> To protect is to defend purpose, an action of inherent selfishness…
Probacon, David, Wynn, Hether and Kai, all wearing stylish clothing as they posture on the surface and fragments of a destabilized moon.
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All members of this impromptu twelve-man group, kept their ears keenly on the Shinigami Kuroko, who seemingly possessed amounts of information on the other Shinigami, the one called Deriba.
"You truly know of his identity?,” asked David curiously. "Sure do. The guy's still a troublemaker even now, huh?" Kuroko responded with a stretched sigh.
"Who precisely is this guy?" Probacon asked.
Kuroko tilted his head downwards for a while, as though in thought and self-reassurance. With a minimally frowned mouth of mostly frustration with the individual in question.
He eventually raised his head. "Deriba's a pure Shinigami, who comes from my timeline's ‘Spirit World’, which I believe some of you may or may not have such equivalents…"
"He was part of the ‘Retainers of The Hall Of Souls’, serving as Commander number sixteen out of twenty, and the Commander of The Sixteenth Sentinel. And…probably best described as young, brash, aggressive, manipulative and destructive. Regardless, he was strong…"
"And a year and a half ago for me, I entered that place for the first time. Despite my mission there, another major event occurred, and I essentially helped save the place…from his and the hands of some others."
"WHAAAAT?!" Many of this disheveled group would shout in unison, some jumping from their seats, with only David, Fighter, Noot and Adashu keeping their calms.
"What happened next!?,” asked Wok. "Did you and Deriba fall out?!,” added Hether. "Please, tell more!" Kai inputted as well, all of the three in a rush for this word of mouth.
"Compose yourselves and let him finish." David scolded their rash attitudes.
"Thanks. Anyway, his case was that of being coerced by the other four, and being one of the only two stopped from escaping. The ones who did eventually died or were defeated in other scenarios…”
“(I'm diverting). But Deriba's punishment for what he did was eternal banishment.”
"Hmm. He's honestly lucky to have been hit with something so light…,” said Noot. "Agreed.”
"So, now it's been over a year since then for you?" Fighter asked.
"Yeah. I've not really kept tabs on him with the banishment and all (‘specially since it was from our timeline as a whole). But considering the recent incident, and what you guys seem to be discussing, it might be something I may have to involve myself in,” said Kuroko with determination.
"Uhh, should we?" Watch skeptically enquired from Fighter, a whisper into the ear. "Considering the situation at hand…" Fighter replied with a slight bow of the head.
"Do you wish to know, Kuroko?" He looked up and asked the Shinigami.
"...Yeah.” Kuroko replied. "Alright. This will take a short while."
Fighter proceeded to explain in a brief but detailed manner the group's discoveries to Kuroko.
The initial reaction from the latter was that of a shock-riddled face.
But it would swiftly bend to one of greater concern and determination afterwards.
"Well, that's about everything…" Fighter finished, reclining on the seat he took. "Yeah, I got it all. So, other than Deriba and his current posse, who else's a suspect?" He asked.
"Bora…" Probacon said in the back, drawing the attention of the group unto himself.
“The unanimous top-of-the-list, I presume. One who is…uncanny to whom I have heard of…" David said. "I agree. He…differs in many ways." Adashu chimed in with his thoughts.
Kuroko noted these individuals with counting of his fingers. "So, Bora, Deriba…"
"And Dragon King,” said Wok, covering his mouth from the side. “(Stop inserting him here).” An irritated Huo reprimanded him.
"And Dragon King. Got it. When do investigations begin?," asked Kuroko.
"Immediately,” said David. "Good. I'm joining in."
"Understood. Good to have another reliable ally.”
Davìd then addressed the entire group, this unprepared alliance. “Alright everyone, there's another 31 minutes, and 23.65 seconds before battles resume. Move swift, but move sharp. Prayers, and goodluck.”
"Yeah!" They all responded in unison.
They all went separate ways, making up different subgroups of themselves.
One of these consisted of David, Probacon, and Wok, who all zipped to various places at rapid pacing in a general full sweep.
Each individual uncovered a few things, most of which were of supplementary value rather than concrete evidence. Though David had found something he deemed somewhat major.
They were also occasionally diverted by Wok's amnesia, or his sudden recollection of things he realistically would not know.
Fighter moved alone, strategically scouting the areas in range of the previous location of the entry to the pocket space.
He managed to find one apparently major clue, in the form of a tiny chip of metal which he picked up with a pair of tweezers, clearly derived from a bladed weapon.
Noot was another being who stayed by his lonesome, sitting by the desk in his room as he scoured through a great multitude of written material which looked to have relation to the current events, seemingly in search of any form of guidance or knowledge.
Drizzled, Hether and Watch made up another group. Relying primarily on Watch's speed, they'd briefly scan areas, looking for as many tips as possible, though they had little to no success in the task.
Then, there was the group of the two Chimes, Huo and Adashu, as well as Kai and Pika, strategically looking around the food arena. Though Huo and Pika were less than subtle, causing a great ruckus in that area and hindering their search.
Finally, there was Kuroko, who used a technique known to Shinigami to quickly flash through the hallways rooms in the Bounded Coliseum with seemingly single steps at a time, attempting to uncover anything.
He was unable to however, as some areas were strangely inaccessible to him.
***
Eventually, each set would meet up at the Gates, and share their findings with each other, with about 30 minutes, and 29.28 seconds had passed
"Alright, that all?" Fighter asked, receiving nods from everyone.
"Alright. We proceed as planned afterwards. Still keep an eye out for suspicious or strange activity. If you get chosen, be cautious in battle. Let's go."
"Yeah!!"
The group would go their separate ways, through the gates into their respective seating areas based on their current position.
Dgiag transposed into the Field yet again.
"BEINGS OF THE OMNIVERSE…MATCHES WILL COMMENCE YET AGAIN!!!" He announced, which was met by more and more cheers from the crowd watching.
"Exactly 31 minutes and 23.65 seconds…" Noot jested at the Nafiman prince. To which David replied to with a simple chuckle.
Dgiag signaled to Tōmii to spin yet again.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
And he did as he always did, selecting the next set of participants.
The next round was a four-way contest between a human in regal presentation, the Hedgehog with glowing rings on his wrists, a zebra-striped Yama, and a talking dragon-esque kaiju.
《Emex.》 《Umbra.》 《Reo.》 《Westbrook.》
A bout of vigorous progression, commencing with the first three attempting to and successfully taking the monster out of the picture. From there, it evolved into a triple threat. Emex possessed great power and mastery of his abilities. Umbra's was even greater, and he was the fastest of the bunch. But Reo had the All-Meridian, combined with full mastery of it. Never with combined efforts, Umbra and Emex took out Reo.
《A quadratic joust, of sheer ferocity. Where all was laid bare. And in such kind of battle,…》
And after long, even with the effects of the fight's intensity, Umbra came up victorious by a hair's breadth.
《The survivor is the victor.》
The next battle was between a tailed Sarhun and a Manarett.
《Yurupt. The Sarhun Goof.》 《Goku. The Manarett Sage.》
It was an intense clash, where both owned power of similar magnitude.
But Yurupt possessed the greater speed and versatility, which would give way to his triumph.
And upon the end of that, Dgiag signaled to Tōmii.
Tōmii did so, causing the wheels to spin frivolously.
Eventually slowing down, and stopping at the two selected of the possibilities.
"So, I go yet again,” said a calm David, immediately transposed into the Field.
His peers and novel allies overlooked the bout, hoping for victory for him.
His opponent was the Spirit Shinigami Wells, with black-and-white striped spiky hair with long extravagant bangs, irides of marigolds, a smaller but fit body type, wearing a casual suit with brown shoes, and with a giant scythe hung behind him, which was his Soul Edge, the main weapon class of the Spirit Shinigami, individual to each member.
Dgiag announced their names and titles, drawing long cheering from the masses.
He'd beseeched them to display respect as per usual, and they acted in accordance.
Dgiag teleported out of the Field. Whilst in the seating spaces, David's peers and allies looked on.
David would swiftly depower his amulet.
"BEGIN!!!,” shouted Dgiag. Immediately, Wells began rushing straight at David.
"As much as this interests me…,” said David, as he placed forward outstretched arms, primed to clap. "There are greater matters at hand!”
~Power: Ikosi¹!!!~ He clapped together his hands, bringing about a strong shockwave and wind combination that pushed Wells away.
The attack was of great force, so it would also cause the platform to self-mold into an extensional hemisphere.
But nonetheless, David was left suprised when Wells got up rather quickly, with his prior hope that the move would be able to take out the Shinigami now down the drain.
"You definitely knew I wasn't going down without a proper battle." Wells, with his head bowed, stated with irritation, flaring out a burst of spiritual aura, which rumbled the ground around him.
"Hmm…"
"So don't throw attacks all half-hearted, Prince of Primus!!!” The Shinigami then sent a projected slash from his scythe at David.
But the latter simply dodged with ease.
And with a swipe of hand, David began sending a flurry of Void energy-based attacks, predominantly of bolts, darts, spears and rays, towards the Shinigami.
They seemed to be successful, generating a large explosive reaction that cleared away about tens of thousands of square miles of the nearby area.
David paid keen attention, looking to the upcoming follow-up.
Suddenly, Wells jumped out of the dust, wielding a gold, silver and bronze broadsword, with a ruby in the middle of its hilt, as well as a "glowing outer blade", through which Wells seemed to soar into the sky.
"Regal Excalibur,” noted David with no change in expression whatsoever.
"So you do know of it. Thought as much.” Wells concluded
“Still…it changes nothing anyway!" He consistently fired projections of energy towards David with it, and used it to reflect incoming attacks from the prince as well.
He made the sword's blade to extend towards the prince, with its tip pointed directly at him.
But David timed it, and jumped away from it just as it bored well into the ground on which he stood beforehand.
"Shall I use weapons as well?” He asked, sticking his left hand into the small pouch attached to his belt.
He brought out of it a longsword, with a silver blade and black hilt, which had its central part appear akin to a skull and ribs.
"REVOLT?!,” exclaimed a stun-faced Wok from the stands.
"That won't be enough, Dark Prince.” Wells retorted.
"That much I know!,” stated David, raising his opened right palm to the sky looking to beckon something. "Come forth…”
“Deislayer!!!" All of a sudden, a powerful flash of lightning seemed to come down upon and strike him.
But upon the settling, he was revealed to now hold a golden saber in his right hand, jagged and with slight distortions, with various engravings etched all over it.
"The very weapon used to destroy the immortal Chaotic Lord Indigo…the divine Deislayer!!!,” exclaimed Wells in excitement, with an ear-to-ear grin appearing on his face.
Both would sprint at each other, engaging in well-timed swordplay for long, and eventually utilizing their weapons’ various abilities.
《A battle of metal, completely unhindered by logic.》
From Revolt David produced slashes, slashes of projected demonic energy, and in tandem, from Deislayer powerful conflagration, releasing them in a diagonal cross.
《The power of the Underworld in his left, surging evil at the enemy.》 《The power of the godspheres in his right, with deific flame and power coursing through his being.》
Wells reflected this, and turned to using Excalibur's magical energy in return, firing projectiles of it.
《And for him, the power of return. To reject the very thing the enemy has sent at you.》
But this had zero effect, as Deislayer simply took those hits now in the form of a broadsword at David's command.
And with a swing sent a multiplied force of the projectiles right back at Wells, who barely managed to evade but was visibly frustrated.
David would come to a halt, preparing something with the Revolt sword, holding it with its blade pointed to the ground at a slight angle.
Wells prepared for defense, holding his sword out with the blunt sides facing him, and placing a palm onto said side.
"~Dimensional Slash.~"
Suddenly, blade beams would overrun the majority of the hemispheric platform, excluding the reaches of its very edges.
Some of the beams hit an unsuspecting Wells, severely damaging him, and sending him towards the ground.
David deactivated the attack.
All looked on, seeing Wells seriously injured, as David returned his Revolt into his bag, and had sent Deislayer back.
"In truth, this is, or was, not the battle I seeked, Wells…" He spoke as he moved towards the downed Shinigami.
"Huff…huff…”
“…Neither…did I,” said Wells, right as he grinned.
David sensed the imminent danger.
“~Specter Blade Release!~”
Smoke surrounded him, causing David to place his forearm before his face in readiness to counterplay.
Wells arose from the smoke, emitting an aura of spiritual hue, holding his scythe which had become a strange-shaped dual-bladed sword, with broad blades one wavy and smooth, another jagged and straight, with guards made of pure earth, and each blade emitting strange airs, and a bandage extending from the hilt wrapped around Wells's arm.
Suddenly, David's hands, legs and torso were engulfed in fire, placed in an environment akin to one in the depths of the sea, and with his head was surrounded by a spiral of air which simultaneously choked him.
"This is my Release. World Warper. As for what it does…shouldn't be hard to figure out.” Wells said confidently.
David initially struggled, looking to at least breathe.
And the masses gazed in shock as Wells began slowly capsulling him in ice, seemingly concluding their match.
However, with emphatic force David shot a gust of powerful air from his mouth to send Wells flying backwards, and disregard the choking effects.
"Elemental control? Environmental dominance? And so what?" David inquired with a stern expression.
Instantly, he shattered the ice with ease with just his raw strength, which in turn dusted away the flame particles off of him, though it appeared he was left absolutely unscathed.
Wells looked on in anger, but not surprise.
"Do not take a Nafiman so lightly…” The prince declared with a bold apprehension.
The audiences released great shouts, and anticipated the next stage of this meeting of powerhouses…
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1. Greek numeral for twenty.
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