A/N: I hate how I wrote this chapter, but unfortunately, I'm already at chapter 37(currently writing 38) on the Pat, so I have to keep it like this because, I found a way that I can actually salvage this car crash of a chapter and turn it into something good further down the line.
One Month after Leaving Buddha's Palace:
The Devil's Bermuga, Underworld:
Isaiah's POV:
"Well, today, we either die or we make sure that we rescue Joker." I said and Bardou barked in agreement as we both stood on a cliff, looking down at where the Agrukk's hellhounds were resting. A few were on guard and making sure that no one sneaked up on them, but other than that, nothing.
"Okay, let's do this." I muttered as I took a deep breath, kneeling down on one knee as my bow appeared in my grasp. With a thought, five arrows appeared on the string, ready to be fired as I perfectly held them and aimed.
With a grin, I let them loose, four arrows flying towards the four corners of their home and one flying to the middle. The hellhounds didn't have time to shout or howl before the entirety of their resting place was completely eviscerated. Lightning rained down on them like the wrath of Zeus and sickles of wind sliced and cut through their bodies with ease, leaving nothing more than disemboweled and charred corpses behind before I turned to Bardou and nodded.
"Bardou is here, motherfuckers!" With a nod and a monstrous howl, he transformed before rearing back on his heels and slamming down. The ground under him cracked before bright violet magma spewed from the cracks, destroying the cliff side we were on and raining down magma on the camp.
Bardou disappeared to go do his part as I rocketed down through the magma and towards the powerful source behind it, Agrukk's eyes widening as he saw my grinning visage before I landed besides him, stabbing him in the paw with a powerful holy dagger before jumping away as far and as fast as I could
. That wasn't even enough to make him flinch as he glared at me right before his body locked up. The shock in his eyes was so satisfying and I grinned as I created a katana with a blueish green hilt in my left hand and a katana with a bright pink hilt in my right, staring at him before a holy aura exploded off the pink hilt katana.
'That's phase one done.' I thought as I 'saw' Joker and Bardou quickly jumping out of the cave and running away as fast as they could before I raised the katana above my head.
"This has enough holy energy to completely eviscerate a Satan-Class Devil, so if you survive this, I guess I'm dead." I muttered as I stared at the rage and slight fear in his eyes before I swung.
'Balance Break: Senbonsakura Kageyoshi.'The blade with the pink hilt shattered into bright white petals that floated around me for a second before they spun and bombarded Agrukk. I didn't stay to see the result as I ran as fast as I could, trying to get away from Agrukk's territory.
"Hey, Joky! Told you I'd get you back." I said with a grin as I applied the same translation rune that Bardou had onto his neck. Joker grinned as he and Bardou ran besides me. I frowned slightly as I noticed the scar running across his maw, but I didn't say anything about it as we finally got out of the hellhound's territory right, Agrukk's monstrous howl making us laugh as I tried to teleport us away before I felt it.
A wave of scorching air flooded the area, cracking my lip and making me stumble slightly from the heat wave as I turned to where I felt the aura right before I felt three others.
An aura of nothing but maliciousness came from the east, nearly making me stumble from it.
An aura of ice cold came from the north, making the humidity in the air rise as it clashed with Agrukk's scorching hot aura.
The fourth aura was the one that made me consider my actions. Instead of it having any sort of elemental affinity, it was nothing but pure, unfiltered power. An aura that made every primal fear in my body scream at me to run and I tried to teleport us away once again only for the teleportation crest to shatter as a barrier appeared all around the area I was in.
Four gateways opened and I heard snarling and growling of a hound, the chittering of a bug, the hissing of a snake and the soft beats of wings. It was not long before I was greeted by the sight of all four Satan familiars slowly walking through the gateways before coming to a standstill. The gateways closed behind them and I was instantly on guard as Bardou and Joker transformed.
"You…are going to pay for that, filth!" Agrukk snarled, burned patches of fur on his body as bright blue blood flowed freely from his missing eye.
"I see you didn't listen to Agrukk's warning, little devil~ Oh, I wonder how you're going to taste~" Anubue chittered with a grin as a transparent poison slowly dripped from its stinger.
"You should have just left the pup with his father, boy." Grithyx muttered as he stared at me, his body now shrunken down to fit in the barrier as he stared at me.
"This is the brat you three kept speaking about? How is he interesting if he's nothing more than an average Satan-Class devil?" The fourth unknown familiar, which I realised was Comraicrer, asked with a raised eyebrow.
It was standing on all fours, with the body, back legs and tails of a lion and the head, wings and talons of an eagle that acted as its front legs.
A griffin.
Lucifer's familiar was a damn griffin, known for their power and their absolute prideful behaviour.
So, I'm fighting a Griffin, a Leviathan, a Chimera and an Alpha Hellhound.
...Oh, I'm not surviving this one at all.
'Do not fight to win to survive. Fight to survive to win.' I thought with a frown as I got into a stance, nodding at Bardou and Joker before my Touki raged as it exploded off of me. All four looked slightly surprised at my raging Touki before their eyes widened as I layered Storm King's Aura on top of it, the ground under me cracking as I grinned.
"He's grown much more than I expected." Grithyx said with a frown as he stared at me before I disappeared, reappearing behind Anubue with a grin.
"You're first, you creepy fucker! Balance Break: Ryujin Jakka!" Anubue barely got out of the way as I swung the rusted katana in my grasp, a wave of bright orange fire scorching the air and making Anubue screech as it burnt his wings.
In the blink of an eye, I jumped as Comraicrer and Grithyx appeared on both sides of me, cratering the ground as they slammed a talon and a tail on the spot where I was respectively. Agrukk jumped in front of the flames and absorbed them all before opening his maw and firing balls of bright blue fire at me.
I jumped out of the way before my eyes widened as Joker appeared in front of it, devouring all of the fireballs before opening his maw and firing a fireball about three times my size at Anubue.
Anubue dodged it and he quickly ran across the ground towards Joker right before he was slammed to the side as Bardou barrelled into him like a comet of violet fire, burning his side and sending him flying away right before Bardou jumped as Agrukk send a wave of blue fire at him.
"Bardou! Joker! Shotgun!" I shouted as I dodged Grithyx' water cannon as well as Comraicrer's wind blasts as Bardou and Joker appeared besides me, firing off fireball after fireball at the two and making them briefly forget about me as they dodge them.
With a grin, I left the two of them to keep Grithyx and Comraicrer occupied as I rocketed towards the struggling Anubue, who was trying and failing to get up after Bardou completely burned off the legs on his right side. I could feel Agrukk keeping up besides me and I dodged his fireballs as I created my blade.
'Balance Break: Tensa Zangetsu!' I grinned as the black daito appeared in my right hand, Anubue only having time to glance up at me before I grinned as my body began to blur.
'Sandanzuki: Piercing Fang!' In the blink of an eye, I disappeared before reappearing once again along with a few dozen other afterimages, Agrukk's eyes widening as he tried to fire a barrage of fireballs to find the correct one. It was too late. Anubue gave his final screech as my blade cut him vertically in two, his stinger trying to deliver one desperate dose of poison, but I grinned as the stinger went through me and connected with nothing.
"Anubue!" Agrukk shouted, drawing Comraicrer and Grithyx's attention as I jumped back to get some air, Bardou and Joker landing besides me as Comraicrer and Grithyx rushed towards where Agrukk was just staring at Anubue's corpse in sorrow. They just stared at his corpse in shock before all three slowly looked up at me in unison, pure rage burning in their eyes before their auras exploded.
"All out?" I heard Comraicrer's deep voice echo through the barrier.
"All out." Both Grithyx and Agrukk answered in unison and their auras increased even more to the size of raging pillars touching the top of the barrier before the auras disappeared. I blinked as I stared at where the auras were before my eyes widened as I saw the three beings standing where the three familiars were standing before.
A large lycan-like being was standing where Agrukk previously was, a scarf of bright blue fire wrapping around his shoulders and coming to rest around his wrists. Orbs of bright blue fire floated behind him and his eyes glowed a bright blue as he glared at me.
In the place where Grithyx's serpent form was, was a reptilian being. It was covered in thick dark blue scales, large leathery wings pulled close to its body as he stared at me with his bright yellow slitted looked to be a winged naga as it had the muscular upper body of a male, yet its lower body was that of a serpent.
Where Comraicrer previously stood was a human-like being, large eagle-like wings spread wide behind him. His legs were eagle legs, talons tearing into the ground. His hair was an unruly mane that hung behind him and his eyes burned gold as he glared at me, clenching and unclenching his clawed hands
'Since when did they have anthropomorphic forms?!' I exclaimed in shock as the three glances at each other before nodding. Faster than I could react, two fists slammed into my chest, making me gasp for air as I heard Joker and Bardoy yelp before a double kick slammed into my face and send me flying head over heels.
"Huh…he actually survived that." I could hear the deep voice of Agrukk say, but I was far too busy with trying to straighten myself out as I dug my heels into the ground, slowly coming to a still as I gasped slightly.
'Thank the Satans I placed an impact dampening rune on my face and chest just in time. If not, that would have completely crushed my skull and liquified my organs.' I thought with a frown as I shook my head and looked up before my eyes widened as I ducked, a tail whip from Grithyx making the air above me vibrate before I grunted as I raised my arms in front of me in a cross-guard, successfully blocking the sliding kick from Comraicrer.
Grabbing his leg, Comraicrer barely had a chance for his eyes to widen as I leapt into the air and spun, smashing him into Grithyx before spinning with both of them and sending them flying away.
With this small reprieve, I looked around for Joker and Bardou and winced slightly as I saw the two of them taking a beating from Agrukk, who was punching and kicking them relentlessly.
Crouching in the blink of an eye, I pushed off the ground as hard as I could and blitzed towards Agrukk ,dodging the outstretched hands of Comraicrer and Grithyx who were trying to keep me preoccupied.
Agrukk noticed my presence as he dropped Joker and Bardou's limp bodies to the ground before rocketing towards me with a feral grin.
'Three…two…one…now!' I quickly skidded to a stop before jumping into the air, their punches connecting with that of the others in a triangle before I landed in a hand stand on their outstretched arms.
Quickly tapping their arms, Gremorian runic patterns appeared from under my hands and spread all over their arms, stopping at just below their shoulders. Leaping away, I grinned as I tapped my right wrist with my left hand, the same Gremorian rune as theirs appearing on my wrist and spreading up to my shoulder as I stomped on the ground. Runic patterns spread all over the ground before a barrier sprouted inside the one we were in, Joker and Bardou on the outside as I grinned at their confused glares.
"Energy and stamina siphoning runes along with regeneration and enhancement runes." I said with a grin as I tapped my wrist and their eyes widened as they looked at their own before my aura raged.
'I was hoping to not use this since it hurts me as well, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it.'
"Balance Break: Minazuki." Blood flowed from my hands, a short katana appearing in my right hand as I slowly knelt down. I noticed Comraicrer glancing warily at the blood before he winced slightly in pain as he looked down. In his distracted state, the blood has completely covered the ground and to his shock, the blood was ignoring all of his resistances and defences as it ate at his feet.
"Get to the air now!" Comraicrer shouted as he flew upwards and Grithyx and Agrukk quickly followed as I grinned. Just as they got into the air, I saw them stumble and they looked a bit more tired before they looked down at me. I just waved my rune covered arm, ignoring the burning pain coming from my legs as the acidic blood devoured it right before I was healed by the enhanced regeneration runes on my arm.
"That's not all." I said before another blade appeared in my left hand, this time having three crimson whip-blades with a black hilt.
"Born in Desolation. Burning in Greed! Solemn with Victory yet Ripe with Defeat! Arise and become anew! Balance Break: Fushi no Kōjō!" Runic patterns appeared on the blades and covered them entirely before all three blades rocketed towards the three of them. They tried and failed to dodge them as I'm guessing those transformation take a lot of energy to maintain and with the energy and stamina that I was now constantly siphoning, it must be far too draining to even try to fly.
'Not that I can't talk. Two Balance Breakers at the same time along with using my Concept, my Touki, Storm Wolf's Aura and Piercing Fang is far too draining to use at the same time, even with me siphoning as much energy as I can from them. I won't be surprised if I can't walk after this.' I thought with a frown, sweat slowly dripping down my brow before I grinned as a blade wrapped around Agrukk's throat.
Instantly, I felt the energy draining effect increase substansially and I leaped to my feet as Agrukk slowly floated down from the air.
'Time to show you what it means to take my dog.' I thought with a glare as I rocketed up towards him, Comraicrer and Grithyx quickly flying to stop me but dipping at random intervals because of the energy draining and to dodge the whips that were still trying to catch them.
With a grin, I slashed downwards and the only warning I got was a grin from Agrukk before I gasped, his claws piercing through my Storm King's Aura and into my chest as Minazuki, Fushi no Kōjō and the runic patterns on their arms cracked before shattering.
"Good try, filth, but you're no match for us." He said with a grin as the acid blood under us disappeared and he threw me hard towards the ground.
"The boy…did well…to keep up…with us. Not many devils can face all three of us in our True Forms." Grithyx said as he took deep breaths, their wounds slowly healing as their energy returned to them and both barriers dropped. I reached into my pocket dimension and tried to take out a Phenex Tear only for Agrukk to take it from my grasp and crush it in his grasp, sighing in relief as his wounds healed faster.
"You're as selfish as always, little brother." Comraicrer said with a grin and Agrukk chuckled as I slowly sat upright, blood flowing freely from the five holes in my chest as Agrukk rolled his neck.
"You're much more stronger than the rest of the filth in the Underworld, but powerful filth is still filth. Repent in the afterlife as you realise that no one survives the wrath of the Four Cardinal Kings." He said as he stabbed towards my head before howling in agony as his arm was ripped off, Joker grinning as he crushed the arm in his maw before spitting it out. Fireballs rained down the three of them, with all three of them jumping away as Bardou landed next to me. I stared at Bardou and Joker, who also jumped to be next to me, before I turned to the three glaring familiars as I tried to figure out an escape plan.
'The same paralysing runic pattern as the one I used on Agrukk? No, they will be on guard for that and I don't have enough energy to even make a normal blade as I'm channelling everything I have towards healing. A barrier rune scheme then? No, they'd tear through that with ease and we'd be sitting ducks after that. Come on, Isaiah! Use that prodigious brain of yours that everyone brags about and think! There must be something I can do here.'
…I had nothing. Everything I could think of, they already had a counter for it or it wouldn't work since I wouldn't have enough energy to execute them. There was the option of creating a combustion runic bombs on daggers and throw them at the three, but that needed time and I'm certain that they're going to try and keep me from doing anything.
"Bardy, take him." I heard Joker say as he activated the translation rune on his neck, transforming into his True Form as both Bardou and I gave him shocked stares.
"I'm the only one who can absorb our Dad's flames and Master has made them weak enough that I can keep all three of them at bay while you two escape."
"B-But…you won't make it. Even if you can buy us enough time, what guarantee is there that you would be able to survive?" Bardou asked and Joker just grinned as he walked to stand in front of us, glaring at the three familiars who just glared back.
"Then I guess looking after Master is your job from now on."
"W-W-Wait, J-Joky. I-I can still…g-get us all…out of here. J-Just...just give me...a few s-seconds" I finally found my voice, but Joker just grinned at me.
"Unless you have a teleportation pamphlet that will lead us to a safe location, this is the only choice. Now go, Bardy! Keep him safe for the both of us!" And before I could stop him, he was gone, howling loudly as he rocketed towards the three of them. Comraicrer tried to dodge him and run towards us, but Joker just bit down on his wing and threw him into Grithyx, sending the both of them flying back.
"W-Wait! Joker!" I gasped as I tried to make it to my legs only for my legs to fail me as I stumbled and fell face first into Bardou's fur.
"Come back here, boy! You will not escape the wrath of the Four Cardinal Kings after what you just did!" Agrukk shouted only to gasp as Joker headbutted him and sent him flying head over heels over the ground.
"You'll have to get past me first, you old bastard! Burn and be torn asunder! Asmodeus' Rage!" A sea of bright blue flames and scorching hot blue magma rose from the ground, rising high into the air before completely converging on all three of them.
"Joker!" I tried to climb up again, but Bardou grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and threw me onto him.
"We have to go, Master!" Bardou shouted as he ran away, Joker's sea of blue flames rising from the ground behind us and making a sort of barrier to keep the other three from following after us.
"B-But Joker is…he's still fighting." I shouted as I tried to climb off before I winced as weak flames wrapped around my limbs and waist and kept me strapped to Bardou to stop me form jumping down.
"We…we have to leave him. We were arrogant and this is the price we pay! Now let's go!" Bardou exclaimed as he accelerated, turning into nothing but a bright violet comet as I just laid on his back, tears flowing freely as I heard the clashing in the background growing dimmer and dimmer. The last thing I heard was a loud howl as I finally had enough energy to create a teleportation crest before we disappeared.
A/N: I think I have flu, because my head is pounding as I'm writing this and my throat feels completely dry no matter how much water I drink. However, I promised you guys a chapter and I'm delivering on that promise.
And with that, you all know what happened with Joker as well as seeing a few new BxB.
Not as epic or cool as I expected it to be(To be truthful, it's too shitty for me to accept as a good chapter, but I can't think of anything better with this headache, so I had to go with it.), but we can now finally officially start with the next arc.
As always, read, enjoy, review and I'll see you all in the next chapter.
Until then…
Ba-Bye~!