Chapter 12.
I had been staying with the group for what had been five days. The group had been slowly moving through the forest, to a big Colosseum. It was now easy to see in the distance. Yet still days away.
There were no fights at all on our way to it. I had mainly been talking to Clive's sister, since I don't like talking to people I don't know. I found out her name was Cybl. She seemed to be more open then her brother was.
She had told me how her brother had left seven years ago. Which surprised me for a second. I had always seemed to forget demons aged slower then humans did. Later that same year she had left to find him, and the only way she could was to join this group.
The iron knight, who I now knew as Damin, forced me to introduce myself to all the members of the group, much to my distaste. There was the swordsman of the group, Zexion. He had black hair, cut short above his ears. He didn't seem to like me, but for some reason wanted to study my dagger.
Then there was the axeman Draken. He was rather small, so much to the fact I would've thought he wasn't even able to lift it. He didn't say a word, or even acknowledge that I had said something to him. He had a long green cloak on.
Then finally there was Zell. She was a star mage, who had long pink hair going all the way down her back. She seemed interested in how it felt to change into a demon, though when she was asking me about it she had a sadistic grin on her face.
I sighed, as I noticed the Colosseum in the distance. Soon, I could be back with my old group, not getting annoyed by this one. We had stopped for the day, in the middle of plains, the grass was knee high. We were done for the day, as the sun shined a red across it.
"I would like to spar with you." Said Zexion from behind, making me jump. I guess he was a silent walker. I turned to him.
"Sure." I said, pulling out my dagger. He stared at it for a bit, as he drew his sword. As soon as it left the sheath, he was in front of me. I was barely able to block it, as he elbowed me in the stomach. I slid backwards a bit, feeling slight pain in my stomach. I threw my dagger, which was still attached to a chain at him.
He ducked below it, making it go above his head. I pulled back, only to get a chain. I could then see, that he had cut it as it flew above him. I soon saw him in front of me, cutting into my chest.
Blood, glistened in the sun set as it flowed freely from the fresh cut.
My body, started to fall freely backwards. I quickly put my hands down, forcing myself to once again stand. I refused to lose, to which he smirked at. "Stubborn." He said under his breath as I soon saw him in front of me again.
He cut diagonally across my chest again. I forced myself to continue standing, a small sphere appearing in my hand. I threw it, low in the grass. As it flew through it, it devoured the grass around it.
He held down his sword, a slight shocked look on his face. It was soon replaced with a grin. He sliced with his sword, sending the sphere of darkness back at me! I barely moved out of the way, as it flew past me. I shocked look went across my face.
"I haven't seen anyone use that in a long time. Glad to know, I don't need to hold back!" He yelled out, a smile on his face, as he made a sphere of darkness with his left hand! He shot it at me, and within a split second, another one was in its place in his hand.
I jumped, as the first went below my feet. I flapped my wings, allowing me to stay just above the next. I was forced to land, as a third one flew into my chest. Pain went to all edges of my body, as I fell to the ground.
"I developed that technique myself. Normally it would only hurt a bit. But with the X across your chest it allows the energy to enter straight into you." He said still smiling. "You shouldn't be able to get up for-" He stopped as my body lifted itself off the ground. He sat there, dumbfounded for a few seconds.
Darkness flew out of me, as I clutched my head. "Leave!" I screamed out, with the last of my strength. I lost control.
"Free again!" Yelled out Zoth as he landed on the ground. The darkness around him took the shape of swords. It seemed Zexion knew that it wasn't me.
"So, a demon lives inside of him," Said Zexion. "Then I have no worry about holding back!" Darkness rushed out of his body. A claymore made of darkness formed in his hand. He quickly dashed at Zoth, at speeds which seemed impossible for someone holding such a big weapon.
He sliced, deep into Zoth's chest, blood flowed slowly from the wound, which sealed itself quickly. A smile was on Zoth's face. "I'm the demon lord Zoth! You'll fall to me!" He yelled happily.
Zoth dashed, darkness lashing out in tendrils. The tendrils were dissipated fast by the mighty claymore. Zoth's sword, nearly entered Zexion's chest, yet at the last second it seemed he faded.
"Unlike the owner of that body, I forced my darkness to submission." He said, as the claymore dissipated, revealing a katana, nearly out of the sheath. He was pushing it back in. As soon as the hilt hit the sheath, thousands of cuts appeared all over Zoth's body.
Zoth fell to the ground. The darkness that was around him, dissipated and healed the body all the way. It was still breathing, showing that James was still alive. "Who would've thought, another like me." Said Zexion with a slightly laugh.
I opened my eyes, feeling as if I'd been hit by a car. "Ugh." I mumbled getting off of the ground. I wobbled slightly, before standing firm on my feet. My vision was blured, but I could still make out someone standing near by.
"You need better control." The person stated plainly. The voice was male, from what I could tell. He was only standing a few feet away from me, but I still couldn't make out anything.
"Who are you?" I questioned him. I heard him sigh, before throwing something at me.
"Eat," He plainly said. I decided to obey, and ate it. My vision came back, and I could tell that it was Zexion.
"He, came out didn't he." I stated more then asked.
"Yes, he, Zoth, did come out. You need better control of your darkness, your demon." He said.
"I don't know how!" I yelled at him.
"That's why I'll teach you." He stated. "Though it will be tough."
Don't do it! I heard Zoth yell in my head.
"I'm fine with that." I said, a smile on my face.
"You start now!" He started. "Now sit in a cross legged!" I obeyed. "Feel inside, and find him. You'll need to enter your mind, and overwhelm him with your own energy. While doing this, he will be fighting back. While your doing that, I'll prepare a seal, one that's mandatory for it to work."
I closed my eyes, entering my mindscape. I entered the same dense forest, that I always was in. I could see the shadows moving. "Don't do this." Said Zade, coming out of the darkness. "It isn't part of the plan."
"Seems like everyone has a plan, so I'm making my own." I said.
"I agree with James." Said Clive walking up beside me, holding his staff out. "This is his body, and choice."
"I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm siding with the angel." Said Zoth, coming up beside her. He made a sword from darkness. Zade, held out a bow, arrows of light appearing on her back. I closed my eyes.
"The heck!" I heard Zade yell out. I opened my eyes.
"I shifted my mindscape, back to how it looked when we first met." I said. We were surrounded by pure darkness, nothing there. I closed my eyes again, and reopened them. We were now at the swamp we fought Etna.
"I didn't think that it would be this easy to change it." I said. I smiled over to them. I held out both my arms Darkness started to form in one, while light in the other.
"That's unstable, don't do it!" Yelled Zade. My body was shaking, as I attempted to hold both weapons.
"Unstable fighting attack, using both light and darkness, stolen from the beings inside of you. Interesting." Said Clive, a smile on his face.
"I'll, win this." I said, dashing at the demon. He ducked down, his hood falling, relieving my face. He stabbed his claymore at me. I jumped, landing on it. I could smell smoke, as Clive let our unrelenting fire attacks at the angel.
I sliced at the Zoth with both blades, trying to cut him across his chest. He backed up, preforming a powerful vertical slash downward at me. I lifted my darkness sword up, and it got absorbed into his claymore.
I rolled to the side, as it continued is downward drop, nearly hitting me. A lone arrow impaled itself into my arm. "Dammit." I mumbled, seeing that Zade, had changed her target to me. Fire shot up around me, as the claymore, hit it, bouncing off.
"Don't let your guard down baka!" Yelled Clive, sending out a wave of fire to Zade. She jumped, reaiming at Clive and unleashing a torrent of arrows at him. I smiled and closed my eyes.
I heard a yell of pain as I opened them. My plan worked, I changed the mindscape to the Cave of Ordeals, and made Zade smash her head against the ceiling. Zoth stabbed his claymore into my stomach. I shocked look appeared across my face, as I fell to the ground.
"James!" I heard Clive yelled out. I fell backwards, I was able to see Zoth grinning above me, with my face. I saw flames, all missing him.
"This is how I kill you, I will own this body." He said, as he stabbed his claymore downward. It never made contact. An aura appeared around me, blood red. Overwhelm with my own power, I get what he meant now. I thought. He hadn't meant physical, but the energy the runs throughout my body!
My energy lashed out, grabbing Zoth's claymore. It was ripped out of his hands, and fell into my aura. It faded into red, and vanished. I held out my hand, energy wrapping itself around around my arm.
I sent a wave of it at Zoth, as he fell over to the ground, getting engulfed into it. "Seven Mark Sealing, Soul!" Someone yelled. As the final word was said, my aura stopped expanding. It froze, and Zade and Clive stopped fighting.
"Lost." Said Zade, rushing off into the darkness. I was shocked she had taken his side on this. Back when I first met both of them, they were against each other fully, now they sided the same.
She had said something about a plan, what could that be about? I questioned myself.
I was forced out of my mindscape, while thinking. "It seems to have worked." Said Zexion in front of me. I was back in the world I now called home. "Though, that's only the first part of getting control over it. You still need to master the darkness."
"So I'm only partway done?" I questioned.
"Correct, that's all for today." He said, walking away. I noticed it was now night time. I laid down, where I had been sitting. I always carried everything with me anyway, so I had no tent to go to.
Wait, I took my sword in my mindscape before, does that mean? I questioned myself as I reentered it.
"Back so soon?" Questioned Clive. I reached into my pocket, and tossed him what was inside.
"It worked." I said smiling, as he caught the book. He quickly opened it, starting to read. "So what kind of book is it?" I questioned him.
"It is a magic tome, along with it though, it had an encyclopedia for powerful demons. Though there aren't that many that are in this version, seems to be a few hundred years old." He said, turning to the start of the demon page.
"Overlord Zenon, much is unknown about this demon, even its genders never been found out. It is said that all that have faced him in battle have died, though there was one survivor. He was so far insane though, that no one could get any info out of him... It continues on with stuff like this." Clive said.
"Lets see, also has, demons named, Laharl, Zetta, Krichevskoy,... and Zoth." He said the last part with slight shock. My eyes widened. He had said that he was born from the darkness in my heart, yet he was listed in this book.
Does that mean that he lied to me before? I questioned myself.
"What's it say?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know.
"Zoth, a noble demon which was formed in pure darkness. He wasn't born like most stuff in the world, he was created by pure darkness gathering around in an endless space. He is hatred, sorrow, and agony all in one. He is the embody meant of everything negative."
"After he was formed, he walked among the dimensions, killing everything in sight. He was attempted to fight Baal, the god off all overlords in a fight. Baal, got injured badly, and gave up his original body (See page 134 to learn about Baal) to seal him away, into a human child... that's all it says."
Everything he told me was a lie. I thought.
"Wait, there was something scribbled on the next page. Lie, he was sealed into two people, half the energy in each." Said Clive. "I'm not sure how true this information is, but it would make sense to why we were able to beat him."
"Because there's no way either of us can handle Baal..." I started.
"Yet we were able to seal Zoth, who nearly killed Baal." Finished Clive.
"Who could the other be." I asked myself.
"There's a chance you don't even know who the person is. Or it could be someone from another dimension human world." Stated Clive.
I left my mindscape, entering back to the plains. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.
"Wake up!" Someone yelled, hitting me in the head.
My eyes shot open. "Why does everyone hit me in the head!" I yelled out, making Cybl jump.
"It's the only way you'll get up!" She yelled back. As she yelled that, something landed right beside my head. I turned, seeing my dagger.
"Found that." Said Zexion plainly, before walking away.
"Thanks." I said, picking it up and sticking it back into my pocket. I got up, seeing the camp had been packed up, and everyone was ready to leave. We started walking. Zexion, eying me strangely. Cybl was beside him. Damin and Draken lead the way, while Zell was in the middle.
I need a new book! I heard Clive yell in my head.
I just got you one. I said back.
I've already finished it. I need a new one. He continued to complain. I started to ignore them.
Well to bad, I'm out in the middle of nowhere. I said back to him.
Soon it was sun set again, we were only a day away from the Coliseum now, we'd be there by noon tomorrow.
"Time to start again." Said Zexion. I followed him to a secluded part of the camp, where we both sat down. "Now, you need to reenter your mindscape, find the seal, and learn how to tap into the power of Zoth."
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea." I said
"Why is that?" Questioned Zexion, seeming to be annoyed.
"We I had this magic book, and I got someone to translate it, and it talked about Zoth, the name of the demon inside of me. I don't think he was formed by my emotions, it said he was sealed into two humans." I said.
He gave me an evil look, before attempting to stab me with his claymore. "Then if you can never be my equal, Die!" He yelled out. He almost hit me, yet it bounced off the darkness that formed around me.
"Self creating shield, if killing intent is high enough. To bad with enough force it breaks apart." He hit me, hard. The darkness broke apart, and I was sent flying. "Strange, it seems you don't get burned by your own darkness."
I smashed against a tree, making a huge indent into it. I coughed, a small amount of blood came out. I held out my dagger, which his claymore smashed into, breaking it apart. My eyes opened wide, as he was blown backwards.
"Don't you dare hurt me!" I yelled out. Red shooting our all around me.
"Your...aura shouldn't be able to manifest itself in this world." Zexions eyes opened wide. "When did we-"
"I brought you here right when you broke my shield of darkness." I said getting up. "There's no escape from my mind though." I took a step. I held out my palms, shooting fire out. "It does work!" I yelled out, as Zexion was entrapped in the flames.
"Thanks Clive!" I yelled out. Like the other beings inside of me, I was able to tap into Clive, able to use his fire. "I didn't think that would work.
"I will not die!" Yelled out Zexion, emerging from the flames. He was burned, but not badly. He dashed at me, before stopping.
"Checkmate." I said, turning around as Zoth stabbed his claymore straight through Zexion.
"Ho-ow?" He questioned, blood coming out of his mouth.
"The seal you used." I started with a smile. "Was meant to seal demons formed from emotions, born inside of the human, or demon. Since Zoth isn't one created from mine, he wasn't able to be sealed away."
"James, make sure his soul doesn't leave!" Yelled Clive, rushing over to the fight.
"How do I do that?" I questioned, as his soul started lifting up a bit.
"Absorb it, like your body naturally does. It's the power of a channeller. Your true power. It allows you to take in souls, for at least a short time and use there abilities. Just get close to it and you should take it in...though we are in your mind so he will appear in here again." Said Clive.
I rushed at Zexion and dashed though him. His soul was absorbed, and reformed in the mindscape, looking as it was when he was alive.
"I will get out of here!" He yelled at me. Fire formed around him, as did darkness.
"Say Six Mark Seal Embodiment." Said Clive.
"Six Mark Seal Embodiment!" I yelled out, as Zexion let out a scream. The darkness and fire disappeared, showing Zexion on the ground, slowly fading into it.
"This...isn't...over...I...will...get...out." He said as he faded into the ground.
The fight was over, we won.
S/N: Sorry it took me long yet again, had writers block, yet again.