*Sigh* Way to long of an overdue, I know. Three hours is a hard thing to find nowadays. I'll try to get it done in less then. I've made you wait too long. Signed in: 11:30 in the afternoon. My math teacher decided to take the day off it seems...I still do challenges after all, people...
Challenge: SoulBreaker
It had just been a walk, a stroll through Mahora City. A patrol duty in which he had met her and walked along with her, as she was going his way. A simple thing that none would have expected to be odd. A vampire and a mage in transit together...until she had stopped, and he, confused, looked back before focusing upon the obstacle in front.
The night air was chilly. It stung at Negi's face. Bitter. He didn't know why, but Eva, always sarcastic, powerful Eva, the queen of darkness, was stunned, and speechless. Blue eyes, brilliant in their hue for only one reason, were wide as they fixed on the figure in front to the boy. This was the first time Negi had seen fear in her face, and it made him inwardly smirk. Yet at the same time, it brought worry to him. If she was afraid, you should be too...
Because of him. He was the reason.
He had hardly changed a direct opposite to her in that aspect. He still sported an old style of dress, an unwrinkled, un-blemished suit of nearly all white. For some reason, the boy thought the man could be her brother. Blond, well kept and sheened hair flowed from his head and piercing blue eyes were set as cold crystals in the sockets. His gaze was penetrating, and Negi's own fire eyes burned deep and hard into that gaze, which had fixed a bit above him, to his companion.
He had warned her, never to let him see her again, or he would chase after that ever so interesting soul. That soul had healed the damage done to it, and sat complacently where it lie, but the one next to her burned brilliantly bright, grounded by it's still new connections and a very solid base in the ways of this world...
Justus Faustus tilted his head a bit to the side, his face blank, but his eyes ever so interested. They were fixed on Eva's own, which burned the newfound life in death that they had received from Nagi. That same man's son brought his own eyebrows sloping down and when Faustus took a step, Negi stomped his foot down on the pavement, bringing attention to himself. Ice blue eyes met fierce fire.
"Who the hell are you, may I ask?"
The man, or what would seem to be a man, paused in mid step, surveying Negi. He looked to be a miniature of the one who had prevented him from taking Eva's soul before, prompting thought. Yet, Justus was asked a question, and he wasn't one to lie, only withhold a little, perhaps.
"I am but a collector. "
"Of what? Last year's Barbie models?"
An interesting one, to say the least. His face was deadpan in the face of Negi's, who never liked those who hid behind a mask as he was. He burned bright, powerful. Dangerous. A delectable specimen, alive as a human...until very recently, but wrapped in such power and darkness, it seemed almost uncanny he could be born with the potential to become what he was.
"Of souls."
"Oh, so you're one of those shits."
Perhaps he might have some fun collecting him as well. Eva however, surprised Negi by grabbing his collar, jerking him back, her face plainly showing the intention of bolting. Since when had she become a deer in headlights, huh? The hell. Faustus took a step forwards, and Negi shook the girl off, his fists exploding with brilliant power.
Power granted by emotion. Power that stemmed from the darkness in his soul. Indeed, this one was interesting. Instead of simply strengthening his body, his magic, he had worked tirelessly too, to gain control over his soul's bountiful blessings, and wore it proudly upon his breast.
"Ahh. You wish to fight, don't you? Well, I suppose I must, if you stand in my way."
"Like hell."
"Immortal that you are, I shall eliminate you, your soul has long passed its due."
"Kinda hard to say that, considering you, being an arrogant shit that you, a collector, must be way older than me, I'm six you twit."
Who was the last person to call him that? An arrogant shit? Why, it was the very woman half cowering behind him. The other half of her seemed to want to run away, but she held herself in check, bodily firm.
An act that Faustus, seeing the soul, could punch through easily. She seemed to scream at Negi inwardly, cursing that he had not the power to do this, his father's idiocy indeed flowing through his veins...He was surprised as the boy kicked off the ground, his fist blasting into his body, sending him skidding back.
Disappearing, the boy appeared behind him, spinning to kick him viciously in the side before bending to handspring away. He landed as Faustus turned, once more simply appearing in his face, yet this time, Faustus was ready, angling his face out of the way from his punch and grabbing the arm, sending his own fist into Negi's middle, had his hand not come out to block it, his knee thrusting out to hit the man's gut.
"You're not gonna get rid of me that easy, c&n+!"
This one, unlike Eva, was skilled in Marital Arts, perhaps she had learned from her weakness there, and employed it to this boy...or perhaps the boy had taught himself, but no time for that. His voice called out as Eva stood stock still, memories plaguing her mind.
((12:30 PM.))
"Function-"
He didn't get to speak the rest, as, regardless of the odd chant, Negi had sprung, his body coiled into an arrow that shot his fist straight into the man's mouth, almost making him swallow the boy's fingers, yet he skidded away.
"Function? The hell? You lose your damn mind or what?"
'Function X = 14.5784, Y = 15.678, Z = 3.891. Add the minor invisibles by 8-"
"Holy hell, its the calculator, quick, give him a problem! I didn't know I was facing some friggin math totting nutcase..."
"Negi, look OUT!"
Even as her voice reverberated out from her, the boy had already sidestepped and swung out his foot, connecting with nothing as it passed through the immaterial being. It swung out it's blade to catch him in his movement, but he ducked, drawing his own blade as he quickly called out.
"Rastel Mascir Magister!"
Reprobo inter mihi , impendo extrarius, praemium versus...
He ducked again at the immaterial being swung again, and he twisted away as another appeared, he had forgotten Justus was still chanting. He spun in a circle, flashing out his blade as he chanted.
"Se Dissolvant, Phasmantis Oiharau!"
...meus hostilis, ingus! Nova Contego!
As his blades passed through them, they bade away from his touch, sinking back into the depths they had come as fire condensed around him, exploding outwards with such force, Faustus had to break off form summoning more specters of the dark to dodge.
"So, you can dispel Demons, and by extension, Specters. Interesting development. Your power is nowhere near what hers is however, and thus you shall, eventually, succumb as she has."
"Go to hell, pea brain. Oh wait, I forgot, you live there!"
"Direct from sine, loop numerator if between..."
Negi rushed at him, drawing his other blade, HeartBreaker, to join his short sword as they began to glow with pent up magic, he was infusing them with the power of the spell he had just invoked, and all the while, chanting out loud, rushing the man in front of him.
"Flet Une Vente! Flans Saltatio Pulverea!"
The blast hit against blasting him back, yet Negi had to stop short, twisting about to slash through two more specters. Faustus used this time a rush at Negi's back, a few of his ghostly sentries circling him, ring guards.
He reached Negi just as the boy stomped his foot upon the ground, taking to the air upon his tattered skills of flight, flipping over in the air to call out another chant, refreshing his blades with their canceling powers as he did so.
"To Sumbolaion Diakonētō Moi, hē Krustallinē Basileia! Epigenēthētō, Taiōnion Erebos, Haiōnie Krustalle! Pasais Zōais ton Ison Thanaton, hos Ataraxia! Kosmikē Katastrophē!"
Faustus stood his ground as the spell hit, a direct hit that blasted apart the ground underneath him, sundering tar and cement, flying everywhere...and yet, the boy could not turn around fast enough. His blade slashed through one specter, but he was too slow for the other, as it grinned, a piercing blade, cold as the Alps and more, plunged into his chest.
"Gah! The hell...is this? GET OFF MY YOU DAMN B#ST#RD!"
Plunging HeartBreaker into the thing, it slipped away, like water falling down a wall. Negi landed upon his feet, hard. He looked at Faustus, who had decided it was now a good time, after getting obliterated by his End of the world spell, to regenerate in the most sickening way Negi knew, as if he were getting poured into a mold, god, and he used to like tea. Great way to ruin an English tradition.
"Holy hell, he's made of play-doh! Look at him go! Some poor kid keeps rebuilds him after I smash him up. I wonder how many times I'll have to do this before they get the point?"
The perfect face reformed fully, still detached of any powerful emotion as Negi felt that annoying cold sensation visit him again, however, he covered by, ridiculously, commenting upon Faustus's looks.
"Damn...don't you need a license to be so friggin ugly?"
Faustus gave no comment upon that, only held out his hand to Negi. A soul, he explained, has seven bonds, and one of them had just been severed. Immortals, people, demons alike, they all improved upon their body, their magic, they never once stopped to think about their one weakness, the soul.
That immortal, ever so vital, soul. That was the key to any immortality, and yet, they failed in protecting it. He only had to sever enough bonds so that Negi could no longer move, and then he'd be free to collect. The most he had seen one fight was until they had five cut. For the basic essentials, Consciousness and either Ambition or Necessity, were needed...perhaps emotion may work as well.
"Oh hell, so you're just gonna go snip snip then huh? Fine by me, have at me. As for me...en garde!"
"I suspected as much-"
Once more, he appeared behind Faustus, swinging out to bang both of his blades through the two specters that circled him and kicking out on his back. He gathered his power together, going for a blast of power as he condensed his form, his fists darkening every second.
"Το σθμβολαιον διακονετο μοι, βασιλισκ οθρανιονον. Επιγενεντηετο, απολεια κεραθνε ηοσ τιμεισ πτειρει. Ηεκατονκατισ και κηιλιακισ αστραπσατο. Κηιλιαρκοθ Αστραπε!"
Κατατρώω ίσως από το διάστημα, O κεραυνός wrap τριγύρω όπλο O πάγοs! Ριζώνω έξω my εχθρός, τσεκούρι του εκδίκηση, έκλειψη!
Faustus remembered that spell, but he never remembered it riling one's soul so...his eternal heart, his core was pumping it's power through him, coming to the surface, being laid out bare upon his body, strengthening him...he turned to see the boy's body darken, symbols swirling about his body as he struck out, two blades in one hand, a huge axe of ice and lightning in the other as bolts rained from the sky.
"No regrets, pretty boy!"
Such power, such control, all at once, his strength had increased, nearly doubled, yet still, he did not grace the power of the other...but his usage of what he had was, perhaps, far more effective. Faustus found his specters once more canceled as the boy's blades slashed right through him, lightning raining form the sky, it had been that he was trying to dodge...
Yet, from his very wound, a specter emerged, stabbing out...the boy could only conjure his cancelation spell so quickly, and definitely not this quickly. Another specter's blade sunk deep into him. Gagging the boy still swung his axe out, slashing the body in front of him right through, the milky substance Justus called blood flying everywhere, and yet, as Negi jumped away from another specter, his blade flashing out, the blood was flowing back mending the damage done.
"Damn. You're like one of those toys with a string...you know, the ones that you pull the string to assemble, but if you let the string go, they fall apart? Holy hell, I need to cut the damn string don't I? Just gotta find the damn thing."
From the mending face a voice reverberated outwards, only making Negi grit his teeth.
"Two out of seven."
"Forget you; you're just a shitbucket of a sideshow. I've no need for anything anymore, I just want to see your head under my foot, crushed like the melon it is!"
Darkness condensing about him, he rushed at Faustus, and began to punch and kick, relaying as much damage as his vampric, Magica Erebia enhanced body could dish out in a few precious seconds, his fists breaking "bone" his feet smashing apart vitals, he left a crater with the violence he caused, jumping back only to draw his blades, rushing in again, both glowing with power, not even a split second later.
"-Subset is heavy division"
Yet, even as this happened one specter jumped upon him, he had neglected to use his ears. He felt another cold stab, and he threw the beast off, smashing his opponent's constantly regenerating mouth. He own mouth began to befoul the air, as he felt his limbs grow cold...sluggish...body straining, it seemed so...
"Idiot, fool, friggin demon, piece of shit, c&n+, b#st#rd, f#ck, flipping hell, scunt, die already you blasted wank!
...His body seemed so far away, as if he were but a puppet master, pulling strings to make himself dance. He was no longer one anymore, not really...as if he were sleeping, nay, he was halfway between, alive and dead all at once.
"Function: absolute zero, mean equivalence to the fractional radicals..."
"To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon. Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune..."
Το σθμβολαιον διακονετο μοι, βασιλισκ οθρανιονον. Επιγενεντηετο, απολεια κεραθνε...
A regenerated limb, which he had ignored, stuck out, the knee blasting the boy back as the rest of the body reformed, quickly, and yet, even as Negi flew, he condensed his power.
"Hos timeis pteirei. Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato. Khiliarkhou Astrape!"
Ηοσ τιμεισ πτειρει. Ηεκατονκατισ και κηιλιακισ αστραπσατο. Κηιλιαρκοθ Αστραπε!
"Reversed X is Six."
Specters, more of them, coming for Negi's soul, even as Magica Erebia swirled around him, even as he sent both of his lightning spells arching forth. Two thousand thunder bolts as he rose his blades to do battle with the ghosts of the abyss, constantly chanting, nonstop in his head and with his mouth, as he swiped specter after specter, his opponent continuing to call them up, the boy cancelling, sending them spiraling back.
Finally, Eva unstuck herself, just as Faustus sent one of his dark friends forth, their blade sinking deep into Negi. He fell, shaking, to his knees. Four of seven. He began to laugh, insane, helplessly insane, laughter as his Magica Erebia fell, his bond with his own soul was too weak to keep it up, not without sundering it from the very body it clung to.
"Ah ha...ha...ha...oooh....he he heh heee..."
"Ahh, it seems I must have cut off the bond to your sense. Unless you normally laugh like a hyena."
"Oh ho...Very funny...you self righteous bastard...I am...I am...oh hell, it don't matter who the hell I am, I'll kill you!"
Pushing himself up, painfully as the other approached, he stood tall, all a bit shaky. Meanwhile, Eva kept the sidelines, her own power coming to her. He had done so well, lasted quite so long, but his power was nothing to this...abominations...she needed to help him...lest she lose him. As he chanted, so too, did she, calling up from memory as he insanely held out his hands, both of them shining bright.
"Triple Threat, B*+ch! Τὸ συμβόλαιον διακονῆτω μοί, ἡ κρυστάλλινη βασίλεια! Ἐπιγενηθήτω, ταἰώνιον ἔρεβος, αἱώνιε κρύσταλλε! Πάσαις ζωαῖς τὸν ἴσον θάνατον, ὃς ἀταραξία! Κοσμικὴ Καταστροφή! Το σθμβολαιον διακονετο μοι, βασιλισκ οθρανιονον. Επιγενεντηετο, απολεια κεραθνε ηοσ τιμεισ πτειρει. Ηεκατονκατισ και κηιλιακισ αστραπσατο. Κηιλιαρκοθ Αστραπε!"
Τὸ συμβόλαιον συμβόλαιο και υπηρετώ εμένα βασιλιάs του φωτιά! Έλα, τελείωμα φωτιά, πρώτος φωτιά! έναs φωτιά όλος ότι να είμαι ζωή όχι θάνατος φωτιά! Τέλοs του κόσμοs! Κατατρώω ίσως από το διάστημα, O κεραυνός wrap τριγύρω όπλο O πάγοs! Ριζώνω έξω my εχθρός, τσεκούρι του εκδίκηση, έκλειψη!
(Is it only 1:30?)
Faustus came in easily, his specter stabbing out it's blade as it impaled Negi once more, severing the last string that mattered to the boy. His ambition. Yet, all the while the words had been flying from his mouth, his precautionary measures, of gathering magic before and while chanting, made sure that the power was there, and even as he fell to his knees, there was nothing else for the power to do but to lance out, fire, ice and lightning completely obliterating all sight.
Yet, at the same time while Faustus delay with all that magical power, his opponent felt his mind slipping in and out, like the other's body as he twisted about to avoid the more powerful of the blows...only to see Eva had grabbed Negi, and was, of all, things running off with him.
Faustus had no choice but to give chase...he was not going to let her soul escape gain...and definitely not in the company of an equally interesting one...
She couldn't fly right now, goddamnit! Screw it; this was the middle of the city wasn't it? Chuck him in a damn car, god bless modern technology! Swiping someone's car was easy as hell...but...hell, as she stuffed the boy into a vehicle, she forgot one important point.
She did not know, or have a chance in hell of learning how to, drive. Crap. Ahh hell, who cares. She cursed at the fact the thing wouldn't move, until, barely able to manage the effort, Negi slapped the wheel, the area that the key was supposed to go in.
Oh, right...
Eyes scanning the area, Faustus knew they were in this street, somewhere...but by god, there were so many souls here, it was hard to tell, but...there, in that thing. A car. A completely, fatally in a way, damaged soul, and another desperate one. Yet, even as he walked up, the thing screeched, and with a lurch forwards, the tiny thing surged forth.
How nice, now he had to chase a car of all things...he was not a dog.
"NEGI, What the hell are you doing!"
Body barely responding to him, yet a soul inside that would not give up, he did not care if he could not feel his limbs, did not care if he had to will them, a million times over, to move a single inch. His hands loosely gripped a steering wheel as a phone book, courtesy of Eva, lay flat upon the gas.
Oh hell, this is not a good combination, not at all. Negi was barely able to move as it was, and with both of them gripping a steering, wheel, keeping in mind Eva had no idea what she was doing, and Negi, who had an idea but could do nothing really...
It was a racing buggy, of all the undignified cars to be stuffed together into; it just had to be a buggy. This wasn't Austin Powers for Christ's sake! Yet, if Eva glanced back...she could tell he was on their tale...how?
Well, besides the crazy taxi cab that swerved as it struggled to turn the corner they just had, there was just that sense of foreboding. Negi gripped loosely on a wheel, it seemed to be his lifeline, yet, he still managed to whisper.
"Get...that...damn...stick...push it... until it says...seven."
She did, and every time she pressed it, the car jerked before going all the faster, until she could barely see straight. Holy hell, how fast can these things go? The thing on the dashboard read 230 kph by now, but what the hell was that supposed to mean?
Eva, it means you're going fast enough to make it really, really suck if you crashed.
Past a red light, a horn blared, fading quickly into the distance, sirens blared, squealing tires, so much noise. Lights off in the distance, flashing colors, and yet still a swerve as their vehicle weaved away from a local delivery. Both vampires were on their toes, even if Negi was a bit unsteady at the moment.
He indicated Eva to peek out the window and blast that car that was tailing them to hell as soon as he got on a highway...but he didn't get that far. As soon as she let go of the wheel and chanted her spell, the wheel got the better of him, moving of its own volition straight into an apartment complexes wall.
The taxi shot past before getting iced, but their car was already totaled...poor taxi kept on going, until it blasted into a deli and set the whole place ablaze, for it had hit a gas truck first...but vampires are tough things. Eva crawled out of the hell hole she had just gotten in, and grabbed a beaten and bruised Negi...no doubt that dude would be reforming his ass any second, so before anything blew up, she high tailed it outta there...
(Time out: 2:18. Phew. Okay, to summarize, here we go.)
Word Count: 3000-5000+ Asked. / By my count at least, 3505....Microsoft Word on this computer claims 3591.
Time taken (Written): Three hours given. / 2 hours, 48 minutes taken.
Victory condition: Escape given. / Escape.
Planning: Unlimited given. / Far to long taken.
Time out offcial summary: 2:25.
Good sir, I did put a rule up on limiting up to four shots per challenge did I not? I even claimed I would not take that many unless somone really told me what they wanted...if you give me a more solid foundation of what you want, and perhaps shave off black and white, I might do it for you, bending the rules a bit. Yet, I have to know what you want for me to know I am giving you it.