Tides Of Protomis CXXXVIII

A Clash Of Wills

Xi’s body glimmered with red light as he continued to put forth more and more of his demonic energy. Something followed with the forging of more objects around him. A volley of cubes, the same that had been used to push his opponents away last time, were sent forward, while he himself, forged another weapon in his hands, a spear of absurd length now lay in his left hand. In a short time, he was already charging forth, ready to strike at the two once more. Junko and Kazimir alike, were in the process of dodging, or eluding the attacks sent toward them. Junko’s demonic energy-covered fists shattered the ones that got too close to her, and Kazimir’s fists, and the rubble he controlled, largely had the same effect.

Kazimir was the first enemy, nearly finding himself on the receiving end of a blade stabbed into his stomach, a quick weave being the only thing preventing this from taking place. He did not allow for him to get into his range for no reason, however, redirecting some of his rubble to ensnare him.

“Junko!” He shouted

“Right!” She responded. The woman leaped forward, her demonic energy cloaked claws swiped through the general’s torso, as the stone gave way to allow this to take place. But this did not come without cost, as she was caught by her hair as she moved past, flung into the ground with great force. But Xi was not able to take advantage of her state, as Kazimir striked again, driving a fist into his toros, and denting it. This time, however, the demon was able to make use of his blade effectively, forming it in his free hand, and slashing it upon Kazimir’s torso, carving through the skin, and tearing it open. But the proto-human’s nerves of steel were enough to weather the attack, and he began to let out a combination of attacks, left hook, right hook, uppercut, a stream of fists flying at high speed. And in response, the Demon summoned his two blades once more, and began to execute a flourish of slashes, which resulted in a two-layered defense being set up. dodges, and hields generated by his abilities.

“Do not think you can win! This legacy of mine, the city of Zylsis, will not be destroyed by the likes of you! I have faced worse odds, and emerged victorious, from my very birth into this world!”

400 Years Ago - Myshvr Vrzl

Myshvr Vrzl, or, roughly translated, the plains of Iron, the home in which all Vshyr are born, where the soil is saturated with various ores, and to no small extent. It has been said that even a handful of the topsoil was enough to forge a blade, whether this was a fact or not, was unknown, at least, to those not of the Vshyr species. Fiercely defensive of their land, and possessing great demonic energy, even if they reproduced slowly, and the birth of a new Vshyr took time, they were a force to be reckoned with for that reason.

The night sky had brought darkness upon the region. But a ring of lights could be seen in what looked to be a crater, lined with torches, and surrounded by peaks. In common fashion, the Vshyr were Drinking Xu’vel with glee, shouting Hymns, singing songs, engaging in dance. When there was no combat to be done, this was their state. Something which would certainly surprise those who’d attempted to intrude upon the realm before. But there was one among them who did not engage in the jubilance that commonly took hold of his ..”Kin”, If they could even be called that. His current situation, where he stood alone in the ridges overlooking the living areas, was not an uncommon one.

His attempts to train and roughhouse with the others had never ended well. His body… It was Frail, It could not strike with the same force which the others did. And as such, he had become a bit of a Pariah. But that much was to be expected, it was the same among the other denizens of this realm. But he found himself questioning, just what the point of his being here? In practice, he may as well have no place here, it wasn’t as if the others even acknowledged his presence…,

The young Xi turned on his heel, and began to walk away, his feet clamoring upon the ground as he did so. The illuminating wisps of fire began to leave his sight, and the sounds of activity grew silent. The mood as he left was relatively serene, as he found himself alone, with no distractions, or annoyances. Though the few who were watching the exteriors of their territories took note of him, they opted for saying nothing, paying him no mind. Standard procedure, as far as they were concerned.

It took some time for the general to make his way out of hte plains that were his home, instead, finding himself in a more mountainous region, the peaks that he’d commonly seen from afar. He took a seat upon a boulder, as he looked to the sky.

“I have left that place, but what is there for me to do now… I do not know of the happenings outside our influence.” Perhaps, it was something he would just figure out with time. He prepared to lay back onto the rock, and close his eyes. But there was something preventing him from doing so… The sensation of another demon making its way toward him. And this much was punctuated by a rapidly descending shadow, that he scrambled to jump out of the way of… The source of said shadow was identified as soon as he gained his bearings. Skull-clad demons of varying size.

“Reavers, Cannon fodder… Could one of the other groups in this area be making their move? If so, then who?” They were easy enough to control, it only made sense that they were being utilized in this case… But there was a problem. He may have been frail, but he could take out one reaver easily enough… But there were five here, and from what he could see, that number was rapidly rising…. He managed to demolish one of those who came close, by slamming a fist into its torso, and a second in the same way, but the third, and the fourth, launched strikes that managed to stun him, and knock him away respectively.

The boy managed to skid to a stop, but it didn’t take long before the mass of reavers had charged him, and began to place strikes upon his body once more, tearing through the armored layers, nearly ripping him limb from limb… Was it to be his end? Dying as soon as he left his home, proving all of those who referred to him a weka, a failure, correct? No, He couldn’t let that be the case… He needed something, anything. He began attempting to force his demonic energy into his hand, anything he produced would be a help at this point, at least, more so than allowing himself to be torn limb from limb.. Eventually, something did happen, a lance of demonic energy formed in his hands… Something he noted immediately. He knew what these weapons were. Melee arms were what his species specialized in, after all.

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“Some sort of… Construct?” It seemed that regardless of what avenue was taken, blades always seemed to be part of a Vshyr’s weapons catalog. Regardless, he drove the spears into his enemy’s managing to destroy them in short order… This was what he needed, something to truthfully give him what he needed for combat. But even then, there was still a wave of enemies he needed to deal with… But it seemed that such wouldn’t be done alone. A searing hot ray of demonic energy demolished three of the beasts surrounding him. His gaze went to the left, and he saw yet another demon, seemingly, a youngling, much like himself. Light skin with lines of red running across the length of her body…

…

As the general finishred regaling his tale, Kazimir looked upon him with the same expression of intensity.

“So because you want to cement your legacy, it’s OUR problem?!” The man shouted. And yet, the demon didn’t respond, only seeming to have unbridled rage build up within him, as he remembered just what he’d lost. Her smile, elegance… It was now naught but particles floating who knows where… He could not lose.

“DIE!” The demon shouted, and in a short time, Kazimir was launched back by the outburst of his opponent’s demonic energy… He knew now what he would do. He began to forge yet another construct, but it was not another weapon, rather, something else entirely. The surface of his skin was riddled with red light, which began to meld with it, becoming thicker and thicker, with his height increasing, even if slightly. Drill-like spines extended from his shoulders, and elbows alike. And the helmet on his head took on a more triangular shape. They would not be fighting JUST a Vshyr, JUST a General, or as his detractors used to call him… JUST a weakling. They now faced the strongest of the generals, the Strongest Vshyr,

“... This ends now…. Vshyr King Armor!”

Kazimir did not wait for his opponent to make the first move, leaping back into his range, and launching a flurry of strikes. One which he did not even attempt to dodge, standing there, undisturbed by his attempt at an attack, and when Miyamoto did the same, slamming her tachi against the newly formed armor, she found that the blade of energy shattered against it… The self proclaimed king acted immediately, slamming a left hook into Kazimir’s liver, and utilizing the shoulder of that same arm, to jab the spine into Junko’s torso… An attack which made her pause for some moments. Xi drew his arm back, and removed it shortly after, leaving a gaping hole in its place.

“Dammit…This isn’t good. We have to use that attack. Using all our stamina in one burst is hardly an effective battle tactic, so I wanted to avoid it, but…”

“At this point, the injuries are beginning to stack up. Either he’ll end it quickly, or he can bleed us dry..” Kazimir’s eyes shot over to Miyamoto, and the two nodded, and began to put a new plan into practice.. The russian began weaving through the sky, swooping down and pulling back from the demon time and time again, sending rubbles with increased density toward him, and yet, the demon watched this with no change in his demeanor. Even as the other human joined in.

“They’re desperate… Trying the same tactic again won’t work on me!” The two blades appeared in his hands once more, and he began weaving through the sky in response, cleaving through the rock as it got close, and cutting into the two humans when they attempted to attack him directly. An attempt at jabbing him with a energy constructed sphere, was rebuffed bi his arm slamming through it, and shattering it, before she was launched away, and thrown into Kazimir. A cube of earth falling upon him from above, was returned with a cube of his own creation appearing below it, stopping it there… The general looked up, and pushed the construct upward, demolishing the attack. To him, the battle may as well have been won. But another plan was brewing, just below his nose. The great walls of Zylsis had begun to break down a time ago. And these individual pieces, down to every brick, the mortar between them, had been hardened, their density increased, lying in wait….

By the time the two had regrouped, they were already battered, puncture wounds, gashes, and bruises spread across the length of their bodies. But regardless, the time had come for their plan to be enacted… The Vshyr floated above the two, crossing his arms over his chest, looking down upon them as he began to speak.

“I will win, and as I said… I will avenge her life….” In a short time, the area around the demon was saturated in his influence, as more and more blades were forged around him… But it seemed this would not come to pass, as he found himself ensnared in the very same white stone which came from the walls of Zylsis.. Something he noted immediately. Even in the darkened, nearly claustrophobic space, he could feel the texture of the stones and tell what they were, he even took part in the construction… A rapidly building sphere continues to be further reinforced.. But he was not going to allow himself to be crushed so easily, not by that which he built.

The outbursts of demonic energy, ones made to break hsi prison, were noted by both fighters.

“Quick, we don’t have much time!” Junko shouted.

Between the two, their hands were clasped together. And they began to prepare for the coming action. Protomis, and demonic energy flowed to both of their hands, and trickled out, very, very slowly. To some extent, beginning to meld together. Something they’d observed only one time with other proto-humans, or more specifically… Kazimir had. Gael, and Torres. Two they’d engaged in battle with in Kingston. The idea of trying to do the same thing had come to them when Kazimir mentioned them, during a discussion of their past battles. Whether it would work now, remained to be seen. The two turned to face each other, and clasped their other hands, holding all four above their heads, as they changed their orientation, facing the sphere the demon was now within.

Xi continued his attempts to tear through the outer shell of the rock, and he had been doing so for what felt like hours. An annoying ability, that one had. The body itself could not whether his attacks for long, but this could. Some time later, he finally had enough space, enough to forge a weapon in his hand, a warhammer. The general firmly grabbed it with both of his hands, heaving it behind his head, before sending it forward, resulting in a crack sounding outward.

Finally, progress, he sent out a second, and then, a third. Time and time again, he striked, until, the light of day once more… But that itself, came with something that filled him with surprise, a rapidly approaching drill of red light, with the two humans contained within!

“Unison Art: Esper-Akuma Helix!!” In short time, the general found the tip of the drill, four fists, digging into his chest… The general found himself trying to push back against the attack, a stream of demonic energy streaked from his back, as he reinforced his armor more, and more, but even so, found that his outer shell was beginning to crack, break… Before, the Vshyr king armor was naught but pieces falling into the wind…

“HAHHHHH!”

The shouted warcry punctuated their attack, as Xi’s body began to break down..

“No… That can’t be… This can’t be it.”

The events of his past life began to flash through his eyes, his struggles, his triumphs, his time with her….

“Gammena…. I’m sorry.” The general’s final words made it to their ears, as they stopped. In his final moments, the mate that he wanted to get vengeance for was the final thing on his mind. This wasn’t a surprise to him, but there was little for them to say, in this case. Especially with the rather Grievous injuries they had across their bodies. Taking care of that was the priority.

To Be Continued

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