Overall the beast didn't look much different now than it did before. It had five muscular, gray tentacles sprouting from its back and it had grown from 3 meters to 4 but other than that it was relatively the same ugly beast. Vincent was not impressed. He glared down at the creature with his arms crossed. "Is that all?"
The depraved roared. A bright pink energy began to gather around it as it began to use the same bullet like ability as before. Its tentacles and knuckles curled against the ground as it bent forward before exploding upward at supersonic speeds.
"Foolish."
Vincent's body melted into shadows just before the rampaging monster struck him. The beast continued through the air, confusion written on it's face. A moment later the sky opened up and from its maw, an Electric Bolt mixed with shadow shot towards the depraved.
The creature's eyes widened and it's tentacles wrapped defensively around its body as the bolt struck and carried the beast back down to the ground below in a thunderous explosion. Vincent reappeared from the shadows standing over the smoking and dazed beast. He stomped harshly on its chest and kept the massive creature still. It looked up at him with hate filled eyes as Vincent leaned over his knee.
"Did you really think you could beat me just by killing my family? Trading their lives for a tiny bit of power? You will suffer." He promised with a somber tone. The creature's face morphed into a bloody smile. "Die!" It yelled, as it's tentacles curled inward. Each one formed a different element at the end before they shot toward Vincent like javelins. There was a flash and a blur of motion. Vincent never once took his eyes or foot off the depraved. Only his arm had moved as he summoned his sword in an instant, and severed each of the limbs faster than the eye could see.
The depraved's face morphed into one of horror as realization and pain dawned on the beast. It roared, or at least it had meant to, but all that came out was a muffled yell as Vincent grabbed the creature's mouth with his left hand. Dismissing his sword, he pulled his now free right hand back making it flat like a spear. He coated his flesh in a potent combination of toxic, searing fire. "Now you die."
The creature's eyes widened and its struggles redoubled but it was clear the hunter had become the prey. "Haaaa!" Vincent's hand cut through the air, nearing the creature's heart…
*gasp* Vincent sucked in a breath and stopped just a few inches short of the monster. He looked up in shock and confusion as a tall and muscular figure emerged from the damaged grass surrounding the field. "Gildarts?.. Why are you here?" He questioned in bewilderment.
With his typical nonchalant expression, the Orc's Aura exploded forth. This caused Vincent's eyes to widen in even further confusion. While it was still a deep amethyst in color, his friend's trademark Aura had undergone a radical change. In the past Gildarts's Aura had manifested as vicious, deadly tentacles. For whatever reason his Aura now contained the vestige of a gargantuan grim reaper hand holding a wicked scythe.
'Wait.. what in the hell is wrong with Gildarts's Aura.. has he evolved it recently or something?' The man wondered. The towering Orc stopped a meter away from Vincent and his quarry. He looked down at the creature beneath Vincent's foot with disinterest. "I was just passing through when I felt the.. effects of your battle.." He said simply while eyeing his friend up and down.
"Vincent. What is this power you acquired all of a sudden?" The Orc asked skeptically, ignoring Vincent's question. Vincent seemed taken aback for a second before he chuckled and shook his head. 'Same old Gil.' He thought. "I could ask you the same thing, big guy. Your Aura is giving me the heebee geebees right now. Anyways I have a feeling this form has got something to do with whatever Zar-Rhah has been pushing me towards in training. Unfortunately it's only temporary, and I have less than five minutes left." He said.
Vincent looked back down at the depraved who he had honestly expected to be struggling for his life beneath his foot, but the creature was strangely unmoving. It's gaze remained steadfast on Gildarts rather than the obvious and immediate threat.
"You.." The creature spoke in a surprised manner, clearly referencing Gildarts. Vincent's eyes narrowed and his head snapped up. How could this thing have met the Orc and lived? Gildarts's face remained disinterested even as he spoke. "Silence, pitiful fool." The Orc demanded.
Above Gildarts's head the ghastly hand of the reaper drew back its scythe, intent on finishing the creature off. Its eyes widened with fear. "The only reason you still yet live is because of this boy's mercy. And now because of your incompetence, I will have to kill him before his evolution has been completed. Master will not be pleased."
Vincent's mind went numb. His body was frozen stiff. A mask of confusion blanketed his face. 'Wait. What.. Did he just say?'
A splitting pain shot through his head as his sixth sense and Shadow step involuntarily activated in a violent manner. Vincent slammed his eyes shut and shook his head. When he opened them again he was several meters away from his original position. The gray creature he'd priviously pinned shakily stood on its feet. Steam rose from its wounds as they gradually began to heal and his tentacles grew back.
Beside the depraved an extremely agitated looking gildarts was bent forward slightly in a punch. His Aura's vicious scythe was lodged into the ground and it was clear the trajectory of the attack would have taken Vincent's head clean off his shoulders. "What..?" He gasped. "What in the fuck is going on?" Horror and disbelief over wote all other distinguishing features as Vincent's mind whirled. "This is impossible.." He muttered. Vincent refused to believe his greatest friend had betrayed him in such a way. Yet as he looked up…
Gildarts straightened his posture and withdrew his scythe from the ground. He huffed in annoyance before schooling his features. The lumbering giant looked at the creature beside him who somehow surpassed even him in both bulk and height. "I missed him because I had to avoid hitting you. As always your mere existence impedes our cause."
"Grrrg! Shut up!" The creature yelled in defense. "I am the strongest of us all, I have gathered more power than any for the master!" The creature insisted. Gildarts spared the beast a disinterested side-ways glance. "All that power and always we have to save you. What a waste." The Orc retorted before turning his attention back toward the human across the ruined battlefield.
Vincent visibly shook, not with fear, but with fury. His Aura danced around him like an unquenchable blue flame. Of course, even amped as it was in this state, his Aura wasn't nearly the size of Gildarts's, but Vincent's had always been noticeably more dense and potent than the average. Even without leveling, he had become a formidable force here within the Nexus.
Gildarts turned to the beats beside him, who seemed to have fully healed by this point. "Focus. Do not be careless around this boy. He is dangerous." The Orc warmed.
"Yeah, yeah, shut up." The gray creature growled, turning back to face their quarry only to see an empty battlefield. "Wait.. Where did he go?" The beast asked in confusion.
"What?!" Gildarts turned in annoyance, clicking his teeth before sweeping his gaze left and then right. "That little shit! He ran away! Gah!" The Orc was cut off, crying out in pain as he felt his jaw slammed shut by the force of a mighty uppercut. He was lucky he hadn't bit his tongue or it would have come clean off. As it was, his teeth shattered. Blood, saliva and teeth fragmants flew from his mouth as he was lifted several feet off the ground.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Haaaa!" Vincent roared as he finished his ascent. At the apex of his upward momentum he spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Gildarts's gut mid-air, sending him flying into the brush surrounding the field.
"Hnn!?" The gray creature yelled, scrambling to mount a defense. Unfortunately for him, the beast wasn't quick enough. Still descending from his original attack, Vincent turned his fall into a front flip. As he completed his rotation, he threw out a fist, turning all of his forward momentum into a mighty punch that caught the gray creature square in the jaw. It was knocked harshly into the ground, leaving a body sized indentation as Vincent landed in a crouched position.
Vincent stood up and huffed, cracking his back as he straightened. He closed his eyes and stretched out his senses, allowing his Aura to recede within him. "There you are." His eyes snapped open and he smirked before teleporting in a burst of shadows.
Several meters into the unnaturally tall grass, Gildarts had just finished rising to his feet. He clutched his stomach and winced. "I knew he would be strong but how could he be capable of doing this much damage in a single attack? Curses. We may have to retreat until whatever is boosting his power, wears off.."
Suddenly a fuming Vincent appeared in front of the shocked Orc with his fist reared back. "Bah!" The Orc yelled, reflexively stepping back. "Give me a break you freak! Raaaa!" He threw a right hook that would have taken his opponent's head off, but Vincent wove around it as if it were child's play. Closing the distance between them, his fist shot out and struck the Orc in the nose.
The towering behemoth winced and back stepped before throwing out a left haymaker which missed by a mile as Vincent followed up with a second punch and then a third. "Bak!" The Orc stumbled and shook, raising his arms up to guard either side of his head. He closed his eyes and yelled. "Stop thiiiis!"
*thump thump thump!* *punch punch punch!*
The man from earth became a blur as he used his system enhanced body and his skills to dart around the massive Orc. He could only be described as a shadowy blur, landing countless punches and kicks in the span of a few seconds. Having had enough, a bruised and bloody Gildarts stomped his foot, causing a shockwave in hopes to break free of the assault.
Not being deterred in the least Vincent grunted and created a shockwave of his own to cancel it out as he blasted forward at a speed that rivaled the depraved from earlier. He stopped just short of Gildarts and activated Flurry of strikes. This resulted in Gildarts getting jabbed nearly twenty times in the gut before he tried retaliating to the jabs with a backhand but Vincent broke off.
Performing a back handspring he disappeared into the grass around them.
The Orc hastily snapped his head left and then right, unable to ascertain the location of his opponent.
"Why would you do this gil!?" Came the human's desperate and hurt voice from somewhere is the brush. "We were friends! Family, I thought.." The disembodied voice continued, clearly feeling downtrodden.
'This may be the only opportunity I get to catch him off guard.' The Orc thought silently. His face contorted in contemplation. Though the green giant could not see his enemy, he could sense him. The boy's current emotional state made him sloppy and vulnerable. He knew Vincent was currently stationary several yards to his right, looking down at what Gildarts pictured was the boy's shaking palms.
".. I thought you and I were going to be the ones who burnt the system to ashes…"
From behind Vincent the grass exploded violently. A bloodlusted Gildarts burst through the opening, the vestige of his scythe once more poised to deliver a killing blow. Just as the Orc predicted, Vincent was staring down at his hands with a troubled look on his face. He was so distracted by his internal turmoil that it didn't appear as if the boy would move at all.
"Too easy." Gildarts smirked, as he brought his scythe down on the man's neck.
*skriiick!*
Blood flew through the air. "Ha!" Gildarts's face was filled with self gratification and triumph. But as he looked down at a smirking Vincent, blood slowly began to flow from the Orc's lips. Gildarts's victorious expression slowly melted away into one of pain and shock as stark realization dawned on him. At the last possible second the boy titled his head just enough to avoid the deadly blow, while simultaneously summoning his sword in a reverse grip and spinning around to drive it through Gildarts's guts.
"Now the only thing that will be ashes.. is you." Vincent whispered sadly, withdrawing his sword and hopping back several feet. He flicked his sword to clear it of blood and sheathed it at his side. He didn't bother summoning his shield. He wouldn't need it. As he stared at his best friend, a sense of numbness crept over him. So much had happened in the last twenty four hours. All of this was just supposed to be a stupid hunt. And in that time his world had been flipped upside down.
"Why..? To what end..?" He wondered out loud. None of it made sense. Suddenly his eyes went wide with confusion. A frown crosses his face. "Wait.. what in the hell is that?""
Purple cracks were starting to appear on Gildarts's skin, originating from the wound created by Vincent's sword. Vincent looked down at his sheathed blade. "The Anguish of the Father.. The reason why it increases how fast my skills level up is because it reveals the true nature of things, burning away all the distractions with its fury.. I finally get it now." He laughed. A look of great relief and happiness flooded his face and he had to resist the urge to fight back bittersweet tears. "That's why you didn't use any weapons or skills. And why your Aura is so twisted.."
"You're not Gildarts." Vincent concluded with a pleased expression, as the cracks continued along 'Gildarts's' body like deep amethyst veins. The creature's eyes rolled back in its head as it shuddered and shook, presumably trying to maintain its stolen form. "You're just some fucking monster wearing his skin."
Vincent didn't know what this meant for his actual friend, and that left a disgusting taste in his mouth, but at the moment he couldn't afford to think about that. He had just over a minute left of the Mushin state and right now he had to make this bastard pay for everything it had done. He looked down at his closed fist which was pulsating. His own body was reaching its limit.
"Raaaah!" The Gildarts look alike used Vincent's momentary lapse in concentration as it once more lunged recklessly at the man. Vincent gasped and looked up, truthfully having been caught off guard by the doppelganger. "Even with your body like that you would attack me? Mindless creature." The raven haired man huffed.
As 'Gildarts' charged at Vincent with his arms stretched out wide, the vestige of the deadly scythe swiped at him. Having expected this Vincent's own Aura exploded to life, propelling him to the left and out of harm's way. He leapt high into the air only to quickly transition into a downward axe kick. The Orc, or whatever he truly was, hastily tried to block with his arms but the axe kick, covered in several potent abilities, cut clean through his defenses and cleaved his flesh.
"Gaaaah!" The creature roared, as Vincent tore a horrendous gash from his shoulder to his hip. So bad was the damage that the entirety of the thing's arm was nearly severed from the strike. With one arm now limp and useless at his side the towering copycat was helpless to defend himself as Vincent darted behind him and kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel. It tried to buck and squirm but it was an exercise in futility as he felt Vincent's strong arms wrap themselves around his head. The crook of Vincent's elbow applied bone crushing pressure to the faker's throat.
The doppelganger began to sputter and choke, grunting and straining. He tried to scream, especially as he felt the human on top of him beginning to pull upward with his considerable strength, but there was nothing the creature could do. It's body cracked further, the violet lines now stretching nearly all the way across it's stolen body. "Graaaahhg!"
"I'm gonna rip your fucking head clean off!" Vincent roared, only for that roar to turn into one of pain as a blinding white light shot through him. "Gahh!" Instinctively he teleported back out into the open field, dragging the Gildarts look alike and his attacker with him. Standing behind him with its tentacles sticking out of his back was the gray creature that he had originally been fighting. "D-Damn.." Vincent gasped. "Got carried away. Almost had him." He huffed.
He was forced to disengage a second later as the sharp scythe comprising his opponents Aura nearly bisected the man once more. He looked up with a dissatisfied expression as the system window flashed in his face.
Warning!
Your health has fallen below ten percent! Seek immediate medical attention!
He hadn't been fast enough to completely avoid the damage and was now sporting a large gash across his arm in addition to the various holes in his back. Truly it was a miracle he wasn't dead. His wounds weren't even bleeding because his body was automatically saving what was left of his vital energies, something he couldn't do without his current boost in stats. He quickly downed a potion and snapped his fingers. "Welp, I'm fucked…" He concluded.
With his enhanced hearing he listened in on the conversation happening across from him, hoping to hear that perhaps his opponents would just give up and call the day a draw. Of course, he had no such luck.
"Are you ok?" The gray creature asked in concern. It never once took its eyes off Vincent as it's badly damaged companion took its time responding. "N-No.. We must kill him quickly and get back to master. This body won't last much longer. To think he could defeat the most powerful and the most skilled of us, simultaneously. I should have copied his body instead of this buffoon..."
The gray Depraved risked looking away from the human for a moment. "You said you couldn't use that body's full potential, what makes you think the boy will be any different?" it asked. "It's clear these two are somehow connected..." The creature said slowly, turning back towards Vincent. ".. I highly doubt it's just some coincidence they are so abnormally strong." He supplied.
The downed Orc merely grunted in response, clearly done with the conversation. While it didn't seem as if the cracks on its body were healing, they weren't spreading anymore either. It slowly stood to its full height. "What do we do?" The gray creature asked.
The Orc took in a deep breath before sighing. "Now, it's our turn." He said with a malicious grin. The gray creature shot him a confused glance only for realization to dawn on him a moment later as Vincent's Aura shrank down to a tenth of it's original size. A lecherous grin spread across it's face as the other worldly duo slowly stalked towards their prey.
A tired Vincent sighed and watched them approach with weary eyes. He watched the vicious scythe of the faux Gildarts twirled in mid-air and the gray creature's tentacles wiggled dangerously.
"Is this how it ends?" Vincent wondered out loud.
End of chapter 34