"That fucking hurt..." Arc stretched his neck from side to side, slowly approaching them, "...you bastard."
Pierrot clenched his fists, muscles tensed as the demon revealed itself.
"So you're here."
The demon only looked at his palms, closing and opening them, as if stretching an unused limb. "All it took..." he put his hand down, "...was a foot beyond the lines of death."
The demon laughed, a deep, guttural sound that reverberated through the room, amused at himself and the situation.
"Stay back, Quill," Pierrot warned as the demon stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Arc.
Quill nodded, notching an arrow of light and aiming from a safe distance. "I-I'll cover you." His hands trembled slightly, the arrow glowing brightly in the dimly lit room.
"How kind of you," the demon said, taking a deep breath. "It has truly been a while. How long has it been, 20 years? More or less..." The two stepped back as he advanced, his footsteps heavy and deliberate.
"So pardon me, I need more souls, you see."
Arc lunged at Pierrot with blinding speed. Pierrot dodged, feeling the rush of air as Arc's claws slashed past his face. He landed a solid punch to Arc's side, the impact sending shockwaves up his arm.
The demon barely flinched, retaliating with another strike. Pierrot ducked, countering with a kick to Arc's side but failed as Arc's knee met Pierrot's gut, sending him stumbling back.
"You can't win," Arc growled, "I'm stronger than you."
"We'll see about that," Pierrot muttered, delivering another kick to Arc's midsection. Arc staggered but quickly recovered, launching a barrage of kicks at Pierrot.
Pierrot blocked and dodged, each movement fluid and effective. He landed a spinning kick to Arc's head, but Arc caught his leg, swinging him into a wall. Pierrot groaned, pushing himself up just as Quill fired an arrow. It struck Arc's shoulder, causing the demon to snarl in pain.
"Good shot," Pierrot called, wiping blood from his lip. He charged at Arc again, fists flying. Arc parried and countered, their movements a blur.
Arc delivered another kick to Pierrot's gut, sending him back to the wall.
The demon stood still, grabbed the arrow from his shoulder, and removed it, the wound dissipating.
Quill continued to fire arrows from a distance, each one finding its mark. "Pierrot, keep him busy!"
Pierrot dodged another swipe, delivering a series of rapid punches to Arc's torso. "What do you think it is I'm doing?" he shouted back, barely avoiding a vicious claw aimed at his head.
Arc roared, dark smoke swirling around him. He swung a massive fist at Pierrot, who ducked and delivered an uppercut to Arc's jaw. Arc stumbled back, momentarily dazed. Quill took the opportunity to fire another arrow, hitting Arc in the chest.
"You'll need more than arrows to stop me," Arc bellowed, lunging at Pierrot again. Pierrot sidestepped, landing a powerful kick to Arc's knee. Arc buckled but grabbed Pierrot's arm, throwing him across the room.
Pierrot crashed into a table, quickly rolling to his feet.
"You think you can outlast me?" Arc bellowed.
Arc retaliated with a sharp swipe of his claws. Pierrot ducked and rolled away, narrowly escaping a fatal cut. Arc's next attack came in the form of a crushing kick aimed at Pierrot's midsection.
Pierrot twisted his body, blocking the blow with his forearm, but the force sent him crashing into a wall, debris scattering around him.
Pierrot pushed himself up, brushing debris off his clothes. He charged forward, fists flying, landing a powerful jab to Arc's torso. Arc roared, the impact sending a shockwave through his body.
He staggered back, but his retaliation was swift. He swung a clawed hand in a wide arc, catching Pierrot across the chest. Pierrot grunted in pain, feeling the sting of the cut.
Pierrot launched himself at Arc, dodging a flurry of blows. He delivered a brutal series of punches, each one aimed at a vital point. Arc roared in anger, his attacks becoming more frenzied.
Quill's arrows of light continued to pierce Arc's defenses, weakening the demon with each strike. Pierrot saw his chance, ducking under a wild swing and delivering a devastating punch to Arc's chest. Arc staggered, black smoke flickering around him.
But Arc's rage was far from spent. With a roar, he unleashed a wave of smoke, knocking both Pierrot and Quill off their feet. Pierrot struggled to stand, his vision blurry. Quill lay unmoving in a few meters, his form flickering.
Arc stood over them, his form towering and menacing. "You thought you could defeat me?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
Pierrot forced himself to his feet, fists clenched. "This isn't over."
Arc's laughter filled the room, echoing off the walls. "Oh, but it is," he said, raising a clawed hand. "For you, it ends now."
With a swift motion, Arc struck Pierrot down, sending him crashing into the rubble. Quill tried to rise, but Arc was upon him next.
Just as Arc's claws were about to reach Quill, Pierrot staggered forward, catching the demon's attention. He let out a strained shout, trying to distract Arc. "Hey! Over here!"
Arc's head snapped toward Pierrot, a cruel smile spreading across his face. He turned his full attention back to Pierrot. "Still struggling? How amusing."
Pierrot's vision blurred, but he fought to stay conscious. He staggered toward Arc, fists clenched, his movements sluggish.
He launched a final, desperate attack, throwing a series of weak punches that Arc easily blocked. With a swift motion, Arc backhanded Pierrot, sending him crashing back into the rubble.
Shadow closed in around Pierrot. He managed to whisper, his voice barely audible, "Who are you?"
Arc's eyes glowed brighter, a malevolent glint in his gaze. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over Pierrot, the air growing colder with his presence.
A sinister smile spread across Arc's face as he answered, "I was your god, humans."
Arc raised his head as he stepped forward, his form looming over Pierrot.
"I was... your Ba'al."