Chapter 12: Makus, Lord of Failure, Part 3

Butters regained consciousness at the sound of several explosions and crashes. Looking around, he saw the area was now in ruins, rubble and red goo was scattered everywhere, and the sounds of whip cracks and slashes were still resonating through the air.

Butters looked around for his hammer and found it a few feet away, he scrambled toward it and quickly snatched it up, running toward the noises. He eventually came to a new chamber, a room with a grate floor that revealed a very deep pit with only a speck of blue light at the bottom, with elaborately carved vaultings that bore Mackus's visage, roaring out into the chamber, specifically at the grate. Metal rafters stylized in a ricochet pattern with small metallic suns further supporting the vaultings. Fighting in this new arena were Kenny and the Gold Authority, the demonic angel and the boy were locked in a vicious struggle. Kenny now had a deep purple aura with vine esque tendrils sprouting from his hands that he constantly snapped at his opponent. The Gold Authority now sported several slashes across his face and torso, most likely from Kenny's new tendrils.

"Damn it! Piss off you little freak!" The Gold Authority yelled, lining up his spear. "Take this!" A red beam of light then shot out, Kenny dodged and countered with a lash from his tendrils, which finally sent the Gold Authority plummeting to the floor. Kenny then grunted and got on one knee.

"Kenny!" Butters cried, and ran towards his friend.

"(I'm fine! Finish that thing off!)" The boy yelled, breathing raggedly now.

Butters wanted to argue, but he saw the Gold Authority trying to get up, if he didn't press the attack, they were gonna lose. Gripping his hammer with both hands and gritting his teeth, Butters charged. The Gold Authority looked on.

"Oh cute, the little cuck boy thinks he can actually hurt me with his dingy little ham-"

WHAM!

Glowing red liquid flew from the monster's face as Butters' hammer, filled with force from his dual grip, cracked him right on his cheek. The monster was left dazed for a moment, then scowled and punched Butters in the gut, launching him back, miraculously, the boy managed to not lose his footing and keep hold of his hammer, which he brought up to block a follow up stab by the Gold Authority.

"Hope you enjoyed that you fermented fungus! Because it's gonna be the last shot you get before I gore you and use your ribcage as a hat and your skull and spine for a shit scooper!" The demonic angel spat and kept stabbing, Butters barely blocked them, though a few did graze him. The Gold Authority then got back into the air and began firing beams of red energy at him, Butters yelped and ran around the arena to dodge, but this was for not as soon he was hit by one, singing his clothes and skin. Now sprawled on the ground and vulnerable, the Gold Authority had a clear shot to kill the wannabe paladin, and planned to take it.

"Pathetic, even when given an advantage you can't win, I suppose your humiliation was deserved then. Prepare to die, and may the eternal pain of hell await you." The Gold Authority then began to charge an attack, but suddenly, he felt his arms, legs and neck be enveloped in a fierce grip.

"No..."

Kenny had snuck up on the Gold Authority while he was focused on Butters, using his tendrils to climb the onto the vaultings and hiding in the rafters until he saw an opening, jumping onto the monster and quickly restraining him with his tendrils. He now looked at the Gold Authority over the monster's shoulder, smirking. "(Hello.)"

"Let go of me you degenerate whore!" The Gold Authority yelled, struggling against the boy's umbral limbs, but this only caused him to strengthen his grip. "(Oh, I'll let you go...)" He then jumped off of the monster's back and fell towards the ground, extending his tendrils a bit and dragging the restrained monster with him. Kenny landed deftly, the Gold Authority not so much, crashing violently into the ground. Kenny then turned toward the monster and brought him back up, then slammed him back down, then up again, then down, up, down, up, down, until finally the Gold Authority went slack, his eyes now even emptier, his wings drooping down and glowing red goo dripping down them onto the floor. Kenny, wanting to be sure the monster wasn't faking, threw the body toward one of the carved vaultings, it broke violently against the carving's teeth, splattering across the arena in a shower of glowing red ichor and gold plated armor. The monster's spear clattered down to the ground, now harmless.

Butters approached Kenny. "Wow..."

Kenny turned to him, turning off his new powers. It was easier than he thought it would be, he just imagined it fading away, and they did. The tendrils evaporated into a brief spray of purple particles. Oddly, Kenny could still feel them. It was like something had entered his stomach and curled up to take a nap. "Butters, we need to move. Dane is still waiting for us to bring back the weapons." Kenny stated, beginning to walk out of the room.

"Right!" The wannabe paladin exclaimed, following him. Their journey was rapidly halted when an inhuman shriek filled the air. The two weren't left wondering what it was for long, as hundreds of Gold Authorities were flooding down the hallway towards them.

"OH HAMBURGERS!" Butters cried.

"Shit!" Kenny swore, summoning his tendrils. He then began looking for another way out, but the only other entranceway was the grate covered pit in the middle of the floor, and there didn't seem to be any way to open it. Unless...

"Butters, follow me." Kenny said, moving over to the grate. Butters followed.

"Did you find another way out?"

"Nah, but I know how we can make one!" Kenny stated, and began slashing rapidly in a line across the grate. His strikes were so powerful they caused the section to heat up and glow orange. He stopped abruptly and pointed at Butters.

"Quick! Hit it!"

Butters, not exactly in a position to question, did so. His blow caused the heated metal to cave. "Oh, I get it now!" Butters said, but the roar of the approaching Gold Authorities cut him out of his reverie. The two then began to work on the second one, the growling and snarling of the Gold Authorities growing closer. By the third they were probably only three minutes away. Butters whimpered and Kenny grunted as death drew ever closer, hitting the fourth area as hard as he could until finally he got it at the right temperature. "NOW!" He yelled.

Butters screamed fearfully and hit it as hard as he could, putting all his weight into the swing. The grate completely caved, creating a circular opening into the depths below...

which Butters fell into, as he quickly tipped over due to the momentum of his swing. He screamed as he fell down into the depths. Kenny didn't waste any time in following him, jumping down. The Gold Authorities followed soon after, but couldn't follow the two due to the hold being too small, only succeeding in jamming themselves in, the protruding bars of the grate stabbing into a few of them.