Chapter 21: Humiliation

Gideon

The howling portal closed behind Gideon in the shape of a wide star, mimicking the slashes he made to open it. Gideon took in the scent of the salty water the vessel sat on. He took in the view of the ship’s board. He strode forward slowly with his cloak billowing gently behind him. His hood hid only his grey hair as his face was still visible in daylight. Gideon spotted two figures, Nalory who lay on the ground in a broken state with blood pooling around her leg, and an Atlus assassin. What’s Atlus doing here? Tch never mind Gideon thought to himself as he approached Nalory slowly. Nalory turned to him with a look of relief on her face.

“Oh Gideon, it’s so good to see you! I’m so sorry you have to see me like this.” Gideon continued to pace over to her without saying a word. Zantetsuken still held in his hand.

“Thank you for coming to save me, I’m sure theirs a way I can repay you” Gideon stood over her. His cold yellow eyes bore into her soul. Without a moment's notice, Gideon thrust his blade down into Nalory’s chest, impaling the woman as she lay on the ground. The brown-haired woman went wide-eyed and her mouth agape.

“Silence you wretch,” Gideon said under his breath as he refused to break eye contact. Nalorys breathing became quick and hitched. “Does it hurt? Let that pain remind you of your traitorous actions to Lord Oprhzus” He quickly dislodged the blade and swung it out to fling off the blood. Nalory collapsed, dying on the floor from her injuries and blood loss. Gideon’s job was done. Still, this Atlus assassin, what is he doing here? Gideon stood tall and looked over the man. His armor was in bad shape, his arm was severed and he stood there still bleeding. He must have fought Nalory before I arrived. What does Atlus want with her?

“This was your doing, was it not?” The man didn't reply to Gideon and only stood with his brow furrowed and clutching his arm. “I have no intention of aiding Atlus, but you have my gratitude for leaving Nalory in this state for me” Zack began to slowly storm towards Gideon.

“I’ll kill you,” The man growled. Gideon raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes in surprise.

“Oh, think you can cut me down?” He said with a smile. The man drew his blade, making Gideon scoff. “Know your place Atlusian,” Gideon held Zantetsuken with both his hands and widened his stance. “VOID SLASH FORM 1!” Gideon slashed overhead down to the ground in a diagonal slash in the space in front of him. The man was still ten meters away from the striking distance of the sword. As the man stormed over to him in an enraged state, magenta-colored slashes appeared around him in a sphere. Slicing at his body from all angles top to bottom. The slashes only appeared for a second, but it left the man sliced to ribbons. Shallow cuts covered his whole body and blood-drenched his body, leaving him a dark bloody mess. The man was brought to his knees, coughing blood as he ground his teeth in pain. “Consider keeping your life my gift of gratitude, Assassin,” Gideon turned to face the sea and raised Zantetsuken to open a cross-shaped portal to escape. As he lowered his blade. His body moved without thinking, his instincts acting before his thoughts as he side-steped to the right. A translucent silver sword flew past the left side of his head and into the endless ocean's horizon.

“Dinae think so pal,” Gideon turned calmly. A man cloaked in a red jacket stood next to the assassin. Who is that? He doesn't look like an Atlus soldier…Gideon thought as the red-cloaked man bandaged the assassin's arm. Is he a deserter then? That older one, that sword he shot at me, that was definitely Devil Relic. I can sense it inside him but…I feel like I can sense something else. What I have walked into?

“So you're that bloody Dark Slayer this one been gabbing aboot.” That accent…he’s not from Elden…who is he?

“Who are you?” asked Gideon in his low voice as held onto Zantetsuken.

“Nah mate that's no how this works. You dinae harm my pal here then make demands oot of me. I’ll be asking the questions,”

“Is that so? It's just a shame I have no answers to give.” Gideon switched to a wide stance and held his blade over his head with both hands. “ZANTETSUK-”

“DEVIL IGNITION!” Shouted the cloaked man. Gideon couldn't feel anything, taste, sight, sound, touch, smell. They were all gone. He couldn't move but yet he could still think. What’s going on? I…” It felt like he was in a void unable to act or scream, until it ended. Gideon’s senses returned, and with it, pain. Gideon felt like a small explosion had gone off in his gut. He looked down to find an impact hole in his stomach the size of a cannonball. His hood fell down from the recoil and he coughed blood and staggered, though he didn't fall. Gideon stood with his legs wide to keep him up. He looked up to find the man in the same position he was previously as if he hadn't moved. The assassin was nowhere to be seen. Gideon smiled with the biggest grin he had in a long time. His evil grin pierced into the man who continued to stand nonchalantly. Gideon found the surprise entertaining but he was still confused and slightly anxious. All of this happened in what felt like under a second. That’s obviously a Devil Relic, still, I can't counter it. I don't know what happened! Gideon’s wound poured blood that splashed onto the board of the ship.

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“Right, is that us then?” Shouted the man. Gideon kept his smile on his face and didn't reply.

“DEVIL IGNITON” Shouted Gideon. A spiraling black cloud began to envelop Gideon from his feet that had lights of a magenta color inter-spliced within. Before long, the clouds reversed from whence they came and revealed Gideon transformed. The same demonic form he took on the night of the king's death. His form had slight evolved alterations. His collar had changed to long horns that curved in parallel with his shoulders. His head which resembled a hammerhead shark and knight helmet now had holes in the side that glowed magenta light from within. The wound that sat in his stomach began to close up slowly as the demonic energy fed into it.

“Alright mate, your swords got enough edge as it is,” said the man as he smiled across the board. Gideon sighed, cold air escaped through his demonic teeth. let's just get this over with. Gideon dashed towards the man in a flash, a trail of slashes left behind him as he did so. The man stepped to the side effortlessly, as if he had more than enough time to avoid the assult. As the man pivoted to the side, he lept into the air and delivered a roundhouse kick toward Gideon. The grey-haired man was able to react in time but the impact was far stronger than he expected and the impact sent him flying into the railing that hung over the ocean. As Gideon slammed into the metal railing, his Demonic form dissipated. It burnt off his boy like embers rising from a piece of paper. Gideon winced in pain as his back impacted the railing. He outpaced me without Devil Ignition? No! Is he still in Devil Ignition from that time before? How did he strike me hard enough to deactivate my form Gideon slowly got up and ground his teeth as he felt the back of his bruised ribs. He was no longer able to recover quickly without Devil Ignition being active. The man slowly walked up to Gideon as he tried to pull himself up “What? I did warn you mate” he said in a mocking tone as pretended to be confused. This man…he has to be Yami. This level of skill is unfounded compared to my own…this is bad. If he continued to fight Yami he was going to die, there was no doubt about it. Yami wasn’t giving him any room to breathe. Gideon took a risk and as he got up he drawed demonic energy to his body to enhance his movement. As fast as he could, he stood up and slashed a cross in front of him with his blade. Yami dashed towards him. As he did so the slashes he made opened into a howling void. The edges streamed off wisps of reality towards the uncut reality. As Yami dashed towards the portal. Gideon fell back down from the pain of his ribs. Damnit…I messed up. As he closed his eyes and braced himself, he heard two swords clash against each other. Yet he still lived. He opened his eyes but only saw the other end of the portal he had opened and gazed into the empty void. Whatever happened on the other side of the portal was obscured.

The portal closed in the reverse way it opened as Gideon lay on the ground. Too injured to get back up. He felt humiliated, he hadn't been bested this easily before. It felt awful to him. As the portal fully closed, King Oprhzus stood in front of him. The white-haired man stood with his casual regal clothing, loose but still refined with its dark colors and accents. He stood with his own Devil Relic in his hand. The Blade of Nevan. It resembled a saber that was completely covered in pale pink crystallized gemstones. It looked like an unbalance weapon but most Devil Relics looked this way. Their looks had no play in their effectiveness.

Across from him stood Yami with his own blade, one of the silver swords he had summoned earlier. He waved his hand and dismissed the blade, it crystalized and faded away into small specs slowly. Both Yami and Orphzus stood across from each other on either side of the ship's deck. Gideon had never felt this sort of atmosphere before it weighed down on him and felt like it was crushing him. Even if his ribs weren't damaged, the tension itself felt like it could hold him down. The two were stood in a stand-off. At any moment the two could engage, but instead, Orphzus looked back at Gideon, his cold eyes hid whatever he was thinking at the time. He then looked across the ship behind Yami, Gideon followed where his eyes led and found the assassin, lying unconscious with the bandages still wrapped around his arm. Then his eyes shifted to Nalory who lay on the ground in a broken and bloody state. Finally, Orphzus turned his gaze back to Yami, The King's actions were slow and deliberate. Like he was in full control of the situation.

“I’m sure you're as eager as I am to test each other's strength, but given the circumstances of our companions. I think you would agree this can be saved for another time.” His confidence projected across the deck as he stood tall.

“Aye, so you can go back tae your fruitless killing of magicless? Dinae think so pal” he said with evident frustration in his voice.

“Oh don’t be so impatient Yami. You will get your chance soon enough, as will I” Said the king in a suave tone. Orphzus turned towards Gideon and knelt down to him “Return us to Voekn, now. We will discuss this later” Orphzus turned back to Yami who still stood in a cautious stance. He shifted his gaze back to Nalory. A dark ominous gathering of demonic energy rose underneath Nalory. Her corpse then began to lift off from the ground slightly. She then slowly began to glide over towards Gideon and Orphzus. Orphzus didn't move at all as this happened. Gideon sliced open a portal and the slices burst at the seams of reality. Orphzus and Gideon began to leave through the portal. Oprhzus stopped just before disappearing he turned only his neck to look back at Yami who didn't look to have an ounce of fear from the two most powerful men in Elden who stood before him. Orphzus shot him a grim smile before leaving with Gideon through the portal, bringing Nalory with them as she hovered slowly. The three disappeared and the tear in reality closed.

End of Part 1