Whoo! Spring Break was awesome!
Nazo: why is that?
The senior class trip this year was a cruise! And, to get to the port we were leaving from, most of the senior class (not that big, only about 30 people or so) along with the chaperones got on a bus and drove there. ROAD TRIP and a CRUISE! How awesome is that?
Nazo: Seeing as I've experienced neither, I wouldn't know.
Oh, yeah, good point. There was one downside, however.
Nazo: Dare I ask…?
It was really uncomfortable trying to sleep on that bus.
We also spent a day in Disney World. Me and my group of close friends went to Hollywood Disney and had a great time while everyone else went to Magic Kingdom. While there, I got to meet Darth Vader, went on the Tower of Terror ride, and I learned how far the fingers of Disney reached into movies and other such things. They are HUGE!
Nazo: to be honest, no one here cares about your personal life except for you.
You never know. Besides, I needed to explain to them why I didn't update during Spring Break.
Nazo: and to do that you went off and rambled.
Yep.
Nazo: (shakes head sadly) you poor, poor soul.
You do know I created you, right? And that I control your future within the next several thousand words?
Nazo: you poor, poor, poor soul.
… whatever.
Anonymous reviews
None… :D (I'm rampaging on the inside)
I only got one review for last chapter. PEOPLE DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE! WAAAHAHAAAAA! (uncontrollable weeping)
Nazo: … just hold it in, Nazo. You can live through it long enough to avoid having to slit his throat. No matter how much his prattling voice irritates you, you have to avoid slitting his throat.
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Chapter 10: The Mysterious Nazo
Robert looked around at the massive numbers that now faced the researchers and mercenaries. Slowly, a smile borne from madness wormed its way onto his face. He threw his head back and cackled madly. "It doesn't matter how many there are!" he roared in his madness. "I'll slay them all! Numbers just mean that I get to cut more flesh and spill more blood!"
Robert whipped his head back down and gestured to everything around him. "The sweet nectar will rain down upon me, the wondrous odor filling my nostrils as I steal the lives of my foes." Robert gazed intently at Nazo. "But before that joy is allowed to me, I will stain your white linens the most beautiful shade of red!" he growled, a manic smile breaking out as he giggled sinisterly while slowly advancing. It was rather poetic, in a psychotic, bloodthirsty sort of way.
Nazo stared back at Robert. "As entertaining as that sounds," he said, "I think I'll pass. You three know the drill. Begin the purge once the Cinder Crystals are broken." With that final order, Nazo stepped through a portal and vanished.
"Why is he leaving?" Colette asked. "It sounded like what he needed to do was here."
"I don't think he left. He probably used the portal to cross the crowd without having to go through it," Genis told her.
"IT'S POINTLESS TO TRY AND HIDE, YOU SLAB OF FLESH!" Robert screeched into the air, his voice so loud the sentries could have heard him, assuming they were still alive. "I CAN FEEL YOUR FILTHY, BLOOD-LADEN PRESCENCE!"
Robert turned around and started sprinting towards the wall with the mural of the demon dragon. The mercenaries and scholars noticed this and panicked to get out of the berserker's way. Any unfortunate soul that was unable to do so was left with a deep slash wound from the Clockwork Scythe. These few unfortunates were quickly tended to, however, bringing Robert's human casualties to a minimum.
Raine had been weighing their options as all of this took place. The numbers of the creatures were still growing rapidly, and it was clear that there was no way they could survive a fight. Fortunately, there was an oversight in the formation of the ranks of the lizard-beasts. Near the entrance, the creatures' numbers were thinner, and the black portal through which the beasts poured out had stopped leaking them. It was their only chance of survival.
"Everyone, listen to me," she whispered urgently, loud enough for everyone to hear her. "As soon as the chance presents itself, we need to head towards the exit. There are far too many creatures for anyone to be able to survive if we stay here. Our best chance is to break through the circle where it's weakest, which happens to be near the exit, and make a run for it."
"But what about everyone else? Shouldn't we tell them?" Colette asked, worried for the welfare of the others.
"Don't underestimate them, Colette. You forget, scholars from the Imperial Research Academy make up roughly a third of our numbers. The mercenaries are all well-trained and experienced as well, so they will likely have already noticed the weak point and made plans to exploit it." Raine reassured her.
Meanwhile, the twins had decided to find out what exactly the creatures were. Pulling out a pair of lens, they held them up to their eyes and examined one with armor and one without. Frowning slightly, they tossed the tools away as their magical aura faded.
"The ones without armor are called Bio-Doulos. They don't have any weaknesses or strengths. For some reason, their race is unlisted," Sylpher reported.
"I got the same results for the ones with armor. Except their names are Bio-Soldiers," Sylvia added.
Kratos frowned. If a Magic Lens couldn't identify something's race, then something was very wrong. Magic Lenses were renowned for their abilities to identify anything and everything.
"They are known as Minions," the Knight with the katana said as he approached, followed by the other two. His voice was deep and calm. It was very alluring and seemed to lull the listener gently to sleep. "Minions' race cannot be identified because they should not exist."
"The creatures made by a necromancer shouldn't exist, and yet they can be identified by a Magic Lens. If a Minion, as you called them, shouldn't exist, then their race should still be able to be identified." Kratos said.
"Minions are the spawn of Death-Demons, you nitwit. Because a Death-Demon shouldn't exist, then a Minion shouldn't exist either. It's common sense," the knife-wielder sneered.
"You are totally justified in being completely obnoxious, you know," Genis said sarcastically, "I mean, it's not like we've never heard of Death-Demons or Minions, and it's not like we know absolutely nothing about them."
"I don't like your tone, half-elf," the Knight growled.
Genis jumped in surprise. "H-How did-"
"Aionis-infusions, dumbass," he jeered.
The katana-wielder held out a hand to silence his colleague. "Death-Demons are the Lords ranked Twelve to Five. Each has a different form and element. They are creations made by our master, and because of what our master is, they shouldn't exist. They are neither living nor dead nor undead. The undead are created from things that do exist. And so, it is not that they shouldn't exist, it's that they shouldn't be alive.
But Death-Demons and Minions are not like the undead. They absolutely should not be in existence at all. As a result, nothing can identify their race. And, because they shouldn't exist, the gods gave humanity a way to seal them off."
"If they are sealed, then how come the Minions are still out and about?" Lloyd asked.
"No one is certain when the Bio-class of Minions appeared. Some speculate that they are made by the Death-Demon of Life, though there never was such a Death-Demon." The man with the poleax said.
"Are there any particular reasons as to why you're just chatting like you're friends with us? Or is it just a tradition among you Knights to talk with someone before you enter mortal combat with them?" Thomas asked.
The Knight hefted his weapon up so it rested on his shoulder. "Believe it or not, most of us are decent people. Many were deceived into making the deal with the devil. Very few joined by choice."
"So you're all virtual slaves," Raine said, her voice filled with pity.
"We're even more than that, I'm afraid." The Knight with the katana said. "To receive an order from our master and disobey it is literally impossible for us to do. No matter how much we try to resist, we must obey."
"Sure, you wusses don't like it. I'm perfectly fine with being that skeleton's underling. I get incredible strength, resistance to death, and to top it all off, the boss is my kind of guy!" the knife-wielder cackled.
"It's getting really hard to keep myself from burning that annoying sneer off his face," Sylvia muttered.
"As if you could, you little whore!" he sneered in response, laughing as Sylvia made to charge at him, only to be held back by her companions. "You see, you're friends know what will happen to you if you try!"
The Knight with the katana put his hand on his companion's shoulder forcefully. "You will stand down until the Cinder Crystals have been destroyed. Those are our orders, and we will obey them. It has been the same at every single one of the seals, and it is the same here." The knife-wielder snorted in anger, but obeyed his superior's orders and kept his mouth shut.
"What do you mean by 'other seals'? You mean there are more places like this?"Colette asked.
"Of course there are! You didn't think all eight Death-Demons would be sealed in the same place, did you?" the leader answered her politely.
"Well, I guess it would be kind of silly to do that," Colette answered.
"We've already visited all the others, this is the last one." The man with the poleax told them.
Suddenly, the voice of Nazo carried out across the room. "In the light, a blade of Cursed Steel will shine," he chanted.
The three Knights shifted. "Looks like it's about time to start," the man with the poleax sighed.
"Coated in the purest red wine,"
The katana-wielder bowed his head in respect to his opponents. "It seems the time for questions is ending. I apologize for what has to occur," he said.
"Add to the mix the source of an Unborn's curse,"
The knife-wielder threw his head back and laughed. "About time we got some action! I've been waiting for this the whole time!"
"And unleash it all in one big burst! Atrum Nex!" Nazo finished. As he let out the final line of the mysterious chant, four two-story-wide orbs of ebony flames launched themselves at the four corners of the mural. Many of the scholars and mercenaries gave a shout of surprise as the temperature in the room dropped dramatically when the four Atrum Nexes exploded. For an instant, one's breath was visible, but the moment soon passed as the fire faded and heat was restored to the room.
The wall had suffered no damage from the blasts. Not a single pebble had been moved from its surface. It was as if the attack had never occurred. Then, the true purpose Nazo's assault became clear.
The crystals that formed the runes around the carving began to crack. In a heartbeat, they all shattered, sending their glittering remains to fall to the earth below. A change occurred throughout the cavern as the presence of something massive, something powerful, something with naught but malicious intent made itself known. The presence was stifled somewhat, but it was there nonetheless. Some great evil slumbered behind the wall, and it was a beast the likes of which none of them had ever faced before. But, it was far from awakening. Despite the loss of the Cinder Crystals, which obviously formed the seal, the alleged Death-Demon did not awaken to wreak havoc upon the world once more.
Robert Caston was bored. Here he was, fighting his way through a massive horde of creatures that should not exist in pursuit of a bastard that had the uncanny ability to render one's mind into an easily moldable lump of clay, and he was bored. The reason? It was rather simple, actually.
The blasted beasts just stood there, not even defending themselves as he cut down those in his way. They didn't attack, they didn't move, they were like dolls that turned to dust as they were killed.
"Fight back, you pathetic cowards! It's no fun if I don't run the risk of being at least slightly injured!" he shouted at the Bio-Doulos still standing in his way. He cut a cross into the air in front of him, cleanly cutting one creature into fourths while dealing fatal blows to several others. He braced himself as if he were about to charge forward with the Clockwork Scythe held behind him and in the blink of an eye, he covered ten feet, easily separating the bodies of several lizard-beasts from their legs. "Scythe of the Slain!"
He didn't have far to go until he reached his target. Only twenty feet remained before he reached the black wall of cloud that was the portal for the beasts. After that, he merely had to get over it and he would be able to kill the man whose blood cried out for him to spill. Vaguely, he was aware of the slime-sac chanting something, though he could care less what he was blathering about now.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" the berserker shouted as he carved another cross into the air, following this one by cutting an "X" over it as well, forming an eight-pointed asterisk. Robert took another charger's stance and flashed across another ten feet, leaving a trail of dust in his wake as he mowed down the docile creatures with ease. Unlike the previous arte, the corpses were removed of their heads instead of being cut into two. "Scythe of the Executed!"
As he readied himself to make his final move to get to his target, Robert was stunned as four massive explosions echoed across the room and the temperature took a nosedive. Finally, the beasts seemed to react as Robert looked over the portal wall to see the wall of the ruins behind it engulfed in black fire.
Robert's desire for the beasts to stop standing there and put up a fight came true the moment the flames died and the crystals around the edges of the wall shattered. They began to roar and hiss, taking notice of the human that had delved into their midst for the first time. Robert's grin stretched across his face once more as he swung his scythe in a wide arc, giving many of the beasts around him deep wounds.
"Playing dead won't do a thing!" Robert cried as he once again cut the asterisk into the air. "I can feel the blood pumping in your veins!" Robert giggled evilly as the beasts crumbled to nothing. A Bio-Soldier, however, managed to survive thanks to its armor. Robert was behind the armored lizard-beast in an instant, cutting a gash in its armor as he moved almost too fast for the eye to track. From behind it, he kicked it into the air and jumped after it. An uppercut with his scythe knocked it further into the air. In the same motion, Robert tossed the Clockwork Scythe into the air and pulled out a large dagger that had been hidden in his boot. He proceeded to deliver a series of slashes that heavily injured the Minion. Robert quickly re-sheathed the dirk and hooked an arm around the beast's neck so he could get a grip beneath its chin and force its head up, exposing its throat. "Your time is up!" he said as he caught his falling scythe and brought the blade to rest on the beast's neck. Robert planted his feet firmly against his prey's back and pushed with all his might while pulling back on the scythe. The monster's head fell free from its body as Robert pushed himself away, flying through the air and over the portal wall, just as he planned. "Scythe of the Reaper!"
Nazo watched coldly as Robert landed in a crouched position, ready to pounce like a cat while also being able to easily dodge in any direction. "Well, well, I must say I am impressed," the Lord said, giving the berserker an appraising look. Robert was drenched in blood from the Minions, his trench coat flopping around like a wet towel while his pale skin was stained an eerie shade of red. Even his teeth set in that psychotic grin had flecks of blood painting them red, though they vanished as Robert hungrily licked his lips. The Clockwork Scythe's color had gone from a steely gray to a bright red as it gorged itself upon the enemies of its wielder. "I honestly expected you to be swamped by Minions and overpowered through sheer numbers. But it is clear that you moved faster than I expected."
"Save your words," Robert spat, "I'm just here to drown myself in your blood."
Nazo chuckled darkly. "You can try, my dear Robert, you can try, just as you always have…" he said under his breath, far too softly for Robert to hear. He prepared himself for the coming fight.
At the same moment, the black wall-portal fell, signaling an end to the influx of the lizard-creatures. Thousands had gathered by now, legions of foes painting the landscape a sickly brown.
Sylpher grunted at his ax met with the poleax of his opponent. Presea tried to blindside the assailing Knight, but the man just kicked her away with a blow to her gut before leaping back to deliver another strike. "No hard feelings!" the Knight said as he knocked Sylpher's ax from his hands with the sheer strength of his blow.
Meanwhile, the katana-wielder was holding his own against a two pronged strike from both Kratos and Thomas. His speed was incredible as the elegant weapon cut through the air, blocking the swords of fire and ice with expert precision. If one looked closely, he could see that the Knight was hard-pressed to accomplish this, but form a glance it looks as if he was doing it easily. After parrying a final blow from Kratos, the man jumped back to give himself some more space.
"I probably should have mentioned this before, but I am the Tenth Knight, the weakest ranked Knight. My name is Kojiro." He said, raising his blade to his chest in a salute. "I will fight with everything I am, and I expect no less from my opponents."
"Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself before you start fighting?" Thomas asked.
"That's not important right now. Focus on the fight." Kratos ordered as he charged Kojiro. The Knight proceeded to duel with Kratos as Thomas ran to catch up.
"In response to your question, I am not well-known for my coherent thoughts. I am easily distracted, and I tend to be a bit scatter-brained," Kojiro answered as he continued to parry their blows. As if in response to his words, Thomas slashed at Kojiro, who didn't notice in time and only barely managed to avoid a lethal blow.
The knife-wielder was engaged with Lloyd and Colette. They had him on the defensive, the man desperately dodging Lloyd's lightning fast sword strokes and parrying the chakrams that Colette flung at him. The man jumped back before swiping at Lloyd, who merely ducked under the attack and went in to deal a fatal blow.
The knife-wielder stretched out a hand and smirked. "Fireball!" he said and three balls of fire flew from his palm and thrust themselves into Lloyd's face. A simple spell, but the speed it was cast was still incredible. As the twin swordsman stumbled back from the pain and the sickening scent of burnt flesh filled the air, a green glow appeared about him, healing the burnt skin and dulling the pain.
"First Aid!" Riane cast. Lloyd nodded thanks to her and dove back into the fray, forcing the knife-wielder onto the defensive.
All in all, the Knights were holding themselves quite well against overwhelming odds. Of course, the mages had yet to add to the fight. As soon as that happened, it would all be over.
Suddenly, an enormous sword softly shining with an electric purple glow appeared above the man with the poleax. Sylpher and Presea quickly got a safe distance away from the spell as it came crashing down and sent thousands upon thousands of volt of electricity coursing though it's victim. The current quickly became too much for the magic sword and the weapon shattered. "Thunder Blade!" Genis shouted, already preparing to manipulate the mana around him for another spell.
The Knight stood there, stunned from the sudden magical assault. Before he could recover, Presea was charging him, her large ax easily cutting through him. The man gasped in pain and shock as he felt the lower half of his body separate from him. Pain screamed throughout his body, but he was unable to make a sound. Every second lasted an eternity. Finally, the pain faded and everything became black as Sylpher took pity upon the man and ended his life.
In the same moment, Sylvia finished her spell. "Detonation!" she cast, flinging the fire mana at the knife-wielder. Sensing the approaching magic, he hastily constructed a shield of mana. He completed it just before a small series of explosions were set off. The flames from the blasts didn't touch the Knight, but the shockwaves proved too powerful for the shield to fully deflect and he was thrown onto his back.
Lloyd took advantage of the moment and ran towards his enemy. The knife-wielder hastily rolled to the side, expecting Lloyd to impale him on the ground. Instead Lloyd slammed his sword against the ground with enough force to send chunks of the ground flying. "Fierce Demon Fang!"
The debris from the arte tore into the Knight's leg, earning a scream of pain. He struggled to his feet and tried to limp away while casting healing magic upon his leg. Unfortunately for him, he was too preoccupied to notice the chakram singing through the air at his neck. The weapon buried itself into his throat, knocking him to the ground again.
He immediately started to treat his neck, abandoning his leg in favor of the dire wound. Lloyd didn't give the man a chance and plunged both his swords into his chest. After a moment of struggling to cast a final spell out of spite, the man became limp as life left his body.
Kojiro didn't spare a glance from his efforts to deflect the attacks of his assailants, but he could tell that he was now the only one of the three that was still alive. His ears perked as he heard someone approaching him from behind. It was then that he realized he would be able to deal at least some damage to their targets, possibly even kill one.
Taking a more offensive stance, Kojiro forced both of his opponent's blades back with a powerful swing. Before they could do anything, he spun around and punched Sylpher into the air just as the fourth-elf was raising his ax to perform a killing blow. Sylpher was launched into the air and Kojiro jumped to follow. Lightning quick sword-strokes cut across Sylpher's body. He barely had time to register pain before he was struck in the head with the hilt of Kojiro's katana and flung to the ground. "The Fourth Circle!" Sylpher landed with a thud and a shrill cracking sound filled the air.
Sylpher clutched at his chest only to pull away from it as pain roared across his body. Every tiny motion amplified the agony tenfold. He didn't feel Presea run to her wounded child. He didn't see as both Kratos and Thomas slew the Tenth Knight. He didn't hear the cries of worry and concern around him. The pain blocked out all of his senses.
Slowly, as adrenaline dulled the pain that paralyzed him, Sylpher was able to hear Thomas ask him if he was alright. Sylpher fought the urge to glare at the Thomas, since doing so would cause another wave of agony to sweep over him.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Nevermind the fact that I just got cut up then thrown to the ground at fifty miles an hour," he managed to growl between grit teeth.
"He'll be fine," Thomas responded.
Raine mentally sighed as she treated her nephew's wounds. The cracking sound from before was most likely his back. A quick inspection with a mana probe proved her suspicions to be true. She began to heal the wounds on his chest. Though deep, they hadn't broken any ribs or cut into any internal organs. They would not be too troublesome to heal, but they placed his life in immediate danger.
The back, however, would be a much larger problem. It could wait, but the longer they took to heal it, the more likely it would cause permanent damage. And in their current situation, if they didn't start moving soon, they wouldn't be able to escape death. Besides, it would take far too long to heal.
She nodded as she finished healing the cuts on his chest. "We don't have time for me to heal your back, Sylpher, so you won't be able to walk. You shouldn't move too much or else you only end up agitating the injury. Sylvia, Thomas, I want you two to carry him out of here on a stretcher." Raine instructed. Even as she spoke, she was constructing a make-shift stretcher out of two tent poles and a blanket.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to just let one person to carry him? Mom or Dad or Kratos could manage it alone with their angelic strength," Thomas suggested.
Raine shook her head. "No, that wouldn't do. Shifting his body too much will only worsen his problem. I need you two to gently move him onto this and then carry him out. We need to hurry. The rest of you, go on ahead and help everyone else fight through the Minions towards the exit."
Kratos had already gone ahead once Sylpher was done being healed, knowing Raine would be able to handle the rest sufficiently. Genis, Lloyd, and Colette, nodded and ran to catch up with him, knowing that Raine was right and having faith in their old teacher. Presea cast one last look of worry at her son before she too headed off.
Raine turned to examine the battle that raged around them. It was obvious that there was little hope of escape. Thankfully, to her relief, the fighting was concentrated in the direction of the exit, which would soon be reached. Just as she suspected, the scholars and mercenaries had realized that their only hope of living was to fight their way out. A small though nagged her at the back of her mind. If Nazo truly wanted them dead, then why didn't he fortify the walls of Minions near the exit? Raine dispelled the thoughts and rushed to help anyone that needed the aid of a healer.
Nazo was having fun.
It was a strange thought. Alien and unfamiliar in the mind of the bandaged man who had known only pain and suffering for thousands of years. He secretly enjoyed watching others suffer beneath the curse of Withering brought on by his weapons.
Withering was a terrible curse, one that only existed in the Evitagen where Latem Evitagen, the Cursed Steel, existed. To wield blades made from the very metal that tortured the enemies of Xeralisk was an incredible honor. Very few had been bestowed that honor, and among those few, Nazo was the only one who was willing to use it. He was also the only one that Xeralisk didn't give the ore of the Cursed Steel to.
Nazo smiled at the memory of the shock in the skeleton's voice when it was discovered that Nazo wielded blades made of Cursed Steel. The smile widened as Robert charged him, slashing his scythe in an attempt to cut the man in half. Nazo charged as well, sliding to his knees as the two approached. By doing so, Nazo ducked under Robert's attack and slid past him.
As Nazo slid by Robert's leg, he lashed out at the back of his heel, hoping to find a weak spot in the dragon hide armor. To his disappointment, his weapon cut into the armor, but was stopped before it could cut flesh. Then, a shiver went through his body and Nazo's grin widened even more.
Robert was thrown off balance by the attack at his feet and he stumbled as he tried to catch his balance. Robert whipped himself around and gave his prey a wide-eyed glare. "Stand still so I can rip you to shreds, you bastard!" he screamed, charging again.
Nazo leapt spinning into the air. His arm-blades swept towards Robert's face, but Robert brought his scythe up to protect himself before he could be injured. Nazo pushed off of Robert the moment the weapons clashed, prolonging his time in the air and stopping his forward momentum and spinning himself so his feet were below him once more.
Nazo tried to assault Robert with a one-two combo from his foot-blades, but again the attack was blocked. Nazo had come to expect this from his opponent. The attack was more to off-balance his foe and set himself up to deliver a double strike with his arm-blades as he spun in the air once more.
Robert easily blocked the attack that would have otherwise split his head into three, giving Nazo the leverage to spin himself around quick enough to land gracefully on his feet. Unfortunately, the berserker didn't see the kick and was thrown onto his back. Robert slid for an instant before flipping himself back onto his feet.
Nazo sighed as he failed to cut through the armor once more. The fight had been an even match so far. Nazo couldn't use Robert's past against him, since Robert's only concern at the moment was killing Nazo. Robert's armor was certainly the only thing keeping him alive, since Nazo couldn't land a blow to Robert's head. Meanwhile, Nazo had avoided all attacks by either contorting his body in a way no human being possibly could or outright dodging them gracefully.
Robert glared at Nazo. The man had an unnatural grace and when combined with his inhuman flexibility, it made his fighting style comparable to that of a dance. All of his attacks were swift, smooth, graceful, and, in a way, beautiful. He fought quickly, using his unnatural flexibility to deliver relentless attacks.
Robert was sick of playing his game. He wanted blood! He wanted to see those strips of white linen dyed red by the blood of his foe. Rage filled his being and an unstable grin wormed onto his face.
"That's it!" Robert snarled. Immediately, a wave of mana rushed from Robert, freezing everyone as light seemed to fade from the room as the mystic arte began.
Robert stood at attention, greedily watching his weapon as flames began to flicker to life and twirl around the blade. "I don't care how deep into hell I go," the flames gave a small surge, "Slaughtering my enemies is the greatest joy I have." Robert turned to stare at Nazo, his eyes screaming for blood. His mouth was stretched as wide as it could go, malice and bloodlust oozing from the evil smile like pus from an infected wound. The fire cast a chilling light upon him, giving an onlooker the sense that they were looking at something dragged up from the depths of hell itself. "I'll slaughter everyone around me and bathe in their blood! Nothing will stop me from my massacres, nothing will wipe this grin from my face!" he shouted as he charged at Nazo.
He moved almost too fast to see, slashing a deep wound and running past before turning around and doing the same. He seemed to come from everywhere at once, dealing injuries that ranged from crippling to lethal in mere moments.
In the blink of an eye, Nazo had six deep cuts, the bandages around the wounds smoldering from the fires. Not a grunt of pain escaped Nazo as he was mortally wounded in an instant. Robert stopped in front of Nazo. The gleeful grin grew wider as Robert struck Nazo across the face with the blunt end of his scythe, knocking him over. Then, before Nazo could touch the ground, Robert buried the blade deep into his back, tossing him into the air slightly. Robert quickly pulled the blade out and brought the weapon crashing into Nazo's gut and pulled it out, leaving Nazo to hit the ground with a thud.
Robert then jumped into the air and raised his scythe high above his head. He hung there, suspended above his prey as the fire around his scythe grew. "I will keep sinning…" Robert panted, his face light up with sadistic excitement, "and I will keep grinning!" With a roar, Robert swung the Clockwork Scythe down and launched a ball of fire at Nazo. The orb of flames screamed into his chest, where it exploded. Finally, a cry of pain tore itself from Nazo's throat as he was carried away by the mystic arte. "Scythe of the Damned" Robert howled, relishing in the brutality of his assault, in the hopelessness his foe must be feeling.
Nazo flopped to the ground and rolled to a stop a short ways away, facing the ground. Robert landed and motion returned to the outside world.
Robert was feeling dizzy. His heart was pounding; his blood was rushing through his veins. The man who had killed his friend was dead, but that wasn't enough. He needed more, more blood, more death, more killing! He threw his head back and let out an insane laugh. He was alive! He was alive for the first time in years! He turned away from the broken body of his opponent, towards the masses of Minions and the humans and elves and half-elves beyond. All of them were there, just for him to kill. The grin was still plastered on his face as he stepped towards the greatest ecstasy he would ever know.
A shout of anger from behind caught his attention. Robert twirled, scythe raised to kill whoever dared to attack him, before stopping short in awe.
Nazo was in the air, hurtling toward him. Before Robert could react, Nazo had grabbed his arms and was pinning the man to the ground. Robert struggled, blind with rage. Then he saw the condition of the man on top of him, and his blood ran colder than Celsius herself.
Nazo was atop Robert, holding the berserker to the ground. Rage boiled in his eye as he panted and shook with rage. The injuries received from Robert's scythe were singed around the bandages, but that was the only thing that showed that he had been cut. No blood poured from them. No smoke rose from charred flesh. But the fact that Nazo was still alive isn't what shook Robert to his core, nor was it the fact that Nazo could still move.
It was the sight of Nazo's chest.
The fireball at the end had burned straight through, leaving a gaping hole. The explosion had done more damage and widened the hole and even reached through Nazo's back in a hole no wider than the span of his hand, but that still wasn't was scared Robert.
No, it was the fact that there was no man beneath the bandages. There was no heart, its steady rhythm showing life. There were no lungs, regularly drawing in breath. There were no bones, the sturdy curves offering support. There were no muscles, their strength granting motion. There was no blood pumped through veins, spreading nutrients and oxygen to the body. There was nothing there. Nazo didn't bleed because there was no blood to flow. Nazo didn't die because there was no man to kill! Nazo, the Thirteenth Lord of the Unborn, was nothing more than a hollow shell of bandages!
Robert stared in shock and horror. It wasn't possible! It wasn't possible and yet here it was, standing on top of him, pinning him to the ground and breathing heavily while glaring at him. Nothing could have prepared him for the shock upon the sight of this.
Nazo's red, serpentine eye glared at Robert. "That actually hurt," he growled. Robert winced as he felt Nazo's presence enter his mind. "YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO MAKE ME FEEL PAIN, YOU FILTHY SACK OF BONES!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I love this chapter's title.
Nazo: why?
Because you're name is Japanese for "mystery", so in reality the title of the chapter is "The Mysterious Mystery."
Nazo: you actually named the most mysterious and abnormal and obscure villain "mystery"?
Yep, though some might argue that that description would fit Feral more. There is usually a reason behind most names. On that note, did you know that Lucifer, the name of the devil, actually means "Light Bringer"?
Nazo: What does that have to do with anything?
Absolutely nothing. I just felt like spouting off random knowledge.
Nazo: why do I put up with you?
Because I force you to.
Nazo: Just like you've forced me to listen to "Sin with a Grin" while you wrote about Robert's mystic arte.
It's a good song! One of my favorites by Shinedown. And besides, it became berserk-Robert's theme song.
Nazo: Very fitting. It's difficult not to associate his psychotic, blood-soaked grin with the song now.
I've been waiting to use those artes of Robert's for a while now, especially his mystic arte. But he seems kind of overpowered, considering he just owned the Thirteenth Lord of the Unborn.
Nazo: until I cut him down to size.
Was this before or after you had a giant hole blown into your body from his mystic arte?
Nazo: … I am nowhere near dead. Besides, it was a small miscalculation. I was holding back. The only thing of true wonder that happened was that he managed to make me feel pain.
Sure, Nazo. Whatever you say.
Nazo: …
You know what makes me sad?
Nazo: I could find out without having to hear your annoying voice if you allow me to search your soul.
There are things in there that even you would cringe from, Nazo. But anyway, it's that only my faithful reviewer known as Dr. Bob reviewed my last chapter. Those things make me so happy, but I only got the one from Dr. Bob. Is it because I took so long to update that you don't review? Is it because I forgot to tell you people to review?
Please tell me! I must know! If it's a problem with me then I'll do my best to change it!
Nazo: I can't take it anymore, I need to find out how to shut him up! (gazes intently into my eyes as he searches my soul)
(I smile vacantly and offer no resistance)
Nazo: …(gags and tears head away in horror) oh dear gods above! What is wrong with you?
Everything ;)
Heeheeheeheeheeheeheehee! My blood was up merely writing the ending. Anyone surprised by this? Anyone got a comment on it? Anyone got a suggestion for the story? If so, leave a review and make me super happy!