Against the Fire King(Closed)

[milicia]

Her spell realized at last, Lunestise finished the final part of her incantation. The elemental energy was easy to create, but the animation took time, and with Onyx contained in her Graviton spell it was of little consequence. "Voltic being, tortured soul, let loose your wings and sunder my foe. Part the clouds with blinding light, unleash and take flight! Volt Drake!" The sky quaked with fury and at her command a piercing bolt of lightning struck down at the core of her cupped hands. The furious energy could be held back no more and in a blinding burst of light a winged serpant flew out from the spell's center. Every scale crackled with electricity as it sped towards Onyx, gliding on it's leathery wings and teeth bared to strike.

"I don't care how confident you are in your spiritual or physical strength King Volkanon. My attack will hit you like a battering ram before frying every inch of you. Now taste the fury of my people!"

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

The delivery of the attack was not what he expected, but that was not the main concern. The element was the presumed type, and would thus allow for the use of his new technique. Feeling the crackling energy descend upon him, Onyx thrust his his right hand, fingers still extended, forward into the mass of electric energy. Upon doing so, the voltaic serpent was absorbed through Onyx outstretched fingers, the electric impulses transported along his back and shoulder muscles until they arrived at the his other arm and fired out through his skywards pointed fingers.

Though spared from the surely devastating outpouring of electrical energy, Onyx was not spared from the monumental force behind the attack. Feeling the mass of neutral arcane energy slam into his being, he was launched with such force that neither his sturdy stance nor Milicia's gravity well were able to contain his movement. Sent reeling from the massive blow, Onyx was able to flip and land but not without stumbling upon landing and gripping his chest in pain before resuming his fighting stance.

"Your fury has substance, but it seems to lack the ability to get results," Onyx mumbled as he regained his composure. "And you would do well take into account my physical and spiritual strength, or else you shall meet with a untimely end."

Demonstrating his physical, mental and spiritual abilities, Onyx moves his hands in a hypnotic circular motion, each full rotation causing his new found aura to brim with power. Eventually, his body begins to surge forth, the energy forming as electrical impulses and arching bolts of energy jumping between his hands. Harnessing and amplifying the power of his own Bioelectrical impulses, Onyx begins to concentrate the raw energy near his abdominal region, trapping it within a sphere of his own Ki. Channeling the two energies together, the orb grows to a substantial size, up to the point where Onyx raises the mass above his head to allow for it's movement.

"If i cannot burn your outsides, then let us see how I fare against your insides," and with a mighty sweeping motion of his hand, lets fly his new creation. The mass of commingling energies begins to unravel as it soared, spewing bolts of high amperage electricity in all direction as it's core sought to find refuge in the body of Milicia.

[milicia]

Lunestise looked on with triumph in her eyes as she witnessed the sheer force of her attack knock Onyx prone. Yet her self assured pride did not last. He had gotten up too fast, and his body seemed unharmed save for the rug burn markings on his chest from the fall he took. She had merely assumed the electricity had burst from his arm, yet she could only guess that the Fire King had learned something new. Something that made her combo near worthless.

"Your more than a single show act King Volkanon. I'll give you that. But having two of the elements at your command means nothing to a master of the arcane!" Her words cut out after, leaving her lips to move silently as the sounds of war drowned out her incantation. At the same time her hands moved in the same strange and cryptic pattern that could only be the somantic component of her spell. Bending down she pivoted and laid her hand against the ground in a grazing sweep before raising up. The hardened earth followed after as if entraced by her hand, only to fall still as it formed an arch that covered her front and back.

And not a second too soon as the electric orb collided harshly against the stone's surface. The sheer force of its impact pulverized the front wall, but the dust cleared to reveal Lunestice unharmed. Holding out a cupped hand she blew softly towards Onyx. Past her lips came several thin wisps of smoke that twisted in pairs of helixes. As they floated towards Onyx, their path carving abently around him before nearing, they hung suspended in front for a moment before diving into the ground nearby.

"A reward for your efforts King of Flames." She smirked before raising her hands dramatically towards the sky. "Embrace!" The earth from where the wisps had sunk into quaked before rupturing apart. From the peeled auburn stone came 6 tenticles that grew from a central husk half hidden by the ground. The slithering limbs lashed out at Onyx, madly grasping for his form.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

The slithering masses that burst forth from the ground caught Onyx off guard. Being a hand-to-hand combatant, Onyx never took to challenging any mages to battle or to studying the divine or arcane arts. In his eyes, fighting a practitioner of the magical arts would be like a wrestler fighting a scholar, a match-up that made no logical sense. And besides, how does one do an honorable battle with a user of the arcane? But know was not the time to ponder such thoughts, as the ghastly protuberances that sprung forth from the earth required Onyx's complete, undivided attention.

Dodging the first one as it struck at his legs, he flipped onto the tentacle that aimed to strike his flank, severing it with a flaming knife-hand strike. As the flailing mass collapsed flaccid to the ground, Onyx leapt deftly into the air, performing a twisting mid-air combo of punches and kicks, each one releasing a scorching plume of fire that completely immolated the tendrils on contact. All that remained were two of the lashing beasts, but unfortunately for Onyx, their instinctual attack caught him for the split second that it took to recover from his ariel assault.

Gripping both his legs, they proceeded to slam him viciously against the ground before lobbing him high into the air. As Onyx began his ascension, he was abruptly sent flying back to the ground below by the harsh and heavy blow deliver by Musashi's descending strike with his Great Oar. Following Onyx into the ground, the sheer force from his strike sundered the very Earth around them, causing the still lashing beasts to dissipate into wisps of arcane energy.

In the time it had taken Musashi to return to solid ground, he had realized that the sun had begun to rise on the distant horizon, its ever slow ascension hid by the colossal tower of the Fire King. Taking the brief moment that had been supplied to him by his attack, Musashi quickly turned his head to Lunestise.

"Dusk is coming! Go, now before..." was all he could utter before Onyx's hand found it's way around his throat. Once again harnessing the power of his bioelectrical signals, he send a sharp charge of high amperage electricity through Musashi's body, causing his muscles to spasm and a sharp, paralyzing pain to run through his body. As Onyx arose from the dusty crater, Musashi still in his grip, his aura flared with an intense orange glow, causing the area around him to rise sharply in temperature.

"I'm finished playing with you, boy. I have not the time to waste on some hypocritical child who claims to better, even though he kills for the same reason I do. I shall protect my Kingdom, and no matter how many children you throw at me Milicia, you shall suffer the greatest punishment of all, as I eradicate you in the very fires of hell itself!"

As he finishes talking, Onyx turned and whipped Musashi harshly against the outside structure of the tower's protective walls, leaving him sitting there, still paralyzed by electric jolt. After doing so, his vision caught the sight of a sphere like structure running rampant through the inner sanctum of the tower walls. The carnage was disparaging, as he saw the licking flames, unhindered by his men's armor, as it consumed their very being in it's destructive embrace. It was here that something was released in Onyx, a rage deeper than he had ever known, and one that the hero's would soon regret they had brought on.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke turned abruptly towards a distant ruckus he heard from beyond the castle's walls. Feeling the ground shake violently with whatever was going on, he felt it was something him and Don needed to help with. "Come on Don, our guys might be in trouble. Besides, we did what we had to do and Lunestise said to come to her once we were finished up here." Zeke ran from the sphere's protective covering and out into the battlefield. The havoc caused by the advancing Twilight army's attack let Zeke vault over the crumbled wall to just outside the main gates.

Amoungst the turbulent back and forth of soldiers in the distance and the screaming wail of hundreds of arrows flying through the air Zeke saw Lunestise and a man who's body seemed to flicker with a living flame all around him. From the way he dressed to the chaos that laid all around him and the queen Zeke could tell this guy was the boss fight. Rushing forward without even noticing Musashi Zeke's brush flew out in front and in one fluid motion in front drew up a volley of five arrows that flew out at the King of Flames.

"Queen Lunestise, are you okay? I'm here to help." Zeke shouted out, hoping to be heard by his distant ally.

[Donovan Siroaki]

As Don disassembled his protective dome, he glanced onwards at his and Zeke's handy work, disgusted by the crumbling wooden structures and burning men that laid around him. This was it, this is what war was, and it was foolish of Donovan to think that it would be anything different. Don had sat on the precipice of this decision for far to long, and the ensuing carnage that surrounded him had managed to push him over the line.

I'm done with this s***. I'm trying to remember why I even agreed to take part in this...

Don's thought's trailed back to when Zeke had so selflessly offered to assist her, even though they had not been introduce but several minutes prior. What was it that caused people to do such things? It was questions like this that made Don wish he'd gone for a Psychology major rather than Business, but it was pointless to wonder such things now, Don was in the heart of enemy territory, and that was no place to be daydreaming.

Snapping out of his daze, Don rushed but a few steps behind Zeke and took in the vision of the battlefield, but more specifically, the image of the immolated man that stood before them, his face contorted in an expression of pure rage. It was at the point that Don could feel his heart sink as he gazed at the face of the foe before him.

"So that's him... that's Onyx, the Fire King," Don though as he swallowed the lump that had made it's way into his throat. Don had stared down but peons and run of the mill soldiers up to this point, but this guy had a presence beyond any of them, one that at the moment said, "I will rip you apart with my bare hands." The even more menacing factor to this stare-down was the fact that Onyx's attention seemed to be focused at Don and Zeke specifically, along with the carnage behind them.

Taking a quick moment to look at Lunestise, Don suddenly got an idea. He had had enough of fighting someone else's battle and was ready to call it a day, but he needed a reason to do so, and the image of the Queen standing before the main villain gave him the opportunity he needed. Taking the distraction offered up by Zeke's barrage of arrows, Don formed a steed of cards and, quickly mounting it, bolted in Lunestise's direction.

Holding his hand outward towards Lunestise as he quickly approached, he shouted back to Zeke, "Keep him busy, I'm gonna get the Queen outta here!" Hoping Zeke heard him, Don continued to hastily make his way to Lunestise, hoping, no, praying that he would not be impeded by the Fire King.

[milicia]

Lunestise gazed towards the horizon, and a brief look of fear struck her. Amidst the glowing flames of war and the natural wonders of Ignis, the soft glow of twilight was setting in. Surely she could already begin to feel the onset of her fragmented selves merging haphazardly as the sun's light beat back the night. Seeing Donovan head her way she was quick to fire out a storm of weaker evocations at Onyx to keep him busy. From her palms and finger tips sprayed bolts, orbs and whatever simple forms of elemental energy she could conjure in a hurry. The magic did its job well and stretching out her hand, she found safety in Donovan's tight grip as he hoisted her onto the creation of cards. As the creature rushed for the camps it was all she could do to erect a single wall of earth as cover for their getaway before she collapsed into her trance.

As her body bumped limply along with the gallop of Don's creation, her soul was frantic inside the strange realm she visited with Milicia every time the sun and moon shared the sky.

No! No no no I was so close I could feel it. Ugh we had everything planned out so well! That blasted Onyx had more reinforcements near the tower than we anticipated, and now our men are as good as slayed against the Fire King's fury. Lunestise's mind screamed.

"You doubt the strength of our allies Lunestise. You should know by now that the Heroes are far stronger than we thought at first. They have stayed us this far, and they will not fail in this effort either." Milicia's voice tried to wrap around Lunestise, comforting her.

But...

"No buts Lunestise. We may be the only one skilled enough to defeat Onyx for good, but those three will be strong enough to hold that man's power at bay till I return."

You're too soft Milicia. It's not them I doubt, but you. There was a reason we planned our major raids at night and it wasn't just for the cover of darkness. You may be a loved ruler, but you are a weak commander in war and don't have the heart to finish this fight properly.

Milicia's tone grew stony. "You're wrong Lunestise. I'll show you that I have more than enough to end this war here. But it'll be in my way, and I'll show you that you weren't right about everything. You may have been right in starting this, but I'll teach you the right way to finish it."

Lunestise felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to argue on, but whether it was the tone Milicia held or the circumstances, she held off. ...Fine. We'll see in the aftermath won't we? We have some time, and you need to know how that man fights. Be prepared Milicia, he's unlike anyone we've dealt with yet.

"I know that. I just pray that those men will be all right."

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Seeing Zeke charge forward he was surprised by the man's appearance, mostly the lack of arms, but Onxy knew well enough not to judge a persons possible combat prowess by image alone. watching as the brush flutter elegantly through the air, Onyx kept his attention between the the inky lines that appeared and the boy who seemed to be in control of the magically enchanted artisan tool. As the black strokes took shape, Onyx gained a vague idea of what the boy could do, but not enough to formulate a proper battle strategy. Standing his ground at the barrage of arrows loosened from there invisible bows, Onyx simply increased the intensity of his flaming aura, causing to artificial arrows to immolate as if they were constructed of the wood the sought to be made of.

"I've had enough of this meaningless back and forth, if you will not leave my land in piece, then you shall only leave on the gust of wind that removes your ashes from my sight."

As Onyx spoke, his aura of fire condensed around his body, the flames beginning to crawl around his body, twisting and contorting to the general shape of his being. Before long, the flames appeared to consume him whole, leaving only a demonic-looking flaming entity in Zeke and Musashi's midst.

"I've been merciful till now, hoping that sense would find it way to you, but it appears that was for naught. Now the only thing that shall find you is the cold embrace of death in my hellish fires!" With a heavy thrust with both his arms, two large fireballs launched in Zeke direction, but several meters before the reached him, they split into several smaller ones, some continuing they forward approach, while other arced outwards, hoping to catch Zeke from his left and right flanks.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke came to a stand still as he saw the inferno that was his enemy. He could feel the cotton mouthed sensation as uneasiness took him. The man's words boomed in his ears and for a moment, he felt despair. Yet as every soldier in his sight fought regardless of what doubt stirred within them, Zeke knew what he needed to do. He had a task at hand. He had ensured Lunestise's escape, and he'd make sure that she had the time to return and finish this battle.

As the flaming orbs split and flew towards him, Zeke's brush encircled him and with two rotations formed a ring above and below him. The instant the flames heat could be felt a band of steel surrounded him, leaving the attack to do little more than melt the conjured metal around Zeke. As soon as it had appeared, it was gone leaving only the armless Hero, his eyes glaring coldly at the King.

"My name is Zeke Omoihake. You battle me King Volkanon, and I will not let you pass." His brush was already moving swiftly around him, creating the chains he needed for the battle. The brush paused every moment to send out a steel crossbow bolt flying before resuming its work. As Zeke let the heft from each one fall limp from his shoulders, he stood ready as the brush was already working on the next phase of his attack.

[Musashi]

The electric pulses that surged through Musashi body were excruciating. The feeling of his muscles contracting viciously and rapidly caused him to wince as much as his body would allow him till his muscles settled, but in that time he was able to collect his thought on the situation, allowing Musashi to better focus himself on what he needed to do.

Using his sword like a cane, Musashi pushed himself upright; his leg muscles still wobbly from the rabid convulsions. Taking the moment it took for him to regain his composer, he noticed that Don and Milicia were missing and that Zeke stood alone against what appeared to be some sort of humanoid fire creature. Still being a little fuzzy headed from the shock, it took Musashi a few seconds to realize that the creature in front was none other than the Fire King himself.

Alright, Musashi, time to stop being stupid about this and do things right. You're a master swordsman, and all you have to do is focus and channel you emotions positively to beat this guy.

Cocking his Great Oar up on his shoulder, Musashi began with a brisk spring that quickly turned into a full on run, his sword barred in Onyx's direction. As he approaches the King of Flames, Musashi performed an acrobatic turnpike before slamming both his blades into the ground, the sheer force parting the air and launching two parallel slashing vortices.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Through the twisting flames that obscured his eyes, Onyx stared at Zeke as he verbally confronted the King of Fire.

"I don't care what you call yourself, nor do i seek to get past you. I've stated my desires, and you have done well to ignore them. Usually i would be interested in who you are before we would enter the ring of battle, but this match contains no honor or purpose, it is simply a vicious Queens scheme to do that which she has protested for so long. You are the invaders, and for the sake of my countrymen you shall die by the merciless flames of my fists."

As Onyx spoke, he simply stood looking onwards at the armless hero, as his arrows melted against the vicious heat of his effervescent aura of flames. But his stillness did not remain for long, as out of the corner of his eye he caught the movement of the young Mussahi, sword at the ready and face devoid of rage. Watching as Musashi performed his acrobatic maneuver, Onyx dodged to the side, completely dodging the attack and giving him a solid chance to strike at Musashi's right flank. Twisting in an elegant manner, Onxy raises his right leg above his head and slams down with a devastating axe-kick aimed at Musashi shoulder.

Quickly performing a breakdance styled dodge against Onyx's riposte, Musashi lands and balances on one hand, his body perpendicular to his arm. Spinning as he falls towards the ground, he fluidly makes several circular swipes at the Fire King's abdomen, thighs and shins as he descends.

The movement is tricky, but Onyx is skilled enough that by watching Musashi's shoulders and knees, he can keep track of his general movements and fend of his blows with several quick guards of his gauntlets and grieves. Upon deflecting Musashi's blade to the side after his final blow, Onyx stomps heavily on the ground as he quickly advances, causing Musashi to dodge back, once again with a break-dancer's finesse. A grin forms under Onyx's mask of flames, as his heavy advance was but a feint. His true strike comes in the form of a concussive blast of flames that emanates from a delayed punch that connects and sends Musashi skidding and rolling till he acrobatically rights himself and lands beside Zeke.

Musashi: "Were gonna have to double-team him if we hope to lay the hurt down. I'll manage close range if you can cover me with the wicked power of yours, 'kay?"

[Zeke Omoihake]

"For a king who rules over a country, you sure don't see the big picture. You were the one who allied yourself with the enemies of Milicia's people! If you weren't prepared for what would come when you joined a man who threatened the planet itself, then you should have stayed off his group. I'll bet a guy like you only joined because you were too scared of what would happen if you refused Trucido's offer. Well Milicia is stronger than you are, and I'll be damned if I let a coward like you take another life!" Zeke shouted bitterly at the fiery king as his brush finished the final stroke on his bladed arsenal.

He was all too ready to charge the man when he saw Musashi leap from the corner of his eye into the fray. Zeke marveled at the skillful exchange between the two warriors, and was hesitant to rush in after seeing even Musashi's acrobatic display fall to the calculating and precise movements of Onyx. When Musashi sprang towards Zeke and suggested he play the range game, Zeke was all too happy to oblige.

"Don't worry, it's sorta my specialty." He forced a grin as he leapt back and let the entire chain-weapon fade into its intangible form. Zeke commanded his brush as it flew above him and swiftly detailed a dozen arrows aimed at Onyx. The arrows tips were replaced with glass vials; each one containing a dose of liquid nitrogen.

Let's see how hot he'll be after this. Zeke thought as he unleashed the small barrage towards the foe. Zeke wasted no time as he was already surveying the field and figuring out his next move, letting his brush hang towards Musashi incase he needed protection.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Behind the veil of flames, Onyx's brow furrowed with an unknown intensity; Zeke comment cutting away at his usually calm demeanor.

"Hold your tongue you armless knave, or I shall do it for you!?" he shouted as his aura of flames burst outwards several feet. The idea of some child mocking him for the decisions he made to protect his kinsmen would normally be laughable, but knowing that his countrymen were depending on him to save them from the strife delivered upon them by their seaward neighbors took any sense of lightness away from the situation. The notion of criticism was infuriating, the sensation of rage and embarrassment wriggled it way through his body causing the fire that danced around his being to increase in heat to the point where the flames burned with a calm yet terrifying shade of white.

With a violent swipe of his hand, a row of fire appeared along the path of Zeke's arrows, igniting the caustic chemical inside and creating a thunderous explosion around the midpoint of the opposing fighters.

"You may see the big picture you pestilent worm, but all you see is black and white. I witness the full wealth of colors while you sit in the corner mumbling about the asinine prospects of good versus evil. There is no good or evil on this battlefield to me, just a Queen who seeks revenge and a Kingdom that has earned her wrath unwarrantedly. As for you, you are but puppets to her, playing your role without questioning what's really going on; a pitiful sight that shall soon vanish."

His form appearing more savage and losing its once elegant appeal, Onyx holds his tensed hand outwards in Zeke and Musashi's direction, his muscles flexing beneath his conflagrant sleeves. Focusing his energy around the two heroes, he creates small pockets of Ki, each one constricting the oxygen within until the pressure causes it to liquidize. Following up with another violent swipe of his hand, a flicker of flame laps at one of the orbs causing it to ignite and begin a cataclysmic sequence of chained explosions around the two warriors.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke took the time the king had furiously tonguelashed him to fortify his defenses. While the ten foot area surrounding Zeke looked like little more that a random slew of circles, spirals and shapes, to him each one was a lifesaver just waiting to come into play.

"Well ask yourself this King Volkanon; if the kingdom does not deserve this wrath, then why does battle rage around us? Yes she began this invasion, but it was your choices that lead to this conflict even before that! I don't care if you are good or evil or whatever you call yourself to make you feel good about being one of the Sumata. You sided with an evil man, just as I have sided with a noble queen. That makes us enemies Volkanon, and it makes your people the victims of your weakness!"

Zeke's brush wove through the chaos of the field as it twisted behind Onyx and worked quickly to form a few interwoven lines and detailed boxes as his attack formed around Zeke. In an instant his focused thought brought a twisting spiral around him to life as a conic steel barrier. Zeke could feel the blazing heat pour through the metal as the explosions lapped against it, but he felt the intensity subside, and reverted the red hot shape back into its crude visage.

Meanwhile his brush had added the last touch to his device and sprung to life a working six foot tall speaker set beside a connected microphone. The device was hooked up to a simple generator and in the instant it appeared the air buzzed with the ear-piercing sound of feedback directly behind Onyx.

"Go Musashi! I've got him distracted." Zeke shouted towards his ally.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Onyx could only mentally mock Zeke's fallacious logic before the brutal, foreign sound pierced his skull. Like a javelin running through his ears, the pain was unknown to Onyx, leaving him stunned for several second as he body processed the odd sense of pain. Sadly, it was in this instant that Musashi charged in, sliding low and landing just between Onyx parted legs. With both blades in hand, Musashi began to perform a Whirlwind-like breakdance maneuver, sweeping Onyx off his feet and into Musashi whirling dervish of blades and kicks.

As the bevy of twisting strikes and slashes pound against Onyx frame, his only respite comes from the fact that his aura of intense flames was able to superheat the blades, making them malleable and in turn, much more difficult to cut with. As Musashi continued to hammer away at Onyx, he too was beginning to feel the heat of the situation... literally, as the raging aura that surrounded his opponents body licked and brushed against him with each of his attacks. Was it not for his quick movements, Musashi would be burned alive in his effort to fight the conflagratory being.

His clothes beginning to show signs of weakness against the fire, Musashi finished his dynamic assault with a hammering blow from his Great Oar, sending Onyx through the massive subwoofer as he reeled from the heavy strike. Hitting the ground and skidding several meters, Onyx arose, thought with less vigor than previous times; the cuts and eventual bruises covered by the flames that veiled his body. Regaining his balanced breathing, Onyx simply pointed at Musashi, his glare piercing through the fire and Musashi himself, filling him with a sharp and brief sense of anxiety.

"You will be first boy, I will enjoy scattering you ashes to the four winds."

Stamping harshly on the ground, Onyx is enveloped in a large burst of fire and smoke, obscuring Musashi vision of him. The billowing plume of smog seems to persist in an other worldly manner, and begins to move outwards and slowly envelops Musashi; the thick blanket of blackened air chocking his breathing but at the same time disorienting him, making escape from the black mist difficult.

"Now the tables have turned, boy. Take woe in how you rely on you propionate senses to fight, and find respite in these few seconds that you have, for you will find no mercy here," Onyx mocks as his voice fades into a whisper before Musashi is left in the abyss of smoke that surrounds him.