Chapter 59: Rise and Fall
SHI*
SHI*
SHI*
SHI*
SHI*
Robes fluttered and energy flared. Celestial chirping sang in the maddening underworld as a cloaked warrior bathed themselves in a hypnotic otherworldly glow. Their poise was not demonic, nor was it heavenly: it was a guise that surpassed such meaningless divisions. Scorching plasma radiated from the being's eyes now, invigorating their previously crimson sheen and casting twin sentry lights into the stygian plaza. They stood in a tensed state, not daring to move from their position as if entranced by their own power.
Two spectators stared at the momentous achievement, casting hunched shadows onto the walls behind them. Their bodies were motionless, as if dreading the consequences of transgressing against the awakened being they were now confined with.
Dix glared at his mystifying opponent with barely restrained hatred, readjusting a slacked jaw into a tensed snarl. Muscle fibres constricted and tensed along his neck, straining to conceal a jealous rage out of intense trepidation.
Gulp* His partner Gran was far less cautious, gulping and inhaling deeply as premature relief flooded his body. "A-alright… I-I don't know what that was all about, but it worked, right Dix? That custom curse you used must have changed the appearance…. He's trapped in an illusion…" A triumphant grin sprouted on Gran's mien as he rose a twisted fist into the air. "Let me make it up to you for letting this guy in, boss!"
Dix's eyes bulged and he hissed out a gravelly whisper. " Wai-!? Hm…. Although" Cold calculation instantly replaced any form of restraint as Dix glanced between his foolish minion and the blazing unknown in front of them. "…Go."
Gran chuckled in delight and pumped his raised fist, tensing in preparation. "Right! TIME TO BREAK IN THIS NEW PUNCHING BAG!" Trunk-like legs boomed as the surprisingly powerful adventurer propelled himself into a sprint, one that a middling level four would be proud of. The bulky man's raised fist was pulled back during this mad dash, before it was sent crashing into the robed intruder's abdomen.
"HAA!" Gran grinned and cheered as he rained pummels onto his seemingly defenceless adversary. "DAH! HRA! RAA!" Leather gloves blurred as they landed jabs, crosses, and hooks onto an unmoving target, who remained steadfast in their unusual pose. Startlingly, the human obstacle remained fixed in in this lofty position as if buffeted by a mild breeze; robes fluttered and shifted under the rapid assault, yet the body within barely twitched at the attack's meagre ferocity.
"H-Huh …?" A heavy weight settled into the pit of Gran's stomach. Writhing horror slunk down the man's twisted spine and the fine hairs on his neck stood on end. It quickly dawned upon him that his volley of attacks was completely ineffective. The minion rose a hesitant head and was faced with a monstrosity beyond human comprehension. "H-Holy…"
Gran's black irises burned into a hollow grey as infernal lamps beamed into them, and muscled, tanned skin drained into hopeless pallor. The underling's shoulders drooped, and his extended arm veered off course, hanging limp and directionless.
Blacker than black glared down at Gran now as the robed intruder inclined their head with agonizing slowness. The menacing figure stood tall amongst an ever-flowing sea of unfathomable onyx-black currents and vermillion waves: an energy that was oddly soothing to Gran's touch, as if providing the man with a final gentle caress.
The statuesque intruder awoke from their catatonic state and quickly drew a bulky arm back, casting an imposing shadow over the shivering ant below. "GRAAA!!!" With a mighty roar, the titan plunged its fist down and sent the ruinous attack hurtling towards the undeserving insect who dared to challenge it, sending them careening through the air like refuse.
*BOOOM*
Splintered Orichalcum webbing screamed as Gran's body cratered against it, acting as the final aftershock of this serendipitous ascension. Fetid blood marred the mythical metal as Gran's entire lower jaw fell to one side, beset by tens of crimson-stained bone fragments and teeth. The previously jubilant adventurer now lay twitching and writhing under indescribable agony and shame, which ebbed from him as a stream of tears and urine. A trembling grey eye swivelled and rolled to one side upon the mangled man's fractured mien, begging their nearby master for salvation.
To the side, Dix's red eyes bulged as they met Gran's pleading gaze, yet no empathy or concern flashed across their hardened surface. Dix was far more concerned about his persistent foe. Somehow, the previously innocuous Night Stalker had risen to towering heights. Now, the enemy seemingly had the power to eliminate a low level four in a single strike. Dix gulped in terror and cast his companion's urgency out of his mind, focusing only on the menacing figure several metres in front of him.
Ahead, Hit stood proud and held his pristine and bloodied fists against his sides. Crimson eye beacons blazed straight ahead, completely ignoring the insect that was discarded moments ago. 'How nostalgic…And yet completely new. This raw energy feels so familiar, yet also chaotically melded together. It must be the life force borne from Daedalus' entire lineage.' Black robes strained as Hit tensed his newly empowered body, feeling the coursing torrent of scorching plasma surrounding him. ' I once believed that increasing one's power with energy alone was mostly a gimmick, a tremendously hypocritical viewpoint, but I now see how intoxicating it can be.' Hit smirked under his phantom veil, revelling in this newest accomplishment.
The daredevil's do or die stratagem had been a near complete success. Following a swift decryption of Phobetor Daedalus' crimson barrier energy, Hit knew exactly how to bypass it. Furthermore, the deeper understanding of its mechanism provided the genius with essential knowledge regarding the curse's function. Not only did the inescapable crimson barrier encapsulate its dark energetic load, but it also enacted the curse's effect: transmitting and focalising the raw, condensed madness into any sentient creature it struck, during the second phase. Streamlined magic energy would flow around its inner core at an increasing rpm, providing a stable state for the following phase, during which a subpopulation of energy lines would converge inwardly and act as radiating conduits.
It was as if Phobetor Daedalus was a bacteriophage virus, where the crimson exterior acted as its capsid protein shell and black core encoded the genetic material. As a modifier, the red 'shell' also injected its payload into the unfortunate host, whose brain would process and integrate the madness into itself.
The moment that the cursed blast struck and enrobed Hit, akin to a white blood cell during phagocytosis, he instantly set about removing the troublesome barrier layer that was now encircling him. As the scorching orb rotated around Hit, he became an inner core to a crimson 'cosmic body'. This human core was followed by an inner ring of barrier magic, which prevented the dense maelstrom of cursed energy from overwhelming its victim prematurely. Finally, another outer ring of red barrier magic ensured that the middle layer of cursed energy remained as a servant during this process. The screaming inky waves of power therefore had no chance of escape, other than the inner victim's mind.
Hit's immediate goal here was to gain access to this fountain of unrefined cursed energy prior to it receiving its orders of operation. Thankfully, this was as simple as applying a couple measures of disruptive brute force and energy manipulation, thereby removing the barrier magic directly where it interfaced with Hit's body. Subsequently, it was up to Hit's mental might to control the unruly power within that he now had no protection against. At first, the dark force had attempted to escape in protruded ejections, taking advantage of the compromised sphere; however, its new master enforced and strengthened the barrier magic on the orb's outer edges, confining the unrestrained madness in yet another prison.
Expectedly, the combined insanity of countless individuals resisted with a howling wail and converged inwardly. A sea of spirits and phantoms screamed, sobbed, and mourned as they sundered into Hit, gaining unrestricted access to the man's body and mind. Unfortunately for these consciousness vestiges, this action was their undoing. As they plunged into Hit's unguarded body, they became intrinsically linked to a being capable of manipulating and focusing energy on an unfathomably grander scale. Upon this transcendent being's order, nay decree, to kneel and acquiesce, the spirits had halted in their resistance, now acting as a relatively tranquil pool of raw energy. Still, the energy possessed intrinsic properties that Hit was completely unaware of, something that intrigued him greatly, despite the perils that still lay in wait.
Back to the present, Hit's broad chest expanded and deflated as calm, soothing breaths were inhaled and exhaled with extreme gratitude. 'Heh... What was I thinking? Why did I opt for the riskiest route?' Muffled laughter fled from Hit as he reflected on the dire consequences, should he have failed to control this relatively meagre pool of energy, at least to a previously universe-shaking being. 'If I failed to overpower these phantom presences, my own soul would have been torn out and absorbed into the overarching miasma of madness… What follows would have been the worst fate imaginable…' Seconds would become years within this storm of madness, where Hit's soul would slowly crumble apart into specks of consciousness, followed by absolute destruction as the cursed energy fled from existence. This state of being would be the antithesis to Hit's initial traversal to this world, where he had the honour of experiencing an infinite period in awe at the universe's majesty.
In fact, it would have been far safer for Hit to have strengthened the inner barrier of crimson energy and instead weaken the outer barrier, thereby allowing the volatile curse energy to escape its prison. Unfortunately, this action would not change the status quo in the slightest. An equally weak Hit would remain entrapped with two far superior foes: any deviation from Hit's current suicidal act would have cemented his death.
Hit's uncanny chuckling dissipated as a worrisome prospect wormed its way back into his head. ' No, I cannot be undone by hubris. I'm still on thin ice here…' Crimson daggers billowed and undulated along Hit's aura periphery, gradually falling closer to his body as the seconds ticked by. ' This cursed energy is not ki: it is not stable and will gradually decay in regular half-lives, eventually disappearing entirely. Tch… A bulk of it has already left me.' Initially, Hit was enraptured by this novel state of existence: a form of energy that was a sentient being comprised of ephemeral slivers of sentience with their own desires and aspirations. Mercifully, this sentient energy was virtually incompressible and resisted any external forces of its own volition, at least when flowing in its desired manner, making Gran's attacks meaningless. However, due to Hit's momentary obliviousness, a noticeable fraction of this energy had already decayed and expired in mere seconds, reducing potential level 6 raw Strength to 5 during Gran's pummelling.
Hit's body was human: a human modified by the falna that should have no ability to wield Ki in the fashion that he envisioned. Instead, cursed energy was forced to accommodate with the falna that was already intrinsic to Hit's being, slotting into its current position. As with most forms of energy, the cursed aura followed through the path of least resistance. In Hit's case, this was his most prized basic ability: Strength, leading to only this ability being boosted. Unfortunately, this highly dense layer of unstable empowerment only served to hasten the rate of decay. In less than a minute, Hit would be depleted of energy. Worse still, the exuberant force preoccupied Hit's mind in its entirety, preventing him from focusing on magic or Time Skip.
"Tch." Hit tensed and gritted his teeth, hurrying to distribute the cursed energy into the most appropriate formation for the current situation, quite a mentally taxing task. ' Huff… There… Thank Zeno levels are exponential boosts. Damn it… My mind's already foggy from resisting the energy's desired flow. This counter flow will also disrupt the force's inherent incompressibility and leave me vulnerable. To make matters worse, I cannot juggle this aura and my Time Skip, so halving my remaining pool between agility and strength should match Dix's power. Any greater deviation from my base stats will be too unstable and dissipate during combat. As the energy decays I will have to shuttle energy into either strength or speed, depending on how the battle progresses. Hm… I will also need a new stance to offset the temporary loss of Time Skip and imbalanced surge in power.'
A phantom pain blossomed on Hit's cheek as he recalled his battle against a significantly magnified Son Goku during the momentous tournament of destroyers. Blinding crimson and divine blue auras scintillated as the impossibly speedy Saiyan blazed past even the concept of time itself. Countless roundhouse kicks; uppercuts; elbow strikes; and haymakers flowed out of the impossible man's body like a raging torrent, making him seem like a perpetually screaming meteor.
'Very well. My increased speed and strength should fit his style utilised during that 'kaioken' technique nicely. Well then, Goku. Let's see how your style of combat feels.'
Hit's cloak billowed as he hopped from one foot to the other whilst flexing both arms and shoulders in rotational twists. Muscles and bones creaked as the unusual warm-up invigorated Hit's honed body in preparation for an entirely unfamiliar stance. Breathing hastened; heart raced; glowing eyes dilated. "HRA!" Hit kicked upwards and dropped into a crouch stance: one leg bent, extending directly in front him, whilst the other was held back at an angle. His broad torso twisted into position and relaxed arms blitzed into a Shaolin Kame fighting stance. The appendages were bent and serpentine, finalised by slightly parted index and middle fingers, giving the final pose an animalistic appearance. Hit huffed, good naturedly, appreciating the classical martial arts stance and the lust for battle that it ushered. ' I have no idea what repercussions await me when this enhanced state expires, but it will likely be unpleasant… For now, I will fight with all I have and escape this hellhole, no matter the cost.'
Ahead, Dix trembled under the enemy's dark laughter and contorted body positions. Somehow, his inescapable familial curse had been overcome and now enrobed the enemy. Dix had to discover how the Stalker performed such a feat; his ego and sense of self-worth depended on it.
Dix licked his parched lips and spoke through a hoarse throat, voice quaking in uncertainty. "H-How… How can this be…?"
*Crack* Dix flinched as the Night Stalker cracked its knuckles and shifted in place, as if experimenting with an entirely new body. "What subsumed your lineage has only made me infinitely stronger."
"That's…" Dix's voice was a whisper as he gaped at the radiant star before him: a being who defied everything he stood for. The man's cursed eyes trembled and shrunk; and his crimson spear wilted from its cradle. It was now Dix's turn to fall into a state of depression as orichalcum splinters fell from under his feet. The fragments left thin white borders in their wake, together forming an immense white nexus: a web of Dix's own making.
*Clack*
Dix's lowered jaw clenched shut with a hollow clack. Blood vessels bulged across his trembling body and sweat coursed down flushed skin. Rage clamoured and eviscerated through the layer of fear hovering over Dix's soul, and he bellowed out to the cursed world surrounding him. "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
*CRACK* *CRACK* *CRASH*
Orichalcum latticework splintered as Dix flung himself into a reckless mad dash. Crimson eyes remained wide and unblinking as he ground his teeth in urgency, and arms were flung back and forth in abandon. A new flame of madness burned in the man now: the desire to learn his enemy's hidden strength. His viper-like spear hissed noisily as it was swung in another arc, directing it into an overhead position.
The blunted armament's pitiful state reflected its master's current mental condition with unsettling accuracy: a previously razor-sharp instrument of torture contorted and mangled by stress and failure. Dix swung the crimson blade directly towards his target's abdomen, lips stretching into a slightly sadistic sneer out habit. Wind swept through sleek hair and violent reflections danced in the man's reddened eyes.
*THUMP*
However, he came to an abrupt stop.
"W-What!?" Dix spluttered in baffled bewilderment as the mangled spear handle impacted with the enemy's now extended right hand. The weapon became ensnared in an inescapable grip, remaining unmoved as Dix shivered in dismay.
"...Hm...?" On the opposing side, Hit stared at his opponent's gobsmacked expression with mirrored puzzlement. Unexpectedly, the maniacal spear user was far slower in his reckless attack, allowing Hit to intercept the arcing weapon with relative ease in his awakened state. A perplexed frown slowly lifted into a scoff as Hit came to an obvious conclusion: energy cannot be created or destroyed, instead changing forms and transferring to different positions. "Oh, I get it..." Hit shot his retracted leg upwards and around, crashing a perfect roundhouse kick into Dix's exposed chest with a mighty thud.
*CRACK*
A horrendous splintering sound exploded as Dix skidded back, carving a deep trench into the surface layer of disturbed orichalcum rubble. Leather boots scraped and scuffled, becoming forever marred by the gravel that battered against them. "K-Kah!?" Scars and ridges furrowed and contorted across Dix's face as he groaned in misery and distress. A disbelieving hand trembled up to his chest and a gruesome wretch escaped bloodied lips. *COUGH* "Urk..." Red flecks of blood misted the air as Dix hyperventilated, casting his eyes down towards a trail of under armour shards: priceless high-class plating that likely saved his life.
At the mouth of Dix's trail of disappointment, the Night Stalker continued to stand in their unusual pose, appearing far more relieved than before. The bulky spectre grasped Dix's crimson armament, an object that no longer deserved to be called a spear, and held its shaft between two vice-like hands. "So, this must be what differentiates a curse from true magic here. You debilitate an opponent at the expense of your own strength. I suppose you forgot about such an important detail during your outburst. How pathetic." The Stalker's catastrophic back leg blitzed upwards once more, smashing the harrowed spear into splinters.
*CRACK*
Finally, the mighty weapon was put to rest.
"...N-No..." Dix's eyes widened to their zenith and he extended a fragile, trembling arm. Crimson lips shuddered open and shut as he mouthed unheard sorrow-filled lamentations.
"Tsk" Ahead, Hit tutted as he flung the spear halves aside, disappointment in himself and the enemy's continued survival obvious. 'That should have dealt more damage, although his armour appears to be of a material unfamiliar to me: yet another failing on my end. Energy's still pouring out of me like an endless fountain, particularly when I dealt that strike. It appears that this 'energy' attempts to resist me and falters to a slightly lower level during any inefficient utilisations... Which includes virtually all usage cases at the moment... Damn it. I don't have time to babysit these soul vestiges... It must be highly inefficient to enhance basic abilities by two level deviations. Dix's unexpected weakness is certainly appreciated... I can use this to prolong my awakened state and acquiesce these nuisances. I don't know how long Dix's curse repercussion will last, but it's pointless remaining in my current state. Even if I am more powerful than Dix, it's pointless if the effect is only conferred when standing still.' Hit's body and soul strained once again as sentient energy redistributed and spiralled against its desired flow, although to a lesser degree this time, settling into a far more stable and broad distribution. Billowing shards of crimson light undulated far more slowly around Hit now, emanating a soothing cheeping resonance. ' Much better. By balancing the flow between strength, agility, dexterity and lastly endurance, I should maintain an overall mid level four potency, even during battle. My strongest abilities seem easier to boost, so strength has naturally exceeded level four, whilst endurance still lags behind at around level two. Theoretically, I should have around five minutes before total decay, but I cannot be sure of anything in this inconceivable situation. Huff... This is such a reckless fighting style... Is this how you felt when combatting me, Goku?'
Dix was completely unaware of his enemy's deep contemplation and stratagems, still enraptured in an excruciating panic attack. The man's haggard body shook up and down as shaky breaths fled from his hollow core, and crimson eyes quaked in horror and anxiousness.
*WHOOSH*
Unfortunately for the traumatised commander, his opponent was unrelenting and roared into a sprint. A vermillion black flame blitzed through the dark plaza, sending upwhells of rubble and dust spiralling around them.
In seconds, the towering Night Stalker bolted directly in front of Dix and flung up a devastating front leg, setting it into a compact side kick firing position. Robes billowed upwards to reveal thick black boots, battering rams that would destroy anything in their path.
Dix hissed, as any cornered animal would, and fumbled for his belt. Twitching fingers quickly wrenched a bronzy dagger from its hidden position, accidentally raking the sharp edge against Dix's thigh in its hurried ascent. A cloud of blood splurged into the air between the two combatants, flooding Dix's vision in a cosmos of red planetoids. Seconds grew into eternities as the Night Stalker's right kick rocketed across this cosmic sea, splashing apart ichor droplets as it drew ever closer. Dix shivered and whined, and rose the glinting dagger into a blocking position on his left-hand side, reflecting a billowing cloud of unfathomable darkness that suddenly shuddered to a stop.
"...H-Huh?" Dix tensed and blinked in confusion. Surprisingly, just as the spectral foe's kick was about to extend into his hasty defence, it froze in place in a display of precise muscle control.
Oddly, the kick compacted and the Night stalker repositioned themselves, inclining and twisting their body to draw closer to Dix.
Morbid curiosity festered within Dix as the enemy's left hand then quickly weaved out of its unearthly robes and extended. The Night Stalker was silent as he placed two rigid index and middle fingers against Dix's unstrained right limb, pausing momentarily.
*SHOOM*
In a flash, the remaining fingers relaxed, before blurring into a shooting one-inch punch.
*BOOM*
*K-CRACK*
"H-URK!?" Dix gasped and heaved. Pain flooded throughout his right arm as the gloved fist fired into it with a reverberating boom, snapping the limb in two. Like a ragdoll, Dix tumbled back, swivelling his now unprotected front to the side.
Seeing this opening, his cunning attacker's suspended kick then sprung back into action, rocketing into Dix's vulnerable ribcage and completely circumventing the man's pitiful defence.
*CRACK*
*CRASH*
Another gut-wrenching snap punctuated this devastating combination attack as Dix was propelled into the plaza's leftmost wall, piling additional damage to his pulverised right limb.
*CRACKLE*
Dix's corpse-like body shuddered within its resting place: a cratered humanoid indentation in the wall's surface. Blood speckled its cracked rim, giving the concavity the appearance of a monster's hellish birthplace.
Brows furrowed and tensed across Dix's shadowed mien as insidious fear fuelled him to escape this man-made pit: the first 'renovation' that he had conferred to Knossos in years. As with all prior cases, this too was an involuntary addition. Dix's body moved spasmodically in its frigid 'womb', twisting and turning in pain. Gruff, anguished grunts and groans were undercut by scintillating metallic twinkles as orichalcum shards and chippings rained from the crevice surrounding him.
"Urk..." Finally escaping this potential grave, Dix cast a hesitant glance across his marred body. The previously proud and self-assured chief was no more, replaced by a bloodied, hunched coward. Blood seeped from within his fractured sternum, pouring and coursing down its scarred front in a meandering stream.
The harrowed man gritted his red-hued teeth at the viscera that greeted him on his right side: a mangled and dangling right arm. Glistening humerus bone fragments were clearly visible as they jutted through taught flesh, relieved from their living prison during the Stalker's devastating initial punch. Below, the attached forearm swung loosely, to and fro, raining blood in a perfect arc. This was perhaps the most excruciating pain that Dix had suffered in years: agony that arose from his own blinding failure, and the opponent's masterful nullification of his lifelong honed reflexes.
Anger flooded Dix in violent convulsions as he glared at his attacker; however, this growing fury was rudely cut short. The man seemed to wince and twist his ringing head to the side, as if reeling back from a high-pitches noise. Following a short pause, Dix spoke in a damaged tone that mourned his wounded pride. "...N-No! He's m-mine to handle... Alone! Keep them on..." *COUGH* "S-Standby."
Dix's stowed his claw-like dagger away and slunk a tense left hand into his breast pocket. The man grimaced and moaned at the awkward act, forced to twist and turn to grasp the item he sought. After a moment of fumbling, Dix quickly shot the limb out to reveal a bulbous glass tonic bottle. The flask was frosted and ornately carved, glowing in a light seafoamy green light. Angelic figures surrounded the beautiful potion's neck, fluttery hands raised in seraphic prayer. Twinkles of white starlight swam within this sylvan sea, dancing downwards as Dix rose the container towards his chest at a breakneck speed.
*CRASH*
*SPLASH*
The demon shattered this holy vessel against his cratered chest. Glowing innards sprayed upwards in an upsurge of vigour and steamed on contact with marred flesh. A green glow surrounded the mangled man like a divine boon: a blessing that soon fell away to yet another inevitable curse. Catastrophic wounds sizzled and bubbled in jerky lesions, rising and falling across Dix's body as they stitched themselves together.
"HRAAAAA!!!!" Dix screamed and shot his head skywards. Powerful bellows shook the hall as his body twisted from within. Bones creaked and snapped; sinews flayed and interwove; and skin stretched and curled. In a flash, Dix's deformities healed in a writhing ritual, finalised by his right arm snapping back into its usual position with a sickening pop.
"Huff... Huff... Urk..." Dix panted and heaved, holding onto his knees for support as the final slivers of pain ebbed away.
However, an icy terror and approaching shadow roused him from this feeble stupour, forcing the pained man to draw his dagger in a glinting ray. He fell into a crouched defensive stance, body quivering in fear and rage at the enemy who steadily drew towards him. "T-This... This isn't happening… THIS CANNOT BE FUCKING HAPPENNING!!! Only magic items can negate the effects of a curse… IT'S THAT BLASTED CLOAK, ISN'T IT!!!" Crimson teeth rose and fell under shivering lips as Dix attempted to regain dominance in this dark battle; however, the screeching assessment had absolutely no impact on the approaching foe.
The Night Stalker continued in their death march, undisturbed by Dix's catatonic state. The sinister creature walked in an assured manner, making no sound whatsoever, and spoke in a calm, stoic timber. "No. My will is simply indomitable."
Dix faltered in his retaliatory pose and relaxed at the gravity of this profound insinuation. Could it truly be possible? Were the voices in his head only present because of his own weakness? Was he to blame for every hardship that befell him?
Metal chippings parted soundlessly as Hit traipsed along their surface. Crimson eyes narrowed and darted up and down as they analysed Dix's sudden frozen state with a burning fascination. 'Hm... His mannerisms and poise are completely different from our first interaction... Could my sudden ascension truly rattle him so? Hmph. The prior bravado must have been a brittle mask. Perhaps I can use this strategically... I need to ensure that every attack meets its mark to minimise energy wastage, so Dix's faltered mental state offers me a means of bypassing his guard. I'm currently in a relatively stable state of decay, but each strike will deplete my finite reserves at an increasingly worrying rate. Additionally, Goku's reckless combat style is no longer compatible with my current balanced distribution and strategy. I need a stance that's generalised and wastes absolutely no force. 'Hm...'
A pillar of untouchable strength shone in Hit's mind next: a being who wasted absolutely no energy, nor exerted themselves needlessly in any way. Their grapples, punches and kicks were beautifully simple, yet capable of obliterating even Gods of Destruction in their unstoppable might. Grey eyes shone, and a blazing red and black uniform strained above an unfathomable ocean of honed muscles. No energy expelled from this combatant's sublime surface as they stood atop even the concepts of space and time. This formidable foe was Jiren the grey, whose inescapable power Hit had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand. 'It pains me to admit it, but that man's power and form of combat were nigh unstoppable. Honestly, to shatter the entirety of my subspace dimension with a simple punch was a bit on the nose... Still, you were a splendid warrior and I shall grow from my defeat. It's risky, but I'll purposely expel and enhance my attacks for maximum damage as Jiren did during those 'energy punches' of his. That should somewhat compensate for my gradual loss in strength. However, I cannot afford to miss.'
*STRAIN* *STRETCH*
Relaxed fists closed into ineluctable grasps as Hit tensed every muscle in his body. Back and shoulder muscles expanded and defined, rising from beneath their robed embrace. The prior Shaolin stance dissipated and Hit rose up to stand straight, arms held firmly at his sides. A contemplative frown flattened into an expression of complete neutrality and crimson beacons beamed as Hit glared down at his enemy with an air of superiority and certainty.
This imposing stance and aura snapped Dix out of his whirlwind of uncertainties. The odious man shouted in a shaky voice, vainly attempting to hide his stammer under a layer of fragile rage. "D-DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!! M-My curse struck you head-on! You must have used some trick to divert it! T-There's no other plausible explanation!" Serrated irises shuddered as Dix forced himself to believe the lie: a far more comforting conclusion than the unthinkable alternative.
The Night Stalker crossed one burly arm over the other and narrowed their eyes in condescension. Rather than the aloof or assured speech patterns used previously, an absolute tone was uttered this time, as if his word was the ultimate authority. "Stop making excuses for your own ineptitude. The fault lies with you and your family's inferiority."
Dix's contorted face drained of emotion and went white as a sheet. A faux smirk dropped into an open mouth and his arms fell lifeless from their vicious pose. He stared up at the Stalker's shadowed mien with a slightly quaking head, utterly defeated by the enemy's harsh words. It was as if he were a devil gazing up at a divine being: a creature superior to him in every conceivable way.
To a hedonist like Dix, who had always given in to his vices, no matter how many times the devil assured himself otherwise, this 'Night Stalker' was the most vile being in creation. This infuriating novice had battled against and risen above forces that sent Dix down the dark path that led to his current debauched state. His cursed existence and eternal suffering was seen by the man as an inevitability: a force beyond his control that could either be obeyed or diverted using equally sinister distractions. For someone to receive the full-brunt of this immortalised might and usurp it was inconceivable; impossible; unimaginable. Somehow, this random brat had the will to rival and even acquiesce the accursed madness of Daedalus himself. Malignant insanity that had festered for a thousand years was now a mere pawn under the thumb of a complete unknown. Dix simply could not accept this sudden world shattering upheaval and trembled as fires of shame rekindled within his soul. Forgotten dreams and lost hopes danced in Dix's mind as the gloomy underworld of knossos became illuminated by an infinitely tall pedestal: an unreachable throne upon which the Night Stalker sat upon that Dix could never hope to touch.
As Dix stalled in this rude awakening, the world around him continued to progress. Dark flames danced in his gold-bronze dagger as its keen edge reflected a rapidly approaching robed figure. However, unlike this keen instrument, Dix continued to slump in a limp state of shock as danger loomed.
*CRACK*
*BAM*
Several broken ribs and a fractured pelvis were Dix's punishment for his sin of idleness. The Night stalker's robes swam as he sent an elbow strike crashing into Dix's chest, followed by a devastating knee strike into his hip. The Stalker had taken on the form of an immovable object and unstoppable force, delivering blows without any doubt or needless analysis. Each attack was subtle in its contact, followed by a 'second wind' as it rocketed into soft flesh at point-blank range.
Dix gagged and groaned as he skidded back and struggled to stand, internal bleeding already sapping him of strength. Every shred of his twisted mind raced to maintain his composure and combat the agony that threatened to rob his consciousness. If the man had been in a stable state of mind, he may have noticed that the enemy's attacks were ever so slightly weaker during their initial convergence, almost imperceptibly so. This would blossom the obvious conclusion that his foe was steadily losing strength, and that the best course of action was to withdraw. In his current frantic state however, Dix could only stare at the Night Stalker in abject horror, and fling himself into adapting to the dark being's ephemeral combat styles.
Crimson eyes burned as they rotated in their sockets. Stance; footing; breathing; rhythm: Dix analysed every aspect of his robed enemy's status in an attempt to retalite in some way. Any way. The ensnared man pushed all of his burning hatred and shame into desperation and crouched into a viper's coil, eyes wide as saucers.
Ahead, Hit narrowed his own infernal orbs at Dix's embers of evolution. Flames of revolt and yearning swam in the Familia captain's trembling eyes, and the grasp he held on his dagger tightened until the knuckles went white. The uncanny resemblance to Hit's own prior state of evaluation was not lost on him. Perhaps the contemptible commander could find a light at the end of the tunnel and rise above this newest challenge to his ego and power...
Hit rose a dark boot and drew it ahead. 'Not happening.'
*BOOM*
Rubble shook as Hit hammered the foot down in a powerful first step, allowing the reverberation to echo across the hall. Dark robes furled and unfurled as muscular arms swung confidently in the shockwaves that scoured their surface.
*BOOM*
An Orichalcum shard was pulverised under foot as another dark boot struck the ground. Frictional sparks exploded and illuminated a ring under the bulky culprit, appearing as a reverse halo.
*BOOM*
Cold dread crept up Dix's spine as the living force of nature that was the Night Stalker strode towards him with absolute surety. This extreme discrepancy compared to the elusive being's usually silent movements unwound Dix's predatory coil and startled him into a frantic cower.
*BOOM*
One final rumble broke the tense silence as Hit halted a few paces from Dix's position. The robed man drew himself back and glared down in contempt. Dix's serrates irises lightened out of existence as Hit's crimson stars beamed into them, obliterating the generational emblems in the light of an entirely new pedigree.
*ZZZ* *SPARK*
Vermillion lightning coursed over Hit's body as it expanded and contracted to its limit, bulging as a torrent of sentient energy convulsed around its exterior. Rose quartz plasma aura danced across the dark sea of cursed energy like a hellish storm in an illustrious display of ionokinesis.
Hit allowed his menacing figure to evaporate any of Dix's rebellion and spoke in a voice that boomed out just as intensely as his toll-like steps. "You are a failure. This 'Phobetor Daedalus' is nothing more than a manifestation of your family's putrid insanity. Such a hindrance is of no issue to someone mighty enough to resist it. Your spinelessness is revolting."
Defiance expulsed from Dix as he quivered in place, completely defusing from his readied stance. He hung his head and clamped burning eyes shut, rejecting the world that abandoned him. Teeth clenched and grinded against one another and brows furrowed into a dread-filled grimace. Tears threatened to fall as Dix shot his head up to the Night Stalker, bellowing out in abhorrence. "Y-You… YOU!!! I-I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!" Pain accentuated madness blistered across the fallen leader's face as it convulsed between loathing and panic.
"You only hate your own inadequacy." Like a guillotine, the Night Stalker's scathing reply cut clean through Dix's pride and self-importance. The phantom intruder was an indestructible island amongst Dix's futile storm of incandescent rage.
*GRRRR!!!* Saliva flew as Dix growled in animalistic fury that devoured any festering fear. A burning thorn punctured into Dix's brain as it dawned upon him that he still knew nothing about his shadowy foe. Worse still, his most prized possession had been destroyed without imparting a shred of damage. In short, Dix had now hit rock bottom. Not even the incessant orders and mental torture of Daedalus' faceless voice could deliver such anguish. Desperate eyes glittered in raving desire as the commander howled futile inquiries to the wind. "WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU!? WHAT DID YOU COME HERE FOR!? WERE YOU AIMING FOR MY POWER ALL ALONG!?"
The Night Stalker was unruffled by Dix's vain questionings and replied in the manner of a true professional. "I'm just doing my job. You're but a stepping stone."
"J-JUST DOING YOUR JOB!?" Disbelief and sardonic humour flashed across Dix's face momentarily, however, the gravith of his current situation quickly brought him back to reality. "A-As if I'd believe that horse shit! You were sent here for a purpose and had my power in mind! DAMMIT!!!" Dix rose twin tensed fists and battered them against his aching head in an act of self-flagellation, freeing more ichor from seeping wounds. "You were bluffing all along weren't you!? HOW THE HELL DID YOU OVERCOME MY FAMILIAL CURSE WHEN SO MANY OTHERS FAILED?! TELL ME THE TRUTH!!!" Melancholic longing etched itself onto Dix's face in the form of an anguished wince, creating a disconnect between his fiery vitriol and inner turmoil.
The Night Stalker crossed his trunk-like arms and amplified the plasma aura surrounding him. Blood-red lightning danced and frolicked on his undulating surface, indifferent to the opponent's distress. "I confronted it all. Every single soul the Daedalus line has tarnished, and every other failure who gave in to its insatiable pull. You are at fault for your family's continued disgrace, Dix Perdix. The only thing holding you back is you."
Terror. Hate. Anguish. Sorrow. Dix's face convulsed between every conceivable negative emotion as the barbed words assaulted him. His irises shrunk to fine points and splayed limbs lost all strength. The petrified man fell into an unintentional crouch and stared at the ground, gormlessly. 'H-How... How could one person bear such a burden... Why...? Why is such a thing even possible...? What separates the two of us...?' A fractured reflection grimaced back at Dix as he looked down at fragments of twinkling Orichalcum. Each shard was slightly distinct in its reflection, perfectly imparting the many torn shreds of Dix's soul.
Plip*
Plip*
Plip*
Glistening tears raced down Dix's cheeks and dotted the soul pieces below in twinkling stardust. Liquid sorrow finally breached Dix's dam of suppressed emotions and was plain for all to see. Guilt and faded hopes surfaced in the man's frayed mind and imaginings of what could have been sparkled without lustre. Darkness embraced Dix in a suffocating blanket as even the white outlines of the webbed underworld faded into an absolute abyss.
"..."
Unnoticed by the lamentable man, a dark vermillion comet sliced across his forlorn cosmos without mercy.
An apex predator cut through the abyss, acting on honed predatory instincts that screamed to kill. The Night Stalker simply could not ignore the hopeless lamb that prostrated before him and reverted to his original combat style, extending a swinging right hand during his silent approach.
The appendage was serpentine and piercing as it surfaced from beneath shadowy flames. Five dark "snakes" were held rigidly together in a knife hand strike that blitzed from its prior death grip. The attack's trajectory was horizontal, headed for a collision course with Dix's right arm.
*SWISH*
*RIP*
Leather and cotton sleeves tore and ripped. Blood exploded outwards and bathed the abyss in ribbons of vermillion. Gore ascended upwards and outwards in a crimson "crown" that marked the coronation of a great loss. Dix's arm twisted, turned, and sailed ahead, cut free from its human prison. A trail of ichor suffused the air, expelled from the flying, tumbling limb, like a spiralling nexus.
Thump*
The severed forearm thudded once it struck harsh flooring, splashing ichor in a resplendent circular fountain. Bloodied fingers became stained in crimson strands as red droplets were propelled upwards by the sudden landing. The thin filaments appeared as though they were infernal puppet strings, finally visible in their severance.
Dix remained motionless during this surgical amputation, as if his mental anguish trumped any bodily torment.
*CRACK*
Unfortunately, his torture had not yet ended. The Night Stalker's knife-hand slice continued on its course and collided with Dix's ribcage. Bone and cartilage screamed as the entire right-hand assortment severed from its supporting costal cartilage and collapsed inwardly. Blood spurted past Dix's split lips as his lungs compressed and haemorrhaged.
*CRACKLE*
Dix finally reacted to the deadly assault and skidded a few paces back, drenching metallic detritus in his life force. Crystalline tears continued to rain down from his darkened eyes, which enmeshed themselves with carmine blood in flowery arrangements. The two fluids danced together and gave birth to intricate marbling patterns, demonstrating that beauty could be found in all places and times, no matter how dire they might be.
Dix's onyx black hair parted and ruffled as he trembled, still locked in a pit of despair. ' What... What could I have done differently...? What does he have that I don't...? Why... Why...?' Blood drenched teeth clenched and bit into pallid gums. 'WHY!? I didn't ask for any of this! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!' Dix's depression evaporated into a furious grimace and he bellowed in jealous fury.
" HRAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Serrated eyes glowed and shed tears of blood. Powerful leg muscles tensed and snapped.
*BOOM*
Flooring collapsed into a crater as Dix shot out of his slump and into a maniacal sprint. An infinite abyss continued to embrace the man as he shot across its horizon; however, this time, he was also confined with a crimson black star: the object of his hatred and sense of inferiority. Golden light twinkled and shone as Dix raised and extended his dagger: his only remaining companion in life.
*BAM*
The twinkling dagger screamed and twitched as its flat side impacted with the Night Stalker's blocking forearm. The impossible being had now returned to his prior stance of absolute strength and glared down at Dix's ravenous snarl with neither pity nor disgust; only harsh coldness.
*BAM*
*BAM*
*BAM*
*BOOM*
*BAM*
The two combatants engaged in a deadly dance, punctuated by booming collisions. Dust flew and flooring cracked during their breakneck, serpentine flow.
*SPARK*
*BOOM*
Golden reflections beamed and screaming sparks flew. Dix flung his dying body into a volley of dagger strikes as he convulsed around his opponent.
*BAM*
*BAM*
The shadowy Night Stalker responded to each slice by flinging his twin arms and elbows into intricate positions to meet each deadly attack's pommel, or to redirect its sharp impact to a flat edge.
*BOOM*
*BAM*
Blood poured from Dix's severed limb in a torrential stream. The liquid painted the greenish flooring below in vortices of red, forming a crimson, spiralling galaxy. Mere seconds truncated into eternities as innumerable slashes were dealt and parried.
Dix roared and thundered, his voice cracking under immense anguish and heartache. "TELL ME!!! WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE TO SILENCE THIS INCESSANT SCREECHING IN MY HEAD!?"
*BAM*
*BOOM*
Slices and blocks generated whirlwinds and booms. The twin predators rotated and shot across the plaza amongst deep trenches of mythical metal created during their cataclysmic duel.
Tears sparkled amongst droplets of blood as they were shed from Dix's gaping eyes. He sobbed to the world, showing his true colours for the first time in his wretched life. "WHAT DID I DO WRONG!? TELL ME!!!"
*BOOM*
*BAM*
The Night Stalker grimaced as incoming dagger stabs increased in ferocity and intensity. Ardent emotions and insurmountable stress fuelled Dix's attacks into the greatest blows he had ever dealt. Shadowy cloth fragments added to the maelstrom of rock and blood as Dix pushed past his deformed right side and fading consciousness. "WHAT PATH SHOULD I HAVE CHOSEN IN LIFE!?"
*BAM*
*BOOM*
*SHOOM*
The two men raced back and forth, circumnavigating the hall. Sparkling outlines converged and formed a miniature galactic core. Dix's violent body behaved like a dark planet, tinged with bloody eruptions: a rock-encrusted spheroid that gradually increased in revolutions and fell into a crimson black hole that was the Night Stalker.
This pitch-black singularity coursed with hellish lightning and was surrounded by scintillating vermillion accretion disc.
The infinite being put an end to its vicious orbiter's rotations and slammed their fist against Dix's wrist.
*BOOM*
*SNAP*
A deafening shockwave echoed throughout the hall. Dix's dagger toppled to one side as its supporting hand fell limp. Its golden face reflected two distinct, yet oh so similar beings as Hit and Dix glared at one another. One was a staggering, blood encrusted corpse, whilst other a celestial bathed in demonic flames.
The Night Stalker stared into Dix's eyes, beyond the layers of hate, arrogance, and fear. Beyond the familial curse unfairly forced upon him, and into his twisted core. Unfortunately, no glimmers of purity existed in this sacred space, likely eviscerated by the far more dominant venereal disease of Daedalus and the wickedness of Dix himself. Hit frowned at his mangled enemy and delivered the final psychological assault. "None. You should have died at birth."
"Urk..." Dix's harrowed mouth parted and froze. Pallid skin whitened and became snow-white. Blood caked his skin and darkened into a withered crust. All colour vacated the destroyed man's eyes, leaving only dull greys. A desolate expression haunted his gaunt face and the world dimmed out of existence entirely.
Pain faded; anger fizzled out; thoughts ground to a stop. Sound ceased to exist and a great vacuum extended for all space and time.
.
.
.
.
.
*KSH*
A needle dug into Dix's brain.
*KSH*
The penetrative feeling deepened and twisted.
*KSH*
Pain greater than any living creature had ever endured spiked directly into Dix's thalamus and cortex, yet the man responded solely by raising his bloodied gaze upwards.
Above, a quivering white orb glared back at Dix. It was an immense eye: an organic sphere fixed in place by dark chains embedded directly into Dix's psyche. Golden veins bulged and pulsed across its surface, vessels that interwove with thinner crimson capillaries to form a mesh-like network. A twisted letter D glowed on its surface, its inner core a rosy red hugged by a maroon border.
Most of the spheroid's surface was robed in snakelike worms, forming a pseudo-eyelid and eyelashes. Each writhing creature was finalised by a smaller eye, yet these organs were dull and glossed over by a milky sheen.
At the construct's innermost core, a vermillion and onyx disc shuddered left and right, twitching between Dix and the robed enemy that loomed beyond Dix's depressive abyss
*
Cosmic ripples shimmered across the horizon. An ancient voice screamed into the endless void, originating from the malevolant sphere above. Tentacle worms writhed and the serrated letter D burned in disappointed rage. "Insubordinate child! Move! MOVE!!! Fulfil your preordained duty and finalise my opus! Your sole purpose and meaning in life is to construct Knossos! Cast aside your meaningless doubts and DO AS I SAY! Now, MOVE!!!"
Time dilated to an infinite degree as every aspect of the world lost all meaning to Dix. The servant ignored the furious order and let a pained chuckle echo in his mind. 'Heh... I'm done... Officially done... Fuck off you dusty old crone.'
*
Vibrations and quakes intensified at this rebellion. Worms hissed and coiled around the great eye, which was now convulsing with bulging arteries. "HOW DARE YOU!!! MOVE!!! MY DESTINY DEMANDS THAT YOU DO AS I SAY!!!"
'Enough... I've had enough of... all of this. The voices... The vices... The sins... I've had enough.' Fatigue seeped into every word Dix thought upon. The vacuum shuddered and dimmed around him, which only seemed to infuriate its tentacle clad emperor.
The great eye's iris constricted and shrunk to a sparkling dot, and snake-like eyelashes battered up and down in fret. "YOU'LL STOP WHEN I SAY YOU CAN STOP!!! YOU WORTHLESS TOOLS HAVE BARELY MADE A SHRED OF PROGRESS IN COMPLETING MY KNOSSOS!!! I AM THE MASTER HERE AND I COMMAND YOU TO KILL THAT UNWORTHY INTRUDER!!! MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE, SO DO AS I SAY!!!"
Dix cast his gaze back down, discarding the livid ancestor. Mention of the robed intruder reminded Dix of his scathing critiques. The harsh statements rebounded within his mind, replaying over and over again – spineless, pathetic, fool. If Dix was truly to blame for these voices; all this pain and torture... Was this burden real at all...? Why was he bothering with any of this...?
The brain-sizzling pain barely tickled to Dix now; how could it? The horrid Night Stalker had taught him the true meaning of agony. Dix smirked, making his own unbiased decision for the first time. 'The only power you have over me is the power I give you. Now, get your filthy tentacles outta my head, you demented freak.'
*KSH*
*HISS*
Hundreds of flailing worms hissed and lengthened from their ovular prison and swept over Dix. The bound souls wheezed and moaned in their generational enslavement. Circular rings of teeth gnawed and bit at Dix's brain and white, milky eyes shed translucent tears of regret.
Daedalus' eye seethed with rage and directed its violent emotions directly into Dix's soul, burning the man from the inside out. "THIS IS INSUBORDINATION OF THE HIGHEST ORDER!!! I COMMAND YOU TO MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!!
'Shut. Up.' The storm passed uneventfully over Dix. The man was indifferent to all inner and outer stimuli and cast his illusory master to immateriality.
*CRACKLE*
*SPARK*
*BOOM*
Dark chains cracked and snapped; snakes wilted and withered, muttering a silent moan of gratitude. The great eye of Daedalus and its encased soul fragment twinkled and vaporised into specks of shimmery dust. Auroras of refracted light shone in the vacuum's horizon, celebrating the end to a tyrant's rule...
.
..
...
Silence. For the first time in Dix's life, silence greeted his weary ears. Finally, the voices had stopped.
Surprise surfaced above Dix's pain and shock, along with trenchant gratitude for the horrid mental challenges he had endured from the Night Stalker: torture that trumped that delivered by Daedalus himself. A cool wind swept past Dix's bloodied body, soothing the deep gashes that scoured its surface, and the scent of broken rubble caused his nose to twitch. For the first time, Dix was able to appreciate the world around him without the constant bombardment of long-dead orders. 'So... This is what it means to live, huh...'
Dix slumped as a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. The immense, infinite vacuum brightened and clarified. Little by little, the entry hall of Knossos' southwest entry point came back into view and Dix returned to reality as a new man.
Unfortunately, Dix was also faced with a crouching Night Stalker. The robed being now stood directly in front of Dix, holding both fists tensed at his sides.
Time slowed once more as the fists were set free, rocketing at Dix's body in a successive manner. The volley of punches hammered into Dix's vital organs, pulverising the vulnerable viscera into paste. Each pummel forced blood to shoot out of Dix's mouth and his motley of wounds. Dix marvelled at the hundredfold assault: an inescapable tunnel of perfectly choreographed blows.
Now that Dix's mind was clearer than it had ever been, he could now detect that the strikes were gradually becoming weaker as they struck him. The Night Stalker had been an untouchable pillar, one that was ever rising in strength, at least in Dix's mind. Now, Dix realised that this effect was only due to the challenge that the enemy posed to his ego and mental faculties.
'Heh... So that's how it is... You got me good...' Pain still failed to enrapture Dix. Each strike plummeted into his core like an angel's touch.
*Stretch*
A firm grasp settled onto Dix's left boot and tightened. The world twisted and swam as Dix was swung around and around by the Night Stalker in a perfect circle. Orichalcum walls and ceilings blurred and combined to become an infinite horizon of light greens.
Dix's stomach dropped of its own accord. The grasp around his ankle was set free, allowing him to sail through the air. Dix enjoyed a brief state of weightlessness, a bittersweet moment that was cut short by a rapidly approaching wall.
*BOOOOOOM*
The mangled man's body cracked and popped as it cratered against the right-hand barrier. Bloodied viscera clung and stretched to the man's body as it swung and collapsed on its back.
*Thump*
Ribs, femurs, clavicle and most of Dix's other bones slashed past his skin and bathed in the dim glow of the man-made dungeon. Blood seeped from his body and formed two immense pools beneath him, as if they were globular wings.
*CLANK*
Dix's faithful dagger fell from its loose, broken grasp and clattered against the ground. The dulled edge glittered and dimmed in a diminishing lustre as the weapon rolled and hugged Dix's seeping side.
*CLINK*
A white orb dropped from Dix's pocket and rolled across the ground, leaving a trail of ichor in its wake. Finally, the battle was won...
...However...
"Huff... Huff... Huff..." Hit rose shakily from his crouched state, knees threatening to buckle and collapse. Heavy breaths were gulped in and exhaled forcefully from a swaying, twitching abdomen. Cursed energy barely shrouded his exterior and previously torrential crimson waves now shimmered languidly. The impossible man had burst past his limits and fought brilliantly on an entirely different level, yet this was still not quite enough. Sadly, the repercussions were finally setting in. Hit was running out of time, fast. 'Shit... That was supposed to be my final strike, but... my body isn't responding to my orders anymore... The dwindling energy's dispersing at an accelerated rate and sapping my own power with it... Each time I shuttled energy to Strength, some slivers were lost, which became even more of an inefficiency towards the end. Tch... Of course there would be variables unknown to me...' Hit's body steamed and reddened beneath its robes, coursing with aches and pains born from overexertion. 'Damn it, I was so... so close. Come on, MOVE!!!'
*
*
*
A tremor reverberated ahead.
*
*
*
'Hm...?' Hit's head twitched to the side to witness the northerly doorway shudder and raise itself from the ground. Stagnant air rushed into the plaza and met the tumultuous whirlwinds within, forming spiralling miniature dust cyclones.
Tens of globular creatures pushed and squeezed past the steadily widening entryway, which stumbled up to reveal themselves as robed individuals. A horde of the cloaked men and women rushed into the room as if the devil was on their heels, huffing and panting in panic. They darted their heads up and down the hall, apparently in search of something, or someone.
"Oh, God..."
"H-How can this be!?"
"L-Lord Dix!"
"W-What is that!?"
Horrified gasps and whines rang out as the crowd gazed upon Dix's bloodied, heaving body and the faraway phantom that transgressed into their lair. Some collapsed into dishevelled heaps, whilst a bolder faction raced into two formations.
One group sprinted to Dix's side and drew their hands over his tattered surface. Disgust and retching expressions were clearly visible as they avoided making direct contact with the mangled body and spilled innards.
《Hygeia Heal!》
《Brigid Tincture!》
《Aura of Vitality!》
《Asclepius Bolt!》
"Kh-heh... heheh..." Blood bubbled and frothed around Dix's mouth. A red fountain spurted upwards and smeared him and his healers in dying fluids. Gleeful chuckles were freed from the jubilant man, seemingly the result of madness to those around him.
"S-Sir… P-Please stay still!" Hope dimmed on the robed healer's faces. The desperate wretches now pressed fervently against Dix's chest, not seeing what else could be done.
The other robed faction remained near the door, holding their hands or glowing staves in intricate positions as they shouted shaky chants.
"I-I call upon the nine circles to deliver flaying punishment unto..."
"Blacker than black, e-enrobe this unworthy foe in Khaos flames..."
"Hydra's blood boil and overflow, birth a thousand coils to..."
"By Raijin's thunder drums, crucify my enemy in..."
"..."
Colourful, scintillating outlines surrounded the mage's forms, illuminating the dark cosmos in brilliant multi-coloured nebulae. Their voices increased in ferocity, bordering upon enchanting, despite the calamity they wrought.
Most of the mages seemed incredibly reluctant about their actions, acting only on horde mentality as they stared at one another for direction. The group was correct to be worried, as releasing such a cacophony of spells within the small, enclosed space of the entry plaza could easily backfire on them in a rebounding fireball. Despite their relatively low levels, this compressed ball of air, energy, and elemental force could significantly damage, or even collapse one of Evilus' major trading points. Of course, this unbelievable situation was beyond anyone's expectations.
Initially, the robed backup team expected Dix Perdix to finish the job quickly, and were on standby in a deeper region for retrieval. However, increasingly severe booms and shatters sent dread cascading down their spines, alerting the lot that this was no ordinary intruder. Strangely, they had then been ordered to enter the hall prematurely by their desperate commander, whom they had never heard such vulnerable emotion and despondency from before. The mages now acted with no chain of command and began chanting the most powerful spells they knew of to compensate for their desperation and fear of the unknown agent that assassinated one of their main executives.
The target of their chants continued to sway and stagger, straining to move in some way. ' T-This isn't working... I'm not going to be able to dodge that... volley...' Hit's eyelids shuddered closed. He slammed them back up. ' C-Can't lose consciousness now... If I allow this energy to dissipate completely, I'll definitely collapse and have no defence... Dammit, it's still resisting me... Hm... T-That reminds me...'
SHIIII*
FIZZZZZZ*
Hit's body deflated and relaxed, emitting plumes of white smoke. In order to prevent his grasp on the cursed energy from collapsing entirely, Hit halted redirecting it in an unfavourable manner.
shi*
shi*
shi*
A thin film of black murkiness and crimson ripples chirped sleepily around Hit, pleased to be flowing in the direction of least resistance. Dust and metal particulates parted from the aura shield, unable to affect the incompressible layer of plasma matter. 'Huff... That should provide a stable shield, at the expense of increased costs, but what of my escape? Could I use the n-northern exit...? Tsk... I-I' Hit stumbled on his feet and narrowly caught himself with a forwards step. 'I w-would need to be able to move for that strategy to be f-feasible. Shit, I cannot fight this fatigue... My only defence saps my strength, but I'll be nothing without it...'
Far ahead, the mages reached the climax of their incantations. Hit barely kept his shuddering eyes open as he stared at the similarly garbed individuals, unwilling to face away from the imminent danger. Muffled words and chants muddled together into alien syllables and melodious songs.
Hit's faded crimson beacons blinked shut of their own accord and tensed arms fell limp.
*
The dense collection of magic energy created a miniature singularity that rattled the depths of Knossos. Electricity zapped; winds howled; flames roared; ice crackled; and poison bubbled.
Hit's eyes snapped back open due to the burning light that bore into him. The various spells' readied states combined to shine an immense spotlight on Hit's position, as if he were in the final act of this grand catastrophe.
*BOOM*
The various spells finalised in their preparation at the exact same moment, generating a booming shockwave in their perfect synergy.
"FIRE!!!"
«ASMODEUS WHIP!!!»
«PLAGUE OF GALLILEY!!! »
«INDRA'S VAJRA!!! »
«STORMS OF SETH!!! »
«HAR-HAR INFIGAR!!! »
"..."
SHOOM*
ZZZZ*
SCREEE*
FOOOMM*
...*
Beams; spheres; walls; and rays of magic-generated elemental attacks screamed and roared ahead in tandem.
Hit gritted his teeth, forced to peer at the incoming psychedelic supernova blast through one narrowed eye. 'T-This is going to hurt... a lot.'
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
The world vaporised into nothing but vibrant hues for Hit. An immense detonation exploded the moment it made contact with his cursed energy barrier and flung him into the air.
Debris and shimmery wreckage upwelled and followed Hit's trajectory, forming an immense, divine tunnel that rocketed towards the southern entryway, the very infernal doorway that Hit had invaded through.
Hit tumbled in freefall, barely cognisant of the events and sights that flew past him. Greenish walls, glowing robed figures, a crimson devil: they all distorted and amalgamated into a dizzying tapestry. As Hit rotated to face his current path, he was met with a gradually opening demonic doorway, along with a soothing early dawn breeze... A moment later and he was out of sight.
Still prone amongst bloodied wings, Dix's smirk widened into a genuine smile. The man cheered internally as he gazed at the fireworks display that crescendoed around him. Fading eyes reflected a robed figure rising upwards in a luminous cloud. Blues; reds; whites; purples; and yellows glowed beneath the being, giving the impression that they were home to every colour in the universe.
Hazy shadows crept in from Dix's peripheral vision and circled inwardly. Unlike the vacuum of his depressive abyss, this darkness embraced Dix in a warm, accepting embrace.
As Dix's consciousness sank into the eternal realm beyond, the loud explosions that surrounded him couldn't be any quieter. He was finally free.
"Heh... T-Thanks Night Bastard..."
A death rattle expelled from Dix's collapsed lungs and his chuckling body fell to one side. Crimson eyes glowed once and dimmed completely, marking the end of a tragically malevolent monster.
Author's Notes
Wow! Hit's first kill here!
Were Dix's demise and inner battle thrilling?
Firstly, I know that a lot people will be quite disappointed about Hit's technical 'defeat' against Knossos' forces, particularly at the end of an update part, and I am sorry. I saw that many of you were excited, which made me worried about people being upset with this chapter.
Please understand that this is just a new beginning for Hit and his elimination of Dix is still a great achievement. Protagonists do not always win fights and Hit did technically win by killing Dix and disabling Gran; he just ran out of energy. The important thing is that he gets up and learns from this error in his next venture into Knossos.
I initially had Dix live for later on, but I don't see the point. I love Dix (as an insane evil character), but I think I've explored Dix a lot in these few chapters, and I have some ideas for Gran. Wait... "I love Dix", "I've explored Dix"... that came out wrong...
These things take time, and I find if far more fun for Hit to gradually become stronger until the explosive climax. There are still 2.5 seasons left so Hit still has a long way to go!
Writing such a long and fun story in less than a year is still something that I am proud of, and I truly hope I can realise my plans some day. It all depends on my mental health and time. This is all a passion project offered as a gift for anyone who shares my interests. I hope you can appreciate it.
This is a turning point for Hit and he will learn and grow from this first delve into Knossos in multiple ways. This form of power amplification has drawbacks and it's important to sequester it carefully, rather than performing the spur of the moment miracle that Hit did here.
Furthermore, this is obviously not the last time that we will see Gran or Knossos and I want the vile creatures to keep on living... for now. This is a story with twists and turns and plenty of world building, with adventure being the highlight and main theme. Combat is not the only focus of this story.
Lastly, Hit is dealing with a completely new way to fight and a novel form of energy. It isn't simple ki or magic, it is a collective sentient mass of mental might life force and is solely resultant from Dix/Daedalus. This cursed energy really does not like being unstable and if it's forced to exist in this state, it will resist and actually weaken Hit. He had to find a balance and maintain said balance. Unfortunately, the rate of decay was still too much and Hit underestimated the repercussion's onset due to it sapping him later on. It's still quite incredible that he fought so well against a level 4 and even killed them. He had to juggle a completely foreign form of existence, fight to the best of his ability, and fling mental attacks at Dix. No other being in this universe (other than gods presiding over insanity and nightmares) could have done what Hit just performed.
We can see that when Hit is the same level as a human opponent, there isn't really anything they can do. Hit is just that incredible. This was the worst possible outcome for Dix – he lowered himself to level four and Hit rose to around the same/higher strength level. You could also argue that a mentally stable level 4 could win if they stalled for time. Thankfully, Dix was busy having multiple mental breakdowns.
On the other hand, same level monsters are far more problematic for Hit, but he can still get the job done.
Explanations:
Dix only managed to escape his curse, as he had endured such great mental and physical pain at the hands of Hit, that Daedalus' torture seemed innocuous. Hit provided him with quite a wakeup call.
The doors opened to Hit, as a certain someone below allowed a path for the magic to flow through (don't want to backfire on Knossos. Doesn't care about pawns). Unexpectedly, Hit is also blown out (thought would be more resilient).
References:
Gran pummelling Hit – Gamma 2 vs orange Piccolo.
Hit jumping to loosen himself into Goku's stance – Goku's movements prior to fighting Broly.
When Hit walks noisily up to Dix, the pose used is when Jiren walks up to Goku for the first time, whilst the shockwaves are those that emanate when Trunks stomps up to Goku Black once he acquired ssj rage. When Hit crouches and holds his fists at his sides before landing the final volley on Dix, this matches Jiren's attack that Vegeta sees through.
When Hit cuts Dix's arm off while the man is lost in his cold, bleak abyss, it's supposed to be a reference to when Gon's arm is severed in hxh.
Dix's final expression matches Paul Greyray's final smile to Rudeus.
Conclusion:
Any names for Hit's ephemeral form, by the way? It's only born from absorbing and usurping Dix's curse, so it's really only a one-time transformation as this version.
Curse's bane is my favourite.
Spirit thief?
Soul tyrant?
Fugen? (Fugen Bodhisattva from buddhism involved in confession and purification)
Charon _ (ferryman who transports souls over river styx)
Also, anyone seen Deadpool and wolverine? Absolutely incredible movie. Tied or slightly surpasses first one.
Diagrams hopefully explaining Hit's energy manipulation can be found on Wattpad. I am on mobile, so I'll do my best to make them show up. If not, I'll put them up when I get home from holiday or use a computer next.
Anyway, this is going to be it for part 1. Yes, it's a couple chapters shorter than I would have liked, but there we are. It also ends on a cliff-hanger, which is even worse. Sorry, and I hope I haven't upset you with the length or direction. I'm on holiday at the moment, so I'm having fun with that and should have done this before my flight. This will be another long break, definitely far longer than the last one and, as always, there is no guarantee of anything. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the update.