Price of Betrayal: Tenebrasque In vs Eternal Chaos

Rain continued to shower the wreckage left in the wake of a battle between Gods. The power of two separate entities was absorbed into one with a mind broken beyond repair. A conflicted Kain departed what was left of that war-zone after his Humonculus was slain. Courtesy of a long dead love's unwarranted return, a series of more powerful clones of the Tenebrasque In member appeared to replace their original counter parts. One by one, each terrible abomination was destroyed and the majority were absorbed by the Horseman of War, including his own. Unfortunately it was all a ploy set into motion by his forlorn lover from another dimension, Tiferia Hystorm, the mother his Queen Lady Death. She managed to enter this world and created the Humonculi to brainwash Kain. She knew his greed for power would drive him to drain each clone of its power and therein were the seeds to her devious plan. The more he absorbed, the more his memories of that day would change until finally he saw a distorted past. Though Kain witnessed the murder of the Humonculi by his family, Tiferia's manipulations drove him to believe he'd instead seen the complete opposite; including the death of Lady Death. That memory became the catalyst for his descent into madness. Once his Humonculus was absorbed Kain left his loved ones; whom he thought were the Humonculi, with a terrible message to pass along to the others: “One week. You have one week to prepare for my return. Once that week is over, you all die.”

Keeping to his word, Kain left Tenebrasque In alone for exactly seven days, to the second. During that time preparations were made. Firstly there needed to be time to mourn for Lady Death's heartbreaking demise. Retreating to a cave far removed from the others, tears were shed for Lyn. Stones were collected for a grave site. Over two-hundred stones made up Lady Death's grave with her name engraved in the cave wall. While more time was desired to mourn her passing, time was anything but abundant. Siegfried sat cross-legged at the foot of the grave meditating. His emotions were slowly killed much like his family. It wasn't long for Kain to simply transform into a husk of his former self. His only motivation was revenge. The vampire was determined to bring hell upon those who took what belonged to him away. Darkness and light arced from Kain's body. Fire burned around him and lightning surged around his body. Water, ice and stone swirled around him as well during his meditation. While his newly acquired power boosts were not fully operational he was still immensely powerful and now without emotion Kain was unpredictable.

Five long days passed by in that cave, however its sole occupant was unmoving. Icy winds beat against his skin without reaction. Cave dew dripped down his body but still, nothing. Only once time had passed by did his eyes even open. Each element around War continued its orbit. The final preparations were made as Kain finished cleansing his body of bacteria and dirt. Clothing was pulled from the darkness permitting him to be dressed entirely black for a funeral. Dark glasses hid his eyes and black gloves concealed his hands. The vampire also wore patterned black pants, black leather boots and a patterned black trench coat to match his zipped up shirt. No longer did his hair dangle aimlessly, it was neatly combed backwards, defining perfection. No cigarette was smoked, no smile no emotion. The time to end it all was now. Having finally lost his world, existence would cease by his hand. There was no stopping this unmatched force of nature.

Kain used the air to carry himself towards the Tenebrasque In base where he knew they would be waiting for him. It took very little time to arrive. Immediately he released his power from its constraints allowing all to feel it. Earth trembled, birds plummeted to her and other creatures crumbled beneath the pressure. The elements spun around him even as he destroyed the entrance to see the entire team of Humonculi armed and prepared to die. Kain displayed no emotion to them. His eyes scanned the ranks of those before him. So many victims, so little time. One offer would be made, and should it be rejected they would all perish beneath his iron fist.

“Step aside so I may retrieve Lady Death. Failure to cooperate will result in rapid life decline. This is your one opportunity to avoid my wrath.”

Kain stood absolutely still awaiting a response. They wouldn't leave Lyn. He knew it. If they were even half what their original counterparts were they would not hand over their Queen so easily. Fortunately they didn't need to; reservations about killing them did not exist. Clearly the pressure of their leader's power was tremendous; those with weaker bodies appeared to be struggling with simply standing upright. Things were getting underway and now only two questions existed: how long could they last and who would be first to die?

Smoke filled the air, but Adam's keen eyes picked out the vampire's figure.Adam stood across from Kain. "Nein." He said simply, readying his claws for his leader's flesh. This man, this monster was not the same man who had led the war on Russia. Not the same man he had served under and fought for. Something had happened to his mind.

Seven days ago...

"One week. You have one week to prepare for my return. Once that week is over, you all die." Adam heared the bone-chilling message firsthand. From the one individual who truly filled him with fear, Adam for the first time in almost 80 years, feared death. As Kain disappeared, Adam knew he would have to train and train and train to be able to stand even a slim chance of survival. He turned away and had arranged his training regimen within the hour.

He placed his hands on the narrow adamantium walls and tried to break the nearly indestructible hypermolecular bonds of the incredible metal, putting every ounce of focus into it. As he focused, losing himself in his task, the trio of magical demons prepared their spells, and took aim. After a moment of hesitation, they fired, the non-lethal magics striking Adam on his arms. His powers naturally activated, only for him to suffer incredible pain when he couldn't incorporaste the magic into his system. He screamed, the adamanatium walls keeping him upright. "A...again." He said weakly, refocusing his aching arms, shoulders and back on the task at hand. The demons recited their incantations, and prepared to throw more powerful curses.

For four days, the training was no different, three hours of trying to absorb adamantium whilst resisting magical assault, four hours of silver-induced torture, five hours of exposure to uranium and a seven hour obstacle course that comprised all of the previous exercises, followed by a four hour nap before doing it all again.

Three days before Eternal Chaos had promised to be back, Adam begun what the vampire had taught him. The cold voice rung in his ears as he sat cross-legged, emptying his mind. "Through meditation, it becomes possible to kill all of those weak emotions," Kain's voice sneered those last two words. "Love, compassion, sympathy, caring, all those make us pathetic. By suppressing them, we become strong." Taking those words to heart, Adam slowly inhaled and exhaled, severing all connections to EC in his heart and his mind. In the space of a single day, Kain was transformed, in Adam's view, from Lord War to a traitorous bloodsucking evil self-obsessed vampire son of a b!tch.

Now...

"If you want Lyn, you b@st@rd, then come and get her." Adam growled, preparing for Kain's first attack, ready to dive out of the way, and then attack when he wasn't expecting it. He took in Kain's appearance. The vampire was serious. Clothed entirely in black, he had no qualms about killing all of them. That suits me just fine, Adam thought, it's an equal playing field.

Tenebrasque In took a toll from the attack from the homunculi. It was unclear to Aurora who had sent such creatures after them or even why. Her social knowledge lacked the sensibility to understand such things. Lyn finally got communications back online in Russia and returned to Iceland a day prior to Kain’s supposed return. Aurora did not understand his departure or even why he gave such a threat to his own team. It was shocking to say the least. Lyn was kept in the dark about Kain’s threat, but was told he would return. Once Kain returned it was in hopes of him seeing Lyn and retracting his statement.

Aurora was not sure how Lyn would take Kain’s threat. During the seven days Charlie took the time between getting ready for an assault by Kain. Aurora also helped him by honing his fighting skills down to a fine art. She was highly skilled at hand to hand combat and passed along her knowledge of movements to Charlie.

Her voice in the beginning was harsh at best, but now it flowed like silk from her lips. Her voice was almost too sultry for one who devoured flesh. Charlie kept his smile up while he tried to help Aurora communicate better. A nearby wall shattered and elements could be seen moving in a spherical motion. Charlie’s smile washed away as Kain entered the base within Iceland.

Kain’s words were as cold as ice as he spoke and demanded to have Lyn and would easily kill to get her. Aurora looked over to Charlie to follow his lead and seeing he took an offensive stance. Aurora remained silent as she drew out her blades. Adam also spoke his piece to Kain. It would be a battle of those who wanted to protect Lyn against Kain. Aurora could not fathom the effects if Kain were to kill or even claim Lyn’s power. Judging by the others actions it would not be good.

It was well known Aurora could not fight and kill Kain, but she could possibly give others time to go for punishing blows. Her strength and speed was her biggest ally in this fight next to her team mates beside her. She looked back toward the doorway to see Lyn walk in. The look on her face was one of dismay and for a brief second a wash of emotions that Aurora could not understand.

This was a situation that made no sense. A team united to being down the homunculi, now stood to bring down their own leader. So many questions went through her head, but for now they would go unanswered.

Two very large katanas were drawn from sheathes attached to Aurora’s back. She stood crouched a little as she prepared for battle. It was Kain’s move and she would react to what she would see. The elements around him made it difficult to pin point a good strike zone. She wanted to cause enough damage to slow him down to help the others. That was her task at hand. She was one of few who could live from an attack by Kain and she was going to make the best of it.

Some elements moved rapidly while others moved at a slower pace. Aurora knew she would have to take some damage to cause some damage. Charlie was smart enough to tell Aurora a few commands the day prior to prevent Aurora’s demise erasing what she needed to do this day.

They had seven days before a completely insane Eternal Chaos came after them. Seven days to ready a deffence against their father, brother, lover. The Roxom clan that lingered in T.I was no slouch in the training and prepping situations. They needed to prepare for the strugle coming forward and so they did. Each of the three preparing for a situation they dreaded. The soldiers that would make the front lines or atleast they hoped would were honed into the sharpest soldiers they could piece together. Masters of blades, almost pin point acuracy with weapons. Lightlings, Darklings, Demons and automations made to hopefully weaken Kain before he started to stage his assault on the group of people.

For Hex her training was in alchemy and the art of the plasmis katara. The energy blade was commonly put to use by Kayle Rez and capable of carving through next to anything. With her vectors Azra had an extra four blades she could put to use and the added range only made her odds all the greater in combat. She was nowhere near the mastery of Kayle that wouldn't happen for years. Her lack of experience however was made up by the sheer number of attacks and versatility of what she could dish out helped give an edge. Hex had trained tirelessly to be able to place the weapons to good use against the lethal opponent. With it she also worked to perfect a pair of pistols and a shot gun. The alchemy that the philosepher stone presented and the glyphs on the guns allowed Hex to produce ammo faster and easier then it was to spend it. The young witch also helped others train and aided Zulu in her own personal request.

They tried to find Kain, tried to allign thereself with the leader and help guide him out of his barbaric state. The effort failed however, they couldn't so much as find him still Kain had the potential to bring the young insane woman back to life or atleast her humonculi back to life. Cid a four foot thing known for being one of Kain's best friends, knowing off the monstrous state he was in was exceedingly willing to aid in the fight to come. Revealing that fire was one of the best means o surpassing the danger pressented, with that he also helped revitalize Zuly. The severed head being used to construct a clone. The green haird lunatic armed with an electric guitar would join the fight. A clever Cid also helping make the two be within the persona of Zera the pyrokinetic woman. She didn't recieve as much training as the others but that was made up for by learning how to work in unison with the emerald haired copy.

Meanwhile Azra simply honed her abilities over the elements and skills with a blade. She tought the soldiers hands on training, fighting for blood and to the edge of death. They could be revived from wounds with ease so why not train as hard as the body could. They couldn't beat her, she forced them to try and train however untill they were able to. The grueling trainging was almost twenty four seven. Meanwhile whenever not fighting the soldiers or her team she tried to teach herself elements on an unrivaled level. How to generate flames hot as the sun instantly, how to create tidal waves from the smallest tub of water. Anything and everything she could place into her time restraints. All in waiting for the day Kain came for a vengeance that didn't truely exist.

Finally the day came when a Symarian Battle Sister, a Lightling, a darkling, a demon and a mechanical being stood alert ready to throw their lives away to give the Tenebra a better chance. They were the best of those trained and stood at alert attention, attempting to be the front line first to fight and first to die. Zulu and Zuly stood in near identical outfits black with violet or green markings. Hex was behind Syrus her short black dress giving off a slight flutter as the two pistols rested in her hands ready to be raised. And lastly was Azra standing in her ornate armor ready for anything.

Tenebrasque In would quack to its’ very core in the next week, but Lyn remained unaware of the threat made by Kain not long ago. She worked hard at getting communication back online in Russia and now it was time to get Iceland back online as well. Azra had done her part in getting what was left of the army back up to its’ glory. Lyn had arrived in Iceland. Most were silent around her. Others kept to themselves. Lyn found it odd how the others were on pins and needles. Almost like they were preparing for much worse to come, the homunculi were defeated and the one who created them was still on the loose. She figured they were on edge due to an unknown assailant still remaining.

It never dawned on her the true intentions behind the acts of the preparation. Her wolves ran the perimeter often. It was nothing new, because they did so often when Lyn was near. Her demonic tigers however remained inches from her side. The tension within the walls of Tenebrasque In grew with tension as the days passed.

On the fateful day a week after the homunculi attacks, Lyn heard a loud boom come from a room upstairs and just down the hall. Curious as to why she went upstairs to go look. The tigers almost urged her not to go forth any further. Lyn patted their heads and insisted on going. Lyn could sense the immense power coming from the room as she stood atop the stairs leading to the fateful room. Lyn walked down the hall as her tigers continued to try to careful lead her away. The more they tried the more she wanted to know why.

The door knob turned and opened. What she beheld made her heart stop for a brief moment. It was the hierarchy of Tenebrasque In in a fighting stance facing Kain who stood within a gapping whole in the wall. Time was almost frozen for a moment. Lyn didn’t notice anyone look at her as she starred at Kain. Her mind was trying to figure out why. A few members she could see wanting to fight Kain, but others made no sense. Lyn couldn’t even feel herself breathing as her heart felt like a ton within her chest. This was her family and lovers at war with Kain.

The idea made her head spin rapidly. Kain was her lover for so long and now her family she cared for dearly were almost at each other’s throats. Lyn wasn’t sure how to react. Then she noticed Kain’s eyes lock onto her and it became clear that her family was protecting her from him. The eyes of a pure predator staring down its’ prey. She knew that look all too well from being with Kain for so long.

A choice had to be made and she had seconds to make it. Years of love and joy had to be boiled down to attacking Kain or allowing him to murder her family. Lyn would have to decide whether or not she wanted to die by his hands or fight him once more. She fought him once long ago and survived, but she knew all too well she couldn’t take Kain on. He was stronger and more powerful. Lyn would survive the battle to sustain massive damage and die.

She whispered low enough Kain would hear her, “I love you and I don’t want to die not even by your hands. If I should perish I will go down fighting as I have done once before.”

A single tear began to well up in her eyes as oxygen became harder to breathe in. Her hands shook at the terror her heart was feeling in this moment. Lyn would have to try to kill Kain to save herself and her family. She kept an open mind to a possibility of solving this madness without killing him. Lyn remembered one way, but it would take time to set up. Lyn looked around the room quickly. Before she could react the ground beneath her feet quacked. Vantago appeared from under her feet leaping upward. Lyn was in the saddle as Vantago rushed past Kain. His hooves thundered on the ground. The wind whipped Lyn’s hair about as he ran. If Vantago was a normal horse his heart would burst at the strain he was placing upon his own body, but he was not normal. Lyn looked back as Tenebrasque In became a speck in the distance. Lyn jerked the reins urging Vantago to stop or turn around, but he refused. Lyn tried to leap out of the saddle to no avail, her legs had some kind of strap around them.

The Earth in front of them exploded as Ruin leaped from the Earth before them. Debirs was flung into the air. Ruin quickly rammed into Vantago knocking him over. The straps upon Lyn’s legs released and she rolled away from Vantago’s crushing weight. Vantago looked at Lyn and within her mind she heard his words, “War has gone insane! Run now!.” Lyn nodded, but Ruin was in front of her. Vantago struggled to get up onto his feet. Ruin snorted pure fire and smoke from his nostrils. Lyn drew out her Dragon’s Tail to defend herself. Even Ruin’s eyes had changed dramatically. Even he was going to try to take Lyn.

Vantago got to his feet just as Ruin reared up on his back legs trying to trample Lyn. Vantago rammed himself into the reared up steed knocking Ruin off his target. Lyn heard growling in the near distance to see her tigers running at full speed to their Mistress’ aid. They were big enough Lyn could get on their back to get away and she did so quickly. Her head whirled with ideas and strategies. The same one from before came to her mind.

Lyn told her pets to take her back to the Iceland headquarters. She needed some supplies that were in the depths of the building that Kain had made an entrance into. The tiger whimpered in fear of his Mistress’ safety, but Lyn reassured him. The tiger ran at full speed back to the headquarters. Lyn had to pray to her mother once more for guidance. What was the cost for Kain’s betrayal and who or what was behind it?

The words spoken by Kain continued to ring in Charlie's ears. His leader left and vowed to return for the sole purpose of taking down everyone. The one kindness afforded to Tenebrasque In was a single week to prepare for their God's imminent return. Not much of a kindness to give a single week to prepare for combat against a Horseman of the Apocalypse. Very little could change between now and then. Or perhaps it wasn't for them to fight him and instead to abandon Lyn and fulfill any final wishes. There was no single answer knowing Kain, the bastard always had multiple reasons, multiple goals and had his bases covered. He literally never lost because things always fell in line with one of his goals. It didn't hurt being able to manipulate the outcome for another goal.

Lyn was kept in the dark about Kain madness at Charles request. Kain's love for Lyn was unfathomable by any and Fleet Street's demon barber hoped dthat seeing her again would end this insanity sparked by the Humonculi. It was a long shot, however options ranged from limited stupidity to nothing at all. If Lyn was expecting Kain wanted a fight she would be prepared. Charlie knew that sight would only drive War into a frenzy, because of the message it sent. While the others may have known Kain cared about them, his love for Lyn dwarfed all that. She was the single being capable of returning him to normal and if she couldn't, they were all doomed.

Charlie trained day and night Aurora. While he was no slouch in combat, Tenebrasque In's resident succubus instructed him on particular movements and attacks. Her abilities proved useful in Charlie's magic training as well. Spells were cast with haste, and without losing power. Some could be duel cast as well. Training sessions were deadly and grew increasingly more dangerous. Everyone did their best to adapt for an anticipated battle. All knew of Kain's power, but only Charlie and Lyn of their extent. Aurora was enlightened by her lover how to speak. It took a short while but her voice resonated raw sex. It had to being of succubus origin.

Finally the day came for Kain's return. Everyone stood in the middle of the Iceland base, waiting for their leader's imminent return. Charlie could feel the tension in the air. The entire team was on edge. If he didn't know any better he'd say they were terrified. Spells were cast throughout the immediate area. Traps were set at certain points slow Kain down and give them some kind of a chance. That was when it happened; his return.

Terrible pressure was felt in the building. Charlie could feel Kain's immense power and the closer Tenebrasque In's death came, the more intense the pressure became. He felt as if his bones wanted to break. He felt as if his entrails would explode and the floor would suck them all into the Earth. In seconds a monstrous explosion took out a portion of wall. Genocide stood cloaked in the blackness of his heart. His ensemble was a metaphor for his life. His pale skin the purity that once was, the dark clothing covering his flesh displayed the pain, hate and suffering life his sullied him with. Finally, the black glasses he donned put a veil of darkness over his eyes much like the darkness the Humonculi blinded him from the truth. The elements moved around him as if they lived. His “brothers” and “sisters” would protect him. Charlie saw the world as a poem like Dante's Inferno or the great tales written by Plato. However it was unlikely this poem had anything but a melancholic ending.

His infamous smile was wiped clean. Todd's eyes remained nearly shut but his blade was brought up to his face, the stance was taken and Aurora followed suit as did the others. A warning was offered, but none moved an inch. Kain appeared unmoved by their loyalty to Lady Death. He wasn't surprised, angered or frustrated. That was when he heard a door open, and out stepped Lyn. Charlie carefully watched Kain's actions. For a moment, it seemed this battle would not occur, for a moment an estranged poet had hope; until he saw Vantago emerge from the earth.

“OH NO!”

Charlie screamed once he saw her steed rise. That was not what needed to happen. They were doomed. Lyn was carried off by Vantago but War wouldn't budge as they took off. It was as if everything was already planned out in his head. Could he really have planned all this, this far ahead of time? There was no way Kain could be this good. Something didn't feel right at all about this. There was no time to contemplate the matter; Aizen propelled himself towards Tenebrasque In's forces. His coat's tail flapped like a raven's wings coming in for prey. Instinctively Charlie swung his extending blade at the same man who gave it to him. It was only to realize once it connected, he fell for Kain's trap damning part of the family to the death and quite possibly, the rest.

Beneath artificial darkness two golden scanners observed Tenebrasque In. Calculations were made for each enemy. Dozens of strategies stormed his mind each one more with its own flaws and successes. Factors of the environment were taken into account; statues, mounted swords, shields and even the heads of slain beasts could prove to be of use given the proper circumstances. The vampire's thought process was cold, calculative and purposeful. Just before he could begin his attack, the door behind everyone opened up. Beyond that door stood the humonculus of Lady Lyn Death.

She was just as beautiful as the day he first met her. Her long white hair hung down her back and those majestic white eyes stared at Kain. She was one hell of an actress. This trollop humonculus of Kain's beloved acted confused. This woman's body language was disturbingly similar to Lyn's. The subtle wrinkles of confusion and what appeared to be fear were truly convincing. His glasses slid down and revealed a very familiar stare; the stare of a predator on the prowl. They'd fought before and she barely survived then. Now that his power weathered dramatic increases and even more dramatic changes, she stood no chance. None of them did and she knew it. Her eyes depicted her emotions with more clarity then words crafted by even the greatest of wordsmiths could.

Sorrow raised its ugly head in Kain's heart. Seeing Lyn's Humonculus reminded him about how much he loved her. It reminded him how much he cared for this woman. His love for her began to resurface until this venomous harpy dared speak to Kain as if she truly loved him. With those words, Kain felt his heart breaking. Every moment he shared with her rose to the surface of his mind. Poisoned daggers coated with despair pierced his already broken heart. Tears of blood cascaded down his uniform onto the ground below. Suddenly the ground below him began to shake. It was Vantago, she was preparing for war.

Those vibrations shook the sadness off and replaced it with unbridled anger. She says she loves him and prepares to attack him? This is her great idea? Her performance almost made him forget she was a Humonculus and nearly brought him back to their side. But plans change with the times. With Vantago's appearance, a new plan came to fruition. He could locate her at anytime he wanted. Vantago took her away as he often did for the previous riders when Kain was out for them. Ruin would keep them within the immediate area while War dismantled Tenebrasque In with furious vengeance. Not having a distraction would benefit him for this slaughter. However, if she were to come back into the facility, the beasts down in his lab would be released from their kennels through a telepathic command sent to Sid.

Clear of distractions, Kain's plan began. There he stood with Tenebrasque In's forces in his cross hairs. Just as Vantago galloped off, Aizen shot from his current position towards the others. The elements cycling around his glorious being were discharged a violent release of power easily destroying parts of the building. Lightning and fire exploded at the Tenebrasque In squad while darkness and light incinerated an entire segment of the building and the rest scattered. What only Kain and Kiara knew, was that Kiara's children were in the segment which he destroyed. At least one of her two offspring dead. This was his moment to attack.

Knowing Kiara would be unable to focus entirely on the fight knowing her children may have been harmed, Kain leaped towards the middle of the team; calculating Charlie's instinctive reaction to his attack. The weapon Charlie held was given to him by Kain; a weapon which would extend several miles at a speed far beyond anything the human eye could even begin to comprehend. This was calculated perfectly. Just before Kain launched himself at the team the shield on his forearm broke through his sleeve. Counting on Charlie's predictable attack it was raised up to his chest and caught the powerful extending blade's full impact.

It was a powerful weapon capable of dealing more damage by simply extending then one would expect. Aizen stretched out his arm right before Charlie's sword pushed him back and grabbed Kiara's lower leg. Kain allowed the impact to push he and Kiara back towards the wall. There was enough momentum to sustain his travel enabling him to push the sword away. The skin on Kain's face and left shoulder melted off from what retaliation Kiara managed to muster. All he could tell was that it hurt like hell and was some sort of energy attack. In truth, he was surprised she successfully attacked him before they even hit the wall.

They slammed into the wall with him absorbing the majority of the impact. Immediately War's hand shot out and greeted her ribs with bone-breaking fervor; literally. He could feel her bones give in to his knuckles, he pushed in and up to guide one of the ribs into her lung effectively collapsing it. Now her stamina was practically destroyed. Without pause another titanic fist crashed into her jaw and broke it as well. Aizen purposely kept his face from recovering as a scare tactic, one often applied by predators in the wild. His first punch was exactly what it was meant to be; a kill shot. She would've died eventually without medical attention, but it was also a perfect blow to paralyze her with pain and despite breaking ribs, collapsing lungs and breaking her jaw, he was barely half way done.

Kiara's merciless beating continued. He spun around and by using the momentum of his attack, her face was smashed through marble wall. Blood sprayed from her nose and mouth onto the wall. Wrapping her hair around his fingers Kain pulled her out from the wall and repeated this two more times. Her skull was broken and hemorrhaging violently. When her face was removed from the marble wall, a crimson mask covered whatever horrible disfigurement brought on by Kain's brutality. As he pulled her out, War slammed his knee into Kiara's back, once again breaking bone. Now the angel/demon hyrbid was paralyzed only to have her neck broken when Aizen jerked head to the side. Blood rained off her face onto whatever objects were nearby. Six fangs were fully unveiled from Kain's regenerating face and slammed into Kiara's neck. Without wasting time he drank every sweet drop of blood. Kiara was dead.

Aizen cast her body aside to reveal a white face covered with crimson delight. He looked like a child after eating spaghetti with sauce covering his face. It continued to cascade down his coat for a few seconds. Killing Kiara only took two. His immense speed and brute power proved to be too much for her and now his sights were on the others. Flames engulfed Kain's body and the clothes melted off. Standing before Tenebrasque In completely nude with Kiara's dead corpse a few feet away the vampire spoke.

“Predators in the wild don't wear clothing when they hunt. I am the ultimate predator. You are all my prey. I do not tire. I do not stop. You will tire. You will stop. You will die.”

Blair and the few beside her stood at the ready watching Kain their leader, brother, father as he observed them. They didn't care that Lyn had revealed herself as truthfully it was the one saving grace they truely had. A layer of dread seamed to hang over the entirety of Ten In it was a dead silence before a tempest came to pass. It was very likely many thought this a fight they stood a chance wining they were so beneath the scale in contrast to EC. This was also a team that however prevailed against gods when stripped of powers. The team that took a nation into orbit, and claimed another nation that most thought imposible to do. This imposible task this under dog status of grim hope was just another day. Hex and Aza didn't dread these moments they lived in them, and Zulu/Zuly were just to bat shit crazy to care.

The principle that Kain was so distraught he couldn't see made the entirety of this rather depressing. He couldn't see through his own blinded rage and thus despite the beauty and emotion of Lyn was going to slay his family. He would bark at them for mishaps and yet here he was unable to spot his own. Typical, and hounestly this wouldn't mean much if from most. Aza however did consider family of dire importance her loyalty never shooken. This though was calling her to be without mercy, Cass shuned family and friends for her childrens safety. EC was aiming to kill them all it was visible in his cold heart broken eyes.

Lyn was taken away by Vantigo and Ruin was quick to move to keep them inline. A flicker of movement all it was and yet now they were isolated. Simply Ten In against Kain no salvation would ever be in sight untill one side was dead or near it.

Clear of distractions, Kain's plan began. There he stood with Tenebrasque In's forces in his cross hairs. Just as Vantago galloped off, Aizen shot from his current position towards the others. The elements cycling around his glorious being were discharged a violent release of power easily destroying parts of the building. Lightning and fire exploded at the Tenebrasque In squad while darkness and light incinerated an entire segment of the building and the rest scattered. What only Kain and Kiara knew, was that Kiara's children were in the segment which he destroyed. At least one of her two offspring dead. This was his moment to attack. Looking at the few soldiers she had trained for this Blair shook her head. Pointing her finger at the door enough to tell them to simply be ready should Kain's pets come out to play. Keep them in check so the team could focus on the much more lethal hunter.

First on the list was Kiara it would seam, the queen of hell made it to priority one. In away it was fitting Blair had to commend the tactic her and Kiara were second in command the removal of one of them was a moral blow. A cripling shot that asked if theothers thought they could do better, it was Charlie though who made the first move. A lightning fast action with an extending blade but Kain was his closest friend maybe even a mentor a shield was raised with such percision that avoided any harm. The impact of the weapon pushed Kain back but not before he could cling to Kiara's leg. Not good near a wall even worse, Kain had speed and strength on his side, Kiara was beautiful and rich in talents but she doubted that the fellow redhead had the time. TIme was always a factor in a fight. Blair could smell burnt flesh an attack from Kiara in retaliation no doubt but not enough. The two crashed into the wall a few cracks marking the colision all before Kiara took a grievous blow, a fist driving through her ribs fracturing bone so as to puncture the lung. Blair knew anatomy rather well the attack one she knew. It limited stamina, Blair's own heart raced watching the fight play by play she loved Kiara. There might of been a scream something to help beckon the team to aid the Hell Queen. There was no such thing though and so that lingering concept that this was their fight remained. Alezra could feal it both her and Shadow wanted to act yet fealt they couldn't do so.

For anyone without healing the first blow was fatal, in Kiara's case near fatal she could recover but not meraciously fast. Kain however knew that it was iffy wether fatal or not and as expected he made his next move. Spining just short of three hundred sixty degrees. Repeatedly Kiara's face was smashed into the marble wall, decorating it in a pattern of blood Aza would hounestly love if not for it being the queen of hell. A finishing blow brought about by Kain driving her knee into the lovely redheads back breaking spine. Overkill made a posibility by the snaping of Kiara's neck ending her liferather permanently in one stroke. Hell seaminly had no ruler for the moment, no reigns could be given at this time and it wasn't lika the powers at be would give such regime to the rogue horsemen.

Blair remembered her daughter when Kain looked at the Ten In members. The crimson splashed along his face in a horrific visage and yet the look was childish. A type of glee visible, he may have frowned upon the memories but this was the team that translated is Darkness Within. Murder was indeed a profound plessure to any of them Kain was certainly no exception. A quick act of flame left the man exposed, fire washing over his frame briefly to remove anything that masked what he was. Blair raised a brow, Zulu and her jade doubleganger giggled, and Hex simply rolled her eyes. “Predators in the wild don't wear clothing when they hunt. I am the ultimate predator. You are all my prey. I do not tire. I do not stop. You will tire. You will stop. You will die.”

"Yes but the wolf has never faired well against warriors, the killer is but that a stalker not one of worth." Blair remarked closing her eyes before opening with a sence of purpose. A moment to except the situation before retracting her blades. The chainswords Ruin and Despair roared to life screaming for blood. They were composed of tendent and bone demonic weapons that florished on not being indistructible but being able to heal and keep the assault going. The edges blased with plasmic energy the weapons capable of ripping through often even adamantium. She was angry her blood boiled. Kiara was her lover, sister, friend Blair couldn't afford to let her mind get unclear though. Her primary attack was a burst of fire it couresed with the heat of a sun a constant beam that aimed to rip right through the heart of the vampire. As her daughter Zuly/Zulu attacked the beam would split apart into seven seperate orbs of flame aimed to bombard the vampire. As the girls retracted she would teleport in, her blades slashing downwards to cleave his arms free. All before teleporting back for the next attack.

"Hey uh the voice in my head told you to Stfu" the pair of lunatics remarked in unison. They would follow after Azra's beam of energy and flame, the pair would release pheremones in the air. An ability gained by a god of seduction and easily as potent. It was hopefully considering the dual dosage going to drive him into a fair fit of confusion. Zulu the violet haired psychopath leaped at him arc making it likely her ring blade would be delving into his left shoulder. A searing hot flame traveling along the path of the demonic weapon. Similarly on the right flank Zuly lunged with a downward sweep of her guitar. Landing she would also give it a quick rift generating a guyser of flame.

"You always did have an inflated ego" Hex had remarked then waiting for the earlier flurry of attacks to be sent Kain's way. Then the witch charged forward pulling her kataras free. The six energy blades snaping to life, Hex would stab forward aiming for both lungs. Her bottom vectors would slash towards Kain's ankles, the upper two slashing at mid head level. The result being the six blades covered high low and mid ground. Leaping backwards ready to deffend herself Hex would also tap her foot sending a column of antimater upwards to potentially impale the man she saw as a step father. Then exploding in a violent burst of energy that could eliminate anything in the area. None of them liked the circumstance but they were trained for this, they were ready for this. And none of them would go easy for this act of betrayal.

Shadow had spent the week largely in isolation. He had not returned to any of Tenebrasque In’s bases, nor had he descended into Hell. Rather, he had confined himself to his extradimensional prison, a pocket dimension that only he could access, the only place he was certain he could exist undisturbed. It was not that he was alone, however, for the pocket dimension was a prison in truth, the walls lined with shackles. Many of them hung empty, for the demon frequently would use his captives for sport, but there were still a number of bound beings that gazed upon him with fear and hatred. Most of them were angels, though there was a smattering of extraplanar beings that were not immediately identifiable.

If he was aware of their gazes, Shadow made no sign. He sat in the center of the room, his axe cradled in his lap, and seemed to stare into nothingness. Occasionally, he would rise, select a blade from a weapons rack, and throw it at the feet of one of the captives. With a snap of his fingers, that captive’s shackles would release. He spoke no words to any of them, but his meaning was clear. The battles varied; some taking hours, others mere moments, but the end result was always the same: the demon stood victorious over a ruined travesty of flesh that had been his opponent, at which point he would resume his seat in the center of the room, and continue his inscrutable contemplation as though it had never been interrupted.

Eventually, the captives all lay in bloody piles, the shackles all dangled empty, and Shadow rose from the floor. He was prepared for battle. He had no illusions about the fact that Kain’s power dwarfed his own, but this was not exactly an unfamiliar feeling for him. He had followed Lucifer into his rebellion, and had later defied the first ruler of Hell in turn. Once again, he found himself preparing to face one whom he had considered to be a worthy a leader. A dozen different strategies had played out in his mind as he had sat in contemplation. His chances were slim; in his current state, Kain’s power likely exceeded that of the entire team, but power did not necessarily equate to invulnerability, and Kain had displayed some weaknesses, though not everyone might consider them such. Shadow entered the base, nodding to his teammates, who had already assembled, and leaned on his axe, restful but ready.

The battle began with mind-numbing quickness. Aizen’s assault on the base, Charlie’s desperate attack, and then…Kiara, his Kiara, his queen, his lover, the one who had ended his millennia of endless wandering, and showed him emotions other than hate. Before Shadow had time to so much as speak, Kain had butchered her with terrifying efficiency.

Shadow’s mind snapped. His strategies disappeared in a crimson haze. His teammates ceased to exist; there was only him and this being that had stripped him of something that was more precious to him than his own existence. His self-control was swept away as though on a wave of fiery blood, and his captive souls responded to his fury.

The flames of Shadow’s eyes took on a sickly-greenish color. A mist of similar color began to leak from his very pores, never dissipating, enveloping him. Images briefly appeared in that mist: an anguished face, a twisted claw of hand, each one different, but horrifying in visage. Though the din of battle drowned out most other sounds, a faint screaming, as though of thousands of voices in the throes of unimaginable torment, could be heard. His body seemed to grow, his musculature swelling unnaturally, as his form contorted to accommodate the strength of thousands of raging souls. Shadow was gone, for Shadow was but one, and this being was many. This being was Legion.

He raised his axe, which was now dripping with blood, though it had been clean moments earlier. When he spoke, his voice was the sound of many voices, some male, some female, all speaking in disturbing unison.

“Blasphemous ingrate! Die!”

He flung himself at Kain, his body moving faster than should be possible. He fought full berserk; whereas Azrael, Hex, and the insane twins had a method, a strategy behind their madness, he had none. His blows were murderously aimed, each with enough strength behind it to cleave a mountain in half, but they were flung at random, with no thought given to seeking weaknesses or openings in defense. He gave no thought to his own defense; he was lost in a mindless fury that sought only to rend, maim, and slay before death enveloped it in its dark embrace.

The shudders of violence echoed through the whole headquarters. Lyn could close her eyes and picture in her mind where everyone stood and what they were doing. It broke her heart to know Kain was fighting those he called family. She finally reached the basement entrance to the base and jumped off the tigers back and removed her cloak. The next task at hand would be risky at best. Worst case scenario was she falters leaving behind a nasty mess upon the floor. She created the defense around the artifacts she needed to stop Kain. First check point would be lasers that were powerful enough to slice through flesh and bone like a hot knife on butter.

The lasers could be seen by her eyes, but they moved in a rhythm that had to be specifically noted by whoever tried to enter here. Lyn just had to get past them to disable them on the other side for her tigers to follow her. She motioned them to remain as she leaped, flipped, and slide through the lasers. She cursed to herself as the smell of singed hair wafted into the breeze. She disabled the lasers at the control box hidden within the wall past the lasers. Her tigers quickly went to her side as she looked back to see a burning pile of hair on the floor.

Lyn lost more than half her hair to the lasers. It was the least of her worries as she ran down the hallway with the demonic tigers at her side. Her heart was pounding as the sounds from the room above echoed the battle. She reached the next point in which felt off. Lyn slide to a stop as she sensed they were not alone. A hissing sound came from the ceiling as an unknown creature clung to the rock above them. Its tongue flung out dropping saliva below. The very nature of the creature appeared to be in attack mode. The tiger’s hair upon their back stood as they also went into crouched position as they stood ready to attack what was ahead. Lyn looked down the hallway to see several creatures were released. Several she recognized as Kain’s creations.

Cursing under her breath as she realized she would have to fight her way to the vault that held the artifacts she needed. Lyn spoke the word for attack in her draconic language and instantly her tigers sprang into action. The creature above leaped downward flicking his tongue toward Lyn’s abdomen. The tongue moved too quickly to be thwarted away and wrapped around her. A burning sensation echoed through her body and it was not caused by the acid from the creature’s saliva. The acidic saliva was burning her flesh, but something more was slowly increasing her own temperature. Lyn remembered absorbing Azra’s homunculi who could wield fire and realized the havoc going on within her. The powers had no chance to settle or combine with their new Mistress.

The stench of blood rose to higher heights as Lyn went into full attack mode. The Dragon’s Tail lashed out on the creature slicing and ripping flesh from bone. Lyn swung with enough force to cause greater damage. She knew she had to work fast before her vision became blurry from overheating internally. She just had to move another twenty feet down the hallway, but numerous creatures were also in her way ready to attack her and her pets as they drew further down the hall. Lyn went to use her powers, but they were not cooperating at the moment due to the fluctuating circumstances going on inside of her. Whatever she could get to work she used as much as she could.

After several moments later Lyn stood breathing heavily. It was a long battle and not an easy one either. She looked over to see her tigers also gasping for air as they were dying. Lyn walked over to her babies and slowly closed their eyes. “You did well my friends now go and be at peace.” It pained her to watch them both die after raising them both from cubs. The injuries the tigers sustained were evidence they fought with all they could to help their Mistress to their untimely end. Lyn’s fingers brushed through their fur one last time as she moved further down the hallway. She did well to hold back tears as she went.

Kain watched the collection of his family's copies leap into action against him. Even Kain himself was impressed to see these copies were even created with the bonds held by the originals. How nice of Tiferia to create them with the bonds. This was something which could easily be exploited. Kain definitely liked it. Yet... it still hurt, fighting loved ones that is. It wasn't something he wanted to do. A battle of what needed to be done and what he wanted to do chipped away at the Horseman's sanity relentlessly. Tenebrasque In's fury would be felt by its leader just as his fury would be felt by all of them.

Killing Kiara sparked a blaze of rage within the others. He could see it particularly well with Shadow and Blair. Shadow's body swelled to an impressive size. The Prison Guard of thousands of spectral entities oozed green mist and transformed. Shadow appeared to be no more and in his stead stood a more menacing creature wielding two axes. His one voice was replaced by several thousand. An insult. How charming. How expected. Shadow would die. But not now; he was still of use. Blair was much the same. Her blood lust and hatred burned passionately. Which one burned more intensely would remain a mystery. Either way she would get her chance to spill his blood. Right before her brief pitiful life came crashing down.

The scarlet haired seductress followed the same example set by Shadow, well. Her children were no different. More verbal feces splattering out of their mouths and polluting Kain's ears. Blair gave a sentence about wolves which was easily brushed aside. The Zulu Humonculi spoke about a voice and letters put together. Finally was Hex shooting Aizen's ego. Once again, easily brushed aside. When you survive for nearly one million years, ego is something you've earned. Foolish women. They need not worry, Kiara will be with them soon enough.

Finally the battle began with Blair firing a powerful beam of unfathomably powerful heat. It was as if the sun itself attacked Kain. Her chainsaws concerned Kain little compared to the beam she fired. Which was also something he remedied without worry. This poorly thought out plan was a joke. Elemental attacks? Energy attacks against an unencumbered, fully powered elementalist and energy manipulator? Pathetic. Raising a finger was unnecessary to deflect this beam of heat. It was captured entirely into a levitating sphere of raw power. Finally Blair ended the stream by creating seven different orbs.

Without warning Shadow charged into the scene like some rabid beast in need of being put down. The powerful pheromones produced by Blair's children confused Kain making him oblivious to Shadow's hasty arrival. Aizen could feel the hatred brimming from Shadow's axe just as it came down, sliced open the side of his face and broke him from the pheromone trance. That was an ill advised error on his behalf. Quickly Shadow's second axe whirled up to cut Kain in half at the waist. War raised his right arm to block the blow with the shield his body created. The force was monumental. It threw Kain several feet away allowing Zulu and Zuly to come in for their attack. Zulu brought her ring blade down slicing open Kain's chest diagonally. It would've gone into his chest considering the distraction but his instincts made him pivot to the side. Zuly came down as well swinging her guitar towards Aizen. He managed to avoid that in addition to the geyser of flame. If it weren't for Kain's agility he likely would've been incinerated by that powerful attack. Unfortunately when he jumped to the side, all seven of Blair's spheres locked onto him and exploded simultaneously on him. Charred flesh covered Kain's body as he flew through the air and crashed through a support beam.

Again, Shadow attacked Kain nearly succeeding in cleaving the Horseman in half. Shadow's axe dug into Kain's ribs piercing his lung but was stopped by Aizen's hand. Shadow's response was one of unholy brutality. Kiara's lover twisted his axe while it was still in Kain and broke his ribs as he pulled it out. Salem emerged beside Kain swinging six blades at him. Two at his head, two at his chest and two at his legs. Aizen's ability to dodge was removed because of how much damage he'd taken in under a minute. All he could do was weaken the slices by adding their energy to the sphere he took from Blair. They cut off the skin on the top of his head as he ducked, burned what was left of his ribs and nothing to his legs since those blades were nearly completely removed. Salem ended her attack with antimatter; an explosion erupted at Kain's feet again casting him off across the room. War bellowed in agony until his flight stopped.

Bleeding, burned and broken Kain slowly rose to his feet despite blood rolling down his charred body. He refused to submit despite how much he hurt. Seeing the coordination was absolutely impressive however and he couldn't knock them for it. But they would die. Soon. Kain raised his hands to attack only to fall for Charlie's trap. Black chains exploded from the walls and wrapped around Kain's wrists. There were barbs on the chains which tore into Kain's arms. His blood splattered across the wall while he was kept in bondage. No matter how much he fought against the chains the kept him restrained. That was when Blair attacked War and chopped his arms off with her chain swords. The sound metal whirring and cleaving through meat and skin was sickening. Kain's crimson rain sprayed on Kain and Blair. A blur passed by with the soft whistle of air being cut trailing close behind. Shadow's axe ferociously slammed into Kain and sent him soaring across the battlefield.

Their opening offensive was deadly, powerful and precise. It was brutal. It just wasn't enough to kill him. Now that their part was up, Kain's defensive was eradicated, it was time for a God to jump on the offensive. They gave him their tit, now it was time for them to feel his tat. The wounds on Kain's body instantly began to heal. Dead skin cells fell off, gaping wounds sealed shut and burns began to erase. His severed arms immediately began to regrow. Pale bone extended from twisted ground beef stumps poking out of his shoulders. Veins slowly emerged once more as well. The regeneration process would take a few seconds, but that was all he needed.

Zulu charged in again like she did before. Jumping down on Kain with her ring blade spinning around towards him. Predictable. The Horseman shot himself up towards her similar to giant Wolf Spider. He was so fast in his movement it couldn't be seen. Aizen rammed his knee into her chin before she could react then curled his legs up into his chest. His monstrous legs caved Zulu's chest in. Zulu's body exploded back down to the marble flooring. Kain's kick propelled him back against the wall. The hands of War had finally returned. Every drop of power absorbed from Blair was thrown towards the ground beneath Zulu and erupted releasing cyclone of flame directly into her. Once she was high enough, Zulu's attacker propelled himself towards her going through the flames and crushing her body against the wall behind her. She wouldn't be given the time to recover and much like Kiara, Zulu was bombarded with explosive fists in her face and body.

Charlie's eyes widened at what he saw and knew that if they were to kill Kain, sacrifices would have to be made and Zulu could be sacrificed. Charlie began the incantation to release his weapon but once he finished, time stopped; Kain was no longer with Zulu, he was in front of Charlie. The sword was tilted towards Mr. Todd, sweat trickled down his brow and the jaws of terror closed on his heart. Kain spoke directly in Tenebrasque In's poet's mind.

“You failed. I know exactly how fast that weapon is. I'm faster.”

The weapon extended completely. It penetrated Charlie's throat and the Tenebrasque In rooftop. Skewered by his own blade through his throat, Charlie Todd was dead and his body hung sadly on his weapon. Blood streamed down his white uniform and pooled into the floor below. Heavy lumbering footsteps charged at Kain. It had to be Shadow, he was the only oaf massive enough to make such a noticeable approach. Again Shadow swung his axes at Kain and while he may have not cut Kain he certainly destroyed Charlie's blade dropping the poet's body. Aizen took note of a very special box behind where his best friend's humonculus stood. That box was a necessity and it was where he ran to in response to Shadow's abrupt appearance.

Kain's object of interest was a black box with gold trim. Gold buckles attached to black leather straps kept this mysterious object locked up. None save for Kain and Lyn knew what made this box so special and that would be made apparent shortly. Once the box was in Kain's possession he ran along the marble walls smeared with Zulu's blood. Lord Aizen kicked off to soar magnificently through the air unlike any bird. An audible tearing noise filled everyone's ears as their former Warrior-King tore open his box. Brilliant blinding light filled the room; almost as if he held the sun itself in his box. Over one thousand swords rained down through the battlefield. Swords erupted from Kain's box and planted themselves into the ground. Over one thousand different blades stood like gravestones in this war. Siegfried wrapped his fingers around the final blade before it joined the others.

This weapon was a giant white butcher knife with a black edge and black tape wrapped around the handle. War landed on the hand guard of another blade. He balanced without any effort as he crouched on his post like an eagle on its roost. Meanwhile his wrist twirled his butcher knife overhead by the attached tape round and round. His sights were set on Blair. She was the next logical choice. At least for him to inflict some kind of damage.

In burst of speed leaving a puff of smoke Kain was practically on top of Blair bringing his butcher knife down on her. Appearing to stop time as he launched himself towards her leaning forward with his legs slowly tilting to the side then finally his icicle covered left leg rocketing out towards her face. Before Kain could submit to gravity's desires he swung his blade at her knees, regained his footing and slammed it down towards her again. Her chainswords wouldn't effect his legs due to the ice armor which meant she had no choice but to block his attacks. His final blow was meant to be a power swipe; to throw her back quite a distance making room for his other enemies.

Again, Shadow came towards the Horseman swinging his weapons without pause, without mercy. It was expected. Siegfried jumped onto the hilt of another weapon using agility only Apterygota class insects possessed in addition aerial control seen only in eagles. As Shadow swung, Kain spun around leaping through Shadow's wild swings, continuing to land on his blade's hilt with his hands. When an opening finally came up, Kain jumped into the air, pulling a second sword which was just as large as his former from the ground. Pure light burned from his blades. The light was released in several vicious swings sending crescents of pure light energy at Shadow. War used a gust of air to push himself away from Shadow onto another sword once again perching like a bird with one blade swinging over head and the other simply in his hand.

Kain held his own against the first rain of attack lead by the others. Aurora waited and watched with great curiosity. Each attack was followed by a counter by Kain. He healed just as quickly as Aurora would in battle. Kain fought against each of his attackers dealing out greater damage. She watched as Kain quickly dealt a killing blow to Charlie. The only one in the team who had taken a moment to care for the cannibal and rage gripped her heart where fear could not tread. Her katanas were gripped harder as she leaped into battle. She would have to rely on her speed and teleporting to give her fellow members a chance to regain some sense of this battle, partially giving them time to have a new battle plan.

Aurora leaped up just as the blades fell down into the ground and vanished quickly only to appear above Kain’s head. She swung her blades in a circular motion downward blocking his spinning blade with one sword while the other went to attack him. Before he could react to her being there, she teleported in front of Kain once he turned to face her, a mighty head butt was dealt, and another teleportation away from Kain. Aurora did not take any time to look back at her allies knowing it would be fatal with Kain being an opponent. Revenge was not her driving force in this battle. She felt little emotion and right now was no exception. Even though she witnessed Charlie’s death, she felt he was still alive somehow. He just needed time and she would do her best to provide that.

With another kick off the ground Aurora was once again on the move to strike Kain again. Even though she could now speak she remained silent. The predatory side of her locked onto her target as she attacked without mercy. Noticing Kain made an armor of ice, she knew now what her target on Kain was. Get rid of the armor even if she had to chip it off piece by piece. Aurora sank into the shadows only to rise to strike at the armor full force with her swords.

Syrus took his place among the others, believing himself ready ready for the coming battle, fully aware of how horribly outmatched he was, but unaware of just how not ready he was. In a gruesome spectacle, he made quick work of Kiara Sullivan. He'd not known her personally, but Syrus knew she was important, one of the higher-ups in the Tenebrasque In Hierarchy. His nerves were so bad, he could hardly keep up with his eyes, skitting frantically around the room. And as soon as Kiara was down, there was a huge change in those all around the room Shadow, the one who told Syrus so much about control and keeping a cool head had himself lost it. By contrast, Azrael seemed to be more calculating with her anger, no finesse lost in her moves.

Watching the others bombard their leader with attack after attack, he realized that he was just sitting in place, watching idly. Even with their leader gone mad, it just seemed. . .wrong to gang up on him like that. Where's the honor in that? No. No honor in this. He said it himself. Called us his prey, but like a pack of wolves we tear into him. That's what we are, I guess. Animals fighting for survival. There's no honor in hunting your family. But in times like this, honor is but a hindrance. "Move Damn it!"  Once again, Dreius' words shook the boy back to reality. " With me, you faced death every day. I'd've killed you too, if not for your mother. Just fight him like you fought me that time I ripped off your wings and tail. Hell, it's better than cowering."

With his words Syrus leapt into action, mind completely focused on the task at hand: Killing Kain. He stood alnongside Hex, ready to take any punishment which would be otherwise intended for her. Before he could make a move for Kain, he had to ensure the safety of himself and those around him. Before that, however, a blinding light flashed throughout the room at the same time as an eerie sound. His sensitive eyes and ears overwhelmed, he instinctively covered his ears and turned away to protect himself, turning back just in time to see the blades falling down. Weapons whirried about in a vortex overhead protected Hex and himself from the hail of swords from above. Time to move. Plan of attack: rush him. Completely overwhem  him with the sheer number of his own weapons, a well as the attacks of the others. He alone possessed enough to fuel a platoon of soldiers. Still, odds of everything working out perfectly, not likely. All at once, the firearms in his arsenal discharged, semi and fully automatic weapons firing multiple shots around the room at Kain, until all were depleted. Still opting to keep his distance from Kain, Syrus stayed his position and used the remainer of his weapons to attack. Working together, the units must complement one another. The many must be as one synchronized attack. Try to work together. Don't screw up. Though he was always better with fewer numbers than the enemy (most of his battle strategies worked better without the worry of hitting an ally), Syrus tried to coordinate his attack as best he could. Shadow's wild swings would be good for keeping Kain on the run, not taking long to cover lost ground even when he managed to get away a little. So with his swords, axes, and plearms, Syrus made a barrier of spinning blades around the two, bladed parts pionting inward, that should Kain move too much, he should face the brunt of a new attack.

“Clever girl.” The thought barely fully realized when Aurora tricked him him into attacking above when she teleported a few inches away and broke his nose through a headbutt. His sword was used as a means to keep his balance following her stone head ramming into his nose. Broad strokes of red splashed on smooth marble flooring sullied by death dealing weapons. Was she functioning on feelings for Charlie? Did she love that psychopath? Was it even possible to love that maniac romantically? Or was she simply fighting like a predator? Either way it could prove to be interesting, an artificial hunter vs a natural born hunter. Any other day, Aizen would be excited about this, but now now. This was survival, necessity. If she was functioning how he expected, the armor on his legs would prove to be the next likely target.

Finally, the young dragon Syrus joined in discharging his weapons one after the other. Swarms of bullets came Kain and Aurora who were locked in an intense battle together. Some of Syrus' bullets made contact with the two but they were simply grazes burning a top layer of skin and drawing a few drops of blood, nothing more. Sparks flew each time Kain's weapons met Aurora's. A symphony of clashing steel meshed wonderfully with the sounds of flesh being sliced open in rapid violently surgical strikes. The two of them dodged some attacks but failed to dodge others, their weapons collected the blood of the other only to give the ants a bloody drizzle. Aurora launched herself toward Kain remaining as silent as she possibly could. The Horseman swung his blades as hard as he could against her effectively disarming Charlie's little trollop. The power behind Kain's swing slammed her body into the marble walls. Two swords torpedoed through the air and pinned Aurora's hands to her marble backdrop. When Aizen charged onwards he realized too late his enemy's healing was on par with his own as she tore one of her hands free from the blade and used it to pull the other two weapons out and pierce War's chest. She herself teleported next to the blades then kicked them down into the ground pinning him much like he did her. The momentum of her kick was used to propel her back several paces away from Kain.

All stood silent, watching and waiting to see what would come of Aurora's attack. Kain didn't move an inch. He did not breath. He only lay still on the marble floor when suddenly his hands twitched, closed tightly and opened up again. His legs met his chest then folded down to the floor with his feet placed firmly on marble floor. Without warning Aizen began to push up on his legs to push himself up off his own swords. Within a few seconds He pushed himself off the blades leaving two large holes in his chest. Crimson syrup trickled down pulsating abdominal muscles. Kain's fingers wiped some of the blood of his body and smeared it on his neon blue tongue. His white hair was stained with it. Instantly he was in front Aurora staring into her eyes. She may have been fast, but he was faster.

Wrapping his beastly hand around Aurora's face before a facial reaction was possible her skull was rammed through the wall. Part of her uniform was torn off when he pulled her back out of the hole. Just as quickly as Aurora's skull shattered on impact, it healed. His right clawed hand undid her clothes when it penetrated her flesh and held her collar bone. As he swung her around a powerful left kick crushed her entrails in addition to a few ribs. His kick allowed her to fly off despite her collar bone breaking off and remaining partially in his hand. Aurora's blood coated Kain's hand but it meant nothing. She healed instantly. Her face mask came undone revealing her hideous monstrous teeth. She teleported back to Kain's location and stared at him. Both unarmed, both naked, both predators. Their eyes locked on one another; Kain's golden orbs met perfectly with Aurora's red. Aizen annihilated the silence with an ear-splitting roar engulfing the area in its entirety while Aurora responded with a loud snake-like hiss. His fangs were fully extended when Aurora jumped towards him slashing at him with her claws. His own claws clashed against hers with enthusiastic results. They fought unlike warriors, becoming nothing more than animals. He tore off parts of her abdomen while she tore off part of his face. Blood splattered everywhere during their confrontation when suddenly Aurora wrapped her legs around Kain's abdomen. Her hand pulled his hair back to pull him against wall then smash his head through. She brought her teeth into his neck and shoulder without mercy and Aurora started eating Kain alive. One of her hands went through the wall to grab onto his hair at a different angle to keep him restrained. The other punched into his ribs constantly tearing out regenerating muscle.

As Aurora climbed up higher onto Kain's body to feed, he broke her arm and sank his own fangs into her breasts to begin feeding on her her. They both roared in agony during their attacks against one another; for just as Aurora punched into Kain, Kain punched into her breaking bone instead of entrails. Her spine was severed by Kain's powerful grip then threw her body away again. Their naked wrestling match covered them both in blood, sweat and dust. Their wounds healed quickly enough as well when Aurora picked up her grounded weapons and Kain picked up two new blades from the field.

War brought his swords down on Aurora and just as she prepared to block, he released them only to shoot his palms at her body. Knowing she'd be distracted by his swords his twin palm strikes were designed to take advantage of an opening he created and put some distance between she and him. When suddenly Shadow appeared once more, further irritating Kain. Shadow's axe swung at the guarding vampire throwing him across the room onto another sword handle several feet away.

Now separated from Aurora, Kain and Shadow began their own dance with Aizen again on the defensive. War's powerful legs propelled him around Shadow turning him into a larger than life grasshopper. Shadow came close to lobbing off one of Kain's legs during one of his landings when from the blue Aurora jumped in and shaved off part of War's calf in addition to the ice around his leg. The sudden pain disrupted Aizen's footing and allowed Shadow another successful swing. Shadow's axe knocked Kain through several of the swords until one of his larger great swords didn't fly out of the ground during his rolling recovery; during which an enchanted katana was caught mid air. War's feet were pressed against his tremendous great sword and his free hand held onto it much like the gargoyles of catholic cathedrals. In a single fluid motion War dropped to his feet and pulled out his monstrosity of a sword from the marble flooring in addition to a chunk of stone flooring. The sound of stone breaking echoed in the room, Kain's labored howling dwarfed it and finally he brought down a weapon weighing several hundred pounds by itself and another three tons because of the attached marble. Energy burned through Kain's eyes and darkness oozed from his skin. His weapon came down to literally crush Aurora and Shadow. They would survive, Kain knew it.

While the weapon slammed back down and destroyed the marble around it, he knew he could force it to get stuck back in the ground and use it as a jumping point. However, when Siegfried tried to jump towards Aurora using the handle of his blade, he was cut off from her and locked in with Shadow. The source of his imprisonment? Countless weapons created a barrier to trap Kain inside with Shadow. While he was in the air the blades sliced open his face and chest decorating Shadow in Kain's blood. War fell to the ground a bloody mess and turned to face Shadow. His sense of hearing pointed him towards Syrus. That little bastard was tricky. Foolish for thinking he could contain a God with swords.

Instantly Kain teleported out of the barrier and directly above Salem, bringing his katana down towards her head as his unholy roar echoed in the room. Yet at the last second Kain teleported again only silently charging at Syrus with his elbow targeting the back of the young dragon's ribs. Continuing to advance War found himself swallowed in the swords. All fell silent for just a second when a great rumbling began to shake the room and all the swords. The swords exploded from their stone prison and swirled around menacingly until a dragon made of weapons flew around. It was a terrifying sight to behold. Aizen rode the head of his giant sword dragon without faltering. Each blade suspended in air by darkness or light carefully holding its dragon form together. The beast roared in tandem with its creator as its long slender body twisted and turned like a snake in the air. It flew in and out of the building effectively destroying walls with each reentry. A cacophony of different sounds exploded in Tenebrasque In's chambers as the beast moved. It was impossibly fast; a gust of wind composed of metal and rage. As the dragon flew near each member of Tenebrasque In, Kain swung his different blades at each member several times before he was out of range.

One thing was obvious to Kain; Salem and Syrus both needed to die for his machinations to prove to be effective. Whichever one died first was unimportant to him, just one of them needed to be removed from play for the rest of the dominoes to fall. Syrus was Kain's preferred victim. He would be perfect bait and easier to kill than Salem. Her healing would be a problem for Aizen, one he lacked the patience to tolerate. The vampire's dragon of swords opened its jaws horizontally then spread out int two separate dragons separating Kain and Syrus from the others. Kain threw his sword into the dragon before turning back to face Syrus. The naked vampire coursed with power and spoke to Syrus for the first time since this ordeal started.

“Time to bleed. Time to scream. Time. To die.”

Siegfried charged Syrus mercilessly swinging his claws at every possible major nerve and artery. Each attack was designed to immobilize Syrus to decrease his threat level. Following the blitz of clawed attacks the Horseman shot his palm out towards Syrus' chest with a flying knee towards his jaw. While in the air Kain thrust his feet back towards Syrus' ribs with his forearms being hammered down to break the young dragon's shoulders followed by a shoulder thrust to end the flurry. Should young Syrus survive this opening onslaught, he would be lucky to survive the next. Still, Kain's dragon kept the others busy, not actively trying to kill them but only keep them away from Aizen's prey.

Arms regrew flesh mended and so much more it was imposibley aggrivating. He took wounds continuously he was not imposible to hit hell everyone was landing shots he just regrew. Aza despised such things there was a thrill to battle by knowing you might not survive Kain didn't really have such risk and it was insulting to her. Nothing was unkillable though the crimson haired deviant wasn't going to let someone murder her family god or no. Atleast that was what she thought untill a few kind of tossed aside strategy and attacked again. In the blink of an eye Zulu was under attack a knee shattering her jaw followed by another kick. That shattered most of her ribs before she slamed into the ground. Todd seamed to be content with it Aza was not, casualties were expected, that was not the same as exceptable. Maybe she needed to rethink her affections towards them all, perhaps some were simple pawns after all. She tried to be kind to them all to see them as family, seeing how Charlie treated her fall was insulting. That thought couldn't be heald tight however once he was impaled, Charlie's blood spilling on the ground. Despite his easy exceptance of Zulu being on the brink of death however Alezra couldn't just let that come to pass.

Shadow came at him and it was futile, then came Kain's hope of a game changer or likely to most the solidification of their doom. The Roxom's of the Ten In house however could not except such predictions. A small black box picked up Azra blinking in a pluff of flame and smoke apearing over the violet vixen. Her ability over metal shielding her from the blades raining down. As well as any of her allies she could try and assist, she could bend and manipulate metal with apsolute ease it wasn't to threatening to her. Eternal Chaos moved with supernatural speed trying to assail her Denny quick to take offence, or perhaps deffence. The two fighting with remarkable grace along the blade hilts fighting with true finess. Shadow and Sy throwing attacks in as well meanwhile the treo of women readied the next attack. A complex set up planed by Hex as dragons of blades came into existance. Three steps readied to hopefully quell the edge dragons and hurl the next attack at their leaders way. Zuly droped by her dupe and scooped out her eye with one hand. The other removing Zuly's own eye, demons binding the eye to the psychotic emerald.

A slight gesture of the hand Zulu was sent away teleported where she could get attention. The attack ready to be made the environment no longer mattered to them, rain snow, sun whatever. The dragon roared hurtling towards them its intricate blade laced maw snarling at them. A lifeliss monster of beauty that promised the dicing of any unfortunate enough to be in its way. Or just another opstical to tackle, a predator stalked or ran a warrior observed and fought. Hex waited and her mom waited, waited untill teeth were no more then a few feet from them. Then it came alchemy reached into the earth a complex pattern forged by telekenesis made the indents in the floor. With the tap of a foot a fissure of molten fire burst free in a near blinding pillar of light. It was aimed at the head of the dragon. Forward movement scorching it in half. The magma was brought from the earths core it burned with heat equivalent to the sun it more or less was fatal if it hit just about anything and radius made it hard to get out of. Simultaneously Blair pulled on all the metal of the dragon trying to act like a black hole the eye of which being the column of earths core. This seamed almost sertain to take care of the first threat, Zuly had the next.

Behind the two stood Zuly who thanks to SId was able to pick the personality she wanted a bit easier. So she sat playing her guitar and emiting as much of a death cloud as possible. The energy deteriorated skin, rusted blades, was decadence in pure state. This cloud was built up to the size of a car and swung at the second dragon aproaching from behind. Zuly in an animated fashion batting at the cloud like it were a massive base ball. If it failed though that was a mager risk and so her next personality came into being as did its ability. Leading into the next wave of attacks aimed at their so called leader. Her body became intangalable and used rotation of the earth to apear beside Sy and EC Zuly quickly thrusting her hand forward and then solidifying. The goal was that as her arm came into reality it replaced those around it destroying the vampires heart. Looking up at him one glowing green eye flashed, the other taken from the original Zulu flashed violet. Both shoved her head back a bit as she looked EC in the eyes and released the powerfull burst of mixed energy. The fused energy displayed in a briliant purple and jade light. They had lanced through metals of near any calibar assuming they were not simply absorbed they seamed like a strong move.

Next came the teen whos only real weakness seamed to be Kain's current target something the witch would not stand by and allow. From her leaders perspective it would sound like she was charging from behind aimet to hack into his back with her sevral blades. Hex got as close to the back that was rippling of muscle before she teleported. Using electricity to speed up the cells in her body exponentially shooting her to War's left flank in light speed movement. Her flesh was burning the smell spoiling the air, it wasn't perfect she had just tried it well a second ago. It worked though and she would recover in a second so she moved instantly into the attack. Her right blade thrusted forward to pierce lungs, as the left came to try and spear through his skull. Vectors same time gracefully avoiding allies and attempting to carve the Alpha Wolf into pieces. The alchemest leaping backwards to clear a distance and throwing a blast of telekenesis to try and send the killer flying aside. This leading into the next assault from Salem's mom.

Fire was the domain of hell, the home of demons, the element of death bringing. It was Azrael's easist to manipulate the entire column of flame was hers to command or would be if not in presence of another elemental. So she went back to basics, conforting fire to hell fire and hell fire to the metal of hell. Hex could shift such metal because she was given a time to study it. Far as Azra knew though EC never had reason to study the metal specific to her old tricks. Hell she hardly even used the trick anymore thats what made it great it was going back to old basics. The towering sky scraper of an inferno shifted into knives shurikans daggers and swords. The demoness forging almost tripple the number of blades and sending them his way in a single barage. Dropping into a hover Blair's wings holding her aloft the demoness danced. Every movement wipping blades in the self proclaimed gods direction coming from all sides in a roaring storm of blades. Hex and Azra worked in fluidity and they were not going to hold back at all.

Shadow saw the blow aimed at him, but did not attempt to evade it. In his enraged state, the attack was simply another foe that needed to be destroyed. He swung both his weapons in a vicious arc directly at Kain’s strike, and the impact was just short of apocalyptic. Obviously, something had to give, and in this case, what gave was the floor, as Shadow plunged several levels down, driven by the crushing force of the blow.

He attempted to rise, to throw off the debris that had buried him after his fall, but found himself somewhat hampered by the fact that most of his major bones had been broken by the impact. His souls began to mend them, but by the time he had healed enough to regain movement, his rage had abated some. Whatever madness might be afflicting Kain, it had obviously only increased his power, and it was even more obvious that a frontal attack, however powerful, was not going to prevail against him. If he was going to avenge his queen, he would need to utilize some form of strategy.

He pulled himself to his feet, shrugging off the pieces of several of the base’s floors and ceilings (and a bit of furniture and assorted equipment that followed him down). His back and joints popped painfully as they were forced back into place, and the mindless fury was now fully replaced by a cold desire for vengeance. He gathered his strength and leapt, soaring through the gaping fissure his fall had created, and emerged back on the battlefield.

The sight that greeted him was not to his liking. Kain had managed to isolate Syrus, by somehow summoning a dragon to keep the rest of the team at bay. Perhaps fighting fire with fire was called for, he mused, seeing as how he had some “allies” that he could bring into play, as well. His form began to shimmer slightly, and then a greenish figure seemed to break off from his own, forming itself in a semi-transparent samurai warrior. The process repeated itself several times, and the samurai was shortly joined by a Teutonic knight, a Norse reaver, and a Spartan soldier.

Shadow leveled his axes at Kain, and in a voice utterly devoid of human emotion, intoned one word, “Kill.” His spectral warriors raised their own weapons and, shrieking their own battle cries, charged the crazed leader of Tenebrasque In.

The rogue demon did not entertain the notion that his souls stood any chance of defeating Kain, or even inflicting any serious damage upon him, but his hope was that they would buy young Syrus some time with their distraction, as he helped the rest of his teammates address this new threat. With a howl of his own, Shadow once again leapt into the air, his axe raised for a murderous blow aimed at the dragon’s head.

Following an onslaught directed towards Syrus, Hex's one true love, his dragons were disassembled by the combined efforts of Blair's family and Shadow's interference. The molten pillar sliced his majestic metal beast in half sending the remnants of his body to the ground. The destroyed weapons bothered Kain very little; they would return to normal once back inside their enchanted home from which they came. Zuly's death cloud did damage, however the spread itself open to rocket above Zuly only to fall victim to Shadow's monstrous axe. It seemed some of his faculties had returned, all it took was for Kain to literally knock some sense into him.

Shadow seemed to enjoy irritating Kain. His summoned “help” served only to be a minor annoyance. A samurai, a spartan, Teutonic knight and Norse reaver charged towards Kain as vainly as five ants would charge towards an Tiger. Their deaths were inevitable, any mindless drone could figure out as much. They had to be nothing more than a distraction in hopes of sparing lives. Poor choice. The Norse reaver was dead before he saw Kain's attack; a skull crushing round house kick splattering brains on the nearing Samurai.

A twinge from the realms of darkness and light nagged at Kain briefly informing him that an attack would be coming from out of nowhere. Instinctively grabbing a lounging Samurai, Aizen twirled his Japanese shield towards Sy allowing him to fall victim to Zuly's attack like a good sacrificial lamb. She followed up with energy attack flowing with the power of Zuly and Zulu combined. Unfortunately for Shadow's Spartan, Kain was energy manipulator. Her attack completely bi-passed Kain with whirring speed blowing open the Spartan's chest.

War shoved his hand through what was left of the Samurai and palmed Zuly's entire face. Powerful leg muscles propelled him across Tenebrasque In's Iceland base with a dead samurai and Zuly in tow. Her head crashed against marble wall. War's second hand exploded towards Blair's daughter's clone erupting with darkness fueled by raw hatred, by a God's wrath. Once that second blow broke Zuly's ribs, an explosion of darkness ensued. Zuly soared outside but was quickly planted firmly into tightly packed ice following Kain's roar of “Final Resting, Black Lightning!”. A black and green lightning bolt slammed Zuly down effortlessly.

For a moment Kain thought Hex was bringing her weapons down on him from behind but instead it was Aurora. Salem appeared immediately adjacent to him. Though Kain's shield deflected Aurora's attacks, he couldn't completely dodge Hex by any means. Two swords pierced his torso but Kain was able to angle himself just enough so his lungs wouldn't get too much damage, only grazed. Her other vectors operated in tandem with Aurora and what was left of Shadow's forces. All four sliced open Kain at several points along his body. It was agonizingly painful, yet through sheer force of will, he refused to submit. Some attacks he could guard against but most could not be blocked.

To Kain's surprise he found himself soaring back a few dozen feet in addition to the pain of a few shattered ribs burning in his torso. Had to have been a telekinetic burst from Salem. She was smarter than the original. This one probably wouldn't bring a bunch of powered clones into their world and cost the team their lives. Tearing off her head and using her skull as a bowl would be an interesting way to eat cereal. Before draining Lyn, he would be sure to humiliate her for taking everything that was his.

As Kain got to his feet he found himself being attacked from every which way. Countless swords came at him. His options at retaliation were limited. Salem and Blair were creating swords just as quickly as they lobbed them towards Aizen. He was getting tired. His bones ached, his muscles were sore and his body overwhelmingly hot. It took a short while for Kain to respond to their attacks but he was being worn down. He wanted to stop. He just wanted to let them kill him. If he died what would it matter? They wouldn't suffer if he died. They would continue their reign over the world unpunished while he would be dead, resting in the afterlife with Lyn who fell to their blades. No. That would not be allowed to happen. Lyn's killers would not go unpunished. Thinking of them not paying for their sins against Aizen angered him. He was furious at the thought. It breathed new life within him. A second wind.

Blinding light appeared from Kain's body and nearly scorched the eyes of those who watched. All the weapons seeking to impale him were pushed aside by his aura alone. As they neared him their direction swayed just enough to avoid him. Darkness melded with his light in a glorious demonstration. Weapons protruded through his body, dripping blood on what was once the definition of luxurious flooring. Aizen slammed his foot down clean through the floor leaving a crater where his foot was. Kain roared louder than before discharging darkness, light, lightning, fire, ice, earth, wind and water from his body towards the others in a violent series of waves bursting towards his enemies. The wave left Shadow's drones floating helplessly in the air. Aizen pulled one of Blair's blades clean from his leg. It was a Flamberge type sword; the curved blade was several feet long and deadly sharp. Though it was freed from Kain's leg he felt nothing.

A swift leap propelled Siegfried up between the Teutonic knight and Norse reaver. With unmatched speed and divine accuracy both men were quite literally sliced to pieces. Their entrails spilled like an open upside down jar of jelly. War fell back to the earth and pulled out another weapon in addition to Blair's flamberge; a bastard sword. War charged towards Aurora and began attacking her relentlessly. She could barely keep up with him, or stand up to him. A great swing broke her blades as a following swing popped her into the sky. War slid beneath Aurora before she could teleport away and released a massive glacier from his hand. Frost spikes penetrated her chest, abdomen and skull all at once. The icy spikes of Kain's glacier stuck to the roof keeping Aurora dead therefore not allowing her to regenerate at all. For all intents and purposes, Aurora was dead.

War turned back around to face the others and didn't move. With a flamberge in one hand and a bastard sword in the other and countless other weapons in his body, Kain was walking army with a built in armory at his disposal. Who would fall next in his wake?

As much as he didn't want to at the start, Syrus became slightly excited at having inflicted any wound at all on Kain. It wasn't that he wanted to now, but to know that he could hurt someone like that, it was a feeling akin to the time he'd nicked his father. Only difference, there was no joy in this. Only necessity, survival. At the very least, Kain thought he was fighting fakes, though in actuality, it meant nothing at all. Kain set his sights in their direction and vanished, reappearing overhead. Worried for her safety, Syrus moved to shove Hex out of harm's way, but just as he moved, Kain vanished yet again, harmlessly.

Then he felt the sharp pain caused by the crash of the elbow against his back. He staggered forward a bit and turned around to swing, but he'd reacted too slowly and once again Kain disappeared. Amazing, that he could sneak up like that. In these halls, nothing got past Syrus' senses, until now. He stood alert, readying for whatever may come. It was clear that he was the primary target, the attack on Hex meant only to distract and anger. Out of nowhere, the swords in the ground gathered together, on one hand freeing up movement space, but then reforming, that they might be used to harm everyone else.

  Completely singled out and with Kain not holding anything back, it was all he could do for Syrus just trying to keep up and block, let alone avoid his attacks. He raised his arms in defense, though the vampire's claws pierced easily into his forearm, and he even sunk into his chest. The young drakobael grunted with the pain, but stifled anything akin to a scream from escaping. Adding to his defenses, Syrus underwent a partial transformation, his skin turning to scales, hard enough to withstand even some of the toughest metals; and just in time, it seemed. The next palm strike managed to crack his scales a bit, meaning much worse had he not been protected. They wouldn't hold for long, and there were holes where he'd been previously wounded. Staggering backwards, he was completely caught by the knee, though he managed a lucky block, protecting his ribs from further harm, but now the arms were damaged too.  

Staggering backwards, he just barely managed to move out of range from the next attacks, but only for a moment to recuperate before leaping back into the fray. Recklessly charging in costed him even more, causing him to be on the receiving end of an attack meant to help him. Syrus fell groundside, clutching his chest, and rolled away to recuperate.

After a short rest, his attention was drawn by another light and Syrus turned up to see the outflowing burst of Kain's energy, just raising his shield of weapons in time, not wanting to risk any unnecessary strain on his scale armor. Dreius faded in beside him. "That was close. Hey, kid. You're not looking so good. Maybe you wanna sit the rest of this out? I don't know how much longer you can keep this up. If you wanted to pay me a visit, though, by all means." 

That voice, with all the incessant prattle, designed only to pester and annoy. The voice of the man who'd tormented him his entire life, and it was exactly what he saw looking Kain right now, arousing an old familiar feeling, what it was he could not place at the time. Syrus snapped back just to see Aurora to become the next of Kain's victims. they'd had a rocky start, but he'd grown really attached to her over time. A sparring partner, then more like an older, wiser sister. That, and the feelings of his father overtook him and he shouted out to the sky, "WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP!?"

No way to touch the spirit, Kain would have to do for the both of them. Syrus stopped, focused on the energy signature given off by Kain, made easy by how much power he emitted.  Stern and focused, he whispered a small incantation. Now, to draw him over. He could dodge the blades as a whole, but what if they multiplied? Dracoig released from his hands split into many shards, swirled around in a circle. The other weapons soon followed suit, likewise splitting into many smaller shards, each split perfectly for sharpness, for shredding. Syrus dropped his scale armor and let the blades cut into his skin all over his body, deep enough to draw a fine blood, but not enough to be serious. Afterwards, they scattered and fell to the floor around the field.  The young former prince let out a deafening roar and the Drakeîn Eye on his forehead opened up. Syrus himself was rendered invisible, whilst many false copies of him were projected all about the battlefield, moving about so as to confuse the maddened Kain. Only Syrus remained still, invisible, knowing he might be expected to move as well. Simple illusions, they could do no damage, but they could be useful, as he'd proven in the fight with the copies seven days prior. Each false image projected an attack, as did Syrus, of highly pressurized water from their mouths, and an electrical energy from the eyes for conduction. Even if it hit, it wouldn't be hard for Kain to realize where the one real attack came from or that Syrus hadn't moved. That's where the trap would come into play. Again Syrus became visible and the others vanished.The whispered spell had been specially attuned to his energy, that should Kain step within a meter of Syrus, he would be bound in that spot, his energy to be drained for Syrus himself. At the same time, an illusory swarm of countless locusts, began buzzing about the field, The shards from Syrus' many weapons then became active, moving incognito with the swarm, picking up from their scattered positions and all from different positions converging around Kain, each meant to do its own smaller part, all working together for the larger goal of stripping the flesh, his muscles, his veins and arteries, of shredding him.  Who knows? Maybe we will all die here. But it's worth it, if we can take that bastard sonuvabitch with us.

Kain stood, waiting for the next attack flurry to come his way. It almost never came. What did come however, was a random shout from Syrus. He requested silence, in matter of speaking but it was less than kind. What Kain didn't understand was why Syrus screamed at the sky for silence when nothing was being said. Apparently the humonculus couldn't correct that weird little issue the original Syrus had with hearing his father's voice. Syrus was just another victim to Kain, nothing more, nothing less. What was noted were the armor scales he had. They managed to absorb the majority of his punch but were cracked. The fact they survived the attack was unexpected, almost as unexpected as their materialization. Kain may have underestimated Syrus' resilience and would have to hit maybe two or three times harder to break through the candy coating of a dragon prince to get to the sweet bloody morsel inside; draiken blood straight from the heart.

Young Syrus removed his scale armor to begin some kind of strange ritual. He opened his third eye and quickly vanished from view. Key phrase: from view. Lord Aizen may not have been able to see Syrus' body, but he could see his energy signature, he could smell him, hear his heart beat, hear each breath he took and every single change in air pressure was felt. Syrus could run, but he could never hide from Kain. Suddenly dozens of mirages appeared around the Horseman to try and distract him. It did nothing. War remained unmoving, undisturbed at all by what he saw. This child was delaying the inevitable. Foolish, vain attempts.

War stepped forward only to be frozen in his tracks. Six golden lights stuck to Kain keeping him in place. Following the golden lights a white chain wrapped around his entire body. Kain knew exactly what was going on; even in death that bastard Charlie still had a few active spells waiting for Lord Kain to foolishly fall in. This particular spell reacted to high energy outputs, outputs only Kain was capable of. This trap was used once before when he fought Charlie and won. That spell always complicated things. Kain couldn't break out of that spell without Charlie's assistance due to how high ranking it was. He had control over his power and face but nothing else.

Syrus fired off an explosive concentration of water with electrical energy as well. Unable to do anything but suffer through it, the Horseman braced himself for what was coming. It was a powerful attack indeed. The water hit Kain as hard as a club swing from a troll. The electricity added only extra kick to his pain. His ribs caved in under such powerful blast, his mind had no choice but to admire it. Syrus impressed Lord Aizen, but his death would only be that much more grizzly. Charlie's spell would not bend for its target. War was kept standing up in the same exact place. His eyes closed to help cope with his pain.

A swarm of insects surrounded Kain like something out of biblical scripture. He had flashbacks to the days of famine's arrival into the fray. Of course they were illusions but it was impressive either way. There were however, shards of swords in Syrus' swarm and those shards went after Lord Aizen. Different blades cut open different parts of Kain's body with surgical precision. Arteries, veins, ligaments and muscles were primary targets. The searing pain felt like fire. He felt thousands of cuts bleed down his ivory body; mounds of muscle coated in crimson. Kain's trickling blood quickly pooled around him filling a glyph which he didn't notice at all. His vision got hazy, his body went numb. Blood lust kicked in. Survival instincts activated.

Kain's muscles tensed up despite being cut open, his healing factor ran into overdrive. Every cut healed as soon as it came, energy fumes rose off Kain's body. Mustering every drop of strength he had, Kain fought against the spell. War flexed as hard as he could pushing as much as he could. Syrus' blades continued to cut into his flesh peeling skin off muscle then muscle off bone. The chains tightened around the Horseman's body until finally they popped off and Kain was free.

The tattoo Kain was given by Naamah activated and canceled out the spell Syrus cast. Naamah's tattoo managed to successfully work, thankfully. He feet slammed into the ground kicking up marble behind him with each step. Despite being covered in blood he moved too quickly to be seen. Descending upon Syrus was not unlike a God descending upon an ant. A field of half darkness and half light erected itself behind Kain to keep Syrus to himself. A burst of fire shot from Kain's hand towards Syrus in addition to a crescent of lightning and razor sharp ice shards as small as rose peddles. Those were all merely a distraction however, to make room for Aizen's real goal.

Once in range War swiveled around to attack Syrus with a shoulder tackle then transitioned into another powerful punch targeting the dragon's abdomen. Kain's vicious combination was followed up by a roundhouse kick charged with raw lightning. He spun around slamming his elbow down at an angle intent on not only breaking Syrus' jaw but dislocating it as well. Finally he shot his foot out at Syrus's ribs once again. It was a front thrust kick with finally his left palm coming out faster than before, harder than before. Darkness and light surged through his hand as it shot at Syrus, intent on taking his heart aiming for the same spot he cracked the scales the first time despite them being gone. Once Aizen's assault completed he stared at Syrus, seeing what damage was done.

Zuly's attacks backfired hurled at the ghostly green aparition and Sy. The chaotic mix of violent and emerald energy redirected thanks to Kain's energy manipulation. A powerful palm ahnilating the spartan aparition smashing into Zuly's skull. Bells rang in her ears from the force, then she smacked into the marble stone wall. Hemoraging was now taking effect thanks to the traitor who thought he was eradicating traitors. The emerald psychopath giggling hystericaly from the pain her mind to unstable to guage things rationaly.

Adam was nearly frozen with fear. His guns were clenched in fists so tight his knuckles were beginning to turn white. War was truly terrifying, this was an offensive unlike anything Adam had ever seen from his lord before. Nonetheless, he was a soldier, a soldier who followed orders. His orders were to attempt to stop Eternal Chaos. In a straight-up fight, Adam would be almost instantly defeated by War's far superior physicality and skill. So he'd have to play it smart, and rather underhanded, though he did not find it honourable.

While War was occupied with Syrus, Azrael and Hex, Adam prepared his attack. The Tenebrasque In had an impressively advanced weapons programme, and their armoury was full of powerful tech. Grabbing a kinetically-charged power sword in one hand, he dragged a railgun that was his size back to the fight. Charging the railgun, he swung the sword a few times, storing energy in the generator hidden inside the handle. As the railgun reached full power, Adam pressed the button to fire. He didn't bother shouting a warning, as most of the assorted demons, dragons and vampires were unlikely to be hurt. As the railgun's beam prepared to fire, Adam also charged at Kain, his thumb finding the switch that would activate the high power energy blade. The railgun blasted, a crackling buzzing sound like that of a thousand crickets in full volume. As it fired, Adam leaped, pressing the switch and giving life to the pale blue blade that he swung at Kain's shoulder, in an attempt to render the vampire's right arm useless. As he did so, he closed his eyes and braced for the pain that would accompany War's counter-attack.

Filled with anger and bitterness, Syrus almost couldn't even enjoy watching the foe shredding in pain from his work. He still enjoyed it, but it was mixed in with the anger, and he felt it probably wouldn't be enough. He didn't know where it came from, but he appreciated the holding spell that kept the enemy in place. If only it held, he could've done more. In an impressive display, Kain weathered it all and freed himself and was upon him in an instant, isolating him with yet another barrier. Alone again, for the moment. Until the others could bypass Kain's tricks, he was on his own, and he had to act fast.

Most any opponent would be overcome with fear, but already aware that he was completely outmatched, Syrus had only his resolve. Driven not by fear, only by anger, he faced up to what stood before him. What actually came was initially more of a disappointing surprise. Surely, Kain had to know of his resistance to things like fire and lightning, though the ice was a new trick not fully understood by Syrus himself. These attacks he fended off easily, but he was caught unprepared for the follow-up. The force of the incoming hits filled the prince with pain while relieving him of his air. Not nearly reacting in time, the kick caught him right in the head, rattling the brain, dazing and opening him up for the next attack. It wasn't so much the lighting, but the force of the kick.

Kain's hand shot out right into his chest cavity. Syrus grabbed the arm just as the hand entered. His facial expression was full of shock. His mind and his heart ran into overdrive, the last remnants of a dying flame. Grasping the enemy's arm, he took what power he could to keep himself going, to keep himself from completely shutting down. A futile battle; it would come, soon. Then his eyes shifted. His face displayed but one emotion, the one thought going through his head at the time. An emotion he still couldn't completely think of. In a low growl, he put into words the only way he could think of to express it, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"I. . .I. . .h-hate. . .you."

Not like this. At the very least, his pride could be somewhat maintained. A prince like he shouldn't go out with a scream, nor with a simple whimper. Even then, broken and dying, giving up was not an option. If only it could be so simple. With the last of his strength, Syrus brought out one final offensive.  He'd planned for something similar, his plan since then adjusted for this very circumstance. Hands clasped around Kain's arm, covered in his blood, he holds as tight as he can, claws digging in. He'd never properly tested this, but it was as good a use of his new abilities as anything. His body fluids began to move, to gather and spread, to move up Kain's hand and his arm, then to solidify and crystallize. The chain unwraps itself from around his body and, like a snake, moves to wind itself around Kain's arm, then the rest of him, then constricting to hold him in place. Every shard of every blade was brought in toward Kain, not to shred, this time, but to embed itself deep within his very being. And finally, out of every wound on his body since inflicted, by Kain and by himself, from his arms and legs, his ventral cavity, and his face and skull, the blood burst out in spiky crystals to impale the enemy standing in front of him.

All throughout, his mind rushes and his final thoughts rest upon a girl, an immortal demon with genocidal tendencies who had first taught him to respect and to care about himself. Blood obscuring his vision, she is the only thing clear in his mind. Her smile, and her crying. Her touch, her kiss, her warm embrace. This all started because of her losing a loved one, and now it seems he, too, is walking out on her. Maybe Dreius is right and it really is her fault. But then, why do I feel like I'm the one letting her down, dying like this?  And the last thing he hears before the abrupt end is his father's voice.

"Just couldn't stand to be away from dear old dad, huh? We got a party planned for ya."

  . . . 

Fine. I'll see you there, asshole.

Kain held Syrus' heart in the palm of his hand. He could feel it weakly pulsating through his fingers. Young Syrus barely bled at all during the battle. He would prove to be a meal for Kain. Blood oozed from Syrus' chest and flew into Kain's mouth. He felt his blood lust settle after a draining four pints of blood from the fallen prince. Aizen kept Syrus up on his feet with his penetrating hand. Weakly, Syrus brought his hands up to hold on to his killer's arm. For some unexplainable reason, the Horseman saw this dying prince as a child, a baby. His son. Part of him mourned the death, yet part of him rejoiced in the knowledge that the murder of his “son” had been avenged. He was close to ending this battle and he could taste it. A little longer, that was all he needed to do, last a little bit longer.

Syrus' blood continued pour out but it also seemed to crawl on to Kain gaining a life of its own. A chain coiled around Aizen's body and out of confusion he tried to break free but only helped this unusual device push the weapons lodged in his body, deeper into his flesh. Sharp piercing pain penetrated Kain's body at every which available angle. Spikes broke Kain's skin and virtually destroyed all of his organs spraying more of his blood everywhere as it jettisoned from his battered body. Then with that Syrus' blood lost it's solid form before becoming liquid again as his body slid off Kain's hand to the marble floor. War dropped to his hands and knees. He was weakened, significantly less powerful than he was.

“Damn it... I can't keep this up much longer. My body is falling apart. Killing mirror images of them is breaking me. I don't want to do this, but I need to do this. I've got to avenge Lyn. I have no choice, they must die...” The words repeated themselves in Kain's head almost like a bad song you couldn't get out of your head. It was a vicious subliminal message depicting how torn he was with this whole conflict. But he wouldn't give up. The remains of Syrus' blood were drained off the floor and sustained Kain's body enough to help push him on. Kain staggered to his feet. His hands shook and knees buckled beneath him. His wounds healed noticeably slower, his breathing was labored, vision blurry. As Siegfried turned around to face the others he was met by a swarm of weapons coming at him much like before. With an aggressive wave the shadows of the weapons twisted the blades around to send them back to Blair and Hex. Unfortunately the red headed harlot managed to teleport away. It irritated him immensely. However, Zuly and Salem tried to attack Kain with an antimatter beam. A series of barriers deflected their attack in addition to a teleportation stint.

A monstrous beam of energy came at Kain in an attempt to harm him. It was anything but difficult to reverse. He saw Adam try to attack him with another energy weapon at the same. Kain didn't move a muscle, he willed the sword's energy to combine with the beam at the last second while he merely held the beam in place. Adam brought down nothing but a hilt with air whistling by Kain. He knew Adam was smart, but perhaps his fear paralyzed whatever intelligence he may have had. Oh well, death was the price of failure. “You would have been better off with a real sword, I can't stop those.” Adam's attempted attacks were directed back at him with the overall damage output multiplied ten-fold.

Unfortunately while Kain was preoccupied with Adam, Blair and Hex returned. Instantaneously the weapons stuck in his body broke apart into needles with unique markings on them and sank into his flesh. These hundreds of thousands of tiny metal strips existed within his body getting lodged between organs, muscle and various other body tissues. Then, they exploded inside of his body. Aizen's innards sprayed everywhere. His heart popped in his chest, his body practically split open spilling Kain everywhere. The vampire could do nothing but roar in agony. He was in pain. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Azra and that damn child of hers. They were going to die today. Guaranteed.

Kain forced his body to heal faster than it would have normally in his current condition. It was necessary for what would come next. Azra charged him intent on destroying him. Was her anger at the destruction of her children that overwhelming? Was her hatred for Lord Aizen so blindingly intense that she would run to certain death out of vengeance? Or was Blair just ready to die? The answer would remain lost in mystery to King Aizen, but its outcome would drench its curious onlooker in success. Blair's chain blades came in at Kain, one swiping clean through at his neck with the other coming down to cut him in half down the middle. He wouldn't allow it. At all. Lightning cycled around his hands to help deflect the blows when his hands shot up to guard. Without hesitation the Horseman shot his leg out at Azrael's tremendous breasts hoping to cave in her chest. Following that kick he jumped back putting more distance between he and her.

“Final resting, black prison.”

Snapping his fingers, several violet lines appeared around Blair then filled with blackness. It made a box around Blair and once it filled up, large energy spikes of darkness pierced through the box penetrating everyone and everything within the box. The outside may have appeared to have only been a handful of blades, but on the inside there were hundreds. If Blair didn't get out of the box, her fate was sealed. Unfortunately before Aizen could see what happened to his sister's humonculus, he felt his head fall victim to a crushing a blow. War's body slammed into the marble wall. His right eye was filled with blood, nose broken and teeth rattling. His body slumped down and fell to the ground. He slowly lifted his body up, despite how much his head hurt. What he saw made his heart sink. A purple skinned leviathan with awe-inspiring horns and stature imposing fear. Green glyphs covered its body while claws several inches long extended from its fingers. Long black hair hung wildly along the creature's body. Sun-blotting wings were neatly folded against his back. Whatever pants it had barely kept it covered and immediately Aizen knew who and what this thing was. Charlie's ultimate true form had been unlocked. Kain rose to his feet to stare at his comrade.

“It's been a while since you've been in that form. I suggest you get out of the way now. I've beaten you before and put you in a spell with a little help.”

“I broke your spell, Horseman. All I needed was enough of your blood. You defeated me centuries ago when we first met in this form. Let us see how well you fare now that the tables are more than turned, monster.”

“I'm going to rip off your wings like I did back then. Only this time, I'm sticking those horns up your ass.”

“Enough talk vampire. Come to your death.”

“If this will make you see reason Charlie.”

Time almost felt like it had slowed down for Lyn. It was all going too fast and yet moving too slow in her mind. She had lost her two pets she raised from young cubs and Kain was killing their family as fast as he could. Lyn could sense the deaths above her. Her feet could not carry her fast enough to get to the others to help them. The Earth felt like it was spinning within her head as her body heated up beyond comfortable levels. Lyn tried to think clearly as possible, but the tunnel leading outside became blurred. It was almost as if it had separated into two tunnels. Each step was taxing. She could feel the others dying and pulled herself together to keep going.

Everything was against her and she needed to work fast as she could. She knew of a way to stop Kain and permanently if she had to, but she would try her best to bring back senses to her lover at all costs. Lyn wiped the blood dripping from her face a felt the heat imitating from her skin. It was odd due to the fact her skin was usually cool. Lyn’s chest felt heavy as she gasped for air. Her chest felt like a constrictor wrapped around her and coiled tightly. Her appendages felt heavy as she tried to push herself back off the wall.

Heat was destroying her from the inside. Lyn tried to recall anything that could have caused such a thing, but her brain just could not narrow it down. She gripped the spiked runes for the spell needed to contain Kain within her bloody hand. The blood from the creatures she killed along with her own blood covered her snow white skin tainting it to a crimson hue. Struggling to walk was difficult enough what she had to do next would be far worse. Lyn slowly made her way to a ventilation shaft. She removed her boots to be able to get a better grip on the edges to be able to crawl upward into the main room without being slowed down by further creatures. Placing the seven runes within her top being careful to make sure they would not fall out.

Silently moving upward with her head pounding and stopped long enough to calm herself. Suddenly she felt the dark energy from a spell wreak havoc within the air vent. Lyn knew it all too well. It was Kain’s final resting: black prison. Lyn felt another life drain from this world. A new sobriety washed over her as she moved with purpose up the air vent. Her fingers clung to edges as her feet pushed upward. There was another twenty feet to go before she would reach a vent that was easier to traverse. Lyn pulled and pushed her way upward. The next shaft would lead her to the room below Kain and the others. From there she could try to come up with a plan.

The pain was incredible. He hadn't even touched Kain, and the counter attack had so much energy it was literally stripping the flesh from his bones. Silvery blood pooled around his form as he crashed to the ground. As he shook, his wounds healed impressively quickly. It was like his healing factor adapted. The more he got hurt, the faster his body learned to heal itself. In a matter of seconds, he was back on his feet.

Kain's words rung in his ears. It seemed quite backwards to Adam, but nonetheless, he seized hold of the first sword he could find. Taking an uncertain step, he found himself to be feeling stronger than he had in a long time. He sprinted, following the trail of destruction and located a large black box. As Kain and Charlie prepared to throw down, he hammered on the box with both fists. It was unlikely to be good for whatever, or whoever, was inside. With a look of pure malice, he turned to Kain and hefted the sword in one hand. He had to be perfect. If he executed it right, Kain would think he had failed, and in this state, he would likely try to make Adam suffer. He would get close, keep Adam near him. All part of a seemingly elaborate, actually pretty simple plan. He sprinted forward and jabbed his sword in a stabbing motion. He let out a scream of rage, spurred on by the death of Syrus. "Aren't you going to finish the job, you ass?"

How fast was he? Was he still just playing with them? It was inconceivable that somehow this friend turned foe moved that impossibly fast. The sword would extend five-hundred times the speed of sound yet Kain managed to travel fifty feet and point it back at Charlie before it could extend even just a few inches. If this was his true speed he could have slain them all by now or at least most of them. Charlie was gone before he could feel pain or anything aside from fear or amazement before death claimed him. For the moment. His own weapon was used to not only cut his throat but sever his spine and a cluster of nerves. Instantly Tenebrasque In's primary poet faded to black when he heard a voice in his head.

“It's not over yet my friend so do not fret. They'll activate the glyph it's a guarantee I'll bet. Should we die, the traps won't work and we'll all be buried under six feet of dirt.”

Charlie was locked in an inner conflict with himself for survival. Part of him wanted nothing more than to concede to death's calling; end whatever horrible pain plagued him. Yet another part of him knew he had to fight. Another part willed him to continue to press onwards in this conflict. His consciousness was torn and though dying, fully aware of the ongoing slaughter. There was no way to ignore such a battle. Each teammate fell one by one. What could they do to stop their former leader turned destroyer?

Charlie suddenly felt something in his chest. A burning pain; a hopeless weight pressing down on his heart and lungs. Aurora had fallen. The artificial succubus in all her glory, for all her fighting ability was defeated meeting death like her fallen brethren. Fleet Street's demon barber was infuriated by Kain's actions. Syrus became Kain's next target; he wouldn't last long against War. The Horseman's experience alone dwarfed Syrus' age many times over. Charlie could only do so much to help; staying alive being the maximum of those abilities. Aizen was a short distance away from Charlie's trap. He need only step on the right spot for his doom to be sealed. Todd salivated,; anticipation was a gluttonous beast with eyes for none other than Charlie Todd.

Success! Kain fell for the poet's trap without a hitch. Shackles of light restrained him for Syrus' attack set. Charlie jeered for Syrus within is own mind, listening to his shouts of happiness so his joy wouldn't fall entirely on deaf ears. Blood lust consumed Charles with such fervor that his secret glyph glowed beneath Kain's feet. The more Kain's blood touched the glyph, the bigger Charlie's internal smile grew. Finally so much blood fell into the glyph that it overflowed; spilling several inches away from its source. A seal on Charlie's chest appeared briefly then shattered. A limp corpse stirred back to life. Two emerald eyes took a moment to acknowledge the changes around the battlefield. He saw how bountiful carcasses were, he saw Kain.

His sights were on the Horseman who currently finished of a terrifyingly powerful demon. It was Kain's infamous “black prison” technique; precisely what stopped Charlie from Killing Kain during their first meeting. While Siegfried turned his head amidst the chaos to admire his work on Blair, Todd fired of a right hook from hell. The powerful blow knocked Kain back a few feet and broke some bone. Both men eyed one another, examined what was visible in addition to what was not. Kain noticeably took note of Todd's true from; purple skin, green glyphs with giant horns and wings to match. This was what Charlie was without being constrained. This was his true form, his true power. A book from Lyn's library told him all he needed to know in order to break the spell. Kain just happened to be the key as one would expect from a brilliant strategist such as himself.

Both men spoke confidently. They argued among themselves exchanging insults and threats like children. There was a deep-seeded tension between them, but that would be a tale for another day. Charlie was disturbed by Kain's sudden talkative change in personality. He'd spent this entire battle silent as death itself but now for some reason he desired to not just speak, but hold a conversation? Something did not fit into the equation. War propelled flames at Charlie's eyes as a successful distraction as he darted off to meet Anthony, AKA Vicious. In a single fluid motion War's hands penetrated whatever barrier Anthony projected for his own defense easily. From there his torso was separated from his legs. Kain's hands used bones like handle bars as he ripped Vicious in half. Crushed ribs were evidence for where he held a torso while a crushed pelvis completed this heartless puzzle. As blood geysered up, Kain commanded it to his mouth before a single drop could grace already blood-stained marble.

Charlie ferociously lunged at Kain; baring his own sinister canines. His large fists orbited around Kain before finally making contact with his jaw. War's movements slowly grew more and more sluggish as time pressed on. They would exchange bone breaking blows in a back and forth contest to no avail. Normally Kain would avoid receiving unnecessary damage but now it seemed as if he was unable to avoid taking it. As if he were being weighed down. Even his punches and kicks proved to be less effective with time. Charlie's blows did substantial damage despite Kain not flying very far. Todd could feel his adversary's bones break under his intense strikes. Blood sprayed from Kain's every orifice much like a fountain. However, just when it appeared he would begin an offensive of his own, the ground beneath him collapsed and flames projecting unfathomable joule levels roared from this hole. The barking flames pushed Charlie back a few feet away for his own safety. He could however feel what was going on below based on energy signatures.

It seems young Salem devised a machine amplifying gravity. Its only target was Kain and using heat was a definite chess player's move. Kain's agonized screams could chill even the coldest killer's blood. Gravity was so intense that his bones were breaking while he cooked on his way down. Adam made an attempt to attack but Salem's assault dragged War down before he could do anything to deal with Mattersuit. After a few seconds, the screams were gone. Kain was gone. Todd scanned everywhere for his former friend but couldn't sense him any where. What happened next amazed Charlie further at Kain's abilities.

Kain teleported above and in front of Salem from a portal made of light. His body was still reconstructing himself from her attack as fumes left his body and crisp pieces of flesh fell off him as well. He spun around performing a roundhouse kick intent on literally breaking Salem's jaw off. Every ounce of his weight was focused into palm thrust directed towards the center of chest as well. When his foot slammed down for the thrust punch he managed to generate a wave of air raising Syrus' body a few feet up behind young Salem. Quickly twisting his hand, Kain's thumb managed to touch Salem's pendant opening a large portal behind her. A quick snap of his fingers and a large explosion of pure fire similar to ten pounds of white phosphorous grenades occurred. He wasn't done there. A slit on his forehead opened. It was a black eye with a rainbow iris and from it ejected the single most disastrous beam of energy Charles had ever seen; Kain's legendary Celestial Eye. It may not have been as powerful as it would normally be due to how much energy he already exhausted but it was still immense. Bleeding from that center eye Kain fell to one knee. His breathing was erratic but he spoke as clearly as possible.

“Wondering how I escaped that trap the little bitch set? The gravity was too much for me handle. If I wasn't so... If I wasn't so beaten I probably could've clawed my way out. No energy attacks worked so I had to make a portal big enough for me to fit through but small enough to allow her machine to suck me in. Thankfully traveling through those portals helps me heal a little bit faster.”

As Kain spoke, Charlie felt himself become more powerful. He strength multiplied thousands of times. His anger only matched it. Looking behind Kain was Shadow. Shadow was buffing Charlie's power levels by thousands of times. Every drop of power Shadow could afford to sacrifice was being pumped into Charlie's true form. When Kain darted towards him firing off machine gun punches the demonic poet remained unfazed. A simple backhand knocked Kain back across Tenebrasque In's base. His body cracked through marble pillars dropping a second story catwalk across his body. Marble debris broke more of his bones while tearing open fresh wounds in ivory skin. As quickly as Kain met the ground, Charlie was on top of him again. Todd's monstrous lavender fists thrust repeatedly into Kain's body crushing his organs and grinding his bones into dust. Kain was unable to even scream due to how severely his decimation was. After reaching down to grab Kain's body Fleet Street's demon barber launched him across the way again putting him through yet another support beam. Charlie slowly made his way over to Kain with a nasty surprise waiting for him. Dark tendrils coiled around different pieces of marble to smash against Charlie's solid frame but they did nothing against him. He simply kept walking towards Kain without delay. Horror gripped Kain's heart at what he saw. This nemesis would not fall no matter what. How could this be though? The thoughts were written on Kain's but Charlie couldn't help but feel joy from it. Again he charged at Kain swinging a tremendous fist and nearly hitting.

Kain ran across Charlie's arm to leap towards Adam. He feigned an attack only for Charlie to come lunging back at him. Charlie's fist came dangerously close to Kain but the Horseman knew when to jump allowing it to get close enough to him that he could dodge courtesy of his agility but still within range of most likely taking down Mattersuit. Flipping backwards, Kain dug his heels into the purple leviathan's shoulders. War held on to Charlie's horns then pulled as hard as he could until they were finally broken off. Todd was kicked in the head by Kain who jumped behind. Using the horns like swords Charles' wings were cut off at the joint. One horn impaled the back of Todd's knee while the second impaled his lung after Aizen pulled his hair back to get him at the right angle.

Charlie felt no pain from Kain's attacks, only more anger. He watched the vampire make his way towards Shadow. Kain sensed the exchange between Charlie and Shadow. That was only the only way he could have figured it out. The horned monstrosity charged towards Kain but was too late, Shadow's head rolled off but Charlie could still feel the power in his body as he swung at Kain. The power was gone as quickly as it had appeared. War retaliated with his own tremendous punch breaking Charlie's arm. It was an unholy pain. He backed up away from War holding his wounded limb. That damn arrogant tone of Kain's broke the silence.

“Wondering why you're in pain and I'm not? You took on too much power at once. Your body didn't have time to adjust. You had it for such a short period of time that you couldn't get used to not having it. Getting vast power and losing it all in a matter of minutes tends to have strange effects on your body. Which means now, you're vulnerable Charlie. I told you, you'll never beat me.”

Kain hit Charlie with a skull shattering left hook. A right blow to the ribs turned his ribs into powder. Dozens of lighting strike punches connected with Todd. His bones, muscles and organs screamed out in agony. Blood oozed from his mouth because of internal injuries. Kain shot his fist at Charlie's chest and somehow managed to be behind him on the outside of Tenebrasque In's building. Apparently he became energy itself displacing it through Charlie's body in a show of painful retaliation. Siegfried punched a hole through the wall to put his enemy in a headlock. While circulation was cutting off Kain began another lightning punch assault; breaking through marble and punishing his foe. By the seventeenth blow, Kain performed his teleportation punch on Charlie's back to reposition himself in front. Kain's final blow was a dual punch. One shot directed at Charlie's chest with the other just eight inches below.

“Sokuketsu.”

Once Kain's attack collided, all of Charlie's organs exploded within his body. Flesh swelled up then popped. Blood, bile and all kinds of bodily waste poured out of Charlie. His last sight was Kain on his knees, with Lady Death just a few feet away behind him. She was their last hope.

The walk up the stairs was a harsh one for Lyn. Her body felt like it was on fire and her powers fluxuated up and down without a balancing moment. The door to the room of carnage was now in front of her. Lyn opened the door to find carnage and blood sprayed along all the surfaces. Crimson splatters everywhere. Many had fallen victim while few clung to what they could of life to continue the onslaught against Kain. Lyn stood behind Kain who had his back to her as he knelt upon the blood soaked floor. Lyn had a moment to look around.

Azra’s face came into view and memories of what Lyn did to take down her clone came to mind. Finally the moment flashed before her mind what caused the horror going on within her body. Azra’s homunculus had the same powers as Azra, but on a higher level. Lyn did not release the powers over fire from her own body. She did not have much time to stop and think about it. The powers within her were boiling Lyn from the inside out.

The powers of the homunculus had to be released before they ended up making Lyn immobile and an easy target for Kain to wipe out before she could complete her task at hand. First she had to figure out a way to give the survivors a chance at a battle plan. Kain would have to be caught off guard and quickly. Lyn knew this moment was her best chance to knock out two birds with one stone.

Slowly raising her hand toward Kain and silently hoping things would change. Kain spun around to look at her with his predatory eyes and Lyn knew nothing had changed. The moment was now or never and Lyn grabbed that moment for all it was worth. Energy from within her built up quickly and released in a missile like action as it exploded from her hand toward Kain. Metal from the floor rose up as if to swat at Kain like he were a bug and fire erupted in a massive bursts on a collision course at the same point as the metal. The powers from the homunculus rushed out of Lyn’s body.

Lyn stood there a moment only long enough to take a few deep breaths to fall upon her knees. The boiling sensation slowly faded. She looked back at the others. “Heat him up with anything you can slow him down. Give me time to exact my goal of binding him and this will be over. If you fail to slow him down. We all die.”

Her words were sternly spoken even though her heart barely clung to sanity. Lyn wanted to cry for Kain. It hurt to have to face him this way. She did not have time to heal the fallen and wounded, but she now had seconds to try to start her plan into motion. With the aid of the others who survived she just might succeed. If not the world would perish beneath the feet of the Horseman of War.

When Aldeon had Azrael possessed she spent almost a century in a twisted sense of isolation. Her mind confined to watch the horrors the Everchosen chose to make her bring about. Attempts to kill her family members and the slaughtering of countless Symariaans. All the while she was tortured psychically in such ways and to such magnitudes not even a masochist like her could bare the pain. Blair resisted it on some unknown level refusing to give into the inevitable death that seamed to be staring her in the eye. Perhaps it was her commitment and pride, perhaps she was just to damn stubborn to face her end by such means. Whatever the case Azra refused to give in to her seemingly sealed fate. Just as she did then she would do now, Alezra would fight on. Somewhere buried in the snow of Russia emerald eyes flickered again.

The Black Prison it was a devastating trick to be placed under. The inside of the coffin was filled with blades spearing from one end to the next. It however was also made of shadow and darkness. EC had yet to combine elements for tricks like she had, to counter this upper hand however he had the one talent she didn't light. This box was just darkness however and they shared the element. Shadows folded around her heard and mind, a barrier of her more vital zones. It would shut her out from the world no sign of life, it would keep her alive however. Just barely spared from the attack that other wise was a sustain kill. Blades pierced every joint and muscle a hundred lacerations riddling her frame. The tomb holding in place for ten minutes. For six thousand seconds passed where she was dead to the world. Ten minutes of being locked in darkness and made into a pin cushion. Then it fell and her attack came soon after.

Emerging from the black her body lay in snow pooling as snow and ice melted around her hot flesh. Wounds healed and flesh mended and within a minute crimson locks once again danced in the cool winter winds. With a quick notion the blood of a bear was forced. the large animal was like many just craving food in ten In territory feeding on corpses was about the only meal available. Hungry for a meal the bear approached her. An animal would not be her end however. that was what Kain was a animal on the prowl the Mufasa of these Pride Lands. Blair was not a beast there was more his kind would not win. the bear's head snapped quickly picked apart to give the demons naked frame some idea of cover. The fur coat certainly not hiding much but a comfort to the demon.

She arrived with the rest of her clan and made her attempt to subdue what had been one of her closest friends. Water and earth twisted until forming sharp poison filled vines. It was the first time the crimson haired beauty tried to make a plant soit was not perfect. Regardless her goal was to create a plant with the diseases around the galaxy. EC was one of the best healers and had the features of all Gaia's creations. Seamingly all the traits of the animal kingdom and immunities to Mother Natures toxins. There were so many worlds though with so many contagions that they were likely to be much harder to fight. While not a student like her daughter it was safe to say she knew most toxins from the scapes of hell, Symaarian knowledge and Keresh intell. As the vines attempted to spear through him and release toxins into his bloodstream she would give time for others to act and then it would all go up in flames. A rising tornado of flame rivaling a cluster of stars. Three times the heat of a star.

Dragon Hearted

He would not stop it was aggravating in every sense of the word. Enough gravity to make moons tremble and enough fire to literally scorch the earth if not for security measures. Still he teleported away and came at her. Her jaw shattered barely recognizable from the sudden impact vectors snapping up directly after. The unseen limbs shielded from the attack not the triggering of her pendant however. The blast from the following explosion of fire knocking both witch and her lovers corpse on the ground in the dark anterior plain. Removed from the fight in the single gesture of motion. Hex wept looking at Syrus broken bloody body, howmany had died today?

They through everything at him and yet he never fell never stopped. Mort was somewhere around here and sure enough during her crying and pounding into the earth the dragon reared his head. A infinite pool of wisdom before her and yet not a word had to be said at all. Hex had figured out the next move she needed to make by just being in her friends presence. Not all her tricks with alchemy were used up it was time to play on a different level. If the game was currently Chess she needed to complicate it to something more like say Risk. Queen of the Vine, Philosepher Stone, Roxom, she could do this. She made no effort to clean herself up only sent a message to two others seven minutes had passed from her entry into this domain on the eighth the alchemist stood on the battle field again another trick readied.

Lyn wanted the Horsemen of War to live that was not to say others of Ten In necessarily sought that to happen. Hex for sure was not craving a docile arrest action play. First step was telekinesis a instant action pushing a symbol into the ground around her adopted father and her. Stepping on the emblem with bare foot her soul reached out parting a sliver of herself momentarily to try and bond with his. Suddenly her mind would be fused to his and then her telepathy could kick into use. Attention would diverge into two blitzkriegs the first sought to rip open his mind and point out how moronic he was acting. The other far more brutal aiming to eradicate his mind entirely reducing him to a brain dead vegetable. Then as she sought to rip him apart mentally Hex carved a marking into her hand and rushed at Kain. A palm strike aimed for his heart. If making contact it sought to transmute flesh into a incendiary grenade exploding like magma from an erupting volcano.

The next move came following Azrael's attempt to poison the godly figure. Syapt the gold haired beauty friends to Salem had teleported to the location. In her trademark armor suit canon raised. Three abilities were being put to use in effort to seal the fate of someone they wanted dead. The first trick put to use was the ability nullifier Evie highly doubted it would shut down Kain's abilities completely. In the worst case scenario though it would slow him down and in the best she was willing to gamble it would make his skills at a crawl of their average. The second ability put to use was gravity to try and keep him locked down. She forsaked subtlety to try and spark his personal gravity field to a magnitude that could bring a moon crashing into earth, grind Kain to dust. Third came the attack with her nuclear powers a roaring beam aimed to reduce him simply to ash.

Waiting silently Kayle stood by as her close friend released a roaring vortex of an inferno. As her apprentice attempted to reduce the mind to shambles, and her apprentices best friend made the effort to nuke the leader of Ten In. As all the attacks concluded the gold and onyx haired pirate ran in with a fatal flurry steps silent and graceful. Seven strikes meant to reduce Kain to nothing, armor not slowing the vixen down even slightly in her violent outburst. One slash aimed to part left elbow, and right knee. A follow up to sever right arm and left leg entirely a following slash meant to cleave head in two. The motion was expected to bring her up and over in which she would crash down with a follow up meant to drive both blades through the scapulas reducing shoulders to nothing before she retracted. A four way combination meant to kill plain and simple. To polish it off she landed and pulled a melta bomb from her belt. The thick explosive was one known to reduce some of Symaarian and Keresh best fortified machines to molten slag.

They were all dead. The majority of Tenebrasque In met their ends at the hands of Kain. One by one his team's humonculi fell before him. In a final quick assault launched by War he managed to out-think, out-maneuver and out-fight his competition. Charlie's true form fell in the end. Thankfully Shadow's interference was responsible for it. If Charlie didn't receive so much power in such a short time Kain's defeat was guaranteed. It wasn't the first time Aizen had stupidity to thank for a victory but it would definitely be the last. His knees gave away beneath him following his organ attack. Kain's exhaled harshly, like daggers in a leaf blower. A curtain of blood caked hair concealed a murderous visage. Remnants of his best friend pooled around his knees and feet while his hands rested on Charlie's disfigured body.

“F*cks just can't stay dead can you? Damn it...”

A powerful smell hit Kain. Lyn arrived to join the party. Kain hoped his laboratory experiments did some damage to her to make this confrontation as quick as possible. She could end him as tired as he was. The coming moments had to be brief. His attack would need to be swift, powerful. He would have to strike like a cobra injecting all its venom in a single instantaneously lethal shot. He spun around staring at her. Even knowing full well he had to kill her, War couldn't help but stop to admire her one more time. His eyes soaked in her beauty one more time. Like a child staring at beautiful flower, Kain was enamored with her. Doubts about killing her flooded his mind but he knew what had to happen; this flower would need to be crushed and its petals pulverized into mush.

Unfortunately, that brief fraction of a second of hesitation had cost Kain his prey once again. He propelled himself towards Lyn to attack. Aizen took up arms when lunging at Lyn when this Lyn clearly had a different plan in mind. An instant flashed and Kain was engulfed in a horrific blaze. An enormous fireball devoured Kain's body while random flak and shrapnel was blown clean through Aizen's body while larger pieces got stuck in Kain's body. The intense flames burned the swords and cauterized the weapons into his body. War tried his best to escape his inferno prison but his efforts were to no avail. Lady Lyn's blast roasted Kain's body all the way outside. War was thrown out into the snow where his body would be allowed to recover slightly. Ice tendrils slithered up and wrapped around the handles of the swords cauterized in his body. All the weapons were torn from his body at once however due to the high level of damage he suffered, the holes in his body hadn't healed. They were barely even noticeably closing up.

Aizen leaned to his side and pushed himself up. His hatred burned through Lyn's eyes. This was the final stretch. Kain rushed towards Lyn so fast she couldn't see him. No one could have seen him. In the same fraction of a second he was laying down in snow and traveled one hundred feet to attack Lyn. His shoulder slammed into Lyn's chest his fist crashed into her ribs right foot pulverized her abdomen in a straight kick with a sphere of darkness plastering her body against a wall. Slowly, he walked towards Lyn putting one foot in front of the other. She was trying to recover from the injuries she'd sustained from her lover's vicious attack. Lyn finally stood up only with her Dragon's Tail in hand.

The ivory queen began to dance around with weapon, only this tango never led to applause, it led to death. Siegfried jumped over and around, matching her moves perfectly. He'd seen her do this so many times that he knew exactly how her majestic weapon would maneuver. What he hadn't seen her do before was slam it down into the ground. Without a moment's notice her weapon traveled through the ground and impaled Kain's chest. In a single liquid motion the blade broke apart into several dozen segments and sliced clean through the Horseman's body. Once on the other side Lady Death's weapon reassembled itself into the whip state again. She used it to slash across his chest then again at his legs. Aizen flipped backwards shooting flames at her from his feet. Once he kipped up War broke through his own flaming distraction to grab her leg. Once in hand she became just another victim. Lyn was slammed against floor then once again against the stairs until there was a crater in the form of her body. Her back was broken. Lyn was defeated. Kain had won.

“Interesting little tricks. I never saw you put it in the ground before. And fire slash metal manipulations? They did one hell of a job on you. If Lyn could do those tricks, maybe she could have survived. Heat is the one thing she can't take much of. Like me.”

Kain hopped down to where Lyn's humonculus was despite the pain he was in and how tired he was. He wrapped his fingers around her throat paying attention to her limp body. Kain's long neon tongue lurched from his mouth to lick the blood tricking down her mouth and even down her neck. His grip tightened around her throat once her blood met his tongue. Tears began to well up in the Horseman's eyes when he looked at Lyn once again.

“You even taste like her... you taste exactly how my beloved did the last time I tasted her. You took everything from me. And now, just like you took it all from me, I take it all from you. Look at their bodies bitch. Look at how the each fell in my wake. Even the homunculus you made of me has fallen. I am more powerful that Tenebrasque In entirely! I don't even have access to the powers I absorbed from my copy yet. If I did, this battle would have ended sooner and been much messier. Foolish. All of you are just foolish for daring to challenge me. I no longer have my beloved Lyn. She was all I had. You could have taken the rest of them and I would have been able to accept that. I would have killed you all indefinitely but the world wouldn't have to pay. The universe, would still exist so even though your cowardly puppet master lacks the courage to be here as well, he will fall as well. Let's finish this.”

Kain struggled to raise his arm up. A swarm of darkness and light spiraled around Kain's arm. His arm shot back, preparing for his final murder, the final act of sorrow caused by a heart shattered for the last time. Memories cycled through his mind, vivid imagery flashing before his eyes. Lyn was no longer suspended in the air before him and his hand was no longer attached. Aizen's forearm was gone, as was Lyn. A glorious armored Goddess was in her stead. This woman resembled Lyn, but she wore some kind of organic armor. It covered her entire body. Kain was unable to determine if her armor was gold or silver. Her beauty was a fact Kain overlooked simply because he was more concerned with seeing his forearm in Lyn's armored hand.

War had no time to react to Lyn's change or the fact that his arm was gone. He couldn't respond fast enough to her; she darted back and forth around him slashing at his face and body. Chunks of flesh hurdled from Kain's body. Lyn's vicious assault continued. Somehow she even included darkness and light in her attacks. How could this be?! Lyn never had these abilities before! This humonculus was more of a threat than Kain would dare allow to survive. She needed to die, and now.

Still she attacked Aizen mercilessly tearing his physique to shreds while he tried to simply keep his guard up. Lyn was stronger than he remembered as well. She kicked the Horseman as hard as she could in his ribs and sent him hurling through the air. Lyn's lightning fast reflexes brought her into the perfect position for an attack against Kain. An attack which slammed him into the ground. Kain's lover charged down to attack him again however his experience gave a slight edge. Lyn's attack was correctly predicted. War rolled backwards in time to dodge Lyn's crushing falling blow. All his strength, all his power entered Kain's fully regenerated left arm and he punched Lyn as hard as he could. All his frustration, all his sorrow, anger and every drop of vengeful lust he felt was put into that punch which thankfully, connected cleanly.

While her armor kept her head on its shoulders and prevented her from being completely torn apart, it took her out. Lady Lyn slammed into what remained of the nearest wall finishing Kain's attack. It did not fall, it stood tall, it stood firm. Noticeably due to how much ice froze against it keeping it propped up. Aizen saw his queen collapse. He saw his punch end her fighting. Then. His knees finally gave up. War was no longer capable of standing up after such a brutal battle against Tenebrasque In. Gravity finally managed to bring a God to his knees. Even then his elbows could no longer support his weight. War dropped to the ground completely, crying into what debris surrounded his body. His muffled whimpers were unbecoming of him.

The Horseman would not stop yet. His journey's end was a mere thirty feet away. All he had to do was make it to Lyn, that's it. Once he reached this abomination he would drain it of its power and bring rise to the total annihilation of the universe itself. The end of all things, the true universal apocalypse. One arm over the other Kain dragged his limp body to Lyn. War could see the end of everything, he would be with his beloved once again in death. He breathed heavily, slowly with each moment he carried himself on he could feel his burden loosen from his shoulders. One step after the other until finally he reached her. Siegfried saw Lady Death's face and for a moment, forgot she wasn't who he thought. For a moment, he forgot all about the battle. His lips met hers one final time. The hands of Death's Harbinger graced her face once more before mustering the strength to return to his feet.

Kain stood above Lyn, ready to end it all. His Soul Feeders emerged to witness the end of all things. To witness their master's wrath unleashed. There were at least five or six of the beasts standing around Sir Kain. He was lost in achieving his ultimate goal. Oblivious to all things, he bent down when the ground beneath him shifted. A glyph or a symbol of some kind from what he could tell. Teleportation afforded him a necessary evasive opportunity to figure out what he needed to do. An incoming soul piece was taken care of by the Soul Feeders. They cast their own spell to keep it trapped instead of destroying it.

Hex had no problem following Kain however, and rushed him. While he lacked enough speed at the time to properly dodge, he could at least raise his arm to catch her hand with his fist. His fist became explosive spewing fire all over his body as it exploded reducing his wrist into a stump. A few venomous thorns came from the ground injecting their toxins directly into War's blood stream. Fortunately his body functioned like Poison Dart Frogs and instead of making him fall to the venom his body quickly adapted to them to use for his own benefit when need be. After all, venom was nothing more than a series of proteins linked together in different algorithms and with Siegfried being a chemist, his body knew what to do from the information his brain took in. A swirling cyclone of flames erupted around the vampire's body slowly melting the meat of his bones. Again, a teleportation saved Kain from the worst of it.

War began to feel something try to strip him of his powers, a nullification device which he didn't take too kindly. Fortunately, it wouldn't mean anything. The darkness and light swimming throughout the area would negate those effects as they created a small pocket dimension around his body. He almost appeared to have some kind of an outline. It would protect him from mass effect based attacks such as gravity manipulation and power nullification. After War's first run in with Salem's gravity, he would be safe, especially if that bitch was back. Kain had very little time to react to the massive nuclear beam from this unexpected party. When Kain tried to get out of the way, Charlie reeled back up to restrain Lord Aizen completely. The beam met Aizen head on, again heating him up. Try as he might, there was no escape for the Horseman. He reached a point, where even Charlie didn't need to hold him up. The vampire could fight no longer. The attacks were nearly finished, but Charlie Todd would not allow Kayle to attack a defeated Horseman. He tossed Kain to the side with a glyph shielding his fallen comrade.

“Kain has been defeated. There is no need to con-”

War threw a a massive bomb at Charlie's back followed by erecting a shield around he and Lyn behind him. Kain was done with this game. They played with unfair rules by bringing in outsiders. They bring in two fresh opponents at the final stretch of this battle. It was unforgivable. This, would not be tolerated. Within an instant swarms of Soul Feeders emerged with those empty glowing blue eyes on the outside of Aizen's field.

“At-”

War could not finish his statement, Lyn stood up behind him trapping him with the very darkness he himself controlled. War did his best to pull free yet his efforts proved to be anything but sufficient. Kain Siegfried Aizen captured by the humonculus of Lyn. His barrier reduced to nothing, his Soul Feeders gone. Kain met defeat.

The eruption of fire and metal slowed Kain down and shot him outside. Lyn quickly leaped out into the snow after him. She had seconds to place the runes where they needed to go. It did well with her skills of throwing knives and did the same for the runes. The last rune however would be the most difficult. It had to go inside Kain’s body somehow. Lyn withdrew her Dragon’s Tail sword and lodged the rune a few inches from the tip. Thankfully the last rune was the smallest and easily blended into the blade.

Lyn went to look for Kain, but instead flew backward into the wall. Her body had no time to register what just happened. Lyn knew all too well it was Kain as she fell to the ground. Her body forced itself back up and Lyn held onto the Dragon’s Tail tightly. She looked over to see Kain slowly walking up to her. The moment of truth was now.

The forced behind her weapon pierced the ground and like a coiled dragon erupted from the Earth striking Kain. Lyn made the whip sword split in several pieces to make Kain think about those and not the rune that now rested inside of him. The whip returned to a solid state leaving behind the rune and slashed at Kain’s chest and feet. He dodged effortlessly as he actually was able to get ahold of her leg. Lyn’s body rose up under Kain’s massive strength and slammed down. Lyn felt her own back crack and shatter. The pain was far too much to scream, but something inside her ignited. The Earth plunged toward the sky as if Lyn was a meteor meeting the ground.

Kain spoke smugly as he stood outside the crater over her, “Interesting little tricks. I never saw you put it in the ground before. And fire slash metal manipulations? They did one hell of a job on you. If Lyn could do those tricks, maybe she could have survived. Heat is the one thing she can't take much of. Like me.”

Lyn could only smell and taste blood. Moving anything was impossible below her jaw bone. She was helpless to stop Kain as he grabbed her neck drawing her up to his face. Kain gave one last speak and Lyn knew this was not over yet. She would not allow it. Lyn did not need her body to fight back now. All she had to do was speak the incantation and allow the powers that be continue their course.

Before a word could be uttered Lyn could not take a breath as Kain’s grip tightened. She felt tingly all over as he went to raise his arm up something new occurred. A blade shot from Lyn’s hand as did an armor that appeared to have a life all of its’ own as the blade ripped through Kain’s arm. Rage consumed Lyn as wings rose from her back. The true form of the angel of Death transformed Lyn and healed her injuries. Lyn rose up above Kain using the massive wings to propel slightly upward. Lyn gripped Kain’s severed arm in one hand.

The armor quickly covered her entire body protecting her from the threat at hand. Like a falcon diving for prey, Lyn lunged at Kain as blades created by the armor ripped flesh from him. The two lovers clashed like only great warriors would. Lyn attacked and Kain would react to her accordingly. The two were locked into combat. Kain was clearly fighting with rage and consumed with revenge. While Lyn was throwing attack after attack with nothing more than impulse void of emotion or thought.

After what felt like hours of fighting it was brought to abrupt end by one punch thrown by Kain. That was not the case. Lyn’s body was struggling with power changes and still damaged from the powers absorbed from the homunculi. Lyn regained her mind and could think clearly now. Lyn fell several feet from Kain. She saw how he collapsed to the ground and heard his sobbing. The armor removed itself from her face as she looked back at him and he at her. He dragged himself toward her and slowly rose to his feet. Soul Feeders arrived to witness the final act made by Kain. They were doing something with a spell and Lyn wondered what. Lyn looked up seeing a rune inches from her. Under her breath she spoke the spell. Now time would tell if it would work or not. The spell had never been used or tested, but Lyn had faith in it.

Kain made his way to Lyn as she rose to her feet and shockingly his lips met hers. It was a shocking revelation to occur within the battle field. Kain’s massive height and size towered over Lyn as he stood. Tears ran down Lyn’s face as she saw the glyphs ignite with power and resonate each passing second. Hex rushed at Kain and before Lyn could react watched as venomous thorns stuck into Kain. Kain became predictable after Hex’s attack. Darkness and Light powers erupted around the area. Lyn’s glyph only awaited one last word to become complete. The Soul Feeders were trying to contain it, but this was magic beyond their comprehension.

Charlie, Kain’s oldest friend, tried to protect him from and attack only to become cannon fodder as he stood between Kain and Lyn. Swarms of Soul Feeders went to move inn, but Lyn would not have no more. She spoke the last word of her spell. The Soul Feeders were sent back to their realm. Ribbons of dark and light rose from the Earth and began to wrap around Kain. The light side touched his body while the dark covered him. The spell worked in many ways. The light and dark would nullify Kain’s powers, bind him within the ribbons, and keep him from hurting himself or others.

The ribbons of power pulled tightly drawing Kain downward toward the ground. Within moments Kain was completely wrapped up in them. Lyn was in full control of them. She could seal him away forever or remove certain areas at will. The armor removed from her hand as the ribbons exposed only a fraction of his face and eyes. Tears ran down her face. She hated seeing him this way. To prevent further interruption or revenge filled attacks by those who survived, Lyn erected a shield between the others and the two lovers.

“I do not know what plagues you my love, but I shall give you one chance to redeem yourself.” Lyn gently touched his face with her bare finger tips. Kain’s body had taken much damage, but as her fingers touched him a spark went from her fingers into Kain’s flesh. It startled Lyn and within Kain’s eyes something new ignited. It was almost like he was watching a movie play in his head. Lyn curiously looked at Kain.

Lyn looked at the bindings onto Kain as she noticed movement in the distance out of the corner of her eye. Her instincts begged her to go look. She lunged outside the shield she made toward the movement. Lyn was looking at a living version of her mother. She could not believe her eyes. Lyn knew this was not the real Tiferia. Her heart told her so. This abomination cursed at Lyn for ruining her plans to kill them all. Lyn grabbed ahold of the imposter and absorbed the information dwelling inside. This was all Lyn needed to know that what was going on with Kain.

The armor returned to its’ full might as Lyn began to pummel and strike at the imposter. Kain meant the world and beyond to her. She had to fight him, because of some crazy version of her mother. Tiferia’s alternate self-had single handedly almost ruined all Lyn and Kain had worked for to avenge some story she made up in her mind. Before Lyn would kill this imposter she dragged the beaten and bruised woman over to Kain and tossed her before him.

Lyn barked at her to speak or she would die even though Lyn would kill her anyway for treachery and causing all of this. The alternate Tiferia told the plans from beginning to end with the survivors bearing witness to the chaos this alternate Tiferia had made. Kain could bear witness as well since Lyn left a portion of his face and eyes exposed.

As the creature spoke Lyn’s rage reached new highs. When finished with her tales of deceit told Lyn rose up a blade above the woman who was kneeling down. “You will die on this plain to never know what truly happened in yours.” As the woman looked up at Lyn the blade in Lyn's hands hurdled downward through the mouth and into the body cavity. Lyn was not down there either. She was beyond anger at this point.

Lyn had almost lost her lover, her pets have been vanquished that she raised from early life, and Tenebrasque In stood in ruin over this. To make sure this woman would never come back the blade inside of her started to make pin like needles rise from the blade growing in size and numbers. Lyn made the blade turn the woman into an inverted pin cushion as the needle like blades that formed popped free of the flesh. Pools of blood ran every which way from the scene.

Lyn rose the blade upward and the needles quickly reform into the blade that receded back into the armor. She had reached her limits as she fell to her knees. Lyn braced herself on her hands as the wings faded as well. Blood drenched her body from old wounds caused by the battle. Her breath was heavy as her conscious faded in and out. In her draconic language she spoke the words of loving Kain forever and he would be released only when he returns to the person she loved. Lyn had no energy left since her body was damaged inside and out as she fell onto the Earth.

The battle was over for now. Lyn awoke later to find herself in bed and cleaned. Her body felt like it weighed hundreds of pounds and her head screamed as she tried to sit up. Headaches to Lyn were few and far between, but this one was the worst of all of them. Sunlight hurt her as well as any light for that matter. She looked around not sure what transpired, but her body would not move for the moment. She was not bound by any spell or power. Her body was trying to recover from all that occurred not too long ago.

Lyn thought it best to just allow her body to recover as she closed her eyes to rest once more.

Having finally completed the battle, Kain lay on the ground completely bound by Lyn's Humonculus. He'd fallen prey to his own arrogance, his own rage and blood lust. Now here he lay, broken battered and beaten. An animal merely waiting to be put out of its misery. Damn it. War lost, fair and square and there was no going past it. Now, the fallen hunter had no choice but sit and watch what would happen to him. Lyn's hand reached out for him slowly, he braced himself expecting the death touch to take him. But it didn't. He wanted to cry, he wanted to mourn his failure but it was not an option. This trollop and her cohorts would be denied the pleasure of seeing Kain squirm. He would die like a soldier. It's the only way he could have accepted death. The only means worthy of claiming his life. Besides, at least they would live knowing his wrath, never fully recovering from what horrible things befell them.

When Aizen felt Lyn touch him, something changed. As if a veil had been lifted from Kain's eyes, he saw everything that really happened. The events unfolded before Kain precisely how they really happened. He witnessed the defeat of the Humonculi at the hands of his team and himself. He witnessed the madness which befell him and worst of all, he saw what he did to his loved ones in addition to a firm understanding as to why part of his abilities felt unusual. War's steely resolve melted slowly like bone off freshly barbequed ribs. His eyes watered as he looked up at Lyn. His lone eye looked around at the others scanning their features for emotion, trying to apologize silently.

Suddenly a familiar face was before him. Tiferia! That bitch was alive after all! Lord Aizen wasn't simply hallucinating during the battles, it was really happening. She spoke of her plans, she explained to Kain and the others what she was doing, her plans and why she did what she did. The Horseman was angered once again but saddened once more by seeing Lyn's eyes. Tiferia met death at the hands of Death herself. Ironic a daughter would kill her mother.

As Lyn fell to the floor Kain's bindings were reduced to nothing. He moved as quickly as he possibly could to catch her before she fell and succeeded. Covered in blood and burns and pulling out a rune from his chest, Lyn was cradled in his arms. His lips graced her forehead then hundreds of Soul Feeders in addition to other darklings, lightlings and the remainder of Kain's experiments appeared as well with Cid at the helm. He looked around, staring at the others. Kain hugged Lyn again before he spoke to the swarms surrounding them.

“Take the bodies of the fallen and injured. Carry them to the regeneration chambers. Put them in each individual chamber and do as Cid tells you. Also, begin construction on the Liberation Hexagon. I want it done immediately. Penance must be served. Blair, Salem, the rest of you... I am sorry for this. For all of it.”

Kain's dark and light forms materialized behind Kain wielding as much impressive power as their complete form. They carried Lyn from Kain and took her to Russia while the others remained in Iceland. A few days passed until Lyn woke up once again. Nearly one week passed by since the events ensued.

His preparations were finally complete. Kain's newest and final creation was complete. It truly was a spectacle to behold. It was an impressive machine to behold. The machine stood over 10 feet tall and was hexagonal in shape measuring 20 feet from side to side. Each portion of wall was made of indestructible glass. There were two squares in the floor about 5 feet away from one another. There was a grate on the ceiling and a few on the floor. Kain smiled at the sight and placed his hand against it.

“Soon...”

War made his way to his computer monitor and typed in his password to log in. While he waited for it to boot up, his hair faded from white to brown and eyes assumed a more normal appearance. His left was green while his right was blue. He wore no shirt for the first time in his lab and popped a cigarette in his mouth. Leaning back in his chair, he puffed away on it. Kain pulled it out of his mouth with his two fingers only to stare at it. This was the last one he would ever have. Interesting thought considering he's never missed a beat over the last few hundred years. Carelessly he flicked it away as a mist of smoke crawled from his mouth to allow his skin to become more human.

Following the havoc brought about by the Humonculi invasion and Kain's own recession to madness, the family of Tenebrasque In was split up around the world to try and rebuild everything. Lyn and Aurora were in Russia which was all Kain knew for sure. The others were in different parts of the Tenebrasque In territories and thankfully, Kain set up equipment throughout those lands. Turning his attention back to the screen, he typed in a few codes. Without warning, every single monitor and holographic projector activated. Monitors in the Savage lands activated, Iceland monitors activated as did the ones in France and those in Russia. No matter where Tenebrasque In's members were, they all could see Kain on the monitor. He smiled as his glasses were pulled off his nose. Finally the vampire spoke more calmly then ever before. He appeared to be at ease, it was an odd feeling he gave off.

“Tenebrasque In, for those of you whom have never seen my natural appearance, it is, Kain. I have one message in particular that I want to pass on to you all. It has been an honor serving with all of you. The adventures we've shared and memories we've created will forever be treasured by me. You are not just team mates to me, you are friends and family. Some of you, are even considered my lovers. I love every single one of you and-”

Kain had to stop speaking for a moment because his voice began cracking. His head fell down into his hands to fight back tears. He bit the back of his tongue to win that little battle. Following seconds of silence he faced his screen again to show his family his face. Two tears of blood rolled down his face and splashed on the “L” and “D” keys. They were quickly wiped from his face so he can continue speaking.

“I love you all. Every last one of you. Syrus, you may be upset at me for killing you and hurting Salem, but I apologize for all of it. I view you as my son. A young dragon that I helped guide as much as I could during my time being alive. Salem, you and Zulu are both my daughters. While Blair may be your biological mother I consider the two of you my shining little stars. Despite how crazy you are. But please, don't stop being yourselves. Vic, I apologize for having torn you in half. I enjoyed your company and found your combat skills most impressive. It's been fun having the two of you around Shadow and Monger. I see both of you as my brothers in arms. While I wish we had more time together, I am happy I at least had the time with you that I did. I have a higher kill count than you do Blair, but I look forward to seeing your numbers shoot up. I'll be watching from somewhere. Naamah... you are still such an enigma to me that I am unable to wrap my head around you. You are a beautiful woman hopefully you'll find what you want and need out of life. Perhaps your father will forgive you and end your exile from the White Kingdom. You and Blair are both sisters and lovers to me. I am wouldn't have wanted anyone else aside from the two of you be with Lyn and I on the battlefield and in the bedroom. We exchanged shared the most intimate of times together and believe me I appreciate it. Take care of Aurora, Charlie. I know you love her and Aurora, do the same for him because I know you love him too. You two were another pair of brother and sister to me. Lyn...”

Again, Kain had to face away from the screen to regain his composure. He muttered a few words under his breath before looking at his machine. A few more words were muttered. War inhaled deeply then spoke again into the monitor.

“Lyn. What can I say to you about us? I love you. I am in love with you and I always will be. You have been my sole purpose for staying alive this long. You've stopped me from ending this world so many times. We've been together for over 600,000 years and not once have we grown bored with one another. I can't live without you and I loathe the thought of hurting you. After that business with the Humonculus and my brainwashing... I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of fighting. Tired of hurting my loved ones... tired of hurting you. I need you more than you need me and I have been holding you back from the type of life you want to live. You are my queen and always will be. Despite what happens within the next few moments, I want you to know I will always protect you. I love you my Queen... my little... white... dove. For the rest of you, this is my final order as your leader, friend, father and lover. The final command of Kain is... live. Live your lives, love too much and cry too little. Goodbye for all of eternity, and I'm sorry.”

With those words the vampire tried to turn off his live feed and the pictures of Tenebrasque In showed up on every screen in his room. Due to his emotional state, Kain hadn't turned off the feed, only opened the file showing his loved ones. He stood up and made his way over to the large device. Overbearing glass doors slid to the side to grant him entry only after entering a pass code. Streams of blood tears rolled down War's soft face only to splatter on his chest and the floor below. From the two squared came magically reinforced restrain posts. They took Kain's wrists and held them firmly in place. The mechanical whirring began and Kain spoke to voice activated system.

“Begin Total Annihilation countdown sequence.”

“Password.”

“Liberation.”

“Total Annihilation in T-Minus 5...”

As the five second countdown sequence began, Kain stared at the pictures on the monitor. He and Lyn were standing with Naamah and Monger along with their child in the Savage Lands. Blair and Shadow invited Kain and Lyn for a blood bath jacuzzi drink. Syrus was blushing as Salem spoke to him and Zulu was being Zulu. Charlie was juggling fuzzles and Aurora was eating a boar's head. The final picture which took up the main screen was of he and Lyn ballroom dancing together. He remembered the night they took that picture... he'd spent all week begging her to dance with him and she finally did after he'd had a hard day. It was... nice and that was when he knew she would never leave his side... His final words left his lips, “I love you, Lyn Trancedigaeth.”

The final second passed and a softer voice spoke to him. “Commencing Annihilation Sequence. Goodbye Kain. It was fun.”

The grate on the ceiling opened up and a monstrous inferno exploded down on the vampire. Flames roared from the machine above as it tore Kain's power from his very being. As blood oozed from his pores the flames cooked him alive. War screamed in agony at the intense pain of feeling himself torn apart from the inside out and being incinerated alive. His healing factor tried to restore him but was simply failing. The smell of burned flesh was making Kain sick. He collapsed to his knees yet continued his blood-curdling agonized screams. More and more of the vampire's power was sapped by the machine slowly rendering him to a human status. His eyes never left the monitors of his family and returned to Lyn's picture. Finally with every drop of power he'd ever had gone, Kain's death was inevitable. The artificial inferno burned away his skin but his eyes remained on Lyn's picture. Again, he spoke to her image.

“I'm sorry... I love you... forever yours... dove...”

After those words, the flames began to reduce him to ash as bone and muscle fell apart. At least his one wish came true this day; Lyn's was the last face he would ever see again. With that knowledge, Kain closed his eyes as his final tears were shed the Horseman of War, Kain, was dead.

Lyn finally regained her senses and was healed from her injuries. She got out of the bed she laid in and instantly recognized the bedroom she and Kain had in Russia. She dressed herself to begin her walk out of the door to find out what happened during her unconscious state. As she stepped out into the hallway the monitors were full of static. The scratchy sounds annoyed Lyn for the moment. Suddenly the screens came to life.

Kain appeared upon the screen. His face appeared somber as he gave his speech and as he spoke Lyn’s heart sank into the depths of her soul. Instantly she screamed for Aurora to her side. The homunculi attack on Tenebrasque In took out most of the technology making teleporting by machine impossible. There was no time to fix the damage. Kain was in Iceland and Lyn was in the heart of Russia recuperating.

Aurora appeared quickly beside Lyn and instantly began teleporting to Iceland. Lyn dashed down the hallways. She never moved so fast to feel she was moving even slower. The monitors revealed Kain stepping into the machine erected behind him. It made an eerie whirling sound as it began to charge up. Lyn made it to the laboratory door to hear Kain’s scream of agony. She frantically tried to open it to no avail. Only to witness a bright light a few seconds afterward.

“No…no…no…NO…NO…OPEN THIS F!@KING DOOR NOW!” She screamed feeling helpless. Tears began to slow run down her face. Aurora was jerking at the door, but the locks did not budge. Kain had made his lab self-contained and almost impenetrable to break open. Lyn cursed him in her mind for doing such a thing, but knew he had some nasty viruses and other chemicals held within.

The bright light dimmed and Lyn looked over to the monitor to see an empty machine. She could feel her own heart break as a powerful energy blasted from her hands. Between that and the others helping to remove the door it finally fell from the hinges. Lyn slowly stepped in with her feet feeling like two ton bricks attached to her legs. Ashes remained were Kain once stood. Her body began to tremble as actual tears ran like rivers to the sea. Normally she cried blood, but the pain was so severe it brought forth real tears.

Lyn fell to her knees before the machine as she slammed her fists down. Sobbing and quivering as she realized he was gone. She felt the ashes touch her hand and inside her mind something snapped. Lyn sensed the others in the lab and through forced words spoke, “Get out.” Sensing them not moving her voice grew in volume. “GET THE F!@K OUT!!” In her mind played out their times together, the moment they first met to the moments before she left him to go to Russia to rebuild their empire.

Energy began to spark and sizzle around her body lashing out at the machine that took her longtime lover. She closed her eyes tightly as the tears burned as they ran. She screamed out as she rose up to her feet. Blasts of energy shot out from her hands striking down the machine. She drew in energy from everything around her. Suddenly the unholy armor formed to her skin, wings of ivory formed from her back, and from her head formed two grand horns. The armor created a mighty sword that Lyn went to work at slashing the machinery apart.

Tears still fell from her face as the machinery sat in rubble when she was done. Lyn wiped away the tears taking in a deep breath almost growling as she did. Rage took over where her love for Kain once stood. He was gone, so there was no point in having it there. Still not satisfied she stepped out of the lab to look over to see her team look upon her in astonishment.

“Humanity will burn for this….I swear and if you do not follow me….I will kill you myself understood?” Her voice was eerie as it sounded like two Lyn’s spoke at once.