Chapter 7: Demons
Just as the clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, the portal split open in the wilderness, driving many animals away. From the tree branches stood an extremely malnourished wolf. It crept around the bush, watching for the first meal to step from the portal. Salamander arrived first, moving so the others could exit. He stopped in his place and smirked, pulling two bottles from his coat. The wolf lunged, mouth open and fangs out. It chomped down hard, feeling a warm liquid burst into its mouth. Salamander laughed as the wolf's mouth began to bleed from the bottle of acid it just ingested.
"How is it furball? Taste good?" He taunted, tossing the other bottle up and down in his hands.
Without warning he threw the other at the whimpering animal, mixing the chemicals to create a flaming acidic mix that deteriorated the wolf into nothing but a puddle of green and black waste.
Sho and the others stepped out from the portal, avoiding the mess that once was the hungry wolf. As Kuroi stepped in, his aura shrouded them, causing the rain to surge away from their bodies. Yumi and Alexander followed last, watching the rain avoid them.
"How do we find Azulong?" Alexander inquired, looking around the thick brush.
"Ohoho very simple my large friend. With this!" He explained, lifting a round egg of sorts.
He pulled a vial of glistening liquid from his bag and dropped the egg within its confines. The mixture bubbled and churned, producing a white smoke around them. As the smoke cleared and before them stood a little blue bird with large eyes.
"Bukaw?" the bird sounded, looking up at Salamander.
"Search the area, locate the blue haired one, understood?" Salamander ordered.
The bird wasted no time at all. With a mighty flap it lifted into the air, taking to the skies instantly. Salamander folded his arms and pulled a small screen from his bag. On the flat panel, the bird's vision was captured perfectly. The tops of trees, rickety bridges and deep chasms were all seen with the monitor in glorious definition. Just as the bird approached the apex of the mountain, the screen picked up a white glint then went to static.
"Ohohoo seems we've found our man. He was even kind enough to destroy that failure prototype of mine. Anyway, with my knowledge of these mountains, and the aerial view, I know where he is. Shall we go?" Salamander suggested, picking a path out of the many branching ones.
Down below, Wolfe and Jinzo arrived just at the base. Wolfe routed his men around, providing cover in case of an escape. He looked back at Jinzo as he grabbed his bow.
"So tell me Mr. Amatsu, how do you suggest we handle this so called threat of yours?" He asked, his tone sarcastic and smart.
"He is up top…I can feel his presence and I know he can feel mine. You and your men should stay below. I will handle him myself. If The Advents are with him, it may already be too late." He said, taking a leap into a nearby tree.
"Now wait a god damn minute! This is my mission you bastard! If anything I'm goin' to kill the both of 'em and The Advents! Sho made a fool of me and I refuse to let that slide!" He yelled up to Jinzo, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Jinzo continued on his path, skipping large sections of the path by using the scenery to his advantage. Up ahead, Sho and his group were near the apex of the mountain. They could feel an enormous pressure working against them as they grew closer to the top. Sho couldn't help but let the anxious feeling create a smile on his face. He began to rub his hands together in anticipation, knowing full well the power of his small militia was growing considerably.
On his faster route to the top, Jinzo spotted Sho and is troupe, but ignored them knowing what his true mission was. Jinzo sped to the top, making sure he reached Azulong before all else. With the top in clear view, Jinzo took a final leap into the air, looking down at Azulong who'd already swung his blade with lightning speed in the air. A quick flash released from his blade, creating an energy wave that shredded through the air as though friction had no bearing on it. Jinzo released one of his swords which released a pulse of energy itself. With a quick swipe of the blade, his sword clashed with Azulong's attack, sending white and blue sparks through the air as the attack was negated.
Jinzo landed with the blade held behind him. He stared down Azulong who had already returned his blade to the sheath and moved the blade before him. The sky grew darker above the two. Lightning struck and thunder raged throughout the mountain range. They stood in front each other, speaking with no more than their eyes.
"Nii-san, you have no idea the amount of time haha-ue has devoted in finding you so that you can pay for your crimes. I know you will not come back quietly, so I borrowed something from father just for you." Jinzo said while sheathing his blade.
Sho stopped suddenly in his tracks, hearing something approach them from the rear. He looked to Kuroi and Alexander with a nod and vanished into thin air, making his way by them with Salamander up the path with great speed. Wolfe and a small army of Hound members charged up the path, all prepared to do more than bring Sho and The Advents in. Kuroi summoned five of his spirit spheres and released energy, bringing ten more around him. He pressed his fingers in various places of his chest, releasing more energy in his body by using pressure points. With his knuckles cracked he took his stance with fist out. Yumi placed her hands together, praying for a moment which radiated a blue light around Kuroi. She began to recite different verses, powering him up even more.
"Assumptio!! Imposito Manus!! Asperio!! Magnificat!! Angelus!!" She commanded each word with different results.
Alexander held his spear forward, radiating a dark aura about him. He smirked as his eyes turned a deep shade of blue. His aura began to swirl in cylindrical fashion, creating a barrier around his body. They were all ready, holding their ground with a steady resolve and the will to do great harm.
"Let us show them The Advents power!" Alexander shouted as he ran head first into battle, causing even Kuroi to grin a little.
Up above, Jinzo pulled his other sword free from its sheath. The blade was made of a bright white crystal that shimmered even in the darkness of the storm. He placed the sword before him, aiming the point at Azulong's head. Azulong remained silent; he only lifted his hand, summoning a sword to his hands inside of a sheath. Jinzo's face grew serious when he noticed the blade his brother was carrying.
"Where did you get Izanagi?!" He shouted, demanding an answer. "Answer me Azulong!"
"….From Sobo-san's grave. She was secretly buried with it…." He answered reluctantly.
"…I see. So you've violated her grave for her sealed power. You truly have no shame. It pains me to have to kill you Nii-san, but I will carry out haha-ue's wishes!" He announced while taking the sword with both hands. "O divine mother…"
Azulong took hold of his blade in the same fashion and held it forward.
"O god of the seven…" Azulong began.
"Thy blade guides me through the dark…" Jinzo continued.
"Thy blade guides me on my true path…" Azulong carried on.
"Be my sword, armor and soul…" They both said in unison. "Envelope me in thy power!"
Their words echoed around the mountain. Below them both sides stopped their charge and looked up as the lightning struck more frequently with much more disastrous results. Trees caught blaze, even in the torrent of the rain. Animals fled from their shelters and the ground began to shake. From the sky two figures emerged with light surrounding each.
Azulong floated upwards under one, the male who donned black and white armor, a long black katana, long ethereal hair and an arm shield that had the Advent's symbol upon it. Jinzo followed suit after Azulong, hovering under the goddess like summon that arrived from the heavens; Izanami. She floated with grace, a long naginata in her hands, flowing white gown with bright white and blue armor on her chest. Both summons took the same stances their masters took. The amassing energy around Mjolnir created an unstable environment. The rain drops had been frozen in place by the unstable energy, keeping them suspended from the ground.
Wolfe s seized his opportunity to ride by The Advents with one of his female gunslingers. They continued on, leaving the many snipers, hunters and other gunslingers below to face Alexander and Kuroi who were being supported by Yumi. The first line of slingers were all flipping sets of coins, almost in unison with smug looks on their face.
"Orten, Johz, Mika; Attack patter delta." One of the Snipers spoke as he lifted his hand, drawing the winds around him and his comrade's feet. "Wind Walk!"
Orten, the slinger in all white pulled a very large magnum from his holster and a smaller handgun from the other. From inside his coat he pulled a cigarette and flipped it into his mouth with a quick flick. Using a red shell from his pouch, he let the cigarette and took a long drag. With the exhale, the cigarette fell and Orten dashed forward with his guns behind him. Just as he neared Kuroi he leapt into the air, spinning with his guns aimed for Kuroi's head. Kuroi stood steady as a spiral of bullets ripped from the barrels and headed for his head. Moments before impact, a green barrier appeared around Kuroi, turning the bullets into green orbs that merely floated away.
Orten landed on the other side of Kuroi, just ahead of Yumi and smirked.
"Just as planned baby." He said to Yumi as he turned his body, pointing the gun at her face and pulling the trigger.
The gun clicked back and fired, but the bullets were knocked to the ground instantly by Alexander's spear. The other two slingers; Johz the hat wielding slinger and Mika the female slinger, ran side by side, heading for Kuroi. Mika made a small hop, keeping her balance in the air while Johz slid on the ground with his legs fanned out for Kuroi's legs. He swung his legs hard, trying to trip the dark Shura who merely stood there with unflinching confidence. Mika planted her foot into Kuroi's chest, pushing the gun into the barrier and pulling the trigger. Just before the bullets escaped, Kuroi vanished and appeared behind the two so swiftly that Mika had no time to fall and react.
Kuroi pulled his arms back and charged a sphere into his arm. He thrust forward with his arm, but an arrow knocked connected with his bracer, knocking his hand off course. The force emitted from his palm blow a chunk of Mjolnir off, sending the debris down the path and into the trees. The Sniper, Kannon, pointed in Kuroi's direction, commanding the Hounds to attack.
Wave by wave they advanced, gun slingers firing their ordinance, snipers and hunters drawing their bows and releasing their falcons to attack. Some of the slingers took the liberty to run in for close range attacking with acrobatics and close range shots. All seemed fruitless as Kuroi moved between them with ease, leaving after shadows of his body. Yumi pressed her hands to her chest and lifted them into the air, releasing a holy light on the falcons that took them down instantly.
Alexander had been busy facing Orten who kept his attacks swift and unwavering. The large armor of the Dark Guard proved more than the bullets could handle, even without the massive shield on his back. Orten jumped onto Alex's shoulders and shot point blank, but the aura around him reflected the bullet directly back to its source. Orten quickly fell backwards, letting the round fly into the air.
"Alexander! Behind you!" Yumi yelled while putting the green barrier around herself. "Pnuema!"
Alexander turned in an instant. His reflexes and heightened senses allowed him to see the bullets coming for his body. He spun around quickly, drawing his shield, and slamming it before him while he ducked behind it. The bullets ricocheted with sharp pinging noises, sending bullets in various directions. From above, a cloud of sharp arrows threatened to rain over Alex. He lifted the shield and jumped into the air, denying gravity with his mighty leap. His shield gave a glow as he angled it downward towards Johz and Mika who were busy with Kuroi's lightning fast movements. The arrows that touched the shield and bounced off while retaining their momentum as they flew towards the two slingers.
Mika and Johz looked up and dove to opposite sides of each other. To Johz's surprise, Kuroi was awaiting him with an angled palm thrust that shot him backwards and up, back into the arrows. They pierced his back, causing blood to rain from his chest as they exited partway through the flesh. Kuroi jumped up and thrust his shoulder into Johz's mouth, flipping him around in mid air. Mika looked up from the ground and lifted her gun, aiming at Kuroi. Alexander spotted her and directed his weight below him with the shield's pointed bottom directed for her arm. With all of his weight placed at the point of the shield, it ripped through her arm like a cannon ball through a thin layer of tissue.
Mika released a scream that was partially masked by the striking of lightning near them caused by Azulong and Jinzo. Up above, Kuroi continued his assault with a twisting kick to the face and elbow thrust in the back of the neck. As Johz returned around from his spin, Kuroi grabbed his face and landed, holding his body towards the group of Hound members who were persisted with their bullet and arrow barrage. He threw the body into the crowd which struck Kannon as odd. As he watched the body fall, he realized Kuroi's spirit spheres were missing from around his body. With a wide stare he dove to the side, hoping his comrades would do the same.
The body landed and exploded with a furious amount of spiritual energy that ripped more of the mountain asunder. Alexander pulled his now bloody shield up from Mika's arm and looked down at her small body, twisting in pain.
"Allow me to free you from your torment." Alexander spoke as he spun his spear around.
In an instant he jammed the spear into her chest and backed away as his intent pulled a bolt of lightning into the spear, surging the amps through her body. Her heart stopped instantly, leaving her in a burnt and twisted pose. Just as he removed his spear, he turned his attention to the three hounds that were left from Kuroi's attack.
Orten had managed to sneak away in the assault. Above them he pulled the case he had hidden away on the mountain out and opened it. Inside were the pieces to a very powerful sniper rifle; The Atlas 313. With precision and quickness, he assembled the weapon and loaded a cartridge into it. He laid flat, looked through the scope and watched Alexander charge the disorientated hound members. He aimed for Alex's head, pulling the trigger back slowly to prepare for his shot.
Just as the trigger neared the firing position, Orten lifted the gun upward to see Kuroi in the air with fifteen spirit spheres about his being. He fired a shot, but the recoil of not being on the ground caused his aim to move askew. He tried to realign quickly, but was too late.
"Falling…Empire!" Kuroi shouted as his spheres all vanished and he landed atop Orten with deadly force.
The earth beneath Orten sunk into a smooth crater that continued inward for several feet. From the crater, Kuroi stood as the rain swirled around his body. Back where Alexander and Yumi were, Alex had finally reached the now standing hound members. In mere seconds, he grabbed Kannon and swung him into the mountain's side, using the same inertia of the swing to pull his shield free and slam the pointed edge into Kannon's face, splitting it wide open. Quickly he left the shield which was now implanted in the rock face and darted for the two remaining hounds. One had just stood and took aim with his machine gun. He unloaded with great inaccuracy which only made the bullets hit the impenetrable armor Alexander donned. He grabbed the attacker with one arm and continued his charge until he reached the other. She looked up, but was quickly snatched up by the large guard who kept running forward.
Near the edge of the cliff, Alex jumped into the air and held the two below him. He somersaulted forward, using the energy to catapult the two down to the sharp rocks below. They both flew down with no chance of stopping until their bodies collided with the earth below. Still in the air, Alexander laughed and looked down to see a warp portal opening. He dove into it, arriving next to Yumi who simply prayed quickly, healing the slight injuries he took.
Kuroi stepped from the disaster zone he created and only looked up to see Izanagi and Izanami fighting one another with two bright lights between them. Up above Azulong and Jinzo kept their battle raging with furious slashing that their giant avatars reacted to with attacks of their own. Another slash from Azulong soared through the sky, creating a vacuum in the air. Jinzo placed his middle and index finger in front of his face and said a small chant which created a barrier in front of him.
Down below the fight Sho and Salamander arrived with their hopes high. Sho watched in amazement at the two large beings fighting in the sky, only being controlled by their human masters. Salamander turned to see Wolfe approaching the two. He tapped Sho on the shoulders and pointed out the assaulters. Sho sighed and shook his head.
"Why couldn't they have just stayed behind!? Gah, dammit. Might as well deal with these two I suppose." He spoke with displeasure as he drew his knife and vanished.
Salamander pulled a bottle from his jacket and drank its contents. He shivered slightly as his veins pulsed a few times before settling down. More bottles came from his jacket, the same that destroyed the wolf at the time of their arrival. He held them both in one hand, taking a position to target properly.
Wolfe's mount skidded to a stop as he himself jumped off and took aim with his bow. He fired one arrow then immediately another right after. Both flew for Salamander with pinpoint accuracy. Salamander dove tried to make a dive, but both arrows shot into his leg, making their way through the bone. Salamander bit down to avoid screaming and stared back at Wolfe with the bottles ready. He threw both of them quickly, using the time of their flight to try and pull the arrows free from his body, but the double angled edges saw to it that it'd be an impossible feat.
Wolfe ducked under the bottles and drew another arrow in his bow, aiming for Salamander's head.
"Where's your bitch ass leader?" He asked, no remorse in his voice at all.
Sho appeared behind Wolfe with the blade drawn to his skin. He pulled back quickly, going for the easy kill but was denied when a bullet sunk into his shoulder from behind. He dropped the knife and turned around slowly to see the ebony woman gunslinger holding a scoped magnum.
"Good work Nebel, I figured he's show his face soon enough." Wolfe spoke while turning to aim his bow at Sho's head.
Jinzo's attention was drawn by the sound of the gunshot. He turned to its origin, searching out the cause. Azulong wasted no time capitalizing on this grave mistake. He closed in, stabbing his brother through the stomach with the crystal sword in an instant. Above them, Izanagi did the same to Izanami, though due to size difference, the blade pierced her chest instead.
Jinzo's mouth was soon filled with blood as he looked down at the warm liquid leave his body. He slowly began to descend with Azulong, the cold blade not moving an inch while inside of him.
"Onii-san, you have forgotten your training. Though your dedication to Haha-ue is admirable, it has made your heart strong, but your flesh weak. Give Chichi-ue my regards when you see him in Valhalla." Azulong spoke in their native tongue as he lifted the blade and pulled out, splattering blood over his white kimono.
Just as the two fell, lightning struck and Wolfe released the drawn bow and the arrow that followed. Sho had a grin on his face as he finished the mark on the ground beneath him. A blue portal appeared beneath he and Wolfe and pulled them both away just before the arrow made contact with Sho's head.
Nebel looked around frantically, hoping to find where her boss had gone. Salamander had not been lying around idly by. While he'd been on the ground, he tied multiple bottles of acid and his fire bottles together. When he rolled over to see the slinger still searching, he launched the bunch at her. She instinctively took her gun and fired rounds into the incoming cluster of doom only to have the bullets free the contents which mixed in mid air. The corrosive acid and the flaming liquid landed on her unarmed shoulder, scorching through her clothes, skin and muscle until it ate though the whole arm.
She drop3ped her gun and fell to the ground in an ear shattering scream that did nothing to dull the pain away. Salamander pour a small amount of acid on the arrow's shafts until they melted through, snapping away instantly to allow him to pull the parts away. His leg began to sizzle as the cells entered rapid regeneration. The wounds closed and he shivered again before standing slowly, tapping his feet to the ground to make sure his wounds were sound.
Nebel gritted her teeth hard while she crawled on the ground, trying to reach for her gun. Salamander stepped over and kicked the gun down the path and watched it tumble down the cliff side. He lifted a bottle of acid over her head and laughed maniacally.
"Ohohohoho! You should have just became an acolyte and traveled the world to heal to the sick. Nope! Instead you choose to become a gunslinger and join a bunch of men and women who think they're cowboys. Now look at you, missing an arm and about to add a head to the list of missing things." He taunted as he uncapped the acid and tilted the bottle to the side.
The acid neared the edge of the green glass bottle, Salamander felt a cold chill run through his body. He looked down to see a white wave of energy pierce through his and Nebel's body. He dropped the bottle onto her and fell to his knee's where his body split diagonally causing blood to pour from his severed arteries and veins. Azulong resheathed his blade and stood over the two.
"You do not belong here, so to maintain order you had to be eliminated. I hope you find rest in the next life…" He said coldly as the clouds in the sky began to clear up.
On the other side of Mjolnir, Sho and Wolfe appeared out of nowhere and ended up tumbling down the side of the mountain. Mud and wet rocks made it much harder for them to come to a halt which would have been useful at the moment. While falling, Sho rolled himself upright and dug his foot down, causing him to launch upward slightly. With that movement, he grabbed Wolfe by the throat and slammed his head on the rocks behind them while they continued to fall.
At the bottom of the slant, they both came to a crashing stop, leaving both down on the ground. Sho's wound had been thoroughly pelted with rocks and other debris from the fall and the back of Wolfe's head had been opened from Sho's aerial sneak attack. Wolfe watched Sho on the ground upside down while he himself tried to get to his feet. Sho groaned and looked up, trying to get his bearings straight. As he peered at the clearing sky, the rain that had been in suspension finally came crashing down in one fluid motion above them, leaving them soaked.
It took a minute, but Sho stood up with his hand over his shoulder. He watched Wolfe stand and ran over to him, jumping atop of him with his blade trained for his throat. Wolfe growled in the struggle, trying to push back without cutting his hand or stabbing himself. With quick thinking he kneed Sho in the back, flipping him over his head and onto his back. Wolfe got to his feet quick and pulled his stiletto blade free from its quick release and dove for Sho.
Sho rolled quickly, letting Wolfe slide in the mud and rocks. He winced as he stood from his shoulder wound, trying to ignore the pain.
"Tell me royal dog, do you do everything the king says like a good little bitch?" Sho barked out with one eye closed.
"You shut your filthy mouth! I do what I want, when I want. Now if you'd just stay still I can send you to Ant hell just like that stupid whore of yours!" Wolfe retorted with the blade held out in front of him.
"…For that…I'm going to cut your tongue from your mouth and feed it to you…" Sho said while he released his arm and vanished.
Wolfe looked around and backed up trying to find some cover for his back. He checked the ground, hoping to see any sign of Sho approaching him. He slashed in the air in front of him, blinding hoping for a hit.
"Come on out! Stop hidin' like a pussy!" Wolfe shouted out in the open.
Near the area they fell, Sho reached out and grabbed Wolfe's bow which then vanished along with him. Wolfe stopped moving and listened, smelled and looked around, trying to find the slightest hint of Sho, but nothing. This was his worst nightmare, an untraceable target. He turned sharply, thinking he heard something from behind him. In his arrow case, a single arrow floated from inside and vanished. The subtle movements caused Wolfe to turn again with a quick slash.
Sho's jacket fell to the ground with a slash mark on one of the belts. Wolfe grabbed the jacket and smelled it, picking up Sho's scent. To his dismay, the various elements had already masked his scent well enough that his ability was rendered useless that fast. He grew increasingly angry, not liking the situation he was in this time. He reached into the pouch on his side and pulled two grenades free. He pulled the pin on one and threw it into the dirt away from him. The explosion splattered mud, rocks and tree fragments in a wide area, but nothing Wolfe was looking for. He pulled the pin on the other and threw it in another direction.
The mud splattered again, splashing on Sho's body. Wolfe turned, hearing the sound of mud hitting skin behind him. He grinned with the knife out, but his grin soon vanished from his face when he saw the arrow just before it entered the center of his face and out the back of his head. Wolfe tried to speak, but his brain had been pierced, leaving him only able to stand there.
Sho smirked and approached Wolfe with his knife coming from his pants. He took the blade, opened Wolfe's mouth and slice his tongue free from the bonds of his mouth. With the same motion he pushed his tongue into the back of his throat, making him swallow it before he fell over in death. As his latest foe fell, he looked at the bow and decided to keep it, but not without the arrows on Wolfe's back. He took the shoulder holster for the bow and the arrow quiver to strap on his back. With that he looked up at the mountain's apex and sighed before opening another dimension door.
"See ya bitch!" He said to Wolfe's corpse before jumping into the portal.