New chapter, guys!

You've no idea how much I've been wanting this to happen. The title should clue you in to why, but if not all I'll say is read the chap. Yet, there's even more in store for this mini Arc's Climax.

Also, thanks for the homage mr memelord who gave me my 17th review! Much appreciated!

So, look forward to that as we get this show on the road!


Chapter 91 - Blade of Rage

The crackling of embers once again, overshadowed all other sounds as the two sides faced off. One being the Party themselves, and the other being the sole woman that Nico had called Maghda. Said woman constantly flapped her four wings, each flap releasing sparks of demonic power that burned the very air around them. Crackling sounds emitted from those infernal wings, as well as the sounds the sparks made while she threw her hand to the side, letting an orangish red Portal appear beneath her hand. She used that hand to reach in, pulling out what looked like a Staff… an utterly wicked looking abyssal black staff.

Her black Staff was just as tall as she was, with a crimson aura radiating from the weapon though it seemed mostly coming from the goblet-shaped tip. The weapon surged with chaotic energies, and also the brunette DEFINITELY could sense a large cluster of Demon Souls within it. She only knew this thanks to her experience with the Herald of Khorne whose Hellblade felt similar to this. That, and because of her fighting so many Cultists, Bloodletters, etc, she had become accustomed to her demonic senses to the point where she could detect their souls within their weapons. They carried a very… unique signal that IF's mind had adapted to key into as to ascertain a weapon's power. Although, compared to that thing, her Staff seemed remarkably stronger. Likely because it had within it more Souls than that Hellblade. According to what she could sense, there were about a couple hundred Bloodletter Souls 10 Herald Souls, and some others that she couldn't identify.

Still though, something bothered her about this situation.

The woman in question…

'Maghda…?' IF questioned in her mind, frowning at the name that the male Spec Ops Agent used for the woman. She couldn't help but find that name strangely… familiar, for some reason. It felt significantly important, like she HAD to have known this woman. Like it should be etched into her very being. 'Why the hell can't I remember her…? I know I've heard that name somewhere before, but for the life of me I just can't get where! Ugh, this is frustrating as all fuck!' IF raged inside her mind. Looking to the rest of them, only Tekken seemed as confused as she felt, as the Martial Artist looked around just as dumbly as she had been. The rest of them?

They CLEARLY knew something about this woman.

The way that Stefan gripped his Ashbringer so tight that an ordinary sword would have shattered under the strength, the way his posture indicated extreme caution mixed with unyielding dread and unnatural anxiety, and also the amount of fear she could smell from him, indicated perfectly that he was AFRAID of this woman. Not something she had expected from the leader of the Ostermark Order. For the short time that they've known each other, IF hadn't seen him scared very often, if at all. Usually he'd have his proud expression, one that would sometimes shift to one of respect for the skills of his opponents, anger at those whom he'd known to have tormented his subordinates to madness, teasing her for her confusing feelings regarding Nico. The one time she remembered him being scared of something was that Herald, and even then the man had marred his fear with desire to avenge his men. Emotions were basically chemicals in the brain, chemicals that were expelled and could be smelled by her Senses. This woman on the other hand, utterly TERRIFIED him, based off how much fear was coming into her nostrils from him.

As for Nico…

Unlike Stefan, there wasn't really much fear coming from him as there was anger, to be more specific wrath, coming from him in droves. It felt like she was someone who he'd known in the past, and if that had been the case then IF could see that it hadn't been a happy meeting. She could see that happening as 4 years is a long time to be a Spec Ops. In a day, they take 10 times as many missions as the Average Adventurer or Guild Agent, depending on how long the Quests are. Some even evolve into whole adventures that delay their return, and in Nico's case she could freely admit that the guy had the aura of someone who'd seen a lot of shit.

That would be putting it mildly, anyways…

"So, it looks like you remember me, boys." Maghda commented, her eyes glancing over the two males of the party before her, Stefan tensing quite visibly while Nico only had a minor twitch. The teen had his Dual Pistols at the ready, his ole uncovered eye narrowed in silent caution. Her eyes lingered on Nico for a lot longer though, and she made a motion known as licking her lips like a hungry tiger about to pounce on its prey. It sent chills down the male's spine, since Nico knew that he had been designated as her… type, back when they'd last fought each other. Though, back then she used a varied source of magic attacks as her fighting style, since she had been a Mage. If she had changed from back then, which considering she had demonic powers now she HAD, then he would have to keep on guard for any surprises.

His eyes fell upon that Staff she had in her hands, and his eye hardened its gaze to that of a stone. He remembered it to have once been a neon green colour back in their last encounter, the demonic taint it now has must have corrupted it further than her own experimentation ever could. That Staff's name was 'Wormwood' last he recalled, wasn't sure if Maghda had changed it. Didn't feel that way though, not to him at least. Nico recalled how much Maghda LOVED her Staff, she loved it so much that she'd experimented with its powers on human corpses in the past, with often disastrous results… for the corpses anyways. Back then the whole thing just reeked of decay, rotting corpses and various bug excrement, something only she seemed to not notice about her weapon.

Now? It had that stuff, plus the metallic smell of demonic blood… lots of it. Almost made his nostrils burst, just looking at it.

"Yeah, how could I forget?" Nico retorted as he glared hatefully towards the woman. He so wanted to rip that god ugly face right off her, slam it into the ground, stomp on it with his boot… alright, better stop there, Nico realised. This must be her aura, the aura of bloodlust and death from the Blood God Khorne himself, getting to him, must be even more effective with his bestial instincts. Khorne was the one who promoted bloodshed in any shape or form after all. Once he took a few deep breaths to calm himself don, though he found that admittingly difficult to do, the teen opened his eye and glowered towards the woman. "Last time we met was when I kicked your wrinkly old ass for that shit in New Tristram."

At the mention of New Tristram, it seemed to sour her mood, the Party noticed. Especially Stefan whose eyes glanced over to male in realisation. The woman's face contorted to an expression of nothing but disgust. Her eyes squinted, age lines becoming more apparent while her lips curled into a vicious snarl. Her grip on Wormwood tightened, practically showcasing the veins in her hand with the strength she applied to it. Both Nico and IF winced, the former not as noticeable since he was concealing his face with his Helmet, at how there seemed to be thousands of pained cries echoing throughout the Staff. Cries that came from the trapped souls within.

Eventually, she managed to find her voice once again, though it came out as, well… kind of strained with how her brows twitched rapidly and how anger mixed in with the sense of insanity in her eyes. "Quite. 4 years, if I am not mistaken, have passed since our last encounter." She remarked, bitterly. Yep, definitely seemed to have hit a sore spot, pretty hard too, IF and the others mused. Though, they had to wonder what went on 4 years ago to make her act like that. "4 years, since we last fought back at New Tristram. Back then, you thought you had defeated me, but in actuality, I escaped. Now, it's time that we have our little rematch, don't you think?" Then, her eyes changed into a mix that Nico actually paled at: bloodlust, insanity, and… perversity. "Only this time, I will be making you my sex slave, boy. For all of eternity."

"!"

IF gaped at the woman, her eyes flying open at the sheer audacity at what she just said. Did she really just say what she thought she did? That she wanted to do… that stuff, with Nico? But wait, she said that they'd met over 4 years ago. Back then, she remembered something happening in Leanbox, but she had been caught up in a Questing marathon to care. However, it must have been significant, and judging by how he was 16 right now, and they'd met 4 years ago, that would mean she would have wanted him as a sex slave when he was… only fucking 12 YEARS OLD?!

Okay, what the fuck was up with this old hag?!

Pedo was more of an apt description for her! Hell, even that didn't seem to do it justice!

With this figured out, IF kind of understood why Nico didn't like this woman very much. Plus, if what she was getting from her as a vibe was any indication she was much worse than that. Not only that, but with her feelings being what they were for him, IF couldn't help but scowl in pure rage at the possibility of Nico being used like that. It just grinded her gears in all the most aggravating ways possible, and this WASN'T under the influence of the Khorne aura that Maghda possesses. She could feel herself writhing in protective rage over that part of him, IF felt pretty sure that Nico was a virgin in that kind of stuff, or anything sexual as a matter of fact, so she'd be damned if she'd let a hussy like her steal that from him!

Something told her that if Nep and Compa heard all this, they'd go ballistic, too.

She sure felt like freeing the beast inside over that fucked up head of hers, though. It seemed like the others had also figured it out, if their expressions contorting into disgusted glares was any indication.

"That's just disgusting!" Tekken shouted in anger, pure revulsion in her eyes as she tried to stop herself from gagging at the possibility of an adult woman doing… stuff like that to a young boy. Despite him being a Soldier who'd fought on the battlefield, it was still considered utterly vomit-inducing to do that to someone underaged, people get charged for criminal offences like that. "Old lady, you need to take some BIG steps away right now, cause I'mma pummel you!"

In response to Tekken's threat, of which she also shook her fist at her with gnashed teeth and a pointed glare, the woman shrugged her shoulders in indifference, not even seeing the Martial Artist as a threat. "Your words mean little, puny girl." she stated offhandedly, waving her non-weapon hand while she gave her a taunting smirk. Her eyes lingered on her torso area as she seemed to notice something, only for that look of intrigue to vanish a second later. "Just like your pathetic excuse for fighting skills. Come, let me show you."

Now THAT, Tekken took as a major insult. It was a slight against her pride as both a warrior, and as a Martial Artist to have her skills mocked so blatantly without any regard whatsoever. Her pride demanded retribution for that slight, and since this woman was offering so kindly…

Just before she could move however, Maghda appeared right in front of her, her face inches away from her own with a faint rush of wind to indicate what happened. Her eyes bore into Tekken's now shocked wide ones as the woman grabbed her by the top of her head. She then tossed her aside and pointed her Staff at her. From the tip, flames gathered in a spiralling motion, flames that both Nico and IF found to be all too familiar.

Nothing but dread filled them for what would come next.

'Oh, shit!'

'Shit! Those are…!'

Before they could react, a fireball the same size as Nico's DC Avatar got launched from the Staff like the roar of a dragon, racing through the air that would make the fastest of athlete's green with envy. Readers, you know who it was aimed at, don't you? Time seemed to slow down as Nico turned his head to the direction it was going, his eyes slowly widening in pure object horror at what was about to happen. His mind, temporarily panicked, didn't think that DEMON OVERDRIVE would have been very useful, and even if he did use it he wouldn't have been fast enough to change what would happen next. Not only that, but everyone else slowly turned with similar expressions forming on their faces, though none looked more terrified than Tekken right now. The blast would be too fast for her to avoid, especially with how it was launched right at her, leaving her no choice but to take it.

An action she would soon regret.

BOOM, WHOOOOOOSH!

The attack ended up hitting right into Tekken's face with the force of a battlecruiser on full speed in collision with an island. Instantly, the flames erupted into a fiery inferno, spiralling around her like a serpent as they burned away at the Martial Artist. It looked like they were literally layering themselves onto her to devour her whole.

Her hellish screams of pure agony filled the air like the songs of sirens, trying to swat the flames away to no avail. She quickly felt her lungs and other necessary organs for breathing burning just as bad as her body, but right now her mind had been too preoccupied with the overwhelming painful signals her body was sending it to care. The flames licked away at her flesh, burning it beyond recognition like thousands of hungry tongues trying to get to the life liquid beneath her skin.

Right upon contact with the flames though, there had been this barrier of Light, Nico had noticed, which he figured had likely been what saved her from being completely fried to a crisp.

The Hellfire flames in their weakened state, according to Biko during their training (He'd train them in his inner world through their short time in Planeptune, putting his body on autopilot, till Leanbox and the incident with the Berserker Mode), burned at up to 3000 degrees Celsius. Something that he didn't doubt because whenever he used them, the surroundings soon started heating up like they were being boiled within an oven. The more flames are gathered, the greater the speed something would be devoured by them. He knew this thanks to checking during their training, for he'd targeted a conjured Tree by Biko, having controlled his Inner World to conjure it in the middle of their training Coliseum. The Tree had burned into ashes upon contact after a couple seconds.

As for the AWAKENED version of the Hellfire flames? Well, they burned over 2000 degrees hotter, amping their total max temperature to 5000 degrees Celsius. The teen, upon training with them for the first time, worried about those flames. For If they got out of hand, the possible damage they could do would be catastrophic. This had been proven when, upon conjuring entire forests for them to use, Biko and him had seen how just a small portion of those flames wiped out all of them. As for the conjuring thing, it was Nico's mind, and Biko was an aspect of him, imagination could take solid form there.

But back to the flames, Biko had been quick to assure him of those worries. While the weaker forms would flare their heat about like a crying infant wanting its mother, the true versions of Hellfire would compress their heat internally instead of just wildly flaring it all over the place. Made them the 'quiet but deadly' type, more so than their previous forms. Thanks to this though, their full forms had the ability to burn away entire buildings if there was enough of a concentration.

Putting that aside, Nico swiftly acted while calling out Tekken's name, memories of his training with Hellfire coming to mind. He had to help her fast, before the flames devoured her whole. That light may have helped keep her alive, but he wasn't taking any chances. That exclamation seemed to snap the others out of their shocked states too, for they all quickly responded by launching their individual strikes against Maghda, whom responded in kind with a mocking sneer. Nico blurred forth, time speeding back up to normal pacing again, and knocked the girl down, swiftly drawing on his demonic power. His left hand gained a crimson red glow with crackling energy over it that he put onto the flames on her face, and thus he concentrated. He sensed Maghda approaching, but then a WALLOP sound indicated that someone got her before she could get to him, something he mentally thanked whoever did that, so he could finish his job.

While he concentrated, the Hellfire attempting to scorch Tekken's form to a crisp swerved towards his hand, as if drawn to it like a magnet. That comparison soon became more and more profound, when the flames began to spiral around his hand, putting themselves into it like they were being sucked into a vacuum. That went for the rest of the flames coating her body, as well, as Nico quickly set about his task of absorbing the Hellfire flames into his own body. Normally this wouldn't have been possible, but Biko had once showed him that Hellfire manipulation came also with flame absorption, a sub-ability of the Hellfire skill set. Though he'd never gotten the chance to test this ability since he'd been more focused on developing his control over them.

Better late than never, he'd say.

Nevertheless, this happened solely on instinct, what he was doing right now, he had done it just through impulse alone, like he just KNEW what to do when he saw those flames, those… Hellfire flames. Nico would recognise those anywhere, after all he too used them when he Transformed into Crimson Soul. Tekken of course, struggled within his hold, muffled screams ripping free from her throat that he suppressed with his right hand on her mouth. He'd made sure to immobilize her by placing a knee on her thighs, locking them down, pinning her free arm with his right elbow.

"It's alright, Tekken, I've got you! I'm removing the flames, so bear with me!"

Nico faintly registered how Tekken Barely managed to nod, since she couldn't really speak at the moment. How could she, when her face was literally like that one guy called the human torch? The teen kept on absorbing the Hellfire flames, all the while trying not to mind the sounds of combat from behind him, likely IF and the others engaging Maghda. The sounds of explosions, war cries and magic attacks being launched rung behind them, some stray ones hitting quite close to their position. Nevertheless, Nico remained focused, the absorption of flames like this required much concentration, too much for the ability to be used in an actual battle.

After several long, almost agonizing moments, the red glow faded away thanks to absorbing all the Hellfire flames and he pulled it back, revealing Tekken's face to him. Though… he soon wished he hadn't had to see it, that's just how fucked up it looked. Nico had to wince at the sight, a frustrated sound leaving his lips. 'Shit, that looks worse than I feared…!' he cursed inside of his mind when he saw how bad the damage done to her face looked. Practically all of it looked brutally charred from the Hellfire, with her hair practically ashes at this point, her eyelids gone and her eyes looking glassed over. Looked like she was blinded by the attack, so she didn't look like she was in the best of shape, a gross understatement. Her body, stark naked thanks to the flames burning away her clothes, had horrendous burns over the legs, arms and torso. The stomach laced skin completely, showcasing the organs inside. Part of him wondered if, despite her injuries, Tekken had an angel or something watching over her, since he could still sense that she was breathing, something that honestly baffled him.

Still though, he could sense that power working overdrive in keeping Tekken alive right now.

There was one other thing he could do for her though, and while it would likely leave him with less options for defence, it wasn't like he needed it. After all, with what he intended to do, he'd likely not need it anyways. Nico glanced down at his chest, or to be more specific the Armour Module attacked to it through his grey shirt. The teen then glanced back to the downed Martial Artist, his eyes briefly showing conflict on whether he should do this or not, before he came to an answer and his eyes hardened.

Thing about his Armour, was that it had an ID lock registering him only, a lot like how Neptune and Compa's Armours did. That meant that nobody but him could both take off the Module and done the Armour, any who don't have the register on the ID lock would not only be unable to use it, but it would discharge a powerful electromagnetic shock that'd knock them out, potentially killing them.

The killing part came from the current the Shock would transfer. 1/10 of an ampere (amp) of electricity going through the body for just 2 seconds is enough to cause death. The amount of internal current a person can withstand and still be able to control the muscles of the arm and hand can be less than 10 milliamperes (milliamps or mA). Currents above 10 mA can paralyze or "freeze" muscles. When this "freezing" happens, a person is no longer able to release a tool, wire, or other object. In fact, the electrified object may be held even more tightly, resulting in longer exposure to the shocking current. For this reason, hand-held tools that give a shock can be very dangerous. If one can't let go of the tool, current continues through the body for a longer time, which can lead to respiratory paralysis (the muscles that control breathing cannot move). One stops breathing for a period of time. People have stopped breathing when shocked with currents from voltages as low as 49 volts. Usually, it takes about 30 mA of current to cause respiratory paralysis.

Currents greater than 75 mA may cause ventricular fibrillation (very rapid, ineffective heartbeat). This condition will cause death within a few minutes unless a special device called a defibrillator is used to save the victim. Heart paralysis occurs at 4 amps, which means the heart does not pump at all. Tissue is burned with currents greater than 5 amps. As for the voltage the Module releases, well, the aim for this procedure was to completely obliterate those who try to use the Armour without permission, as Spec Ops Armour can hold many secrets that people may not wish others to know. A Spec Ops Agent's Armour was one of their most valuable tools after all, therefore it needed the appropriate security.

The Amount of electricity released from the Module… was 4/10 of an Ampere.

When a person exposed to that much electricity is killed, the results… well, they weren't pretty. In fact, not pretty felt more like a HEAVY understatement to the male. Nico remembered several bodies he'd discovered on some of his cases, ones that died via electricity-based deaths. Horrific burn marks spread across the body to make them seem more like charcoal, hair gone, and exposed muscle were some of the things those bodies had in common. There were also exploded blood pathways, fried organs and all manner of terrible damages to the bodies. Some people just LOVE to torment through the electric chair, ad not surprisingly those people tended to be from Leanbox…

The more you know.

Resolution in his heart, Nico tapped the Module's surface as he began reciting a code under his breath. "Authorization: Code 23435433459. ID unlock necessary. Callsign, DEATHSTROKE. Subject to register: Tekken."

AFFIRMATIVE

CODE 23435433459 – ACCEPTED

CALLSIGN – RECOGNISED

SUBJECT TEKKEN – REGISTERED

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES - DISABLED

REMOVAL OF MODULE – PERMITTED

From his Module, a feminine and robotic voice sounded out, her voice a complete monotone. This was standard procedure, something that he had learned shortly after becoming a Spec Ops. In order to have the ID lock removed for a specific target, a certain code needs to be verbally imputed, as well as the codename of the Agent owning the ID lock. Makes the Codenames that one goes by all the more important, but that last part wasn't as well known by the public. Mostly for security reasons, though.

Still, having to remember that code always had been a pain… a pain because his adoptive mother had him rewrite it 1000 times.

Woman was a sadist when teaching, that's for sure.

Nevertheless, Nico wordlessly gripped the Module and pulled it off his chest, taking it outside the confines of his shirt doing so. The Module's spider-like legs opened into a ready position, prepared to be attached to either himself again or the one he would use it for. He then lowered his arm, and angled the Module so when it touched the woman's bare torso skin, it clamped onto her. The surprise contact with her charred flesh made her cry out, only to stop abruptly a second later due to a sharp spike in pain from her body's condition. Not a millisecond later, did the Armour of DEATHSTROKE manifest over her via a cocoon of Datastreams, concealing her naked form from view as well as the injuries she'd suffered.

'Whew, that was close…' Nico thought to himself, standing upwards as he looked down to the downed Martial Artist. Thanks to his Armour, she would be protected from the battle, thanks to both its defensive and regenerative abilities. Plus, she now had something that would cover her for the time being till they got her to a medical facility, preferably one meant for Spec Ops since they had technology that is much better suited for injuries like this. His eyes narrowed sharply however, as the emotions he felt before came back with full force, the rage burning through its confines in his ribcage while he gritted his teeth, clutching his fists so tightly that, despite their natural superhuman density, they drew blood. 'Still though, that fucking pedo bitch will pay for this. THIS I promise…' he thought, about to turn towards the fight and go beat up the bitch for Tekken's sake.

However, a voice behind him stopped that. If only for a brief moment

"Step aside, DEATHSTROKE." MAGES. words rung through his ears, making him glance behind himself to see the Mad Magician standing there with one of the most urgent expressions on her face that he had seen on her yet. Her lips looked pursed, her eyes shaking wildly while she gripped her Staff with an intensity that indicated how she was one step away from going utterly ballistic, only keeping calm thanks to holding something in her left hand. That something? Nico guessed it was what she was holding in her free hand: a circular device that seemed to constantly beep or something.

In any other circumstance, Nico would have asked her what the fuck that was, but right now saving Tekken from possible death was the more important option than mindlessly asking questions that could lead to long-winded explanations. Swiftly the teen rolled aside so he could use the momentum to get to his feet. Not a second later, did MAGES quickly kneel before her friend, dropping her Staff unceremoniously as she placed the device on her chest, as well as pressed a button on its top. The second afterwards, both it and Tekken's form instantly became bathed in a pure white light, one that reminded Nico of the way monsters vanished into Particles when defeated.

Did anyone else besides him just get the feeling of travelling to the other side just now?

Despite the brilliance of the light, none but the duo noticed, everyone else too focused on ripping each other apart to notice or care. However, like the Ephemeral Plants scattered throughout the world of Gamindustri, this would not last. Indeed, the spectacle only lasted a second or two, before the light vanished into particles, particles that receded inward, and all that remained… was the device. Tekken's body was nowhere to be seen, like it had never even been there in the first place. Not even the smell of charred flesh something Nico only noticed now due to there no longer being any body to distract him, remained after her body vanished out of existence. The Particles, thy had receded inside the device, Nico noticed.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help but be baffled by what happened, if his expression that matched his inner feelings had been any indication. His mouth hung open in an 'O' shape, and his eyes had that white circle with a black outline impression. He tried to find his voice again, but apparently it had legs and was running from him, cause he couldn't find it. The teen would have tried grilling MAGES. for answers to his questions, but at the last moment, the teen stopped himself by clamping his mouth shut. This wasn't the time for that, right now they were in the middle of a battlefield, and their comrades would need help soon if they didn't want Maghda to overwhelm and kill them all.

Just remembering the result of Maghda's surprise attack made Nico's blood boil like molten magma. His teeth would gnash so tight that under normal circumstances they would have shattered under the weight. The rage inside him continued to rise up and up, boiling and boiling as he felt like he was literally on fire, just like what Tekken had gone through. The flames of rage roared within him, filling every cell in his being wit the desire to rip, tear, and shred that bitch to pieces.

'Nico…'

Mentally, Nico glanced over to his Demon Persona, his eyes in a deadpan as he responded with no small amount of urgency and frustration laced within his thoughts, like interwoven string. 'What is it, Biko? We gotta get that bitch for wat she attempted to do. '

'You must be wary, for I sense there is more to that demonic power within her than meets the eye. It feels similar to your soul, with all those Devil Arms latching onto it. She could possibly have similar weapons in her possession, bound to her. I cannot be certain; however, they are all most certainly gifts to her from the blood God Khorne himself.'

Nico scowled in his mind, not liking that information one bit. His anger became mixed with caution and trepidation, both forming from the basis of the fact he would have to fight such a woman himself. For a long time, Nico had been searching through his missions, searching for any whom were like him, in that they could have the potential to wield Devil Arms. This had started way before he met the CPU of Planeptune and gained his identity as Crimson Soul. Alas, before he met Tekken, Nico had not found ANYONE who could also wield Devil Arms, making him believe that this power to weld them had been unique to him. Ever since, he had restricted himself in using them only when the need called for it, when eh had little other options. That scenario had been happening more and more recently though, not something he'd liked thinking about. With Tekken however, he'd lost some confidence in that claim, but now that Maghda seemed to potentially have similar powers to him… it honestly made him sick to his stomach. 'So, what do you suggest? I'm open to ideas here, dude.'

'You already have a plan of action. Before you refute me, look inside of yourself. Have you not noticed? IT is calling to you. Go to it… grasp it. Fetch the power to burn away your enemies till they are nothing but cinders in your wake. Become what you have promised yourself to be the moment you first gained its power. It has yearned for this, to finally reunite with its true master, for a long time now. To taste the blood of your enemies, to sink its metal into their flesh. To utterly tear those fools apart for daring to stand in your way. Now… go to it… and RISE, Nico...'

The words Biko spoke resonated within the teen's gut, right down to the male's very centre. His entire being felt like it was trembling, shaking from the older him's words, words filled with power untold, unimagined by mankind. They felt like an old tongue, older than life itself, being uttered with such strength that entire regions would tremble before their might. It honestly floored him, how such words could have a profound impact on the teen's mind. He could even feel HIM becoming silent within his confines within his mind's shadows. As he closed the connection between them for the time being, intent on observing Maghda for more confirmation about his hypothesis, Biko's words left a powerful impact on the teen's mind.

Those words constantly rung through his mind like a ballad, constantly circling through his thoughts and filling everything with their presence. It was all he could think about., nothing else could have mattered. Not at that moment, no, it felt like one of those trials that he had to do a whole fucking LOT of in 4 Goddesses Online. They resonated deep within him, right down to his very soul, leaving their mark on him for good.

Not only that, but as Nico's mental avatar stood there, stunned in shock and awe at what he'd been old, he'd indeed felt something, something deep within stirring that hadn't stirred in a long time. Nope, this didn't feel like his other side, either. In fact, this feeling felt hot, like molten lava or liquid flames. The feeling remained within his chest however, never moving from that one spot. It didn't feel like the berserker mode either, the rage he had felt the moment he'd been about to enter that state had been all-consuming, like an omnivore Predator on a bloodthirsty rampage for food. It had been wild, primal, and savage beyond measure. Hell, even now he couldn't compare that rage to anything he had ever felt, not even right now.

As for what he was feeling right now, the rage he could feel inside, the burning desire to have Maghda face his wrath. It felt… powerful, yet more than that. It felt… alive, like his anger held a will of its own. He could certainly feel something akin to intelligence, no, sentience resonating from the rage inside his being. It felt fierce, yet toxic, seductive, promising him all manners of pleasure from hearing that woman scream in intense agony while he brutally rips her apart piece by piece. The rage spread through his body, only growing stronger and stronger as images assaulted his mind, the images of Tekken in that state of hers, the images of what he had seen in his mental breakdown, combined with every injustice he'd seen across his life as a Spec Ops Agent.

He wanted to kill...

To kill everything...

Destroy, destroy, destroy it all...

It almost felt as if his very soul had been set alight…

Wait a fucking minute, what the fuck was going on here?

His mind, in that moment, quicky realised something wasn't right, and thus, like a car tyre quickly screeching to a halt, promptly snapped out of his rage-filled state as realisation dawned on him.

'Wait, no!' Nico's eyes widened in stunned shock and disbelief, momentarily forgetting about anger for the time being. This didn't last though, as he forced his eye shut and took deep breaths. 'This isn't just YOUR rage, Nico, don't let it consume you. You don't have to resist the anger, you control it, you direct it. You prove that you are its master, not the other way around. The Devil Arms do not have control over your emotions, you have control over them…' He chanted all of this in his head like a mantra, and he could feel the Rage inside ebbing away, making room for rational thought to take back over.

This was one of the risks that cam with hosting multiple Devil Arms. They feed of demonic power true enough, but if one couldn't keep in control over their emotions then they would end up being devoured by the Devil Arms along with that power, turning them into mindless husks that they control. It had been something he'd discovered in those ruins when he found and bonded with Rebellion and Alastor. Right now, he could sense that his rage had reached appoint it shouldn't have, and the Devil Arms had tried to devour his will. The one thing keeping all of them in line. They may hold him in high regard, but even so his rage would end up being too tasty for them to resist for long.

'I see you have passed, Nico.'

'Passed? Passed what?'

'What you needed to awaken… it knew that your powers were reliant on controlling your emotions, placing them in moderation. When you were exhibiting so much rage, it grew ever the more intrigued by your willpower. It just had to see for itself whether or not you would fall completely to that rage and thus, enhanced it with its own natural rage, amplifying it beyond what you are used to feeling. However, you passed its test by regaining yourself at the last moment, which pleases it. I know this, because I can see it vibrating in excitement right now.'

'Huh?' Nico could only blink at Biko's words, as the fiery rage that had tried to take over him, to use him as a puppet till everyone who'd made him angry had been killed only to keep its hold on him, seemed to travel through his chest area and went down his right arm. It felt like a snail having nearly fallen down a rather deep slope, only to use its sole foot to anchor itself. Afterwards, it resumed making its way up the hilltop with no regard to what happened before, like it had never occurred. The teen felt it as a form of pure hot heat was racing down his limb, and yet the feeling didn't feel too uncomfortable, quite the opposite actually. Instead, it felt more like a series of really annoying itches that he could easily scratch but would keep coming back.

'As a gamer, such as Purple or Green Heart, would say: Welcome, Nico, to the Next Level…'

As Biko said that, Nico never got the chance to reply, not when what happened next took his attention. From the space above the palm of his hand, it appeared: A sphere of raging, violent Hellfire… the orangish red Hellfire that he used to command before it fully awakened. After it formed there…. it erupted into a blazing vortex, roaring outwards as if to announce its presence to the world. Nico gasped as he stumbled back, eyes wide as he witnessed the spectacle, the vortex roaring and raging without control. The spectacle looked more than grand enough, enough so that it stopped the fighting between the group and Maghda, whom looked over to him to see what was happening.

"What...?!" Maghda exclaimed, glaring at the male as she eyed those flames. Those flames, which she was using just before to try and get rid of one of those pests. Just seeing them on the enemy's side nearly drove her into a violent rampage, the power of Khorne flowing through her only adding to her rage. It was all she could do just to remain calm against this... unexpected development. Though, something about those flames bothered her, they bothered her greatly. So much so that it held back her bloodlust for a short time. Her instincts creamed at her that something wasn't right., something unnatural about those flames. It felt like... like they were merely an opening act for what was REALLY coming. Not only that, but she felt something... off with the heat around them.

Like the heat was making way for the flames, as well as what was coming like it was greeting someone of high rank or prestige.

Meanwhile, Stefan gazed at the flames with a weary eye, his instincts telling him pretty much the same tings as Maghda's, as he held Ashbringer defensively. The heat from those flames, the heat they generated, felt much more intense than regular flames, and yet it also felt like they weren't even showcasing their full temperature. Even so, just the very sight of those flames rang alarm bells in his mind, like he was about to face something that no human could fight against ordinarily, no matter how much they trained. The large sword in his hands violently vibrated in his hands, as if it was trying to tell him something important about those flames: to keep the hell away from them lest he didn't want to suffer a horrific end. Stefan listened to his blade, for if it showed this much discomfort about something, then usually that would mean the subject must be troubling indeed. "I don't like this... what's going on here?" he questioned, frowning. He then glanced to and from between the surprised Nico and the cautious Witch, seeing the similarities between their flames. "Why's the lad using the same powers as Maghda? Is he...?"

"Nah, no way is he like her." IF responded nonchalantly, waving an Axammer dismissively getting his attention. While those flames weren't the type she expected to see again, IF couldn't help but exhale a relieved breath at this development. Her instincts told her Maghda was not someone that they would be able to beat under normal circumstances. It was almost like the woman was on a level too different from her's to entertain the thought of fighting her. She soon gave him a slight smirk, her eyes shining with barely repressed sadistic glee that honestly made the man shift on the spot in discomfort. Something about that expression didn't sit well with him for some reason. Why that was? who knew. "Let's just say that this bitch is about to get what's coming to her..." she explained vaguely. 'Heh, its about time... feels like its not completely back, but...'

MAGES. only scowled, wishing that this could be continued already so Tekken may be avenged.

Not like she was dead or anything...

Just as quick as it had rose, the Vortex quickly shrunk inwards on itself, elongating and straightening as it took on a sword-like figure. A figure that Nico realized the identity of all too well. He just couldn't take what he saw however, his mind quickly turning into mush with a combination of what he'd seen in this place and all the stress he'd accumulated. The flames slowly became solid, shrinking, swirling and shrinking all the while as the heat that permeated through the air dissipated gradually… until a familiar sword had fully formed in the human Nico's hand to say hello.

A sword he had NEVER expected to see as he currently was.

'It looks like your SOUL has a particularly sharp EDGE to it, doesn't it Nico?'


Chapter end!

Finally, Soul Edge makes a long overdue appearance!

I've noticed that there has been a LOT of lore covering the Devil Arms, the weapons that Nico wields. I hope you all have a good idea of how difficult it is for Nico to wield them, at least at the beginning, as well as how great the strain on him it is. It's his mental fortitude and sheer willpower however that keeps them in line, allowing him to use their power. Just one alone is a significant strain, and Nico has MULTIPLE attached to his Soul. That alone should prove how great his mental willpower is to keep those things at bay.

Also, they may be Devil Arms from DMC, but I HAVE made adjustments to their lore to fit this story, especially in regards to powers. This is so that they have a greater impact on the story, considering the exact law of the jungle nature that this story possesses. They'd need a MAJOR overhaul to compete against the likes of the Chaos Gods as well as the demonic Soul Edge.

Now, like the last chapter, special even time!


Special Event - Soul Edge Biography

It was the same situation as when he learned about Devil Arms, Nico sitting cross legged in front of the Library with Biko before him, several books behind his head after going through their pages, but this time instead of Rebellion, Soul Edge rested on his lap. The crimson colored sword thrummed with power, malice and sin bathing along its surface. It's power kept streaming from te blade like a thick fog, covering the are like a blanket over sleeping person while radiating nothing but power. One wouldn't even be able to get near them with the amount of power Soul Edge released into the atmosphere, nobody save for its wielder's aspects. Though, Nico and Biko were used to this by now thanks to wielding Soul Edge for so long.

Once their training had finished for the day, Biko had taken it upon himself to instruct the teen about Soul Edge's specifics, just like he did with the Devil Arms. To him, knowledge was power, both of them went hand in hand with each other. Without one, the other became meaningless. One who had the knowledge of how to change something, wouldn't be able to change anything cause they lacked the 'power' to do so. It was the am on the other end of the field, those who have power but no knowledge on how to properly use it would find themselves in an early grave. Nico should know, he'd seen a few rookies let their powers go over their heads, resulting in either critical injuries or, more commonly, death. Both knowledge and power were key to survival, and in a kill or be killed world like this, that kind of knowledge could be the difference between life or death.

Nico wouldn't be complaining, he had wanted some explanation about Soul Edge for a while now. Though he hadn't used it much, those times alone were enough for the teen to know that it was not like any ordinary Devil Arm. Ever since he fist held the blade's hilt when he was in control back at Lastation against the Killaachine, he had this feeling. This feeling that Soul Edge was far more than what it appeared. This feeling, it had constantly bugged him, even when he wasn't holding the weapon, like that annoying naggy grandmother who wants her grandchild to fetch her shopping for her from the car. That feeling got even stronger when Nico first entered Berserker Mode and Soul Edge shifted into that form, a form he had not accessed ever since. Though to be fair, that was mostly thanks to Biko's attempts to suppress his demonic powers till they stabilized better.

Now, now he'd have a chance to look into it further.

"Well then, let the lecture begin." Biko started, calling his own Soul Edge into his hand, the rough and rugged fingers grasping onto the blade like he had don this over his entire life. Nico had noticed this expert-level grip the moment they first fought, and he had to admit to himself that Biko was NOT someone you wanted to meet on the battlefield. There was just something about the way people grip their weapons that speaks volumes about their experience as fighters. Rookies, Civilians etc whom haven't seen battle too much usually have weak grips, easy to disarm and immobilize. Nico knew this because he had to restrain those kinds of people before, in various situations of course. However, those who have trained to the bone, those who have experience on the battlefield, having seen the horrors that it brought to the table, their grips were much more intricate, more guarded, and much more steady. They wouldn't be so easily disarmed, only truly experienced war veterans would have the ability to disarm someone like that.

Biko then began to talk while holding his Soul Edge out in front of him horizontally, like he was blocking a vertical slash. "To start, you should know that Soul Edge is your power manifested in a physical form, in essence, it is YOUR Devil Arm. Not one belonging to another demonic soul trying to live off you, but your own soul's manifestation. Devil Arms like this tend to have various 'growths' in power that make them different from those Devil Arms that latch onto others. Those like Soul Edge grow in power alongside their wielder. It is also because of this very reason, that Soul Edge holds the dominant position of power within your being. Think of it like royalty, the first born prince of the kingdom has the closest ties to the throne compared to other successors." Biko explained, shifting the direction his Soul Edge pointed its tip from sideways to upwards occasionally.

Nodding his head, Nico showed that he understood through how he pressed his lips into a firm line. His sharpened as he glanced down to his own Soul Edge, which had its sole eye trained on him. After having the sword for so long, Nico no longer felt as disturbed by the sword when he first got it upon transforming into Crimson Soul against Arfoire. However, even though that had happened, Nico would rather not stare at the demonic sword's eye for too long, it always would be to him, one off the creepiest swords he'd ever owned.

"Now, because of its unique origins, Soul Edge has massive potential sleeping within it. Soul Edge has powers that it has yet to unlock, yet it can also develop new abilities it hadn't had beforehand, all because it is an extension of you, and has inherited your desire for flexibility. It is an extension f you, Nico codename DEATHSTROKE, it is what you are down to your most inner instincts. it IS you. It has bathed in the blood of enemies in combat, it has learned that in order to truly be an effective weapon, it needs to be as versatile as possible, and thus shares your strongest desire: to become strong." Biko explained, and right as he was explaining this, both males felt the surge in Soul Edge's power, rippling through the air like a sonar wave. It almost felt like the blade's semi sentient will itself agreed with them about its power.

'I see... that's actually a lot easier to take in than what I expected...' Nico thought, his eyes wide and his jaw slightly open as he stared at his demonic aspect, before his gaze fell to his Soul Edge, the weapon looking back up to him with utter seriousness in it's lone eye's gaze. When he first heard those words, Nico had expected to feel a sense of sock, disbelief, denial or something along those lines. It did seem surprising, but... in the end, that was pretty much all there was. Surprise. Like he had expected something like that from the very beginning. It was honestly a rather surreal experience, hearing that his blade was so interconnected to him that it inherited some of his personality traits. Honestly, he could see why Biko said this, remembering how in the past battles, both in and outside of training when he'd used the sword, it always felt... unique, like it was always manifesting as a new weapon. The power over shapeshifting it had was proof of this.

So, Soul Edge was an extension of him, huh? Made sense, considering what Biko had said before. It may have sounded similar, but the main difference was the scope of what it signified. Before, Biko only said that it was a manifestation of his powers as a Devil Arm, but NOW? Now he'd told him it was more than that, a living extension of his will. That actually answered his question about where the blade came from, it had come from HIM, Nico himself. When he first transformed into Crimson Soul, that was when the blade became able to manifest itself into the physical world for the first time. He had always felt like there was... something off about himself, even with all his problems, like there was something... restless deep within him just begging to be released.

Still though, there was one thing that bothered him, and while it would serve as one of his most broken, OP weapons to date, he couldn't help the concern blossoming within his chest at the possible implications. His adoptive mother had always told him to be wary of the Devil Arms in his possession, that thy would be double edged swords. Those words that she'd told him, they'd been proven the next battle after, where he'd been forced to draw upon Rebellion and defeat the enemy. While he'd done that, he'd succeeded in defeating the enemy, afterwards the strain of using Rebellion, just ONE of his Devil Arms, forced Nico into a multi week long coma. It was an Abnormal that specialised in explosions, or rather, blast damage. It had the ability to excrete a slime-like substance whenever it punched, a slime which would detonate seconds later. Whenever it went berserk however, that time limit reduced itself from several seconds to zero in no time flat. He'd never seen his mother so worried, agitated and furious at him all at once before, and it was NOT something he'd wanna repeat of ever again. Though, considering the lifestyle Spec Ops Agents had, it would only be a matter of time before more incidents like that began occurring, even with him training harder to control such powerful weapons.

"So... you're saying Soul Edge's potential is near-limitless...?"

The demonic aspect nodded, his eyes shining with power as the two looked at their own copies of what would probably be their most powerful Devil Arm in their entire arsenal. The weight of what had been revealed weighed upon their minds, the realisation, the scope of the power that Soul Edge wielded like a heavy blanket of iron. By no means did this make them fear the blade for what it could do, hell, the only reason why it was this way was thanks to Nico's desire to be as versatile as possible influencing. No, what this meant would be that they would have to keep on training with it, mastering the abilities gained when they came. Soul edge was powerful, yes, but power alone won't help in a battle, especially if the wielder can't control it.

"As for why it has chosen to take two different forms depending on your human or DPU forms..." Biko began, sensing one of the questions Nico looked to be making to ask him the moment he looked up from his weapon. "It is simple: like you, Soul Edge can get restless, it does not like to be left out. One could say that it shares your desire to have a purpose, a reason to exist. It is an extension of you after all, in the most literal sense that I can make this. However, there is a downside to this. Soul Edge while the strongest Devil Arm in your possession, will be the hardest to control by far. To compare, the other Devil Arms piling onto you will be like a small mountain. However, with Soul Edge you may as well be carrying an entire continent on your back. The training required to control the full power of such a weapon, even though its true form has been unlocked for your DPU form only, will be nightmarish, even more so than what you have endured previously."

...

...

...

Nico took a moment to process that, and then his skin turned pure white with dread. Biko had been pushing him harder than anyone who ever taught him before, harder than his mother ever could have. Aside from Sparring in which the man would go so far as to try and kill him, Biko would have him run around a space equivalent to the entire continent of Leanbox... while getting chased by hungry monsters wanting him as their next meal. He would make him balance on a single wooden pike to control his balance, while shooting attacks at him from left and right, mixing them in with a few shakes of the pike as to rattle him. He would make Nico the target for various Hellfire techniques, drop him within pools of what he said was acid (and Nico believed him with how much it HURT) to boost his endurance, as well as his mental fortitude, trapped him within a cluster of monsters which, while told not to kill, could be allowed to inflict as much pain as possible on Nico to harden his mind and his body even further. To make sure he stood there and took the abuse, Biko had strapped him to a pike made out of demonic growth, before telling the monsters to 'have fun' as he'd put it. Nico still tended to have phantom pains from where they tore his mental avatar a new one.

He did that and MORE... without any breaks. Since this was his inner world, he wouldn't need food or rest. Sadist. He had enough of sadism from his mother.

So, to hear him say that training would be even more intense than that... well, it put things into perspective, shall we say.

He was SO not looking forward to the days ahead.