Chapter 234 - Bane Of Demons

"Ars Azrael." 

The single utterance conjured forth a mystical force that felt separated from magic--a step beyond the norm, or an entirely different branch altogether. Whatever it was, Sora had no clue what was coming as he released his bite-lock, jumping back. 

Trying to discern the location of any incoming projectiles, nothing came. All he could see was the wicked, static smile perched on Halphas' lips before he finally checked his own body. 

Etched into his armor was an azure glow, bubbling up with an exotic heat. Releasing his cestus into non-existence as he attempted to do away with the manifesting blue energy, watching as it began to travel through each groove of his armor. 

"This is…?!"

"The pinnacle of dark arts. What I released upon you is the very concept of death. Be honored that I decided it was a necessary force against you; stand proud, human." 

Before he could try anything else to free himself of the gathering, mystical azure, the entirety of the radiant energy consumed his vision, feeling his entire body be enveloped in it as an explosion and implosion occurred simultaneously. 

The massive release of energy of a higher-level condensed itself and expanded multiple times over, an immense pressure feeling as if it was crushing him from all sides while etching into him a deathly flame that froze his veins. 

I'm dying. I'm really going to die. Shit...I really wanted to see...her again. 

Halphas watched the manifested mysticism birth itself into existence with utmost volatility, sending an array of tremors throughout the entire town as the sapphire glow radiated like a second star in the air. 

All he could hear was a high-pitch ringing in his ears along with his thumping heart, running his fingers along the dry dirt below as he slowly brought his chest off of the ground, coughing up dust from his lungs. 

"You're truly a one-in-a-million warrior. Tell me your name."

Unable to even discern the words spoken to him through all the ringing, Sora continued to cough as he groggily brought himself to his feet. 

Like shattered glass, his sable armor crumbled up and began to fall from his body, landing onto the ground before breaking into dust. 

"I see; your armor protected you from certain death. Well, not completely." 

Looking down at his body now that his protective layer of stygian steel left his form, his shirt underneath was nothing but tattered fabric. Throughout his body, cuts and bruises had already formed, his own blood smeared all over himself. 

He could feel it from his head as well; the warm, crimson essence slowly trickling down from atop his head and down his face, some of which found its way into his mouth, tasting the bitter substance. 

I'm alive...Not for long, it seems. 

Trying to stare at his own hands, his blurry, shaky vision made it seem as if he had four hands, lowering them before he looked up at the demonic foe before him. 

"What a shame, it would've been much more of a satisfying finish to have killed you when you were at your best. Now you're nothing more than a tumbling child." 

"A child…?"

He simply repeated the words that managed to make it past the barrier of obscene ringing; swaying back and forth as he tried his hardest to stay conscious. 

That's right...I'm supposed to live. For everyone else. I have to live. 

Finding his footing, he firmly placed his boots down against the soil beneath him to halt his constant stumbling. 

I can feel my ribs prodding against my lungs. Every breath comes in and out like knives. 

"What's this? Still intending to fight?"

All this time, I've forgotten...I do my best when I'm smiling. I'm not the brooding type, that's just not me. When I win this, I want him to watch me win with a bright smile--I want to tell him that I got the job done and that he can rest easy. 

Watch me, Lucas. 

Struggling with his twitching, cramping muscles, he slowly forced a smile across his busted, blood-covered lips before raising his hand to the air. Between his fingers that he could hardly feel at this point, a gathering of silver particles formed, coalescing before a blade manifested into his shaky grip. 

It was a simple blade; something that looked like a single coin would buy from a small-town blacksmith. Yet, it was all he could muster at this point. 

"Prometheus:...Link Origin."

No flames bore themselves into existence; nothing could be seen manifesting from the pained utterances of the vermilion -haired man. 

"Oh? Out of mana? I'll make things quick; I'm not the kind of demon who particularly enjoys playing with his food." 

Pointing his long, bony index finger towards the man who seemed to be standing on his two feet only by the work of a miracle, Halphas smiled smally as a small orb of darkness began to form in front of his extended digit. 

Launching a small, condensed beam of absolute darkness towards the blood-soaked human, Halphas witnessed his attack miss completely. His eyes were locked onto the man from the very start, yet somehow he escaped his vision. 

"Wha-?!"

Turning around, he found the human to already be behind him, rearing his blade back as he nearly fell over backwards to evade the attack. 

Missing his strike, Sora continued to hold his trembling, ear-to-ear smile as his fringes obscured his bloodshot eyes, soaked with his own thick, crimson essence. 

"I was starting to wonder...Do demons experience fear like the rest of us? Despair? Hopelessness?" 

He looked one moment away from total collapse, using his own blade as a crutch before suddenly bursting forth with agility that was nothing more than a blur to the crimson eyes of the demon, who frantically turned from direction to the next in search of the man. 

"Right here." 

The voice led itself directly into Halphas' ear as Sora swiped his blade down, sending through the demon a sense of utter dread--resolving himself to death before finding that the blade was miraculously halted in its path by his trusty mirrors. 

"How are you this fast?! I thought you were out of mana by now! You shouldn't even be walking, let alone breathing or fighting!"

"Who said I was out of gas? That was just a wrong assumption on your part." 

Spitting out blood onto the soil below, Sora smiled brightly as he pointed his sharp steel towards the disgruntled demon. 

"Prometheus: Link Origin"--It's a last resort. Truth be told, I am out of mana. Everything I'm using right now is directly from my own life essence. Every second I hold Link Origin, a year is taken off my life. Let's make this quick. 

Casting his body forward with ferocious speed, Sora flung himself into the air, crashing down upon the demon with a harsh, wheel-kick that collided against one of the mirrors. 

Just what I wanted. 

Using the moment of stillness to his advantage, he brought the blade down like a smite from the heavens, digging it deep into the frail-seeming shoulder of Halphas, burying it as deep as he could. 

It isn't exactly flashy, but Link Origin grants my physical prowess far beyond my normal limits. In addition...It's like a shot of some super-adrenaline; I can hardly feel the pain anymore, I'm wide awake now. I can keep fighting--I can win, Sora thought. 

Retrieving his blade from the demon's abnormal body, he evaded the retialtory swipe of frustration from Halphas; a three-pronged strike of black energy that surely would've carved right through his flesh. 

Blood poured out like a fountain from the new wound on the demon's body, the black essence shooting out rapidly as Halphas' eyes grew wide, putting his hand over it in an attempt to halt the downpour. 

"It isn't stopping...That blade--it halts healing as well. Very well then, I'll just rebi--"

Before Halphas could finish his utterances to himself, the human granted physicality beyond any other was directly in front of him again, propelling the sharp steel through the jugular of the humanoid entity. 

"I've learned my lesson. You're not doing that shit anymore!"

It was a smile from Hell itself; the man's own teeth were dyed in his own blood, his azure eyes widened and bloodshot, holding a smile so wide it looked as if his cheeks would tear open. 

That's the thing about Link Origin. It's not a flame that wraps around me, it's a flame lit ablaze in my soul. The first flame given from a god to a man. For just this small period of time, I've got the authority of a deity! 

A hell-spawn like you can't recover from injuries inflicted by a god, can you?! I'll show it to you in your last moments on the soil of this world; the horror of human will. Cross us the wrong way, take from us what we love, push us to this brink--you'll find that we're far worse than you, demon, Sora thought. 

Grabbing hold of Halphas' bristly hair, tightly gripping it with everything he had, Sora used the leverage to carve his blade through the rest of the being's throat as little resistance was met. Even with the dull blade being lodged deep into the folds of the demon's flesh, each slight bit of progress felt like having to sever steel layered on steel as he used every ounce of strength to guide the sharpness through Halphas' neck. 

Even with the steel buried in the demon's jugular, he could feel no warmth touch the blade's surface--only a coldness that escaped through its thick, stygian blood that stretched itself across the dull sword.

With every ounce of my soul, I hate you, Halphas! Even if what I'm doing etches itself into my nightmares forevermore, I'll be glad I sent you back from whence you came, hell-spawn! He thought. 

Tears flowed out of his eyes as he did it; gripping the jet-black locks of the demonic humanoid with such angered fervor that he began to separate its scalp, gritting his teeth and yelling out as Halphas looked at him in silent horror. 

This is all I can do; destroy. I failed once more to save someone close to me. But for now...I'll gratefully show you what I'm so good at, he thought. 

At last, with a final push, the head of the malevolent entity was torn straight from its shoulders as the sound of ripping flesh was accompanied by the now acute, but brief screams, screeches, and wails of the inhuman entity. In a geyser of sable blood, spewing from the headless body of Halphas, the downpour of darkness signaled the end of Sora's job.