Act 4 - Chapter 5, Part 1

Chapter 40: Ajal; Shauran 46th, 344SR; 2:10

The blue rippled skin of the abyssal being glowed as she pushed her body off the ground. The lower mass of torn flesh writhed from burns. Split hands oozed viscous green liquids, splattering onto the floor. Smoke rose up from the tips of the bubbles of the abyssal being's blood, it was evaporating in seconds. As the blue hair of the giant creature moved out of the way, she coughed up blood. The ragged croaks turned into a twisted wheeze as Terra laughed.

"What powerful friends I have now!" Terra grinned at Ajal.

"You...!" Vala seethed, a bestial grumble spilled from her mouth. "Gotoh!" The white lance appeared in her hand, the guard began to glow, and a horizontal line appeared under each of her eyes. "Die!" Vala dashed forward at a lightning-fast speed.

"Huh- Ah!" Terra yelped as Vala slammed the lance through the bottom of her jaw and out the other side, ripping her tongue out in the process. "Ah!" Terra cried out in pain, however, her voice was a chortled gargle. "Ow ae ouu!" the abyssal being screamed despite the previous attack.

"Look out-" Ajal shouted, but as he did he coughed up blood.

"Don't speak!" Rolo scolded him, "You're still bleeding out right now!"

The queen was completely caught off guard as the possessed Banhu jumped straight up toward her. The abyssal being's tendrils had pierced into the resistance commander's head through the eyes and mouth, and into his ears. The tendrils wrapped around his arm and tightly held Jor's spine. He roared, with spit flying from his mouth barbarically.

"Grah!" Banhu stupidly roared with a heroic tone in his voice.

"Tempa!" the queen roared as she grasped the katana. "Shura's array, fourth form!"

Vala vanished, leaving behind blue flames the possessed Banhu struck with the bell. She reappeared a short distance from Tera, Vala lifted her blade and readied to strike. However, Banhu glided through the air toward her the second she vanished. He swung the bell and released a toll of force the moment the queen tried to slash Terra.

"Agh!" Vala grunted as she flew past her target and hit the ground.

Oberon charged forward and raised his palm, dragging her to him and catching her. Spikes sprouted from where she would have landed.

"My queen!" Oberon shouted.

"Oberon?!" Vala's eyes were full of tears despite her angry expression.

"Stay strong... Steel yourself!" Oberon advised as his teeth rattled in anger.

"Aie!" Terra screamed weakly.

Spikes shot out of the ground, toward Vala and Oberon. Green lightning crackled across the battlefield. a green javelin was speared from a distance, precisely striking Tera between the eyes.

"Ah!" Terra yelped again.

The spikes came to a stop. Ajal noticed the back end of the creature's torso had been embedded into the ground. Tendrils floated around the rear end, defending it from being attacked. 'It's covering all of its angles... But I think the queen managed to stop its damn screaming...'

"Banhu!" Iris and Blaize both cried, Blaize's legs shook for a moment. "Let him go!" Blaize screamed as he dragged his blade through the fur on his shoulder and lit the blade on fire.

Blaize raised the blade above his head, Shina's blue hair whipped to the left as her head twisted towards Blaize, he was aiming for Banhu and didn't notice. The tendrils around her arm tightened as she bent the knee. Shina and Banhu's bodies weren't connected by a single tendril, but rather a mass of tendrils coiled together like a cable. 'Did it... Adapt to us cutting the tendrils?!'

"Huh-!" Blaize panicked as Shina's possessed body closed the distance.

Iris ran forward and blocked Shina's strike, Blaize stepped past her with his swords raised. Iris pushed her blade against Shina and knocked her back, but to both of their surprise, the royal guard's arm twisted and swung the sword, dragging the body behind it lifelessly.

"What!", "Huh!" Iris and Blaize both hesitated.

Shina whispered something quickly and suddenly jumped with a flip, slashing all around her.

"Rgh!" Blaize grunted after getting slashed once through the shoulder, and dodging a stab to the face.

Iris dodged each slash but wasn't prepared for Banhu to soar forward from the left and strike with his bell. "Ah!" Iris yelped as she was launched off her feet.

Shina's right arm and the right side of her face glowed, and blue symbols formed as she activated Ginpa's fang. The queen was grimacing with wide eyes at the sight of Shina, her teeth rattled as she seethed with hatred. Avery was frozen in place, unsure of what to do as her friend walked towards her lifelessly. Rolo stopped and set Ajal down, they were a decent distance from the battlefield. 'Dammit, I underestimated this thing... But it's on the ropes! We can-'

"Ack!" Ajal spat up even more blood, the fatigue dragged him back to one knee. His leg was still healing on the inside, however, he lost a lot of blood when he had been stabbed earlier. "Ah!" Ajal struggled to focus his spirit or breath. "My liver... It got ripped open- Ahagh!" Ajal coughed up blood.

"Huh... Ajal?!" A familiar voice shouted, Ajal glanced over his shoulder and saw Sarah. "Oh my god, you're bleed- Holy-" Sarah shivered.

"Hey! This guy's messed up!" Rolo shouted, "I have to go help, I can't look after him!" Rolo pulled his greatsword off his back and charged back onto the field.

Sarah's black clothes were torn up and covered in dust, her sleeves ripped off. Her hair was a mess and her wide eyes observed the three wounds dripping blood on Ajal's body. Her mouth quivered as her hands hovered over her mouth.

"Oh my... What do I- Will you heal?" Sarah asked with a worried expression.

"Yeah, I just... Need a minute- Ah!" Ajal winced again. "You shouldn't be here..." Ajal advised.

"Yeah, I see that! But... There's something I need to tell-"

"Aa- a uuwea-" Terra tried to form words as if she wasn't missing a mouth.

Spikes shot out of the ground toward, Ajal and Sarah. 'Shit! I can't-' Zeus landed in front of Ajal, the flowing cape around his back stretched and extended. It formed into spikes of its own and pierced the ground in the path of the approaching spikes.

"Aa!" Terra gurgled on blood, a fury in her eyes locked on Ajal.

"Hah! I saved you this time idiot!" Zeus shouted.

"You..." Ajal stuttered. "Thank you..."

"When am I supposed to strike that thing? I thought you said something about me landing the finishing blow!"

"Abyssal beings have a core... We need to find it, it's most likely in that massive body..." Ajal pointed to the abyssal being's torso, a swollen mass of arms and tendrils.

Banhu conjured his weapon in hand. The tentacle in his arm spread to his hands and reinforced his grip. The tendrils in his back and legs lifted him up.

"Oh no... Run!" said Ajal, Banhu was soaring toward them.

Banhu smashed the ground. The toll echoed out, launching rubble in all directions.

"Aie!" Terra screamed at Ajal.

Ajal pushed himself up, and his muscles burned. 'I can't keep this up... But it's not like I have a choice here...' The bell's toll came closer as Banhu's rabid yelling approached, the bell dragged through the ground behind him. Wherever Banhu was lifelessly dragged, destruction was left in his wake.

"She-" Ajal felt a rage build within him, "She's using his body like a weapon!"

A white flash lit up the sky, and in a single moment, a figure flew towards Banhu. Angela raised her sword, aiming for the tendrils connecting Banhu to the abyssal being. She cleaved through the cable of tendrils.

"Huh?!" Angela gasped as her blade was lodged barely halfway through.

Banhu roared and swung his arm right around, smacking the noble across the face and knocking her away. Her blade ripped out of the cable, and a decent chunk of her mask smashed off, revealing the icy blonde woman's jagged grit teeth. She slammed one foot into the ground in order to keep herself upright. She stepped forward with blood leaking down her head. Another swing of the sword couldn't cleave through the cables, but it was too thick. Banhu raised the bell above his head.

"Yycan! Save her!" Zeus ordered desperately.

The cape quickly shot forward towards Angela and wrapped around her arm. As the bell came down she held one ear with the blade she held her sword. A toll echoed outwards. The cape whipped Angela towards Zeus, she tumbled against the ground as the bell's force drove her into the ground.

Zeus caught Angela, his feet dragged back. Banhu's arm squirted blood from the sides as the possessed commander spun the spine with one hand.

"Look out!" Ajal shouted.

Zeus looked up to see Banhu jump forward with the bell once more. Zeus turned around and shielded Angela. However, the toll launched the boy off his feet, and the noble and her lieutenant tumbled over the ground. Banhu continued forward, his arm gushing blood as he spun the spine with one hand.

"Shit! Dodge-" Ajal shouted but was cut off as blood filled his mouth.

Banhu aimed for Angela. Zeus quickly got between them and raised his arms to defend Angela. 'No!' Banhu readied his swing, and the bell soared above his head. A flapping cape above Ajal and Sarah caused them both to look up as a man in white with a blonde ponytail lunged forward with a strange sword. He got between Zeus and Banhu and held his blade up to block, Ajal squinted at its shape. The guard was a large oval parallel to the six-foot blade, it almost resembled a greatsword, 'What the hell is that?!'

"Rah!" Banhu struck the strange weapon.

The bell tolled, however, it sounded strange, even stranger was Banhu being blasted away by it. 'He reflected the attack?!' Banhu's arm and leg were ripped off by the force that ricocheted back toward him. The spine landed a short distance away, but even without a weapon, the tendrils pushed Banhu's body forward.

"Fire Magic, Great Fireball!" an unknown voice shouted.

A massive ball of flame flew over Ajal, striking Banhu. Ajal looked to his left and saw a five-foot-tall girl, her red hair reached past her shoulders. She wore a grey robe and looked considerably young, her white pants were reminiscent of what the angels wore. She held two wooden scepters, currently pointing one of them that had a large red orb towards Banhu. She lowered that scepter and raised the other.

"Disparity Addition!" the little girl yelled once more with both hands on her wooden scepter with a T-shaped end.

'Disparity what?' The ball of flame burst into a bright light in front of Banhu, he was burned by the flame as it launched him away. The flame reached the tall blonde man with a ponytail, he wore a simple white shirt and held a massive sword up behind him. The flame hit the mirror and reflected off. The flame fanned out and spread over the tendrils that connected to Banhu. The tentacles writhed as they burned off, and Banhu's body fell lifelessly.

"Woah..." Sarah stuttered.

Ajal looked at the young female angel with a surprised expression, 'I've only seen Aria and Kadyr use magic like that... That was extremely good...' The blonde swordsman who deflected Banhu sighed as he turned around, the insignia on his chest was that of a sword with an eye on the guard. The red-haired girl's grey robe also had the insignia, 'They're... Both Lightbringers?'

"Zeus!" the girl ran forward with a worried expression.

"Nova?" Zeus replied with a surprised, almost hopeful tone.

Nova hugged Zeus and sighed a breath of relief. "Are you alright!"

"Zeus!", "Captain!" three more voices spoke up and ran towards the two angels of House Rover.

The three who ran forward were angels, their outfits had blue edges. One was a woman with light brown hair, light skin, and big eyes. She was the tallest of the three. Another had a shaggy mess of blue hair and was very skinny. The third had dark skin and short black hair, he was well-built and just under the woman's height.

"Kiril... Leo..." Zeus groaned at the woman and the man with a combover. "Oh, Ando!" however he smiled to greet the third.

"What's with that tone..." Leo asked with an annoyed face.

"Zeus... You idiot..." Angela seethed.

"Huh?" Zeus turned to the noble.

"What'd this moron do now..." Kiril knelt down next to Angela and observed her wounds.

"You idiot you almost died! Don't try to save me just run!" Angela scolded him.

"Huh?" Leo and Kiril both looked at Zeus.

"What do you mean?! You would've done the same!" Zeus shouted back.

Ando sighed, "Well, at least we're all still alive..." Ando placed a hand on Zeus's shoulder.

"Hey... What the hell..." Ajal was at a loss for words observing Nova's aura. "You're also an ethereal," Ajal weakly stood.

"What do you mean, what is an ethereal?" Nova asked. "Who are you?"

"That's the off-worlder..." Angela answered.

"Him?" Nova looked surprised for a moment.

"Then arrest him after this Angela, thanks," the blonde-haired swordsman ordered.

"Hey... Who do you think you're giving orders to Lawrence..."

"What the situation here... What is that thing?" Lawrence asked lazily.

Angela sighed. "Classic Lightbringers..." Angela muttered as she shook her head.

"That's an abyssal being... If we don't kill it, it's gonna keep growing and kill everything..." Ajal answered.

"Abyssal being?" Lawrence repeated with a puzzled tone.

"It's a creature born after the fall of a Celestial..."

Lawrence's eyebrow raised as he glanced at Ajal over his shoulder, he turned back to Terra. 'Huh?' The Lightbringer's spirit barely reacted to the notion that a Celestial had fallen. Lawrence didn't reply, he looked up as another green bolt struck Terra. Avery was delivering heavy fire with each green bolt, they exploded on impact and caused lasting damage. Terra's eyes glowed behind the smoke, she was following Avery's movement. Avery landed and took a stance, spinning the green bolt around and holding it above her shoulder.

"Die!" Avery cried as she was about to throw the bolt, however, Shina's body flew towards her.

The green bolt of lightning left her hand as Avery whipped it. Shina's katana glowed blue as she slashed with the blunt end, creating a blue line in the air that expanded vertically.

"Dammit!" Avery grunted as she formed another bolt in hand.

Shina's mouth chanted something silently as she raised her blade overhand and took a stance. Avery froze. Shina dashed forward with her sword ready to thrust. Avery jumped out of the way as Shina flew past her and struck the rubble, a blast of force from her stab launched the rubble away.

"You bitch!" Avery cried as she aimed for the cable of tendrils. "Let her go!"

However, the cable moved like a massive tendril itself and dragged across the ground, smashing into Avery and slamming her body through even more rubble.

"Agh!" the brown-haired woman grunted.

Shina jumped high into the air and raised the blade overhead as she soared for Avery once more. Oberon raised both his palms and pulled Shina toward himself. Shina's body changed its course toward him and swung down, as Oberon swung up. The axe and Shina's blade struck each other, and their steel rattled. The possessed swordswoman pulled her blade back and swung hard. Oberon backed up, swinging his axe around and trying to strike the tendrils around her. However Shina continued to swing wildly, her arm twisted and cracked as it bent to swing again. Terra pulled Shina back as the queen approached. Vala jumped from above and tried to slash through the tendrils. But Shina's body was dragged away. Vala missed and gritted her teeth as she hit the ground and charged for Terra.

"Damn, fiend! You bring disgrace to the body and mind of our comrades!" Oberon roared in a rage.

'There's too much going on... This all stops once we kill that thing!' Ajal pushed himself up, his wounds were still healing, and they were still in pain. Terra's body raised upright once more, her broken jawbone spread as she readied to scream.

"Ah, shit! Cover your ears!" Ajal warned.

"Azure Rain! Grand Fall!" A loud voice echoed through the abyss.

Terra's eyes widened as she looked up. Everyone including Ajal looked up to the black sky, he noticed a robed figure holding a golden scepter. 'Who is...' Flying right past the figure, a blue orb with a trail of ethereal energy behind it dropped through the sky. It struck Terra's barrier. Another figure in mid-air spread its bright blue wings.

"Azure Rain!" Pellets of blue energy showered over the abyssal being.

"Another?!" Ajal shouted as a third ethereal flew through the darkness.

"Yami!" Zeus and Nova both shouted with glee.

Yami separated from the pair of wings sprouting off his back. A blue hawk continued to fly over whilst raining the blue pellets of energy over the battlefield. Yami landed in front of Zeus and Nova, he wore a black shirt and baggy blue pants. Terra was forced to defend herself from the continuous attack. Ajal observed the aura of the three angels. 'No way... Is this fate?!' Ajal thought as he looked at Yami's aura.

"Alexander's recruit?!" Angela whispered to herself. "What are you doing here?! What happened to Alexander?"

"He's not here? Not even Vivian or Bruno?!" Yami asked.

"Where did you just come from?" Lawrence asked.

"I went to Dorad to warn the hybrids of the resistance, Alexander stayed behind to save Vivian and Bruno from..." Yami turned to the sky, he looked left and right in confusion for a moment. "Huh? Where did he go?"

Ajal looked back up to the sky, the figure holding the golden scepter was gone. 'Huh?'

"He's gone..." said Yami. "That guy's gone... Whatever he's not important... " Yami shook his head. "Dorad was attacked by the resistance! I had to help them, but then we all saw the pillar of light above Andurill... What the hell happened?!"

"Nevermind that, we need to slay that thing!" Angela pointed her claymore to the abyssal being.

"This works for us..." Ajal weakly stood and limped forward, he used a black staff made from the shadow to support his weight.

"Should you really be standing..." Lawrence asked.

"Yeah! Ajal you need to stay down!" Sarah advised.

"I have no choice... Spirit Manipulation..." Ajal ignited his spirit in his heart, his blood started to pump faster. "You three. When I expose the core, you have to land the final blow..."

Oberon was on the defensive, he blocked Shina's wild swings using the flat end of his axe. The possessed Shina ran parallel to him as he tried to make some distance. Shina's face remained ghoulish, Oberon seethed the more he looked at the royal guard. The moment one leaped forward so did the other.

"Roku's Array! Fourth form!" Blaize roared with blood spilling from his mouth, "Wild Frenzy!" he swung his blades wildly, sending flaming slashes for the tendrils holding Shina.

The tendrils shifted and bent to perfectly dodge. 'It's adapting to how we fight!' Vala slid under the tendril and ran straight forward for Terra. The abyssal being saw her coming, 'It's adapting and recognizes whose the biggest threat... But... It's not trying to kill the ethereals... It doesn't know its own weakness!' Tendrils shot after her, and Vala showed no hesitation, running forward with the wavy-edged blade.

"Boros!" Vala called as she jumped.

A bright green light flashed as Vala landed on Boros's head, the snake slithered quickly. Terra raised her arm and tried to slam her severed wrist into the snake that continued to dodge the tendrils at lightning-fast speeds. The snake suddenly pulled its head back as Terra's other forearm crashed in front of it, then lunged and wrapped around the arm. Hundreds of arms reached for Vala in an attempt to stop her assault.

"Regal!" Vala roared as the sword clad in red lightning appeared in her hands.

The queen grasped the bolt-shaped greatsword with both hands and looked up with a vicious glare. Red lightning crackled off the blade as she made a wide swing. Dragging the massive sword through the abyssal being's arms, and slashing up through her face.

"Ah!" the abyssal being cried.

Ajal looked down at Oberon who continued to hold Shina back. Zeus approached Ajal from behind.

"What's your plan, fool?" Zeus asked calmly.

"The abyssal being needs to die, the only people who can deal the finishing strike are ethereals. However," Ajal pointed up towards Vala.

A torrent of green blood sprayed across the battlefield. Vala jumped off the back of Terra's shoulder, as she descended upside down, the tentacles shot after her.

"Gotoh! Shura's Array!" Vala let out a cry of rage as the lance appeared in her hand. "Rending Thrust!"

Vala roared as a white glint shot straight through the back of Terra's neck, beheading the abyssal being. The white glint soared across the battlefield. Vala landed a short distance from Ajal and the angels. Terra's head spun in the air before crashing into a building.

"Holy shit..." Angela uttered in shock.

Blood spilled from the creature's chest, its headless body attempted to close the wound despite having no hands. Vala cracked her neck.

"Tempa..." she seethed, before charging back in once more.

"The queen and the hybrids are doing well keeping it busy... You..." Ajal turned to Nova. "You're ethereal, and you can use magic. What are your affinities?"

"Affinities?" Zeus asked with a confused tone.

"Soul Magic, Light, and Fire is easy for me as well..." Nova answered.

'Huh... Seriously... A triple affinity?! An ethereal, and at that age? ' Ajal was surprised to hear that. "So you can use fire and light as well then... And this idiot can make weapons with his gift..."

"Which idiot?" Zeus asked, unaware that Ajal referred to him.

"That'd be you..." Lawrence quietly answered as he stood by with his arms crossed. "So these three have to land the final blow?" he glanced at Nova.

"Yeah, that blade of yours can help us get close. How strong is your strongest spell?" Ajal turned to Nova.

"Rah!" Shina shouted with drool spilling from her lips.

"Come to your senses, Shina! Fight it! You're-" Oberon deflected another slash. "You lead the royal guard! You-"

Shina took a stance, holding her blade with one hand, the other was bent out of place after being broken earlier. Her mouth moved as if she said something. 'What the-'

"You-" Oberon stood still in shock. "That's... Shura's..."

'That stance-' Ajal had seen the clan leaders use Shura's Array many times, but to see the possessed body take the stance horrified him. 'Her memories are assimilating with the abyssal being!' She flew forward like a puppet on strings and slashed Oberon's chest. Chunks of his armor fell off as he quickly reached into the air for the battle axe in a desperate attempt to survive.

"Rah!" Rolo screamed as he went for the cable of tendril attached to Shina.

Rolo wasn't ready for the entire tendril to move around him and coil around his body tightly. It tightened around him and his expression turned from rage to panic.

"Guh!" Rolo struggled, and the tendril tightened even more. He let go of his greatsword, "Ah!" Rolo cried.

Shina's lifeless body rose in the air like the head of a snake looking down at Rolo. She held the katana above her head.

"Rolo, no!" Oberon shouted.

Vala and each of the clan leaders froze as they looked to where they heard the cry. The sound of whirling flame approached, as two bright wheels of flame spun toward Shina.

"Roku's Array! Fifth Form!" Blaize shouted while twirling both his flaming katanas. "Beasts Bane!" he jumped forward and sliced Shina's hand and the tendrils binding her arm off.

"Gah!" Shina's possessed body screamed as both of its hands were sliced off with a searing hot slash.

Blaize stopped in his tracks and turned, he lunged forward, stabbing his blade into Shina's heart, pinning her body to the cable of tendrils. The tentacles burned, and Shina writhed violently.

"Iris!" Blaize called at the top of his lungs.

"Roku's Array, Sixth Form!" Iris shouted as she jumped from the top of a building.

Iris spun through the air for a downward swing towards the tendril. Her horns glowed a bright red.

"Grelt's Rain!" Iris roared as she pierced halfway through the cable of tendrils. "Raaah!" Iris screamed as she pushed the blade once more with a spirit ignition, cleaving the cable of tendrils completely.

"They did it!" Ajal gasped, "Huh..." Ajal touched his hand to his side, the wound had closed.

Blaize pulled his swords out of Shina's corpse. Ajal watched wisps of smoke rise from her body, collecting into a ball above her. As it increased in size, it glowed with a bright yellow light, almost white in color. Ajal clenched his fist hard enough to draw blood. Rolo and Oberon walked towards her body, but they both fell to their knees hopelessly as they watched her lay on the ground.

"Why did you help me..." Iris grimaced as she looked down at the captain of the royal guard.

Ajal inhaled through his nose for several seconds before he let out a deep breath. The struggling monster in the background had created a wall using its tendrils in order to heal.

"We have to end this... We're doing it now!" Ajal declared as he walked forward and drew two scythes.

Lawrence pulled the large blade off his back. The cape around Zeus began to shift and twist into a large sword. Nova grasped her white wooden staff and a red fox appeared on her shoulder. The fox's eyes glowed a bright red, and a crimson aura surrounded her staff and spiraled to the end. Zeus raised his hand in the air. 'His gift... It's similar to Ava's...' The white cape took the form of a wolf's head around his arm, with a large blade coming out of its mouth. Nova held her staff tightly, and her hair rose. Yami conjured a burgundy-colored staff and spun it, a blue blade formed at the end and turned the weapon from staff into a glaive.

"Solid Light Magic - Sword of Yycan," Nova's red energy surrounded the staff and collected at the end.

The red aura formed a long red blade at the end of the staff, converting her magic-channeling scepter into a spear. The bottom of the spear was fixed a short distance from the end of the staff, two flat wings were fixed as well in between that gap. Zeus's eyes danced between his own weapon and Nova's.

"Did you copy mine?" Zeus asked.

"Yeah, I tried to make it look like yours so I named it after Yycan..."

'She made the ability on the spot? This'll work... We can do it!' Ajal felt hopeful, "Okay, this is it! Dark Passage," the black and white aura engulfed Ajal's scythes.

He stabbed one on the ground as he crouched forward, the pain still ached across his body, and the internal wounds in his abdomen were still healing. Ajal started forward with a sprint before he spun around, his feet dragged against the ground as he whipped the scythe, throwing it with a spin. It twirled through the air above Terra. Lawrence tilted his head.

"What are you aiming at?" Lawrence asked.

"Zeus, Nova, and Yami were your names, right?" Ajal asked. "You can fly, right?" Ajal pointed at Yami.

"Yeah?" Yami asked.

"Don't. I'll get you three closer, wait here... And stay ready," Ajal ordered.

Lawrence raised an eyebrow as Ajal conjured another scythe. The scythe spun through the air to the right of the abyssal being, curving slightly to the left as it spun upwards. Terra glanced up as she saw it fly over the wall of tendrils.

"Get ready... I'm going to find its core..." Ajal warned as he held the scythe with his teeth.

Yami turned to Zeus and Nova, "Who is this guy?" he asked.

'Dark Passage!' Ajal teleported to the scythe above Terra.

Ajal grasped the other scythe, he put his arms to the side as he dived through the sky quickly. Ajal focused his spirit on his feet. Terra was on her side still, the abyssal being's headless body turned towards Ajal. 'It still senses me...' Ajal spun as he approached the ground, spinning his scythes in both hands. The tendrils all flew for him.

"Imperial Execution Arts! Guillotine!" Ajal roared as he ignited his spirit to spin faster.

Terra's entire body shivered as Ajal sliced through each tentacle. Ajal's feet slammed into the ground, he took a deep breath as he lunged forward. The pain in his arm and leg could still be felt, and his kidney wasn't even fully healed. Blood dripped down the side of Ajal's mouth as he continued to collect his breath.

"Hrah!" Ajal yelled.

'I have to depend on them, and-' Ajal dashed forward and cleaved through the flash, Terra continued to writhe. 'They're depending on me!' Ajal switched his grip with both hands and cut vertically through the flesh. One blade got stuck, Ajal let go and immediately started slicing even more. The hands from Terra's torso reached down and grasped Ajal.

"Ach- Rah!" Ajal roared as his third eye glowed a bright purple. "Dark Blast!" he fired the purple beam directly at the open flesh.

The beam burned through the hands holding Ajal, he felt his body weaken as he lost his breath.

"Dark Assault!" Ajal roared even louder as six scythes appeared around him.

Ajal grasped the scythes one by one and swung, ripping and tearing flesh, tendrils, bone, and anything else in front of him. 'Keep going!' Ajal commanded his body to surpass its limits, his eyes felt like they were splitting horizontally from the middle. Each joint where his bones connected ached in pain. Ajal grabbed the last two scythes and swung down, Terra's blood sprayed out of the cuts. The green liquid hit Ajal's face, it was hot, and it burned his skin as it evaporated into a gas almost immediately after being spilled.

"Get back, Ajal!" Vala shouted as she landed behind him.

"Huh-" Ajal turned and saw the queen's eyes flash blue.

"Shura's Array! Fourth Form!" Vala chanted as she dashed forward. "Prism Slash!"

Ajal watched as Vala began tearing through the flesh as well, he breathed in deeply as he ran forward and joined her. The two cleaved through the flesh of the being, Terra's body writhed and struggled, but suddenly it started to rise. As the abyssal was lifted above them, chunks of hanging red flesh fell along with ample amounts of green blood. As it lifted, Ajal witnessed Rolo at the left, he was looking toward the being's body. Ajal gulped as he saw Oberon underneath lifting it by the severed neck.

"Rah!" Oberon roared as he threw Terra into the air with his bare hands.

Ajal ran forward, and flaming slashes struck Terra's torso from the right. The slashes split straight through her and ruptured even more of the flesh.

"Die you, damn, fiend!" Blaize cursed slowly as he swung his swords repeatedly.

A green bolt of lightning struck Tera from behind, an explosion rippled in the air, and green electricity crackled in the sky. Avery created another bolt as Ajal glanced toward her.

"How dare you do that to Shina!" Avery cried as she javelined another bolt.

"Elrin!" Vala sprinted forward until she was underneath the creature. "Shura's Array! Sixth Form!"

Ajal looked up in awe as the massive brown-furred moose was standing on two legs. The behemoth towered above Terra as it stomped its front feet down. The abyssal being's body was driven straight back down into the ground. 'Now!' Ajal conjured six scythes around him.

"Grelt's Steel!" Vala roared as she jumped and made an upward swing with the wide short sword.

Terra's body was sliced by Vala as she flew past, a green light glowed from the cut, 'What is that?!'

"Dark Assault!" Ajal sent the six scythes forward, each rending straight through the remaining flesh.

The sound of the scythe hitting a hard object caused everyone's expression to light up. As the smoke and dripping blood fell, a green light could be seen glowing behind what flesh remained. 'That's it!'

"That's its core! Dark Passage!" Ajal chanted.

Ajal teleported back to where the ethereals were standing by. He appeared at the scythe he left. His breath was ragged and uneven, he felt even more pain in his abdomen.

"Agh!" Ajal grunted.

"Hey... How did you do that?" Nova asked with a puzzled expression. "You have a gift that allows you to teleport?"

"I'll tell you later!" Ajal took a deep breath as he picked up the scythe he left behind.

'Dark Passage!' Once more, Ajal started forward and spun, swinging the scythe toward Terra.

"Okay... Your target... Is the glowing green thing in the center of its body..." Ajal slowly turned around, he felt like falling.

Ajal knelt down and placed his palms on the shadow. Zeus held his blade up with both hands. Yami's grip on his staff tightened. Nova took a deep breath. 'It's almost over... Dark Passage!' Ajal felt a hint of excitement at the thought of finally being able to rest. The shadows moved around them, surrounding Yami, Zeus, Nova, and Lawrence.

"What the..." Lawrence looked around at the wall of shadows.

Nova, Yami, and Zeus held their weapons ready. The black sphere burst as they all found themselves directly above the abyssal being.

"What!" Zeus shouted as his feet dangled.

"Hee-" Nova shrieked as she started to fall.

Lawrence straightened his arms and accelerated through the air. Ajal grasped his scythe, 'Spirit Ignition!' he kicked the air and started to soar down as well. Terra raised her arms up in a pathetic attempt to stop the incoming attack.

Multiple hands from the abyssal being's torso started to extend upwards. Ajal spun and sliced them, he severed each limb. The ones he missed Lawrence cleaved with his greatsword. Green blood splattered across Ajal's face as the sickening sound of flesh being slashed echoed through his eardrums. Terra's body writhed inhumanly, it desperately struggled. Zeus's blade was at least fifteen feet in length, Nova had modeled hers with a similar length. Yami's wings sprouted from his back as he flew in front, raising his polearm forward and jabbing it straight into the core. A crackle could be heard.

"Keep going!" Ajal shouted.

Nova and Zeus swung their massive blades down towards her, their blades cleaved straight through her arms. They didn't reach the core.

"Shit!" Zeus cursed.

The scent of rotten apples filled their noses, like a concentrated cider, the blood on his face made his head throb. 'Just die!' He opened his third eye, and it started to glow.

"Yami get back! Dark Blast!" Ajal roared.

Yami quickly flew out of the way, as Ajal's blast engulfed himself and the abyssal being. Smoke launched in all directions as the battlefield was lit purple. Tendrils that grew back were flying straight for Nova and Zeus who were blown back by the force of the blast. 'Shit- It realized the Ethereals are a threat!' Lawrence landed and dragged his blade through a heap of tendrils.

"Pierce the heart!" Ajal screamed as he continued to burn Terra in an inferno of plasma.

"Rah!" Zeus stood up and ran ahead.

'If I activate Dark Abyss, their abilities will vanish as well...' Tendrils pierced Ajal's back. 'Agh- Keep- Going!'

Nova stood up slowly, she wasn't as physically capable as everyone else. But she gritted her teeth and charged forward with her weapon pointed forward.

"Keep her there!" Iris shouted as she charged forward.

Lawrence noticed Iris' approach, he ran for the other side of the being.

"Roku's Array! Third Form!" Iris announced as she jumped into the air.

"Seven Wings!" Lawrence announced an attack as well.

Lawrence took a stance with his greatsword held low, ready to swing upwards with all his might. Iris her blade directly at Terra's shoulder. The horns glowed red with a similar-colored smoke flowing off of them.

"Pinpoint Devastation!" Iris roared as she stabbed her blade perfectly through Terra's shoulder blade and pinned one arm to the ground.

"Icarus Rising!" Lawrence roared as he swung upwards and cut even more tendrils off.

"Ah!" Zeus roared as he jumped forward and stabbed his blade into the core.

Tendrils immediately flew for him, Lawrence dashed in between them and held the greatsword ready to block. Each tendril struck the mirror, then ricocheted off in the opposite direction.

Yami flew back in and tried slashing the core with the edge of his glaive. Another crack rippled through the air as Nova jumped and slashed the core as well.

"Go!" Ajal screamed at the top of his lungs.

Nova, Yami, and Zeus screamed with all their might as they each tried to push the blades further through the dense core. A satisfying crack echoed through the abyss. The ethereals stumbled as the resistance holding their blades back vanished. Terra's core broke into multiple distinct pieces, and an echoing shriek filled the abyss. Ajal recognized the hollow cry, it was similar to the abyssal being he had destroyed on Imperion. Terra's arms fell lifelessly onto the floor.