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Ryudo's blood red eyes shot open as the thunderous explosions rocked his form and he was prevented from reaching his target. Blood from his mouth spattered across the ethereal form of the Lunar Push as he slammed into it, his whole body nearly crushing itself under its massive deceleration. Had he been any less stalwart, it may have caused him to red out and kill himself. Quickly grasping the urgency of the situation, Ryudo realized he would be unable to defend against the monstrous power of the Shock Tide as it came speeding towards his position.

With a thunderous crack, Ryudo's shadowy armor took the largest bow it had taken since the battle had begun, but at the same time, it had served its duty. The sheer force of impact caused Ryudo to fly through the air off to the Death Knight's right. However, he'd been spared the disastrous energy that followed in the blade's wake, and simply been struck by the crushing physical force of the blow. But his armor was at its limit as he finally hit ground, bouncing and rolling across the plains until he slammed hard into the ground in a cracked, broken heap.

Pain raced through every facet of Ryudo's being. He forced himself to a stand, black shadowy energy seeming to pour off of his body like black steam rising from a blade that had just been quenched as chunks of his black armor fell to the ground. Blood oozed from his mouth and broken nose, his chest rose unevenly from broken ribs, and one eye was slightly reddened from broken blood vessels, but amazingly, Ryudo had survived. But this was not a triumph. Not yet. This was a last chance. He had survived only due to the good graces of his powerful armor and upgraded defenses. A blow any more powerful than the one he had just taken would have annihilated him completely.

Ryudo forced himself to a shaky stand, mouth panting and body leaking shadowy energy and dripping bits of blood from his lips dropped to the plains below. This was it, the time was now. There were no more chances, no more mistakes. This was it. The end was fast approaching, and Ryudo knew it. Lethe knew it. It was time to throw all caution to the wind, throw all common sense to the wind. As Ryudo's blood red eyes stared down the field at his enemy, this invading force, energy began to surge around him once more. His eyes burned and glowed solid white as more and more power began to rush through him. Quietly, Ryudo would think to himself that this must have been like for his brother each and every time he fought harder and harder for his goals. This was what fighting towards a victory no matter the cost felt like. ...What being a hero felt like.

Ryudo's entire body suddenly lit up with energy seeming to pour off of him from every perceivable angle. His energy would spike and continue to rise as violet and ebony energies surrounded him in a torrent of power. A wounded animal fights its hardest when backed against a wall with no hope of escape. And Death Knight was about to see just how powerful a cornered Elemental Shadow Dragon could fight when his life and the life of his people depended on it.

With a massive battle-cry, Ryudo would once again speed across the battlefield like a raging bullet, energy pouring off of his form as he got nearer and nearer, his energy continuing to rise as he drew nearer and nearer. This would be it...the Coupe De Grace... There was no more time to take chances...

[6/7]

Maximos seemed to freeze.

The normal casual smile present on the Shadow's face was replaced with this deep intense gaze at the Ironhide Scorpion. He was completely silent and still for a moment, as the thing moved in whatever way it would. His mind worked like a machine, adding thoughts, quotes, books, and knowledges together.

I could use some tea...

That was it! His right hand twitched as Maximos remembered the very first time he attempted tea here on modern Gaia and burned his hand on the stove that heated the pot, but he hadnt touched it, he'd just gotten too close. The rest of the pieces came in a burst, in a moment Maximos whipped his head to face Ryugi and called out.

I am have an idea! Can you superheat that shell? We need an oven! Heat rises!

Stages. This plan would need to be played out in stages. The Shadow immediately flipped his pack around and began digging through it, his head darting up at the Scorpion and over to Ryugi.

If Ryugi was blasting it, it might not be looking at him. That was what he needed. But the plan went deeper. A creature like this living in the desert was likely used to the sun heating its shell, but Ryugi could likely go hotter. This would hopefully make it uncomfortable, maybe even sear the flesh beneath. But that wasnt to be the kicker, for that they just needed heat billowing high, like a massive stove top cooking the air.

A few seconds of digging brought out a blue orb from Maximos' pack, one seen a few days ago during the Light Dark, and Dark Light experiment. It was perfectly round, smooth, and hard as metal. A figure lay inside it. A woman. Covered only by a long silk scarf. It twirled around her neck, chest, and crotch. Her eyes lay closed, her legs crossed slightly, her hands out as if to embrace, and small flakes of snow surrounded her. She stood stark still in the orb. Her name was Chrystal. She was an Ice Elemental, an "Ice Queen", if you will.

Maximos held the orb close in his left hand and the burried Ankokuko in the other, the bright sun absent in the cool sand. Regardless he would wield it, his eyes locked on the beast as the glow in his right eye shifted to a dull violet, overtaken by a plume of white which rose from the eye like torchlight.

He had to move at the exact right time, and only if that time presented itself, only if Ryugi was successful. And then after that, they'd have to move together.

Thats perfect Ryugi! Just keep...

In very many ways that was quite contrary to what he was hoping for, or even wanted.

Maximos found himself staring down a red hot, metal, giant, flaming arachnid, who was at this point likely equal parts hungry as it was pissed off. What was worse, was that Maximos as well as Ryugi were both on an extremely soft slope of stand. Retreating back up the hill take care, not speed, speed would just get his feet buried, and the creature was entirely too wide for him to simply side step. He had to stand his ground.

...fleeb.

His mind bubbled for ideas, his senses, eyes, ears, and otherwise stretched out across the horizon. There were three shadows here, Maximos', Ryugi's, and the Scorpion's.

No sooner did he realize that, than did Ankokuko seem to give. There was resistance from the sand previously, but now there was naught, it was like the sword was being pulled into something and no sooner than he could shout...

Where are you going?!

...It was gone. Needless to say, this left the calm, cool, and collected shadow a bit frazzled. How easy it would be to stab the thing in the eye and jet boot away, but no scimitar had the reach he needed. And no Marketplace sword could ever match the Caller of Darkness. In his moment of heat, coolness prevailed.

Chrystal, while trapped, and silent, was still very much alive. Maximos felt a coolness seep over his hands, silent "Shhhh" whisper on the wind gracing his ear, cold arms were felt over his shoulders, guiding his hands to grasp the orb.

He stopped. He breathed in deep. He heard his heart beating in his chest.

The Scorpion skittered even closer, he could feel its rage and the heat rising off its form.

He held up Chystal in front of his face...and he breathed out. As he did, the orb was overcome by a brilliant blue and out, in a powerful gust as if amplifying his breath into a cone of supernatural cold centered on the massive beast. If all went well it would go from thousands of degrees to below zero in a matter of seconds. Ice and frost would likely form on limbs and joints. The sudden change could not have had a healthy effect on either the scorpion or the air around it.

Cold was great. But he needed something to show the Ironhide that the cold dark target wasnt any healthier than the flame. The ground around Maximos grew still and frozen, as for a moment as if the cold was metaphorical, for the shadow time froze. In a moment of cool headedness, and general coolness, Maximos reached out feeling the shadows around. Three shadows. The Scorpions's shadow, large and deep, and cast behind it. Maximos' was long and thin and cast infront of him. The two missed each other by mere feet.

It was there, in the darkness the Monk spoke of that Maximos felt, the Caller of Darkness calling out to him. Hidden, safe, yet awaiting its master.

The Scorpion was right upon him, and he did was seemed nature. What one would do to a part of one self, to something more than a tool. He reached out snatching the black ribbon reaching to the Ironhide's shadow and jerked it back, pulling the shadow atop his own, the two stronger and deeper than they were separately. Ankokuko was buried deep in the shadows, and it was from there, that Maximos reached out, willing even as much as he spoke one simple command even as time resumed and Chrystal fell dull.

Rise from the shadows, Ankokuko!

Given the intensity, and the depth of the combined shadow, Ankokuko would burst upwards from it dark home, just as the Ironhide's belly passed over yet further shielding the sun. With any luck the force of the sudden release, mixed with the blast of cold, and any injury the sword may inflict, would turn the thing around teaching it the man in black was not to be trifled with either. Caught between a dragon and a dark place, it would seem pray had become predator.

A clang resounded, Maximos could hear just as much as he could see the cracks rippling across the beast, and moments afterward the ground shook with terrible force as the Ironhide Scorpion was sent smashing back into the ground.

Smashed.

Because that is what you do to bugs, you smash them. In the explosion of sand dust, nothing was visible to Maximos save for the whub-whub of his weapon flipping downwards. His hand rose, and with a smack it landed in his grasp, the hilt still cool, frost still covering part of the blade.

His sword, had just gone in his shadow. And flew out on command. In his shadow. For some reason that struck the man as an infinitely impressive thing.

I cant believe that just happened!

At which he lifted his gave, and his voice toward the puffy cloud of sand to shout to his companion.

Is it dead?!

"!!!"

The shadow dragon was reduced its critical condition, which was no surprise given such the heavy blow it just endured, only to struggle its way back to a stand. With the dragon's new do-or-die attitude, it was quite clear to Argon that Ryudo only had the strength for one last hurrah.

Ryudo had been dealt a mortal blow, and a wounded beast was more deadly than anything else.

"Enough of this foolishness... you can hardly even stand, dragon."

The shadow dragon was backed up against a wall, and it was clear that he was determined to go down fighting. Ryudo might not realize it, but the Death Knight found himself in a similar situation. Though the Shadow Plate was still intact, he had no mana available for attack or defense. It didn't show in his actions, but Argon had taken quite a bit of punishment during the course of the fight. It didn't help at all that his strength was getting sapped by Arc Flare's power.

The now defenseless shadow dragon had to end it immediately, else it would be annihilated by the Arc Flare.

Ryudo rushed in towards the Death Knight, giving it everything he had. Bending his knees slightly, he poised to intercept the shadow dragon. Leading with his right, he took a left-handed stance with Ruination. The undead shade couldn't risk the chance of running right into Ryudo's grasp, only to be destroyed himself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lazarus took flight towards the pair as Ryudo 'recovered' from the Shock Tide. Whether this was to increase the hold on the Arc-Flare or to assist its master was unknown, but it probably wouldn't be reaching the Death Knight before Ryudo.

*It was one of those moments. A classic moment where truth, and disbelief met in one of the most hilarious ways one could imagine. It was a perfect scene. Ryugi sat atop the defeated scorpion, as max looked up with him in utter disbelief that they were about to do what he thought they were going to do. It was the type of moment where a tune would pop up, as a wily smirk would appear on the calm one's face that seemed to say, "Oh yeah... We're gonna do it." Only to be followed by the face from his friend and companion that would say, often with the same vocal utterance, "Ohhh no. There is no way in hell that I would ever, ever, ever..." and the scene would wipe to reveal the both of them sitting around a campfire eating the cooked scorpion meat, which, amazingly enough, would taste alot like lobster, just less chewy. Only to have the companion reply...*

I told you they were good eating...

Energy raged as Ryudo approached the Death Knight's form, every ounce of his energy and strength that he could spare being brought forth even as he fought to rebuild the front section of his armor with as much energy as he could.

Ground was torn out from under him as the energy continued to rise in power and strength. No amount of power the Death Knight unleashed now would be able to stop an attack of this magnitude.

He'd run out of time, run out of energy, run out of luck.

With a massive cry, Ryudo would erupt into the Death Knight, psychic forces drilling through and pushing aside anything that would stand in Ryudo's way to try and stop him from his final goal, shadow energy rushing ahead in a massive torrent of strength and finality. This WAS the last attack.

Ryudo wouldn't be able to attack any longer after this strike...

But if it worked, he wouldn't have to...

The Arc Flare might have still been going, but the sheer amount of energy being released from Ryudo at this point would effectively negate any ill effects it would have caused on him.

No Lunar Push would stop this raging mass of energy, it would tear through it like tissue paper. The sheer size of the attack that now raged towards the Death Knight would prevent any real sort of avoiding the strike.

The attack was so powerful, and yet simple, that Ryudo would easily be able to change the area of the strike to impact the Death Knight wherever he so pleased, and if he thought that his spear would offer any sort of protection, he was DEAD wrong, as Ryudo would easily be able to avoid it before he struck.

And when he struck, the force would be immense, an explosion rattling the Death Knight to his very teeth, if they didn't get blown out by the close range of the blast. However, the explosion was just to create motion, the final attack would be from a massive burst of speed from Ryudo as all that power would suddenly condense into a piercing, shearing strike aimed to cleave straight through the toughest of enemies.

If Ryudo was successful or not wouldn't matter, for as the attack finished, he would soar past the Death Knight, closer inland, away from the sea, away from the cliffs, before landing and skidding to a halt several hundred feet away, his black armor shattering and fading away to reveal the Shadow Dragon as he had been in the beginning, dressed in black, but heavily wounded as he dropped to one leg, his hands touching the earth below him as he panted, red eyes looking back to watch the carnage he had wrought on this terrible foe...

Had he won?

Had he failed?

He waited, breathless to find out...

[7/7]