Re: Timeless Apocalypse-Chapter 154: Joy(III): Blue Crystal
The Fox hadn’t simply copied his Mantle.
It had also copied his Simple Domain.
And using the two in conjunction, it had done something even he had only recently learned how to do; commanding aether as if he were the will of a world.
But whereas he used that ability on chaotic aether to launch himself towards the statue, the fox used it on its own elemental abilities, using that authority to push its power to an entirely new level.
It was absolute genius.
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion shook the desert.
Uriel didn’t know what elements the Fox possessed, whether it be an illusion-based element, space, blood, or whatever it may be.
What he did know was that he was in pain.
His body shot back so rapidly he instantly blacked out, only coming back to consciousness as he skidded across the frozen ground.
He was missing an arm. And an eye. And half his body was entirely burnt, revealing flesh and a heart that struggled to pump blood, his left eye barely hanging in its socket.
It was a gruesome sight.
It was painful. But under the twisted root of his Sin, pain wasn’t simply pain.
His Sin had once made him intolerant to pain, but now it twisted its nature.
Pain was euphoria. And he wanted more of it.
CLANG!
Uriel rolled, then flipped onto his feet, slamming the butt of his glaive into the ground to stop his momentum, leaving a long trench line in his wake until he finally stilled.
KAH!
Shards of ice and sand rose into the air, rain falling harshly to wash the blood off his torn frame, his shells—however broken—working to prevent any more blood loss.
His core shook, voraciously drinking the aether of his domain and mantle, then burning it all for his weapon, power returning to him.
He didn’t care to heal his body. It was pointless.
The useless sack of flesh his soul inhabited relished in suffering and stubbornly refused to mend itself at reasonable costs.
One arm would be enough.
There was no point wasting aether for that.
"Good!"
Vines rose from the ground, wrapping around his body, acting as a faint exoskeleton that would support his frame.
With his chest exposed, his runic scar lay out in the open, its golden radiance blinding and stark against his dark silver aura.
His hair whipped fiercely in the blowing winds, as did his torn tunics, the falling droplets sliding against his jade-white skin and vine exoskeleton alike.
Uriel took a deep breath in, uncaring for the cracking of his bones.
Then he exhaled deeply, grinning.
He slapped himself once, then swung his arm to pick his planted weapon off the ground, pointing it at the fox who stood in the distance, carefully observing him.
"Alright, one more time!"
...
The Fox stood with its body shuddering, its maw open and letting out strained huffs as its golden mantle flickered in and out of being, threatening to collapse.
Seeing Uriel rush towards it, it seemed shaken, struggling to stand tall and pushing its beast core to the limit, hoping to replenish it.
But then, just as Uriel was about to be in attacking distance, its presence shifted, exploding with power, all feigned weakness gone and its mantle strong once more.
Uriel saw this and did nothing but laugh.
"You shrewd bastard!"
It lunged at him just as he swung.
...
Man and beast clashed.
And their battle was... fierce.
The Fox was as wise as the oldest of human fighters, but as ferocious as a cornered beast born of chaos and carnage itself, its gaze burning with primal malice.
Its use of chaotic aether was so subtle and sharp Uriel barely realised its effects on his own body, despite already knowing of the creature’s odd constitution.
Every attack was aimed at his vitals—chest, neck, head, and core, and every attack was meant to kill.
There was no mercy in its eyes, no glee or respite, no fear or even hesitation, there was only cold intention. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Uriel fought back, barely holding on, seeing his body stripped more and more of its integrity—losing limbs, organs, and pounds of flesh by the second.
But he fought nonetheless, swinging a weapon he knew nothing about with a radiant smile and a burning heart.
It was useless, though.
Whatever he used, the beast snatched away, taking it, devouring it, then assimilating it into its arsenal.
Regardless of depth or complexity, it matched him easily. It took his tools one by one, using him as a toolbox to reforge itself into something greater.
Body resonance. Mind resonance. Core resonance. Resonant dominance. His elemental mantle. His Simple Domain.
All of it.
It took it, devoured it, then used it.
The world was Chaos, so it was his hell, barring him from his magic and talent.
But the world was Chaos, making it the Fox’s heaven, opening all doors to it.
Worst of all was that regardless of what Uriel did, the beast always healed. Its body refused to bend or break.
If his body refused to heal and sought to constantly break, then the beast’s body refused to lay broken, constantly mending.
Its healing abilities were so ridiculous Uriel didn’t even have a chance to use [Hateful Presence]’s active ability.
Things were going from bad to worse.
...
’Damn it!’
Uriel crossed his pole across his body, blocking a falling swipe from the fox, yet having his guard torn open nonetheless.
So rapidly he couldn’t react when another swipe came, taking advantage of his open chest to carve four deep gashes across him.
From the Fox’s claws, torrents of chaotic aether surged, resonating with his core and anchoring into his body, turning into an attack he simply wouldn’t be able to get rid of.
Staggering backwards, he hacked out a mouthful of blood.
This was yet another use of chaotic aether the Fox had seemingly just come up with using resonance it had taken from him.
Had he not been so frustrated, Uriel might have found it brilliant.
KAH!
The Fox continued its attack, snout tearing into his chest before snapping upward to lift him skyward just as thick javelins of concentrated lightning fell from the skies above, piercing into Uriel’s back and sending him crashing down again, pinning him to the ground.
Uriel roared out in anger, his core revving to fight back.
But the Fox didn’t give him any opening.
It continued its attack not by lunging forward, but rather by furiously retreating backwards, letting the javelins of lightning explode.
BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!
As it retreated, the creature remained deathly calm, using its own Simple Domain to rapidly replenish its core as it analysed any possible paths Uriel could take to reverse the situation.
WHOOOOOOOSH!
Harsh winds blew across the rain-soaked frozen expanse.
The water level had risen considerably during their battle, now nearing knee height, the downpour only becoming more and more chaotic.
KANK!
Metal against ice echoed as Uriel used his glaive to forcefully push himself up to his feet, his body so broken and mangled he may as well have been a dead man.
Holes dotted his frame, and flames and chaotic lightning aether danced across it, eating away at all he had left.
He didn’t pay attention to it.
Instead, he sighed, even as he hacked mouthfuls of blood and felt his vision darken.
Heavily leaning against his planted pole, he swayed with the winds, barely strong enough to stand tall.
"..."
He closed his eyes.
He let the falling patter of rain fill his mind, finally given rest from the chaos of it all.
He didn’t know why, but the Fox refused to outright kill him, insisting on breaking him down to his last strand.
SHAH!
Uriel burned the last bits of aether he had left, using it to fill himself with enough strength to at least stand straight and be able to see.
He sighed again.
"Hm, that’s unfortunate." He said to no one in particular, looking away from the fox and towards the water-consumed horizon of the sandy plane. "It really is."
"To realise I really would like to keep living for a bit longer only when I face an opponent I can’t beat." He chuckled. "I mean, truly... could you envision anything more tragic?"
"..."
The beast didn’t make a sound, staring at him silently, feeling something stir deep within it.
Its hairs stood on end. At no point in the battle had it felt so threatened.
It felt like its primal instincts were telling it to... run.
WHOOSH!
Uriel waved a hand and stored his glaive away.
In its stead, within his hand, what replaced it was a blue crystal that glowed with radiant light.
An aether crystal.
