"What do you mean the Highers can't come down to Arrithia anymore?" Maeve exclaimed, the disbelief evident in her voice. "I thought I had a lot to catch you up on, but damn..." She glanced back up at the fractured sky. "...whatever you're involved in is much more serious."
Zero joined her in gazing at the sky when his Dragon Senses suddenly went haywire. He turned around to see Aizen stumbling towards him, both arms missing and his third eye disintegrated.
"ZEROOOOOOO!" Aizen called out. "WE SHATTERED THE HEAVENS, BUT WE AREN'T DONE!"
Zero looked from Maeve to Aizen, exhaling a defeated sigh. Gathering what little strength remained, he summoned flames around his hands and feet, their color a pale orange and yellow in his exhaustion. "One of us has to die," he admitted, attempting to summon a Soul Soldier but failing as the magic circle refused to form. "Oh...that's right, this was supposed to be a fresh start on everything." Collapsing to the ground, weak flames flickering, he began to cough. "Shit...I'm gonna be honest, I was tired when I got here, now I just wanna die...finish 'em off?" He managed a smile up at Maeve.
"I’ll do my best, but I got a question first," Maeve replied, her gaze fixed on Aizen. "You want him, right?"
Zero's smile turned sinister as he looked at Aizen. "Oh yeah, he owes me at least one Soul Soldier."
"This kinda sucks though, you know?" Maeve stated, her tone reflecting her disappointment. "This is supposed to be a New God, more powerful than all the Old Gods put together...and if we beat him, what more does Arrithia have to offer for a challenge?"
Zero pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting to the fractured cosmos in the sky, contemplating the future. "I'm sure the future will have something that can kick our asses, besides...we still haven't actually beaten the big guy yet."
Maeve nodded in agreement. "You're right..." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Let me try to finish him." As she prepared to dash forward, a menu appeared in front of her.
[Full Recovery In 00:15]
The timer began counting down, and when it hit '00:10', another display appeared, this one in front of Zero. Then, as the timer dropped down to '00:05', one appeared in front of Aizen, all three sharing the same countdown and status—Full Recovery.
When the timer ran out, a surge of rejuvenation filled Maeve and Zero, and presumably Aizen, before the menus disappeared.
"THERE! ISN'T THAT BETTER!" Aizen called out triumphantly as he adjusted to his regrowing limbs. "I BROUGHT US BACK TO FULL HEALTH SO WE CAN FIGHT AGAIN AND AGAIN!"
Zero was already on his feet, trying to contain his twisted excitement. "Well, Maeve, you wanted a challenge," he remarked, unable to suppress a grin. The flames around his hands blazed with a bright blue aura, followed by his feet, and as he hunched over on all fours, the flames engulfed his head and ran down his back, forming his tail. "I don't know what he just did, but I like it!"
Zero darted across the snow on all fours, leaving a trail of melting ice in his wake. As he closed the gap, Aizen let out a deafening roar and spread out all four of his wings.
"YES, ZERO, SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE BECOME!" Aizen's challenge echoed across the battlefield.
Maeve pulled her hood over her head once more, concealing her horns. With a deep breath, she unfurled her cloak. "Demon Summoning...Sebastian." From within her cloak emerged a demon with the lower half of a BirdFolk, long, slender, black feathered legs, and the upper half of a human, pale skin akin to Aizen's. They sported a long, thin tail and twisted black horns protruding from their forehead. Short black hair framed their head, and their blood-red eyes locked onto Aizen as they spread their bat wings wide.
"Him, my liege?" Sebastian inquired.
"Yes," Maeve confirmed.
With a single flap of his wings, Sebastian propelled himself across the snow towards Zero and Aizen.
Zero sensed the incoming malice and quickly sidestepped, allowing Sebastian to take center stage.
He tackled Aizen, lifting him into the air with one arm while his bat wings flapped repeatedly, Aizen struggling against the hold
"Your divine strength is no good here. Maeve has kept us quite well-fed, enough Souls to help shatter the heavens AND keep all of us plenty strong," Sebastian's voice, though soft, held an underlying tone of confidence that belied his demeanor. "Let's see what makes you so special." With a swift motion, Sebastian flung open his wings, and as he did, magic circles manifested on each wing in a bright blue glow. The intensity of the glow increased, accompanied by the appearance of a menu display in front of Sebastian.
"What the devil is this?" he muttered.
[Demon Magic Disabled]
Sebastian let out a screech as the magic circle on his wings disappeared, and his body began to disintegrate. He released Aizen as his body crumbled up to his waist, Aizen flapping his wings to stay afloat long enough to watch the rest of Sebastian's body turn into ash. With a stoic expression, Zero looked up from the ground as Aizen turned his attention to Maeve. Aizen moved his hand over to the menu and pulled it towards himself, then pushed it down towards Maeve. The menu flew through the air and slowed just as it reached Maeve, displaying the same message that it did to Sebastian.
[Demon Magic Disabled]
"It's supposed to just be the three of us, we can't be having interference," Aizen declared as the menu disappeared from in front of Maeve. "Just you, me..." He teleported suddenly in front of Zero. "...and ZERO!" Aizen swung his hand through the air, his glowing sword manifesting in his grasp. "NO MORE RAVENS LEFT FOR YOU!" He swung the sword, only for Zero to teleport just outside of the blade's tip.
"All that mighty power and you still keep falling for the ol' teleport trick," Zero taunted. His flaming tail flicked back and forth, ready for Aizen's next move, but Aizen just stood there for a moment before another menu popped open in front of Zero.
[Teleportation Disabled]
Zero looked up from the menu to Aizen. "That's cheap," he remarked, then glanced back down. "Clever! But cheap."
Aizen dashed forward, grabbing hold of Zero once more as he went to thrust his sword forward. In response, Zero opened his mouth and let out a Dragon Roar, stunning Aizen and causing him to release his grip.
Zero quickly dashed backwards toward Maeve.
Aizen stood there for a moment, his head leaning forward slightly, prompting Zero to shout.
"Don't you fucking dare disable Dragon Roar!"
[Dragon Roar Disabled]
Zero let out an audible gasp. "Ahh, you BITCH!" He knelt back down on all fours, his tail swaying back and forth before expanding at the tip, flames rippling out and sending blue sparks in all directions. "If Sun-Kong could see me now." He dug his hands and feet into the snow, their flames growing slightly in intensity. "He always said I relied on teleportation too much." Zero paused, his head tilting in thought. "He also said announcing my attacks was stupid, but I always told him I thought it sounded cool. Now I see what he was talking about."
Zero sighed, his frustration evident. "You'd think he'd have mentioned it was because someone can just disable it or whatever. Anti-Magic is one thing, but this? Damn buddy, the compensation is HUUUUUGE."
"Anti-Magic isn't absolute, but I am," Aizen lifted his hand, and another menu appeared in front of Zero.
[Your Duel With Maeve Starts In 0:15]
"Zero," Maeve's voice was filled with concern, prompting Zero to turn around and see that a menu was also displayed in front of her.
[Your Duel With Xayddryrth Starts In 0:13]
Zero whipped his head back to Aizen, who wore a gleeful smile, his fingers slowly waving from his raised hand. Suddenly, his smile disappeared as he jerked his head to the side. "Oh, I bet I know some people who would love to see this." Aizen snapped his fingers, and Idris, Taharqa, Menelik, Odudwa, Kazuka, Elsa, and Loki were all teleported to Aizen's side, each of them bound by golden magic chains.
"What the fuck is this?" Menelik exclaimed. "I was just in one prison and now I’m in another?"
"You were in prison? Huh. We were coming to find your ass," Idris replied.
"Silence." Aizen's command silenced everyone and drew their attention towards him. "The show is about to begin."
[Your Duel With Maeve Starts In 0:01]
[Your Duel With Xayddryrth Starts In 0:01]
Menus popped up in front of everyone who stood with Aizen, each displaying the same message.
[A Duel Between Maeve & Xayddryrth Has Started]
"What do you mean the Highers can't come down to Arrithia anymore?" Maeve exclaimed, the disbelief evident in her voice. "I thought I had a lot to catch you up on, but damn..." She glanced back up at the fractured sky. "...whatever you're involved in is much more serious."
Zero joined her in gazing at the sky when his Dragon Senses suddenly went haywire. He turned around to see Aizen stumbling towards him, both arms missing and his third eye disintegrated.
"ZEROOOOOOO!" Aizen called out. "WE SHATTERED THE HEAVENS, BUT WE AREN'T DONE!"
Zero looked from Maeve to Aizen, exhaling a defeated sigh. Gathering what little strength remained, he summoned flames around his hands and feet, their color a pale orange and yellow in his exhaustion. "One of us has to die," he admitted, attempting to summon a Soul Soldier but failing as the magic circle refused to form. "Oh...that's right, this was supposed to be a fresh start on everything." Collapsing to the ground, weak flames flickering, he began to cough. "Shit...I'm gonna be honest, I was tired when I got here, now I just wanna die...finish 'em off?" He managed a smile up at Maeve.
"I’ll do my best, but I got a question first," Maeve replied, her gaze fixed on Aizen. "You want him, right?"
Zero's smile turned sinister as he looked at Aizen. "Oh yeah, he owes me at least one Soul Soldier."
"This kinda sucks though, you know?" Maeve stated, her tone reflecting her disappointment. "This is supposed to be a New God, more powerful than all the Old Gods put together...and if we beat him, what more does Arrithia have to offer for a challenge?"
Zero pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting to the fractured cosmos in the sky, contemplating the future. "I'm sure the future will have something that can kick our asses, besides...we still haven't actually beaten the big guy yet."
Maeve nodded in agreement. "You're right..." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Let me try to finish him." As she prepared to dash forward, a menu appeared in front of her.
[Full Recovery In 00:15]
The timer began counting down, and when it hit '00:10', another display appeared, this one in front of Zero. Then, as the timer dropped down to '00:05', one appeared in front of Aizen, all three sharing the same countdown and status—Full Recovery.
When the timer ran out, a surge of rejuvenation filled Maeve and Zero, and presumably Aizen, before the menus disappeared.
"THERE! ISN'T THAT BETTER!" Aizen called out triumphantly as he adjusted to his regrowing limbs. "I BROUGHT US BACK TO FULL HEALTH SO WE CAN FIGHT AGAIN AND AGAIN!"
Zero was already on his feet, trying to contain his twisted excitement. "Well, Maeve, you wanted a challenge," he remarked, unable to suppress a grin. The flames around his hands blazed with a bright blue aura, followed by his feet, and as he hunched over on all fours, the flames engulfed his head and ran down his back, forming his tail. "I don't know what he just did, but I like it!"
Zero darted across the snow on all fours, leaving a trail of melting ice in his wake. As he closed the gap, Aizen let out a deafening roar and spread out all four of his wings.
"YES, ZERO, SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE BECOME!" Aizen's challenge echoed across the battlefield.
Maeve pulled her hood over her head once more, concealing her horns. With a deep breath, she unfurled her cloak. "Demon Summoning...Sebastian." From within her cloak emerged a demon with the lower half of a BirdFolk, long, slender, black feathered legs, and the upper half of a human, pale skin akin to Aizen's. They sported a long, thin tail and twisted black horns protruding from their forehead. Short black hair framed their head, and their blood-red eyes locked onto Aizen as they spread their bat wings wide.
"Him, my liege?" Sebastian inquired.
"Yes," Maeve confirmed.
With a single flap of his wings, Sebastian propelled himself across the snow towards Zero and Aizen.
Zero sensed the incoming malice and quickly sidestepped, allowing Sebastian to take center stage.
He tackled Aizen, lifting him into the air with one arm while his bat wings flapped repeatedly, Aizen struggling against the hold
"Your divine strength is no good here. Maeve has kept us quite well-fed, enough Souls to help shatter the heavens AND keep all of us plenty strong," Sebastian's voice, though soft, held an underlying tone of confidence that belied his demeanor. "Let's see what makes you so special." With a swift motion, Sebastian flung open his wings, and as he did, magic circles manifested on each wing in a bright blue glow. The intensity of the glow increased, accompanied by the appearance of a menu display in front of Sebastian.
"What the devil is this?" he muttered.
[Demon Magic Disabled]
Sebastian let out a screech as the magic circle on his wings disappeared, and his body began to disintegrate. He released Aizen as his body crumbled up to his waist, Aizen flapping his wings to stay afloat long enough to watch the rest of Sebastian's body turn into ash. With a stoic expression, Zero looked up from the ground as Aizen turned his attention to Maeve. Aizen moved his hand over to the menu and pulled it towards himself, then pushed it down towards Maeve. The menu flew through the air and slowed just as it reached Maeve, displaying the same message that it did to Sebastian.
[Demon Magic Disabled]
"It's supposed to just be the three of us, we can't be having interference," Aizen declared as the menu disappeared from in front of Maeve. "Just you, me..." He teleported suddenly in front of Zero. "...and ZERO!" Aizen swung his hand through the air, his glowing sword manifesting in his grasp. "NO MORE RAVENS LEFT FOR YOU!" He swung the sword, only for Zero to teleport just outside of the blade's tip.
"All that mighty power and you still keep falling for the ol' teleport trick," Zero taunted. His flaming tail flicked back and forth, ready for Aizen's next move, but Aizen just stood there for a moment before another menu popped open in front of Zero.
[Teleportation Disabled]
Zero looked up from the menu to Aizen. "That's cheap," he remarked, then glanced back down. "Clever! But cheap."
Aizen dashed forward, grabbing hold of Zero once more as he went to thrust his sword forward. In response, Zero opened his mouth and let out a Dragon Roar, stunning Aizen and causing him to release his grip.
Zero quickly dashed backwards toward Maeve.
Aizen stood there for a moment, his head leaning forward slightly, prompting Zero to shout.
"Don't you fucking dare disable Dragon Roar!"
[Dragon Roar Disabled]
Zero let out an audible gasp. "Ahh, you BITCH!" He knelt back down on all fours, his tail swaying back and forth before expanding at the tip, flames rippling out and sending blue sparks in all directions. "If Sun-Kong could see me now." He dug his hands and feet into the snow, their flames growing slightly in intensity. "He always said I relied on teleportation too much." Zero paused, his head tilting in thought. "He also said announcing my attacks was stupid, but I always told him I thought it sounded cool. Now I see what he was talking about."
Zero sighed, his frustration evident. "You'd think he'd have mentioned it was because someone can just disable it or whatever. Anti-Magic is one thing, but this? Damn buddy, the compensation is HUUUUUGE."
"Anti-Magic isn't absolute, but I am," Aizen lifted his hand, and another menu appeared in front of Zero.
[Your Duel With Maeve Starts In 0:15]
"Zero," Maeve's voice was filled with concern, prompting Zero to turn around and see that a menu was also displayed in front of her.
[Your Duel With Xayddryrth Starts In 0:13]
Zero whipped his head back to Aizen, who wore a gleeful smile, his fingers slowly waving from his raised hand. Suddenly, his smile disappeared as he jerked his head to the side. "Oh, I bet I know some people who would love to see this." Aizen snapped his fingers, and Idris, Taharqa, Menelik, Odudwa, Kazuka, Elsa, and Loki were all teleported to Aizen's side, each of them bound by golden magic chains.
"What the fuck is this?" Menelik exclaimed. "I was just in one prison and now I’m in another?"
"You were in prison? Huh. We were coming to find your ass," Idris replied.
"Silence." Aizen's command silenced everyone and drew their attention towards him. "The show is about to begin."
[Your Duel With Maeve Starts In 0:01]
[Your Duel With Xayddryrth Starts In 0:01]
Menus popped up in front of everyone who stood with Aizen, each displaying the same message.
[A Duel Between Maeve & Xayddryrth Has Started]
