A/N: Hi guys! Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter than the rest. It may be a bit dry to some of you guys since it involves some of Ryuga and Neo's back story so please bear with me. Also some updates about the next few chapters so you guys have something to look forward to. Ryuga's team's mission will wrap up in hopefully in the next four chapters with parts of information being delivered about how the guilds intend to deal with the massacre on Sand Dune City as well as Glaive recollecting some past events. After that we will move onto Aiden's team's mission which will also cover another 5-6 chapters. So stay cool till then guys!

Lots of love for my reviewers too!

Martyn: As of now no mainly because of his age but he will spar with other Scarlet Nova mages in the future.

KingKatsu: Yep you bet! Don't mention it. It's always good to help a fellow author.

OleanderBleedingHeart: Well not exactly . Rin is not directly related to Ryuga nor Neo but that's a story for another time XD

Reven228: Thanks a bunch and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. XD

Arclin: Haha, I actually didn't know about it until you told me cuz I don't watch the anime, only the manga. But you're right about one thing and that's things are going to turn out vastly different from what happened in the anime :P

Origm2012: Thanks again mate! I noticed the typo too. It was supposed to read wolves but somehow it just turned into horses. My bad. Athena will showcase more of her skills next few chapters and possibly face off against Ryuga's team. Ryuga's team was together for the longest after all, so their coordination and all is a level above most teams, not saying that the rest are bad, just that theirs is slightly better. XD I had fun writing the fight scene between the mages and I'm pleased that you enjoyed it, so thanks once again. Hope you'll update your fic soon too. Can't wait for the next chapter

IdentityCrisis.03: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well XD

Please refer to Chapter 1 for disclaimers

Enjoy!

Flashback (18 years prior to Fic), Magic Facility

"Morning Brother!" a voice chirped happily, causing a much younger Ryuga to open his eyes. He was much shorter, his silver hair smooth instead of its future spiky look. The scar down his left eye was currently missing; something that he would only gain in the near was in the middle of a sweet dream when the voice came. He dreamt that he was back in his village, living happily with his parents just like how things were before they came. They razed his village to the ground, murdered his parents before his eyes and then kidnapped him. He was loaded onto a vehicle with many other kids, most of them he recognized from his village as friends or schoolmates. While a portion of them were transported to a boat that travelled to an island offshore, the rest of them were brought into a facility deep in the heart of the country. That was over a year ago.

In front of Ryuga was a much younger Neo. His skin was a peach color and he still had his heterochromatic eyes, though the most noticeable feature then was the wide grin he sported. Ryuga just closed his eyes once more, ignoring Neo completely. That caused Neo to pout slightly, seeing as how Ryuga ignored him. Then a brainwave flashed, causing his grin to return again. Giggling softly, he went to Ryuga's side and tickled him, hoping that would wake him up.

While it did, it also earned Neo a punch in the face, causing him to lay sprawled legs akimbo across the cage.

"Tch!" Ryuga uttered under his breath as he glared emotionlessly at the boy. He really hated that kid. He was always sticking to him like glue, bothering him constantly just because they shared the same cell. He had even taken on the habit to call Ryuga his brother, something that Ryuga detested. He just did not understand the nature of the situation they were in.

Long ago, the cell was not just filled with the two of them but with tens of other kids, some of which Ryuga knew personally. As the days went by however, the number slowly declined. Familiar faces eventually started disappearing after leaving the cell, never to return again. Initially Ryuga would bawl his eyes out, mourning the death of his friends but as the numbers continued to pile, he eventually chose to give up. Instead he killed every emotion within himself, refusing to acknowledge the loss and to forge any new bonds.

And yet Neo continued to pester him, day in and out. He had lost count of how many times he had refused the boy's attempts to get to know him. In the end he just chose to ignore Neo completely, listening to his words but never responding.

In the mean time, Neo had managed to sit up, a bruise now forming on his face. "That hurt," he whimpered, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. The moment he sensed Ryuga looking at him, he quickly wiped away the tears on his face, a warm smile reappearing.

"You're finally awake Brother!" he cheered as he attempted to stand, only to fall flat on his face. "Eh?" he asked, a curious look on his face as he gazed down at his hands. Or more precisely hand. The other was currently missing, leaving nothing but an empty stump. Strangely though, no blood flowed out of the wound.

Ryuga sighed as he spotted the missing appendage next to his feet. He must have been too hard on Neo earlier, causing it to drop on impact. He then stood up, picking up the hand and holding it against Neo's wrist. A small stream of blood shot out of the stump, connecting to the hand and pulling it in. Within seconds it was reattached, nerves and all intact.

Any normal human would have freaked when they saw that but Ryuga was used to it already. Due to the experiments conducted on Neo, he knew that he was able to manipulate his blood freely although that caused a major strain on all his body parts, resulting in them breaking apart or falling off at the slightest touch. Not that it mattered, since Neo was always able to reattach them using his blood, though they did not last for long each time.

"Thank you Brother!" Neo smiled, though Ryuga ignored it. It was just the two of them left now and his time was going to be up soon anyway. As if on cue, the alarm blared and two men in lab coats approached the cell. The magic cuffs on his hands activated, binding his arms close to each other. With that the door to the cell opened and Ryuga walked out of it obediently.

"Bye Brother! Come back soon!" Neo cheered as he waved goodbye to Ryuga. Unknown to him, Ryuga had a sad smile on his face. This really was goodbye, forever. He was going to be freed of his suffering very soon and it was a shame that he could not see the day when Neo would too.

"I really am going to miss that brat after all." Ryuga thought to himself as he left the cell, preparing for his last trip to the magic chamber.

Later

"Everything is set to go." One scientist called out to the rest of his companions across the room as he monitored Ryuga's vital on a lacrima screen. Two of his colleagues were opposite him, wearing hazmat suits as they stood next to a bounded Ryuga. Ryuga's body was tied and secured to a wall by ethereal chains, restricting his body movement in case he tried to escape. His right hand however was left free to move about to a certain degree, being suspended by a special gauntlet that had wires hooked up to the lacrima screen.

In the centre of the room, a sword floated in midair, bobbing up and down ever so slightly. If the sword's shape did not give any indication of what nature it was, the black and murderous aura surrounding it certainly did. It was grey claymore that had a twin pommel grip and a spike at the end. On either side of the claymore was a skull and has red runes infused on the blade.

Ryuga gulped slightly when he saw the blade. Having seen and absorbed similar weapons and armors before, he could tell from a glance its power level. This one was very bad news. Instead of fear, Ryuga felt relief instead. At least this would be over soon. Even he could not absorb a weapon like this. While the demon blood they had injected into him allowed him to wield demonic weapons and armor, something of its caliber would easily rip his body apart in the accommodation process.

The two scientists beside him were also very nervous, seemingly affected by the blade's murderous aura that was seeping into the room.

"What is that?" one scientist asked meekly, having seen nothing like that before in his life.

"Balrog, the personal weapon of the demon Belphegor." The other scientist replied, his voice indicating that he was older and more experienced than his colleague. "From what I hear, it was recovered from a tomb that Zeref personally built for the demon and in the progress; it slaughtered half of the excavation unit that was sent to recover it."

"You mean, it's alive?!" the first scientist asked, the fear recognizable in his voice.

"Can't you feel it?" the second replied.

Meanwhile the scientist at the end of the room was finalizing his preparations, pushing random buttons and levers.

"All vitals and magic levels are stable. Commencing Test No.44 in 3, 2, 1." With that, he pushed a button, activating the gauntlet that Ryuga was currently wearing.

Ryuga grimaced as he felt the needles in the gauntlet stab his arm, stimulating the demon blood which lay dormant in his body. Black veins instantly appeared, extending from his arm to his palm and to the right side of his chest and face. As if drawn to a magnet, Balrog shot forward, its handle aimed straight for Ryuga's open palm. As it drew near, Ryuga's fingers unwillingly closed themselves around it, thus initiating the accommodation process.

"ARRRGGGHHHHH!" Ryuga screamed in pain as he felt his arm begin to rip itself apart. If what he had felt before was pain, this was like being thrown into hell itself. His entire body felt as though it was being filled with molten lead, threatening to melt and burst free from within his body. Blood literally exploded from every possible area on his body, threatening to send him into shock. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head as his body shook uncontrollably, struggling to maintain its physical shape from the influx of dark energy.

At the other end of the room, the scientist was looking on in amazement, unable to believe the numbers that were dancing before the lacrima screen.

"Synchronization rate rising," he breathed. "50%, 62%, 77%, 89%, 91%." All the while though, Ryuga's screams grew louder and sharper as the numbers increased. With each passing second though, his vitals began to plunge but they never went flat lined.

Then it happened. With a flash of black lightning, Ryuga's body stopped shaking. The black veins on his arm, face and chest instantly retracted and apart from the steam that was radiating from his body, it was as though nothing had ever happened to the boy. The oversized blade was still clutched in Ryuga's hand, its black aura disappearing completely.

"100%" the scientist breathed, unable to contain his excitement. "We did it; we've finally managed to create a vessel to house the powers of demons!"

Beside Ryuga, the other two scientists shared his excitement, highfiving each other when they knew the experiment was a success.

But for Ryuga, he felt none of that.

He was not even sure how but he had managed to stay conscious throughout the whole process. The accommodation was a success and he was alive atop of that. Yet he did not feel any happiness. Just unbridled rage.

"WHY!" he thought angrily to himself as clearly as he could. It had to be God's habitual prank on him. He craved for the sweet embrace of death and yet God would have none of it, making him live another day. Even Death stayed far away from him, no matter how hard he threw himself at his doors.

He was sick of this. He just wanted it to all end, at least then he could be reunited with his family. They were in a better place than he was currently and he missed them so much. Unable to take his own life, Ryuga cursed his powerlessness, tears freely falling from his eyes. Gone was the mask of nonchalance, replaced with the naked image of a tired and broken kid.

"Damn it," he uttered through soft sobs. Unknownst to him, Balrog glowed slightly.

"Damn it," he repeated, this time slightly louder, causing the scientists to turn and face him. This time, they saw it. Balrog was glowing brighter.

"What on Earthland?" whispered the scientist as he stared star struck at the claymore. It was as though the sword was responding to his feelings.

"Shit!" cursed the scientist by the lacrima screen. "Get it out of his hands now!" he hollered, prompting the two to move onto Ryuga.

Though they were a step too late.

"DAMN IT!" Ryuga shouted, his emotions now running free. Instinctively, Balrog flashed, emitting a dark wave from its blade. Unlike normal energy bursts, this one did not explode. Instead it tore through everything it touched, like a knife on warm butter. All three scientists were bisected along their torsos, barely having enough time to scream before they were silenced permanently. The equipment all around Ryuga shattered as well, releasing him from his restraints too. Ryuga fell weakly to his knees, using Balrog as a support to prevent himself from collapsing completely. He was panting heavily and despite the fierce attack he had just unleashed, his mind was in a blur. He had no idea what he just did; only knowing that he was free.

The containment chamber had shattered completely, the walls and those beyond that all neatly cleaved into half by that energy wave. Alarms blared as the explosions occurred simultaneously all around the facility. Guards rushed to put out the fires and control the explosions while the other prisoners all broke free of their cells, taking the opportunity to escape.

"There he is!" a voice yelled, causing Ryuga to turn his head weakly in that direction. There stood a team of guards, all armed with magic staffs that hummed with power. The explosion in the room had drawn their attention here. They were all training their weapons on him, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"He's too dangerous, sir. He must be eliminated!" one of the guards cried out to which the captain agreed. Although it was a waste of a good specimen, they could not risk the destruction of the facility.

"Ready! Aim!" the captain commanded, all members of the guards charging their magic at Ryuga.

"Fire!" 10 blasts of various elements shot forward to Ryuga who just lay there completely still. His body was too weak to move, so he watched with glazed eyes as the balls of energy homed in on him.

Once again, Death refused to take him in. Balrog glowed once more, the skull on one end opening its mouth. As if on cue, all the energy blasts fired at Ryuga entered it, leaving no trace of their existence except for the wisps of smoke emitting from the skull's mouth.

"What in blazes?" the captain breathed, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. Not that it mattered any more as Balrog unleashed another wave of dark energy which slashed through the guards, killing them instantly.

As blood and flesh rained, Ryuga released his grip on Balrog and collapsed face first into the ground. As if by magic (no pun intended), Balrog disappeared, leaving Ryuga all alone in the room.

He was tired of the experiments.

He was tired of the nightmares that made him wake up every night covered in sweat.

He was tired of living.

And so, despite the explosions and rubble falling all around him, Ryuga felt himself to be at peace. At long last he could be reunited with his family, freed from this horrible world that he was born into.

With that, Ryuga closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness that beckoned him. Beneath him, the floor cracked open, no longer able to withstand the pressure of the room destruction. Ryuga's limp body fell through the gaping hole that was formed, sending him off on a long ride to death.

Only that someone would not let him.

"BROTHER!" a voice called out, causing Ryuga to open his weary eyes once more. He felt something warm grab his hand, stopping him mid fall.

"Let me go Neo," Ryuga uttered monotonously, calling the boy's name for the first time. He could not be bothered with why and how Neo managed to find him. He only knew that he was in between him and his final wish.

"Never!" Neo cried back, his grip tightening on Ryuga. He had leapt into the crevice after Ryuga, holding onto him with all the strength he had left while at the same time, grabbing what was left of the floor. All around him, the place was gradually coming to bits and pieces, crashing down at full force. Yet time seemed to slow, just between the two of them, oblivious to what was going on in the surroundings.

Ryuga felt something warm drip onto his cheek, and then another drop, and then a miniature rain poured onto him. Blood was flowing out of various parts of Neo's body, it being unable to take the stress of holding the weight of two people.

"Let me go," Ryuga repeated. "Or we are both going to die."

"I refuse." Neo repeated, his voice steeled with determination despite the excruciating pain that was visible from his eyes. "I am not letting you die."

"DON'T YOU GET IT!" Ryuga exploded at the younger boy. "I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR! EVERYTHING I KNOW OF IS DEAD! FRIENDS, FAMILY, EVERYTHING! SO WHY! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME DIE!"

"Because all I have left is you," whimpered Neo, tears falling freely from his eyes. That caused Ryuga's eyes to widen. What on earth is Neo saying?

"I lost my family and home too," Neo sniffed as he explained his story. "I was afraid. Afraid that I would die anytime soon. And then I saw you. You who was fearless before everything, even death. You gave me motivation, someone to look up to in a time of despair. I really wanted to be like you!"

"What?" came Ryuga's dumbfounded reply.

"If you die, I will lose all my hopes and dream. I will lose the one thing that I held close to my heart. So please don't die. Please let me continue to remain as your brother!"

The words struck a chord with Ryuga, causing him to remember what his mother had told him a long time ago. Something along the lines of life being precious because it is not just your own but something that you share with the people around you.

"What a selfish fool I was." Ryuga muttered softly. All this while he had only been thinking of himself, neglecting the fact that his life was not just his own but something that tied to that of others. If he really did die here, he would never be able to pass on in peace.

He could feel Neo's hands slipping by the minute, no longer being able to withstand both their weights any further. Just as Ryuga tried to grab onto it, he watched as a part of the ceiling descended onto them, unable to do anything to stop it.

"Shit!" he cursed, his vision going black as the slab of concrete hit him.

Unknown Time later

Ryuga's eyelids fluttered as he strained to open them. His body was aching all over, proof that he wasn't dreaming when the concrete slab hit him in the face. All around him, rubble was strewn. The facility was destroyed that was for sure.

"Wait a moment, where's Neo?" Ryuga thought to himself worriedly. From as far as he could look, he did not see the boy anywhere. As he was about to get up and search, he felt a pair of hands push him back down. Down onto something soft.

"Morning Brother!" an all too familiar voice chirped, causing Ryuga to gaze up. There was Neo, having red bloodshot eyes but a warm smile on his face. The tear streaks along his cheeks evident that he had been worried sick for Ryuga.

Despite being surrounded in rubble and his body in excruciating pain, Ryuga breathed a sigh of relief.

He was finally free.

And he was no longer alone.

"Morning Neo," he replied the boy for the first time, a small smile on his face. That caused the younger boy's smile to grow even wider, tears of joy falling from his eyes.

Present Day

Despite the tumbling of logs and the roar of the dust cloud, a deadly silence had descended between the two mages. It was just like back then, whereby time stood still for the both of them. While the atmosphere was the same as back then, the situation was completely different. Then, they were both prisoners, relating to each other. Now, they were of two different factions with two different moral codes.

One good and the other evil.

Ryuga silently took in the scene that was before him. His team was scatter like a pile of dead leaves, unconscious and possibly dead. Zephyr was badly burnt, his body almost unrecognizable. Vali was emitting steam, his body devoid of magic. Liliana was unconscious, encased in a pool of hardened magma with Vali's staff protruding out of her gut. Standing above them all, was someone he had previously held dear to his heart, currently caked in the blood of his team.

Under normal circumstances, Ryuga would have attacked him out of pure rage. But as things were currently, he was at a loss at what to do, slowly processing the scene before his eyes.

"Hello Brother," Neo greeted with a warm smile, though Ryuga refused to return it.

"You are no longer my Brother," Ryuga retorted with a scowl. After what had happened seven years ago, he no longer acknowledged the man before him as his kin.

"Oh come on. Why are you still so mad?" Neo pouted. "Is it because you failed to kill me back then?"

"That's just one of the reasons why." Ryuga narrowed his eyes, his muscles slightly tensing up at the memories of the incident seven years ago.

"Cheh, you are just sour after what I did, aren't you?" Neo closed his eyes and shrugged. "After all, your…"

Neo never got to finish his sentence. The moment he took to close his eyes, Ryuga had vanished, reappearing right in front of him and delivering a powerful axe kick to the side of his head. That sent Neo spiraling into the far end of the path, crashing into a large tree with a resounding boom.

Ryuga then proceeded to walk over to his team. With a heft, he removed the staff that was embedded into Liliana's gut, causing her to wince in pain. He watched as her eyes opened slightly, the desperate look in them for him to defeat Neo. Just as she was about to speak, Ryuga hushed her, holding her hand as he spoke.

"You guys did well," he said with a warm smile. "Now get some rest and leave the rest to me."

Liliana's eyes widened slightly in gratitude, a look of relief washing over her face as she closed her eyes and fell back unconscious. Ryuga then proceeded to remove a green orb from his pocket. It was gift that he had received from a client who had spoken proudly of its healing abilities. No was the time to use it.

Ryuga placed the orb in the centre of all three bodies, watching as he began to glow. A small dome then erected over the three mages, bathing them in a green light. While Ryuga was slightly uncomfortable under it, he could tell that it was working. A quick glance at their wounds was proof of that. Liliana's bleeding was already stopping and Zephyr's burns gradually receded.

With that he turned his attention back to Neo who had already gotten out of the trunk that he was kicked into, cracking his neck and shaking the dust of his coat.

"Well I guess I should keep my guard up now." He chuckled. "Especially since I'm up against you now." With that, he allowed his body to tense up and his eyes to narrow, though the sickening smirk never left his face.

Similarly, Ryuga prepared himself as well. This was a dance that he had danced too for way too long.

Both mages stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

Then they moved.

Faster than anyone could follow, both mages had vanished and suddenly found themselves midair in the centre of the path: Neo with a fist extended for a punch while Ryuga's own fist countering it, causing a steam of wind to burst free when the blows impacted. Pulling back, Ryuga launched a drop kick, only for Neo to counter it with a straight one, forcing some more distance between them. As both mages reached the ground, Neo reengaged like a berserker and Ryuga met his charge.

As Neo brought his fist down, Ryuga met it by countering with another axe kick. As testament to his strength, Ryuga not only blocked the strike but forced Neo off, forming a deep crater at his feet. He was on Neo like white on rice, scoring a hit on Neo's chest and sending him near the canopy of the trees, only for Neo to ecover and block his next swing as he came a second time.

The air between them was filled with the sound of blows and kicks resonating, being either blocked or parried. There was the occasional shattering of a trunk or branch, proof of a missed attack or direct blow. It was like two boxers battering away at each other in a death match, though such a thing had nothing on this. Each blow was powerful enough to shatter bone but yet both mages shrugged it off like it was nothing more than an itch to them. Having been used to the force behind each others' attacks, they were nothing more than mere annoyances to either party.

For at a minute or two they fought like this before disengaging to create a space of ten feet in between them. Despite the fierce exchange that had just occurred between them, neither mage seemed exhausted.

"After all these years, you still move well. I have to say, I'm impressed." Neo complimented, the grin on his face still there.

"Well don't be. I was the one that taught you how to fight initially." Ryuga retorted, a scowl forming over his face. Although they seemed to be evenly matched, Ryuga could tell that they weren't. Neo was slightly faster than him, showing that he had been training since their last exchange.

"Well then, let's kick this up a notch shall we Brother?" Neo sniggered as he clenched his fists tightly. As he did so, the blood vessels along his arms began to swell, eventually bursting and allowing the blood to flow freely down his arms.

"Blood Make: Feral" Neo commanded as the blood eventually congregated as his wrists, forming a long curved blade at the end of each. As if to test their sharpness, Neo casually flicked his wrist at a nearby tree, watching in satisfaction as it was sliced cleanly in half.

Wordlessly, a black magic circle appeared at the end of Ryuga's palm. A silver guard then proceeded to pass through it, decorated with runes that were currently grey. The instant Ryuga grabbed it, the runes lit up with an aquamarine blue and a blade of the same color sprouted from the empty handle. Chains of the same color then proceeded to coil around Ryuga's arm having extended from the bottom of the hilt. Like Neo, Ryuga too gave his arm a few swings, feeling the recoil and power humming through his weapon.

"The Blade of Baal eh?" Neo remarked with a sigh as he recognized the weapon. "I was hoping for something flashier but I guess I'll have to make to for now."

"Don't worry about it. It's gonna get flashy very soon." Ryuga replied. He then vanished again, reappearing before Neo and swinging the blade down. Neo dodged to the side, just as a bolt of blue lightning scorched the earth where he once stood. He proceeded to raise both his arms, bringing both blood blades down in Ryuga's direction. With almost super human reaction, Ryuga instantly turned and parried Neo's blow, lightning coursing through his blade. Despite the high voltage, Neo's blades did not dissipate or disintegrate. Instead they seemed to glow and were increasing in size.

"Tch!" Ryuga grunted as he repelled Neo's strike and leapt back. He then trusted his blade forward, firing off a large stream of lightning towards Neo. Instead of dodging, Neo flexed the muscles on his abdomen, causing copious amounts of blood to flow out once more. However this blood instantly dissipated into gas, congregating in front of Neo like a wall.

"Blood Make: Mist" Neo grinned as the blood instantly solidified, forming a large irregular shield before him. Ryuga's lightning blast impacted the shield directly, releasing stray streaks of bolts that flashed in every direction before exploding. When the smoke cleared, Neo's shield still remained intact though it was fragmenting at the sides.

"The Blade of Baal," Neo said as he walked out from behind the shield with a finger to his temple, as though he was deep in thought. "It allows it user to control lightning and possess high reaction speeds. For a lesser demon's weapon, it is rather powerful. Though not enough to beat me."

"You talk too much," Ryuga replied with a scowl as he banished the blade. Another magic circle appeared this time beneath Ryuga. When it vanished, Ryuga was wearing a pair of black boots that were covered in silver spikes.

"Obelisk's Torment" Ryuga commanded as a black aura began emitting from the boots. It slowly ascended and grew in size, completely engulfing Ryuga. It then began to mould in shape, eventually towering over Ryuga in the form of a translucent skeleton with four arms, two of which held ethereal swords whose blades resembled burning flames.

Without warning, Ryuga slashed his arm downwards and the giant skeleton copied his movements, bringing down one of his sword arms onto Neo. Neo instantly ducked out of the way, landing on a tree branch as he watched the sword cut through his shield. He barely had enough time to think as another sword arm slashed horizontally across his position, causing him to run parallel across the trees to evade it.

"The Boots of Alloces." Neo called out as he dodged an enormous punch thrown by the skeleton. "Its user is able to summon a giant skeleton that copies its movements, amplifying the strength behind his attacks."

"Keep talking and you'll bite your tongue off." Ryuga snarled as he hurled another punch at Neo. The Blood mage simply jumped to evade it, landing on top of the skeleton's fist much to Ryuga's annoyance. Standing there he shook his head, sighing as he did so.

"It's powerful alright." Neo started as he gazed down at Ryuga. "But it has one major flaw." Ryuga just grunted in response as he shook Neo off, sending him flying into the air. That was a bad mistake.

"Blood Make: Wings" Neo commanded as blood seeped out from his back, tearing through his coat to take the form of two crimson draconian wings. He then stood there suspended in midair, completely out of reach from Ryuga. With a smirk, he proceeded to finish his sentence.

"Its user takes the same damage the skeleton does." The blood wings instantly crystallized, now resembling two crystal appendages. With a shrug of his shoulders, the crystals fired off simultaneously, unleashing storm of diamond hard projectiles against Ryuga. The projectiles impacted the skeleton, each one resounding with a small explosion. Ryuga grimaced slightly as he felt the wounds forming on his body. While individually the crystals were of little harm, an unending storm of them was bad news.

As if that was not enough, Neo descended as well. The blood from one wing had completely vanished, having been transferred to the other to take the form of a large blade like appendage.

"Damn it!" Ryuga cursed as he watched Neo's new weapon take shape. He instinctively raised his arms and held them in a cross formation before his chest. The skeleton followed suit, raising all four limbs in an attempt to meet Neo's strike.

Neo cackled as he thrust the blade like appendage forward, using his momentum to rocket towards his opponent.

"Bloody Edge!"

Despite Ryuga's strength and dexterity amplified by the skeleton, it was nothing before Neo's attack, having torn through all four of the skeleton's arms and smashing it completely. Ryuga stifled back a scream as the slash wound reappeared on his arms and chest, causing blood to pour out of the open wound. Refusing to give in, Ryuga swung a round house punch at Neo as he landed, catching the mage off guard and socking him in the face. Neo tumbled a few steps back, the blood blade wing on his back dissipating away. Similarly, Ryuga's skeleton faded away as well, leaving the both of them alone once more.

"It's a shame Brother. Your skills seem to have faded over the years. Have you gone soft?" Neo teased.

"Shut the hell up!" Ryuga snarled as he wiped the trickle of blood that was flowing down his mouth. Neo just shrugged his shoulders, not really caring.

"So tell me Neo? Why did you join Black Citadel?" Ryuga asked in a serious tone as he got back on his feet.

"Various reasons," Neo shrugged as he extended his fingers, counting them as he named them off. "Well the first being that I could get to slaughter as many people as I liked. I honestly can't give a rat's ass about what they're doing. As long as I get to kill, it does not really matter."

"You're twisted," Ryuga spat in disgust.

"And there's the second reason of course." Neo continued, ignoring Ryuga's reply. This time however, his grin had vanished and his expression grew dark. "And that's to kill you."

"Glad we're on the same page." Ryuga glared at Neo, the anger on his face visible. "I can't believe that you're the same kid as that time 20 years ago."

"Don't fuck with me!" Neo roared as he swept his hand dismissively. "Whatever happened till now is your entire fault! You know it deep down too! If only you have not betrayed us that day, none of this would have happened!"

That left Ryuga speechless, the expression on his face softening slightly. As much as he refused to believe or admit it, Neo was right. He was completely responsible for what he had become today.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Neo hissed, venom practically oozing from his voice. "Your silence just goes to show that I was right. That and the way you have been going easy on me this entire fight and the one seven years ago. You don't have it in you to kill me, do you? Because you're fucking guilty!"

Another second of silence passed as Ryuga acknowledged the truth behind Neo's words. He felt that he owed the mage everything. Deep down, he wanted to believe that Neo was still the same boy that he used to smile and laugh with, not the psychopathic killer that was before him today. Despite all his crimes and actions, Ryuga still treated him as a brother.

The only kin he had left in this world.

"Bring it out." Neo demanded, his voice devoid of emotion as it snapped Ryuga out of his thoughts. "The armor belonging to the Seven Sins."

"No," Ryuga replied, his voice and expression hardening at the mention of it. "I made a promise that I will never use it again."

"Don't give me that crap. You already broke the one between us, there's no harm in breaking in another." Neo taunted. "Use it."

"I said no." Ryuga scowled. If he were to use it here, he would go against everything that he had stood for the past 10 years. That and he would probably kill every living thing that resided in the forest, his team included.

Neo sighed as he heard Ryuga's second response, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Stubborn as always aren't you." Neo replied, his eyes narrowing. "Looks like I'll have to force you to use it then." A black magic circle proceeded to form under his palm, a contrast to the red ones that he had been using until now. Ryuga's eyes widened as he recognized the magic circle to be the same one that he used but what really caused the shock was the weapon that Neo pulled out from it.

"Balrog," Ryuga breathed silently as he recognized the double edge claymore that once belonged to him. Neo spun the demonic blade effortlessly around his fingers, only pausing to admire it.

"This was the sword that started everything between us," Neo muttered as he ran his hand along the blade. "And now, it shall be the one to end it all."

With that Neo held Balrog in a reverse grip, stabbing the blade into the earth. Below him, red veins began to spread like a plague from where Balrog struck. The earth was also gradually turning black, the skies darkening as though knowing what was about to happen. Without a moment to waste, Neo began the incantation.

"Souls of the damned, heed my cry! Descend from the gates of Hell and win this fight! Plague the enemy that stands before thee! And consume his mind, body and soul for me!"

A thunderous roar could be heard from beneath Balrog as a black line shone through the veins covering the earth. It was as though the gates of hell were opening, black miasma seeping through and polluting the air. Despite the darkened atmosphere, Ryuga could make out five distinct black orbs, four of which were larger than the last. Like an egg, they began to crack and hatch, revealing the beings that were hidden within them.

The first was black and white Vulcan that sported four arms and two tails, the muscles on its body evidently bulging. The second was a towering brown golem with a single eye that had sand swirling all around it. The third and fourth were a pair of wyverns that took to the skies, lightning and fire spouting slightly from their mouths as they growled at Ryuga. While they were all fearsome beasts that Ryuga had faced before, he paid no attention. Instead his gazed was held at the last soul, unable to comprehend the figure that appeared from it.

"No. Why? Why is she there?"

The last one was a female mage. She had chestnut brown long hair tied up in a ponytail that reached her hips and a very attractive body along with large breasts. She had a slim angular face and tanned skin. For clothing, a white scarf was wrapped around her neck and she wears a short blue t-shirt tied into a knot at the bottom, revealing her navel and a pair of mini shorts. By her side was a meter-half long katana that has six holes within the blade. The most prominent thing about her though was not her figure but the sickly scar that stretched from her neck to her navel. When she opened her eyes, they were devoid of life, having red pupils surrounded by black sclera. This aspect was shared by the four beasts as well, each possessing an empty look of rage.

"Yura…" Ryuga uttered softly as he gazed upon the mage Neo had just summoned forth, the tears flowing freely from the corners of his eyes. Throughout his life, Ryuga had met many people, most of them he had long forgotten. But if there was one face he could not forget, it was hers.

She was the one who first befriended him in Phantom.

She was the one who taught him how to control his magic.

She was the one who taught him to be kind and compassionate.

Most importantly, she was his first love.

"Don't you dare speak her name." Neo scowled as he removed Balrog, taking his place beside her. "I wonder why she is here," he said in a sing-song fashion, staring down Ryuga with hate filled eyes.

"That's right," he answered his own question as his expression darkened once more. "It was you." The words that followed suit sapped Ryuga's will to fight any further, knowing that they were the truth and there was no denying that.

"You killed her."