The arena is filled with angry chants from humanity, making Heimdall a bit worried seeing them all rallying against their own fighter. "Fuck off, Blackbeard! Go back to hell's prison where you belong!" "How dare you use such dishonorable tactics!?"
Icarus grips his arms tightly, standing with them crossed, his hood up again and his wing wrapped around his upper body. "Pandora… how could she do this to Michael?"
Pandora is sitting up against the wall at the back of the balcony. "I can't… stand out there… they're scary…" She mutters to herself. She looks up to the edge seeing someone standing front and center looking over the arena. "W-who's there!?" She asks and the man doesn't react.
"Come up here and find out perhaps?" A rather pleasant voice says, however it has a slight demonic echo.
Pandora gulps as she stands. The man is a bit taller than her, dressed in a flawless tuxedo, standing with one hand on a black cane with a cobra-head at the handle and a metallic red and black orb in its mouth. He has short black hair, swept back. She steps up to him, looking up at his face. "Who… are you?"
The man chuckles a little showing off his sharp canines. He looks down at her. Most of his face is pleasant and handsome, but his right eye is red with a demonic pupil, and it seems to be 'spreading' some kind of red energy over his face, even having spawned a horn on his head and a red stripe through his hair. "It has been a while since I have had to introduce myself to a human," he says and one of the audience-members right below them looks up angrily.
"She's NOT human!"
The man leans over the railing. "Be quiet please. Literally no one talked to you," He says and the second the human sees the strange man his eyes turn from anger to fear instantly and he starts running away, trampling past the other humans. "Where were we? Right," He clanks his staff on the ground, bowing gently. "The name is Lucifer Morningstar. You may know me more commonly as… The Devil Himself,"
Pandora's face goes pale, even more than it already was and she steps back a little. "T-the Devil!? I-I know about you. You're a demon!"
Lucifer holds up a finger taking a snappy breath. "I… well I suppose that's accurate at this point. But I used to be an angel believe it or not."
Pandora tilts her head slightly confused. "You're not… here to kill me or anything?"
Lucifer raises an eyebrow. "You're a weird one aren't you? It does fit my reputation though. But nah. Don't really care."
"So… why are you here?"
Lucifer laughs again and leans on the railing. "What kind of brother would I be if I didn't show?"
"Michael is your… BROTHER?!"
Lucifer twirls his cane around a bit. "In the human sense I suppose the answer is no. But angels are a little different. It doesn't matter to you. I will be watching from here. Feel free to join me up here in front. It'll be interesting to see how he handles Eddy."
Pandora looks at the demonic man a little confused. "Eddy…"
On the deck of the ship Blackbeard holds out his arms. "So!? What'll it be, fairy?! You gonna fight me into submission? Or die by the hand of Blackbeard!?" He says standing with a foot on Michael's chest.
Michael grits his teeth before his wings of light begin glowing brilliantly and Blackbeard shields his eyes, Michael shooting out from under his foot and gets to his feet, his light wings also providing a cleansing of the wound he was given, slowly but surely patching it up, Blackbeard grinning ear to ear seeing that Michael is healing quite fast. "It was folly of me to believe that a human as passionate as you could be talked into surrender easily. I see this now. You are the kind of man who responds to strength. Speech and reason alone is not enough for you. And so you leave me no choice. I am sorry," He shoots forward, using that same nimbleness he used when running away to go on the offense, Blackbeard lifting his sword up to block but Michael strikes it with a surprising amount of strength, pushing the old pirate back against a wooden mast in the middle of the ship.
Humanity cheers loudly. "Yeah! Get him Michael!" "That's our savior!" "No need to feel sorry for that guy!"
"I must warn you. As the archangel I am far more powerful than anything you have battled previously," Michael states calmly, still pushing the pirate against the mast.
"Ha! What a WEAK taunt! Neither the countries of Earth, the forces of nature or the chains of hell could hold me! I welcome this challenge with open arms!" Blackbeard pushes away, getting Michael off his back spinning out of the way of Michael's charge back in, the angel slashing at the mast just as Blackbeard gets out of the way. "BWAHAHA!" Blackbeard cheers, grabbing another stray bottle of alcohol left there by the haphazard crew before the round began. He grabs a quick swig while using his black mist on his flintlock again, causing the top to open a hole and he shoves the bottle in there haphazardly, the label changing to a burning jolly roger as well. "So, Mr. 'I've never met a human I could not talk to'," He pulls the trigger on his gun and it starts blasting fire. "Ya really changed that tone REAL fast!" He says laughing maniacally.
"Can you not see that I am merely proving to you that I am a capable protector?! The brilliant light guiding humanity!?" Michael forms the giant shield around himself again, shooting through the flame and he grabs hold of Blackbeard's face. "Pardon me," He charges forward towards the captain's cabin, slamming Blackbeard against the locked door, taking a short step back and kicking Blackbeard clean through the door, knocking it off the hinges as it opens outwards, sending the man tumbling into the room. Screens appear all around the arena showing the inside of the cabin as Heimdall was prepared after Sun Tzu and Hachiman's fight in the little house.
Blackbeard rolls in, slamming against a giant desk in the middle with treasure-maps strewn about it carelessly. He grabs his head and grits his teeth a bit coughing up some blood. "Heh. Finally. A strong- Huh?" He starts before he feels something warm shining down on him. He looks up seeing an eye-like structure made of Michael's Holy White Light shooting a laser of light at him, feeling his bruises disappearing and his energy returning. HOLY WHITE NURSE!
Michael walks in, basking in the light from the door holding out his hands. "As I said. I wish you no harm. I will simply fight you and heal you if you are injured. Do not worry. The light that guides humanity truly does not wish it any harm."
Blackbeard swings his cutlass at the eye, shattering it and sending it back to Michael's wings to reform. "I don't need ya damn pitiful light, fairy-boy!" Blackbeard stands and leans against the desk. "Heh. Good memories these ones." He says grabbing a gold coin from a small chest on the table.
"If you wish, I am sure I would enjoy the stories you have to tell?" Michael says and Blackbeard laughs.
"These coins. We got them into our possession by plundering a spanish ship, throwing the captain overboard and sinking the ship afterwards with the survivors inside," He says checking to see Michael's reaction with a raised eyebrow. "Makes ya' pissed don't it? Then TRY TO KILL ME, Michael!" Michael blasts forward, grabbing his sword with both hands, his wings of light forming around the sword, making it grow and Blackbeard jumps onto the table, leaping over Michael's slash which cuts the table's legs, the angel holding out his arm, forming a shield from Blackbeard's bullets, and he flicks his wrist sending the shield into the pirate and he goes flying back further into the room landing in the chair he has at the back near his 'work desk', a human skull sitting on it with candles sticking out of its eyes, some coins and papers lying about and a dagger sticking out of it. Blackbeard almost perfectly lands in the chair with Michael leaping onto the table, pointing his blade down at Blackbeard.
"I do not condone your actions whatsoever, Edward Teach. However, even you will be saved! I will bring the goodness in you to the outside and let you into the paradise for humanity I will create! Let me be your protector!" He says, Blackbeard bursting out laughing.
"YAAAARRRHAHAHAAAR! Don't be mistaken Michael!" He kicks the table, making Michael leap off it just in time, Blackbeard rolling under him, grabbing the dagger and skull on his desk. "There's not a CHANCE I'll join whatever CAGE you'll put me in? Protector my ass!" His black mist surrounds the skull and it begins cackling and spawns burning purple eyes. He tosses it into the air, stabbing it with his cutlass and the two items combine, the blade becoming white and burning with a purple flame, much like the skulls eyes, getting a more skeletal design. "More like a WARDEN!" He swings the blade letting the flames ripple as he runs towards Michael who landed on his chair.
Michael grits his teeth and leaps back, striking Blackbeard's blade with his own, the two swords meeting and the flames consuming each other. "I am no warden! I am the protector of humanity as I have ALWAYS been! I am NOTHING like my brother!" He says for once his voice flowing over with anger as his Holy White Light to form a large gauntlet, Michael throwing his arm back and equipping it, striking at Blackbeard, knocking him back into the table in the middle of the room. HOLY WHITE HAND!
Blackbeard laughs heartily as he knocks the table over. "Nothing like the devil!, you say!? And here I thought you would not speak in LIES!" He swings his flaming sword at some coins that were knocked into the air from his crash, the purple flames of his new sword surrounding them as they go flying towards Michael who forms the shield once more to block however the purple fire begins to burn at it. "A protector who seeks to keep his subjects contained is nothing more than a warden! You, Michael, are a FOOL!"
"You are WRONG!" Michael calls back. "Why can you not see that?!"
Outside the ship the people in the stands are sitting and watching. "Yeah you idiot! Michael would never keep us prisoner!" "That's not even remotely what he's planning!"
However one person speaks up, standing in the back. The young pirate with the bandana and knife in his mouth who sabotaged the arena. "Is it not? What EXACTLY is his plan then?"
"You're… Captain Kidd!" Another member of the audience chimes in.
Kidd spins his knife around on his finger. "Yeah. So what EXACTLY is Michael gonna do once he's completed step one of his plan hm?"
"Step one?"
Kidd sheathes his knife rather menacingly. "Step one. Confining all of humanity to a single space with no gods."
"That is the entire plan! Besides of COURSE you would object to it you pirate!"
"Step two. 'Guide humanity'. Take a long objective look at that and tell me what THAT means,"
Over by Pandora and Lucifer, the devil laughs. "Looks like things are getting heated now!" He grins listening to the humans who start arguing.
Pandora gulps. "This… this isn't what I wanted…" She says tears beginning to stream from her face. "N-not only does Icarus hate me… n-now I'm making them hate EACH OTHER too?!"
Lucifer laughs again much to her annoyance. This isn't funny after all. "Dry your tears. They're wasted on something like this. Humans don't get along with all other humans. It's just that simple. But look," He points down with his cane at the 'groups' that are starting to form. "Those humans are standing together against THOSE humans. And that is quite beautiful is it not? It is no different from those other two groups."
"W-what other groups?" Pandora asks and Lucifer points to the other side of the arena's audience. "The… gods?"
"The gods and the humans. It is the same as this. Humans and gods alike. They happily band together against a common foe. It is humanity's greatest strength and also one of their mightiest flaws."
"W-woah…" She looks surprised down at the audience who are silently groveling at each other. The gods are definitely quiet this round, murmuring about how humanity is simply self-destructing now. "B-but… what about you and Michael? He's your brother and he said he's against you! Isn't that… sad? How can you laugh when hearing such things!?"
Lucifer taps his cane against the floor. "Well. If I'm being honest. It's a discussion we had many many eons ago. To put it simply, words no longer hurt me."
"That's… sad."
"I do not care. As for Michael. I do worry what will become of him in this battle."
Michael sees the Holy White Light being burned away by the purple flames, gritting his teeth. "I do not tell lies!"
Blackbeard scoffs. "Then you are a fool, rather than a liar!"
Michael pants as he surrounds the burning shards with an airtight sphere, extinguishing the flames. "I am neither. For millions of years I have guided humanity. Saved them from fatal mistakes. You. You are but one man in opposition of me. And no matter what schemes you pull. No matter what values you hold. No matter what arguments you present. I shall not… I will not give up on you because of your own unwillingness to cooperate! That is what humanity does! That is why I love humanity! Humanity will never fail me! Therefore I will never fail humanity!" He holds his arms out to uproaring applause from the outside.
"That's Michael for ya!" "Yeah! Be grateful you damn pirate!" However… a few people who previously cheered are sitting silent. "..."
Michael smiles. "Hear the cheers for my victory, Edward. I must reciprocate their feelings!" He shoots forward swinging his glowing blade, Blackbeard deflecting with a single swing, but Michael follows his momentum and roundhouse kicks Blackbeard into a bookshelf, the old man gritting his teeth as Michael follows up, striking Blackbeard with his Holy White Hand gauntlet of light, making him cough up blood, cracking the bookshelf, Blackbeard reaching out for a book falling, his Black Heart enhancing it with a metallic cover with spikes at the corners and he strikes at Michael with it, but the angel is too fast, grabbing him by the collar and LAUNCHING them both in the air violently, slamming them both through the ceiling, reaching up to the upper deck where the rudder is. Blackbeard grits his teeth as he bleeds from his mouth and head as Michael tosses him across the deck, his sword and gun falling from his hand as he slams against a barrel. Michael floats down from above unleashing his Holy White Nurse again. "I am deeply sorry. Tough love is sometimes needed. But do not worry. You will never die under my protection."
The pirate simply laughs. "Ahahah… I see now… control of My Black Heart is not doing it?" He says stumbling to his feet. "I suppose this old experienced body is not exactly in its best shape. Then I shall fight you at my peak of physical prowess instead!" He says as Michael looks a little confused, Blackbeard suddenly picking up the barrel he landed against, his black mist making it black and heavy, growing spikes around the rim as he hurls it at Michael with surprising strength.
"What?" Michael says confused, deflecting the barrel with a strong flick of his sword, only to be met with a large boot right in front of his face, striking him before he can react. He stumbles back, grabbing his head in confusion and as he opens his eyes again he's met with a fist this time, decorated with metal rings. Clearly it's Blackbeard's! He stumbles back against the railing before once more getting kicked, this time in the stomach, and despite his armor it feels like he's kicked dead on and he tumbles over the edge, recovering midair and flapping his wings letting him get up onto the railing again. "W-what?!" He looks confused to see a young man with middle-length black hair, now cleanly shaved, picking up Blackbeard's gun and sword. He is shirtless with large tattoos on his toned chest. He can't be older than 25. "You are…?"
The young man laughs as the black mist surrounds the weapons. "Come on, fairy! It's THAT hard to figure it out!?" He suddenly charges back towards Michael. "KYAHAHA! Let's see how you handle the fiery passion of BLACKBEARD'S YOUTH!" He yells grinning ear to ear as he leaps in for another strike, Michael still being confused by what happened, leaps down onto the deck to deflect, but as opposed to the clearly targeted strikes of Blackbeard before this young version is wild and impulsive, swinging his sword wildly. "Man it feels REAL good to not have BACKPAINS anymore!" He strikes, Michael blocking and holding the strikes before his opponent lays his flintlock right down in the middle almost using their crossed swords as a steady rest for a clean shot at Michael's head, even being so cocky as to close one eye to aim. Michael manages to leap back and away dodging, though the bullet strikes his hair knocking a few of his perfect golden locks off.
"I refuse to engage before you explain what has happened!? Your power has regiven you your youth!? But your golden age is the STRONGEST you! Why intentionally weaken yourself!?" He calls out and the young Blackbeard laughs.
"What? My power? HAH! My Black Heart has nothing to do with this! It's simple really!" He holds out his arms, spinning jubilantly in place. "'Golden age'? What a mindless concept. Who exactly decides when our golden age lies!? Humans are such IDIOTS! Simply waking up in Heaven, content with being limited by the body they're given. That is why I am the freest of all humans! Gods, the sky, the sea, the land, morals, duty, pride, even my own flesh and blood! NONE of it will hold me back! I CHOOSE MY GOLDEN AGE! Who you were facing was my Elder self. The Blackbeard whose will is indomitable. Who's stomach can hold the most ale without vomiting. Whose freedom is most expressed. He is Blackbeard The Withered. Who you're facing now is an entirely different beast. Still Blackbeard. But this is the me who is full of spunk, youthful spirit and most of all!" He shoots forward with a grin on his face, looking almost manic. "The one with the sharpest reflexes and most agile body! You're facing Blackbeard The Kindled! So come on, Michael! Let's fight! Bleed! PARTY! Until our bodies give out! KYAHA!" He swings his sword down, Michael gritting his teeth as he deflects.
"As you wish, young man! No matter the age from your long life you choose to face me with! I will respond in kind! I will defeat every you, and prove myself as a savior even to you!"