Chapter 85: Black Knight.
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Turning back time a few days ago. Back in Izumo, Drake and Aladdin were finishing having a discussion in particular with Master Shen while he was eating a handful of mushrooms.
"So…It's basically that, yeah." Said Shen. "I was wondering if maybe that might have escaped you."
"It's no mystery that there is something weird going on with Johnnathan." Said Aladdin. "After all, he is a Hybrid. Even a Hybrid like me thinks that."
"But it's the first time I heard of soemthing like this." Said Drake. "I never thought that Darkness could be alive."
"Even if a Hybrid dies, darkness would still linger across his corpse." Said Shen. "It varies from person to person, but he is one of those types."
"Anyway, is there are a reason you are telling this to us in particular?"
"Oh yeah, about that. You are his brother are you not?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, that certainly seems like, boy. You are...also like that."
"E-Excuse me?"
"You haven't unleashed your full potential already didn't you? I mean you are still young after all."
"Now that you mention it, I never seen him once using anywhere close to all of his darkness." Said Aladdin.
"I didn't?" Asked Drake.
"He is a Warrior-type." Said Shen. "They aren't supossed to pull all of it outside of their bodies. Of course, it happens once or twice, but without proper training they might just get severely damaged, either physical or mentally...Or both."
"You seen that happen before?"
"About one time, but that is in the past."
"I see. So that's what you actually wanted to warn me about it."
"More or less. I don't think your brother is particulary in a better situation. You on the other hand, have to tough yourself up if you ever need to one day use everything you got."
"I don't really get it? Are you telling me to hit the weights or something."
"It's not your body. It is in here." Shen points at his head. "It's a matter of concentration."
"Concentration on what?"
"Reason." Said Shen as she points at his head. "Power without reason is as worthy as coal that cannot burn. The reason for power is more important than the power itself. Keep that in mind and you will be fine. Like those mushrooms! Want one?"
"No."
Back to the present, Drake finished reminiscing about that one time and stood back on his feet.
"After all you passed, you still stand against me? Foolish." Said Baal. "But then again, I like reckless idiots like you."
"Hey, big guy. Let me ask you a question." Said Drake. "Have you ever had someone looking up to you, wishing they were just as cool as you are?"
"Say what?"
"Bah. Nevermind. I don't know how it works with Demons, but certainly you aren't the charismatic type." Drake then pierced the ground next to him with his sword. "Me on the other hand, I have a younger brother that admires me like that, I think. He may not notice, but if you give a couple more years he will be a better man than I am. And that's why I can't just die here, you know."
A dark mist started to rise from behind Drake that took the shape of a demon-like being.
"Huh? What is going on?" Said Baal. "What is this uneasy feeling?"
"Are you ready for this?" Said Ruby to Drake.
"I had enough time to be ready." The figure behind Drake started to gather around his sword and a turned into a dark vortex surrounding his body and pushing Baal back.
"Argh! This energy!" Said Baal covering his face with his arms.
Back in Gel, Aladdin still hiding from the mayhem in the city, senses a faint feeling from the atmosphere. "Drake..."
The vortex surrounding Drake, sent a strong wind pressure that made the flames around the forest to flame.
"The demon fire is being erased?" Said Baal. "Is this darkness so strong it can even consume the flames of demons? There wasn't a Dark Walker that could do that on the ancient age. Did those nasty hybrids...Evolved that far already?"
The vortex finally disappeared and Drake's figure became visible. He was wearing a jet-black armor covering all of his body. The helmet had two triangle-shaped protuberances that looked like horns and a glowing red eye could be seen. On his back, there was a mist of darkness that was shaped like a cape around his neck. And his sword changed to a large black broadsword with a red line in the center.
"That form...A Dark Knight?" Said Baal. "No...It's more like...A Demon."
"Hey." Drake positioned his sword arm to a throw. "How about I respond that attack from before?"
Drake tossed the sword that flew like a strong gust of wind. It grazed through Baal's face, cracking the left of his jaw of steel. "What?!"
The sword contimued to fly like an arrow until it stabbed a stone next to where Kishin was watching it, who noticed momentes later. "Huh."
"Tch! You call that a response!" Baal went to attack Drake, who extended his hand and emmited a dark smoke from his palm. The sword that was stuck on the sword got free and floated in midair. It then pointed to where Drake was and flied back to him.
"Heh. Dark Magic is fun." Said Kishin who was silently watching.
The sword then pierced Baal from behind, making a hole on his torso and came back to Drake's hands. He quickly leaped at Baal and sliced his right arm where his axe was.
"I-Impossible!" Said Baal. "Not only his strenght rose, but also his speed."
Baal then turned back and saw Drake standing still, gazing at him. "...Why of all times, I am remembering that man?"
"Hey, big guy." Said Drake. "So are we done here? I have places to be, you see."
"Why are you acting like it's over?"
"I mean, you lost your arm."
"Hah! And yet you claim to be half-vampire. For ancient creatures like demons and vampires, a lost limb is merely a flesh wound." Baal's body started to become red and jets of fires started to leak from the holes of his body. "For the first time in centuries, you will witness the true terror of the demons!"
Baal exploded into a mass body of fire. It started to shape like his body, but it was bigger. The fire turned into a red body of magma. Baal's form was of a giant obese with four arms and two pairs of compound eyes. Each of his arms had an axe on them.
"So Baal decided to show his true colors." Said Kishin. "It would be a shame for you to die just when it got fun, Hybrid boy."
"So there is something else under that chunk of iron." Said Drake. "Somehow you got uglier."
"I'm sick of your insults!" Baal strikes one of his axes at Drake. The axe was stopped by a block from Drake's sword. The two then started to clash their weapons against each other.
"How is this possible?" Thought Baal. "Even with four weapons, he is managing to stand on equal ground with me?!"
Drake delivered a strong attack that pushed Baal, opening his defense. Drake jumped in front of his face and delivered a punch that sent Baal to the ground. "Ouch!"
"Man. Even tough I have a huge sword, it feels better to punch people." Said Drake.
Baal stood up and hit Drake with a backfist, sending him flying and hitting a rock.
"Good to know we are on the same page." Said Drake.
"I'll turn you into ashes and cinders!" Baal sent fireballs from his axes, but Drake easily deflected them all.
"Ashes and cinders? They are basically the same, dude."
Baal then opened his mouth and a powerful heat vortex started to gather inside his throat. "Last Eruption!" A massive conflagration came from Baal's mouth that left a trail of drought and destruction that extended even outside of the forest. As the fire fades, not a single soul was seen from where the fire passed.
"Aaaah. It seems his skin, flesh and bones turned into smoke, huh?" Said Baal.
"Yo." Baal heard Drake's voice and he was right in front of him, with his armor being red hot and covered with steam.
"Huh?! How did you got here."
"...I walked." Said Drake as he pointed at his footprints behind him."
"You saying you walked through that like it was nothing?!"
"Yep. And guess what?" Drake delivered a punch at Baal's gut that pushed him back and made him fall to his back. "It's still feels so right."
"That does it!" Baal's body started to heat up and it starts to lose it's form. He became a giant fireball with his face on it. "I shall devour you! Like leaves of a tree to a wildfire!"
"Funny." Said Drake. "I really could go for a hot meal after this."
Baal charges at Drake with his mouth open while Drake prepares his sword for a pierce attack. The two of them makes contact and a explosion of fire and darkness ignites.
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