Crimson pins Glacier against the arena wall easily overpowering him.
"What's of my concern is of no importance to you." Crimson throws Glacier back into the open.
"Did you think while you were training I was sitting back? How naive as a warrior you should have had that thought cross your mind." Crimson shouts as his energy gets even higher then Azure's
"Quit your nonsense I won't kill you not when you are the only remaining life of my clan other than me." Glacier shouts only to have a fire ball thrown his way to which his barrier absorbs.
"That's too bad then how will you stop me then. If you think you can defeat me go ahead and try with all your might." Crimson shouts as the energy raging from his body explodes into his sword.
Glacier blinks and within that lapse of time Crimson sends out lashes of fire from the tip of his sword.
"So fast." Glacier blocks with his sword covered in ice but still gets burnt a little due to the speed.
Crimson disappears from sight as he appears behind Glacier and twists slashing his back.
"What!?" Glacier leaps back as he tries to stop the bleeding.
"How did he do that the barrier is absolute defense so how?" Glacier thinks just as he hears Winter's voice.
"My power Azathoth lord of void is absolute whatever that power maybe its meaningless in my prescience. There is a strong possibility Crimson has awakened my power. But seeing it now there's no mistake he's awakened it." Winter explains again to Glacier.
"So you've noticed? That's right I have been using Azathoth even that barrier you seem fond of is useless against Azathoth. I'm disappointed I thought you would have gained the same power as me but I guess I overestimated you." Crimson says as he charges Glacier again and delivers cut after cut.
"What did you say!?" Glacier angrily asks as he pushes back against Crimson.
"You heard what I said you are weak you shouldn't be this weak you should be much stronger." Crimson spits out in disgust.
"Why you."
"Let me show you what it feels like to be hopeless." Crimson grabs Glacier and brings them to another world where the sky is red with a red sun shining down.
"Welcome to my world and here is where you will stay."
"Frost bite blast." Glacier quickly collects magic and fires an ice beam at Crimson who swats it aside.
"Was that it? Shameful its utterly shameful to call yourself a guardian at your current level."
"Fine if you want me to show you then I will show you power. Frost flare nova." Glacier lunges at Crimson as the markings from earlier reappear pulsating very fast.
Crimson intercepts and grabs a hold of Glacier's neck. "Go ahead do it."
The pulsating ceases as the ice explosion triggers covering a diameter of 20 miles in every direction in ice.
"A good move if it weren't used against me most would surely take enough damage to be killed." Crimson says letting go of Glacier's neck and appluads.
"How did you? That was my strongest spell how did you survive that blast when I condensed it to a small area?"
"Yes its quite a puzzle but first let me guess the nature of your spell. By compressing magic within your body you infused it with your ice affinity gradually lowering your body temperature before releasing that energy outwards. By itself its capable of freezing a planet no problem with a few seconds of charging but if you condense the explosion in a certain space the force exponentially increases by a magnitude of 100x am I correct?"
"How it would have required you to see that spell numerous times in order to know its nature so how do you know?" Glacier asks as Crimson points at the sky.
"That massive sun isn't really a sun." The sun changes to show the outside world where Yin Yang and Azure are all in the arena looking for Glacier.
"So that's how you've been spying on us how long then?"
"Ever since your birth I've kept a close eye on you and I must admit its quite sad honestly." Crimson says as he launches an arch of energy at Glacier who absorbs it.
"You face a shadow who knows your every move but you don't know the shadows move so how will you solve this riddle? I'd really like to know." Crimson lunges at Glacier again but side steps running around creating hundreds of after images.
"Whats the matter surely you can tell the real from the fake." Crimson dives in and out slashing at Glacier leaving small cuts and avoids vital areas.
"What's going on I can follow him easily but the moment he moves to attack I loose sight. Not to mention there isn't much sound coming from him despite all this footwork is it an illusion?" Glacier brings his arms in and shields his chest as he analyzes the situation.
Crimson dives in again cutting one of Glacier's tendons in his leg.
"So that's the trick. I got him now." Glacier breathes in as he watches Crimson and just as he turns to attack Glacier responds with a double slash to Crimson's guts.
"Not bad. So you figured it out my light step technique I mean."
"As I thought you pooled energy into your legs and feet and combining that with footwork you could move at high speeds."
"Correct but why aren't you using it. After all you should be able to use this or are you not aware of whats going on between you and me?" Crimson asks rubbing his head.
"What do you mean? Isn't that your technique you really should stop spouting such nonsense." Glacier blasts out a massive shard of ice at Crimson who only sighs and raises his arm.
"Don't you get it such an amateur." A barrier forms and blocks it and Glacier realizes its the same barrier he's been using.
"When did you? How?"
"The exact same time you did. Whatever you can do I can as well. Naturally that means anything I can do you can as well." Crimson light steps again and appears slashing Glacier's chest.
Glacier leans back in time to make the tip only cut him slightly and thrusts his sword into Crimson's arm.
"Nice moves you're getting faster but still did you think this was my limit?" Crimson releases more energy as his body is enveloped by his red aura.
"Not good!" Glacier forms a massive ice wall only to have Crimson break it and that results in a deep cut into Glacier's left arm.
"Play time is over. I'm going to bring you to the point of death and then bring you back and do it over and over until I break your very soul." Crimson appears in front of Glacier and brings both of his swords down.
"So fast and that wasn't the light step!" Glacier manages to defend himself in time but that resulted in him getting pinned to the ground.
"How many times have I called you pitiful at this point you're so weak." Crimson kicks Glacier onto stairs leading up to a mansion.
"You have no power to protect anything. Not your friends." Crimson punches Glacier.
"Not yourself." Another punch lands.
"Not even creation. You don't deserve the name guardian for how pathetically weak you are." Crimson raises his sword up high.
"He's right at my current strength I can't win against him. Is this really the end for me? The end of creation?" Glacier recalls to his mother's and grandfather's dying words.
"No this isn't over yet not when I've lived through all their sacrifices they will not be in vain. I will not allow him to wreak havoc and I won't allow my friends to die not today not tomorrow. Never I will never let them die I will protect them with every last ounce of my being! They will not die so long as I live!"
"Confirmed Azathoth has now been awakened." The voice rings inside Glacier's thoughts.
As Crimson brings his sword down Glacier blocks it and pushes Crimson back with a new determined look.
"He's done it. About damn time brother I was wondering when you will have that look on your face." Crimson thinks as he smiles looking at Glacier's spike in power.
"That's the look lets see if your new found power can match me!" Crimson leaps forward only to be cut on his shoulder chest and back as Glacier appears behind him.
"Light step? He's mastered it with his first try. Good your growth is definitely within expectations but still you're not there yet." Crimson blocks a slash from Glacier.
"And you combined light step with your increased speed from loosing your power arm nice control there brother." Crimson notes as he holds his wound.
"You're no brother of mine. You're a monster and anyone who tries to take from me whether it be my friends family or creation. I won't hesitate to kill be they friend foe or my own blood!" Glacier twists and impales his sword through Crimson but seeing this Crimson grabs hold of the sword through his chest.
"That's it loose that chivalrous attitude and embrace the killing mentality you will need it to live." Crimson brings his sword and slashes a X into Glacier's chest so deep his bones also get cut.
Glacier coughs up blood and looses his grip as he falls onto the steps of the mansion.
"You got strong yes but you lack the knowledge to make use of it. I'll take over your body now. Stay and lay there I'll kill you later." Crimson traps Glacier in a fire cage and binds his body in fire.
Back in the real world with the other 3 Crimson appears with his wounds but some being stitched up.
"You!" Yin and Yang charge Crimson only to each have their lower half get a deep cut into it.
"And now your turn primordial demon Azure." Crimson looks up at Azure with his intent clear.
"Is that so youngster don't take me for a fool." Azure summons his trident as Crimson aims his sword at Azure.
Azure thrusts his trident forth which Crimson parries and swiftly delivers a counter strike but Azure uses his trident to leap and dodge.
"Must not let my guard down Master Glacier managed to defeat me and since he's here must mean he defeated him. If I am to win I will go all out." Azure spins his trident as a massive amount of water begins accumulating and spinning with it.
"Rage through the heavens and spear the sky Neptunitis." The trident glows blue before changing form slightly forming a drill like end at the bottom and the 3 blades of the trident turning blue with greaves in them.
"All done gathering your power? Then lets get the show on the road." Crimson's blade gets enveloped in fire as does his body and lunges at Azure.
Azure raises his trident up as the water spirals around him clashing against the fire cloak of Crimson.
"Eye of the storm second dead silence." The water spirals faster and pushes Crimson away as it disappears.
"Don't think hiding your water will help." Crimson strikes the water again revealing it and evaporated the spiraling water before he raises his sword for another strike.
"Cascade of a thousand currents." Azure side steps and appears all around Crimson as many after images of him appears diving in and out striking Crimson.
"Its not cutting?" Azure although making contact with Crimson the trident can't cut through.
"Its the same barrier Glacier used so just surrender quickly." Crimson catches the trident in between his left arm and shoulder and thrusts his sword into Azure's chest.
"Very well then." Azure grips tightly onto his trident as he imbues it with more energy it glows a dark blue and he cleaves through Crimson's arm and barrier leaving him shocked.
"No more hiding my power in order to stop you I'll just kill you." Azure spread opens his dark blue nearly black bat like wings and his right arm absorbs the trident turning it into a massive long bone like sword. His clothes also shred apart and instead is replaced with a transparent silk like scarf wrapped around his neck and arms with his chest fully exposed and a set of black scales forming on his legs.
"Ah is that what you primordials call your aspects of the color you embody then again this else seems like something else explain." Crimson asks interested.
"Neptunitis second release. Gather together water and rain back down like the heaven's arrow. Spearhead of the heavens. Lance of Neptunitis." A dark blue energy envelops Azure as he aims his massive sword at Crimson.
"You little rat keeping that power a secret but I must admit it is impressive." Crimson grips his severed arm and stops the bleeding.
Azure thrusts forward with his arm aimed at Crimson's chest but fails to connect due to Crimson blocking.
"Don't get cocky all because you can cut me now with your bigger weapon." Crimson side steps as he performs the same move Azure used on him with hundreds of after images surrounding Azure.
"Do you really think the same move will work on me?" Azure spins and blocks the first strike aimed at the back of his neck but when he does he gets stabbed in every direction all by the other after images.
"You failed to realize that I was faster how pitiful you let your guard down at the last minute." Crimson brings his sword down cleaving Azure in half.
As Azure's body splits and falls down Crimson gasps as he sees the water coming out of Azure's body and turns around to see the real Azure but fails to block the sword running through his chest.
"It is you who let your guard down now you die." Azure gathers more water in his sword and it begins pouring into Crimson's body ready to create spikes to impale Crimson all over.
"You think this will kill me?" Crimson grips onto Azure's neck as markings appear over his body.
"Lets see your water put out my fire." Crimson's body erupts into a dark red flame and Azure screams as he feels his arm inside Crimson being burned severely and tries to pull out.
"Your mere droplets of rain is not enough to stop my volcanic fire!" Crimson grips tightly onto his sword as he begins to recite something.
"A warrior must not run from battle, they mustn't hesitate or harbor regrets. Hesitate and you die regret and you meet the awaiting hardships. Always move ahead never turn back. When a warrior fights they assume its their end, and to survive they must develop their instinct. Their instinct to kill!" Crimson envelops his sword in the crimson red fire he released and cuts off Azure's arm before kicking Azure back into the arena wall.
"He who follows this doctrine is able to awaken your almighty power. Now know your place Azathoth!" Crimson stabs his sword through the arm still inside his chest as it disintegrates into ash and Crimson's energy multiplies exponentially.
"You are strong devil lord Azure however compared to me you are but a sparkler of the firework show that is my power and my brother's power." Crimson raises his sword only to get grabbed by two energy ropes.
"And what do you intend to do?" Crimson turns and face Yin and Yang who regained consciousness from lost blood and their wound stitched.
"Isn't that obvious you arrogant bastard." Yin says as black chains ensnare Crimson.
"Stop you that's what we all will do." Yang forms a white cross and throws it at Crimson that holds his neck and arms.
"Even if its for a moment we can still seal your movements and in that lapse we can do this!" Yin and Yang each form their symbol above Crimson.
"Now rain down upon him. The fate of all things is death. Diablo's breath." The symbol glows as a sinister black and purple mist comes from the symbol and attached itself to Crimson which eats away at his flesh.
Crimson is swallowed by the mist as more and more of his flesh is eaten away and bones starting to also break apart.
"Light art starlight seal." Yang gathers the light and shines it down over Crimson and the light forms into a sphere containing the mist and Crimson inside.
"And now me. Shadow art never ending abyss seal." The shadows below grow darker as they rise up and grab hold of the light and slowly pulls it down.
"Insignificant welps!" Crimson detonates his energy outward dispersing the mist the symbol and the seals of the brothers.
"Light step hidden moon slash." Crimson lunges forward at Yin and when he swings his sword Yin moves to block but when he does his fan is cut in half as well as his arms after seemingly blocking the slash.
"And for you moonlit dance of the sovereign ember." Crimson changes the fire color to black and as he swings his blade at Yang he gets sent flying back by a giant wall of black fire flickering and dimming resulting in his body being burnt deep into his body.
"Now with that annoyance out of the way lets resume devil lord." Crimson turns to face Azure again the flames burning red once more.
Azure despite his weapon and arm gone still looks at Crimson in resentment.
"Is this the lengths you will go kill your own kind then trample on their body by slaying their friends!?" Azure spats out in anger as he forms another trident out of water.
"Indeed what I want is not what he wants because to me there is no other thing that matters other than what I want even my own life is not as important. I will gladly burn anything in my path all for the sake of what I want. That is my resolve and my responsibility." Crimson says raising his sword up.
"And just what is this thing you want surely its more than just resetting creation." Azure says bracing himself.
"Correct what I want is more than that but you wouldn't believe it so there's no point in telling."
"Phoenix blaze." Crimson swings his sword sending out an arc of fire at Azure who tries to block it.
"What you want is not what I want was that right?" Glacier appears through a crack in the sky and blocks the fire.
"I find it hard to believe that statement. If you ask me your sword isn't filled with the passion of what you want which was to eradicate creation and rebuild it." Glacier says narrowing his eyes as he gets ready to strike.
"In fact it felt like it was filled with the same feeling running through my blade and that feeling is protection." Glacier appears behind Crimson as a massive gush of blood flows from a chest slash from Glacier.
"Explain it. Why is it your blade is filled with the same feeling as mine if you wanted destruction!?" Glacier angrily yells as he turns around to face Crimson.
"You're not ready to understand but eventually all the things will be met. For now you can believe my words or not because frankly I don't care what matters now is you're still too weak." Crimson stitches his wounds with an energy thread as he charges at Glacier.
"If that's the case so be it. I don't know why you're doing this but I will beat it out of you." Glacier matches Crimson's sword as the two take to the sky and engage in a trade of magic and sword swings.
"He's grown stronger from the time I kept the three busy marvelous work brother. However for the dangers that come ahead you must become strong enough to where you don't fear death but greet it with a smile and you lack that face now." Crimson monolauges in his head as he gets impaled by Glacier.
"Fine I will admit defeat here but mark my words one day we will cross swords again and no matter how long it takes I will see my promise through to destroy your precious creation and shatter your world until that time comes don't you dare die on me." Crimson grips the sword imapled through him and disappears as red energy sparks.
"Its over. Finally..." Glacier looses consciousness as he falls to the ground of the arena with his wounds opening back up.
Meanwhile back inside the red world Crimson appears with his injuries smiling.
"I'm glad I could help increase your strength brother. What marvelous swordsmanship after picking up on my techniques. Still its not enough you and I must grow a lot more." Crimson limps his way up the stairs to his mansion.
With each step Crimson leaves behind tracks of his deep red blood and pants heavily.
"You got this strong just by fulfilling the requirements to activate Azathoth and putting your life on the line just to save your friends good job." Crimson limps inside and collapses onto his couch and looks at the ceiling.
"My dear brother how I long for the day when you learn the truth behind my actions. Ever since that day where I killed those trash to now I've gained strength to help support you but you're no where near your potential. To reach it you need someone as strong as you a rival of sorts or an antagonist I will gladly take that role if it means you don't loose your heart. I promise you I will take care of you, that face of despair I never want to see it ever again on your face and if I do see it I might just have to cut down the source of it burn it to ashes and give you the love you needed all your life." Crimson chuckles out as he slowly heals his wounds and his arm.
"Master why must you go this far to play the villain when you harbor no hate?" A voice asks.
"Ah winter its been a while since I heard your voice. To answer your question if I was simply an ally his power would not grow at the rate it did today he needs to be pushed beyond the limit broken and then put back over and over until he becomes unbreakable. When that time comes there will be no need for me to continue as a villain but as his brother."
"So you believe by playing the villain his power will grow more than if you trained with him? You don't make any sense but I feel your conviction burning as bright as the day you swore to protect him in fact it's even brighter. If that's what master wishes I will serve and assist however possible."
"Thank you winter. By the honor of the guardians I will do anything and everything in my power to protect my brother and if I lack the power I'll just gain more to overcome my shortcomings." Crimson declares as he looses consciousness to decrease the recovery time.