Before we start today, I want to shout out the guest reviewer who asked me "when is this shit going to end?" An excellent question!
When it's ready.
I'm not artificially extending the story here. It's done when it's done. It's long as sin, I acknowledge that, but I'm not extending to make money or something. I haven't made a dime for the work I've put in here. It's done when it's done and not a second sooner.
Besides, this story is excellent practice for when I want to publish REAL work, so I'll keep working.
Anyway, enjoy!
Katsuchi circled the demon with Tetsu, not moving his eyes from him once. He also had to work hard to not slip and fall on the ice, which was a battle in and of itself.
"You've both grown since Devil Advocate," he said, "I can tell."
"Thanks Dad," Tetsu said sarcastically, "I've always wanted your approval." Vantros snorted.
"Always quipping, eh Tetsu?" He asked, "I remember that as well."
"Haven't you been watching from Damien?" Katsuchi asked, "he absorbed you, didn't he?"
"He did," Vantros replied. "But I don't care for the boy as much as Xisplate does. I've shown myself to him before, but he's never called on me since Silverridge. I'm rather indifferent to human affairs."
"That so?" Katsuchi asked, "that why you let Kronos and Hades experiment on your powers?"
"I did," Vantros said. "I was curious to see what came of it, which was you two and your friend Azzie. Where is she, by the way? Was she not invited? No of course not, because her magic isn't particularly useful against Demon Lords. Whereas you two are."
He sighed and crossed his arms.
"I know asking will do nothing, but I really must insist. Just turn her over and we can avoid bloodshed.
"No, we can't," Tetsu said. Vantros watched warily before he sighed.
"Fine," he replied. "Have it your way."
A wave of power exploded off of Vantros, and Katsuchi lost feeling in his entire body. It was unlike anything he'd experienced before. Ever nerve, every inch of skin had lost feeling. He felt like his body had disappeared, and his mind was simply floating in a field of fog.
"Wha ha ya dun?" He managed to spit out, unable to speak because he could not feel his mouth.
"I'm not the Demon Lord of Ice," Vantros said, "I just control the element of ice. My real title is Vantros the Unfeeling. I have a real fascination with what happens to the human body when you numb every nerve in their bodies. You become quite interesting creatures."
Katsuchi couldn't move. He couldn't identify if he even had a body anymore. But he did have his magic. Using only his mind, he forced black fie to explode outwards from him, engulfing everything nearby. The Magic destroyed the spell on his nerves, allowing the feeling to come back.
Feeling rushed back to every part of his body, and he collapsed to his knees in surprise. That was not something he had been expecting. As he sat there struggling, he became acutely aware of everything. His blood rushing through his veins, his skin itching from the flames he'd unleashed.
"Tetsu?!" he called, "are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," his friend grunted from somewhere beside him. "Just a lot warmer."
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Vantros asked. "I often wonder what murderers and rapists feel when they commit their acts of violence. I find most times they feel nothing. Sometimes it's for pleasure, but often times, it's just nothing. No response from their brain. I wonder why Anhkseram made that possible."
"I find it more likely that came from Zomrus," Tetsu spat.
"Perhaps," Vantros admitted. "I must admit, when I found Taisho to be walking that path, I was curious how he would develop. It really is a spectacle, watching a human not grow empathy."
"Do you even care about the humans you judge, you psycho?" Katsuchi demanded.
"Of course," Vantros replied as he gestured widely with his arms. "I punish who needs to be punished, of course. But I must admit, I do find myself loving those psychos."
"I can't even imagine someone like you understanding why we're doing this," Katsuchi replied as he stood and prepared himself. "How could you understand?"
"Because I was made too," Vantros replied. "Don't play stupid, Kat. I know what love is, and I know why you and yours fight. But the facts remain: If Nashi Dragneel is not put to sleep, Zomrus will awaken, and I will cease to exist along with the freedom of the human race. I cannot allow that."
"Then I guess we have no other recourse," Tetsu said.
"No we do not," Vantros agreed.
A Split second of silence was followed by an explosion of action. Tetsu coated himself in dark iron, while Katsuchi's body licked with flames. They flew at Vantros, who blocked their attacks with one hand each. Ice erupted by his hands and tried to run them through, but it was blocked by their respective armours. Ultear had told them that this might be a good idea, so they'd prepared spells for this. Rearing his hand back, Katsuchi readied a spell.
"Fire God's Judgement Blast!"
"Iron God's Execution Blade!"
Together he and Tetsu slammed their attacks into Vantros, who again blocked them. This time, though, Katsuchi smiled as he watched the icy around the man melt somewhat.
"Troublesome magic," Vantros noted, "come, let us decide the fate of this world!"
"Gladly!" Moving in tandem, the two of them advanced. When Katsuchi kicked Tetsu punched. When Tetsu needed to charge up, Katsuchi took the front. The two didn't need to speak in order to do this, they simply knew each other so well that they could do in immediately. Vantros didn't seem particularly worried by this, as his expression had remained stoic, unimpressed.
Kicking away from them, dark blue wings sprung from his back and he took flight into the air. Katsuchi chased after him, fire erupting from his feet. Vantros turned and fired icicle spears at him, all of which he avoided or burnt to steam. Raising his hand, he sent fireballs after the demon, but all were avoided as well/
Until an iron spear struck him in the shoulder as he veered. Katsuchi didn't need to look to know Tetsu was firing spears at them from the ground. As Vantros faltered, Katsuchi got in close and grabbed a hold of the spear, driving it deeper into the demons shoulder, making him hiss in pain.
"Get off of me!" He roared, planting a hand on his chest, an explosive force driving him backwards. He realised as his back connected with the ground it had been Vantros' sheer physical power. Scrambling back to his feet, he dodged another explosive hit, but was grabbed by his foot and tossed into Tetsu, who caught him and slid back.
"Iron God Defences!" An iron wall sprung up from the ground in front of them, just in time to block the incoming hit. It resounded off of the metal, and cracks formed from the center outwards.
"That's not a good look," Tetsu noted.
"It's not," Katsuchi agreed. Standing back up, the two rounded the wall before it cracked and attacked from different sides again, this time Vantros dodging and punching Tetsu in the stomach. The attack was blocked by his armour, but the resounding crack still didn't sound good.
"Fire God's Death Sycthe!" Forming the weapon in his hands, Katsuchi swung it with all his might.
"Subzero Barrier."
As his scythe passed through an area of space close to Vantros' chest, it fizzled out of existence, making his eyes widen.
"There was certain temperatures even fire cannot withstand," Vantros informed him before slamming his elbow into his face, knocking him back. Katsuchi recovered and inhaled deeply, aiming quickly.
"Fire God's Bellow!"
"Instant Freeze."
As the breathe attack flew towards Vantros, it was stopped in it's tracks and began to freeze. Katsuchi watched in shock as his black flames froze, the ice crackling with strain. Before Vantros could continue, Tetsu appeared behind him and tried to club him in the head, but it was dodged and Vantros grabbed Tetsu's club.
"Shatter Impact," With the simple clutch of his hand into a fist, Vantros froze and shattered the iron around Tetsu's hand, leaving him exposed. Vantros grabbed his hand and refused to let him go.
"Get off of him!" Katsuchi roared, flying to help before a pillar of ice erupted from the floor and caused him to crash into it.
"Tell me," he said, "do you know what low enough temperatures do to a human body? Do you freeze? Do you get frostbite? No, it's worse than that. Low enough temperatures can cause instant cell death. Ice so cold that the cells of your body are simply unable to continue. This is your last chance, Tetsu Yamanaka. Give up."
"No!"
"As you wish!" Katsuchi recovered just in time to see ice spreading across Tetsu's hand and down his forearm, his eyes widened.
"Tetsu!" He shouted, reaching out to help his friend.
He didn't reach them before Vantros once again closed his fist, shattering Tetsu's hand and upper forearm into icy dust.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Is that the best this family can offer?!" Nashi flipped away after her breath attack and did a back flip away from Drakhosz's next attack, feeling the unnatural heat from it as it came close to her face. "How wonderful of you to come right to me! I can reclaim your soul myself after I deal with Daddy!"
"You won't touch her! Not while I'm here!"
"Than I guess you die first! So sad!" Nashi watched as her father exploded on collision with Drakhosz, a wave of heat hitting her in the face. She could hear them grappling in the smoke, so she circled around it and waited for her vision to clear.
She and her father had been taken into Drakhosz' domain when the portal to the Circles opened, and he'd immediately attacked them. Any hesitation or attempt to stop him the Other Demon Lords had seemed gone. He was out for blood. Hers specifically. As she watched the fight, her yes drifted to the eerie setting.
Drakhosz's Circle was a hellscape unlike any other. It's ground was dark brimstone, and it had red spikes tearing through the ground everywhere, She could hear screams, but she had done her best so far to ignore them. Her attention was drawn back to the fighting by a laugh, watching Drakhosz tighten his whip around her father's lit up red, and she watched her father writhe in agony.
"Dad!" She shouted, attempting to rush to help him, but was stopped by Drakhosz using his other hand to throw balls of darkness at her.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Drakhosz asked her Dad as he reached weakly for the whip to rip it off. "I'm setting every nerve on your body on fire right now! Do you like it?! I found a way to make the Fire Dragon Slayer burn up! Hahahaha!" Drakhosz delivered a kick to her Father's stomach to drive him back before reeling the whip over his head and slammed him down into the ground. Nashi used her chance to get in close, bringing fire to her hands.
"Fire Dragon Barrage!" She delivered punch after punch in quick succession, driving them all over the demon's body. He simply took the punches and barely moved from the impact, grinning down at her.
"Is that the best you can do?" He asked, "Pathetic!" He grabbed her hand as she tried to jump away, but she was quickly freed when her Father tackled the demon out of the way and sent him flying.
"Are you okay?" She asked him in concern.
"Focus on the battle," he replied stoically. He was all business, and as such she had too as well. Still, she was worried about him. From what she remembered Neptu and Zynna saying, Drakhosz was able to make people feel pain. It was what he'd just done to her father, and it was clear to see. He looked clammy and shaken, which she never saw. Clearly the demon was having an effect.
"Where is the power that can defeat me?!" Drakhosz demanded as he stomped towards them, his red wings flapped to create a gust. "I thought you two came here to beat me!" The grin on his face caused the countless scars on his face to twist in a disgusting matter.
"Figured we'd give you a chance," she replied.
"A foolish decision!" He whipped the whip in his hand, And fire flew out in arcs at them. Both of them already knew to avoid it.
When the fight had first started, both of them had tried to eat it, and that had been a mistake. The fire burned at their throats and made them cough, making them stumble and nearly die. It was one of the only times in her life fire had hurt her, and she didn't like it at all.
"What's the matter, Dragneel's?!" Drakhosz asked as the whips flew around like a protective sphere, "I thought you liked fire!"
"He likes to talk," her Father muttered from beside her.
"We need a way to beat him," she said, "what's going on with your power?"
"I haven't used it in a while, okay?" He replied weakly. "Give me a second."
"He fears that power!" Drakhosz said as he advanced on them. "He worries he won't be able to control it, but it's uses outweigh that fear, doesn't it Natsu? The pain he would feel if he hurt you would be unbelievable! But that's nothing compared to you, Nashi."
Nashi made a face at him.
"I remember what you felt when we met last time. You're so worried you're not who they think you are, aren't you? Your identity crisis is eating you alive, isn't it?!" Nashi grimaced and balled her fists.
"It doesn't matter who I feel I am," she replied, "they love me anyway."
"But that doesn't stop the hurt, does it?" Drakhosz said with a malicious smirk. "It doesn't stop you from feeling you've let everyone down by not being who they want, does it? Even now I can sense it. This is eating you alive."
"That's not important."
"Oh but it is! It's important to me, because it's hurting you! I love the feeling in your chest right now. The sense that something in wrong. Like your heart is pounding against your bones in an attempt to escape your chest. It pains you so, and it drives me forward! Your weakness is my strength!"
He lashed at them with his whips, and Nashi was forced to dance away from her Father in order to avoid them. Hiding behind one of the spikes coming from the floor, she grit her teeth and looked inward. They needed to end this.
END, are you there? I need you to come out so we can seal him.
She waited quietly, but her stomach turned more and more as she got no response.
END? Hello? I need you right now.
Again, there was no response. This was bad. She had never really tried to talk to her alternate persona before, was there some kind of rule to it?
No, she knew there wasn't. She has Nashi's memories from before the death, and she had never had to do a ritual or call or something. Why wasn't END replying? This was bad. Very bad. If END wouldn't come out, then she was going to have a very hard time fighting Drakhosz.
"How're you doing over here?" Her Father asked, appearing next to her.
"END won't come out," she replied weakly.
"What?" He demanded, "why?"
"I don't know." Her father looked alarmed by this, but eventually he took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay," he said, "Then let me do this."
"Alone?" She asked, "I should help you." Her Dad's soft laugh somehow overpowered Drakhosz's dramatic laughter.
"Nashi," he said, "I love you to death, but I do not need your help. Let your old man deal with this for you."
"what if something happens?" She asked worriedly. She couldn't let him get hurt if something happened, and she didn't know if she herself had the strength to fight him.
"Then you can back me up," he replied as if it really were that simple. She had no response to this, so she could do nothing but watch as he stepped out from their cover and batted away the whip, ignoring the pain it no doubt send down through his system.
"Oh? Where is the disappointment?" Drakhosz asked.
"You'll have to get through me first," her Father replied. He clenched his fists, and Nashi was nearly thrown off her feet by the magic rolling off of him. Fiery horns grew from his head, and claws formed around his hands.
She'd never, in her entire life, felt power like this. Even her own power paled in comparison. Drakhosz laughed.
"Then come, Natsu! Kill me and reawaken the God of Death if that's what you want!"
"All I want is to protect my daughter!" He shouted back as the intensity of his magic began to amplify. "I don't how many demons or Gods I have to tear through to get her a normal life! I'll do it! I owe her that!"
Her Father exploded from where he was, rocketing towards Drakhosz at the speed of sound.
When his fist connected with the demon's face, it created a shockwave that caused the surroundings of the Circle to collapse on on itself.
Chapters may be a bit slower for a bit because I've grown to dislike my writing style for fights, but I'll get them done! I promise! And this shit will end one day, guest, you have my word.
I hope you all enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!