As Odalia went to subdue him, the group made it to the Owl House with no breath left. Tired of running.
"I…have never…ran that much before!" Gus said, binding his chest as he breathes heavily.
"Guess I found a perk of being a jacket." Luz said.
"Really? Then I should've made you my pants instead!" Boscha said to her, looking down at Luz.
"Please, that's not a punishment." Luz said, making Boscha flustered.
"Can we focus on something else?" Willow asked them.
"I agree." Hooty said, making everyone jump at him.
It was SO easy to forget about him, it's almost scary! Boscha threw a punch at him.
"Ow!" Hooty shouted as his peak was bent a bit!
"Hooty, do NOT sneak up on us like that! Do you remember what happened last time you tried that on Grom?!" Amity shouted at him, "Is Eda here?"
"Ow! Yes! Hoot! You broke my beak for that?! Yeesh!" Hooty said as he stretched back into the door.
Soon Eda came out.
"Hey, kids, where's Luz?"
"Right here." Boscha said, pointing to her jacket.
"Hi, Eda." Luz said.
"You liked being turned into stuff too much, kid." Eda said as she shook her head. "But it's good to see you, kid. I kinda miss having you here."
"Boscha, hug her for me." Luz said.
"Oh so now you don't want me to turn you back?" Boscha said before walking up to Eda and hugging her for Luz.
"Hey, I'm being punished, aren't I?" Luz asked.
"Hehehehe, I wonder why?" Eda asked with a chuckle, pulling away from Boscha. "So, aside from the visit, what's up with you kids looking roughed up?"
"My former mother." Amity said.
"Great, what did she do this time?" Eda asked.
"Joined Belos, replaced Lilith as his right hand woman, and became known as the "Eclipse Enforcer." She almost killed us on the way here if someone didn't save us." Willow said.
"Damn it kids, you can't go five minutes without someone trying to kill you, huh?" Eda asked..
"Hey, the perk of being Luz's friend, it's never boring." Willow said.
"Yeah, no question there." Gus said with a nod before looking back to where they came from. "Though, I'm a little worried about the guy who helped us. We still don't know who he is and if he's alright."
"I'm sure he's fine."
'Hopefully.' Luz thought, knowing who the stranger was and how much trouble he'd be in if he was found out.
At the castle, Belos was alone with the hooded figure in the throne room.
"Well, Hunter, this is an unexpected surprise."
"Yeah, for you and me." Hunter said, tied up in a magic net while Flapjack was in a cage by him. "But I think we both knew this would happen, right?"
"I'm more concerned on why. Why did you betray the coven and help our enemies?" Belos asked him.
"I know the truth." Hunter said, "You're trying to kill everyone."
"Kill everyone? Whatever do you mean, Hunter?" Belos asked, playing the fool.
"I know what the Day of Unity really is. Unlike you, I can actually speak with the Titan, Belos? Or would you prefer your real name, Philip Wittebane?" Hunter said with a glare, making Belos clench his arm rest and crack it.
"I knew it was a mistake to let you live." Belos said.
"Is that what you said to your brother, Caleb? Or do you not regret killing him just for finding love here?!" Hunter asked, outraged by the truth!
The voice told him everything from 300 years ago, his Caleb revoked the ways of the witch hunter and saw the beauty of the demon realm! Even finding love and starting a family!
"He turned his back on everything we stood for. And for what? A woman?" Belos asked, standing up.
"I'm not surprised a heartless bastard like you doesn't understand what love is." Hunter said.
"And you do?" Belos asked as he walked up to Hunter, gazing down at him. "What could you, a Grimwalker, POSSIBLY love?"
"The best friend I could've asked for. One I wish I meet years ago." Hunter said, gazing towards Flapjack, "I'm going to end this. One way or the other."
Hunter easily broke out of the net and he pointed his artificial staff out at Belos.
"Hehehehehe. Do you really think you can win?" Belos asked as he gazed at the artificial magic staff. "I'm the one who gave you that staff, do you think you can beat me with it?"
"With some back up, yeah!" Hunter shouted before blasting Flapjack's cage, freeing him and calling him to his other hand. "Let's see if you can handle a which with two staffs."
"You wish to play?" Belos asked, "Fine."
Belos summoned his staff and got ready to fight, feeling this was just like it was 350 years ago with Caleb….AGAIN!
'Why must it always end this way, brother? Why must you always betray me?' Belos thought, seeing his brother's image appearing over Hunter.
There was more to it as Belos could see the woman that swayed him, Evelyn, standing behind him.
'You betrayed me first!' Caleb shouted at him, protecting his wife.
Belos shook the image out of his head and charged. Hunter charged as well and clashed with Belos, glaring at him. Hunter backed away, before spinning his staffs and firing the two beams of magic at Belos. The emperor raised a shield to block the beams, slightly pushed back before he absorbed the artificial magic and slammed it into the ground! A wave of energy burst from him and Hunter teleported into the air to dodge it! Hunter slammed his staffs down and made Belos stumble back from the sudden strike.
'At least my physical training pads are off!' Hunter thought as he continued attacking, making Belos stumble and block them. 'You can't beat me in physical prowess!'
"You're getting slow, Old Man." Hunter said.
"And you're mouthy!" Belos shouted with a large swing, making Hunter block and sent skidding back! "You need to remember your place!
"I know my place, and it's not by your side!" Hunter said.
"Then your place will be in the ground!" Belos shouted as he created dozens of fleshy hands from the ground.
Hunter spun his staffs and created a powerful blast of red and yellow magic. The hands moved to block the blast as best as they could as Belos created a stone shield in front of himself. Belos held a hand out and a red glow came from it. He fired Magic at Hunter and Hunter threw his palisman staff in the air, let it circle back around, catch him, then flew at Belos with his mechanical staff in hand.
"RAAAAH!" Hunter shouted, creating several spears of rock and firing them at Belos!
Belos held his staff up and blocked them.
Behind Belos, Flapjack slammed into his back!
"Aah!" Belos let out in pain as Hunter smacked him in the face, cracking his mask.
"I want you to know… I take a lot of pleasure in this." Hunter said.
"Grrr!" Belos shouted as he swung back, knocking his "nephew" back! "You ungrateful brat!"
"Yeah, I'm ungrateful. Poor me, valuing life."
"You served a great purpose yet you let you sentimental feelings get in the way!" Belos shouted as he charged, swinging wildly at his "nephew."
"A greater purpose, you mean the moment when you succeed and then kill me?" Hunter asked.
"That our mission was complete and you stand beside me! Like you always should've!" Belos shouted, getting another flash of his brother Caleb in Hunter's place!
"And then you'd cast me aside like all the others before me!" Hunter said.
"No gave me no choice!" Belos shouted, continuing his wild swings as Hunter blocked them, forcing him back. "It was just the two of us, always! We looked out for each other, we protected each other, and then you abandoned me!"
'I abandoned him? He must be thinking about Caleb!' Hunter thought!
"Then you must be delusional." Hunter said, "I've seen what you did, he tried to make you understand, he tried to show you a different way! He tried every possible way to show you the truth and you killed him!"
"He was seduce by the hussy witch!" Belos shouted as his arm began to twitch. "She twisted his mind with her vile magic!"
"He found love! Some one who truly cared for him!" Hunter said.
"I DID CARE ABOUT HIM!" Belos shouted as he slammed his staff down, clashing with Hunter again and forcing him to his knee.
"You know what's sad? You actually believe that." Hunter said.
"RAAAAAH!" Belos screamed as his body changed, becoming a green monster with large horns, a bony body, and giant eyes all over his body!
Hunter held his palisman staff out and teleported, Dodging Belos trying to crush him.
"Looks like you've finally embraced the monster you really are!" Hunter shouted!
"Shut up!"
"Make me!" Hunter shouted as he fired more magic blasts at Belos!
"RAAAAH!" Belos screamed, ranking all of them as he charged at Hunter!
Hunter Teleported out of the way and used his other staff to fire at Belos. Something about this form seemed to be almost impervious to the magic, just taking hits and reforming itself like an abomination!
"I always knew you were a monster." Hunter said.
"This realm is full of monsters!" Belos shouted!
"No, it's full of people. People that haven't done anything to you."
Belos roared as she threw away his staff, transforming his arms into scythes and slashing at Hunter as he continued to dodge and block.
"People with hopes, dreams, and families! You have no right to take all of that away from them!" Hunter shouted at him.
"They don't deserve to live!"
"And you do?!" Hunter shouted as he charged and slammed his artificial staff on Belos, making him recoil!
"RAAH!" Belos screamed as he grabbed the staff and punched Hunter in the chest, knocking him back and the air out of him!
Hunter began to pick himself up. But Belos didn't let him recover and charged like an animal, slamming him away as he dropped both staffs! Hunter struggled to breath from his now broken ribs. Belos stood over him and glared down at Hunter, still in his beastly form as he huffed and puffed!
"You think learning about my plan will change anything? This changes NOTHING! But it seems I will have to find a replacement for you AGAIN." Belos said before looking to Flapjack. "First however, I'm going to get rid of a lifelong pest."
Hunter's eyes widened.
"Leave him alone!" Hunter shouted.
He ran and tackled Belos. Belos growled from this as he struggled to remove Hunter from him!
"Flapjack, run!" Hunter shouted!
The bird chirped, refusing to listen.
"Flapjack, just go or he'll consume you!" Hunter shouted as Belos punched him. "PLEASE!"
The bird eventually listened and flew out the window... he knew what would happen.
Hunter smiled as his friend flew away as Belos threw him off, slamming into a wall.
"Ggrrr! Fine! The palisman lives, it doesn't matter. It and everyone will be destroyed soon enough." Belos said as her stalked to Hunter, who was on the ground. "At least now, my rage can be resevered for you and you alone."
Belos charged at him. Hunter kept his smile as Belos mercilessly beat him, seemingly not effected by the horrible strikes.
'Why is he smiling?! Why does he look like he's won?!' Belos thought in anger, throwing punch after punch at his FORMER trusted guard.
'Heheheheheh. Isn't it obvious?' The voice said to him with a chuckle, making Belos freeze for a bit. 'You've lost. Just the first lose of many, scum.'
This made Belos confused and angry before hearing laughter, looking back to Hunter to see him LAUGHING at him.
"Ahahahahaha." Hunter laughed, still smiling even when he's bloody and in pain.
"GRRRR! WIPE THAT GRIN OF YOUR FACE!" Belos screamed in pure rage!
"No, because even if you kill me... you've sent everything into motion." Hunter said, "It's too late for you know."
This caused his rage to reach the boiling point; shifting his arms together and forming a large hammer that Belos held over his head!
"DIE!" Belos shouted!
Belos slammed his hands down, creating a small crater and cracks in the floor. He stood up and looked at the mess he made. Hunter's body was mangled beyond belief, his limbs smushed, and his blood pooling in the crater. YET he still had a smile on his face with a look of peace!
"Shame, you really were the strongest one." Belos said, walking away from the corpse.
Belos shifted his body back to normal, robes and mask and all, before reclaiming his staff and picking up the other artificial magic staff. He walked out of the throne room and up to a guard.
"Call in the Eclipse Enforcer."
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