Description: Igniz returns to NESTS's secret base in the boot of Italy to research the Time Sphere of Sparks, the original source of the disturbances within Mt. Fuji, when who should bust in but Ash Crimson -- whose side is he on, anyway? -- and Shen "Don't Call Him a Sidekick" Woo, demanding the return of the sphere and a face to punch, respectively. The interference of the two interlopers, and probably Shen Woo punching some sensitive equipment in lieu of a nearby face, causes the system hooked up to the powerful sphere to trigger an overload. Energy courses through Igniz as powerful earthquakes rip through the environs, triggering an eruption in distant Mt. Etna and breaking off the tip of Italy's boot, creating the beginnings of the lovable Igniz's own island paradise... Or does it?
It's not hard for anyone with the slightest ability to detect the energy of the orbs to notice something is taking place in Greece; a large amount of seismic activity has begun in the last week, growing in strength and causing ancient volcanoes to stir for the first time in centuries, to the bafflement of traditional science. Indeed; TRADITIONAL science. In terms of understanding exactly what the large, beautiful swirling orb he has acquired is, there is likely no other organization that is better equipped.
The location of this adhoc base was no coincidence. A network of chi leylines is at the center in Greece, and a brutal show of overt force followed by fanatical construction has lead to a no-nonsense facility beneath the ground. The building above is a simple front, with a large metal door leading to the staircase down...
To a massive room, perfectly round. Cutting edge chi generators are upon the walls, thick and heavy cables swirling up to attach to a specialized housing system for the orb in question. Presently it is glowing bright, fully charge, the intense thrums of reality altering power causing the entire nation to shudder. After all, another of these items at full capacity is what caused the perfect storm that ended in Metro City flattening... to have prepared another is foreboding to say the least.
And at the forefront in his regal black suit is Igniz himself. Four tubes are attached to his back, linking up to the sphere's housing as well. Each pulse of the ancient object causes Igniz' body to swirl in cerulean energy, the voluminous hood drawn up and his hands pressed together, sleeves concealing him.
"More." he states. A mindless Kula doll is brought forward, settled on a platform. A violent reaction follows, as she is ruthlessly disintegrated. A look of shock is all the emotion the entity is capable of, as a surge of potent, if unrefined, energy once more strikes the orb.
"Hmm. As I thought. It is at maximum capacity. ...But it is missing some manner of catalyst?" A half-dozen scientists are nearby, reading monitoring equipment, and mumbling out useless tidbits.
Godhood. Ascension. This is the key to that. Yet the question Igniz had never answered...
What is the door...?
Metro City flattend? Shen Woo couldn't be happier, a entire city that only evoked memmories of alien and unaccustomed emotions was better left in ruin. No sooner than his last 'bout had ended, Shen Woo had booked it out of that trashcan of a city, plane, train, or automobile, it didn't matter. He just wanted out!
Somehow, someway, out lead him back to the side of Crimson, maybe the freeloading bum called him, maybe he heard that there was some fruity guy that flung around stupid, green flames somewhere, Maybe some third option that is equally unimportant occured. One way or another, Shen Woo had found Ash... and then Ash promptly dragged him all over Europe for some stupid reason. Ash has a lot of stupid reasons. Shen Woo usually doesn't pay attention until it's time to start breaking things, people, or a combination there of.
Such a occasion has arrived, Shen Woo has slouched after Ash and found himself presented with a large metal door. He is to kick it down. Bickering ensues, just a tiff. It is shorter than Shen's attention span. In due time, ruckus can be heard down in the hidden bowels of the building.
"Oryaaa!"
'TUNG'
"ORyaaaa!"
'TRUNG!'
ORYAAAAA!"
'THRUNGK!'
Steel doors prove a poor match for the brutish ignorence of Shen Woo, the mad brawler flagrently ignoring the well posted and multilingual sign that bade him to keep out. They crash open, loching mechanism giving way before one last solid strike of Shen Woo's heel.
The nights have been dark and full of terrors, but not for the likes of Ash Crimson. He dreams of spheres, of the gate... Of that man.
In waking hours, his every thought is to find them, all of them. They must be broken, stolen away. Anything to prevent that man... Well, if I reveal more than that, there would be no point in continuing to play. You can just imagine his ambitions.
His arms are folded across his middle, hands gripping at bony elbows, fingers drumming away to a rhythmless beat. Ash might hum, if he weren't so focused. The flamewielder moves with purpose, abandoning his lazy stride for a more brisk one. Trailing along in his wake like a lost puppy is the self-styled 'God of Battle', Shen Woo. He leads them from a nondescript car across a barren plain for what seems like hours. Eventually, a steel-plated door blocks him, the energy beyond it sets his head to spinning. "Break it down," he commands the brawler while covering his pale blue eyes. Of course, being asked none too nicely, Shen argues.
Ugh, sidekicks.
It doesn't last long, because Ash actually SNAPS at Shen. His expression twists, lips curling back in a nasty sneer. Not going to repeat what was said, but it was something that one friend really shouldn't be saying to the other. It was pretty harsh, actually. That's how the debate ends, with a sullen Chinaman forced to do the flamboyant weirdo's bidding.
Shen begins kicking at the obstacle; each time his boot connects with steel, hinges warp, break clean in half. Hanging back and looking to be uninterested with the entire affair, Ash examines his nails, painted an acidic green with black patterns. He exhales a gentle sigh, but the Frenchman's head snaps up as the door bends inwards. Long legs carry him forwards and he pauses at the entrance, staring down into darkness. How much energy has the sphere gathered? "Well, I assume you'll be joining me, so let's get this over with, oui?" What lies ahead? Could it be another disaster much like Metro City? Or spiriting away an entire city?
The lithe fighter takes the first step down into the bowels of the earth, then another. He carries on until a strange light blinds him, and a shocked scientist who is silenced with a fist to the face before he even has the chance to scream. It was total reflex. Shading his vision, this is... "Que...? What is this?" Alarms, complete pandemonium, blue eyes spy the sphere in the strange contraption. "Oho." Ash says, both pencil-thin eyebrows lifting high on on his forehead. Really now.
After the furious series of blows dent the metal door ever inwards -- a dozen formerly staunch defenders laying unconscious, scattered about the faux office building behind Shenwoo and Ash -- the last strike sends them ripping off metal hinges to skid in a spray of sparks within the larger room. Immediately, Ash would feel that sickening burst of intense power. Indeed, he certainly came to the one orb that is the closest to hatching, after whatever meddlesome beings popped the proverbial bubble of the one near Metro City.
Of course, intermingled with that is the very distinct and impressive aura of Igniz himself, having synchronized himself rather thoroughly with the swirling sphere.
"Oh?" There is no further defenses, beyond six armored figures rushing forwards with weapons. They are of no concern; although they are sufficiently talented that a couple are liable to get past Shenwoo and force Ash to get his hands dirty putting them down like the dogs they are.
"How interesting. I had just been hypothesizing... that the catalyst for the orb's true awakening requires more than just chi. What might the mundane call it..." Igniz turns, wires in his back swishing across the ground as his arms open. Handsome features remain mostly obscured, beyond the slightest grin. Condescending to the extreme. In terms of quiet arrogance, of an individual who thinks every other being infinitely beneath...
He might be the one on this planet closest to Saiki.
"Spirit, perhaps? Willpower? I am almost thankful of you... to offer me this humble chance to test my theories." Although then Igniz blinks, tilting his head to the side and peering closer at Ash, one eye visibly slitted. "...? Your chi... ...hmm. Who are you...?"
These things were usually fun. He would follow Ash, they would get in fights, they would fight one another, they would fight someone else. Ash would jabber someone beyond their temper and then Shen Woo would punch them. That is how these things are supposed to go, that is how things are supposed to be. That is how things used to be. It's how things should be.
Shen Woo is in a foul mood when he stalks down the steps after Ash. Crimson was never this... this..
Crimson was never like this. Something was wrong. Dwelling on it occupied what few braincells Shen had.
Arriving at the final landing, the brawler found himself a few distractions. He lurched past Ash to meet their charge.
There was no grace in what followed, no form or tactics. He simply swung his fists about like a drunken ape and sent men flying, heedless of any equipment or instruments that lay in his thrashing, smashing path!
When the last one falls still, their uniform collar clasped in his hand and their teeth littering the floor, Shen Woo lifted his head at last and laid eyes on the time ball, orb, sphere thing...
Loosing the man, Shen Woo straightend and thrust a finger towards the McGuffin, focusing a demanding look towards Ash.
Igniz might have been more inclined to pontificate and exposate... but he was plugged into shit and that was weird. This is why Ash was stuck with the unavoidable, "Oy, Ash! What the hell is that?!"
The slender flamewielder's fingers tangle in his silken locks of platinum blonde hair. He takes in the sights of the... Room? Chamber? Is this a lab of sorts? Ash decides such things do not matter. Brushing the fine strands across his broad slash of a mouth, thin lips curve into a small, secretive smile. His weight rests primarily on one foot, because the other is thrust into a guard's stomach once he draws too close. The man drops to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Ask me nicely, maybe I'll tell you." He simpers in the most snide manner imaginable. Condescending, meet arrogance.
As Shen handles the rest of the chaos, as is his wont, Ash observes in silence. Blue eyes flick here and there, to the tubes connecting Igniz to the orb, finding the way the mist pulses and writhes in ecstasy almost sickening. When he breathes in, he breathes in the power it exudes, turning his stomach over and over. He manages to keep down his lunch, but only just. "Ugh." The Frenchman finds he cannot focus on the sight for long, turning away, the bridge of his freckled nose wrinkled in disgust.
His companion has a question for him. A very important question. It does not involve the strange man, but rather the object Ash has been seeking. The sphere that illuminates the space and casts a red glow all around. "A Time Sphere, je t'aime. It's what we're here for." This is explained like a parent instructing a small child, because he knows how his friend has such difficulty with these difficult concepts. All of Shen's brains are in his fists. "I doubt this fils de pute intends on just handing it to us without a fight, however. Ahhhhh~hhhhh. What a bother."
There is nothing Ash hates more than bothersome things or even people.
He shrugs, accepting that in order to gain the sphere, it is his curse to fight this man... Who reminds him in so many ways of Saiki. All he needs to do is order them both to die and they could be mirror copies of one another. Ash makes a soft sound of contemplation, tapping on his rounded chin, "Who am I?" A giggle follows, along with a gesture to the happy punching meat-sack, "Like he said, I'm Ash. This is Shen Woo." Mentioning his chi strikes a weird chord, for a moment Crimson wonders if Igniz can sense the Yata Mirror... "I hope you don't disappoint me."
Features partially obscured by his hair, the lazy flameslinger leans back into a slouch, hands at his hips. Ash seems removed and apathetic, truly uncaring... Save for the light in his eyes and the way the colour seems to shift to a scarlet that matches the orb's own.
The men put up a good fight. One person manages to punch Shenwoo! It doesn't really hurt, but it probably primes the proverbial pump of his own battle fury up just a notch. However, Igniz' attention returns to the sphere; during the brutal massacre of his minions, the energy output appears to have shifted. "...Oh?" he murmurs to himself. "Yes... excellent. I wish I had more men to throw upon you."
And then Igniz sweeps away his hood, a great billow of chi rushing out. It feels like wind, a sudden pressure of crushing serenity that is infuriatingly soothing and calm. A silvery aura ripples about Igniz almost like a divine halo, making it hard to look directly upon him without squinting.
"Might I offer myself, God of Battle? I, too, merely aspire to reach divinity... perhaps you can offer my humble soul enlightenment?"
Taunting Shenwoo is one thing, although Ash's offer seems to somewhat intrigue Igniz. Strange, that he can remain so natural and calm within the presence of the orb. In fact, he is likely infused with far more of it's power than is simply bleeding around. Is such his infinite composure? Perhaps it's addition is only natural...
"You are here for my orb? Preposterous. I finally have what I have united countless souls, the greatest minds on this planet, to achieving." He flourishingly gestures towards it with his hand, smile broadening. Infinitely smug. "This is the key to divinity, is it not? To Godhood. I can sense as much. But a Time Sphere, you say?"
Igniz strokes at his chin, curious. "Hmm. Time... indeed, within physics, such has potential. But I had postulated that the energy required for anything even minutely regarding 'Time' would require such a massive condensement of chi as to be untenable... hmm hmm. Yes. I see. Space, is the other half of the equation."
Igniz suddenly opens his hand, and a small black sphere appears. The room dims, machines thrumming and sparking. The scientists who fled Ash's anger are now piled up in a corner -- the only exit in the perfectly round room has been punched out by Shenwoo. A number of tubes remain, a few housing still-dormant Kula clones, and from the looks of it, a few dozen have been offered as tribute already.
"I have already mastered 'Space'. If I was to master 'Time', too... would that make me a God?" With that, he suddenly swishes a hand. The black vortex begins to spiral madly, initially slow but building up incredible momentum, flying towards Ash with surprising speed. Sheer gravity -- intent on striking into him with catastrophic force if he does not evade, projectile intent on slamming into the metal wall hard enough to dent it heavily before violently collapsing inwards in a great intake of wind!!
COMBATSYS: Igniz has started a fight here as a boss!
IGNIZ
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COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
IGNIZ
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|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
COMBATSYS: Ash has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
"What the fuck is a time sphere?" Shen Woo uttered even as he rubbed at the dull ache in his jaw, a momento from a man that got a lucky hit. Ash and Igniz prattled, they might as well have been juggling the mater over Shen Woo's head, so little of it registering as anything intelligable or comprehensable to the mad brawler of Shanghai.
Igniz deigns to fix Shen with a moment of attention, his mouth forming words that work through the barren terrain of the mad bull's brain and adress the small councel of braincells there in. The few converse and try to interperate the talky sounds the man makes. God of Battle, that's Shen Woo. He never sought godhood, he is just a guy that is the God of Battle. It's in the dictionary, if it is not in the dictionary, Shen Woo will punch it until it is.
His head canting to the side like a curious dog, the blonde chinaman fixes Igniz with a curious look, "What the hell are you talking about? It's plenty bright in here, dumbass." he jeers, a hand reluctantly lifted in the face of the gentle breeze and glaring light that has suddenly started to gleam in his eyes and tug at his forever-open shirt, hem ruffling in the breeze.
More talky jibber jabber. Shen Woo considers going to get something to drink, or maybe a sandwich. In a hour they should be ready to fight, right? Wrong, they are ready to fight now! Get your punching face on, Shen Woo!
Igniz starts them off, hurling something weird at Ash. Shen isn't worried, Ash is acting like a dick, he's also strong. He can afford to be knocked around a little.
With a sudden cackle, Shen Woo spurs himself into motion, hopping over bodies or cords, the space between himself and Igniz shrinking rapidly.
"Maybe if he knocks this guy's teeth loose, Ash will stop being a jerk. Shen sets out to test this theory!
Balling a fist and cocking it back by his ear, the mad brawler of Shanghai makes a lunge towards Igniz, a shallow thrust that would have been well short had his fist not shot forward and suddenly flung the blonde man the rest of the way, his entire beef-slap of a form dragging along behind the face-seeking fist-missile.
COMBATSYS: Ash instinctively blocks Igniz's Divine Arrow - Air.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
Ah, it is as though the intensity of power in the room has reached a crescendo. Ash knew that would happen the moment the guards were set on them; he feels the swell of energy deep in his very soul, swallowing the bile that rises in his throat. Giving his pretty little head a shake, he says, "More men? Saa, I'm glad you don't, I don't want to be distracted." His crimson-eyed gaze settles on Igniz, as the rest of the surroundings aren't very noteworthy. He intends on taking the sphere, and if the evil megalomaniac refuses to relinquish it, then the flamewielder will see it destroyed.
Why must the simplest of tasks ALWAYS involve fighting some crazy psychopath intent on becoming God or other divine entity? Getting tired of this shit.
He doesn't shield his eyes at the glow, he doesn't squint. Determination keeps him staring in an unnerving manner, unblinking, the corner of his lip upturned. Is that... fascination? Interest? Is Ash captivated by silvery auras and strange halos? Addressing Shen earns a laugh from the Frenchman, who finally moves a muscle to sweep back his lengthy fringe, wind tickling at his freckled cheeks. The response is pure gold. "You're so cute, je t'aime." Yes, being a borderline retard is endearing. A light pat is dedicated to the self-styled God of Battle's shoulder. There there, dummy.
"Are you finished?" Ash doesn't care for rambling, for pointless postulating, affirmations or whatever else. He speaks what his dimmer companion seems incapable of demanding and then some, "You're boring me. If you think that the Time Sphere is the key to divinity, or mastery over Time itself..." Unfortunately, the thin European is cut short, at least for the moment. Red eyes widen to their very limits, eyebrows arc high on his forehead in surprise. Energy is pulled from the orb and recycled back in, and Ash reels back, seeing nothing but stars, swirls and a black sphere or vortex -- he's not sure, even on impact. He wasn't aware of blocking, but his arms are there, and the flamewielder is drawn by gravity towards the epicentre. Somehow, Crimson stands his ground.
His punch-happy roommate takes the initiative while Ash clamps a hand over his own mouth, the flared sleeves of his jacket nicked and torn. There is something that occurs to him, a knowing of just why Igniz can remain so calm while Crimson is losing the battle to keep his lunch at bay, both attuned to the sphere but experiencing different effects... No doubt the wannabe God has noticed, as well. "Shen, mon dieu, get him away from that thing!" It might be after the face-seeking fist-missile (YOU DAMN LINE THIEF) finds a home, or perhaps the brawler from Shanghai will miss entirely, but the French opportunist hopes to capitalize on whatever small lapse in defense there may be, leaping into the fray, his arms wreathed in emerald flames.
Ash moves with a dancer's grace even as he runs, darting to the side. He reaches for the tubes connecting Igniz to the sphere, attempting to wrench them violently from the man's body and throw him in the process, preferably into a wall. It's not fancy, it definitely won't be pretty, and let's see if the burning conflagration at his fingertips can protect him from the energy being syphoned from the orb... Probably not, but worth a shot.
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Igniz with Brumaire.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
COMBATSYS: Igniz blocks Shenwoo's Gekiken.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Shenwoo
It seems the time for talking has passed. Shenwoo rushes forward with ruthless tenacity, and Igniz reacts somewhat simply; by suddenly bringing up two tentacles, each of them forming a whirling barrier of dark swirling chi. The fist strikes it dead on, stopping the hulking God of War dead; although given the bolts of lightning and mild flicker on Igniz' face, it was not dismissed as easily as he might be fronting. "Oh...? You certainly have a good strike. But is it divine?"
However, this distracted him from the supple frame of Ash, slithering from behind. A hand finds one of the three thick tubes settled into his back, and wrenches free. There's immediately an explosive burst of energy feedback, likely giving Ash a hell of a zap. Igniz spasms, his entire body going rigid as energy starts boiling through him in an obviously painful feedback. Black cloth disintegrates in a burst of ash, leaving his once priestly attire looking more like wild tatters.
However, something unexpected might happen. The other two tubes seem to similarly react to Igniz being damaged; and the orb up in the air shimmers wildly in vibration, before a single crack forms up it. Is him being connected making it vulnerable...?
"You... dare...?!" Igniz states. His voice is suddenly deep, and all of his fake compassion vanishes. In a heartbeat, that soft, almost musical silver chi is replaced by a black weight. So close, it might feel like Ash and Shenwoo are staring into a bottomless black pit. Beautiful features are cold and haunting now, sharp as a knife.
"...YOU DARE?!"
A hand lifts up to Ash. So simple a gesture, but in a sudden torrent, there's a great whirlwind of energy. Not dissimilar to the assault before, he attempts to brutally draw Ash inwards, and crush him in the vortex of dark, nebulous energy. Roaring, Igniz then twists, to hurtle the other man away like a comet towards one of the tubes still holding a sleeping Kula.
Suddenly energy erupts out of his back, spreading in both directions. They look momentarily like angel's wings; before turning black, wisps falling like inky snow. "The creatures who roused these orbs... their ambition means nothing to me." His hands raise, and he levitates off the ground as great bursts of force emit outwards, thrumming the ground. The heat starts to rise, whirling and licking up his body. The orb appears to be reacting to him and his will, now that the flirtacions of the fight have ceased.
"COME...!!"
With a snarl, Shen Woo's attempt to drive his fist through the mass of tenacious tendrils is turned away, his hand left steaming once he is repulsed. His boots squeek across the tiled floor, black skids left in his wake as tread scrapes away.After a yard, he manages to get his heels down and halts himself.
So this one is a weirdo, kind of like Ash, right? They have all of those weird powers and they have egos about the size of a buick... But this means he's strong, right? This means he's really strong, right?!
The light show only reinforces the idea that he is up against a enemy of titanic strength. He feels himself tremble, the muscles of his chest quaking in plain sight. Igniz... was so strong.
Good.
As if rent open by a knife, a horrible smile rips across Shen Woo's face, all teeth and lust as he fixes his gaze on the man in the robes and cables. Teeth part, a laugh bubbles out, joy, childish joy. Igniz has flung wide the doors to Disneyland and Shen Woo just snorted a entire pack of pixie sticks.
Ash gets it again, it looks like he's getting it good. Shen's almost jealous. Almost, he's mostly just overjoyed.
With a baying laughter, Shen Woo lobes back into the offensive! He charges Igniz once more, veering as he charges in a lazy arc towards the man, shoulders squaring as if he intends to just collide with the other like a drunken bull. It's easy enough to miss the sight of Shen's fingers intertwining, both hands grouping together, two fists forming a singular, super-fist of sorts.
This twinned-fist comes whipping up just as soon as Shen Woo closes, eight knuckles sent rushing up to meet the man just below the chin, trying to crash through his guard and leave him something to remember the God of War by.
COMBATSYS: Ash dodges Igniz's Void Genocide.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
Despite his every effort, as the first tube is wrested away from the psychopath with a God complex, his flames offer no more protection than goggles that do nothing. The energy from the sphere, channeled through the length of tubing that he holds, rips through his thin frame without mercy. Muscles contract and he convulses involuntarily, leather gloves burned from his hands, searing his palms. Ash pulls them back and a strangled cry escapes him; he trembles from head to foot like a leaf carried by the wind... His precious nails have melted, but the Frenchman doesn't seem to care. Staring around wildly, he is unable to focus or comprehend, truly... afraid?
A strange phenomenon indeed.
Damaged and enraged, the back of his attire in tatters, Igniz shouts him down. Fearful eyes of blue snap up to the angelic man with his blonde hair and what remains of robes as deep as midnight. The flameslinger blinks, seeing the whirlwind before him as gravity draws him in towards it... Ash curls in on himself, as if it could save him.
I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!
One moment, the lithe European is as real as anything, solid and whole. The next, the form of Ash blurs and fades away completely, the air left disturbed in the wake of his sudden disappearance.
He is gone, but not for long.
When Crimson finally reappears, he can be found on the far side of the room, slamming roughly into the wall by the container holding one of Kula's many clones. It stirs feebly. The flamewielder stumbles from there, groping blindly for something to support him, something that isn't cold steel. Finding nothing, Ash hits his knees on the ground as he falls clumsily, and bending forwards, he retches, covering the floor in front of him with sick. He hovers over the puddle of his own vomit, shivering, eyes clenched shut tightly. What he sees in the darkness, he will never speak of...
Though the fear lingers, its hold of his senses begins to recede. Reeling back, gazing at the ceiling, he suddenly remembers... someone. Someone who probably thinks this is great fun. Normally that wouldn't concern Ash, but given his current state, he is actually WORRIED... He tries to get up to help Shen Woo, but his long legs disobey the command. "Salaud..." Cursing Igniz, tucking strands of platinum blonde hair behind his ears, the Frenchman can feel the vibrations as the wannabe God levitates above the ground. "Shen, il delire completement!" Sure, he so understands you.
This is not good, the temperature in the chamber is on the rise. The Time Sphere has a crack that he has not yet noticed, and it reacts to Igniz favourably, almost like it is encouraging him, completely enamored with the wannabe God. Ash cringes, the bridge of his freckled nose wrinkled in distaste until he finds himself forced to suppress another urge to gag. The Shanghai-born brawler charges in, preparing a double-handed strike. If he can't stand and lend his assistance, the effeminate fighter will do so with his energy, focusing on Shen. Here is proof that the world is ending: Ash Crimson has done a selfless thing. "Merde, tu es fou."
COMBATSYS: Ash assists Shenwoo.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
COMBATSYS: Igniz interrupts Kouryuu-Geki from Shenwoo with Ideon Blade.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Shenwoo
"....Laughter?" Igniz states, fingers gripping into empty air where Ash had stood only a moment before. The feedback from the orb is starting to damage him, causing a strange static-like shimmer across the surface of his skin as his overburdened shield generator struggles. Only three tubes remain within, but the actual power exchange remains primed, although compensation is more than a little painful.
"You think this a game...?!" Shenwoo's fist rushes forward as Igniz seems only to sweep up an arm before himself, like he were trying to get a bothersome fly out of his proximity. That fist makes contact with his face, but a moment after a huge, erupting blade of darkness-infused cerulean chi impacts Shenwoo head on, thrusting up all the way until it destroys the overhead lights. The hapless God of War would then be struck by another and another, sent hurtling away in a brutal series of juggles, each of the gargantuan blasts shuddering the entire circular room.
Ash likely has to dive aside, lest his attempted aid end in him eating the strike to. Still those strange wings protrude, as it seems that Igniz' darkening thoughts cause his very presence to twist and warp. Less and less he seems a divine god now, tattered black robes swirling around his hovering form, eyes wild as silver hair floats before those striking features.
More and more, as demonic as Those from the Past...
Another crack runs through the orb, a combination of being overcharged and the feedback from Igniz causing no small amount of stress. "I shall cast you down first..." he offers Shenwoo, grin showing too much teeth. "There is no room for two Gods within this world...!"
That was it, all he neded was to make one, good hit and the man would go tumbling, his composure shattered like his jaw. One good hit one good hit...
His knuckles sweep upwards and he feels the ghost of a impact before his world erupts in pain and light and motion. Something hammers him in the chest, the impact forces a shocked bark from past lips, his eyes going saucer-shaped. Igniz was growing smaller, it took a moment for Shenwoo to register movement, his movement. In that same instant he collided with a light fixture, flouresc ent tubes shattering with a pop and crackle as toxic fumes are freed and paper thin shards of glass slither their way into Shenwoo's skin through the meager layer of clothing that is a shirt that shall never be buttoned.
Gravity took him... If that was all of it, he would have been fine. A bit angrier for the loss of a shirt maybe, but fine. That was not all of it.
Another umbric discharge erupted somewhere between him and the floor. Another, bone-rattling hit that volleyed him up for a second, and then a third. It continued. His body pinballing between blasts and eruptions that pounded, knived and batted him around like a muscle-bound shuttlecock that was quickly being stripped of it's plumage!
When nothing else would halt his descent, Shenwoo fell at last, body dropping with almost lifeless langudity upon the tiled floor. The thought of death was dismissed within a heartbeat, the Shanghai brawler writhed on the floor, twisting in on himself with a pained groan. Turning, he committed to the laboureous act of righting himself. A fist planted to lever his form up so that a elbow could be braced, allowing a knee to come into place and then finally a foot. At last he was standing, bones and muscles voicing their displeasure. He fixed Ash with a... almost dumbstruck look. Ash was smarter, he should know! Turning his attention then to Igniz once more, Shenwoo's gaze frew heated, brows leveling over his eyes and turning them into glaring pits. Turning his face aside, his lips puckered and expelled something that rattled against the floor.
"Fuck your godhood and your stupid coat." jeered Shenwoo, dragging his wrist and the back of his hand across his lips, "I'm kicking your ass."
To make good on this, Shenwoo charged, long legs hurling him across the space between. Yes, he had just tried this but he was willing to give it another go!
He lead with his head this time, that cinder-block skull of his rocking back at the end of his nec k before he sent his brow hurtling towards the bridge of the other man's nose. Something to daze him for the quick, double barreled duo of fists that came in low, strikes that snapped in from Shenwoo's hips as he worked his knuckles towards Igniz's abdominals. If he isn't ten feet away and snot-rocketing his own teeth out of his nose at this point, a hand will snap out at Igniz' throat, the strong arm that connects it to Shen's shoulder seeking to heft the man up, anchoring him in place for that fist that has drawn back past Shenwoo's ear, knuckles all lined up nice and pretty, the muscles pulled tight like the restraint that's been keeping a catapault cocked. He looses it, full body seeming to twist around in pursuit of the fist as the hand rockets away on the short flight into the rivaling god's chest.
To Ash, the precious minutes that he wastes on the floor feel like an eternity, the energy he lends to his companion leaves him drained. He is useless, he is helpless. His weakened state makes it harder to master what remains of the terror that wells inside him, his heart pounding against the wall of his ribs. The Frenchman's head lifts, a sickening sense of dread impacting him long before blue eyes spy the blades of chi, before the light fixture shatters overhead as Shen is flung skywards like a lifeless doll. It comes for him, as well. There is not much strength left in him to muster, but the flamewielder does manage to dive into an awkward and sloppy roll that carries him just outside of the blast radius. He comes to a stop and exhales a breath that he hadn't been aware he had held.
Fighting back another wave of nausea, the lean fighter's shoulders visibly quake, his hands shaking. Ash scoffs in disgust, more with himself than anyone else. Swiping the back of his sleeve across the broad slash of his mouth, playtime is over. Crimson forces his legs to obey and rises slowly, gingerly, much around the same time that Shen is able to find his own two feet. Their gazes meet briefly, but not to share a look of understanding. The self-styled 'God of Battle' is confused, and Ash... he is pale. His blue eyes are like twin sapphires in the snow...
Until their colour shifts again and Ash turns away, back to Igniz. "You're no God. Just look at you." Yes, he can see it, how the sphere warps and distorts the room and the wannabe God himself. He can see it with those crimson eyes, his head pounding as the renegade energy generated by feedback causes his head to ache. Can Igniz?
His punch-happy meat-shield leaps back in, heedless of consequences, and the flamboyant European... does not. Ash waits, waits to see if Shen is successful, and should the brawler heft the man up and off his feet, that's when the effeminate flamewielder strikes like a viper. Should he not, then his roommate will become a sacrifice, used to distract yet again. It is the way of the world, and Crimson is a terrible friend. Clearly he is back to 'normal'.
Every cell, every atom, every fibre of his very being screams at him not to lunge for yet another tube, but the connection must be severed. A quick glance at the pulsing sphere and Ash finally spots the cracks that have been forming, knowing what disaster awaits. He inhales deeply, steeling his resolve and attempting to wrap his arms around the closest one. What will follow is a grunt of effort, the thin fighter hauling back. If Igniz is punched the hell away, hopefully the Frenchman wrenches the tube free from the connector at the same time. All attempts to brace himself will be futile, already he can feel the fear gripping his heart and squeezing it like a vice being in such close proximity to the orb, the first licks of hysteria hastening to consume all reason in his mind. He can't let go, he has to... he can't... but...
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Igniz with Kohyou Rengeki.
- Power hit! -
IGNIZ
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|-------------==|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
COMBATSYS: Igniz instinctively blocks Ash's Strong Throw.
IGNIZ
[ |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|------------===|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Shenwoo
Many things can be said about Igniz; but amongst those, the idea he has a terrible coat is impossible. It's a fashionable modified black robe, after all, and so few can properly pull it off. "A God is a creature with power beyond the comprehension of the lesser. A ruler of minds, a being of worship, for their idealist perfection. ...Can you say earnestly I do not fit that mould...?!"
Normally, Shenwoo bullrushing back towards the angry Igniz would be a suicidal enterprise; if not for Ash attempting to fiddle with things yet again...! Igniz is grasped and hefted upwards, but he begins to heft his hands, and energy crackles to life. It's obvious that the man ran into a trap... only then Igniz tenses, as Ash darts forward. Hands grasp the tube and begin to yank, as with a snarl Igniz twists, lashing out with a cabled arm. The motion knocks his hands away, but...
It leaves him at the mercy of Shenwoo. A dangerous prospect indeed.
Suddenly there's an eruption of blood, perfect nose sending up the perfect amount of blood. Reeling, a sudden onslaught of fierce strikes slams into the other man, who had begun to falter in his levitation before Shenwoo grasps him yet again...
And the last blow sends him flying. Igniz strikes the orb itself, a great eruption of electricity rushing through with a grunt of surprised pain, before he falls down and lands in a crouch.
"...Ha... ha... Mmm. I see. I see... well." The damaged tube dislodges then, and Igniz stiffens as the rush of power increases. There's multiple cracks in the orb now, and it's constantly letting off sparks of energy in all directions.
"Time... Space... let me test... if both can be wielded."
The air seems to shimmer and warble now, as Igniz once more begins to rise. His black wings spreading further, the air suffused with... emptiness. It is as if his chi, in truth, is little more than the void. Something that lacks passion, something that lacks emotion, cold and draining as the abyss.
Systems thrum and boil in both his suit and the facility, before suddenly Igniz gestures at Shenwoo. Two concentric circles of runes erupt, before suddenly a shimmering sphere attempts to explosively manifest, and entomb the man within...!!
"Do you wish to see it? A feat that only a God can do...?" he offers Ash. "Your friend... shall go upon the sacrificial pyre...!!"
COMBATSYS: Igniz successfully hits Shenwoo with Disintegrational Universe.
IGNIZ
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|--=============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > // ]
Ash 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Shenwoo
For Shenwoo, it would be strange. One moment he's likely realizing the strange runes, and the next... he's gone. Even Ash, likely quite prodigal at sensing chi, would suddenly lose all connection with him. The strange, perfectly smooth and gray sphere appears to have isolated him... or something to that effect. Yet the God of War simply floats in a void, all air gone, all weight gone, frost forming across him as he finds himself in what appears to be dead space...
"A god can create..."
Suddenly Igniz erupts with power, lifting up a hand and gathering a swirling nebula. And then he hurtles it, a black bolt of lightning hitting the sphere. And then... like a blossoming flower, what seems to be countless galaxies and stars erupt across the face of it. As if it was some model of the universe, with disturbing accuracy.
And Shenwoo... suddenly sees a universe come to life. Like the lights were turned on, in all directions, seeming at an incalculable distance, he can see the wonders of distant space. It might be hard to appreciate when one is dying from exposure... yet still, truly a once in a lifetime experience, to say the least.
"And then... what a God can make..."
A hand opens at the sphere, before slowly closing.
"He can also destroy."
Suddenly, Shenwoo feels a crushing point of gravity right in the middle of his chest. Stronger, and stronger, suddenly everything is rocketing towards him; streaking into points of light, the heat building up to ungodly levels. The exterior of the sphere cracks multiple times...
Before the singularity is reached, and there's a massive explosion. Cerulean energy rocks the very ground, blowing armored panels and metal from all around, knocking out the power completely and plunging the room into partial darkness. Heavy, intense swirls of plasma-laden wind boil around, leaving an almost twenty foot crater where Shenwoo had stood.
The only source of light now is the crackling, unstable sphere... and the audible hissing of chi sloughing sloughing from Igniz' form, dark and almost liquid, eyes seeming to begin turning a different color.
"Do you... see?" he offers, twitching slightly before descending to land upon the ground. "Hah... hahah... I don't care anymore... if this is the end..."
His arms open, and then energy begins to whirl violently around him. A vorpal whirlwind of energy that lashes out a good ten meters around, as his veins suddenly flash black, the tattered remnants clinging to his suit looking like the attire of the grim reaper, four poised tentacles like looming scythes.
"If I cannot be a God... and create... I shall simply be a Demon... and DESTROY...!!"
Fumes waft from the extended fist of Shen Woo, the very fist that had sent the man sailing away into the big, glowy, ball thingy that Ash was acting so damned weird over. It wasn't looking too good either. Good, let it break! Maybe Ash will stop acting so damned weird then. Shen's mind wandered from thoughts of a overwhelming defeat, Igniz was strong, dauntingly so, but so were they... and it seemed they were proving to be more than a match. They could win. They will win. He just needed one more shot, one more strike. Hold nothing back and knock him down!
Ash and the werido jawed, Shen readied himself. He would break that guy's face, break the spehere, and everything would be normal, everything would be fine again!
But before all of that-
Cryptic glyphs orbited him, runes of ruination rotating 'round. He wrote them off as quickly as he did any writing. It was a time for fists, not pens! And while a pen might be mightier than a sword, it can do little when you're pounding a guy's face into the back of his skull! But while the matter of pens, swords, and fists was decided, Igniz had brought into being a bead of somewhere else. Shenwoo, wise to these tricks, reared back a hand and attempted to... swat it away! "Fuck your co-" he attempted to defame the man's apparel once more as his hand flew towards the orb... and then halted. The tidal flood of his own chi, the untamed, raging river that made him who he is, clashed with the unearthly soul of Igniz' new-borne might. He strained, heels digging in against the tile, muscles gone tight and bulging beneath his tanned, sweat, blood, and grime mottled skin. He snarled his defiance, teeth grinding out one last note of "-oooAAAGH?!" before the sphere could no longer be repressed and just swallowed him whole.
He didn't have time to think, had he not emptied his lungs in that last shout, the oxygen contained there in would have flooded his bloodstream. Already the beauty of it all was lost to the agony of the fluid on his tongue, in his mouth, and inside of his eyes boiling. He was blind to it all, blind, deaf, mute. There was no air to carry his screams, no air with which to scream. He clutched at his throat and flailed his legs. He twisted in this busy hell. He kicked and fought but it was all for nought. He was at the heart of it all. then at the end of it all, and then he came back to it all. He hung, suspended in the air for just a moment before gravity remembered him and pulled him down. His vision returned, it was so dark. His eyes lock on Ash as he falls, dropping down to the bottom of that twenty foot crater where he is quite suddenly stopped. Just a bunch of meat and bone hitting the ground... he was very still.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo takes no action.
IGNIZ
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0|---------------|--=============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
IGNIZ
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0|---------------|--=============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/----===|
The 'God' has posed an interesting question. Can Ash deny it, say that this being is nothing more than a mere man, albeit a very mighty one indeed? Look at how his nose bleeds. Gods do not bleed.
"No," is unfortunately all the Frenchman is capable of articulating, "NO!" The last vestiges of his sanity are scattered to the corners of his mind, replaced with a fear so unlike what he has experienced already. Deep, bottomless, unending fear. When his hands are slapped away from the tube, Ash reels back. Crimson eyes widen to their very limits, jaw dropping but unable to make a sound. Terror robs him of breath, strangles him. He reaches to his throat, trembling and mute, rooted to the spot and forced to watch. In these moments, the flamewielder is truly powerless...
But then Igniz collides with the orb, and the eruption of electricity and energy is not only jarring to him, but to Ash.
He is able to move, freed from his mental prison by the jolt. Fear passes through him, leaves him. Hunching over, the young man presses his burned palms into his eyes, the melted remains of his fingernails scraping at his scalp. Oxygen is necessary for his survival; Ash inhales sharply and exhales audiably. The next crack that the sphere earns is sensed more than seen...
'Time... Space...'
"Shut up."
'Let me test... if both can be wielded.'
"I said--" Hands dragging down his freckled face, an expression of fury is revealed. The scarlet eyes belonging to Ash flicker around the chamber. Beneath his feet, the ground thrums with energy as if it were a living, breathing thing. Igniz takes to the air, and the void... The European seems strangely comfortable in it, standing with arms akimbo and balefully glaring in the demon's direction. If looks could kill, there would be nothing of the NESTS leader left for his scientists to salvage, especially when his target is... "Shen?!"
That's his friend... His /only/ friend. The person he would sacrifice in an instant if it meant achieving his own goals, but I digress... Instead of starting towards Igniz, Ash wheels around to help the self-styled 'God of Battle'. He does not know why; his feet carry him to the gray sphere of their own accord.
Unable to determine whether or not the brawler exists within the orb that has replaced him, the flamewielder hits the sphere with explosive force, green flames coiling down the length of his arms, gathered into his fists. Each attempt to break the barrier is met with failure, but that doesn't stop him from trying, even kicking at it until he is blinded as the smooth surface becomes a perfect representation of the universe. Ash draws back, wary and concerned, his brow creased, shielding his sight. Is there anything he can do? Aside from duck and cover, anticipating the explosion that follows? No.
The wind stirs his fair hair and the room is plunged into total darkness. He straightens slowly, brushing dust from the sleeves of his fighting attire, and needs a moment to adjust. Needs a moment to understand. Shen lays in the crater, staring up at him? Ash can't tell. It doesn't matter. The blonde European slips away to a place beyond reason, and he advances on Igniz, whose blackened form is illuminated by the Time Sphere. He looks like some mythical harbinger of death. Crimson walks through fire, literally, a verdant conflagration trailing behind him. His thin frame is outlined by emerald chi, glowing brighter, bubbling up and expanding.
"When the Gate is open and time is reset, I promise... I will personally make sure that /you/... are NEVER BORN!!"
COMBATSYS: Ash gathers his will.
IGNIZ
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|--=============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/---====/=======|
Suddenly, Igniz lifts up a hand, smiling softly.
"Wait."
Slowly he descends, landing unsteadily upon the ground. The two remaining cords upon his back spark and hiss, but despite what has to be unfathomable agony none of it reaches his face. Despite now appearing like some black, fallen angel, a strange grace and dignity remains behind.
"What is this 'Gate'...? Hmm. It is not too late, strange being. I can offer you something... if we continue as we are, there will be only mutual destruction..."
Another crack goes through the orb, and a large hunk falls to crash upon the ground. It seems to be going insane at this point, and whether it is beyond the point of no return or not is up in the air. Igniz begins to glow and boil with power himself, a side-effect of his own body and will keeping it in check. Dust wafts off his cheek, smoke rises from his body, but none of it appears to be of any concern.
"I can return him to you. Tell me of this 'Gate'. Tell me how to use the orb. And his life is not forfeit. What I destroy, I can give back. There are other orbs... and I have no intention of allowing anyone to touch this one... am I not capable of defending myself, if these supposed owners come for them...?!"
And then he begins to slowly crackle with lightning, feet leaving the ground as he lifts up, arms spread and four tentacles poised.
"Or... we can finish this. A pyrrhic victory, at best. For when a God falls... Creation falls with him...!!"
COMBATSYS: Igniz begins to glow with divine radiance.
IGNIZ
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|-==============|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/---====/=======|
A body lays at the bottom of a crater, bleeding and batter it is motionless, a jagged shaft of rebarb protruding from a bleeding hole in it's chest.
This is not Shen Woo.
It's some other guy but man... it sucks to be that guy. Woah.
Shen's over there, laying in a battered heap, his chest weakly swells and deflates as he draws breath.
This is unexpected. Igniz wishes to cut a deal? His gaze travels from the harbinger of destruction to the crumbling sphere, lingering there briefly. It has truly broken, the chunk that has fallen off shatters as it hits the floor, fragile as glass. The effeminate flamewielder's fingers curl in toward his scorched palms. He draws breath and then looks at Shen with mounting trepidation, still resting in the crater and unmoving. Is he dead or gravely injured, Ash wonders. A gentle rise and fall of the chest goes without notice at this distance...
Seconds tick by and he must assume the worst for now; Ash believes his companion is deceased. The brawler is tough, but after suffering through an attack such as that, perhaps not tough enough. Igniz cannot 'return' him, so his words ring hollow. If this is the final resting place of the self-styled 'God of Battle', so be it. Crimson would be a fool to waste what may be his only chance to reclaim the Time Sphere.
"The Gate, the Door of Time. The Time Spheres serve no other purpose. They exist to gather energy and are the keys to the Door, allowing one to travel along the timeline at their leisure." A mirthful laugh escapes him. Ash turns back, flicking an errant strand of platinum blonde hair out of sight. "You, you're nothing more than an eyesore. A false God, a deluded man, oui? When /he/ comes for the sphere, or any others that you have managed to obtain, you won't be able to protect it and defend yourself. With luck, the two of you will annihilate one another..." And that will pave the way for him to alter the timeline unhindered by Saiki or Those from the Past. To set the world to rights again. He shares such information for this reason alone.
Ash wears a smile that rivals the demon's own, thin lips curving generously upwards, his scarlet eyes lidding, "That is, if I don't take it from you here. I don't care about your offers, they are nothing but a nuisance to me, and so are you."
Call it a pyrrhic victory, call it whatever you wish. The French flamewielder knows the costs, knows what he may have already lost and that it will be his burden to bear should another disaster occur, but this bruised and battered world does not need yet another megalomaniac treating it like their personal playground, causing it to wither and die. Ash /likes/ this place and wishes for it to be restored. The strange emerald aura condenses, what was once translucent now actual flame. It branches off into burning snakes that wrap around him lovingly. His pale hair is lifted from his face. Embracing himself, he leans back into it, enjoying the rush as the pillar consumes him.
The conflagration grows, licks of flame reaching as high as the ceiling, verdant bubbles whirling around the column. Extending his arms to either side, it is at full strength soon enough and lifts off the lithe European like an angry spectre. It crashes down against the floor, churning and boiling, but continues on in a wave that promises nothing but pain! Hungry, angry, and ready to destroy all in its path. "Mutual destruction, ahaha~" His crimson eyes burn nearly as bright in their sockets, "BRULE EN ENFER, FAUX DIEU!" By this point, Ash may be completely insane... But nothing will stop him. He will realize his ambitions, even if the cost is his life.
COMBATSYS: Igniz instinctively guards against Ash's Sans Culottes.
IGNIZ
[ |||||||||||||||||||| ]
2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
"...A false god?" is all that Igniz states. Slowly his head lolls to the side, seeming to become less lucid and aware as the energies continue to pulse and roar through him. Crimson-tainted chi draws off, as if his very blood was leaking away towards the ceiling.
"Nonsense. I have shown you nothing but the traits of divinity since you stepped foot in here. Are you aware... that I have yet to show you my full power?"
What Ash might not realize is that such a point-blank eruption will also risk the very life of Shenwoo, who lay limp in his pity-hole of destruction nearby. The Kula-tubes shatter, melting away into naught but liquid. And the great wave of pants annihilation impacts Igniz like a wave, who does not seem to react, as if in some kind of a daze.
For long moments the world is an emerald sea of scorching chi, fueled by passion and rage. But when it whisks out, Igniz still stands where he was. All four tentacles remain poised before himself, and a shimmering shield of black crackles and pops before himself. A heavy divet in the ground shows where he was forced to land and dig in his feet, pressed back almost three meters through steel. Another cable hisses and rips free, before the final one suddenly starts to glow bright, and the sphere starts to destabilize as well.
"Impressive..." Suddenly Igniz' four tentacles explode, metal fragments and hunks of burning technology flying in all directions. But he only begins to slowly stride forward, lifting up his arms.
"Here... I shall show you. My true strength... when I give you every ounce of power I possess..." Those black wings slowly dissipate, as all of the ambient chi seems to draw inwards. Eyes blacken like ink dripped into water, suddenly beginning to seethe with an overwhelming energy. His own, and that of the orb, hammered together.
A mundane body and will should not be able to manage such a feat. He should have burst into flames and died some time ago. If nothing else... his potential and capacity are likely higher than Ash would have liked to see.
"Come..."
And then Igniz erupts forward. The world bursts in a crack, roaring in all directions. The final cable rips free, pulled taut before snapping. As Igniz' blackening fingers attempt to grasp Ash by the face and then drive him backwards, to slam upon the reinforced metal and concrete of the wall beneath Italy.
"Let us descend to Hell... it matters not where I go. For I shall rule it..."
COMBATSYS: Igniz successfully hits Ash with #Brutal God Project+#.
IGNIZ
[ ||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------<<<<<<<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/------=/=======|
After brutally slamming the back of Ash's head into the unrelenting wall, Igniz slips backwards, leaving him a moment to reel. Before snapping out both arms, long chain-blades flowing from the charred remnants of his sleeves. Both flash bright with tainted energy, before he begins to ruthlessly strike them into Ash. The steel behind him peels away with each blow, sending hunks of metal, reaching the very stone a foot behind. This continues for a good half-dozen seconds, before the left chain snaps, breaking in the midst of a blow to the torso and sending glowing segments all over. Twisting, the remaining one entwines about Ash's throat before Igniz twists and yanks. It goes taut and then similarly shatters, but not before sending the other man hurtling overhead, to slam hard enough upon the distant, damaged ceiling to dent it.
And then Igniz kicks off the ground, billow of displaced air and debris thrumming in all directions. Both of his hands gather up swirling energy, before thrusting forward, a sudden explosion splitting the very roof in all directions, lightning the world in a darkened shadow. Stone is heard cracking and shuddering high above, Ash's form blown a few more meters upwards and lodged amidst the debris.
"Here... as you wish..."
Raising a hand, Igniz forms a single point of energy. Before swirls suddenly focus upon it, and in a great rush it starts to expand, doubling again, and again, and again, sucking up broken machinery and stone weighing hundreds of pounds, corpses of scientists orbiting as those that grow too near and brush the singularity vaporize instantly.
"...Our pyrric victory...!!"
And then he thrusts it forward, engulfing Ash. It pulses, the first blow eating away the majority of the roof. The second sends it breaking down, a cascade of twisted metal, pipes, reinforced concrete, and earth beginning to tumble in. And then a last, grand explosion...
Which reaches the street further above. A building splits in half, humble two-story affair. Already frightened passer-bys shriek as it collapses downwards, Ash's form send smoking and hurtling high into the air to fall nearby. Cars twist and crash, many fleeing from the raining hell as a great, gaping hole easily a hundred feet around looms down, to the burning and debris-laden remnants of the laboratory.
Before Igniz slowly hovers upwards, grasping the damaged and wildly crackling orb in both hands. His hair billows behind, and it seems the aspiring God is already the walking dead, so pale and thin has he become. Perhaps now, subsisting only off the unholy powers of the orb, having spent the last of what he had.
Gently he settles atop an adjacent building, the orb still flashing bright, each one causing a bright ripple of energy through Igniz' blackened veins.
"Come... let us end this. It is time... for the final judgement..."
Power does not equal divinity. This is what all the psychopaths around here fail to understand -- true Godhood can be achieved through mercy, forgiveness and love. I'm sure the list goes on. Ash doesn't really care what makes a God, but he knows what doesn't and Igniz has shown him nothing short of his desperate desire to bring the world to a kneel. To the flamboyant French fighter, that sounds like a dictator.
Whether by luck or because the flames seem to possess some semblance of a conscience of their own, Shen Woo is spared from being roasted like a marshmallow. Even if Ash knew that his friend still happens to be alive, he would be nonplused, entirely unconcerned as he is now. The wave passes over the brawler's prone form, seeking to end Igniz alone and anything inanimate that stands between the Frenchman and his opponent.
Unfortunately, while the making quick work of machinery and other some such, the intended target remains unharmed.
Ash may be a little bitter that the false God stands in the midst of his flames, not lot up like a Christmas tree. The brilliant green conflagration twists and writhes, attempting to scotch, sear, devour in vain... If he wanted to avenge Shen, the flamewielder has failed. Igniz is driven back some, another connection is broken, and all damage is negligible. Hands sliding down the length of his slender arms, the wind that had disturbed his fair hair dissipates.
Ash may be a little bitter that the false God stands in the midst of his flames, not lit up like a Christmas tree. The brilliant green conflagration twists and writhes, attempting to scotch, sear, devour in vain... If he wanted to avenge Shen, the flamewielder has failed. Igniz is driven back some, another connection is broken, and all damage is negligible. Hands sliding down the length of his slender arms, the wind that had disturbed his fair hair dissipates.
In less than a second, cables are pulled taut and snapping. The orb no longer has the energy of Igniz to draw upon, and that's good, but enough of a power transfer has already occurred. Ash wants to react, the thought to do so is there. He needs to block, or just get out of the way, but the demon's fingers close over his face. Everything is agony. He cannot tell what it is, what's that behind him. Has he been slammed into the wall, or was that hard concrete floor? Stars are born and die in his vision; it feels as though the back of his skull is split in twine and a headache such as Crimson has never experienced before makes its presence known. Somewhere, maybe in front of him, he hears a voice, but the words may as well have been spoken in another language. Were he more aware, the pale man would dread what's to come.
Yes, the wielder of emerald flames is reeling once he has been released, touching ground and startled to see that it is underfoot, not that he happens to be sprawled upon it. Ash's knees would give out, he would succumb to the pain in his head, but fortune is not with him. The Frenchman doesn't see what assaults him so much as he feels it, the blades cutting through the layers of his crimson fighting attire. Soon his zippered top sports so many rips and tears that it can hardly be called a 'jacket' anymore. Blood from various cuts and gashes flows over the crimson material, but it would appear that all of his vital organs are intact. Ash staggers forwards. If this is all Igniz has to offer, then there is no cause for concern.
Could he be more wrong? Probably not.
He's stabbed just below the ribs on his right side, pain lancing through his wiry frame. His fingers find the wound, but not the blade that pierced him, hand coming away soaked in scarlet. There is no opportunity to stare in horror -- the next chain wraps around his throat and Ash is flung at the ceiling, his shoulder impacting hard against steel. It groans, denting even despite his slight weight.
He is not allowed to fall. Igniz chases him, blasting the flamewielder through the roof entirely. He is halted only when the burst of energy subsides, but another is to come and the Frenchman blacks out. Breaking through to the world above, flung across the street and not just smashing into a car -- Ash goes completely through it, spilling out onto the other side. At least two ribs are broken, twice as many are cracked. His right leg sits at an awkward angle, bent in completely the wrong direction. Debris sits in the blonde man's hair, his face painted with blood and grime. Slowly but surely, focus returns. The pain is too great and Ash cannot remain in a state of blissful unconsciousness for long.
How is it... that they reached the city? Did they travel so far? A cough, hacking up blood, he wheezes weakly. Perhaps he should stay here, but pride won't let him. The fact that this man, this wannabe God, may have killed his friend... It is torture, but Ash manages to sit first, then he drags his broken body to the side of the smashed up car, using it to climb to his feet... Or foot, because his other leg is indeed broken. "Putard..." Ash gasps, but speaking digs bone into his lung. He leans on the hood, raising an arm, jacket in tatters and hanging from him. There are two of Igniz, which one should he strike?
"Final... judgement? Ahaha... Don't make me laugh, ugh." He'll go for the one on the left, the one holding that damn sphere, and hope for the best. Palm up, Ash summons what could be the very last of his strength. What was first only the outline of a circle condenses into a full orb of his unique bubbleflames. It spins and roils at his fingertips. Admiring the fire and enjoying the heat, his freckled face briefly illuminated a sickly green, it is ushered off. The initial roll is slow, but the pace gradually increases until the thrumming ball of fiery chi gobbles up the space that separates him from the false deity.
"There's not enough room in Hell for the both of us..."
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Igniz with Thermidor.
IGNIZ
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Ash 0/-------/-------|
"I see you survived... indeed. Your hatred for those who hold this orb must be quite extreme... I'm afraid I'm at my limit..."
Igniz had tried to move. In the mutual state the pair are in, this is no longer some grandiose battle, but an almost pathetic finale. Nearly collapsing forward, shifting to cup an arm around the orb held at his half-bare chest, Igniz lifts up a hand to intercept the sphere of green energy.
It impacts dead on. For a few terrible moments, it seems like it might be enough. Crackling and hissing heard as Ash's assault spirals in place. But then there's a great CRACK, and the aspiring God's arm is thrown upwards.
And then the fireball strikes the damaged sphere dead center, causing it to shatter before slamming home, sending Igniz skidding backwards. Blood spurts from his mouth, and his eyes glaze over. Fragments of the orb have been driven into his body, and a flood of energy pours out to suffuse his body, already well past the limits.
"...Ah." he allows. Slowly a wisp of green energy seems to catch Igniz like tinder, and a moment later he is whirling in an inferno. Deep beneath Ash, the ground can be felt rumbling. The street begins to heat up.
"I see. So this... is..." There's a shift, and an explosive displacement of air. In a heartbeat, Igniz touches down in front of Ash, looking like some emerald phoenix as both the hatred of Ash and the destroyed orb begin to eat at his very being.
"...Ascension..."
Sliding a foot forward, Igniz lashes out with his right hand. The assault is alarmingly quick. A green swirl of energy attempting to capture Ash, before shifting to heft him upwards and drive him into the street with explosive force. Is he immortal? Was the destruction of the orb still insufficient to take him down?!
But then his attacking hand crackles and blackens, beginning to fall away to ash. The green fire intensifies, Igniz' form barely visible within it. "Hmm. Too late. Just... moments too late... Haha... but. I refuse to die. No... I will be reborn... reborn...!!"
Igniz lifts up his remaining arm. A single bead of energy suddenly roars to life within it. Suddenly it seems to drawn in all the ambient chi surrounding him, as Igniz leaps into the air. His disintegrating fingers close over the shimmering black and green ball, and it expands with a great roar that thunders in the heavens, a great flaming lance almost ten meters long.
"My final... judgement...!!"
He then twists, hurtling it downwards towards Ash. There's a great burst of force in it's wake. Igniz' form is blown out, before cracking. And then exploding, as the surprisingly quick bolt hurtles downwards in Ash's direction.
The windows and glass within a good three blocks shatter and blow out from the shockwave, as it impacts the ground. Penetrating through as if it was nothing. If Ash were actually hit, he would be erased from life, no doubt. When the blinding light fades, there's a perfect circle, perhaps ten feet in diameter...
But deep underground, strange, violent cracks and shudders. And in the darkness of that hole, a slowly disappearing glow. More and more, a grand earthquake seems to begin building up. In short order, remaining standing would be difficult.
In a way, Ash might be thankful. If the destroyed orb's energy was allowed to go wild, it would have probably killed him then and there. But... to send it in a final assault... his last, dying will is gripped by the rampant energy of his sphere. It can be felt, seeping into the Gate of Time. The gambit failed. It has been 'used'.
And just what sort of hell awaits the land beneath, with what is left over...?!
COMBATSYS: Igniz can no longer fight. Is this the end of lovable Igniz?
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Ash 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Ash blocks Igniz's Blue Noah EX.
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Ash 0/-------/-----==|
Igniz... 'catches' the ball of emerald flames..?
This must be a joke, right?
His jaw hangs open, expression slack with shock. Ash has no words, because he thinks it absurd, utterly impossible. At least he struck the correct 'Igniz', but for naught?
The crack that rends the air like a gunshot reaches even his ears. The Frenchman doesn't react, only watches with a sick sense of awe as the limb bends in an unnatural way. "Enh...?" He intones slowly. Scarlet eyes gradually widen to their limit, his grasp of the present moment requiring a heartbeat to process. The great blazing ovoid rolls through all obstacles in its path to Igniz, its destructive power laying waste to the Sphere of Sparks and man himself. Does that mean it is the end? He prays and wishes, just no more. Ash hopes against hope that the false God won't have the energy to muster one last stand...
Breaking away from the hood of the car, the effeminate flamewielder is careful not to place too much weight on his broken leg. He must leave, escape, flee... There will be yet another disaster, and the fault of it lies with him. Him and this insane maniac, who thought that the sphere's energy could be harnessed. How many innocent people will die for this folly? Resolving to collect the body of Shen Woo (and save /one/ life, but he doesn't know that just yet), Ash calls upon the Yata Mirror to assist him. Already the ground has begun to tremble. An earthquake? So soon? The slender fighter isn't really sure about that heat...
There's no time to hesitate, each second is precious. However, brushing dirty platinum blonde hair from his sight, curiosity gets the better of him. Ash can't help but wonder what has or will become of the one who claimed divinity. His scarlet eyes search for the remains of Igniz, but find... that he is thrown onto the car by an explosive distortion, somewhere in front of him. He yelps in pain, elbow banging off the hood.
The heavens have heard his request, but cruelly deny it.
Consumed by an inferno that Ash is concerned he may have lent his own energy to, the demon assaults him with a blast as quick as lightning. "Merde!" The lithe European curses loudly, rolling to his side and further still, toppling off the front end gracelessly in his haste and crashing down to the pavement, a filthy and bloodied heap. Cheap metal groans as it is crushed in place of him, the tires flatten out on either side, the rims warping. If the car wasn't a write-off before, it is now, but the crisis and threat of capture have been averted. He pushes up, gasping and shaking like a leaf, but directing a defiant glare over his shoulder, "Reborn? Saa... I wish you luck with that, fils de pute..." A choked laugh, "You won't even be a thought... when I pass through the Gate!"
Provided that he survives, of course. Should they greet death together, then there will definitely be no reversing time. Ash simply cannot allow that to happen.
Answering the roar is a rush of Crimson's unique brand of fire. Twisting and writhing over him like a living thing, the conflagration weaves a net that expands into a solid but transparent wall. He sees the lance - a fearsome thing to behold - and it strikes the barrier, compresses him into the ground. Cracks snake out underneath his badly beaten form, the asphalt caving in. The freckle-faced Frenchman reaches out, to reinforce the shield with more chi, all the strength left in him...
As the shockwave tears through city streets, causing untold amounts of collateral damage in its wake, Igniz's existence winks out not with a whimper but a violent explosion like thunder, taking the orb with him. Ash disintegrates, no longer able to withstand the incredible amount of pressure from above, his physical body reduced to bubbles and atoms. That is an ability the stolen Sacred Treasure has gifted him. He races through the void of space and time to reappear at the side of the self-styled 'God of Battle', realizing while wreckage of the lab rains down all around him that Shen continues to breathe... "You lucky bastard..." The flamewielder says admiringly, seizing his companion by the hand and dragging him through a portal to safety.
Ash collapses in the entranceway of a hospital in Athens, his vision growing dark...
The fate of Italy, the screams of the dying as the country is torn apart, it all doesn't matter to him as he drifts into dreamless sleep.
Log created on 22:46:06 09/15/2014 by Ash, and last modified on 02:18:02 10/26/2014.