Beneath a house in Zalcien not far from the Black Border, beneath the Sewer Network hidden a step under the regular sewers of the city, in the suburbs of the Sunken City, was an old bar. An elevator rose from it, reaching another building in the Sewer Network, as they both acted as stations, ways to travel from the depths to the surface above - though the last stretch of the journey had to be done on your own.
Within that bar, a man sat on a rug on the floor, his legs crossed, meditating. His baggy white pants and scarf contrasted beautifully with the golden shine of his sandals, anklets, bracelets, belt, and torc, the precious metal resting against his pale skin. Scars covered the subtle muscles on the man's frame. In contrast, his face was perfectly preserved, a youthful yet experienced and wise look, a soft roundness that still let more angular features assert themselves in the chin and cheeks, as well as his incredibly long pointed ears that reached behind his head, their size similar to his forearms'. His hair was long, going down to the end of his spine, and was a beautiful platinum blonde.
Despite being assigned to oversee a station, that wasn't the man's true purpose. His task was to keep an eye on the entity that scared most would-be travelers away.
And as he meditated, a wave of power came from where the creature was sealed. A dark foreboding thing, a corruptive force that flowed and raged and screamed.
His eyes snapped open, revealing his amber irises and triangular pupils as he instinctively looked where the energy was coming from despite the wall that stood between them.
He immediately stood up and readied himself for battle, and right as he stepped out of his bar yet another blast of the same dark foreboding power resonated, though this one felt different. Purer, somehow.
He had no time to lose. The cursed house might have been near, but demons tended to bend the laws of reality wherever they went.
Hopefully, he would arrive in time.
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The Shadow Commando - half of it to be precise - watched in awe as their employer, Silhouette, threw an orb of dark energies bigger than he was at the face of the gigantic demon that was slowly walking out of the pillar of rampaging shadows that had been born from Techlord's weapon. They had had a hard time discerning the demon's silhouette in all the moving black, but after it began to speak it grew clearer and clearer as it neared its freedom.
The orb had hit something within the pillar and exploded, creating a massive sphere of black destruction that soon joined the pillar to grow it even bigger, the demon's figure lost in the overwhelming power on display. They were ready to celebrate, yet they all noticed something that froze their enthusiasm before it could get out.
Their boss was readying more attacks and backing away from the pillar.
"Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh, thou has certainly some nerve."
Something emerged from the pillar, a foot, rachitic, muscles barely visible between the obvious bones and leathery skin, red and covered in small black spots, black blue talons digging into the floor, all four digits splayed out.
"Though it is no surprise for a demon to unnerve."
This time it was the entire leg and the hips that emerged from the pillar, just as red and covered in small black spots as the first foot, just as skeletal. As it left the tornado of dark power it dragged the rest of the leg of the first foot along, and it also revealed something else, a bent spine, leaving the entire upper body standing parallel to the ground in the pillar of swirling and howling shadows.
"Tell me, thou who dares challenge me."
The spine began to right itself, the obvious vertebrae snapping into place like the fangs of a hyena on bones it crushed to feed. The demon's concave torso was revealed, a ribcage covered in the bare minimum amount of red black spotted skin to not be considered bones, the hollowness inside leaving no place for any organ whatsoever. Its long arms dropped from its shoulders, hanging lifelessly as it slowly drifted left and right, as though dragged by an invisible wind that ignored the force of the typhoon of darkness behind it, its blue talons slightly twitching and grabbing at nothing.
From its back sprouted what could only be described as a network of veins mimicking wings, the red and blue thin fleshy tubes twisted in knots in spots and completely free in others, an unnatural abomination of biology and anatomy that surely didn't resemble the veins in the wings of a bat. The "wings" flexed, the blood vessels getting thicker and thinner as fluids circulated through them and driving the combined appendages to spread outward in pumps and spurts.
The most horrifying feature of the demon had to be its head or lack thereof. Its neck didn't end in anything with a skull, and instead a flower of red tentacles, wrapped around another tightly, only leaving a few open spots that could be glanced through to see blue fangs gnashing at the air within. Admittedly this part of the body was the one with the most and biggest black spots, but even then they were outmatched by its natural red. The tentacles squelched as they moved to mimick lips as the demon spoke.
"What is the name of mine enemy?"
Had James still had teeth he would have gritted them.
Oh, to hell with it, let's just make some solid spots in my body. Hopefully, it'll be as cathartic.
"My name is Silhouette, beast. What is yours?"
The demon let out another one of its eerie laughs, a discordant mixture of sounds that made no sense and seemed to involve the thing's entire body judging by the grinding of its bones as it shook.
"Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh! What gall thou have, mine opponent. Mine name is Sydakors, now lament."
"Mesker, I don't suppose you know anything about a demon named Sydakors."
Though the old wizard was further away, he was still within shouting distance. He didn't seem to appreciate being brought into the conversation if the grumbling was to be believed, but he still answered.
"I'm a demonologist, not a demon social media expert!"
Sydakors for its part chuckled, a sound eerily similar to the one it made when nothing but without proper vocalization.
"I'm afraid there is no fame attached to mine name, challenger. I do not mind, anonymity is for the better."
"On that, I can agree. I suppose you're not in the mood to surrender or spout out your weaknesses, are you?"
"Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh! No, no, I must crush thine hopes already, I am not in the mood for playing fairly."
The thing stretched, its tentacles uncurling as its spine spined multiple times before all settling back into the place.
"Centuries spent sealed away, make a demon want to play."
"Everyone, fire!"
James unleashed his own attack as he ordered his men, Shadow Balls flying through the air to impact the demon's body as the half of the Shadow Commando accompanying him pulled the triggers of their infused electroguns, black electricity crackling madly as multiple bolts fused on their way to the demon before impacting it, loose sparks flying off from its body attracting back the energy from the pillar of darkness into the attack, the tornado of shadows shrinking and finally dissipating as it transferred its power to the new assault against the demon.
The freakish thing simply chuckled again, and it began to leisurely walk towards James, ignoring every blast it received.
"Elementally attuned weaponry, a fitting choice I must admit. But they are far too weak, don't thou see it?"
James felt like something was wrong - even worse than the situation appeared - and immediately turned into a shadow and went as far away from his initial spot, his men, and the demon as possible, barely avoiding the hundreds of spike-like tips of loose veins that planted themself into the ground where he had been.
So far melee damage hasn't been that effective against me, but I'm not risking that again something like that!
"Master of shadows, thou are but a forgettable thing in the face of existence. But the power of the body, it is a core part of life and violence."
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Sydakors continued to walk slowly after James while his wings unfurled and the numerous blood vessels that made them up continued to flail in the air and chase after him, completely disregarding everyone else and somehow keeping up with James despite the growing distance between him and the demon's body, the veins stretching to reach further and further away.
"Your flight is disappointing though predictable. Mortals like thou all fear the inevitable."
What can I do against something like that? Every magic stuff I've thrown at it so far has barely been effective and I have no technological trick on me, not that it would be all that useful either. I mean, it hasn't been that useless since there are still infused spots on its body, but... Wait. Could that be it?
James kept on running away but focused on its connection to infused materials, trying to get a feel for the demon's infected skin. He could feel something where he knew the demon was, but it was unlike anything he had ever been connected to thus far. In truth, it wasn't flesh, not like Polisson and Mischief's members felt, but neither was it like any inorganic material James knew. It was... Otherworldly. But there was still something for him to pull at, no matter how hard and uncomfortable it felt.
"Oh? Are thou trying to control mine flesh, mine enemy? Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh, go ahead, control the puppet of mine soul and see. Yes, see the glory of demonkind, of power beyond body and mind."
The demon dug some of its veins into the ground and James quickly jumped out of his shadow state into the air, barely avoiding the red and blue spears that rose where he slithered.
"Stop right there, demonic scum!"
A young platinum-blonde man wearing white baggy pants and various golden accessories arrived at the scene, jumping high into the air and raising his glowing fist to strike Sydakors.
"I call upon mine right as an official diplomat of the demon realm in this land, I call upon the right to duel one with a hostile hand."
The blonde froze mid-air, his attack dissipating before he was thrown next to Mesker, the old wizard raising a shield to protect himself and the Shadow Commando from the impact. As soon as he was away a transparent dome formed over the beast and James, encasing them both in an arena as it chuckled.
"No interruption, no ally, now it's do or die."
James reformed in his classic Silhouette form on the edge of the arena, sneakily trying to pierce or infuse it with small tentacles as he kept pulling at his connection to Sydakors' infected flesh. He just had to win some time.
James began to charge an attack as he fired another barrage of Shadow Balls at the demon, it laughed once more and let its head tentacles get loose, revealing the gaping maw filled with blue fangs constantly twitching and pulsing and gnawing.
"Try as thou might thou won't vanquish me, mine dearest Silhouette, for thou are just another one of mine prey that given a few centuries I'll forget."
"You sure talk a lot for someone with no lips, Sydakors."
"Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh! Thou are one to talk mine opponent, despite being oh so silent. Would thou prefer a quiet death, a drawn-out final breath?"
"With you around, I don't think a quiet death is in the realm of possibilities.
"Thou are quite mistaken, though understandably so. After centuries sealed I just have to let loose, thou know?"
"Not really. Had I been in your place I would have gone home right away to see my friends and family."
"Thou do not know anything about demons, mine enemy. Only a demon's self and resources are worthy of worry."
"Then demons must have quite a sad life. I pity you."
"Thou would the first to do so. Now cease wasting our time, strike thine blow. I may be free from the clutches of time and mortality, but mine fun is getting boring much too quickly."
James unleashed another spell, Shadow Spear, a field of black spikes rising from beneath the demon's body and piercing it, ridges and hooks acting turning each spike into a harpoon that tore away flesh whenever the demon tried to move.
"Are thou too dull to understand me? Thou will get nowhere hacking at my body."
Sydakors ignored the spikes and kept on walking, chunks of red black-spotted flesh getting ripped away and exposing even more and even blue bones sharing the same black affliction, the darkness slowly spreading on the main body while the loose chunks instantly turned black and fell apart.
Before James had the time to react or retort Sydakors was upon him, its veiny wings reassembled and lifting it above the ground to dive with its open foot talons on James, too fast to evade or block. James tried his best to move while shifting into a shadow but it didn't matter, the blue talons dug into the ground and ripped him out, disregarding his power as the demon flew as high as the dome of the arena would allow it.
"Thou are not the first master of matter and change I encounter. Mine arena won't bend and mine mind will shackle the body as ever. Demons are not mortal beasts of flesh and blood no matter what appears, we are souls puppeteering avatars of mortal hates and fears."
The demon raised its taloned foot to its tentacle head, nearly crushing James in its grasp despite his lack of bones.
"Go ahead, claim mine flesh, mine blood, mine bones, mine organs, but all obey my wit. I have controlled what wasn't mine for centuries, thou think you can overcome it?"
James struggled, he tried to melt down into a liquid or shadow, he tried to rise as a gas, but no matter what he did his body refused to move. All that he had control over was his mind.
Not sure if that's a good or bad thing...
Thankfully he had managed to keep holding onto his still charging attack, hidden from view inside his body's shadowy flesh. And with the demon's maw right in front of him, this might be his best chance... If his theory about the demon's bravado regarding the Transformation Aspect was right.
"Do you truly think I would be so weak as to only affect the body? I am Silhouette, master of the Shadow Commando, creator of Mischief, chosen of Greenwood. The darkness I control is beyond you, Sydakors."
"What big words for such an insignificant entity. Boast, dear mortal, for thine demise is me."
"Do you not believe me, child of chaos? Then check for yourself. Look at your body. Look at your mind. Look at your soul."
"Ah ih oh ah ih oh uh, if that is thine desire, I shall check upon mine inner fire."
It was hard to tell the mood of a creature with no head, but judging from the way all the wiggling tentacles and veins of the demon froze at once before frantically shaking, it wasn't pleased with what it had found. When it spoke again, its nightmare of a voice had lost all playfulness and its talons dug even deeper into James and almost brought a scream out of him.
"Stains on mine soul no longer pristine? How have you managed such a sin?"
"Look at me, Sydakors. Aren't demons masters of the soul?"
The grinding of its blood fangs grew louder and louder, and the demon passed James from its foot to its hand before raising him above its maw, letting him see the broken purple fractals within that served as the beast's insides, going against all laws of logic and physics.
"If thou insist, mine enemy, I see in thou humanity, mortality, in shadow clad. Beneath, hidden, discreet, the touch of death, kind, welcome, glad. But there is something else hidden further behind it all, something I wish to understand before thou fall."
The demon almost dropped James into its gullet, barely catching him by the tip of Silhouette's tail.
"Behind dark mortality, behind the sweet release of death, something so faint it doesn't need stealth... A foreign yet familiar sensation... It reeks of..."
The demon's body froze once more, but this time it didn't resume moving.
"Oblivion..."
The fangs and veins and talons and tentacles began to lightly twitch, the creature's grasp on James slipping just enough for him to break out and unleash what he had been preparing so far, his body opening to let loose a small orb of darkness that fell past the maw and into the purple space beyond before he quickly morphed into a bird-like shape mostly made of gas to fly away as fast as possible, the demon's arms following after him and grasping at him but the blue talons barely missing the vaporous part of his form as the tentacles and fangs of the head tried to grab the orb before it went too far but getting caught in each other.
The spiky tips of the veiny wings rushed after James, forcing him to twist and bend in the air to avoid the hundreds of attacks as best as he could, still getting pierced by dozens of them before he finally reached the ground to melt into a shadow and keep on running away.
And it was at that point the orb blew up and overwhelmed the demon's insides.
Within its body darkness spread, violet fractals and impossible shapes floating in an infinite space all getting erased and replaced by pure black, some of it escaping from the body via the open maw and turning into a pillar of swirling shadows reminiscent of the one that had first destroyed the house the demon was sealed in, the shadows of the pillar impacting loudly against the transparent dome the demon had created and quickly filling it as the beast screeched like never before.
"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!"
Outside the arena, the Shadow Commando had to cover their ears to even stay conscious, Sam relying on his helmet and Mekser and the golden monk using their inner energies to ignore it and instead focus on the battle within.
Soon the whole dome was filled with darkness, and not long after that, it collapsed, the ambient shadows returning to the ground and converging into a single point in the middle of the improvised arena.
Sydakors' blackened body lied, unmoving, and upon it stood Silhouette.
"This... Isn't... My end... I will return... With a friend..."
A purple and black cloud of fractals rose from the demon's mouth and-
"No."
The cloud froze, the black growing.
"You stay, or you die."
"Fool! Demons don't die! We-"
The black of the cloud, still spreading, began to contort and choke the purple.
"Obey. Or disappear."
"Thou cannot! I will not rot!"
The black of the cloud struggled to spread any further, and in some spots, the purple even managed to take back space.
"As you wish, Sydakors."
The black of the cloud tore itself apart and dissipated into nothing, the purple suddenly shrinking and flickering, pained and breathless groans barely managing to escape it.
"Off to oblivion with you."
James formed a tentacle and cut through what was left of the cloud, turning it into a handful of violet wisps that faded away into nothing.
James returned to his men, dragging Sydakors' lifeless body behind him as the Shadow Commando watched him with awe.
"Bring the corpse back to the orphanage. Keep it under close surveillance."
James collapsed into a shadow that nestled itself inside the corpse's own.