(Fourth Wall Note: I do not own anything from Darksiders, Darksiders II, Asura's Wrath OST, Megaman X's OST, Vigil Games, and THQ!)
Chapter 40 - The Final Charge Part II - Team Darksiders vs Dragur!
(OST Used: Asura's Wrath Soundtrack - Vlitra's revival)
WARNING! WARNING! BOSS FIGHT ENGAGED - DRAUGR
Morphology: Draugr
Type: Old One
Description: Driven by pride, hate, and desperation, Dragur had reached Terminal Delusional Madness Corruption - this is a state where the patient is too mad and delusional into its own beliefs that are clearly designed to sacrifice the needs of many for the needs of the few.
He can't take back their powers after the Seven Seals were broken. However since Dragur is the originator of the Four Horsemen's power in the first place, it unleash attacks that corresponds to the weapon it is using.
Most of the time, however, it will attack with crystallized arcane missiles, eruption by slamming his hands on the ground, and streams of lasers by his four hands. He can also propel himself with streams of arcane energy.
Draugr roared as he dissolved his weapons into thin air, jumped up in the air, closed his four hands into a spear-like shape, and launched himself as a dive bomb.
Chaos Form War, however, was able to anticipate the upcoming attack, flew in to grab Draugr by the 'spear tip', and swung the abomination into the air. Quattro Arcana Chris, Quattro Arcana, Alito, Reaper Form Death, Punisher Form Strife, and Hellfire Fury jumped into the air and yelled their battle cries as they joined their fists together in one strong, solid punch.
The arcane energy released by the assaulting team was so great that a shockwave was released, shaking the entire web of arcane energy by force. Draugr was thrown back into the far end of the room because of the immense damage he suffered.
The Charred Council's Core materialised a red version of the Harvestor...
"Death...remember the day where I will be your doomsday, you traitor!" Draugr roared as he unleashed three waves of arc slashes, each arc increasing its slash radius.
After the first arc slashes missed them completely, Death powered down, slid past the second arc together with Chris, quickly recovered, transformed back into his Reaper Form, and flew up just in time to deliver a massive uppercut slash across his chest and right under Draugr's chin. The arcane shockwave released after that sent Dragur flying again as his massive size could do nothing to counter the more streamlined built of Strife's Punisher Mode and Fury's Hellfire Mode's grand assault.
"Taste retribution! Hellfire Bullets: Arcane Comet Strafe!"
Hellfire Fury unleashed as many bite-sized comets at the same rate that Strife unloaded the silver bullets in his chain gun - Punishment.
The silver bullets infused themselves into the comets and it descended upon the abdominal body of Draugr. The bullets seared, pierced, and shot through the body with high-speed frequency.
War's Chaos Form descended upon Draugr, plunged his Neo-Chaoseater, a long and jagged yellow blade of destruction, into the latter's chest, and threw the latter across the room. The Abomination crashed through several towers of arcane energy.
Dragur roared as he placed his bottom two arms in front of him in a spear-like shape and placed his two upper hands as a jet booster. A powerful burst of arcane energy propelled the monstrosity in front in high speed.
Chris's Project Tundra heard Dragur's roar and scanned through the huge spike of arcane energy in the upper arms.
"DUCK!"
Chris, Strife, Fury, and Reaper Form Death managed to evade the oncoming body rocket attack, leaving War in trying to catch Draugr's attack with his balrog-like hands.
Chaos Form War managed to catch Draugr's rocket attack, but the propulsion managed to push the molten balrog mid-air. The balrog smirked and flapped his wings as he used his two muscular balrog arms, swung the Charred Council's core round and round, and released Draugr as a slingshot towards the rest.
Death used his Harvestor and sliced upon Draugr's two bottom arms that made up the 'spear'. The abomination stopped short and keeled as a result.
"NOW!" Death shot out for Chris.
Chris's Arcana Lifebane glowed blue as long, blazing trails of blue aura engulfed the spirit weapon.
"Arcana Force: Tundra Absolute!"
Chris slashed left and right, diagonally, delivered an uppercut slash cleaved downwards with an energy arc slash, and then unleashed another powerful slash from left to right.
With every slash unleashed, streaks of blizzard and arc energy slashes danced its way to slice through Draugr's magma body with utmost precision, brute force, and panache. The ice froze through the body parts that it cut through and drained its life away.
Due to the blizzard's immense strength, Draugr was frozen in an arcane ice prison...
"Strife, Fury, on my mark!"
Punisher Strife and Hellfire Fury nodded as they raised their weapons.
Chris gave a short and crisp battle cry as Chris's Arcana Lifebane sliced cleanly through the icy prison, bringing forth another energy arc slash that shattered it.
"Our marks as siblings! Hellfire Bulletstorm!"
With her dual-wield Inferno Rage, Fury quickly sliced through Draugr's body while Strife rained down waves of bullets Draugr's way.
Chris raised her left arm and clenched her fists as she manipulated the shattered ice fragments to impale Draugr's body.
Draugr's eyes glowed intensely as he roared and picked herself up as he morphed his four arms as four sharp, flaming talon claws. The Charred Council's core unleashed streams of magma slashes that overwhelmed the entire room.
The Four's alternate form, Chris, and Arcana Lifebane were blown back by the slashes, but their strong armor, though charred, allowed them to stand their ground in solid pace.
"This enemy is stubborn!" Fury frowned.
"The damage we dished out upon him is high enough, charge on!" Death's Reaper Form shot out.
"Getting close; it's too late to back off now!" Chris gritted her teeth as she clutched her right arm with her left hand.
"Only I can make fun of War's armor, but you backstabbing my brother's back as this abomination? I will screw you hard!" Strife frowned.
Draugr spread his two bottom arms out wide and closed in with two powerful lasers into a cross.
Chris, Strife, Fury, and Death managed to get up on their feet quickly and fly away as they dodged the lasers. War charged past the dense lasers, unleashed a powerful cleave across Draugr's chest and pushed the abomination away with a towering shockwave from the cleave itself.
Draugr quickly got up, made a huge leap towards the other side of the room, landed behind their backs meters away, and quickly materialised a crystallised menhir to shoot towards Death, Fury, and Strife.
Chris's eyes glowed blue once more as she teleported in front and grabbed the menhir using all her might with her buffed up Arcana Ice Gauntlets, a big arcane gauntlet made of crystallised ice.
The menhir's corrosive aura burned through the Arcana Gauntlets, but Chris gave a loud war cry as her gauntlets' arcane tattoos glowed bright blue and exerted her very strength to swing the menhir back towards the beast before he could react.
Such abilities came with a price - her gauntlets became charred blue as her shoulder's canisters popped out to ventilate steam immensely.
"Awesome...such is a human's determination to get things done!" Fury's eyes widened.
"Trust me; you haven't seen the half of what Chris can do that made me respect her as a whole." Death grunted.
"Really?" Strife raised his eyes.
"I'm in no humour for your sarcasm; I mean it." Death nodded.
"Hey, not complaining, ya know-it-all!" Strife huffed.
"Besides...she and that Alito helped Death saved War's arse. Granted...War is still ridiculous looking, but I rather have my brother safe, after...we're still family." Strife grunted as he thought about it.
"I am down without heavy attacks for the next thirty seconds!" Chris shot out as she entered cooldown mode and unleashed several blast of ice shards to keep the beast away.
Draugr roared as he materialised a magma version of the Chaoseater and plunged it down the earth with his four huge, magma arms. Six rows of towering magma came rushing towards them.
"Stand back!" Fury shot out as she stood in front of Death, Chris, War, and Strife, spread out her arms, and released a powerful fire barrier.
"Overdrive: Prominence Flare!"
Fury's fire barrier successfully neutralised the oncoming magma towers to restore some of the team member's charred and slash wounds.
"Thanks, Fury!" Chris nodded.
"Just because I'm of the fire element, doesn't mean I can't get along with people who controlled ice! Thanks for saving War, by the way!" Fury winked.
"Always be happy to reunite a loss member from the family..." Chris nodded softly.
Draugr roared and leapt into the air for another dive bomb, but Strife's Punishment transformed into a huge rocket launcher with a huge single barrel.
"Hey, I heard you like rockets, so I fry 'em for you! PHOTON BURST!"
Strife's Punisher Form pulled the trigger from his Punishment to unleash a huge, hard-hitting white blast filled with scorching arcane energy. The dense energy blasts pried open the spear-like front and blast Draugr back.
Chris, Death, Strife, Fury, and Alito, who powered down from her spirit weapon, joined their fists in another one strong, solid punch.
War's Chaos Form jumped over the sailing Draugr, landed just meters before Draugr's back and delivered an intense right punch. The Red Rider concentrated a high amount of anger upon his right fist and released a huge, red energy blast and sending the monstrosity crashing over the other side of the room once more.
Draugr materialised a powerful, charred version of the Punishment, plunged the barrel on the ground and roared.
"Anything you can do...I can do it better, in the name of the Balance!"
Multiple circles scattered through the battlefield, with five circles laying right under the Four and Chris's feet.
Chris scanned the area quickly and saw that there were gaps in between the circles.
"Gaps in between circles!" Chris shot out as the Four moved in between the circles, but not before War quickly powered down from his Chaos Form temporarily.
They managed to dodge past the towers, and managed to dodge the following wave under them. For the next six waves, Chris, Fury, and Strife managed to weave past the gaps in between circles.
The three members nodded as Chris rose above Strife and Fury. Strife quickly brought out Punishment and unleashed a barrage of energy blasts towards Draugr, the force of the arcane barrage managed to break the abomination's guard.
Alito powered down from her weapon form and shot out, "My Lady, Fury, ya ready?"
"RIGHT!" Chris and Fury nodded as the trio women dived down and combined the auras that surrounded their bodies into a huge white and orange drill brought together by a green aura.
"Tri Attack: Drill Blitz!"
The streams of fire, ice, and wind rained upon Draugr's body as the drill pierced through the abomination.
Chris, Alito and Fury high-fived one another.
"That should prove people that hot and cold can go together!" Fury winked.
"That's what one of the many definitions of balance, and not just Draugr's one-minded theory!" Chris nodded.
"But seriously...thanks for helping my brother in overcoming his guilt and saving War. Alito, you too!" Fury simpered.
"Thanks, Fury..." Chris and Alito nodded.
Draugr struggled to get up by standing on his two large arms, who were struggling on their own.
"You...believe that balance...has many meaning?" Draugr frowned as he faced the Four Horsemen, Arcana Quattro Chris, and Arcana Quattro Alito.
"You will never understand, Draugr. There are many ways we can achieve Balance without unnecessary death upon the innocents, or worse...betraying yourself by backstabbing and blackmailing your teammates or colleagues!" Chris shot out.
"You scum...You have never known who the Four Horsemen really are! They kill their kin heartlessly...so you should be the one who kill them!" Draugr roared.
"'They'? Yeah right...them? Death killed them because of Corruption, and Lilith is the creator of Corruption! The Corruption was mercilessly slaughtering every innocent being in the name of Eden! I would have killed any merciless team members too!" Chris snarled.
"Then what will happen...if Corruption infected your parents as well? Will you kill them? Will you slay them, just like Death did?" Draugr smirked.
Chris's eyes widened, her hands began trembling slightly as she broke into a slight cold sweat.
"Put yourself in a position...Your parents, infected with Corruption, killing everyone mercilessly! What would you do? Will you kill them? Or will you stay your hand, because you love them so much? What if there is no other ways, except killing them via that?" Draugr continued, coughing out blood.
"Chris, he's messing with your mind!" Death shot out.
Chris looked down as her aura started fading, but she soon remembered what her mother's last words...
"Please...for the Fuschia's last will...Protect...Protect the innocent...Self before others..."
She knew it was hard...
She knew that she loved her parents very much...even her cousins, her relatives - everyone.
However, what did her parent taught her about? Choosing her path.
When she was four, she always helped others before self, not through force, but because she believed in making people happy.
No matter the troubles she gone through, she would do her very best to contribute to society in the best ways possible and that included, but not limited to, helping the innocent beings with whatever they can.
Seeing their smiles...
Helping the children...
Building things that can benefit the automobile industries and society.
Not for praises, but because she knew, in her heart...she can.
Yes, her parents and her relatives might have contributed to Chris's decision; they too love to help people.
However, Chris knew why she loved to help innocent members.
Not because Chris was forced to do so...
Not because out of guilt...
But because Chris loved it in the beginning.
That was what they had left Chris with - a legacy...
A legacy to build up...
That was when she finally realized, the last will - protecting humankind from heartless morons, natural disasters, and the lot - was not what the Fuschias wanted her to do...
It was the Fuschia's way of encouraging her to stay true to her roots - making her own choice based on her heart; on what she believed
"I love my parents..." Chris admitted.
Draugr smirked, and the Four gave looks of slight disappointment.
"That is why if they are Corrupted...I will kill them..." Chris replied.
Everyone's eyes widened. Even Samael, who was listening outside the skies via his omnipotence, widened his eyes.
"What...Kill her parents...why?" Samael frowned.
Back in the belly...
"Ever since I am young...I always love helping the people around me to the best of my abilities. It makes the whole family and I happy just to see people's smile on their faces every day. They love me, because I am who I am; I choose who I want to be! If -in the event of Corruption - I stay my hand, I know I will feel the Fuschia's disappointment because I am going against what I am in the first place! I will dishonor myself!" Chris clenched her fists.
"I love my parents and that is why, if there is no other options, I will kill them and continue to hold my liking in protecting innocent peoples with both of my hands! There is no worst feeling then to betray myself for who I am and ending up disappointing my parents forevermore! I believe in preventing the innocent beings from meeting my history, because this...THIS IS WHO I AM!" Chris shot out, her eyes glowing blue with determination as she grabbed her right hand on Alito's left.
"And I know that in the end...I have my lover to help me achieve my aim, because she has the same thought as mine!" Chris declared.
Alito beamed. "My Lady..."
Chris looked over to Alito and nodded.
"Promise me, Alito...When we find out the meaning of humanity and if it is our fault that our loved ones died...no matter the results, will you confess to me again? As our new us?" Chris simpered.
"Yes...Yes, I do!" Alito nodded with intent, a smile of determination spread across her face.
"I might not know what emotion is...but I sure as hell am going to find it too..." Chris nodded.
The Four Horsemen nodded softly, especially War.
"You have never gone against who you are all along, Chris. This is who you are...a warrior of honor." War softly placed his right hand on Chris's left shoulder.
"War...I mean, you only get to know me for just less than a day..." Chris's eyes widened.
"You did what once...a coward did not." War nodded.
"Besides, we Nephilims can see a human's emotion, you spoke the truth!" Fury simpered.
"Remember, Chris and Alito...your aim is finding solace and when you're done, the meaning of humanity. You made this choice and those are what your parents want you to be!" Death nodded.
"I normally don't like sarcastic bastards...but even I know when he is speaking the truth." Strife nodded.
"What did you say?" Death looked at Strife with weary eyes.
Strife facepalmed himself, "You hear me? I am praising you! God dammit..."
"I heard you saying that I'm a sarcastic bastard..." Death frowned.
"Because that's what you are most of the time!" Strife snarled.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Fury flared.
Death and Strife looked at the Rider of the Black Horse.
"Look, you can bicker later after we get rid of the Council and the Dark Legion, yeah?" Fury frowned.
Strife and Death looked at Fury, then at Chris, then at Alito, and then back at themselves.
"Let's save humanity first, then we will fight about it later..." Death frowned.
"Right...lets!" Strife grunted.
"You...imbeciles..." said the Council's Core as he combined his version of Chaoseater, Harvestor, Punishment, and Inferno Rage together into charging energy ball, "I STILL CLAIM THE BALANCE RIGHT!"
Alito transformed into Arcana Lifebane once more as Chris pointed her left index finger straight at the Council's Core.
"Know this...you corrupt Council...Balance has many favors...I learn now...NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS ABSOLUTE, APART FROM HEARTLESS MORONS LIKE YOU DO!"
Chris and the Four Horsemen charged into Draugr's intense arcane energy, surrounding themselves in an aura of Blue (Chris), Green (Alito), Pale Green (Death), Dark Orange (Fury), Lava Red (War), and White (Strife).
The two energy attacks collided, shaking the entire belly's foundation and even crumbling several pillars of thick arcane energy that held up the Council's Belly.
A huge energy indent burst through the ground, as both sides are not letting up in the power struggle.
However, with the Four's newfound respect for Humanity, thanks to Chris and Alito's effort in helping Death rescuing War, the multi-coloured meteor attack managed to propel in front and with a shout, burst through the thick lasers.
The shocked Draugr could not do anything but to be struck in the body by Chris, Alito (as Arcana Lifebane), Death, Fury, War, and Strife's unity attack.
The entire battlefield burst into shockwaves of destruction as more pillars were crumbling by the seconds.
"Draugr...you are a pain to us, a pain to humanity, and a pain to the entire Balance!" Chris screamed.
"You betrayed my brother, tortured him for the wrongs he had not done, and you should know that Corruption threatened all of Creation instead of balancing it! This is your end!" Death followed.
"This time...vengeance will be mine, for your portrayal of betrayal you have wrought upon me!" War bellowed.
"It's not we, but you, who will burn in the Flames of Judgement!" Fury flared.
"Your philosophies about the Balance can go to Hell for all we care, you snobby, stuck-up, useless, conceited, backstabbing egoist!" Strife roared.
"Balance is not absolute, Draugr! There are many meanings to it, but killing innocents for the sake of the Balance is certainly not one of them! It is doing things without losing sense of who you are!" Arcana Lifebane echoed.
The six shot out in unison, "YOU HAVE GONE WAY TOO FAR WITH YOURS, FOR YOU ARE THE TRUE BETRAYER; BLINDED BY YOUR PRIDE!"
The final combined blast from the meteor attack burned Dragur's body. Its bones smothered and reduced to particles of smoke, his cruel heart shrivelled and crumbled to ashes, and his body became nothing more than a fuel for a core explosion.
Remnants of the Black Tower - Where the battle took place
The Charred Councils keeled and roared as they breathed their last in the sacred planet of Earth. Their bodies exploded and became nothing more than crumbled rock dust, leaving behind six warriors with charred bodies, slash wounds, scars upon their legs, scars upon their shoulders, blood dripping out of their shoulders and back, and even bruises across their chests and legs.
"We still have two more to go...and we know who they are..." Death frowned.
Thanks to the power of the seven seals and the two Maidens' Arcana Cardio systems, they regenerate enough health back to face their next adversary with straighten backs despite their injuries.
Samael...
The Blood Prince, now fully awakened thanks to War's earlier help in restoring his full power for entry into the Black Tower, clapped his hand slyly.
"Wonderful...wonderful...So, Death...this is the 'Humans' you have said that made you respect humanity, even though they deny it, yes?" Samael frowned.
Death, knowing the argument he had with Samael when the former went back in time to get the Demon Key via the Phasewalker, frowned.
The Four Horsemen, Arcana Quattro Chris, and Arcana Quattro Alito turned their back and frowned.
"So...this is the Samael that Death was talking about." Chris frowned.
The six members stood face to face with the blood Prince itself as the Heavens and Earth raged into a boiling war once more in the cloudy, fiery skies of darkness, with only rays of light piercing through the murkiness.
With Lilith killed, only two of the major demons remained.
With their newfound respect for Humanity, will the Four Horsemen temporarily ally Heaven's attempt to protect Earth?
Their energies might be restored thanks to the Seven Seals, Arcana Quattro Cardio Systems, their new powers, and resolve...
However, the team were still bearing injuries, bruises, blood wounds, and slash wounds.
Given Samael's power, any mistakes will offset any regenerated energy and adding further grievances to their injuries.
The Four Horsemen will not die thanks to the Four Seals, but what about Chris and Alito?
Can they defeat Samael?
Or will their journey ends here?
Find out in the next episode of 'Darksiders: Frozen Assets' in...
Chapter 41: The Final Charge Part III - Team Darksiders vs Samael - OPERATIONAL MODE ON!