Parting Gift Part 2

Narrowing my eyes and raising my arms wide above my head. Belthazar gripped his blade with both of his hands. Our weapons clashed against each other….well I say clash as it's the easiest way to describe the way our weapons met in the air. Sparking and sizzling as the air boiled around them the blades of both weapons repelling one another like homogenous magnets. Snapping my wrist forwards the force was diverted to the ground. As if there was never sediment, rock or gravel there in the first place. It simply vanished, erased from existence.

“Listen to me Belthazar, this isn't what Alduin would have wanted from you!”

“Oh and what exactly did he want from me, old man?”

“If you can’t answer your own question then you’re a disgrace wearing your grandfather’s clothes” throwing Kali Yuga in the air and clasping my hands together. A hateful glare shot from my eyes and met Belthazar where he stood.

LANCEIUS:IGNIS: AVICI ! I roared, throwing my arms into the air; as the words escaped from my mouth I caught my spear. With an audible hiss and hushed sighed as the world itself reacted to the will of power the air bubbled and burned. As if the world itself was issuing a warning not to continue.

Heat radiating off of me like a bright orange aura almost like that of an ode of fighting spirit. From my arms, legs, forehead and many different points on my body. Spears protruded. Suddenly like blazing arrows they fired off. One hundred spears every second. A surefire hit. Belthazar swung his sword blindingly. His body reacts less like a human and more like a machine designed only for one purpose: kill and conquer. Contorting in unnatural snake-like ways in order to avoid or cut down the flaming spears. However he wasn’t safe from damage. Spears flew past his defenses and dug into his knees, his arms and his torso. Belthazar stopped dropping to his knees and coughing. Belthazar huffed laboriously. Blood pooling in his mouth.

“Give up! With those wounds you can’t win!” I glared, picking his chin up with my spear. Locking eyes with him there I saw it. A spark. A flame of life that refused to be blown out. “This will be my last kindness” . The eye contact remained for a few seconds. All the while Belthazar’s mouth twisted in a weak smile.

“I’ll pass on your kindness sensei” like lightning in a flash Belthazar's sword was swung. Swiping past my face, A dull almost infantile scream emanated off the blade. The collective voices of the souls slewn by this blade cried out. Their voices….god their wailing sorrowful voices.

“Save us”

“I’m innocent”

The voices cried out. Cried out begging for their lives to be sent to a more peaceful life after death. The sword dug into my flesh. As the impact connected the ground below me, it became concave and collapsed forming a deep circular crater. Blood sprayed into the air like a beautiful mist on an early spring morning. My hand crumpled to the soft dirt and my blood colored the ground red like pen marks on a failed exam. Picking up my severed hand laughing and weezing as he did.

“Need a hand sensei?” Belthazar mocked clutching his chest with one hand and holding his saber with the other.

“How are you even able to stand!!”

“Sword magic can be the zenith of utility for suturing wounds orthodoxically!” he pulled away at the now tattered fabric of his shirt. Pointing I could make it out clearly. Where my spears had pierced him. Several swords overlapped, pinning and holding the flesh closed. Almost as if something beyond his control was refusing him to die. Belthazar raised his blade and smirked weakly.

“Lets have another go shall we Sensei?”

SABERIUS: SATAN’S SABER: CAIN

LANCEIUS: LUCIFER’S LAMENTFUL LANCE: ABEL

Belthazar’s once regal rapier disappeared, fading away into nothing but a pool of liquid metal. Swords pierced and punched through his skin as if he was nothing but a piece of parchment. His arm transformed, it was no longer an arm, it was simply a blade an extension of himself. An extension of his magic. His eyes glazed over and a wicked smile appeared on his lips. Kali Yuga, my beloved spear, disappeared before my eyes. Holding my head a flash of a memory, a memory that wasn’t mine played in my head.

It was staticky and out of focus. But what I could make out was that Zap, my inheritor and his two friends. Raku and Burner one a tall blonde haired teen and the other a short red haired lad. They sat on a beachfront watching the waves roll in. Pointing to the horizon.

“The kingdom of hope is over there” It was like no voice I had ever heard, grainy and compressed yet all the while it was coherent and it made sense. Zap spoke again. “When we graduate….let's meet over in the kingdom of hope” The three teens laughed and smiled before they all embraced. The memory faded just as quickly as it arrived.

“My dear boys” My resolve hardened like a raging bonfire was lit inside my soul I clutched my new spear with conviction. “I will be your shield you just smile” one hundred years before their time and in a distant land there wasn’t much I could actually do to support them. But eliminating this demon was one unquestionable good.

A massive shadow humanoid in figure with bulky hands and a crooked smile filled with dangerous dagger-like teeth protruded from me. It hovered from me and laughed sorrowfully as it watched the proceedings. Suddenly it spoke. As a human would perceive the voice of a defamed disgraced demonic god.

“You Pitiful things are always such a joy to watch”

However it wasn’t alone, A shadow appeared coming off of Belthazar. Chuckling and clutching its Jaw in surprise. Its eyes slanted and its mouth opened. It was like staring into the pits of hell. Its shoulders bounced with its uproarious laughter.

“Zehahaha Look at these ants playing games”

“Shemyaza my what a surprise to see you” The sorrowful shadow postured before returning its eyes to us clashing weapons.

“It seems we’ve been called here Agares. Summoned by these two that just seems most likely to me”

“Zehahaha Agares you’re always so dotting….these ants aren’t strong enough to summon us….but there is a darkness that brought us here” Shemyaza noted. It pointed at Belthazar and held its non-existent nose. “That ant reeks; worse than any smell on the planet”

“How can you tell we don’t have noses Shem?”

“Not a smell…..it's like staring into a black hole and feeling infinitely smaller….its like that but if that feeling was a tangible vibration” Shemyaza spoke with a nervous chuckle.

“Should we intervene then? Prevent whatever calamity you’re talking about?”

“You know the rules Agares….Us: Gods of Forge can’t interfere with human affairs; all we can do is sit pretty and watch” Shemyaza folded its arms and chuckled. “Zehahaha and to be blunt Agares whatever is coming is sure to be a riot!”

“Always so carnal aren’t you Shem?”

“Always so gloomy Agar?”

“Touché”

With a final stab my spear pierced through Belthazar’s chest. Passing through his rib cage it collapsed a lung. If I didn’t kill him, suffocation would. Pulling on my spear it….It wouldn’t budge. It was like his chest was the hand of some mountain animal. A wall of immovable muscles that refused to let go of the spear. There was laughter, low and demonic. Laughter that I remembered from my youth.

“Hanagaki my old friend~” a low gravelly voice came from Belthazar’s mouth. “It's been nearly five hundred years since we last saw each other and this is how you treat me” Belthazar’s body gripped my spear. Strength that wasn’t Bel’s surged and it stood up. Immediately I knew who that voice belonged to. Dropping my spear I jumped back all my instincts telling me to forget everything I knew and run away.

“I know Leone isn’t here to play with us” Belthazar’s body stretched and nonchalantly held conversation all the while bleeding.
“NAZARICK!!!!!”

“Oh you do remember me”

“For the hope of those to come I will end your body hopping existence here!”

“Oh will you!” Nazarick smiled like a demonic hell beast.

Zap’s memories surged and played in my head over and over. His smile, his friends and his hopeful eyes all bounced around my head. Putting everything into my next spell I raised my spear above my head and aimed it. “For the boy of hope!” Zap my dear lad although I never knew you hell you weren’t even born in my era but my one final message to you. My parting gift. If you ever find yourself in despair just say these two words and remember how much you accomplished. “I AM!” those two words my dear boy will let you overcome any obstacle, break every wall and soar higher than any eagle.

“Oh you weren’t kidding” Nazarick held his open palms out in front of him. “Shall we have a clash of ideals Hanagaki~” Magical energy surged and sparked like bolts of black lightning. Nazarick instead was outpouring a filthy miasma with every molecule of magic he breathed.

It wafted through the air like a poison. Touching the flora around it left them dead, withered and dry.
“You ready Guardian Aurabos?”

LANCEIUS: ABEL OBLITERATION!!!
DEATHIUS: DEATHKNELL OF NARAKU!!! Hurling my spear with every molecule of strength I had I watched It fly splitting the air asunder pushing out of the way if not outright erasing it. Suddenly it stopped mid flight, connecting with the impermeable stench that clouded around Nazarick. With little ease He grabbed the spear and dissolved it. He then turned his attention to me. His body moved unnaturally. He dashed forward and before I knew it. His hands dug into my sides. Coughing blood I felt the very magic I was gifted drain away from me.

Zap this….this is my final message.

Change the world dear lad

Smile

I believe in you.

Suddenly his arms crossed and before I knew it. My torso was disconnected from my waist. My blood and my entrails spilled onto the ground. Coughing and barely clinging to life. I summoned a spear to my side.
“Don’t bother….that spear is unstable I drained you of most of what you had”

“Nazarick!!” I shouted weakly.

“Send Leone my hate”

“YOU MONSTER!!!”

My consciousness began to fade. In and out. Hope….you mustn't lose hope my friend. With one final cough. It was over.

HANAGAKI AURABOS

DECEASED

AGE: 689

CHAPTER 5 END