Eldaire

Matt flew back into the sky to give himself from distance from Szanods coming attack, ensuring that Matt would not be the one he chose. Serendice also floated into the air, still facing the ice demon.

"Szanod, I know you can hear me! You've made two grave errors in calculation. For one, I have been to hell already. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there if you know what I mean. And the other, the several ton dragon that appears to be flying."

"Serendice, what has brought you here? Did He send you?"

Dixie

"You looked like you could use some help, darlin."

Serendice shook her head in bitter disdain of Szanod's threats.

"Such filth should never have been permitted to exist. No matter, his life is of no consequence to me and therefore must be forfeited. However, I would rather start with something lighter. Koorittou, shall we?"

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

"Lighter?" Koorittou questioned, no longer sporting his sheepish grin, "I dont know about lighter...but certainly colder."

He then charged one of his ice covered ki attacks and launched it at Serendice, who dodged it easily , simply floating to the side. When she looked down to respond to Koorittou's latest remark, she found him missing from the spot he had previously been standing.

All of a sudden, she felt an icy presence coming towards her, but from what direction she didn't know. UP! Koorittou had used his god-like speed to propel himself off the ground, and was now hovering a few feet above Serendice.

Koorittou, seeing his chance, quickly drew his ice-covered katana and struck downwards, before Serendice had a chance to defend, as he began to fall back towards the ground.

Serendice had not felt the ice-covered blade strike her, but instead felt an icy chill travel down her right arm as she watched Koorittou fall gently back to the ground.

When he had finally reached the ground and turned around to face her, Serendice began to say "You missed me..." but fell silent midway through her sentence when the strap of her tunic covering her right shoulder fell down, revealing the white skin of her shoulder, nothing more. She realized that the strap had had been cut.

"See..." Korittou said, again dorning his sheepish grin "definitely not lighter. But certainly nice and kind...wouldn't you say? I could have revealed a lot more but I thought that I would save you the embarassment and not insult Matt, who seems to be some sort of companion to you."

With these words, Serendice blushed a deep red and clenched her fists, obviously very angry. Koorittou smiled, knowing that his words had gotten to her.

'Now I'm in for it...' Koorittou thought to himself as he stood looking at up the enranged angel.

krazixs

Arc smiled and shrugged. Watching everyone begin fighting again, he simply waited.

__________________
The Kender in your party has just screamed in fear. Please roll a d20 to see how many of your body parts are still identifiable.

SSJwrestler

"Arc, you've been silent for some time..." Koorittou said turning towards his former oppnent, " You dont mind if Serendice cuts in do you?"

krazixs

"Not at all, I'm sure some one else will appear to distract me while I wait"

__________________
The Kender in your party has just screamed in fear. Please roll a d20 to see how many of your body parts are still identifiable.

SSJwrestler

"I don't know Arc," Koorittou said, still keeping a watchful eye on the enraged angelic warrior. "The way things have been going you may have a new opponent anytime now."

losthellhound

Kuaiji felt the blows to his soul as readily as he felt them to his body. The blows the demon had struck him with were terrible, and a lesser man would have fallen minutes ago. Kuaiji left his mind a moment, gathering strength around him. Then he let a small smile escape his contenance and called to the demon

HEY! You forgot one thing.. HER!

The dragon had taken off and was finishing a wide arc across the field. Then, with a roar that seemed to flatten the grasses and still the wind, a wipe swath of blue flame leapt from its muzzle to encase Kuaiji and his prison. When the great beast had passed, Kuaiji stood leaning against his staff heavily, but free of the prison. The dragon then landed and thrust its head deep into the ground. It dug for a moment before tearing up the demon, still half ethereal. It held the demon for a moment before flinging it towards Kuaiji.

Good Dreamspike, your work here is done was all Kuaiji said as he draw back his staff and swung at the flying demon.

The impact of demon on staff was tremendous, and several combatants were flung to the ground, but when the dust settled Kuaiji was standing again, as was the demon. The demon was unhurt, but a long gash had been broken along the front of the armor

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

Dixie

Serendice arched one eyebrow in amusement, glanced down at her bare shoulder, silently and meticulously undid her belt and removed the sliced tunic, revealing a tight black camisole which clung to her chest and muscular stomach.
"You're schoolboy gibes have little effect on one who has reached the last state of peace, Koorittou. But now, let me teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."
With these words, Serendice dropped to the ground in front of Koorittou, crouched for a moment and then leapt at him, swinging the saber mercilessly across his left side. The sharp tip of the weapon caught Koorittou in the shoulder before he dodged back, regained his stance, and met his opponent as an equal.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

"Right..." Koorittou said, with a slight grimace on his face (that damn little cut hurt like Hell!), "I don't know about being in the last state of peace or anything, but I do know that you need to lighten up a little bit or you're gonna get a hernia or something. Stress causes these things."

'Damn she's quick!' Koorittou thought to himself 'I really need to stop underestimating these folks. Eldaire, Matt, Arc, and now her...I've done this alot!'

However, despite underestimating Serendice, Koorittou knew from the start that this was going to be a tough battle to win, cosidering the fact that from the beginning of his training he had been taught not to strike women.

'Damn this sucks!' he again thought to himself 'She's taking this thing way to serious, and I can't land a harmful blow. O well...just more of a challenge....fun...'

Serendice, thoroughly perplexed as to why Koorittou seemed to be having a mental conversation with himself while standing in a defensive stance with a troubled look on his face, had had enough. She made the first move.

Crouching again for a split second, Serendice lunged at Korittou and began swinging her glistening sabre with precise blows, trying to take off Koorittou's head. This time though, with a troubled look still on his face and clearly still engulfed in his own thoughts, Koorittou effortlessly dodged the angel warrior's attacks. If Koorittou had anything going for him in this battle, it was his speed, he was still quicker than Serendice.

After a few moments of fruitless blows, Serendice came to a stop about 20 feet away from Koorittou, who had finally awoken from his mental trance.

"Oh, did you want to continue Serendice?" Koorittou mocked with another sheepish grin on his face. " I apologize for keeping you waiting. I'm ready now."

Bob Biter

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Dixie

Closing her eyes for a moment to refocus her energy after the somewhat embarassing attempt at attacking Koorittou, Serendice gripped her blade at her side and took a moment to reflect, as well.
'This child is obviously holding back. Why won't he fight me? His agility and speed will keep him from meeting with my blade for a time, but it would be shameful and futile to fight someone who doesn't fight back!'
As Serendice's frustration with Koorittou's playful stance mounted, so did her anger. This was what had gotten her into trouble so many years ago...pride. She slid the sabre back into its sheath and bit her lip in contempt.
In a fit of frustration, Serendice crouched, drew a dagger from her boot and hurled it at Koorittou, who dodged it effortlessly and moved in closer to her. In a flash, Serendice whirled around and flung up her left leg to meet Koorittou's advance. The kick barely grazed Koorittou's cheek, but left him slightly alarmed by her quickness. Serendice spun away from him, drew her sabre, dropped to the ground and slung the blade around toward his legs. He leapt up to avoid the blow and drew his katana resolutely. Serendice smiled, satisfied that he would now truly fight her, not as a woman but as a warrior.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Eldaire

"Hahaha! It looks like you've got your hands full Serendice. This ice demon is no joke. Remember, you're not in heaven any more and you're going to have to focus your energy differently. I would love to help, but I have other obligations for now. Don't kill him though okay? He's not a bad guy. Besides, he could be useful..."

Matt flew over to Arc. He remained in the air, on the same level as Arc but about 20 ft. back from the side of the mountain. He took a brief moment to admire the fighting around him. These were all very skilled warriors.

"It would appear that all of the other opponents have been selected. Strength and honor to you good warrior, and may the best man win."

With that, Matt took a fighting stance midair, powered up his aura, and awaited Arc's move.

krazixs

Arc smiled

"As you wish"

Arc rose in the air on a level with Matt. With his spear still on his shoulder, he asked

"Would you like to make the first move or shall I?"

__________________
The Kender in your party has just screamed in fear. Please roll a d20 to see how many of your body parts are still identifiable.

Bob Biter

As his temper returned to normal, Szanod gazed at the being now lying on the ground before him. The demon warrior always took pride in his calm collectiveness that had prevailed so many times. The fact that it had escaped him for a moment gave him pause, though. This one would be especially difficult to break. However, he WOULD be broken.

Szanod then picked up the dazed Kuaiji and, holding him up with one hand against his wall, began punching him with great force in the stomach. Each blow was made harder by the fact that Kuaiji's body could not recoil from it, since he was pressed up against the spiked wall behind him. Szanod kept on striking until the wall had become so weak, it shattered. (OOC: Ever seen the anime Ninja Scroll? The part when Jubei fights the Rock Demon is what came to my mind when I thought of this last attack. Just a little visual for you all!)

Tossing Kuaiji's limp form aside, Szanod then surveyed the battles before him. It would seem that a total of three skirmishes were taking place. The lightning being with the warrior, the "angel" against the chi master and himself with this surprisingly resiliant mystery fighter.

Undecided as to which fighter to break first, Szanod looked back at Kuaiji, to make sure that he would cause no further trouble and concentrated his eldricht energies at repairing his armour.

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Eldaire

"I think I will initiate."

With that, Matt vanished. The lightening warrior had no trouble following him though. The spear was thrusted out with great speed several times. They were all futile though, as they fell through a series of after images. Then, Matt broke through Arc's defenses and landed a punch square on his nose, which went straight through as the image of Matt's hand faded into Arc's face. Realizing it was another after image, Arc's eyes grew wide with suprise. Matt landed a kick on Arc's back, but as Arc flew downward, he managed a counter stab with the spear. Matt thought he had dodged, but then lightening shot from the tip of the spear, paralyzing Matt. Arc managed to land on his feet and looked up just in time to see Matt finishing his recovery from the shock.

Dixie

"Heaven is of no concern to me..." the fallen angel muttered.

With a deep breath, Serendice realized that Matt was right about one thing, she was taking a beating that wasn't characteristic of her and getting a handle on her energy would help significantly.

She paid no mind to Matt's advice not to kill the demon, it would be a shame to permanently close such beautiful blue eyes, though...

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

So far Koorittou's plan had worked flawlessly. He was a master in the art of causing anger and frustration in his opponents. Largely due to his incredible speed.

'This one has been hard to frustrate so far...' Koorittou thought to himself 'maybe theres some truth in her claim to have reached the highest state of calm.'

" So Serendice, shall we continue this little romp through a field of daisies, or are we ready to retire?' Koorittou said, his ice blue eyes glistening in the high noon sun.

"Personally, I would like to continue this battle very much. You are a very worthy and...." Koorittou paused as he again relaized Serendice's great beauty, even if she was trying to kill him. "um..worthy and strong opponent."

With this, Koorittou began to power up what appeared to be his ice-covered ki attack. Serendice braced herself and awaited the apparent attack, but it didn't come. Instead, Koorittou took the ball of ice and crushed it in his hands, causing it to splinter into long sharp shards.

Serendice looked on with a confused look on her beautiful face, as she wondered what Koorittou was up to. She didn't have to wait long for an answer. Koorittou took the ice shards and divided them equally, holding them in either hand, and began to throw them at Serendice, using the shards as shirukens.

A surprised Serendice had a hard time dodging the onslaught of the ice shards, and was struck by many of them on the sides of her arms and legs, tearing her chimise and pants slightly. None of the wounds were even close to being fatal and they bled only a little, but the bitter sting of coldness eminated from every wound that covered her body.

'Good' Koorittou thought to himeself 'Damage done but nothing fatal.'

Koorittou again took up a fighting stance and awaited Serendice's next attack, with a slight smile on his face and his blue eyes still shining with the noon sun.

Dixie

Serendice winced in pain and glared into Koorittou's gleaming eyes.

"Alright, now I'm angry."

Matt was jerked from his battle at hearing this comment.

"What? Serendice, what are you saying? You shouldn't be feeling those things. You don't have a human body."

"Quiet!"

The rage in Serendice's voice shocked Matt into silence. She looked at Koorittou with a cold stare. She held out her hand, and suddenly, a flaming sword, emminating a great raw power appeared in there.

"Serendice! Where did you get that! That sword's forbidden to all but Michael! You can't possibly have it unless..."

"Precisely. I stole the sword, it should have been mine from the start. No one can appreciate or use its power like I can. I've fallen, my inhibitions are gone and now..."

Her once brillaint form began to grow dark. At the same time, her power increased greatly. A great darkness seeped from the ground and began to cover her. It was thick as tar and for a moment, she was hidden by the cloud of dark power. Then, the aura seeped into her body. Her eyes now glowed a terrible blood red. Her teeth pointed to fangs. Her nails grew long and almost lethal. Her beauty was still there, but instead of innocent and sweet, she was now seductive and dark.

"Now," she said. Her voice was thick with hatred and suffering. "Now you will die."

She outstretched her hand and Koorittou was sent flying back. Before he even realized what happened she was behind him, holding the sword overhead. When he got close, she brought it down hard. A crater 20 ft deep was left where she had swung it. Koorittou watched from overhead, held by Matt, with a look of shock and horror on his face.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Bob Biter

With an amused curiosity, Szanod watched as Serendice underwent her transformation. After she completed her attack, he addressed her.

"Such a pity to see the virtuous fall so far from the light, as if they didn't have the fortitude to endure service to the fickle energy you call "God", "Lord" or whatever. However, I have fought and broken many of your kind on their way down to the Netherworld. I recognize the anguish you feel, Serendice. The sin of the Morningstar has seeped to your very core.

Let go of your pride, dark angel. Accept what you are and believe in yourself."

Then addressing everyone:

"You see me as a simple demon, bound to malignant forces greater than I, but I beg to differ. I was once a champion of light that tired of battling all the monstrosities that spewed forth from the Netherworld unto an unsuspecting Earth. Hell's denizens were too strong, so I descended to the gates myself to ensure that at least some of the newly damned were too weak and broken to ever come back and haunt the innocent.

I have accepted a part of that darkness in me, but in doing so I'm using the Netherworld's energies against itself. Why do I still exist, I do not know. But while I do, I commit my life to battle and darkness, so that hell may at least be partially weakened."

Looking back at Serendice, Szanod smiled and said:

"Darkness is not evil, just the absence of light."

With that, he slammed his fists on the ground, which conjured up a swath of flame of about 10 feet high that travelled at top speed towards her in a zigzag pattern, makin git much harder to dodge.

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

krazixs

"I am fair warrior, and you are fast but I guarantee you, you are not fast enough"

Reversing the spear he stabs it in the ground in front of him.

Looking toward the sky at Mat he smiles, that was the last clear image Mat saw, there was no after image no sound, simply the impact of a fist in Mat's ribcage. Mat acted on insticnt moving back throwing blocks left and right however for every one he blocked three made it through.
With a crack that was echoed by thunder Mat felt one of his ribs break, his next block came a second too late and another hit struck him across his temple.
His vision flashed and for a second he saw that same smile, before he was hit across the back sending him crashing to the earth below.

Thunder rolled in the distance. . .

Mat got to his feet determined to not let the other warrior see his pain, and was succesful in rising with only a small wince.

Arc once again stood by his spear, waiting

__________________
The Kender in your party has just screamed in fear. Please roll a d20 to see how many of your body parts are still identifiable.

Eldaire

Matt looked over at Koorittou to make sure he had landed safely. He had. The way he was able to land, he might as well be able to fly. Then, Matt felt a wave of dizziness come over him. For a moment, he forgot all about Arc and looked over at Serendice.

"No. Serendice. It can't be. I... I lov..."

Tears were flowing freely down Matt's face. With great effort, he reached out a hand covered in blood and dirt. Then, her image blurred and faded away. Matt fell limp to the earth. Beautiful white wings poured like water from Matt's back, also covered in blood. As he lay there, a brilliant light washed over him and he was gone.

Dixie

Serendice leapt upward in a fit of passion, narrowly escaping the fiery rift created by Szanod. She landed roughly on the ground beside the dying angel. Serendice watched in anguish as her once beloved seraphim faded from sight, leaving her empty with only the sting of the truth of Szanod's words to compel her onward.

"Matt..." she whispered, a single tear sliding down her flushed cheek.

She bowed her head in pain and fear and felt the power of the darkness overtaking her. Perhaps now they should all die to justify her loss.

Serendice stood up, clutching the flaming sword, to meet whoever might advance...

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Bob Biter

She did not have to wait long. As soon as she got up, Szanod was directly in front of her.

"Are you evil now, Serendice? Have you switched "teams" just like that? Or are you yourself, living in this moment, devoid of blinding emotions such as regret, fear, love and hatred? Come at me, fallen angel, that I may know you in battle."

Szanod then took a low stance, his armour now fully repaired and the dark energies gathering around him.

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

SSJwrestler

"Matt?....." Koorittou questioned. "It can't be...you can't be dead...you're to strong..to noble..I won't let this go...you saved my life...YOU'LL ALL PAY!!!"

Koorittou had had enough of this ridiculous "game" as some of the players saw it. Enough of the pain, enough of the torment, enough of the bloodshed. He was the guardian of these sacred lands upon which this battle was being waged, it's about time he started acting like it.

Summoning all the ki energy he could muster in his weakened state, Koorittou began to power up with his sword still in hand. As he did, his blue ora began to grow and grow until it covered a span of about 15 feet.

In response to this power surge, the land's climate began to change. Dark snowclouds began to form over head, and ice began to form over the wheat field, creating a sheet of ice over the land, preventing any escape of his oponents underground. Soon snow and ice began to fall from the sky, small and light at first, but then quick and heavy. Large shards of ice began to fall from the sky as if spears were being shot down from heaven. These ice spears began to pelt Koorittou's opponents, and as the number and speed of the shards started to pick up, it was all that they could do to dodge and avoid injury.

The entire landscape was now a wintery storm, and Koorittou stood in the center of it, unphased, sword drawn, and ora still powerfully eminating from his body.

"Shiva! Give me the strength to conquer my foes, and avenge the life of my comrade who I was unable to save." Koorittou yelled looking up towards the nearby mountians.

He was answered by a new ora, a new power, growing inside of him. Seamlessly, his ora changed from its previous color of light blue to pure white. He had the power of Shiva, all the power of the ice goddess in his body.

"THE TIME HAS COME!" Korittou yelled, raising his katana above his head "YOU'LL PAY!"

With this, Koorittou struck the ground with his katana, and the ground shattered. The wintery storm around him grew even more intense, nothing was visible to his opponent's, him or his attack. Huge rods of ice and balls of blue ki energy begn to emerge under the feet of all his opponents. Then...the blast. An explosion of ice, snow, and ki energy. His opponent's couldn't escape, they were all blindly struck by the attack.

Koorittou stood in the middle of the wheat field as the debris from his attack settled to the ground and the severe blizzard subsided to a light downfall of snow. The enitre landscape was covered by a white blanket of snow and ice. Nothing was vivisble but white, not even his opponents.

An exhausted Korittou thought to himself 'Have I done enough?'

Eldaire

Eldaire rested quietly in the forest. Birds, wolves, and bears alike gathered around him, protecting him and tending to him. Suddenly, Eldaire began to stir. He was not awakening, he was dreaming...

Eldaire stood alone in a vast white terrain. He couldn't tell where the sky ended and the ground began. Off in one direction, he saw Matt.

"Eldaire. The time has come. Whether you're ready or not, this angel must be passed on. Eldaire, remember what you fight for. You're not just fighting for yourself, you're fighting for the human race and all the good it's capable of. You're fighting for love. You're fighting for friendship. You're fighting for all that is good. Now Eldaire, awaken!"

The image of Matt suddenly exploded into a million white particles. They began to drift towards Eldaire, slowly at first, but soon they were rocketing towards him. As they met him, he felt a strange tingling all over. Then, his mind was filled with the mind of the angel that was entering him. He gained the knowledge of millenia of training. But more importantly, he gained all of the passion of the angel. Visions began to shoot through his mind. He saw God in all his glory, instructing him in the art of combat. He saw war and bloodshed. Countless lives being lost. Then, he saw Serendice. They were together in a beautiful garden.

"We'll always be together, right?" Serendice whispered gently into his ear. "Always," was the response. They shared a long passionate kiss. The next thing he saw was Serendice in her terrible demon form. He heard a voice in his head. "Take care of her Eldaire." It was Matt. "Take care of Serendice."

He saw the image of Ligot, the body that had just died, training. It was training, just as Eldaire had been doing, to become the next protector of the humans.

He then saw Korittou fighting boldly to protect his lands. His demon nature did not seem to compel him to evil. He merely wanted to ensure peace in his domain. "Teach him."

He saw Kuaiji and Arc, weapons drawn prepared for battle. "Guide these warriors away from darkness. Protect them and protect those they fight."

He saw Szanod punishing foes and rejoicing in their pain. "Protect your friends from people like this. Save them from harm. Now Eldaire, you've slept long enough! AWAKEN!"

Eldaire awoke, screaming in righteous fury, instantly on his feet. He fell to his knees and tears streamed down his face. The power of the angel was a terrible burden to bear. As he knelt down, he brought his head to the ground. Tears formed a puddle in the dirt beneath him. He felt a terrible pain in his back, and two beautiful white wings exploded from his shoulder blades. Then, he stood. He was no longer so overcome with emotion. He felt peace. He walked calmly to a nearby pond and saw his reflection.

"Who is this? Is this me? I remember who I was, but that's not who I am any more. I see. Now I am Matt, the defender of the light!"

"Wow, I wasn't sure if this body was ready, but my power seems to be even greater in it. My power's twice what it was in that kid's body."

He exploded in a brilliant white aura, twice as powerful as Matt's before him. He knew Ligot, the body Matt had just used, was smiling from on high. He then shot off back towards the battle, leaving a huge crater where he once stood.

When he returned to the battle, he saw only ice. He flew above the spot where Korittou stood.

"Korittou! What have you done? Where is Serendice? Where are the others?"

losthellhound

Watched the battle from the ether. He knew his body was wrecked beyond all hope and he felt an odd sensation, fear? guilt? no.. release. The demon had ensured that Kuaiji's body would not house a mortal soul again. A cage, it was.. and now he was free of it. He could feel the wind still, though now the wind of the ether, pushing him like a leaf in a hailstorm.

There. There they are.

The ground was white, cracked and angry. Fewer warriors stood, but the demon was among them. Kuaiji drifted closer, only to get pushed away again. So he chose another. Yes.. Her.

She was awash in rage, anger, and it was directed in the right place. Kuaiji allowed himself to be drawn closer to her, and whispered in her ear. He had no voice, but he was sure she would hear the words

I am Kuaiji Ill'Kator. I am the last of the whispers of ages past. I held the mantle of seven lands like a shepard king. I have spoken words forgotten by all but the stars, but I have failed here. I shall guide your rage, strike now!

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

SSJwrestler

"I...I...I don't know." Kooritou stammered as he struggled to stand.

Eldaire could feel Koorttou's energy rapidly declining, but did nothing to help.

" This..." Koorittou said, falling to his knees and surveying his surroundings. "..was not supposed to happen. So much destruction..what have I done?"

Koorittou repeated Eldaire's question to himself now, over and over. He looked at his hands, still holding the ice-covered katana, and felt disgusted. He threw the sword away, and it landed on the ground yards away.

"This wasn't supposed to happen...I didn't mean...why?" Koorittou stammered.

Tears began to fall down his cheeks, but were frozen before they coud even reach halfway down his face. The ice demon's once amazing white ora had reutrned to its light blue color now, and had been reduced to nothing more than a flicker.

'Are they all gone?' Koorittou thought to himself 'Have I killed them all.'

Suddenly, Koorittou's strength gave out and he fell face first into the snow covered ground. Eldaire made no attempts to help him, he couldn't, how could he help such a demon...

As Kooritou laid on the snow covered ground, breathing heavily, he thought to himself:

'I never knew ice could be THIS cold...'

Dixie

Serendice's battered body surged with pain and a terrible cold. She couldn't cry or speak or move in her icy cage. Suddenly she felt the presence of the angel she thought she had lost.

'Could it be?' she wondered. 'Could he still be alive? No, that's impossible! I saw him die!'

As the anger flooded back into her she felt something else entering her as well.

"I am Kuaiji Ill'Kator. I am the last of the whispers of ages past. I held the mantle of seven lands like a shepard king. I have spoken words forgotten by all but the stars, but I have failed here. I shall guide your rage, strike now!"

She felt an intense energy and power caress her being as she allowed the demon to guide her...

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Eldaire

Eldaire looked down on the once proud ice demon.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Besides, I don't think they're dead. That was a fearsome attack to be sure, but these warriors are strong and resilliant."

Eldaire retracted his wings into his body and flew down next to Korittou.

"Rise warrior. You must survive this battle. Your destiny is great, and I would be failing Matt if I allowed you to give up so easily. Now, help me look for the others so we can save them."

SSJwrestler

"What's the point?" Koorittou asked, still eminating frozen tears from his blue eyes."I let the demon side of me get the better of me, and I have hurt everyone, and I have failed my mission. I damned this sacred land to an eternally cold prison."

Koorittou did not rise from the icy ground. The cold of the ground even sent icy stings thoughout his body, and he was an ice demon. Imagine the pain the others felt.

'Good..' Koorittou thought to himself. 'At least I can share in at least some of the pain I have caused my enemies neelessly.'

"Eldaire.." Koorittou said, still lying on the ground. "I sense Matt within you, and you speak with his wisdom. You spoke of my destiny, but I have none now. I damned myself to a life of pain and misery. I am nothing more than a demon. Before I was a guardian who kept his demon side in check. But now...I have lost the battle."

'What have I done?' Koorittou again asked himself.

Eldaire

"QUIT BEING SO DAMN FOOLISH! If you would just stop to think about it, there is a good chance that everyone is alive, if badly injured. Szanod has been to hell and back. Serendice has the power of both angel and demon. Arc managed to fell the protector of the humans. As for the land, you forget that not only does Szanod have incredible fire powers, but Serendice has the sword of Michael which could melt this ice with the shockwave of a swing. You made a mistake so you learn from it and do better the next time. It's part of being mortal."

"Eldaire, I don't think I can handle a mistake like this."

"Then you can choose to suffer. That's part of being mortal too.

"Mortal, right."

"By the way, quit calling me Eldaire. That's the name this body had before. I am Matt now, angel of God sent to protect the humans, and by His might I will save these people here today. Now let's go."

"You don't unders..."

Matt brought his hand open across the ice demon's face. "We're going to save their lives! Now come on!" With that, Matt began to fly just over the ground, sending a cloud of snow to either side of him. "You look for Szanod. And be careful! He's played possum once already, I wouldn't put it past him to do it again."

SSJwrestler

'He just doesn't understand." Koorittou thought to himself, picking himself up off the frozen ground. ' I was supposed to protect this sacred land and all who passed through it, good and evil. But instead, I let the demon inside me win and I have killed this land and maybe even my fellow warriors.'

'What he doesn't know is that the ice magic of Shiva can't be reversed. Not even by the flame blade of Michael. This land is forever cursed. DAMN!'

Koorittou could feel the affects of his attack throughout his entire body. Every joint, muscle, and bone ached with an excruciating pain. Regardless of the pain, Koorittou still forced himself to start looking for Szanod, dead or alive.

Eldaire

Matt focused with all his might on the essence of Serendice.

What? It's moving, and fast! But to where?

He quickly realized that there was another dark aura, just ahead of Serendice.

Heh, should have known a little thing like an attack from a goddess couldn't do her in. Well, since I know she's alive I have other matters to attend to. I'll deal with her later. Now, where's Arc?

SSJwrestler

Running around at an unusally slow pace, Koorittou desperately searched for Szanod.

'Even though he is evil, I hope he has survived. Not even evil deserves such and icy death.'

Going to where Szanod last stood, Koorittou dropped down to his hands and knees searching for his opponent. At first, all he found were pieces of Szanod's armor that had sheared off during the attack. But he soon found Szanod, half frozen in ice, with his leg impaled upon one of the ice spears. Koorittou dug Szanod out, and seeing that he was breathing, layed him down on the ground to rest.

'You are a mighty one Szanod' Koorittou thought to himself.

After rescuing Szanod, Kooritou suddenly started to sense Serendice up and moving. But, in his weakened form he was unable to sense where she was headed. Towards him or Matt?

"Matt have you found Arc or Kuajii?" Koorittou yelled to his angelic friend. "I've found Szanod and he is still alive. Maybe you were right....these warriors are incredibly strong."

Dixie

Serendice had never felt so alive. Her blood pumped through her veins as Kuaiji entered her body, restoring her weakened spirit and filling her with an intense heat.

She waited silently for the wisdom of Kuaiji's guidance, bending to his every whim in her hunger for power.

'Speak to me, friend, I listen...'

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Bob Biter

Lying on the frozen ground, Szanod couldn't help but to smile. One by one, these beings were discovering their true nature. One by one, they were peeling back the false layers they had covered their eyes with and started to see the truth.

Koorittou was making his way away from him, but he needed to know something first. Suddenly, black, ectoplasmic tentacles emerged from the cracked areas of his armour and reached for the ice man swiftly. Securing him, they pulled him back to where Szanod was now standing and held him within inches of his face.

Koorittou didn't feel the intense pain that Kuaiji experienced when he was in Szanod's embrace. Instead, he felt a languid longing for surcease. Looking into Szanod's eyes, he saw that the orange glow had faded slightly and even took on a blueish tint.

"You feel it now, don't you Koorittou. Regret... failure. Let it seep through your body and witness that which I had to face all of these millenia..."

Koorittou was suddenly pulled into Szanod's body. He found himself in a desolate place: nothing but charred rock and a cloudy, blood red sky with a faint orange light in the distance, as if the sun was perpetually setting. Then, he saw him. Szanod was standing in front of one of the gates of the Netherworld. Even though he wasn't in it, he could feel the horrible, mind-numbing, soul-crushing torment its residents suffered constantly.
Their numbers were pressed up against the cold, barbed bars of the gates, making them bulge and twist, longing for a release that would never come.

A great swell of desperation washed over Koorittou. He fell to his knees and knew this was the price he would have to pay for desecrating his charge.

As he looked up, Szanod was gone. He then felt a strong hand lift him up and turn him around. The guardian's face was just as he first remembered it, all blazing orange eyes and grim determination. His voice was cavernous and wet.

"This is the last thing that those I break get to see before they tear their own eyes from their sockets to escape the sights past these gates. You are ready to go there, I can feel it. In using your demon side, you cursed your land and now you seek reparation. Don't think you are alone, many of your kind, as well as angels, have fallen before me and stepped in the Netherworld as shattered and hollow husks in order to make amends for their sins. However, there is no hope in the Netherworld, no surcease, no escape. Only those who completely surrender their mind and soul can glimpse a chance for release, but those that do only come back as shrieking wrecks who long to be destroyed once again."

Turning Koorittou back to face the gates, Szanod continued:

"But there is another way, a way that no one has chosen before in this place. The angel entity known as Matt knows it, but his is only a half measure. That way is sacrifice. Give your power to someone, so that they may undo what you have done, then you may know peace. The transfer might kill you, but your death will be a mortal one devoid of the stain of sin and regret. Everyone to whom I offered the choice has refused it, for fear that their strengths might once again be used for evil. Cowards all, I broke them utterly and sent them to their doom. Are you one of those cowards, ice demon? Do you know yourself enough? Or are you ready to feel pain unlike any you've ever felt, which would make your previous mistake seem like a victory?"

Koorittou could not believe what he was hearing, but he could not deny it. Perhaps this demon was not pure evil after all.

"I'm waiting."

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Eldaire

"No!"

Matt had to forget about Arc and Serendice for now. He launched an incredible beam at the entranced shell that was Szanod's body. Once the smoke and snow cleared away, Koorittou lay on the ground and Szanod stood up.

"Foolish angel. I can see it in his eyes even now. He's made his choice. The dark tentacles reached out for Koorittou, but they found Matt in his new body instead. Matt felt the suffering of all those defeated by Szanod, but it brought him no pain. He knew that these people had been condemned by the wisdom of his Lord, and he did not doubt the decision. He stood there as the tentacles wrapped tighter and tighter around him. They attempted to crush him. As the entirety of Matt's body was consumed by the darkness, a single ray of light shot from the top of the mass. Then, more rays began to appear from between the cracks of the tentacles. A loud yell could be heard from within.

"EEEAAAGGGHHH!"

The darkness exploded and disintegrated while what remained of the tentacles withdrew into Szanod's body. Matt stood there, arms flexed, his aura pulsating around him with incredible power.

"Listen to me Koorittou, do not let Szanod distort your mind! No matter what happens, no matter what you or anyone else has done, you must NEVER GIVE UP HOPE! In my world, demons such as yourself who have done far worse fight side by side with angels against evil forces. Stand now, Koorittou! Believe in yourself! Believe in all that is good in you and the world around you! Believe in God! Believe in hope! Do this, and redemption will be yours."

He turned then to Szanod. "Szanod. I have pressing matters to attend to, but I can't while you're attempting to corrupt my friend. If you have any good inside you at all, help me find Arc who is still buried under here somewhere, and if I'm right, he's in great danger since Serendice is down there too. We need to make sure they're both okay before this battle can resume. Of course, if you don't care about that, then I suppose I must indulge your lust for battle."

With that, Matt took a fighting stance facing Szanod.

"Make your choice, and make it well."

Dixie

With her newfound strength pulsating through every inch of her, Serendice focused her energy. She closed her eyes, feeling the scorching ice around her begin to give way. In one deft movement she flung the flaming sword in an arc around her encased body, shattering the ice with a deafening blow.

She leapt skyward, free of her bonds, and began to search hungrily for Arc who would die soon if he hadn't already. She felt his presence below the ice and dove down, waving the flaming blade before her. She sliced through the ice and dragged Arc's nearly lifeless body from its cold tomb.

Remembering that this was the demon who had killed the only being she had ever loved, she clenched her fists and kicked him hard in the ribs.
"Get up and fight me, you pathetic excuse for a warrior!"

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

"Give up my powers in return for salvation...sounds like a good idea." Koorittou replied to Szanod. "IF I WERE A WEAKLING!"

Koorittou now realized what Matt had been talking about this entire time, about not giving up even after mistakes. Despite his mistakes, all of them, Koorittou now had a purpose. He could TRY to protect the people he served and TRY to reverse the curse he had set upon his scared land. He now weilded a sword that protected something greater than just a piece of land, he now protected himself and the world. Failure was not an option.

With a renewed spirit, Koorittou felt some of his strength returning. His ice blue eyes twinkled once again, and his ora started to slowly reform around his body. Though he was weak, he was ready to fight, to protect.

"Matt." Koorittou said turning to his angelic ally. "Let's do this."

Koorittou returned to the spot where he had launched his last attack and retrieved his katana. It's metal blade gleamed in the sun, which had now broken through the darkened sky, bringing new hope. Upon picking the sword up, it's iceblade began to reform. He was ready.