Shadow of the Abyss

Even so, they couldn\'t help but feel the ache of something ancient jolt across the body and soul upon the boy\'s flesh.

Blow after blow crackled like the echos of thunder raging on like the endless tides of the seas. When the Ignus gave his spear a thrust, the blade jolted towards Altair in a position that left no way to maneuver but rather block.

And block he did, or at least tried, as Ignus\'s spear turned into flames, phasing through Altair\'s twin swords, turning into a real blade just in the instance flame touched skin. He drove his spear through the boy\'s chest, nicking the heart.

[Blazing Dragon]

Ignus drove forward just as Altair tried to pull back, exploding the tip of his spear with vengeful flames. Fire erupted out from Altair\'s chest, revealing his scorched heart and ashen bones.

"Why won\'t you die!" Shouted the Dragonborn, burning through his three Circles.

[Ashen Blood is Adapting]

[Ashen Blood has removed all Negative Ailments]

\'Just a little more,\' the prince thought, feeling consciousness slip from out of his hand. Darkness dotted his vision, seeking to pull him deeper in.

Biting his teeth, refusing to heed its call, Altair glared into the maddening eyes of his opponent. He swiped his sword with every intent to lop off his head, but Ignus pivoted off the balls of his feet in retreat.

"You\'ll not survive," Ignus spat, panting heavily. "Even with your superior regeneration. You\'re nearly at your limit. How much of your Circle do you have left!"

\'What a frightening technique,\' Altair told himself, aided by his Ashen Blood mending his injuries. He\'d never thought to use the ethereal nature of the elements to bypass the material realm. He coughed up blood stained with bits of ash and wiped it away from his lip.

Ashen Blood had regenerated most of his heart alongside some of his bones before his Mana Circle dried up due to the heavy task it required. Still, he held his head up high, crowned by his Vale Stars. Supported by his secondary source of power.

Vale Qi.

The very source of his new Aspect.

Vaulting off his feet in a blazing flash, turning stone to vaper, Ignus drove his spear forward, cloaked by flames twisting into a dragon. He arrived before Altair, gripping Shadowclaw with both arms, unable to sustain the Sword of the Vale.

"Dragonic Dive"

"Rule," The Prince muttered with cold dead eyes.

As the Dragonic Dive met with Altair\'s spear, its flames vanished, echoing the grueling sound of metal hitting against metal.

Ignus hadn\'t the time to wear a victorious cry, knowing the moment Altair absorbed his flames, he would turn dust the next moment. Rather, his mind turned to shock when he saw a similar attack evade his perception, striking against his chest.

"Counter," Altair mumbled, bleeding as much Vale Qi as he could. .net

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Swallowed by a catastrophic explosion that shook all of Vesem, a mushroom cloud of flames touched the horizon.

When the flames faded, Altair stood wheezing for air. His lips cracked, and his skin scorched beyond recognition. Below him, Ignus lay, the left half of his body missing. The wounds scorched shut. Half of his face was a blistering mess.

"I win…" Altair murmured.

"Devour, Erase, Counter," Ignus muttered hollowly. He laughed, coughing blood. "Bastard… Yeah… you…won." he closed his eyes, recalling the matter when he heard that Altair had managed to wound Keres. It had been right in front of him the hole time.

"Make it quick."

With the last bit of strength, Altair lifted his black sword, "Welcome to the family." And his blade fell.

Suddenly, a heavy blow caught Altair by surprise, twisting his body into a bow. He was blasted away, piercing through molted rocks. He was propelled far towards the edge of the city from where they stood in the middle.

"Forgive me," Ser Glynn said mildly. "But Lord Ignus shall not die today. Lord Bahumat desires his survival."

Altair coughed up another mouthful of blood, feeling all the Mana the Circle of Gluttony was devouring was being channeled into Ashen Blood. Nearly on the precipice of death, he forced himself to stand before falling flat on his face. Nearly every bone in his body was shattered. He groaned, unable to move, and stared up towards the skies, towards… An ashen-haired boy peering down at him curiously.

He was smiling much like a naughty child.

"Hello," He said.

"...Hi…"

"My name is Jin. Jin Snow or Morningstar, whichever you prefer."

Altair felt a pulse ripple through his heart. Blood pooled from his mouth as the words he wanted to speak never sounded.

\'A Snow…\' He thought, slowly being pulled in by the darkness. \'Family?\'

Jin saw the gleam of recognition and felt a tinge of confusion towards it. "If only my hands weren\'t tied right now. I\'d bring you back home with me. Father might have even taken you in as his disciple. I do hope you survive Altair Blackwood. I truly do.

I\'d love to see you on the Grand Stages. And not this backwater zone. But you\'d better get up, or you\'ll die."

Gleaming the sigil of the Crimson Spear, shrouding the skies behind Jin, Altair groaned, watching in amazement as Jin dissipated into silvery mist, revealing the crazed expression of Roxas.

"DIE!!!!!"

Plunging from the skies towards him like a bolt of light, Altair felt a spear dive through his abdomen.

The darkness that had been shrouding his vision vanished, slowly being filled with red, as he gave a loud cry. Spewing blood from his mouth.

"Bastard! You think you can just humiliate me like that! I—"

Forced to squander bits of his lifeforce, Altair conjured Enma from his mouth, catching Roxas, who hadn\'t bothered to activate his Spirit Domain off guard. He was blasted nearly a mile into the air.

Altair screamed, placing his hand to his mouth; he conjured a vial of demon blood he\'d collected during his battle on the wall back in Fowin, clamped down, shattering the vial with teeth, and began devouring all he could to regain some strength. He consumed three vials before Roxas came hauling from the skies. His face contorted like a demon.

He launched his spear forward, seeking to dive it through Altair\'s skull. And missed as Altair rolled out of the way with what little strength he\'d gathered. Unfortunately, the explosion had been enough to tear him off his back, blasting him away.

Entrails spilled from his gut, spilling over the earth as he tumbled through structures when he caught sight of Roxas flying towards him.

In a panic, Altair willed with all his might for his Ashen Blood to stop his recovery. He wasn\'t in a situation where it was doing any good. And despite all his control. He still could not properly control Vale Qi, not without Mana.

[Ashen Blood has been Deactivated]

Altair forced a grin, feeling Mana surged once more into Meridians at a blinding rate. Desperate to survive, he touched the ground, casting Mold Earth. He was devoured into the ground just as Roxas arrived.

"BASTARD!" He cursed. "You\'re not escaping!"

Altair plummeted downwards as he turned the ground of the earth into the lightest consistency possible. And began hiding through the use of his Spirit.

\'My battle with Ignus lasted Three Minutes. Roxas shouldn\'t have recovered in that time." Altair told himself. "He shouldn\'t be able to use major spells or Astral QI." He glanced down, consuming more and more blood from outside of Draupnir to aid in his recovery. Still, his vision was fading; he was unable to breathe beneath the earth.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Tremor came like a storm, reaching him nearly a dozen meters below the earth. Still, he kept on casting Mold Earth, allowing himself to sink further beneath the ground before consciousness slipped from his mind.

[Ashen Blood has Reactivated]

***

In a flash, Syris arrived before Ser Glynn, her knife cutting across the air. However, just as she neared his throat, a discharge of lightning sprung from out of the void around Glynn, forcing her back.

"If I were you, I\'d retrieve the boy before he dies," Ser Glynn said, lifting the unconscious body of Ignus. He turned as two more Black Knights emerged like flickers of light, escorting them away.

Syris bit her lips and cursed loudly. "Aurora!" she shouted soon after, unable to see her through the chaos above. So many lights clustered the skies, so many clashes, she was unable to gleam who was who. "Nia! Talia! Kirr!

Jorm!!!!"

"Here!" Shouted Nia, falling from the skies battered and beaten with a mere one arm to support her. Blood ran profusely down her tunic onto the ground. But despite her hurt image, a resolute gleam filled her eyes. "I\'ll lead you to him… He\'s injured. Do you know how to hide your spirit we\'ll—"

Cloaking the both of them in a shroud of darkness, Syris said," I have control over all elements. The darkness will hide us. Lead the way."