The Lost Lord

Note: Apologies denizens of Literotica for taking this long to get the other half of this chapter posted. I might as well tell you all that Ch. 27 is finished and someone offered to edit it... GASP! A chapter is actually getting proofread? Well, that's if they actually do it. Either way, thank you for your patience.

Ch. 25 - They're dropping like flies!

One day, I found myself filled with Wrath. A Wrath so pure and inescapable, that I acted out upon my Wrath and destroyed everything in sight. Of course, it was in my nature to be Wrathful, being a demon born from Wrath. Yet it was odd, I felt so hateful and furious that I despised all of creation itself. I wanted to destroy everything in existence, even if that meant dying along with it and not seeing my work. I killed and I killed, destroyed and destroyed, at least until you stopped me, my eternal enemy.

You gave me this mark, this damned star on my face. I want to kill you, mutilate your corpse, shit on your skull, grind your bones into dust, and I want to revive you so I can do it all again. Yet why is it, why is it that you don't hate me back? Emiel?

"We may be enemies, but I found a kinship in the one I fought since our first meeting. Usually it is that familiarity breeds contempt, it was the other way around for me. Still, our relationship is one made of poison, and when eating poison, you might as well lick the plate afterwards. Let's make an agreement here, only one of us will live from this day onwards."

"Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha..."

"You find this funny, Xizaen?"

"Ha... Ha... Ha... You... Actually think you have... A chance?"

"Oh, very much so."

"Die... You accursed bastard!" Xizaen screamed as he crushed the bars in his cage with his strong grip, tossing them at Emiel point forwards.

Emiel saw that his suspicions from earlier were true, Xizaen had gathered his full power and released himself from his prison. It was purely by chance that Emiel arrived at the exact same time Xizaen was about to do this deed. He arrived in time to fight a duel to the death with his foe.

Off to the side, Luce watched the beginning of a deadly duel that would encompass everything and everyone around it. (Should I really interfere? This is not a battle I can enter and escape unscathed more than I am. I still have fairly severe wounds.)

Emiel tried to crush Xizaen with chunks of stone taken from the walls of the prison, only to find that each one was soon smashed after entering the range of Xizaen's arms. The wrathful black demon punched each boulder with his bare fists, which drew blood from his skin but did not dent his bones or sever his major arteries and veins. Emiel clicked his tongue and grabbed a broken bar from the prison and thrust the jagged point several times at Xizaen, he attached a red crystal to the point for a certain magical effect.

Emiel specialized in crystals when it came to Earth magic, but either way, he was still a complete master in everything Earth magic related. The improvised polearm missed each time thanks to nimble dodges and ducks from Xizaen. In retaliation, Xizaen whacked Emiel's side with a metal bar, causing the green incubus to cough up blood from the impact.

"Ha... Ha... Ha... Finally, I'll be killing you. You're nothing but a shadow in my blue sky, begone!" Xizaen roared happily as he hit Emiel on the side several more times, snapping some of the ribs in the incubus' ribcage.

Though while he received the blows, Emiel finally managed to pierce Xizaen's skin with the red crystal, causing a fountain of blood to spew forth. Xizaen staggered back from the sudden loss of blood, but that amount paled to the amount of blood he shed in their last encounter.

The two had fought in a small forest area of the Plains of Pride where they were both hired in two different jobs. The two had found each other by coincidence and their confrontation resulted in a deathmatch. In the end, both mercenary groups had to do the job themselves because their leaders were caught up in a feud duel. By the time their duel was finished in a draw, each tree in an eighty meter radius was covered by some amount of blood.

Emiel, regaining his composure, attached a green crystal to the resilient metal bar, pocketing the red one. The red crystal drew out large amounts of blood with each wound, but it drew out blood from any wound nearby and it was unreliable when Emiel had taken as much damage as he just had. The green crystal had the most affinity with Earth magic, so Emiel planned to use it in conjunction with his own Earth magic.

Xizaen jumped up several meters and slammed down on the ground, kicking the prison floor with all his might. This particular move, otherwise known as the 'Earthquake Kick' sent shockwaves through the ground from the kick's epicenter. Xizaen, being unaffected from his own move, held steady while Emiel failed to stay afoot from the shockwaves.

Emiel tipped over and shoved the green crystal into the ground. As if the floor was made of soft mud all along, the floor lost cohesion and Emiel sunk into the mud. As Xizaen surveyed the area, wondering what was up with this new trick of Emiel's, the ground beneath him suddenly lost cohesion into soft mud and two green demonic arms went forth and grabbed Xizaen's legs. Emiel's arms burst from the ground and pulled hard as if a game of tug'o'war was in session. He managed to pull Xizaen down at least half a meter in his surprise. Emiel left, turning the soft mud like ground back into a hard stone floor and emerged from the ground. Emiel attached a translucent white crystal onto his improvised staff and swiftly, before Xizaen managed to free himself from the hard ground, stabbed Xizaen through his chest.

The staff passed through as if it was made of air, but suddenly became tangible and Xizaen found a metal pole embedded in his chest. "Kuh, bastard!" In another fit of rage, Xizaen punch the ground with his fist. He freed his legs and feet while grabbing a rock with the other hand and tossed it at Emiel. Emiel received the attack head on, leaving a bloody red mark on his right shoulder.

"If you didn't actually stab me in the first place, then this damn trick will do SHIT TO ME!" Xizaen shouted as he pulled out the improvised polearm with one hand, revealing a messy hole that led to his internal organs. The bloody staff, which still had the white crystal embedded on the tip, melted in the extreme hatred of Xizaen's hand. Everything that Emiel owned melted in the extreme wrath and heat of Xizaen's body.

(Shit, this is bad...) Emiel told himself as he cast another spell with a quick incantation, his arms became covered in jagged rocks and crystals, ready to rend flesh. If Emiel could not destroy Xizaen's bones, then why not rend the flesh off of them?

"I remember this trick, last time I faltered, but this time I could care less how much you cut me with those arms. I will end you... Ha... Ha... Ha..." Xizaen laughed maniacally as he gathered a vast majority of his strength into his arms.

Xizaen, being a black demon, had superior strength and power. He trained his abilities until the point where he could focus that immense power into different parts of his body. And he did just that. Xizaen readied himself to meet Emiel's deadly arms with his own strong hands.

Emiel took a quick step to the side and dashed around Xizaen, utilizing even more confusing steps in order to mislead Xizaen's eyes. Taking a boxer's stance, Emiel punched Xizaen with one of his deadly arms, managing to land scores of painful cuts along Xizaen's torso and right arm.

Slam.

Xizaen completely ignored Emiel up to now, waiting for him to get close. And once Emiel managed to cut his body, Xizaen slammed the back of his hand into Emiel's body, sending the green incubus hurtling towards the back prison wall. Upon impact, then entire structure shuddered and groaned as if in pain. Xizaen leapt at Emiel and slammed his foot down on Emiel's back, eliciting an intense painful cry.

*Cough, cough* Emiel spouted blood from his mouth, choking on the iron tasting fluid in his mouth.

"So? How is this? You're finally below my feet! How about it, are you going to beg for your life? Are you going to comment about how great it was to fight me? Are you going to make a snide remark? Are you going to curse me? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY, DAMN IT!" Xizaen roared with all of his vocal power. The end of his words was so loud and intense, that everyone in the eleventh terrace could hear him.

Emiel simply smiled and spit some blood out of his mouth. He looked back on Xizaen with stern eyes, "You know, I do regret giving you that scar. You have been an interesting comrade in our intense struggle. If I said I was sorry, would you accept it?"

Xizaen was about to shout more, but faltered in his words. Several times, Xizaen tried to speak. He could only press harder with his bare feet on Emiel's body. "B-... Bastard... YOU INSUFFERABLE FUCKING BAAAAAAAAASTARD!" Xizaen punched down on Emiel's body, crushing one of the lungs. For some reason, Xizaen retracted his arms and stared down at Emiel in pure hatred in one eye and confusion in the other. "I hate your being more than the collected fury of the Warmaster himself... I acce-."

"Eh?" This time, Emiel was the one who became confused, though not at Xizaen's words, at Xizaen's severed head that fell from his body.

Xizaen's body slumped down to Emiel's side, revealing an indomitable Luce carrying a rusty sword. Luce looked just as confused as Emiel did, as Xizaen would never be slain that easily. "I tried to kill him, expecting to fail instantly and be killed. Yet... I did it?"

Normally, no normal weapon would be able to sever any part of Xizaen's body, but how could a rusty sword, of all weapons, be able to do it? Emiel understood at once.

"For the first time since we met, Xizaen felt peace, happiness if you will. It must have been an emotion he had never felt once in his life, and became confused once it hit him. Demons, compared to other races, feel their emotions to a much higher level. Such a euphoric sensation must have felt invasive, even suffocating. His toughened bones relaxed their reinforcement and his muscles slackened, thus allowing you to sever hid head. It's ironic, if you think about it, that his happiness saved my life."

"Black demons... Are truly terrifying." Mouthed Luce as he listened to Emiel's words.

"As are white demons. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. You haven't seen a Ruler of Sin at work." Emiel laughed through his painful injuries, with each sound that escape his mouth, spasms of pain wracked his mind and brain."

"This... Has drained me. I don't think I can participate anymore in this war."

"Yea, hey, why don't you join Huracan if we live through this? There's no way, with my recommendation, that you won't be allowed to join."

"I apologize, Emiel, but I want nothing more to do with mercenaries."

"Really? What a pity. Damn, my entire body hurts. At least I've got no serious open wounds, though my insides hurt like a bitch. I think I'll take a nap, wake me up if we win." Roughly joked Emiel as he closed his eyes into hibernation.

-

Meanwhile, on the walls of the tenth terrace...

"Caetorum, I am sure you know what we have to do to beat him." Whispered Asmodea hastily, clearly out of breath from her two on one battle with Hezazias.

"Obviously. Hezazias has both speed and power, from being a Son of Lust. While I have equal speed and you have equal power, we can only win if we work together with surgical precision." Commented Caetorum as he breathed just as hastily.

Currently, Caetorum and Asmodea are fighting Hezazias, leader of the fifth district and a Son of the previous Lord of Lust. Compared to his siblings, Hezazias would be considered the second strongest, next to Arazra. However, that doesn't mean he is invulnerable, anything but.

"Ah, fighting you two... I can definitely see why you are both the Maturity and Seduction of Lust. Really amazing, really. One joined by that tournament and the other by impressing my father, honestly, I am impressed. Up till now, I have never gotten a good chance to see the skills of any of the Pillar of Lust. Yet it seems you are lacking in certain departments... You're both right, some serious teamwork will be the only way to beat me. Well, not like I'm gonna let that happen anyway." Hezazias just spewed out the largest amount of words to them since their meeting. Generally being an unsociable fellow, Hezazias was one to sulk in the corner for family reunions.

"You talk too much..." Chuckled Caetorum just loud enough so he could be heard over the sounds of war.

"Touché. Here I come. Now, let's see how you counter me now." Hezazias, upon the end of his words, kicked at his position, launching his body into the air. He performed an aerial somersault and swept his legs around in an arc at high speed. The resulting combination of strength and speed in Hezazias' kick created a wave of cutting wind from air pressure, which arced down at Asmodea's position.

Asmodea smacked her lips and deflected the attack with her sword, though just barely. Asmodea, continuing the exchange of ranged attacks, swung her sword thrice diagonally at her opponent who deftly landed on the tip of a battlement. "Go, now!"

Caetorum flipped around the battlements with his superior speed and agility and shot multiple thrusts with his rapier at Hezazias. Asmodea's misty waves of energy splashed onto Hezazias, who simply knocked aside each wave of energy with his arms. However, as he was occupied with Asmodea's attacks, how could he deal with Caetorum? With his other two limbs, his legs and feet.

Hezazias balanced himself on the battlement with one arm and deflected Asmodea's attacks with the other. And just as Caetorum attack with his rapier, Hezazias blocked each thrust with his feet in an unimaginable display of martial prowess.

"What are you? A damn monkey?" Caetorum hissed as he sensed Hezazias' movements with his exceptional senses. Caetorum vaulted himself back over the battlements without even once looking down at the invading horde. An incoming tenth district soldier tried to attack the incubus, but received Caetorum's parrying blade to his neck and fell down dead.

"The best way to move in battle is by moving right next to your enemy. Wait... That doesn't make sense." Hezazias tilted his head to the side, baffled by his own words. "Well, whatever, my turn again." Hezazias jumped off the battlement down to the wall. He switched his gaze back and forth between Asmodea and Caetorum, as if measuring up his targets.

Hezazias stomped his feet on the ground, where two pikes were located. The pikes jumped into the air and Hezazias kicked both of them at Asmodea while dashing straight for Caetorum. Hezazias, with speed equal to Caetorum, attacked Caetorum's neck with a lariat. Caetorum ducked and stabbed his parrying blade at Hezazias' armpit. It just barely grazed the skin. Several drops of blood fell to the ground. Hezazias didn't even blink, as he brought the back of his heel on Caetorum's back, sending the incubus' body barreling into the battlements.

Asmodea, who narrowly deflected both pikes, just managed to see Caetorum's body smashing into the wall. The blind incubus gritted his teeth through the pain, but shuddered from the shock. Asmodea gritted her own set of teeth and watched as Hezazias stood up and brushed off the dust from his body.

"Ahhh. That's not good, you can't win that way. Tell you what. I'll arrogantly give you one last shot in beating me. Hey, get up, the Seduction of Lust needs your help, she can't win by herself." Hezazias deadpanned the entire time.

"Gracious of you." Caetorum mumbled as he shook off the pain. He pushed himself off the ground, and walked over to Asmodea's side.

"Are you alright? Can you continue to fight, Caetorum?" Worried Asmodea.

"No to the first and yes to the second. Either way, let's do our best." Caetorum stepped into a fencing stance while Asmodea nodded and stepped into a berserker's stance.

Power and speed, one can hardly fight without a hint of the other. Hezazias had both while his opponents each had one of the important attributes.

"Huh, at least this won't be boring." Hezazias kicked at his position, launching himself into a straight pitch towards Caetorum and Asmodea. He twisted both of his legs midair so he could kick both opponents at once.

Asmodea, anticipating such a flamboyant move, swung her sword at Hezazias while Caetorum ducked under and rained several short stabs at Hezazias' undersides. The majority of them bypassed the black demon's armor, piercing multiple points and with one even hitting home into the demon's stomach.

Hezazias, while pained, show no expression on the outside as he flew past the two who managed to bypass his defense and attack. "Ahah, good stuff. Honestly, I'm not too worried about this fight. If anything, my worry is directed to your soul weapon, Seduction. You've never wielded it before in the Land of Lust, so it's obviously a powerful weapon from the human world. Although its power seems rather lackluster."

Asmodea simply smirked, like most demons did, which caused Hezazias to tilt his head in empty confusion. "Oh, you have not seen anything yet, not this weapon's power." Asmodea then turned her head towards Caetorum for a whisper, "Can you keep him busy for a couple minutes? This soul weapon's power is not easy to release. It requires my undivided attention."

Caetorum sighed, and would have blinked if not for his missing eyes. "I'll try, though it cannot be for more than the minutes you asked. His speed, power, and technique are too great for me to handle in a prolonged fight. Hm, maybe I'll get lucky and end it before you can?" On that note, Caetorum entered his stance once again, ready to hold out the deadly foe.

"Hoh? You're quite confident. Allow me to shatter that." Hezazias performed a slight bow, which was only a prelude to his attack, and cut through the air with his legs. It looked like he was making an awkward stride, but Hezazias was actually kicking at high speed and velocity, causing scythes of air pressure barreling into Caetorum's position. This wasn't wind magic, this was pure power.

Caetorum saw the incoming waves and received each one. When standing still, Caetorum's defense and manipulation amplified, allowing him to deviate the paths and block each scythe of air. This was the purpose of the rapier and parrying blade, to receive, manipulate, and disarm. Once Hezazias closed in on Caetorum's position with several quick punches, Caetorum swept himself to the side and cut Hezazias' side with his dagger like parrying blade. He tried to pierce the black demon's neck, though Hezazias brushed it off to the side and struck Caetorum's gut with a fist where his knuckles were extended. Twice more was Caetorum was hit in that manner, which caused internal damage to his organs, but not external damage. Basically, Caetorum could still fight on equal grounds for a while longer, though not until his body shut down from death or unconsciousness.

Hezazias slammed the front part of his heel on Caetorum's neck in a diagonal high kick, sending the incubus to the ground. Caetorum slashed Hezazias' hamstring and flipped himself off the ground. Caetorum resumed his fencing stance, ready for more attacks. While he couldn't see it, Caetorum knew that his opponent was slowed down a bit thanks to the cut on his leg.

Hezazias wordlessly sent a flurry of attacks towards Caetorum, each of which was deviated or missed. Caetorum sensed the incoming blows and performed his defense, which closely resembled a high class dance. Hezazias kept up the pressure, which forced Caetorum to keep defending or get done in by the fists. The black demon kicked a curved dagger lying on the ground, which flipped into the air before Hezazias' fists. He punched the hilt of the dagger, sending it slicing towards Caetorum.