Chapter 26: Blood Magic Rising

Chapter 26: Blood Magic Rising

Zeth vs Drought: Phase Four

Zeth stands tall in his Blood Magic state, everyone watching him with concern.

Emily almost stutters as she asks, “What happened to him?”

Kurt does not take his eyes off Zeth as he stares with a serious expression. “He has entered Blood Magic. The man who gave and taught me my magic spoke of it once. I don’t know most of the details, but I do know you have to have inherited your magic from your parents by birth. Someone such as me, who was given magic, would not be able to use Blood Magic.”

Joe focuses on Zeth with a mix of concern and admiration. “Incredible…”

“I also have no idea what actually causes it to activate,” Kurt adds.

With Blood Magic active, Zeth faces off against Drought once again.

Zeth grins with bloodlust, like he has become a completely different person. His intentions, deadly. His laugh, maniacal. “Hahahahahahahaha! Just like I did, you blew your chance at victory! Now you’re out of time and I will rip you to pieces!”

Zeth’s newfound personality leaves Drought shaking with at least a hint of fear. “What is this new form?”

Zeth offers only two words in response. “Just watch.”

In only a couple of seconds, Zeth rushes toward Drought and strikes him with a powerful punch, sending him flying into the cave wall, and embedding him in it.

“With this new power, I’m so much stronger!” Zeth declares. “Just think how powerful I would be with this when I’m much stronger at a base level!”

Taking advantage of Zeth distracting himself, Drought sends a Poison Wave at him. It hits, but it has no effect.

“Was that supposed to hurt?” Zeth asks with a mocking chuckle.

The other heroes become more concerned the longer they watch.

“Does anyone else feel like his personality has suddenly changed?” Emily asks, slightly frightened.

Joe grits his teeth just a bit. “Yeah… It’s like suddenly he has become the villain.”

Kurt states, “I don’t know enough about Blood Magic to know what effects it can have on someone’s personality.”

Sasha’s eyes narrows and her brows furrow as she lashes out at the others. “Stop it! He’s still Zeth! Don’t even try to paint him as a bad person!”

“I’m not saying he’s bad, just that he is acting like it.” Joe replies.

A single tear falls from Sasha’s eye. “Still… I don’t want to hear it.”

Meanwhile, Drought walks out of the hole in the wall, expressing fear and anger at the same time.

“Listen to me!! I am a demon!! You are a human!! You are beneath me!! You are nothing!!”

Zeth smirks. “Oh really?”

Zeth rushes toward Drought and starts continuously punching him, not even giving Drought a chance to defend himself. Zeth then grabs Drought’s left arm and pulls on it until it rips off. He tosses it to the side as Drought screams in severe pain.

“That’s one arm down,” Zeth says with a smirk.

Zeth moves away from Drought to grab a pole. He looks at it for just a moment before grinning. “This should be fun.”

He throws the pole like a spear, piercing straight into Drought’s right leg before the end of it sticks into the ground, keeping him from moving. Drought screams in agony.

Zeth runs toward Drought and forms a Blood Star Shard in his left hand. He throws it, and it tears through Drought’s left leg, slicing it off.

Drought’s body falls to the floor with only one leg left and that leg is still stuck with a pole piercing through it.

Zeth continues mocking Drought. “Shame, you lost a leg. I can make that feel better.”

“Stay away from me, you monster!!” Drought screams in complete terror.

Zeth stares back, flabbergasted. “Monster? Maybe my memory is bad but was it not you who contaminated the water to kill weak humans and indoctrinate the strong ones? It’s you who is the monster!”

Zeth walks over to Drought, standing in front of him with clear annoyance etched on his face.

Zeth lets out a quick annoyed hum before saying, “Your memory must be bad, so let me help you remember.”

Zeth rips out the pole that’s still pierced through Drought’s leg, and then uses his foot to turn Drought over on his back, completely helpless. He unleashes a long series of punches against Drought, striking him in the face, chest, and abdomen.

Emily starts covering her eyes. “This is getting hard to watch.”

Joe turns his head toward Sasha. “I don’t know, Sasha. This seems to be getting too brutal, even if Drought is a total scumbag.”

Sasha continues to watch on, not losing even a bit of faith. “I still believe in Zeth. I know that’s still him. This demon was trying to do horrible things, so Zeth must feel like this is the punishment he deserves.”

Eventually, Zeth stops his punches. Drought appears to be near death, the brutal punches and blood loss taking their toll.

“You can’t be dead just yet,” Zeth says with disgust.

He creates three Blood Star Shards, and throws them into the ground.

“This will hurt,” Zeth states.

One shard shoots out of the ground and saws off Drought’s right arm. The next one saws off his right leg. The final shard saws right through his abdomen. Even as a ruthless demon, Drought finally cries, tears flowing from his eyes, but he does not beg for mercy.

“I swear it!! One day when the Dark Goddess returns, she and her Council of Demons will hunt you down!!! Even as you are right now, you would be slaughtered by any of them, the most elite warriors of Hell!!! You will all—!!!”

Zeth stomps on Drought’s torso to interrupt him. “Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah. Man, you look like you are in a lot of pain. Maybe I should put you out of your misery.”

Drought looks at Zeth one more time, seeing his own death in the darkness of Zeth’s eye sockets. Zeth holds out his left arm and starts charging a Blood Star Shine Blast in his hand.

“Go back to Hell,” Zeth says with conviction.

Zeth releases the Blood Star Shine Blast down at Drought, hitting him directly, and explodes. After the explosion clears, there is nothing left of Drought’s body.

“This power… It’s unreal,” Kurt says.

“It was needed for his victory but it was fearsome!” Emily adds.

“But will he return to normal?” Joe questions.

“I’m certain he will!” Sasha asserts.

Zeth shouts in victory. “YESSSS!!!!! This power is amazing!”

Over by the altar, a woman’s ethereal voice thinks to herself. “They did it. This poison will soon be purged and then I will be able to speak to them. They all have great importance and I will set them on that path.”

Zeth’s Blood Magic completely overwhelms Drought! But does such a power have any drawbacks and how did it activate in the first place?

Chapter 26 END

To be Continued in Chapter 27: Guardian of the Altar