"DIE!!!" Clyde shouted at the top of his lungs as he released an extremely powerful blast of blue fire at Zero.
Zero brought up a wall of ice and blocked the flames, though much to his surprise, the wall ended up completely melted.
"How were you able to melt my ice?!" Zero asked with confusion.
Clyde never answered. His response was a flame filled fist to Zero's face. Zero's eyes snapped wide open as he was sent blasting away.
Clyde glared even harder as he pushed forward and shot two large orbs of blue fire at Zero. The cryomancer lifted up an ice wall and glared back.
Clyde shattered the ice and stared at Zero with a look of hate. "You went too far! You didn't have to kill him!"
"I only did...what I felt was necessary!" Zero fired of a blast of cold energy at Clyde, pushing him back a few feet. "He shouldn't have challenged me!"
"Bastard! I'll make you PAY!!!" Clyde's mana rose and the snow around him began to melt. The sub-zero temperature soon became sweltering as blue flames surrounded him. "Ward of Flames: Sun Shot!" The mage harnessed the power of the sun in his open palm and shifted it to his pointed index and middle finger. He then fired off a tiny, bright orb of fire.
"Tch, that little thing won't do you any good." Zero said as he put up a dome of ice around himself.
When the small ball made contact with with the dome, it detonated, creating a huge explosion that blew Zero away. He slid to a halt and glared as he climbed back to his feet.
"You won't beat me! Not like this...Even with your boost in power, you're still not able to win with that depleted mana of yours. It'll only end poorly for you." Clyde said with a serious face.
"Heheheh...Don't start getting cocky after landing a few hits on me. I'm not trying yet!" Zero snarled.
"Hmph...Whatever you say." Clyde flew at Zero and thrusted his fist toward his face. Zero ducked underneath the swing and placed a palm on Clyde's chest. "Ward of Frost: Flash Freeze!" Clyde was suddenly encased in solid ice. Zero created a large icy hammer and grinned. "Die!"
In less than a second, the ice melted and the hammer stopped. Clyde grabbed the weapon with his bare hands. He pulled Zero into a vicious punch that caused him to double over in pain. Clyde cupped his hands together and narrowed his eyes. "Ward of Flames: Blazing-"
"I don't think so!" Zero said as the ice serpent on his shoulder blasted Clyde quickly. The mage jumped back and felt his mana fluctuate again with his growing anger.
"You're starting to get on my nerves." Clyde lifted up his hand and glared. "Ward of Flames: Flame Dragon Meteor Storm!" He fired off a large blast of fire into the sky. The blast stop and dispersed into multiple directions.
Zero clapped his hands together and let out a breath. He formed a large barrier of ice and repelled the destructive attack. He dropped his barrier and lifted himself up into the air with a pillar of ice and stared down Clyde.
"Tell me something Yukio...What is keeping your mana flowing? You shouldn't be able to use so many different high level fire based spells back to back like that!" Zero said.
"You did this Zero. I can't let you just kill my friend and not fight back!" Clyde growled.
"He agreed to the fight. I warned him not to join in but he didn't listen to me. Now he's dead. That was on him." Zero said with a shrug.
"Doesn't change what I'm about to do to you!" Clyde lifted his hand up and fired off an intense wave of solar winds that blew Zero off of his tall pillar. He landed and looked up to see Clyde dropping down onto him and kicking him into the melting snow. Zero looked up at him with a glare.
"This doesn't make any sense! I can't be losing right now! Fine! I'll just up my percentage. Then, I'll end this." Zero said.
Clyde looked at Zero as he hunched over and started yelling. "What the hell are you doing?"
A white and blue aura was now surrounding Zero. "This is the essence of a cryomancer! I'll freeze everything! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"So you're finally taking this seriously? I guess I can too!" Clyde gritted his teeth and unleashed a wave of fire all around him. "KKKYYYYAHHHH!!!"
"Show me the way of a pyromancer, Clyde." Zero said to him.
"Gladly!" Clyde blasted forward and tackled Zero to the cold floor. Zero kicked the mage off of him and opened his mouth. The two heads on his shoulder opened wide as well and all three of the began to charge up a bright blue blast. "Ward of Flames: Roaring Sun Spear!"
A large fiery spear flew at Zero. He dodged the attack first and fired off a few more beams of cold energy. Clyde took the hits head on and kept running towards Zero. He grabbed him and shoved his flaming fist deep into the cryomancer. The ice on his skin shattered once again as clyde forced him back.
Zero flipped around and slammed his hand into the floor. Two large ice hands grabbed Clyde and squeezed him tightly. "Heheh...You're gonna feel this one Yukio!"
"Th...this...is nothing!" Clyde said confidently as he blasted through the ice. "You call that an attack? C'mon...Get it together."
Zero was enraged at Clyde's incessant taunts. He sent Clyde an Icy slash of cold wind. Clyde lifted his arms up to guard which ended up lacerating his skin and leaving his blood dripping to the snowy floor.
"Can't you see?! This is the conclusion of our battle. You're badly injured and you aren't even skilled enough to use cryo-healing."
"Tch...Then what about pyro-healing?" Clyde said back with a grin. Flames covered his entire body and his bloody wounds began to heal themselves as the flames touched them. "Don't count me out yet! I can do more with my fire than you think."
"I can see...but for how much longer I wonder…" Zero said.
"We'll just have to see!"
-In a Not so Happy Place-
"No no NO!!! Why did I get sent here?! I've been a good boy! I don't deserve Hell! This is such a load of bullshit!" Shiro yelled as he looked around. The sky was blood red and was home to a bright red moon. The air was hard to take in and singed his lungs with every breath. He looked around and saw countless other souls wandering through the place without any sort of motivation. The demons all looked miserable. "Why me god? Huh? Why did I have to go?! I would've gotten my act together!"
"Excuse me child. I need you to come with me." The voice emitted from a cloaked figure holding a large scythe in his hand.
"A...are you death?!"
"That, I am. Do you know why you're here Tatsugami?" Death asked.
"Is it to be punished?" Shiro asked.
"Not exactly. You see, you have a special purpose in the realm of the afterlife."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it beats straight up punishment."
"You're here to be Lady Kyra's bodyguard. She requested you personally." Death said. Shiro raised a brow at him.
"Who the hell is that?" I asked.
"Lady Kyra is the daughter of Schepulturath. She is currently one of the few full blooded demons of the Nether Realm and is respected by many. However, with great respect comes much jealousy. Lady Kyra has been a target of the Aether Realm's Holy Squadron. She's a powerful demon and is supposed to surpass her father, the strongest of the now six devil kings, and is favored to become the next Lucifer."
"If she's so damn strong then what does she need me for?" Shiro asked. "I just got finished DYING from a damn cryomancer!"
"While she is very powerful, she's still a full blooded demon. An angel of the holy court would be able to annihilate her in an instant." Death said.
"But aren't I technically a demon now?"
"Yes...and no…While your body may now belong to the demon world, your soul is still very much yours. You aren't going to be like the average slave demon. You're to be an ally to Hell as opposed to just a soul in need of eternal punishment." Death explained.
"Wow...That's freaking cool! So do I get any cool ass demon powers and stuff?"
"That is up to Lady Krya to decide. Only a high ranking devil can bestow new abilities to you."
"Ok, I'm starting to understand more about this now." Shiro said with a simple nod.
"That brings me to my next reason for seeing you. I am aware that your future self is in this timeline, correct?"
"Huh, oh you mean Tatsu. Yeah, he's back at Frost Park. Why do you ask? Wait a minute...How do you even know about him?!" He asked.
"Foolish child... Do you understand that there is and will only ever be one Death. It doesn't matter what time, what dimension, I'll always be me. Therefore, I am aware of what takes place in the future of this timeline. There were many simultaneous deaths. It was genocide. Metagenesis was a monster. A vile cruel being, brought to life from your hatred of the world's despicable actions and the people that do them. The world's evil created the ultimate evil."
"Yeah...I know…" Shiro muttered.
"Has your future self informed you about the vengeance gear?" Death asked him.
"He showed it to me. I don't know how he got it or what exactly it does, though."
"The vengeance gear is the gear I give to my newest disciple every hundred years. The suit and scythe are both made of the living souls that died while wielding it. Once you die by the vengeance suit, your soul is infused inside of the gear."
"W...what?! I don't want that shit anymore if it means spending eternity inside of it." Shiro said with growing worry.
"Relax child. I said 'die by the suit' meaning if you let the suit and scythe overwhelm you, it WILL consume your soul. Tatsu has been the best user of it so far. He understands his limitations and has a mutual commitment with the gear. If you take too much without earning it, you'll die. It's as simple and easy as that."
"You really think that I'll be able to manage?" Shiro asked.
"No...You are far less competent in this timeline...However, you are still you and if Tatsu can do it, you can as well."
Shiro sighed and looked at the ground below himself. "I dunno...It's kinda overwhelming to think that I could get power like that at the cost of my life."
"Oh well. Can't dwell on that now…" Death said with a shrug.
"W...what? Why?!"
"Because...MAY VENGEANCE BE WITH YOU!!!" The grim reaper shouted before placing a hand on top of Shiro's head. The boy glowed with a neon green outline and his eyes flashed green.
"I can't...believe...that you just did that!" Shiro gasped.
"Congratulations kid! You finally got to be the next wielder of vengeance. It took you long enough! Damn! How long does it take to freaking die?!" A ninja wearing a red gi said.
Shiro turned and faced him with a look of shock. "Haruka?! Why and how did you get here?!"
"Meh, I was just passing by when I heard that you up and got uber murdered by some cold bastard. What's up with that?"
"Dude pretty much stole whatever real chance I had with my relationship with Gabby…Sucks that It only lasted a few chapters…"
"Wow...You can't catch a break, can you?" Haruka chuckled. "Anyway, since you're kind of stuck in hell for a while, I thought that I'd bring a friend." He pulled out a small contract and handed it to me. "Don't lose it this time. Next time, I won't be able to remake it!"
"V...Vizeron…" I gripped the piece of paper in my hand and stared at it. "I swear...I won't fail him again…"
"I'd hope you wouldn't. Vizeron is filled with potential! He needs to be able to grow stronger with the right guidance. You only had him master a few of his skills. He needs much more training! Quit focusing on your own strength and train the little BattleBeast that I sent off with you!" Haruka said with a glare.
Shiro looked down with shame. "I'm sorry. Viz did ask me to train him more, but I let my own egocentrism cloud my judgment. That's unforgivable! I swear, I'll keep him up on his strength from here on out."
"Ok! Now that's what I want to hear. Now, I overheard my buddy Death say something about you being the bodyguard of the princess Kyra girl. I should warn you, that you're about to get mixed up in some deep shit. The Aether and the Nether have been at odds lately. The angels have been overpowering the demons for some time now. It's gonna take a lot to overturn this war." Haruka said.
"Wait...So I have to fight on Schepulturath's side?! I'd never align myself with that fucking homewrecker!"
"You won't really be fighting on his side. He's been absent from Hell. His disappearance is probably why Lady Kyra has summoned for a guard. With him abandoning his role as one of the devil rulers, the demons are vulnerable." Death said.
"So why me? I'm not exactly the strongest...I mean, they could have called for Clyde, or Gabby, or Izzy...Hell, even the prick that put me here!" Shiro barked.
"No Shiro...You don't get it. The strings of fate have brought you here for a reason. You have an objective here, and in order to complete said objective, you need to be able to balance out both sides." Haruka said.
"You mean Heaven and Hell?" Shiro asked.
"Sure do. Now, we should probably get you up to the Aesma-Daeva castle. There, you'll find Lady Kyra and possibly have the opportunity to meet the other Nether Kings that reside here." Haruka said.
"Alright, then. Let's get going already. If I'm gonna spend the rest of eternity here, I might as well go and greet the heads of the place." Shiro said. He then looked at Vizeron's contract with a sad face. "How do I get Viz back?"
"He'll appear when he's ready. Now come on. We need to find Wierus, the crosser of the blood river." Haruka said.
"You're really gonna just escort me through Hell?" Shiro asked.
"Yeah. After I get you to the castle, I'll take off." Haruka said with a grin.
"Right." Shiro looked back at Death and bowed. "I'll try my hardest with the Vengeance gear!"
"Hmm...Be well on your journeys young Tatsugami." He said before fading away.
(CLYDE'S POV)
I was nearing my limit. While I did get a huge power up, these blue flames were draining my mana. I had to finish this soon.
"What's the matter Clyde? You don't look like how you did a few minutes ago." He said after regenerating another set of wounds with his cryo-healing.
"I'm fine! If I were you I'd worry about myself. You aren't exactly in the best position since this fight is still in my favor." I said back to him.
"Is that so? Very well. Let's see what you've got left in your tank." He spread his arms out wide and grinned. "If you're ready to finish this, than by all means, go ahead and try. Hit me with your strongest attack if you're really all that confident in your own abilities."
"Tch...As you wish." I stared him down as I cupped my hands together. "Ward of Flames: Blazing Inferno…"
"That move again? How bland. I figured that you'd make up something new and, I dunno...Spice it up a bit?" He said.
"TIMES TEN!!!" I shouted before thrusting the solar blast of master Xeno towards him. The blast was no longer it's original bright orange color. Instead, it was a large swarm of blue flames. The flames slammed into him and slowly pushed him back.
"Grr...C...c'mon! This isn't...even...all that freaking...hot…" He growled while holding back the blast.
"...AFTERBURNERS!!!" I shouted before unleashing a final burst that consumed Zero completely. My fire burned through the cold terrain and was sent flying into a mountain in the distance. The mountain was now sporting a large hole in the dead center of it. I dropped to my knees and huffed out with exhaustion. That was it. The last bit of mana I had left in me. I looked and the trail of smoke and blue fire and sighed. "Hot enough for you?"
"N...not...quite…" I heard Zero's shaken up voice. When the smoke cleared, he stood there with two missing arms, cracked skin, and large burn marks all over his tattered clothes. The serpents on his body had been melted clean off of him. "Y...you...almost killed me…"
"..." I stared ahead with a sinking feeling in my gut. "You still have enough mana to regenerate anyway so what's the point?" I asked.
Ice began to repair his damaged body and he grinned. "Today has been full of surprises."
I glared at him. "Whatever...Just finish it already."
"Giving up already? How very disappointing…" He said before raising both hands to the sky. "I guess I'll just freeze you where you stand."
"Hmph...I'm sorry Shiro…" I muttered.
"Ward of Frost: Sub Zero Rain!" He shouted. The sky turned black as his mana slowly declined. I looked up with panic in my eyes.
"Damn!" I hissed.
Zero looked up at the sky with a confused expression. "What? No! Not now of all times!" He growled.
"Heh...All outta mana?" I asked with a smug grin.
"Shut up!" He yelled before kicking me to the ground. He stomped a foot on my chest and glared. "I'm still in much better condition than you are right now Clyde!" I had to think of something fast. I was running low on time.
(SHIRO'S POV)
"This is so fucking gross!" I said as I saw my reflection in the river of blood.
"You'll get used to it pretty soon. Trust me on that one kid." Haruka said.
"Why are you so casual about being in Hell? This isn't exactly the nicest place ya know."
"I'm gonna fill you in on a little secret about me kid. You promise not to tell nobody?" He asked me.
I nodded. "Yeah! I swear!" I jumped at the chance to learn about this legendary hero.
"I'm part demon." He said with a wink.
"Really?! Wow...that's so cool. So did you die or something?" I asked.
"Nope. My mom was a demon and my dad was a...well I'll just keep my dad's identity under wraps."
"So you have to have sweet demonic powers, right?" I was getting excited.
"Sure do! How do you think I kick so much ass on a daily?" He smirked.
"Wow…I wanna learn that shit too!" I yelled, almost tipping the boat over.
"Relax, will ya. Maybe if you're good enough, I'll teach you the ways of Rod the motherfucking GOD!!!" He yelled with an inflated ego.
"You know God styles?!" I asked.
"Damn straight! I might as well be a God myself. I mean, look at me?! I'M ME!!! I'm a big deal you know! Then again, I'll have to take up a certain responsibility. Damn, what a drag...Plus I'll need a title. I guess I could be the God of Awesomeness! That ain't taken!" He said.
"If I train with you, then can I be a Demigod?!" I asked.
"Kid, you'd be training with a God level badass. You'll be over any God- other than myself of course." He said.
"Awesome!" I smiled with anticipation. I had to earn his training! I just had to!
"I guess I'm already playing my role as the God of Super Amazing Awesomeness!" Haruka grinned.
We both had noticed that the boat had stopped and was docked at a large underworld island. The island had a fairly large city with enormous, gothic style houses, a cathedral, a large school building, a few eccentric looking shops and a large castle at the edge of the town.
"Damn...This place looks pretty...wealthy…" I mumbled with sweat running down my face.
"Aww c'mon, now! You were a prince before, right? You'll fit it with these rich pricks, no sweat!" He said as he patted my back.
I sighed. "Alright…" I looked down at my torn up clothes from my fight with Zero. "You mind helping me out at least?"
"Yeah, hold still." He put a hand on my chest and I watched it glow. "Anything in particular?"
"You know what'll help the most so...Surprise me, dude."
"Alright, here goes! Ward of Creation: Clothes Beam!" He yelled.
My body began to let off a bright white glow for a split second. As quickly as it started, it soon ended. I was now standing in a black blazer with a dark red trim and a dark red undershirt with the top two buttons undone. I had black fingerless gloves on and a black cross around my neck. As for my lower body, I wore a pair of loose, black dress pants with a black belt that had a holster for my twin daggers that he gave to me. My footwear consisted of black and red, formal boots.
I looked at myself and grinned. "Whoa! Thanks Haruka!"
"Heheh… Don't mention it. Now, this is where we part ways. We may not meet for a while but I do trust in your latent abilities kid. Which reminds me…" He paused and stuck his hand through a gold portal in his chest. He then pulled out a familiar looking sword that was still neatly sheathed. The sword gave off a golden aura and I could feel its power radiating from inside of its casing. "Shiro...Do you remember this sword?"
"How could I forget. It's the first epic thing I saw on my adventure. That's the Hanwasabi blade…" I muttered.
"The what?! No you dumbass! It's the Hanzuname Dragon blade! The legendary katana, of Wudai! The only weapon that could beat Sotokhan!" He barked at me.
"...Oh yeah! That blade. Why are you showing it to me?"
"Remember when you first held it and you fainted like a little girl due to its power?" He asked with a slight smirk.
"Fainted like a little girl, meh meh meh meh…" I mocked quietly.
"Well try and hold it now." He said.
I hesitated at first but then reached out and grabbed the hilt. I pulled the glowing blade out from the sheath and stared at it with awe. "I forgot how beautiful this thing was."
"How do you feel?" Haruka asked.
"Like a freaking BOSS!!!" I yelled.
He smiled. "Good. Now it's all yours kid." He said.
My eyes bulged outta my head. "WHAT?! YOU'RE REALLY JUST GIVING IT TO ME?!?!"
"Sure am. It's yours. I don't need it anymore. Wudai is guaranteed safety now. The blade deserves to finally taste the blood of newer enemies." He said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "You got this Shiro. I wouldn't have given that to you if I didn't think you had it in you. You're gonna do big things kid. Now show me that I'm right!"
I took the now sheathed sword and placed it on my back. It deserved to stay there. "I won't let you down! I swear to you that I won't!" I said to him while getting a little emotional.
"I know you won't...Now I'm gonna get the heck up outta here. I'll catch ya later!" He said. He then performed seven different hand signs and then vanished in a puff of black smoke. I looked back at the castle and began to climb the stairs. I had confidence in me. Much more than before. If Haruka believed I me, then I could do anything!
Wasting no time at all, I walked inside the huge castle and looked around for anyone. "Hello? Anyone in here?!"
"HALT!" Yelled two large men with red armour and large axes. They quite literally came out of nowhere!
"Oh shit! I didn't even see you guys!"
"State your name and business child!" One of them said.
"You have arrived during the council of high devils! You dare show up unannounced?!" The other said.
"I'm Shiro Tatsugami! I'm here as Lady Kyra's personal guard!" I said boldly.
They looked at me and then at each other, then back at me. "You are the one with connections to Hazen Reach, correct?" One said. I nodded at them both. "Very well. You may enter. Lady Kyra is expecting you in the council room."
"Go left and head straight down the hallway. Her and the other devils are discussing the state of the Nether Realm." The other said.
"Thanks you guys." I followed their directions and walked over to the council room. Once I opened the large doors, everyone seemed to stop their conversations to look at me. I stared back with a feeling of awkwardness. "H...hey everyone…"
"Who is this boy?" A dark haired man asked with disgust.
"He doesn't seem like a long term. He may be fresh." Said an old woman.
"That sword on his back...It couldn't be…" A tall man muttered.
I scanned the room in order to read everyone's expressions. My eyes locked onto the teenage girl sitting at the head of the table. Her smooth black hair contrasted well with her bright red eyes. Her skin looked flawless and lips were so soft looking. Even her boobs were looking pretty good in that white button up shirt she was wearing. I could even see her black bra a little bit through the fabric. She had been staring directly at me with an unreadable expression. I grinned at her not even understanding why. She then smiled lightly at me, causing my heart to race.
"Everyone, please settle down. We have a special guest here with us." She said with a beautifully elegant yet authoritative voice. "I'd like to introduce you all to Shiro Tatsugami. My personal bodyguard and the newest member of my branch." They all nodded and turned back to their original positions. The girl who I assumed to be Kyra, waved me over to her. "Please, join me and the rest of the Aesma-Daeva branch."
I looked behind her and saw multiple different people. The first was a guy about three inches taller than me. He had reddish hair that covered his eyes. He nodded to me and I nodded back. Beside him was a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. She waved nervously at me with her pink hair cascading down onto her face. Behind her was a guy with spiky orange hair. He looked at me as if he was trying to size me up. I look at him with sweat dripping down my face again. After him was a platinum blonde haired girl with teal eyes. She had a seductive smile on her feminine face. She was sexy as hell and I couldn't help but get flustered when she licked her lips and winked at me. Next to her was another blonde girl, only she was shorter and less developed. She had more of a cute demeanor. Her dark purple eyes held an impassive look on her face. Then there was the taller, whiter haired girl with a lovely body. She had all kinds of curves that left me feeling dizzy. Her emerald green eyes seemed to hold mischief and her smile towards me seemed very playful which contradicted her mature, womanly body. After her, there was a blue short haired girl with bright orange eyes. She seemed serious for some reason. Finally, there was a short little boy with his hair in a bowl cut. He seemed to be reading a book of some sort.
They all seemed cool for the most part...Well except for that orange haired guy. I decided to stand next to the busty blonde girl who continued to smile at me. She stood and hugged my arm, squeezing her chest against it and smiling at me all the while. I tried my hardest to shake away my perverted thoughts.
"Nice to finally meet you Shiro…" She whispered in my ear.
You know...Maybe hell wasn't really all that bad...