Match of the Millennium

Description: Warmed by the touch of cosmic and corrupted flames, the long-abandoned Antechamber of a lost and Forgotten Tomb in the Sahara Desert teems with visitors for the first time in countless centuries: the mournful spirits of a God-King's bereaved family and worshippers, come to pay their last respects once more; the Thunder God Raiden, fresh from a brush with grim duty; and the Mad Sage Relius, armed with forbidden data from an infernal knight.

[RELIUS]
"How Fascinating..."

Once, this was the burial place of someone very important. Thousands of years ago, the God-King Horus Khufu's rulership endured against the Sea People, until the great Cataclysm stole away his life in the heat of a final battle. Now, in the depths of the Sahara Desert, the rivers that long supplied the wells of life had dried up forever. This portion of the tomb is what's called an antechamber. The front door was broken in, crushed by the current invader who was studying the writings in the main greeting chamber of the tomb. THere were the ancient remains, in clay pots and jars, left as offerings to the beloved king. The dried out husks of some of the followers were here as well, ritually sacrificed as a way of ensuring guardians to defend it. The haunting shadows linger against the eldritch lights filling the ante-chamber. But they were not attacking, not anymore.

Relius had already dealt with that.

The Engineer was a blonde-haired man, dressed in a gaudy purple and white ensemble, trimmed with gold in case it didn't look loud enough. Billowy white pants tucked over purple boots, with a billowy purple shirt over it. In case you didn't think there was enough purple, a grandiose purple cloak hangs over his shoulders. Upon his face is a golden mask. Where his eyes would be were covered by the mask, where a faint white glow flickered out of the eye holes. He was at the side of the tomb, looking at the ancient script. It was a dead tongue, dragged across the walls. Not even Relius could know it, it was totally lost in every form of modern history. But the alchemist found another way to force it; the spiritual essence deep within this tomb was active after all with the guardians. And Relius had captured one of them, practically enslaving in cruel, ruthless strength, enslaving as he forces him to read it. Of course, -Relius- didn't understand the verbal language of it any more than the written. But he could twist out the meaning deep within the spiritual essence. He just had to look deeper, deeper as he looked up on the tortured soul, twisting it and torturing it as he almost tears it apart.

"It seems that there may be... a sort of magical power deep within... I just need a moment more..."

[RAIDEN]
The skies turn dark.

As Relius seems to have cleared out the tomb and goes forth to his own devices, there is a rumbling in the heavens. The night finds solace in the comforting embrace of the Thunderer, who approaches this new stage after defeating his last opponent. Yet he travels from a graveyard to a forgotten tomb of some ancient, evil power. Yet, Relius may feel his hair start to stand on end as the electricity starts to charge the molecules in the air.

A bolt of lightning charges from the heavens and through the earth until he's in the same room as Relius.

The being that steps forth from the light is dressed in hues of white and blue, with black and gold harnesses and straps around his person. He looks as if he's ready for a fight. Strangely, he's wearing a harvester hat that covers much of his face.

(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/i/f66f6ca7-97c1-4771-be2b-98367851fc20/ddboy41-0bad4ad0-4c8a-469e-9dbf-1268e120eb00.jpg)

"Who are you?"

His voice somehow like that of a whisper...yet like booming thunder.

[RELIUS]
Relius's breakthrough is cut off by the sound of thunder.

The great bolt rips through, the spirits of the lost king recoiling in the presence of divine majesty. Including, in fact, the one that Relius had enslaved. Protected by the holy presence of the thunder god, they escape from the seals and traps of the alchemist. Relius, for his purposes, looks only mildly annoyed at the interruption; his hair standing up as he sniffs the stench of ozone. Swooshing his cape, he turns to the light of the thunder god, the energy casting eeriely on his almost waxy skin. Staring directly to face the living avatar of the god. he feels the booming power running deep in his bones at but a whisper. "Hrmph! It's presumptuous that you demand my identity. But, I suppose I should expect nothing less of someone afraid to show your face."

He gives a rather contemptuous bow.

"I am the esteemed Colonel Relius Clover," The man begins, indulging his titles haughtily. "Leader of the Ten Sages, and leader of the NOL's Engineering Department. I will be your opponent, here. I have joined this tournament for the sake of my child, Carl. I was hoping to find him a suitable playmate." The engineer pauses, smirking cooly as he inspects Raiden. "You certainly are an interesting opportunity. Relius adjusts his gloves, almost half idly considering his opponent. "You are Raiden then? Kamuy Kanna to those primitive Ainu, Lei Gong, Haokah, etc etc, so on and so forth. What brings a Thunder God to a tournament like this. I have a few theories I can entertain, but I doubt they would be interesting to you. Certainly, they are barely interesting to me." He waves his hand, dismissing the almighty god.

"I find theology to be a rather trite subject myself."

[RAIDEN]
They say that Raiden guards all creatures, even those whose eternal rest has been disturbed. The alchemist's powers over their spirits relieved as the God stands tall in the face of his opponent.

"Only fools disturb the dead." Raiden speaks, his voice echoing through the tomb. Raiden is challenged to show his face...and so his head lifts just so his eyes can be seen, like lightning bolts. He has no facial hair. The hair stop his head is long and white, braided at certain places in oriental styling.

"Esteemed only in your pride. You are my opponent. You have paid me no respect, so I will show you no such mercy in return. Your child will have to wait." Raiden didn't bother to explain his reason for participating in this tournament.

He didn't have to.

"You will be humbled. I will not enjoy it." Lightning crackles in Raiden's hands. It was time for Kombat.

COMBATSYS: Raiden has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Raiden           0/-------/-------|

[RELIUS]
Certainly, the tomb could barely contain these egos.

But while Raiden is most assuredly allowed a certain level of divine majesty, Relius demonstrates his hubris with an almost mocking chuckle in response. "No mercy, how droll. Really, for all your deification you are no different from that idiotic brute from outside this Earthrealm." The engineer rubs his chin. "A truly humanistic god would see the potential for humanity that may lay in these untranslated texts, and would carry any means to revive the potential magitek lost in time!" It was a sophistry. Relius had no shame to use it.

After all, he had dealt with gods before.

He adjusts his mask as he steps forward, approaching Raiden with a steady, almost careless pace. It is no less hostile than any other kind of threat. "No, no, I think you will be humbled. I see through the veil, you understand?" There is a powerful pulse of magic around him, as arcane symbol begin to glow in the air. Seals. Wards. Crafted with considerable talent, if hastily pulled together. "Yes, you are divine. But your shell in this Earthrealm... it is but a candle to the sun, isn't it?" He rubs his chin further, as arcane symbols begin to appear around the god. Was he trying to seal him in place?

"I wonder if I could capture this lighting in a bottle..."

COMBATSYS: Relius has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Raiden           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Relius

[RAIDEN]
A low chuckle left Raiden's throat.

"Humanity has a tremendous ability for growth. But you do not know what your actions would unleash. I do." Raiden frowns as he senses that shift in the arcane winds as seals and wards surround him.

Raiden was an Elder God. A greater deity. "Humans have always reached for that which is beyond them." Lightning suddenly leaves Raiden's hand, targeting Relius's chest with the blast!

"Doubtful."

COMBATSYS: Raiden successfully hits Relius with Lightning.
- Power hit! -

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Raiden           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0           Relius

[RELIUS]
"Oh, I am very well what it would unleash."

Relius raises an arm up, the seals forming a sort of honeycomb barrier around them both now. "People would die, yes, as they do in the name of progress and growth. What hubris you have to think that humanity is unworthy of the evolution, the potential there-" Relius's bantering is cut short as the lightning -rips- through the air, tearing through the seals like they were nothing more than wisps of paper. The bolt strikes Relius squarely into the chest, his body jerking and jolting. His bones reveal themselves in outline; rather, the intermingling of bones and what looks like mechanical parts. How much was man, and how much was machine? Relius jerks and shakes as his fingers wildly, barely snap.

And suddenly, the puppet appears.

It was a hulking, feminine automaton, teleport between Relius and Raiden. She manages to break apart the lightning, deflecting it away with a swipe of it's long arms, and it's... claws? The iron maiden is clad in the general shape of a dress and a large pink headress, and after it intercepts the electricity, Relius moans, having fallen to the ground once the current broke. "Ignis, my dear, give me a moment of respite." He states. The puppet, obeying her master, lunges at Raiden, electricity still crackling over her body. Should she close in on the god, she would swing her long arm around to grasp him by the throat with long clawed fingers, before turning her other arm into a drill and then ruthlessly driving it into Raiden's chest. The electricity would still be surging over her, yes.

But that might very well be a boon to the god, than a bane.

COMBATSYS: Raiden blocks Relius' Geara Kaas.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Raiden           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0           Relius

[RAIDEN]
The hubris of the human mortal before him was deafening to Raiden. So much so that interrupting him was a reasonable sacrifice to pay for ego. The lighting rips through the seals and barriers and strikes true like an arrow. Yet, Relius appears more machine than man. More deadly. He experimented on himself?

Raiden starts to advance, his steps like that of a calculated warrior, but with greater confidence than most. He halts as that strange automaton appears before him and break apart the lightning.

Raiden's eyes narrowed as the being leapt at him, his arms move into defensive action, blocking the swinging claw coming for his throat. The drill meets the palm of his offhand, energy around it to prevent being stabbed.

In immediate reply, Raiden shoves the drill arm back and performs charge! He flies forward, trying to push /through the automaton and into Relius as if trying to tackle him straight into the tomb wall!

COMBATSYS: Relius interrupts Elder Fury from Raiden with Id Lauger.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Raiden           0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0           Relius

[RELIUS]
As the doll is pushed back, it is quickly seized up by Raiden.

Relius is just barely getting on his feet, when the god was surging at him with his puppet. Ignis flails, struggles but, well. Raiden was too -powerful-. Eyes narrowing, his jaw clenches. Stretching one arm out, he traces in the air in a circular motion, leaving a small shimmering disc-like shape. With the other, he steadies his feet, his boots digging in. And right before Raiden and Ignis collide with him, he stretches the other hand out. And snaps his fingers. In a flash, Ignis disappears.

Allowing Raiden to collide straight into Relius.

Slamming into the tomb wall, the Alchemist grunts in pain. Losing the automation certainly reduced the impact, but as he is smashed in, he feels his spine nearly snap. He would not be pinned there however, no. From the circle in the air, a massive gauntlet fires out, intercepting Raiden at his shoulder. Fist clenched, it smashes Raiden to the ground, and continues to press him there, attempting to pin him down. Relius adjusts the clasp of his cape, rolling his neck as the mechanized limb struggles to keep the god in place. "Tell me, Raiden is it." Relius states arrogantly, smirking as he looks down on the god.

"Have you considered a different shell for your divine power?"

[RAIDEN]
Boom!

Raiden drives Relius into the wall, but he finds himself smashed into the ground by a mechanical apparatus! It's having difficulty keeping him there, but Raiden's hands suddenly grabbed at the ground and began to push-up with a grunt. In a fast move, Raiden suddenly tries to overpower Relius by standing up strong enough to send him airborne and return the favor! If successful, he'll reach to grab Relius by the throat and slam him hard into the ground! Followed immediately by a quick lightning blast as if to add emphasis to his strike!

Will Raiden succeed? Or will Relius find a way to prevail?

COMBATSYS: Relius blocks Raiden's Almighty EX.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Raiden           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0           Relius

[RELIUS]
A little of both.

As Raiden pushes up, Relius gives a hmph. Striding towards the god, he barely has time to react as he is sent airborne. As Raiden grabs for his throat, Relius brings his own hand up to stop him. And then another, and then another. Five pincher-arms stretch out from behind his cape, gripping at the strength of the thunder god. It is able to force a stalemate, even as he is slammed down, refusing to concede control, refusing to let the clinch break.

Though two of the five claw shatter as the slam comes down.

"Your struggles are futile!" Relius states hastily, struggling against the awe-inspiring power of the thunder god. The sudden blast of lightning runs through him. "It is the nature of man to dominate myth and legend, god and divinity! To dominate and control it, like any force of nature!" The roar of Enlightenment from the heart of the Engineer overcomes the electricity and extends a hand to snap his fingers. All while using what is left of his pinchers and his one good hand to cling on Raiden.

Ignis has returned.

Teleporting from behind, the doll begins to charge at the back of the Thunder God, attempting to tear into his flanks with raking swipes of her claws. Rending after rending, tearing after tearing, all while Relius struggles to keep the deity in place. Should he succeed, the doll would break the clinch by spinning like a top, wave of energy mingling with the dancing claws as she would carry Raiden away, finishing by slamming them both into the wall.

But only if Relius managed to keep his hold...

COMBATSYS: Relius successfully hits Raiden with Duo Bois.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Raiden           1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0           Relius

[RAIDEN]
"I would tell you much the same." Raiden's words are stained by a steel edge. "The nature of man is not to conquer that which is beyond him!" Though Raiden is pelted into a wall!

Claws take against his back and cause blood to drop from his mortal vessel. Growling, Raiden is still for a moment before suddenly throwing a straight punch that moves /fast/. So fast it's unreal. Thehalls shudder.

He aims for the face. Woth naught but a few words that Lightning echoes in the heavens above.

"God Fist."

The uppercut that even Gods fear is coming straight for Relius!!

COMBATSYS: Raiden successfully hits Relius with God Fist ES+.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Raiden           0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0           Relius

[RELIUS]
A sound begins to play, as the doll carries Raiden away. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLB42PPbZdU>

"But the difference is that I am the greatest mind of all realities, of all the world! And you are merely-" Relius is cut short as the uppercut connects with his chin. The engineer is rocketed up with the force of an entire hurricane, the force of all the world's storms in a single fist. He does not smash through the ceiling of the tomb. No, not entirely. HIs body snaps and cracks as it collides. A white fluid dribbles from his neck, his spine, dribbling from his pants and his cape. He writhes there, almost unconsciously tracing some sigils on the ceiling. After only a single sign, he begins to slip. There is a howl from the dead, a cheer as Relius falls down unceramoniously.

He lays there, still, as the haunting sound continues to run through the tomb.

"How -dare- you! I will not be -rebutted- so brutishly by some mere god!" Relius groans, as he drags himself up to his feet. He steadies out, drenched in that strange white fluid, and now, -blood-. He tries to steady his feet, and to that end, his -doll- comes, helping him steady out. The automation dusts off the limestone debris and straightens out Relius's outfit. Returning to a certain majesty once again. He resets his jaw with a sickening pop, and then, raises points at Raiden. The crescendo builds on the theme, and right before it repeats again, it cuts off with a snap of his fingers. The doll disappears from his side.

And above Raiden, a giant, uncannily realistic mechanical foot drops down from a portal opened up in the ceiling, attempting to stomp on Raiden.

COMBATSYS: Raiden blocks Relius' Strong Kick.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Raiden           0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0           Relius

[RAIDEN]
'KRAKATHOOM!'

Raiden frees himself completely from his enemy, a slight bit of blood from his mortal avatar dripping onto the floor as the Thunderer rights himself after the strike, his fist still smoking from the energy that left him, crackling electricity occasionally.

His enemy was down. But not out.

"Humility is off the most difficult lesson to learn." Raiden speaks his wisdom as he steps forward,closer and closer to his bloodied enemy. "A mere human..." Raiden chuckles, but he stops dead in his tracks and looks up, a giant foot coming down from overhead that seems to crush Raiden through the floor! It's still a moment before the foot starts to lift and Raidenhas it by one hand, lifting the foot and cracking his neck. He pushes it upwards and charged Relius!

Two fists aim to strike his stomach and his face respectively, followed by two knife-hand strikes aimed for his chest. Finally, Raiden summons his bo staff made of lightning and twirls on his foot as if to strike Relius in the face!

COMBATSYS: Raiden successfully hits Relius with Deadly Storm ES.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Raiden           0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1           Relius

[RELIUS]
Relius had decided, at this point, he would try and kill Raiden.

It was bad enough for the god to have come into the tournament, but to have the audicity to declare that there was something Relius would be challenged to learn? That kind of insult would need a firm hand and harsh discipline. As the foot comes smashing down, he smirks. That smirk fades as Raiden heaves it up, and shoves it away. As it draws back up through the portal, Relius sweeps his cape. Pincher claws come up, ready to meet the two fists. With the first double punch, they are neatly shattered. The two knife hands rips into his chest, shattering the reinforced ribs severely. But as he steadies himself, the bo staff comes. It smashes across his face, knocking him horizontally in the air. Collapsing on the ground, Relius swiftly comes into a crouch. Ignis was gone. Relius was barely up, down on one knee.

And his face was in a horrible state.

"Summoned weapons?" Relius struggles to scoff, the fissures on his face oozing with thick blood. "Really, that's hardly fair at all." He sweeps his cape again. For a brief moment, underneath the cape two mechanical arms reveal themselves brief, both having burrowed into the tomb floor. The ground fissures slightly, like a mole burrowing under the stone. And then, from right below Raiden, a pair of huge scissoring blades rise up, slicing in half to try and latch on Raiden briefly, before trying to drag him away to slam into a stone pillar. Relius struggles into a stand.

"But desperate times call for desperate acts I'm afraid."

COMBATSYS: Relius successfully hits Raiden with Geara Lugia.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Raiden           1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0           Relius

[RAIDEN]
Raiden's strikes hit true and it's clear he's focused on picking apart Relius! Though, strangely enough, Relius is still both alive and conscious! It speaks to his strength of will, but...his arrogance remains. It's clear that Relius hasn't faced a real challenge in a long time. Even as Raiden approaches, he quickly raises his hand as if to finish off Relius, but those huge scisering blades rise up and slice inwards towards him!

Raiden is caught before he can dodge or block, and suddenly he's flung straight through a stone pillar! The tomb echoes for a moment and rumbles, as if a foundation was disrupted. Raiden rolls along the ground until he finds his footing in a solid crouch.

"Indeed..." Raiden starts to stand back up to his feet, his white hair more than visible now as he picks up his hat. For a brief instant, Raiden's eyes crackle and he starts sprinting towards Relius!

He looks as if he might tackle him again, before he vanishes in a flash of lightning. He reappears to the right of Relius and rushes to strike him like a lightning bolt, surging into his body and trying to smash him through a pillar. Immediately after, Raiden's fist tries to strike him in the face and he will immediately transform into lightning as if to surge through Relius's body!

Raiden is pulling some stops to try and take Relius down, but the man is strong!

"Desperate times." The voice speaks, as if forebodingly.

COMBATSYS: Raiden successfully hits Relius with Dark Force EX.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Raiden           0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1           Relius

[RELIUS]
He was running out of tools.

Relius watches the god come at him, and- no. He vanishes. An infinity of possibilities. The left. The right. The behind. Relius leans to his left, looking as he suddenly manifests a seal. Sigils hang in the air, readying to capture the god, and steal his energy before any harm could come. Raiden appears on the right, instead. Relius is smashed horribly through the pillar, the white fluid pouring out from him. Stunned, the god becomes his very element as he surges through the Engineer. Relius's body pops and boils; his bones bursting under the pure energy that would flooding him. Where was he. WHERE WAS HE? The Lightning was still flooding over him, as the engineer barely brings his arm up. "Desperate." Relius begins, a foreboding air coming over him. He has something clenched between his thumb and index finger. A vial, filled with seithr. Dangerous, powerful magic. Very, very dangerous. He stumbles, falling to his knee again. The man did not have a heartbeat anymore. He did not have a pulse. But he was not dead. Death was not something that would hold him down. "Desperate... Measures."

He crushes it between his fingers.

The magical energy floods all around him. Chaotic. Corrupting. And mingling with the same electricity that was cooking Relius within. Sweeping his arm around, the toxic black cloud is forced into the shape of a consuming orb, the size of a man. The size of a god. The size of Raiden. As he pulls the cloud away, the underneath of Relius is revealed. There is no flesh, no bone. A chittering, writhing mass of -something- broken and clicking, a clockwork abomination of impossible depth. It was rotting him from the inside. The corruption was filling him. But his waxy, bloody skin, oozing that white filth from his body, it was falling apart. All his strength was long gone. This was just magic, foul and corrupting magic, forcing its will on this reality. A powerful magic. An insane magic. He pushes it forward, the orb of destruction flying through. Clicking and whirring, churning. And with it, it struggles to pull Raiden away from within. To bring the god into the same hellish nightmare that was within Relius: a clicking and whirring universe of gears, clenching and grinding. And it would clench and grind, an infinite grind to force Raiden down, to break his bones and flesh into a hideous slurry until he broke free... Or if he used his strength to destroy it before it even reached him. Whether he brought Raiden out of him or not, Relius would collapse to his knees after it, his body broken. His life force in a shell. Alive.

But utterly helpless, for a long moment.

COMBATSYS: Relius can no longer fight.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Raiden           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Raiden blocks Relius' Vol Tedo.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  <
Raiden           0/-------/-----==|

COMBATSYS: Raiden has ended the fight here.


[RAIDEN]
Not all tools are created equal.

Raiden's lightning pops Relius's blood like balloons, veins burst. Bones crack and shatter from the inside. Though he finally reappears as if sucked out of Relius's body by the air and he stands there a moment, turning to look upon his fallen enemy. He can see the lifeblood in Relius.

It was absent. But, suddenly, the toxic black magical energy suddenly expands into the size of Raiden.

Raiden's eyes widen.

"Poor human. What have you done?"

Though Raiden watches the strength and vitality of his enemy seep away to reveal just the corrupting magic that remained. Not one to underestimate his energy, the universe that threatened to swallow Raiden whole. The corrupting magic strats pulling at Raidne, the orb coming at him.

But...something wild happens.

Raiden's hands connect to the vast energy of the universe and he manifests it as lightning to the common senses. He reaches out and he /catches/ the orb, and with a shout and a sudden squeeze, the orb completely shatters, the gears and technological wonder...and horror..is destroyed. It bursts from within, sparks of lightning raining down over both of them as Raiden approaches his enemy.

He's alive.

But not for much longer.

Raiden suddenly reaches for Relius's head, lifting him up. he plugs a spark of electricity into his chest.

"Rest in peace, worthy warrior. You will be remembered by me." Raiden starts to walk away, and suddenly the lightning would rip throughout his body, the impact and rush of energy would detatch his arms and legs as if chained only by electricity. His torso causes a tendril of lightning to rise up his throat until his head is ripped off from the inside.

At the end, his limbs are released and the electrical energy causes his heart (or whatever functions as such) to pop out of his chest and into Raiden's hand, crushing it as he walks away.

There is a stready chill among the dead in the tomb who celebrated Raiden's arrival.

'Raiden Wins.'

Then as a chorus.

'F A T A L I T Y'

Raiden lifts his hand up, and he vanishes in a bolt of lightning. To nurse his wounds. To prepare for the next fighter.

Log created on 10:00:22 07/19/2022 by Relius, and last modified on 11:29:43 07/31/2022.