ritsu's bones as frost spread from the wound.
Jorogumo seized the moment, spewing a torrent of webbing from her claws. "You're trapped now, little turtle," she hissed with a sly grin. Ritsu growled, his body straining as he ripped free of the sticky bonds. But no reprieve came, as Tengu swooped from above, its naginata slicing through the air in a gleaming arc. Ritsu barely raised his stone gauntlet in time, deflecting the strike. However, the force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his boots grinding against the cracked stone floor.
Breathing heavily, Ritsu clenched his fists. "Attacks like that aren't enough to hinder my spirit!" Oni-Kiba let out a thunderous laugh, the vibrations shaking dust from the ceiling. Without hesitation, the oni lunged again, swinging its club in a wide arc. Ritsu ducked low and retaliated.
"Earth Shell: Rotating Stone Spear!" A rotating sharp spike erupted from his palm, striking Oni-Kiba's arm drilling it to it. The oni roared in pain, its thick skin cracking from the force of the attack.
But Yurei was already drifting forward, it's cold presence seeping into Ritsu's senses. "Your soul… will join me…" it whispered, its icy fingers reaching for his face. Ritsu stomped his foot on the ground. "Earth Shell: Seismic Wave!" The earth beneath them shook violently, forcing Yurei to phase backward as the spectral wail echoed through the walls.
Jorogumo took advantage of the chaos, climbing along the walls and positioning herself above Ritsu. She unleashed a volley of strikes with her sharp poisonous stingers. Ritsu rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly barrage.
"Earth Shell: Stalagmite Surge!" Jagged pillars of stone erupted from the ground, slicing through the webs and grazing Jorogumo's porcelain-white legs. She shrieked in anger, retreating swinging away.
The Tengu descended like a black comet, talons first. Ritsu grunted as he raised his stone gauntlets to intercept the strike.
"I hate to say it but your strength is quite remarkable!" he gritted, pushing the winged demon back with sheer strength. The Tengu flapped its wings, retreating briefly before spiraling upward and beginning to chant in an ancient tongue (just Japanese). Dark magic started gathering at the tip of its naginata, swirling ominously like a miniature storm cloud.
The air grew heavy with malice as the demons regrouped, surrounding Ritsu once more. Oni-Kiba slammed its club against the ground, cracking the stone floor. Yurei began to hum a haunting dirge, filling the air with icy dread. Jorogumo's webs shimmered with venom, and Tengu's storm crackled with building energy.
Ritsu wiped blood from his lip, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. "As a proud Imperial Knight I refuse to lose here!"
Slamming his palms into the ground, Ritsu's magic surged through the earth. "Earth Shell: Grand Eruption!" The floor beneath him exploded upward, sending massive chunks of stone flying in all directions. Oni-Kiba was caught in the blast, its massive form crashing against the far wall. Jorogumo shrieked as debris tore through her webs, causing her to lose her footing and fall. Yurei's ghostly form wavered under the force of the eruption, and the Tengu faltered mid-air, forced to ascend higher to avoid the chaos.
When the attack was he used to launch himself upwards and made a stone gauntlet punching the tengu square in the face breaking it's nose sending crushing to the ground close to the Jorongumo.
The Yurei manifested behind him and was about to land a sneak attack but fortunately Ritsu saw this coming and even though it managed to slice he check he dodged it, took out his sword which quickly became a shield with turtle shell patterns and slammed it into the demon sending it back with the rest.
Ritsu noticed and they're injuries were quickly healing so he decided not to let the battle drag on.
"Earth Shell: Heavenly Bastion!" The shield began to glow and the ground beneath him trembled as a golden magic circle appeared on the ground making lines stretch throughout the room. Golden stone pillars than surrounded the demons making a barrier which contained the Genbu's symbol on the top.
The tengu, Oni-Kiba and Jorogumo tried to break out of it but failed while the Yueri tried to escape but found it was unable to phase through the barrier or even beneath the floor.
Ristu made a small hole on the side which he used to throw in two of the lacrima Harumi gave surging the all in demon slayer lightning causing them to be disintegrated. After that was done his body began to pulse in pain and coughed up a little blood.
"I'm still not fully ready." He muttered to himself in disappointment as Genbu's power was still too much for him after all this time but suddenly a giant demonic skeleton burst out of the ground.
"Gashadokuro." Ritsu muttered, clenching his fists as the monstrosity loomed over him.
It tried to crush him with its giant fist but Ritsu dodged the attack which left a dent on the floor. He maneuvered quickly and struck his legs with his sword only to be surprised that he barely made a scratch on it.
"Earth Shell: Stalagmite Surge!" The earth pillars launched at the skeleton but broke when they hit its bones. "Even my magic is having difficulty penetrating its hard bones."
The Gashadokuro slammed its hands. He quickly made his shield but the hit was too heavy and powerful causing it to break through the shield making contact with Ritsu rocketing him across several walls till he crashed into the room.
"Ritsu-san." He heard a familiar voice and opened his eyes and saw Kagura.
"Kagura-san I apologize for asking you this so suddenly but I need your assistance!" He got up a bit shakily and before Kagra could ask the skeleton demon burst through the walls.
"Oh I see." She asked and on cue the Gashadokuro. Burst in through the walls.
"Shooting Star." She zipped around the Gashadokuro and stabbed his blade onto the top of its skull, surprising Ristu on how easily she got pierced it's bones. "Gravity Blade: Increase." She twisted her blade and increased the weight of the demon causing it to fall to its knees and get off it.
"Finish now I don't think the extra Gs I added to it will keep it down for long!"
Ritsu nodded and quickly threw the lacrima causing it to surge through the demon causing it immense pain but it still stood strong leading Ritsu to throw the final lacrima increasing the intensity of the attack which finally disintegrated it.
"Thank you for your assistance Mikazuchi-san. " Kagura just nodded and sheathed her blade while Ritsu touched his ear making a circle appear. "Report cadets have your targets secured!?"
With Akira
The cavern was a little destroyed and Akira leaned on a wall for support while breathing heavily. Her clothes wear tattered, her forehead bleeding a bit and her wing a bit damaged.
The Froghemoth laid on the ground with multiple feather pierced into its body which also sprouted purple magic symbols immobilizing it.
"You can settle down with that Ritsu-san, we're not the imperial Knights but yes I've captured mine. Just need help getting out of here." She answered as she sat down to regain her breath and looked at the monster
With Kazuki.
Kazuki was busy tying up his opponent after coming out victorious in the battle. His clothes were slightly tore and his face was fully revealed.
" Moan' H-Harder." Hino-Emma moaned in pleasure as Kazuki finished tying her up.
"Target secured." He answered Ritsu.
With Morrigan and Harumi
"A little busy right now Ritsu-san!" Harumi answered back but as she was a bit distracted the Cerberus managed to land a heavy flaming claw strike to Harumi sending her back but she managed to land on her feet but flinched at the attack. The hound wasn't done as it was loomed over her wait it's mouth blazing ready to chomp her but Morrigan grabbed it's tail with her slightly enlarged arm and pulled it back.
"Ah~ Ah~ Ah~." She spun it around a bit and tossed it into the air.
"Lightning Devil's Rage!" Harumi shot a large beam of lightning from her mouth, landing a direct hit on her target causing an explosion.
The Cerberus fell and before the women could attack the Cerberus shot an extremely large fire ball from the middle head into the sky than to more smaller ones from the other heads. Ones the reached the larger ball it split into multiple smaller ones and rained down towards them like a meteor shower.
Harumi made lightning shield protecting them from the barrage of attacks but as the attack continued she was finding harder to keep up the shield up. While the attack was still going on the Cerberus touched it charged for the shield with it's body blazing and stuck the shield hard destroying it successfully striking the two women sending them rocketing back with minor sonic booms. But the landed on there feet but slide a bit causing a dust trial.
It continued continued it's ruthless assault and unleashed a fast motion wave of fire which burned down everything in its path. Once Harumi landed she used the quick drew making a streak of lightning in her motion but the demon hound grabbed causing her to discharge her lightning causing to hollow in pain and confusion at the amount of pain it was feeling so rotated its heads and began to increase it's grip again than went to chomp down on her head.
Morrigan flew above them causing Harumi to stop her attack allowing her to throw her spiky tendrils piercing its hand giving Harumi the chance to break free of the hold. She followed it by quickly enlarging her hand about the demon's size and punched it a couple meters away.
"Okay Harumi what do those fancy demon scooping eyes of yours tell you about this mutt?" Morrigan rubbed her hand and turned to the devil slayer whose eyes re-examined the demon.
"It's curse basically makes it's body a gate way to the demon world itself. Each of it's heads gives it access to an element straight form the underworld it's self and it can open dimensional rifts to it." She finished her analysis and without warning exploded in magic and purple lightning.
She now had black lightning markings on her face and arms, 6 purple taiko drums formed on her back and purple horns grew on her head.
"Dear word of advice, warm me when you're going to do that. I mean look what you did to my hair and clothes." complained Morrigan as she dusted herself.
"Your fashion can wait as we can't afford to play around with it especially since it could escape to the underworld." Harumi's drum's beat as each of them shot beams of lightning so fast that the Cerberus couldn't react making a direct hit, making hollow in pain.
Morrigan appeared above it and threw a giant spiky punch to one of it's faces it blocked with it's palm which caused a shock-wave and cracked the ground beneath the demon who growled in discomfort as it's palm began to bleed. The woman smirked and manipulated her hand to make it into a spiky testicle wrapping around it's hand and with incredible strength she flipped and slammed it to the ground.
"My I see you can take a lot of punishment~." Her arms split into spiky tendrils. "Let's test the limits of that~." She began ferociously wiping it causing brutal scratches on it's body which slowly healed but Harumi also took to the sky.
"Lightning Devil's Plasma Slash!" She threw the long range sword attack to her enemy causing a large crater in the aftermath.
While int the crater the demon hound whimpered in pain than quickly rotated it's head once more surrounded itself in an icy aura making sharp ice pillars hitting the two women knocking but Morrigan was slightly pierced in the abdomen drawing out blood.
It followed it up by letting out an extremely cold ice blast which froze the two who immediately began breaking their ice prison with Morrigan raising her body temperature extremely high and Harumi. It rotated it's head once more and it's body began to crackle in purple lightning and lead shot a powerful lightning ball and the other too slightly smaller ones which orbited the larger one hitting Morrigan knocking her to the top of the mountain range destroying a majority of it's crest.
It than shot large beams of lightning form each of it's heads at Harumi making a huge dome of lightning.
"'Surp'." The dust cleared revealing Harumi eating the lightning with no damage to on her body causing the Cerberus to look at her in surprise. "What a repulsive taste."
"WOOOO!" It howled and multiple demonic symbols on the ground and multiple arms began coming out of each one of them.
Harumi switched her sword with a spear than slammed it to the ground causing a discharge of her lightning canceling out the symbols. Once that was done she dashed to it in the speed of lightning slicing on the heads eyes with the demon hound. This did not deter it though as it engaged in close combat with the devil slayer.
Harumi was dominating the fight landing dodging, countering and landing heavy attacks to the demon. It switched heads to ice mode and unleashed a huge icy winds and shards but Harumi dodged the attack the to her impressive speeds than delivered a good slash to it's back followed by using her spear for a sweep attack to its feet sending it to the ground.
She zipped to air and came down fast ready to deliver a spear thrust but demons quickly come out of the mouth of the two heads surprising Harumi but she an attack from left one but the one on the right shot acid to her back causing her to grunt in pain. The Cerberus quickly switched heads and shot a strong blast of fire from it's mouth knocking her away.
'I couldn't have let my guard down?' She got up scolding herself than touched her acidic burnt back slightly flinching.
In the blink of an eye Morrigan flew towards them and cut the demons head and landed a huge cut on the Cerberus chest to abdomen causing it to gush blood.
"Morrigan-san I'm glad to see you can still fight?"asked Harumi noticing she was now wearing different clothes for some reason and her injures where healing.
"As if an attack like that can take me out but that dumb mutt ruined my other clothes with it's last attack so I had to take my time pick else to wear."
"You can't be serious Morrigan-san!?" Harumi looked at the greened eyed woman with growing irritation she could believe were her priorities were especially in this situation.
"What can I say I like to look my best both in and outside of battle~. But I'm kidding I had to consume some shadows near by. Healing is a very troublesome task you know~."
"Lest just focus on the battle at hand."
The Cerberus filled with rage that humans were once again pushing it this far let out a loud an earth-shattering roar and began raising it's magic power to extraordinarily heights causing the two women to get pushed back as it began to levitate. As it was in the air it quickly formed a giant ball of fire, ice and lightning which only grew bigger and bigger.
"Harumi wouldn't you be a dear and I don't know strike it down while it's busy doing all that."
"It's enough power to destroy 1/5 and it's a little too unstable. If I strike now recklessly who knows what would happen. I have find a solution which might not lead to high casualties!"
"Oh good grief. I'll give you the opening." Morrigan brought out her wings and in sonic speeds flew near the attack. "Sorry pup, it looks like playtime is over. I'm going to have to take your ball away from you now~."
"Darkness god Secret art: Nyx's Consuming Void." She chanted and and darkness began to engulf the large elemental ball. "Darkness god's Chains of Nemesis." She formed large dark chains binding the demon than through it high up in the sky where Harumi was waiting for it with dark thunder clouds for ming in the sky crackling with purple lightning.
"Lightning devils secret arts: Raijin's Heaven Shattering Drum!" Her drums began beat heavily as she pointed her spear to the Cerberus causing a huge plasma beam of lightning to descend to the demon striking to the ground and destroyed some of the mountain range.
"And her I thought you would be the responsible one~. We aren't suppose to kill them remember."
"I had gauged the creature power through out our battle and conditioned my attack just right enough to deliver significant damage but nit to go overboard." Harumi pointed with a straight comedic face at the the Cerberus laying in the ruins of the mountain range defeated.
"Not go overboard she says I think the mountain you almost completely blow up has something to say about that." chuckled Morrigan and the descended down to there fallen enemy.
"D-Damn y-you f-filthy h-humans." The Cerberus muttered in extreme hatred as it regained some control of itself but lost consciousness. When it tried to escape to under but the lightning in it's system was somehow preventing it from using it's cure and just passed out.
"Wow it can talk. But I guess I have to give it it's follows I thought it would start to disappear after all that so good job mutt~." Morrigan spared some flowers she got from out of nowhere and turned to the devil-slayer. "Come on lets take this thing to Salem before it starts to fade."
"Morrigan-san you have a lot of experiences with the workings of Sin. What can you make of all this?" asked Harumi while deactivating her devil trigger.
"I'm still trying to figure that part too. When I was in Sin I heard that the dark guild which controlled this thing which goes by Ebony Legion was a lower dark guild before up until they somehow got there hands on this thing than used it to climb up the ladder but recently had a joint-venture with one of if not the strongest dark guild in the country by the name Abyss Eye."
Harumi began to think about what Morrigan said and wondered if one of the demon kings had something to do with it.
BOOM!
They both heard the loud explosion coming from several miles away form.
"By the gods just what in the world has he gotten into now?" Morrigan spoke in slight worry.
Author's Note:
Alright I just wanted to say is yes I'm aware that I copied DMC's whole flow with the devil trigger thing but I just wanted to give devil slayers their own unique thing instead of just copying dragon slayers and calling devil force or something. Godslayers will also get there own thing.
Also y'all notice how devil slayer magic in the serie is technically the best Slayer magic. I'm not saying it's the strongest as each slayer magic has it's own advantages but from what I've seen demon slayer magic is more efficient at it's job description than the other two.
Next remember the slots of the final anomaly at the Oni-Dragon's clutches are still open for suggestions as I removed the darkus Bakugan because Darkrai is there. So I'm still open to suggestions on the anomaly and it's mutation.
Finally for the love poll Morrigan and Selene are going to his love intrests!
Just kidding!
But I seriousness Brandish is the on leading, seconded by Swan, than Kagura. I was thinking of adding Meredy and a fairy OC to the race but decided against it as I don't want to fall into the trap of making my character collect girls like pokemon. And still stick with the very minimum number.
Next Chapter while be Salem vs Doc. Quill.