Devil Ash Deceit (Devil Ash Saga) (37 page)

Elsewhere, Aura Draxler was locked in a losing battle with the rebel Lionel. Simply put, Lionel had the advantage of being more practiced in his swordplay. Aura had been slacking off the last couple of years, and although he was quite confident in himself, he still knew he would not last much longer against his opponent if they continued fighting this way.

Lionel jabbed forward rapidly with his blade while Aura swatted away his advances. The death toucher slowly backed up as the rebel moved in on him. Lionel made an unexpected move and lunged, aiming to pierce his opponent’s shoulder. If not for a fortunately placed puddle, Aura would have suffered a painful blow. The boy took a step backward into a solid foot of water and tumbled in, as Lionel’s blade struck the air where Aura’s shoulder had just been.

“Damn it!” Aura screamed in frustration. “What a terribly impractical place for a sword fight!” The boy was frustrated by more than just his fall. He knew there’d be only one way to beat the rebel, and that was to think outside the box. Only, he hadn’t come up with an idea yet. It was way past crunch time and he needed to think of something fast.

“I didn’t know you’d have so much trouble moving around in here. It is unfortunate the room is not brighter for you,” Lionel said in jest.

His words were the creative spark that Aura needed. Suddenly, the boy had an idea. “You know something, you’re right,” Aura said. He began to slowly climb to his feet, the cold water running down his pants. “It
is
too dark in here! That’s why I’m losing to you!”

“I only meant that if the room were brighter you might not fall into puddles,” Lionel said. “The brightness of the room has little to do with your chances of beating me.”

“Let’s test that theory then,” said Aura. The boy raised his hands and concentrated. Ten tiny flames sprung to life on each of his fingers. The flames hovered in the air above his hands and began to grow in size. When the tiny fireballs were the size of ping-pong balls Aura flicked them into the air around him. The small amount of light they shed on the crystal cavern helped to illuminate the area a little.

Over and over Aura repeated this process as Lionel stood marveling at the boys talent. When the death toucher filled the room with one hundred small flames, every corner of the cave lit up brilliantly. Aura took a minute to catch his breath.

“I must say, that’s an impressive display of talent,” Lionel admitted. “Stupid, though. I told you its not going to help you if the room is well lit. All you’re doing is straining yourself to hold these lights in place. How can you expect to concentrate on that many flames while fighting me?”

“I’ll… manage… some how,” Aura answered, straining his mind to focus. It was a lot harder than he had hoped to keep track of so many flames. Just talking nearly blew his concentration, and for his plan to succeed he’d need each and every flame to stay lit for as long as possible.

The boy climbed out of the deep puddle and back up to the cavern floor. He had to maintain visual contact with all his flames, or he feared he might start losing track of them. Gripping his sword, Aura stood dripping wet with a scrunched up face. He was not at his most attractive, and Lionel wasn’t the least intimidated.

“I feel sorry for you,” the rebel said. “I’ll wrap this up quickly now. If you could pick where you would like to be stabbed, which body part would you choose?”

“I’d pick…” Aura muttered, trying to stay focused. “
Your face
!” Aura lunged forward, and the fireballs in the air scattered. The boy struck out at his opponent, but Lionel didn’t even flinch. The rebel calmly stepped aside, not even bothered to draw his own blade yet. Aura slashed again and again, but the rebel managed to sidestep his every attack.

Finally, with a dodge and a spin, Lionel planted his elbow in Aura’s gut. The boy was totally winded. All his flames flickered and sizzled in the air, creating a spectacular show of sparkling reflections throughout the crystal cavern. Aura quickly sucked his breath back in and jumped away, eager to not lose focus.

“Just let them go,” Lionel encouraged him. “Seriously. I’m going to end this right now if you don’t,” he said as he drew his sword.

Aura smiled wickedly. It was time to unleash the full power of his devious plan. As Lionel took an offensive stance, ready to strike, something else struck first. A large fireball hit Lionel from behind. Caught off guard, the rebel was tossed to the ground in front of Aura. The death toucher took the opportunity to give the rebel a little payback for the pain he’d sustained during their fight.

Aura dropped from above with an elbow to Lionel’s spine. The rebel screamed in pain and surprise at the sudden turn of events. The rebel pushed off the ground and leapt back up to his feet.

“You weren’t trying to light up the room!” he screamed in frustration. “You were filling the battle field with your own bombs!” Aura smiled proudly at Lionel’s assessment. It was true: his plan all along had been to create a floating mine field. He knew he couldn’t win if he fought fair, so he had to cheat.

“Better… watch… yourself!” Aura said, pointing up. Above their heads the small fireballs danced to life and enlarged.

“Two can play at that game!” Lionel shouted, not wanting to lose in a competition of flames. Tapping into his soul power and copying Aura’s technique, the rebel started creating tens of flames and releasing them into the cavern. His flames fluttered and enlarged and mingled with Aura’s, and when he was done they could not distinguish between fireballs. The battlefield was now covered in levitating orbs of flame, and the final fight could commence.

“Let’s… go!” Lionel shouted. With his soul power streaming off him, the rebel charged forward to attack. Aura moved in to finish the duel as well. The two clashed swords in a standoff. As they locked blades and eyes, struggling to concentrate on their hundreds of small problems, it began to rain. Flames showered down indiscriminately on the pair, sparking small explosions on both of their shoulders and arms.

They both slipped up, loosening their grips and slouching their bodies. On an instinct, Lionel jumped back to safety. He did not count on jumping right into another fireball, and was rocked by another little explosion. Aura had a pleased smile on his face, until a red orb dropped right in front of his face and exploded as well.

When he came to his senses, he saw his opponent standing still with his blade drawn. A bright glow of foggy soul power drifted off of Lionel, greatly enhancing his strength.

“This… will decide… our fight,” he muttered. The cloud of soul power became focused around his arms and spread down the blade of his sword.

“Well then…” Aura said. “I’d better… come prepared!” The death toucher began to emit a bright glow of his own. He felt the familiar tingly sensation of electricity jolting through his hand, and realized he was putting out his own soul power. Realizing this, he gripped his blade with left hand, leaving his gauntlet hand free. “Now… come!”

Lionel dashed forward, spinning around a floating orb of fire and heading straight for Aura. With his arms and blade powered up by his soul, Lionel’s attack was sure to be fatal if he wanted it to be. Aura wasn’t sure if he could block such a powerful attack with his own blade. Instead of trying to clash once more with the rebel, Aura hatched another scheme.

The death toucher focused all his soul into his gauntlet hand. When at last Lionel reached him and attacked with a downward slash, Aura didn’t even try to dodge or counter with his own blade. Instead, the boy reached forward with his gauntlet and grabbed a hold of his enemy’s blade.

Aura struggled to hold his opponent’s sword at bay. If he hadn’t been focusing all his power in his hand, he would not have been able to stop the blade. Lionel made one last push, willing all of his fireballs to barrage the boy. Aura could do nothing but stand his ground and take all the blasts, trying his hardest to keep from wavering.

As the smoke built up from the blasts hitting Aura, Lionel felt the boy’s strength start to fade. “It’s over!” Lionel shouted, putting all his might into one last push. He could not see the boy through all the smoke, but he was sure he’d won. That’s when he felt a sharp pain in his side. As the smoke cleared, he saw the reason why.

Aura’s blade, which was in his free hand, was pressed firmly against the rebel’s side. A trickle of blood was beginning to flow from the cut. “It’s over… for
you
,” said Aura as he pulled his blade back, slicing deeper into his foe. Lionel’s power was lost and his grip weakened on his blade. Aura, still holding onto the blade, gripped tightly and ripped it away from Lionel. The sword slid across the cavern floor and landed in another deep puddle.

Struggling to stay on his feet, Lionel raised his fists and took a defensive stance. What few fireballs he hadn’t used to barrage the boy with disappeared. With his blood pouring out like a faucet from his side wound, Lionel aimed to go down fighting.

“I don’t suppose you’re ready to call it quits and surrender peacefully?” Aura inquired.

“Not…even…close!” Lionel said smugly, even though he was bleeding profusely all over the cavern floor. The rebel was exuding all his strength just standing up trying not to pass out. By the time he noticed the growing, glowing orb above him it was too late.

“
Unfortunate
,” Aura said. When all his drifting flames had combined into one massive fireball, the death toucher dropped the ball on his enemy. Lionel collapsed with a scream of agony underneath the scorching flames of his adversary.

The winner was Aura Draxler.

Most of Shiva’s golden armor laid in pieces scattered on the floor. Her arm and leg armor remained in tact, fortunately for her, as all she had protecting her body now was a black tank top. She didn’t like fighting with her hair down, but she wasn’t exactly able to call a time-out to put it up. The ladies were both ready to settle their beef, once and for all.

“Even if you use soul power, you’ll be lucky if you put a scratch in this armor!” Leona taunted.

“I’ll do more than scratch it, just you wait and see!” Shiva readied two massive fireballs in her hands and began rapidly launching projectile blasts at her enemy. Leona, wanting to prove her armor’s durability, refused to dodge Shiva’s blasts. Instead, she began to walk forward, her own soul power keeping her going.

“Thanks for warming me up a little,” Leona taunted some more. “It’s quite toasty in here now!” she said. The lady rebel continued to advance while Shiva blasted her final pair of fireballs. Examining her foe’s armor, which had become black and burnt, Shiva saw that her plan was working.

Before Leona reached her, the girl dove backwards and rolled on the ground. “I’m not done yet!” she cried, readying one more fireball.

“Is that another fireball? Why bother, really?”

“Because this one is
real special
,” Shiva smirked. Turning to aim at her enemy who was almost upon her, Shiva gave the fireball one last stuffing of soul power to mix in with her flame. “Let’s see if your armor can stand up to this!” Shiva yelled as she blasted the blazing ball of flames directly at Leona.

It’s puny!
thought Leona.
I can take it, no sweat. Well, except I am starting to sweat a little… it’s pretty hot in here, actually.

Despite the heat, the rebel thought she was safe. She even foolishly continued to walk forward. When the ball of flames struck her, she only had one foot planted on the ground. Immediately she realized something was wrong when she was blasted off her feet and slammed into the wall behind her. But the trouble didn’t end there. The fireball continued to fiercely press her against the wall, completely shattering her armor to tiny pieces and knocking the wind out her.

When at last the ball of fire and soul dissipated, the true reason for the flames strength was revealed. A small metal ball with many holes in it like a wiffle ball dropped with Leona to the chamber floor. Darko smirked at seeing it, surprised by his sister’s tenacity. Leona saw the ball and realized at once what it was: one of her own metal bolas!

This was her goal all along! Blasting my armor with flames and heating it up to weaken it, and then using part of my own weapon to deal the final blow! If I hadn’t been wearing that armor I’d be out cold right now! This girl… this girl is smart!

Upon witnessing his opponent’s ‘invincible’ armor get smashed to pieces Dismas grew understandably concerned. Without her armor, and knowing the results of their previous battle in the Hellwood, Dismas calculated that Leona now had a (slim) possibility of losing. Prince Darko’s last words to him began to sound tempting.

“I forgot to mention something earlier,” Darko said suddenly. Dismas, who was sweating already, listened intently. “Once their fight is over, regardless of the outcome, I’m going to straight-up
murder
you.”

Dismas’s heart stopped beating. Now he was terrified. It looked like Leona, even if she won, wouldn’t be much help in a fight against Darko anyway. The man was seriously beginning to rethink Darko’s offer. But was he telling the truth? Would he really not try to dodge or even fight back if Dismas attacked now? There was only one way to find out.

“If I attack you now, you won’t fight back?” Dismas asked.

“I’d take advantage of it now if I were you,” Darko replied.

That seemed to settle it. Dismas turned his body towards the Prince, ready to strike him as he sat motionless on the ground. He’d even tossed away his sword Infernos earlier. The rebel would never get a better shot than this to kill the Prince. Dismas took one step towards the Prince, and that was as far as he got.

Darko looked him straight in the eyes and released his true soul power with a wicked grin. It was not just for show, as Dismas realized he could not move any closer. Though he tried to advance, his body simply refused to move forward. Darko was holding him back without so much as lifting a finger to stop him.

This is his real power?!
Dismas panicked internally.
There’s no way I can take him in a head-on fight!
Darko quelled his soul, and Dismas could feel his body start to respond once more. He didn’t take another step forward.

Leona slowly rose back up to her feet, silently resolute. Like Shiva, her soul power was now overflowing with her motivations as well.
I can’t let her beat me…
she thought.
I can’t let it end here… for Pax!

“Let’s finish this,” the rebel said.

“Glad to,” Shiva obliged.

The two women started running. When they were in range of each other, the fists started flying. For being fragile-looking ladies, they fought like savage gladiators. They exchanged punches all over each other’s bodies, wherever they could reach that wasn’t guarded at that moment.

Leona, who was full of the ultimate motivation of love and devotion, eventually gained the upper hand. Her punches hit a little harder, and landed a little more frequently than Shiva’s. The girls dished out punches and kicks for minutes, until Shiva was eventually backed up against the wall.

“I’m gonna slam your head into the wall!” Leona shouted, going in to end their fight.
I’m going to succeed here today,
Leona told herself.
I’m going home after this to be with you… Pax
!

The lady rebel advanced for another powerful strike, catching Shiva in the face and knocking her against the wall like she’d promised. Shiva dropped to the ground and rolled away instinctively to not get trapped between her enemy and the wall. She was dead tired now and her flow of soul power was dimming. Despite this, she knew she was about to clinch victory.

Serves you right for not noticing,
she thought.

As Leona moved in on her for the last time, Shiva jumped up and with all her might blasted one more fireball. Not to be caught off guard by another one of her surprises, Leona decided to carefully sidestep this time. The ball went whizzing past her head, leaving the rebel girl smiling smugly in safety.

Gotcha!
Shiva screamed in her head.

The fireball slammed into the wall behind the rebel. Instead of immediately dispersing and disappearing, the fireball let out a loud metal
CLANK
and bounced off the wall. The metal fireball ricocheted directly into the back of Leona’s head, sending her face-first to the floor and knocking her out cold instantly. Just before passing out, Leona had time to think “
of course… my other bola
.”

Shiva had won.

Dismas was in a terrified state of shock and panic. His partner had been defeated, and now he was essentially alone in his fight against the Royal Family. The man turned to see Prince Darko smiling jovially, which somehow looked pants-wettingly scary on him, as if he were thinking about which way was the best to tear his opponent limb from limb.

But the rebel had a backup plan, which quickly turned into the
only
plan. As Darko climbed to his feet Dismas dropped to his hands and knees. “Please don’t kill me!” Dismas begged, scooting in closer to the Prince.

“You sure went from boasting to begging quickly,” Darko said, unimpressed. “What a huge disappointment. I’ll end you quickly now.”

Fool!
Dismas thought as he placed his hands at Darko’s feet. With equal parts concentration and soul power, the rebel placed an area seal at Darko’s feet.
I got you now!
The markings of the seal appeared in a circle around the Prince, trapping him where he stood.

“You’re going nowhere!” Dismas proclaimed. “First, I’m going to finish off Lady Shiva.”

Shiva was sitting on the floor exhausted, bruised, and bleeding from her fight still. She turned towards the boastful rebel and gave him a determined grin. “Try it!” she said.

“Now hold on,” Darko interrupted. “Shiva, if you touch him, I’m going to be very angry.” Darko stood patiently with his arms crossed, still locked in place by the seal.

“Hah!” Dismas laughed haughtily. “You can’t do anything! You’re stuck there. Face it. I’m the guy that’s going to kill you. That is how history will remember me: Dismas, the man who assassinated Prince Darko!”

“Our fight is currently underway,” Darko said. “The conditions, as you have decided, are that I may not leave this area seal, is that correct? So to win, I must simply defeat you without moving from this spot. If that is the case, then that is what I will do.” Without uncrossing his arms, Darko lit a small fireball in one hand. “Watch closely, sister,” he said. “This is how you win a fight!”

Dismas prepared to dodge the Prince’s smallish fireball, but Darko did not throw it at him. Instead the Prince sent the fireball hovering in the opposite direction, confusing his rebel opponent. When Dismas poked his head over to see around the Prince, he spotted what the fireball’s intended target was and almost wet himself.

The flame drifted over to where Darko had tossed his sword Infernos. The small amount of flame entered the blade through one of the vents along its edge. For a moment, it seemed to have been snuffed out. Then, the blade started rattling on the floor and erupted into flames.

“I hope you don’t mind, I’m borrowing an idea from your partner,” Darko said. Without moving a muscle, the Prince willed the flames to rise inside the sword, lifting it up into the air. Hovering several feet above the ground, Infernos looked as if it were possessed by a ghost. A
well-trained
ghost.

“You can’t be serious…” Dismas said, gasping for breath. The rebel stopped talking, and started backing away slowly.

How can he lift that massive sword with just his flames
?!
He’s a monster
!

“Your time is up,” said Darko. Infernos flew forward so fast Dismas barely had time to turn around and run. The blade impaled him right through his back and emerged from his chest. Blood sprayed everywhere and the man struggled to stay alive. “I’m sorry, but history is not going to remember you as the man who killed me. History won’t even remember your name… what was it again?”

Dismas tried to utter his name, but couldn’t even manage a single breath. With a snap of his fingers, Darko made the blade of Infernos burst once more with wild flames. Dismas screamed in agony with his dying breath. The rebel dropped to his knees and fell forward in a puddle of his own blood, the blade that murdered him sliding out as he hit the floor.

“I’m sorry,” said Darko. “I couldn’t hear you there.”

The Prince of Hell was victorious in his battle, and bored in his victory. Shiva watched in stunned awe at her brother’s fearsome talent for battle. The Prince stepped up to his charred dead foe and pulled his blade out. Giving it a good swing to get some of the blood off, Darko headed for the door. He saw the seal his opponents placed on the door fade away as he approached. Darko kicked the door open, leaving without a word to his sister.

Not even going to check if I’m okay…
Shiva couldn’t help but feel disappointed in her brother.
Oh crap! Ash!
Shiva suddenly remembered her teammate was somewhere else, fighting a battle against the mastermind behind the rebel invasion of the Kingdom. Somewhere in this room was a vent that led to whatever room he was in, and she had to find it.

Outside the chamber, Darko was approached by Goddard and Wilhelm. The two had many questions for him, but the Prince wasn’t in the mood for answering.

“What happened in there?” Goddard asked.

“How is Shiva?” Wilhelm asked.

Darko shrugged. “We killed some rebels. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go kill some more.” Without waiting to be excused, Darko strolled away from the men.

As Shiva scoured the ceremonial chamber for the boy’s lifeline, Goddard and Wilhelm rushed in with Gio tagging along behind them. The three of them approached Shiva, who was bent over in the corner of the room next to the wall.

“Shiva!” Wilhelm called to her. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“My Lady, you look like a hot mess!” Gio kinda sorta complimented her.

“Lady Shiva, what are you doing over there?” Goddard asked as the men moved in on her. Shiva ignored their calls and pressed her ear against something metal near the bottom of the wall.

“Shiva? What’s the matter?” Goddard asked with concern.

“Shhh!” Shiva snapped at them. Verifying one last time what she was hearing through the vent, Shiva made up her mind about what she was going to do next. She put her mouth up against the vent and screamed at the top of her lungs.

“
You can do it Ash! Kick his ass!!”