The great white's open jaws were wide enough to let Asura see inside the beast's large mouth. To Asura's horror, a face stared back inside the shark's stomach. "Is that a human?" Asura thought before he realized the figure's head was missing a nose or ears.
Instead of a typical human nose, there were two openings in its place, and its ears were merely large holes as if someone had cut open the sides of the head. No hair was present anywhere on its skin like a human, but instead, sickly boils sprouted from everywhere that could be seen. Its hideous sight reminded Asura of a rotting corpse.
The unmoving head remained motionless except for its open eyes, which stared forward from within. However, Asura recoiled at the sight of the head, noticing it lacked eyelids or lips. Its lipless mouth exposed its yellowish-black teeth as it opened slightly to breathe.
Before Asura could leap away from the shark's path, the quick attack caught him off guard. Its enormous jaws slammed into his flesh, consuming the upper half of the ogre's body in its maw. Asura struggled to fight against the shark's vicious thrashing as it clamped its jaws tightly. Its enormous body caused him to teeter as its body weight shifted from left to right from its tail swinging around.
He raised his arms to pry the shark off, trying to grab onto the grotesque shark's skin to tear it apart. As he reached for the shark's body, his arms were swatted away rapidly from the shark's lanky, hairy arms outside. The shark seemed to be toying with the ogre as it slapped at his hands playfully but with enough force to send them back to his side.
Asura's blood boiled, and he clenched his fists tightly, ready to pulverize the beast trying to eat him. His voice growled out as he prepared to strike with all his strength.
"Alright, you fucking disgustin-"
"Aaaaahhhhhh."
A breath exhaled from above Asura's head as he remained inside the mouth of the Landshark. Asura hesitated, taking a deep breath in, but regretted it immediately as a putrid stench filled his lungs.
"Gah. Blegh. Imma puke."
Asura gagged from the stench. "It smells like he ate a sun-baked corpse." His eyes widened as he completed his thought. He forced his head to look up with such intense speed that he pulled the muscles in his neck as he gazed at the source of the breath.
The figure's head was still present, hanging a foot above Asura's. The two held each other's gaze, unable to look away from the haunting sight. Its beady, glazed eyes burned into Asura's mind. He reached up to grab hold of the shark to finally pry it off, uttering four words he regretted as his mouth hung open.
"This is nightmare fuel."
"Bluargh."
The head's mouth opened wide, and from within, vomit poured down onto Asura's head. Its rancid, acidic liquid covered Asura's skin and hair. He thrashed desperately, trying to shake off the liquid as it spread over his skin. As he fought against the downpour of bile, it spilled into his eyes, causing his vision to turn yellow.
"WHAT-"
Before Asura could finish his words, two arms reached out from the large holes carved into the head's sides. The long arms gripped Asura's head, slapping it back and forth, causing his head to whip jarringly from side to side. As the palms slapped against his skin, the liquid splashed and spread.
Asura's body burned from his boiling rage as the events unfolded. His mind went blank, and his vision turned red as he clenched his jaw tightly. A madness took hold momentarily as he bared his teeth in a growl.
"Fuck this. Fuck you."
The ogre channeled his holy mana into his arms, causing an intense wave of mana to ignite the runes that ran down the side of his four arms. A white flame burst to life, causing the runes to explode like pistons firing sequentially. The flame spread over his skin, covering his four arms completely.
Asura raised his hands and grabbed hold of the shark's jaws. In one swift movement, he pulled his arms apart, breaking bones apart from their hinge points. The cracking and snapping of the bones rang out, followed by the sound of ripping flesh. As he pulled with all his might, tearing the beast in two, he let out a roar of anger.
"FUCK SHARKS! YOU WERE COOL ONCE!"
Suddenly, the land shark's body exploded as he held its corpse above his head. Asura's brows pressed together, and he looked up in confusion, and a hissing sound began. As his eyes opened to find the source of the explosion, a large heap of sand cascaded down on top of him.
The pile slammed onto Asura's body, causing him to groan from the impact, but he remained standing as he braced himself. He held his hands up in disbelief as he stared at the floor, now covered in sand around him. A familiar, tired voice spoke from behind Asura with little enthusiasm.
""Uriel's mana is truly beautiful, isn't it, Titus?"
The sand shifted as the voice spoke. Asura watched as the sand crept across the floor, returning to the voice as if it were his pet. A trail was left, and at the end of it, Sandman stood with another cigarette in his hand and a small smile that perked the corners of his lips. His tired eyes remained on Asura as he raised his other hand to point at the ogre.
"Remember that you have two opponents to consider."
Asura took his words to heart and tried to turn to locate Titus before he was attacked from another front.
Suddenly, a sharp blade sliced through the air, striking Asura's back swiftly. The blade cut through his skin with ease, cutting deep into his muscle as it carved its way from his right shoulder blade down to his left hip. The large gash opened wide as the metal made its departure from Asura's body, causing blood to burst out as his heart began to beat rapidly.
Asura gasped from the agonizing pain of being cut open, falling to one knee. His blood splattered onto the floor, leaving pools of blood as it continued to flow. He spoke with his teeth clenched, hissing out as he tried to hold himself together,
"God... Dammit."
Titus's black, jagged armor shone in the candlelight, casting a menacing shadow down onto Asura as he knelt before him. Titus continued his attack without hesitating and brought his halberd into another swing, carrying his momentum from the first successful slice.
His axehead soared towards Asura, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Leaving the ogre to watch as the black helmet gazed down as if he were a lesser being than him. Its black holes were filled with a void, hiding the user's face behind a veil.
The thought appalled him as a warrior. Asura pulled the edges of his nose upward, scrunching it in disgust. He glared back, angry. "If your going to kill me, at least be proud and show your damn face." Asura thought as he tucked his arms to his side.
As the blade swung toward his head, Asura twisted and leaped forward at Titus. The ogre tilted his head as Titus's blade approached, barely avoiding its edge that grazed his ear. Blood splattered against the side of Asura's head, but a devilish smile spread across his face as he realized he had gotten close enough.
Titus tried to withdraw and gain distance to utilize his halberd better, but Asura continued his approach while ignoring his injuries. In his rage, Asura's arms blazed with white flames as they reignited from the mana being pumped into his veins.
The ogre struck forward with his fists, sending two powerful punches filled with mana into Titus's stomach region. At first, Titus felt as if he could withstand the impact and hold his ground due to the properties of his armor, but his eyes widened as the metal cracked slightly.
The power behind the punches was derived from the overwhelming strength of an ogre's body and enhanced by the holy mana bestowed by the Archangel of War. A combination unseen to any Paladin's eyes.
Before Titus could prepare, the force sent him flying backward into a nearby wall. His back slammed against the stone structure, causing cracks to spread from the impact across the wall. He managed to remain standing, but his body screamed in agony as his armor began to regenerate.
The armor absorbed Titus's mana and blood, embedding large spikes into his flesh to strengthen its exterior defenses. His opponent observed from a distance as the armor repaired itself, appearing almost alive. The curious ogre watched, fascinated, as it resembled a monster healing its wounds.
The horrifying sound of the repair made Asura cover his ears. The metal screeched, pushed to its limits. Its plating expanded to fill the dent caused by the impact, and the cracks vanished as it reformed itself.
"That's fucking cool as hell. Too bad I need to fight you, or I'd let you finish."
Asura sprinted towards Titus before his armor fully repaired the weaknesses from the first blow. However, as he raced towards the Paladin, a figure stepped before him. As Asura pulled his arm up to strike the figure, knowing it was Sandman, he found himself being scooped up into the Sandman's arms.
Sandman firmly grasped Asura's right hand, interlacing their fingers while holding him securely with his left arm. He outstretched his right hand, beginning the motion of a slow dance with Asura in his arms.
Asura's momentum carried him forward, but Sandman seemed unconcerned and continued the motion into a spin, pulling Asura closer in his embrace. Asura's eyes widened in shock from the act, but he found himself unable to pull away as Sandman's eyes locked with his. The mesmerizing dark hues shifting around his pupils encapsulated Asura.
Sandman spoke as he stared into Asura's mind, reaching his hands into the darkest fears and most beloved memories. Although Asura had forgotten most of his life, his dreams and nightmares remembered everything. The subconscious events that occurred in one's sleep retained the entire unfiltered existence of a person, and all were laid bare before the man who walked through them all.
"What a beautiful and pure dream."
"What is-... happening?"
Asura blinked, attempting to break free from the mental hold that Sandman had ensnared him with.
"A distraction to catch you off guard."
Asura's eyes furrowed as he recovered his consciousness. As he blinked to recover, the ogre noticed movement behind Sandman, who refused to let go. A large blade shined as it raised up high into the air. Its edge glimmered as the light reflected off its surface.
He tried to push away, but Sandman's strength overpowered the ogre. The man appeared weaker than Titus at first, but Asura was left speechless as the man held him with ease. Asura ignited his arms with holy mana and dug his fingers into Sandman's shoulders, but the man showed no signs of even slight discomfort. His eyes were unwavering as he clutched the ogre.
"Sometimes, the perception of weakness can deceive the mind into believing in its own illusions."
Asura looked up at Titus as he brought his halberd down once more. To Asura's surprise, Titus didn't hesitate, and neither did he care that Sandman stood between them. He swung with strength and aimed it directly at Sandman's back, preparing to strike his own brother.
The blade sliced through Sandman, cutting cleanly through his form and embedding itself into Asura's shoulder. Stunned, Asura watched as Sandman's body disintegrated into a cascade of sand, the illusion shattered. The blade sank deep into Asura's shoulder, slicing into his chest before lodging itself with a sickening thunk of meat and bone.
Asura roared as blood erupted from the wound. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he grabbed hold of the halberd that had dug its way into his body. Titus took a step forward to rip the halberd out from his shoulder like an axe lodged in a large piece of oak.
Asura roared with rage, gripping the halberd with a strength that left no doubt he wouldn't let go. Channeling holy mana into his leg, an uncontrollable explosive wave began to surge. As Titus approached, Asura kicked him in the chest, unleashing a burst of white flames that sent his foe reeling backward.
Titus was in awe of the ogre's tenacity and endurance as he rose to his feet after being struck with his halberd. Asura grasped the shaft of the halberd and pushed with all his strength, tearing the blade from his flesh. The ogre growled, clenching his jaw so forcefully that his teeth felt like they might shatter from the stress.
Blood exploded from the wound, splattering across the floor as he freed the blade. He gripped the halberd as he panted from exhaustion and misery, holding it before him as he composed himself. His white eyes stared down Titus who clenched his armored hands into fists.
"Honestly, that was cool as fuck."
Asura lifted the halberd and wrapped his twenty fingers around the shaft.
"But now, I have the halberd."
As Asura held onto the weapon, a voice echoed in his head.
"Unworthy."
Asura gasped as his mana was forcefully drawn from his body into the halberd. In an instant, all of his mana reserves were drained away, leaving only a void in his heart. The excruciating pain left him drooling as his stomach dry-heaved uncontrollably. A scorching heat spread from his hands up to his shoulders and into his chest as the weapon tried to consume more mana than it had already taken.
Its bottomless greed required more than what existed inside Asura's body, and as its tax, it began to consume Asura's blood, drilling spikes from the shaft into his palms. As the spikes drilled, Asura forcefully pulled away, dropping the halberd onto the ground before him. The metal clanged against the floor and rattled before settling.
Asura doubled over and vomited, overwhelmed by the pain and ache deep within his body. As he rose and looked up, he watched Titus speedily race towards him, leaving no time to recover.
"Give me a fucking break."
The ogre kicked the halberd behind him, ensuring Titus wouldn't grab hold of the weapon during their next brawl. "Whatever the fuck that thing is, it can stay the hell over there." He thought as he turned his attention back to Titus. Despite being exhausted and in pain, Asura surprised Titus by beginning to laugh.
His wide grin spread, exposing his teeth as he let out a hearty laugh. The ogre raised his fists, ready to engage Titus' strikes.
As Titus examined his opponent's bloodied and beaten state, he couldn't help but admire the ogre. Although his existence was blasphemous, Titus found himself respecting his opponent as their fight continued. "I wish this were a different world. One which didn't label you my enemy." Titus thought before the ogre spoke,
"This is awesome. Honestly. You need to fight Lydia sometime."
"You know Lydia?"
Asura frowned at Titus's mention of Lydia's name. His tone was filled with familiarity with the name as if she were a relative or loved one. The ogre asked, clearly annoyed,
"Do you know Lydia?"
Titus growled at his response, and the thought vanished quickly as he raised his fist to strike while charging.
"What did you do to her?"
Without another word, the two engaged each other. Their fists raised, and the battle of strength commenced as they threw jabs and hooks. Titus was the first to land the first punch, avoiding Asura's guard with a feint.
As his fist collided with Asura's right cheek, he expected his arm to carry through, but the ogre's neck held his head firmly in place. The punch felt as if it had collided with a brick wall. Asura stared back, an intense fire burning in his eyes.
Asura countered the attack, striking with all four arms in quick succession. Titus managed to block the initial strikes with his skillful defense, but the sheer number of arms finally overwhelmed him. The ogre struck Titus in the gut with his lower right arm and followed up with a hook to Titus's helmet.
Although the armor absorbed the impact of the powerful blows, the results left Titus clenching his teeth. The spikes drilled deeper into his skin as payment for the exchange, preventing the ogre from breaking through its defense.
Titus returned with fury, fighting back with the same determination that Asura fought. The two battled, exchanging blow after blow and striking one another relentlessly. Asura's heartbeat increased as his excitement grew from the fight. The thrill caused adrenaline to pump through his body.
Sandman watched from the side as neither would yield to the other in this onslaught. He raised his cigarette as he watched, inhaling a breath before dropping his hand to his side. "Unbelievable... There isn't an Archknight that can best Titus in strength."
The two's powerful blows echoed throughout the room, causing claps that sounded like explosions as their fists collided with the other's body. With every impact, the dust was blown away as the force sent small shockwaves from their positions.
It would be a lie if Titus claimed he wasn't enjoying the battle. His adrenaline caused his body to numb, and the only sensation he could feel became excitement and the rush of combat. He couldn't remember the last time he could freely strike with full strength at an opponent without killing them or harming an ally.
Titus and Asura struck at the same time. Their fists collided, causing a thunderous boom to echo as the two were forced apart. The two slid across the floor as if on ice, panting as they came to a stop. However, they both maintained their standing position and eye contact.
Their bodies tensed, every muscle stiffened as if used to their maximum capacity in the fight.
"You're strong."
Titus shifted his arms, trying to shake off the numbness throughout his body. He nodded his helmet in acknowledgment of the ogre.
"So are you."