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LAXIOȠ

He had watched how Adi was almost taken by surprise by the jumping bodies, the Unbound were skilled, and unlike the undead he was used to coming across in the Land of Crows, these used strategies to get to their targets. Yet, she managed to bring herself back on top, bringing the creature down beneath her as it's soul was released. Hearing Claudia approach him he nodded, she could not see it but beneath his helmet he stopped his heavy breathing and returned ready to fight once more. He noticed how the numbers were slowly dwindling, but near him and Claudia came three Unbound that were together with great sword, runes etched on them glowed a ghostly white as they raised th swords up high and combined their powers. The blades shimmered and they screeched to announce their assault on Claudia and Nyru. "Claudia!" he shouted, "Shadow Resonance!". With that, he used his hand to draw the Ankh of Declasia in the air out of a purple light, Claudia did the same and together they absorbed the might of Declasia, calling forth the darkness surrounding them until a gigantic, half male and half female shadow raised up behind them. The shadow giant was only a torso, but it raised its great sword and brought it's edge down upon the trio of Unbound that dared to attack them. After the explosion the bodies were left decimated on the ground, the souls then releasing.

Alexis was almost caught off-guard when she watched the event, hearing the movement of an Unbound behind her. She narrowly dodged a spearhead as he passed her shoulder, her eyes seeing the reflection of her cheek in the blade inches from her skin. Grabbing the spear and then swinging her scythe she cut the arm from its body, with a grunt she threw the spear back at it's body and impaled it on the wall with a burst of arcane power. Before it could pull itself free she conjured a glowing orb of raw arcane energy in her palma nd thrust it forwards as she yelled "HYAHH" at the top of her lungs! The power hit and the body fizzled for a moment until the veins through out the body glowed and the power went to it's mind, destroying the brain and releasing the soul in a flash of light.

Laxion dropped from the ceiling after Ruby cleared the way, watching Lucas pull his sword from the head of one of the unbound. He had found one more that was lingering on a nearby wall, it was dysfunction, clawing at the wall like a zombie as if it were a part of the battle. In that moment Lucas felt great sorrow for the Unbound, none of them deserved what had happened to them, tey just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But in his sudden daze, Lysandiel had already summoned his sword from the air, it gathered from a white light above the Unbound and descended down, red-hot, as it plunged into it's skull, releasing the soul. The last few remaining were then taken care of by Adi and the others.

"They are all redeemed" Lysandiel began, but his little speech could not be finished when the halls shook and dust fell from the ceiling. An eerie, demonic voice echoed amongst the monastery, it beckoned them, called them... it said "You think you have come to defeat me?" Lucifial then chuckled, "For so long I have been watching this world, and for so long had I been walking it all thanks to one man you all call... Dorian. And thanks to him... you're precious Heavens will be overshadowed in Terror, Lysandiel!"
"You will never have the Heavens!", Lysandiel yelled back. "Try and stop me, I have nothing to Redeem, you are futile in this crusade of yours! Let the mortals perish, let your brother's perish! They never trusted you anyway. As for this realm... my demons rain havoc and soon enough the armies of Hell will spill forth from Hells Gate to take the world as I defile your divine realm once and for all. " and then the voice left them amongst themselves, tension left tighter than ever after name-dropping Dorian into the boiling water. Alexis suddenly spat out her venomous words, she yelled "I told you he was a waste of space!" like a banshee! She jumped from her space and landed just metres from Dorian with her scythe in spear-mode, but Nyru had jumped forth and blocked the spear with his sword and calmly said "We need him alive if he's of any use to us." as his helmet unfolded to reveal his face. Then Laxion stared at him in disbelief.... "Nyru..." he murmured, unable to believe that even after this, he would still prefer to keep such a man alive. "HE SHOULD BE DEAD! HE IS SCUM" Alexis ordered.

Lysandiel was then noticing it all, Lucifial had been affecting them all ever since they came to Zakernand, Ruby and Laxion for the most part out in the wilderness, he even dared to wonder if Adi had been affected too. Any thoughts, any misconceptions any doubts would all be because of the Lord of Betrayal. It was how he worked and how he often chose to tear apart his enemies. If nothing happened soon, Alexis would give into rage, and Laxion could possible fall to despair whilst Nyru acts on lies.

"...And when darkness falls, truth shall turn to lies
as Vigour is lost within the souls of men.
Redemption shall not be handed - "

(It's not as though the prophecy is ACTUALLY coming true, is it? Psht, don't be stupid... who would believe such a thing...)

LAXIOȠ

Lucas was faced with the omens of his past when he found a much darker version of himself statue still as a statue before him. It was a strange feeling when you look at yourself, and for once it really is staring back at you like it knew something you didn't want it to tell. Gritting his teeth and clutching tightly on the Purevelion Blade, Lucas began to stare-off his shadow. Laxion was quick to begin fighting shortly after Adi had taken to the skies with Dorian. A gust of wind threw him at the shadow of himself, but the shadow also jumped forwards and they were both pushing their weight's against each other before they could take another breath. His shadow's eyes had no end, they were pitch black and looked as though they could swallow your mind if you stared too far within. Nyru opened his helmet into Circlet form so he could look at his double, they could almost look the same if it weren't for the fact the enemy's armour reflected no light. The other Nyru tilted it's head, and the uncertainty of it's next action made Nyru unfold his helmet again. This time it was the shadow that came at him first, fast like a ninja, light on it's feet and as fast as light. Nyru barely dodged the attack and made a counter-strike, yet the double dodged that too and grabbed Nyru's arm, twisted it and forcing Nyru to turn before being thrown away. Lucas' double then finally said "You fear you're going to die here?", Lucas scoffed at it, and replied "I may die some day but it will not be at your hands" whilst readying his sword. The double smirked, "But so many omens. Can you live with that?"
"I have done for a long time, it doesn't mean that I shall succumb to them" he spat back, hardly breaking a sweat or loosing his calming posture before he attacked, sending his orb of light shooting at his victim, and then appearing at the double when it struck him. He had his blade like a dagger against the double's throat, but Lucas was kneed int he stomach before releasing his rage and slicing the monster's throat. It screamed in agony and staggered backwards. It's head may be harmed, but it continued as it jumped forwards, lunging its sword just like Lucas would, like it weighed nothing, he swung the sword in this direction, then that, Lucas could barely deflect each swing with his own blade, darkness and light clashing. Laxion was still in combat, the two had been jumping this way and that, into the air and back down again for the last few minutes. The double said "You're too preoccupied by distractions". Laxion almost choked at the words, deeply breathing ater their relentless battle, fighting himself was harder than he thought, he'd never prepared himself for his own techniques. "There's.. nothing... distracting me"
"Oh?" it asked, spinning it's spear above its head, "Love is a dangerous curse. It is what creates things like the Scarred!"
"I am not a demon!" Laxion retaliated, clutching his fists tightly, not accepting such insults, yet the shadow continued to provoke him by saying "It's another opening for you to get hurt, hm?". "NO!!!" Laxion couldn't bar eit anymore, his eyes glowed with rage, green's and blue's like the cosmos was trying to escape him as he jumped forwards, spear in hand coming down like a dagger. When he struck the ground it broke the stone beneath them and magical power slammed afterwards like an after effect. Yet, he had missed. HE searched desperately with a fierce, bright anger in his eyes, like he had been consumed with magical power. The shadow was injured nearby, but Laxion pulled it closer with a gust of wind, and forced it to be stabbed by his spear, he then blew it away with another gust of wind that slammed it against a wall, destroying it.

Nyru just defending against one of his own attacks, it was a replication of a giant's shadow fist by the power of Declasia's mark, yet the shadow failed to conduct it properly, granting him a moment to strike back! Nyru jumped into the air and vanished int he shadows, but Laxion saw the double's sword loosen into it's snake-blade form, and it was getting ready to stab like a biting viper. "NYRU!" he yelled, but suddenly Nyru came down on the double in a flash of darkness, shortly followed by the two vanishing for a moment as their shadows merged. But then he appeared again, this time alone, presumably he had one against the shadow. Lucas' light was bursting from his blade with each deflected strike from his double, he was waiting for it to become tired. But he was taken off-guard, the double's ball of darkness struck hima nd threw him across the floor as he rolled several tiems and dropped his blade. It guffawed as it stepped closer to him, "You need to learn to forget, only then will you be able to focus!"
"No..." he replied, trying to push himself up from the ground. "Oh?" the double pondered, shocked at Lucas' retaliation, but then he was suddenly struck with agony as a bolt of piercing light came through it's back and out of it's chest. The light peeled away to reveal the Purevelion blade, fully visible in the darkness of this room. "You won't ever learn if you forget..." Lucas said, watching the double fall to the ground as vanish, leaving the blade to rattle across the floor. Alexis meanwhile had been talking trash-talk with her double, arcane missiles flying this way and that, platforms like glass appearing in thin-air as the two jumped from one to the other, yet ultimately she outsmarted her double by making a double of herself without it noticing, she then beheaded the creature with her scythe, before throwing the blade to her side and letting the blade straighten to a staff-mode, she then rleasing an arcane cannon on the remains to destroy it.

Lysandiel was flying through the air, reflecting dark magic thrown at him from Lucifial. "You haven't changed since our invasion, Redemption!" the demon said, smirking if it could. Lysandiel took some time to hover in the air as he voice echoed back with "I wish i could say the same for you, but it would seem all these years of hiding have been worse for ware on you!". The demon laughed at him, "It is what ruling the Underworld does to you, would you like to visit?!". Lysandiel was struck with fear just then, he had not realised that he had been ruling the Underworld all this time... in fact... the Reaper of Souls should have been in control. Then what has happened to the souls of the deceased? He begged not to wonder anymore in fear of what may come. Then, out of the corner of Lysandiel's eye he saw a light flash past him, it was Lucas. There was a fierce hunger for Justice in his eyes as he attempted to jump high into the air. He was heading for the Jewel! "No!" Lysandiel called, but he was too late, Lucas had tried to take the jewel from it's connection with the Edge of the World, but it retaliated and he was thrown yards back against the fall wall, hitting it like a cannon ball knocking him unconscious, all his veins were dark, as if ink had filled them beneath his pale white skin.

"Justice will shroud the first men
as Reason remains unanswered."

LAXIOȠ

((Okay i have three tracks lined up for you to listen to during this most emotional and energetic post! Listen to them as i announce them ;D ))

((Chains of Fate))

The angels were doing what they could to sustain this battle against the monolithic demon they were faced with. It was strange, the angels were only one third of the Greater Demon's size, even En'redial and Dantezan are this large in their true forms. But the angels hold very much the same power, though their intentions are different - but do they share similar motives? Perhaps. The Greater Demons have always been something mortal men had feared, something of myth, of sinister legend as the years have gone by. Great beings such as those at work here had fallen to rumour, hidden... a mystery amongst mankind. And now they stood here, at war. Adi then joined the ranks of the Angels, Zuriel's power invigorating her with Vigour, a righteousness that was stronger than the sun. Mesraphael and Scentiel knew it then, that this was no mortal. Adi could not conjure this power herself, and those wings they could not mistake for anyone other than their own. Their kin. Their long lost brother - Zuriel: High Angel of Vigour. Their hoods looked to Lysandiel in that moment, standing between them but behind Adi, he did not return their judgemental gaze. For now, their thirst for explanation would have to remain parched. Adi threw herself from above, and came down on Lucifial's chest like a dagger that split through his bones and flesh, hitting the very tip of the jewel within him, rushing agony through his very soul as he yelled out in pain, a screech that could shake walls. Scentiel threw her spear high into the air and from ti came glowing white ribbons, they were endless and as strong as steel. The cloth wrapped itself around Lucifial's limbs and the spear divided into many which splintered into the walls in an attempt to hold him tight - for now. Mesraphael stood still analysing everything, wondering what they were thinking, judging what Lucifial would do, asking himself... why it had to be the mortals to do this, and not them. But he knew the answer already. As he hovered their, watching the havoc before him, the reason he came to conclude explained itself. No angel would tear down the threat that was Betrayal... that was Lies... Lucifial was one with a creation of Angels, he was stronger than any aspect, maybe even his brothers. This was the battle than Man had to decide, as children of the Angel's artefact - The Occulanium - they would be more powerful than they... yet no one was to ever know.

Lysandiel rushed in, but one of Lucifial's limbs broke free and attempted to strike him down, yet the angel of Redemption would not be struck so easily. Swooping to the side he dodged, but the demon retaliated with a black lightning that sought Lysandiel like a plain in a storm. He held up his sword and attempted to deflect as much of the power as possible whilst Ruby went in. Ruby attacked the monster's head, the mind behind this abomination lied within and with each brutal attack he let out a mighty, demonic roar. Some could say it unfair, an entire team, though lacking many of it's fighters, was ganging upon this fiend. Yet each attack was but a slow descent of pain for a deserving end. Dorian took what he was after too - Zoltan. The source of it all... well. If anyone was to be the Lord of Betrayal - it would be Dorian. Mesraphael knew it then, Reason was that Dorian had to take the soul stone that gave Lucifial life in the land of the living. Without any of this happening, the Underworld would not be free, and the demon lord would still be growing stronger in the land of the dead. But now, yes, he could see it. The Reaper of Souls would roam free once again in his Underworld. Zoltan did not speak, he did not stir or awaken in the slightest. His mind was still in slumber, in darkness. His heart - if he really needed it, did not beat. He would not awaken until long after this is all over. But when the hot was taken from inside, Lucifial felt a weakness, what he had used to hold tightly onto this world was now gone. And then the Black Jewel took an agonising blow, it didn't shatter but it let out a torrent of power that threw Adi into the air and towards Mesraphael. The dark High Angel let out his palm and stopped Adi from spinning and soaring towards him, feet from him she was suspended safely like she had fallen into breathable water. The mystical spell wore off once she balanced. And this was when Ruby sacrificed the power of her jewel, the curse that had been living inside of her, and would now destroy her. Lucifial attempted one last time to prevail, but ultimately Ruby's succeeded, because her power was pure, it was going to bring Justice, just as the Jewels primary purpose sought out. In the end, Lucifial's skull was shattered, cracks and holes revealing the inside of his very soul.

((Wrath of Angels))

"NOW IS THE TIME! WE MUST END TH-" Lysandiel could not announce his full order before Mesraphael said otherwise, his supreme wisdom ruled that "YOU MUST LOCK HIS SOUL WITHIN THE JEWEL. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP SUCH A FOUL DEMON FROM REVIVING IN HELL. LOCK IT AWAY!!!!". Scentiel chimed in, she said "Perhaps the mortals had the right idea, sealing them keeps them hidden...". Lysandiel nodded and understood the sacrifice they had to make. He knew what his new order would be from this moment onwards. Mesraphael was suddenly at the skull of the tattered demon, and from the demon's chest he took the Black Jewel. It floated from the ruined chest that Adi decimated, and above his palm it was pushed between the three High Angels. Lysandiel did the honours, and shouted "DARKNESS... WILL INDEED FALL!!!!!". His blade fell directly into Lucifial's skull, and with a sonic boom his soul was released, screeching, stretching above them into the darkness. A grey substance that took on his bodily shape, but Mesraphael and Scentiel were already controlling the Black Jewel, and his soul was attracted to it like a magnet. Their hoods stared silently into the Jewel as they channelled their powers into it, commanding it to do their bidding just as Injustira had intended with it's former incarnation - The Omnijewel. And without further ado, his soul was eaten by the Black Jewel, ending the darkness within the room, causing them to remember that once they were indeed in a grand hall. The Jewel sunk from the air and silently touched the ground where Lucifial's body limply lay. The darkness outside prevailed however, and Lysandiel stared out the grand windows in suspicion... something was still wrong. Meanwhile, Ruby had sacrificed what little energy she had left, purifying Lucas' blood and replenishing his taint. He only wished he did not awaken however, for when his eyes opened the first thing he saw was a limp Ruby beside him. Fear in his eyes he pushed himself up, ignoring everything else around him. He shook his head and stared at her lifeless eyes. "Ruby-" he began, barely able to touch her "R-Ru... Say something!" he gasped when he touched her cheek. She was ice cold, her skin was dry, almost like it had cracked under extreme pressure, like she was a china doll. "P-please.. no..." and then he looked over. The battle was over yet darkness remained, and he saw the bodies of the rest of Team Elixer not far.And guilt took over as for the first time in his long life... a tear fell from his cheek and onto his hand. Raising it and observing it from his mumbled speech of denial, he wondered if this was true sorrow... He did not want it... he wished that none of this had ever happened to Ruby. Ever. But before he could mourn any further, he body began to resonate beside him, he called her name in despair but her skin glowed brighter and brighter. He had to cover his eyes, but as soon as the light faded he dared to gaze yet saw nothing. Ruby was gone... the Jewel had taken her with it.

((A New Dawn))

And from the denial... the lies... the secrets... Lucifial's body had began to stand. Without their notice, it was like a spider in the darkness. A tattered, destroyed body, using it's limbs like a bug in one last attempt to decimate them all. And then it would seem that dawn broke through the skies. For outside the window a bright light shun and was painful to watch... and with it was a great warmth. Lysandiel watched with great hope as everything moved slowly like time had ceased. Mesraphael noticed then the body of Lucifial in the back, threatening them all. However, none of them had time to react as the heat became more intense and more painful to the skin of mortals. That was when the glass windows all around the room exploded, and from the grand orb of glass above them descended a monumental fire. The angels were lucky to have had a good heart, for they combined their powers and protected those that stayed close, everyone in the room was then concealed within a golden orb conjured by the angels, even Zuriel forced Adi into joining the other three in creating this barrier. Lucas, in his sorrow, looked through the barrier and at the rising body of Lucifial as it was engulfed in flames and perished into ashes, he saw the room around them become scorched beyond any kind of recognition. And then the flames died away, and the light vanished back into a dullness from outside. The barrier faded, and this time, finally, real rays of light cracked through the sky all over the Lands of Occulas, Magic Earth... had been saved. And finally, a mighty roar, gigantic and beast-like, bellowed across the skies and the sound of monolithic wings flapping in the skies above them could be heard.

((i hop eyou guys like this! More to come after this, suuch as the Angels speaking with Adi and decisions must be made ;D the injured guys will begin to stir as well, oh! i hope you don't mind me doing this with Ruby, Tuna, it fitted well into her next story and gets her away from the scene. from here its all about wrapping everything up i guess... and wondering what on earth that fire was from? hmmmm wink ))