Ch 34: Soul Entity

As Grave summon's his Grand Anima Weapon, the tables turn once again. Is Scorpio Via truly able to surpass Deus Amictus? If so, can anyone stop it?

            Taking aim, Grave flung his claw-like sickle at Grey and Scott, who quickly split up and leaped to different floating rocks to avoid. Moving like a living thing on its seemingly endless length of chain, the sickle chased after Scott, who readied Levitas Curator and tried to knock it away with a swing of his weapon. Rearing back as it was struck, the sickle merely lashed out again, and Scott barely blocked it with the handle of his halberd. As the sickle pushed against the handle, the blades opening and closing like jaws trying to bite him, Scott called out to Grey, “I’ll deal with this… thing! Go get Grave!” Shooting Scott a nod of agreement, Grey leaped into the air above Grave and came down at him as a spinning drill of water as he shouted, “Whirlpool Thrust!” Seeing him spiraling down towards him, Grave merely muttered, “Shadowstep.” Grave disappeared just as Grey went tearing straight through the rock he’d been standing on, and as he pulled himself out of his attack and touched down on another floating rock, Grey was on guard as he waited for him to show himself. 

It wasn’t long before he sensed the energy of the blade, and he whirled around as Grave lashed out with a katana of spirit energy. Blocking with his own blades, Grey glanced at the katana strapped to Grave’s back and said, “Not using the other half of your Grand Anima Weapon?” Scoffing, Grave replied, “You won’t be so cocky once I gather the necessary essence to draw it from its sheath! Scorpio Via is not like the other Grand Anima Weapons you have seen! Its power grows almost endlessly, to the point that even Deus Amictus would pale in comparison!” As they began to clash, Grave gloated, “Our clan had feuded with another group of outlaws on the Nendonn continent for centuries. Nendonn has always been largely uncivilized, a melting pot of outcasts and exiles, and we fought viciously over territory. That all ended with Scorpio Via though! My father once slew a thousand trained warriors with its might!” 

Spirit energy crackled in the air with every strike, and as they locked blades again, Grey scowled at him and said, “What, am I supposed to be impressed?! I don’t care about your stupid sword’s history, I’m still taking you down!” Seeing an opening, Grave raised a foot and pummeled Grey in the gut with a powerful thrusting kick, sending him flying over the edge of the rock. Walking to the edge of the rock, Grave looked down at him as he laid sprawled out on another floating rock. Letting his spirit katana evaporate, there was now an air of quiet rage around Grave, who reached up and grasped the handle of his sheathed katana as he muttered, “To speak so lightly of my Scorpio Via… This won’t go unpunished.”

            Healing his injuries from within his dark shell, Alexander also used his senses to monitor the battle as best he could, his jaw clenched tensely from pain and concentration as he struggled to heal as deep as he could. There was no real internal damage, though he had a feeling there was a hairline fracture or two that he might be able to patch temporarily with luck. He’d be well enough once the wounds and burns were gone, his impatience to join the battle worse than anything right now. Suddenly sensing something, he turned his eyes to the floating battlefield as he thought, “What is this foreboding aura?!” 

Meanwhile, Scott was leaping from rock to rock with his bow formed, firing lightning arrows at the claw-like sickle that continued to pursue him. Absorbing damned souls constantly, the sickle blades were quickly growing in size. Jumping to another rock as the sickle closed its pincer-like blades around the one he’d stood upon and cleaved it in two, Scott turned in the air and let lightning arrows fly as he thought, “Scorpio Via, the Way of the Scorpion. While Grave only possesses Scorpio Via because we unbound it from his father, it is still very dangerous. Fully charged, some have said it easily matches or even surpasses Deus Amictus, the blade undisputedly known as the ‘strongest’ of all Grand Anima Weapons.” 

Landing on a floating rock, his wrist devices spinning wildly, Scott formed Levitas Curator again, stabbing it into the ground and unleashing his Static Surge. Serpents of invisible static electricity rose up and intertwined, defending Scott as the sickle claw struck again, holding it back as a static field. Continuing to pour on the power, he thought, “I can’t speak to the validity of either claim, given the fact that I don’t think anyone other than Alastor has ever borne witness to the true might of Origin’s gift in actual combat, but as strong as I know Scorpio Via to be, I still have yet to perfect the Binding process. If he uses it incorrectly or for too long a period, there’s no telling what fun things could happen…” Suddenly sensing the foreboding aura, Scott turned to look in Grave’s direction, and he thought with a mad grin, “He’s unsheathed it early?! Oh this WILL be fun!”

            Getting back on his feet, Grey looked up to see Grave had unsheathed Scorpio Via. He was holding the katana up in the air, its black blade surrounded by a seething green aura of spirit energy, and the damned souls were being drawn into it like a whirlpool. Suddenly hearing Scott cry out, Grey quickly shifted his gaze to see him pinned against a floating rock by Grave’s claw-like sickle. Scott had stopped the now giant sickle blades from completely closing around him by holding his halberd horizontal between them. However, the tips of the blades were stabbing into his sides, and Grey also noticed a green aura surrounding him as he hung there in great pain. In concern, Grey shouted, “Scott!” As Grey moved to aid his comrade, Grave leaped off the floating rock and shot down through the skies with his EDE charged katana aimed straight at him, flying so fast that Grey barely managed to sense him and leap away just as the villain plowed through the rock he’d stood on. 

Yet the threat was not avoided yet, as a trail of energy was left hanging in the wake of Grave’s blade that suddenly formed into bolts of spirit energy, all of which quickly shot after Grey. Touching down on another rock and activating his Flux ability, Grey absorbed the attack into his swirling silver aura just in time to leap away again as Grave shot through the air once more and cut another energy line straight through where he’d been standing. Making a break for it across the rocks, Grave cleaving at him again and again, Grey made his way to Scott as spirit bolts rained out after him. Leaping  from another rock and sailing towards the weapon attacking his friend, Grey struck out at the sickle with a flying kick, knocking it away from him. Scott fell through the air, having passed out, and Grey used his aura to fly after him, absorbing his swords into his arms and grabbing him out of the air. 

Touching down on another floating rock, Grey knelt down to lay Scott upon its surface. Then grasping one of the water orbs orbiting him, he held it over Scott and chanted, “Sana.” The healing water slowly mended the wounds, including all the cuts and scrapes from the rocks, which were beginning to slow Grey himself down. As he saw Scott wasn’t coming around though, Grey shouted desperately, “Scott?! C’mon, hang in there! Just what the hell did it do to you?!” Suddenly sensing him coming again, Grey turned as Grave flew at him with his speeding cleave, and drawing a sword back out of his arm he managed to block the blade just in time. Blocking the strike was about all he could manage though, Grave’s powerful momentum carrying him sailing into the side of another rock. Backing off, Grave let him tumble through the rock storm and moved out of the way as the energy line left in his wake became more spirit bolts, raining down after him. 

Landing hard on his back, Grey opened his eyes to see the spirit bolts descending upon him, and quickly he raised his blade and shouted, “Reflux!” Shooting from his sword, a wave of the spirit energy he had absorbed shortly before blew away the spirit bolts. Once they were neutralized, Grey struggled to his feet and looked around for Grave, hurriedly using the last water orb to heal himself a bit. The villain suddenly appeared standing before him, and Grey merely glared at him as he shouted, “What happened to Scott?!” Extending his free arm at his side, Grave called his claw-like sickle back to him as he said, “Another few moments and Scorpio Via would have drained his essence completely. With time he will recover, but I’m afraid time is up for both of you.”

            Drawing out his other sword from his hand, Grey charged his blades with EDE and lunged at Grave. Calmly leaping away, Grave sailed through the air towards another floating rock, quickly willing his claw-like sickle at Grey. Leaping over the weapon as it tried to close its blades around him, Grey landed on its chain and ran up it in pursuit of Grave, swinging his swords and unleashing the stored energy as combined waves of water and True EDE. Deflecting them with his katana, Grave landed just as Grey came up the chain as a blur of speed. As Grave slashed at him with his katana, Grey  leaped over the strike, getting behind him and turning about to retaliate, but turning quickly as well, Grave countered with a sweeping EDE charged strike, knocking Grey back. 

Grabbing hold of his sickle’s chain as Grey staggered back, Grave pulled it in and flung it at him, and as the claw-like sickle sliced through the air after him, Grey took off using his aura to propel him through the air. Flying through the rock storm, the sickle tearing after him, Grey chanted, “Septimo Spiritus Fulmen! Additio Lux!” Aiming his blade back as a yellow rune circle formed at his sword’s tip, as a serpentine dragon of lightning emerged he willed it to attack the living weapon. As the dragon clashed with it, Grey himself dove at Grave, his swords charged with the light based Additio. Not bothering to raise his katana to block, Grave called out, “Use all the spells you can muster, you’re too late…” 

Coming down on Grave, Grey swung his swords down, and upon contact the light based Additio upon his blades was unleashed at point blank as a blinding blast of the original spell’s element, lightning. As the light from the lightning blast dimmed though, Grey’s eyes went wide in surprise. Unharmed, not having even moved a muscle, Grave was surrounded by a foreboding veil of green energy that Grey could only assume had stopped his attack. Raising his katana at Grey, Grave merely said, “The more essence Scorpio Via consumes, the more powerful it becomes. Time truly is up for you.” Not willing to give up, Grey touched down and activated his EDE Dissipation as he lunged at Grave with powerful strikes. Still, every attempt to strike him was thwarted, and ceasing his attacks, Grey stepped back and muttered, “This is nuts!” 

Laughing quietly at his frustration, Grave exclaimed, “Death Grip!” As the seething green spiritual aura around Grave’s katana expanded and rushed out at him, Grey found himself surrounded by it before he could move. The aura transformed into green spirit chains, and once he was completely bound by them, Grave lifted his katana and Grey was hoisted into the air. Grabbing hold of his sickle’s chain as it still grappled with the lightning dragon, Grave lectured, “Souls of the damned feed Scorpio Via little by little, but for the most part you have your foolish friend to thank for its rapid growth. The essence of the living is far more potent.” 

Grey called the dragon around to aid him, but swinging his sickle about, Grave used it to cleave the beast into pieces. As it’s body dispersed, he turned back to Grey and said, “Give it up brat. Your hopes are all in vain now, the wall around my body is generated by empowering my own aura and essence, a perfect defense that is rooted in Spirit EDE, and therefore separate from the elemental table dispelled by your ultimate EDE interference.” Pulling his sickle back to him, Grave willed it at Grey and its claws opened as it prepared to feed.

            Clenching his eyes shut, Grey could do nothing but wait for the end. Then he heard a stifled grunt, and something warm splashed on him. Opening his eyes, they soon widened in shock at what he saw. Hovering in the air before him with an aura of darkness around him, Alexander had come to Grey’s defense, blood seeping from his palms as he held the spirit blades off with nothing but his bare hands. Glancing back at Grey with a mischievous grin and speaking in a nonchalant tone, Alexander said, “Looks like I’m the one who’s a little late this time.” Fearfully, Grey shouted, “Alexander no! That thing will drain your essence! It’ll kill you!” 

Struggling to keep the claw-like sickle blades from closing on him, Alexander said, “Don’t worry… I’m not about to let that happen … I finally understand now Grey, and from now on, everything will be alright… No matter what happens... we’re all making it through this together, as a family!” Sweeping his katana to the side, Grave sent Grey sailing head first into the side of a floating rock before releasing his Death Grip. Watching Grey tumble through the rock storm to land unconscious on another floating rock, Alexander turned his gaze back to Grave as he heard the villain call out, “Still playing the hero I see. Maybe you’ll give it a rest if I remove the audience...” 

Mustering all his remaining strength, Alexander forced open the blades of the sickle and hurled the sickle itself away from him. Dropping down to land before Grave, Alexander reformed his sword, which he had previously absorbed to increase the powers of the Nameless One’s essence. Grasping the handle despite the pain from the deep gash in his hand, Alexander clearly seemed to be weakened by having his essence drained, looking and moving as though he were at his limit. Yet the air about him was determined, and he leveled his sword at Grave as he said, “I told you before, this is my duty as a father! Fifteen years ago, she disappeared from my life forever, and suddenly I became so afraid of winding up alone again that I cast myself back into isolation by my own hand! Despite my foolishness, I know in my heart now that she continued to watch over me, that she guided me back to them!" 

Clenching the handle of his weapon, Alexander gathered every last drop of strength he could muster as he declared, “Never again will we be torn apart! We are together again at long last, and no matter what happens from now on, I shall protect the greatest gifts Amelia left behind!” Suddenly Alexander’s sword began glowing with a radiant light, and he felt power surge within him like never before. At that moment, he also saw a thin strand of light like those of the Links extending from his chest and out into the distance, and he could swear he heard Amelia’s voice say, “That’s the spirit!”

            Blinded by the light radiating from Alexander’s sword, Grave exclaimed, “What is this power?!” The light fading at last, as Grave was able to see again, he could only stare in surprise. Alexander was clad in a tattered, tan colored coat with black and gold sleeves, worn over a black shirt with gold designs upon it. Tan colored pants were secured at his waist by a black and gold belt, and in Alexander’s hand now was a large sword with a black handle that had a large gem at the bottom of it, a deep metallic gray hilt with large gems studded in it at the sides and the center, and symbols along the metallic gray blade that looked like the shape of a crescent moon overlapping a circular sun. The gems, the symbols, and the sharp edges of the blade all glowed with orange and yellow light. 

Still staring at Alexander’s new sword, Grave muttered, “Grand Anima Weapon…” Raising it before him to stare at it as well, slightly confused, Alexander said, “No… I all but ruined my Grand Anima Weapon on my first attempt to create the key to unseal the Nameless One…” At a loss, Grave hesitantly asked, “What the hell does that mean? If it isn’t a Grand Anima Weapon… just what is it?” Turning his gaze to the skies, Alexander seemed to be listening to something, and spoke as though he were repeating after someone as he said, “Defensor Clementia, an Anima… Entia…? Created by reforging your Grand Anima Weapon, and can only be summoned by gaining power from a strong bond with another…” Taking a step back, Grave disbelievingly exclaimed, “Impossible! A form of Anima Weapon even further beyond?! If it truly existed, then why would the power of Origin itself come to rest within a mere Grand Anima Weapon?!” 

Looking back down at his Defensor Clementia for a moment, Alexander replied, “I don’t know, but…” With an air of determination about him, Alexander calmly leveled his sword at Grave and said, “Now that Amelia is with me as well, my family has truly been reunited. As long as we are together, I have nothing to fear.” His mind racing as he eyed Defensor Clementia with apprehension, Grave was sweating nervously as he awaited the results of the scan he was secretly running with his mask, the third and final part of his Scorpio Via that no one had seemed to have given a second thought, all while repeatedly thinking to himself, “It’s absurd… There’s no way that’s really true… It’s a bluff, it has to be!”

            Standing there lost in uncertainty as Alexander stared him down calmly, Grave nearly jumped out of his skin as Alexander broke the silence, saying, “Shall I take the first move then?” His anger flaring, Grave raised his katana into the air and shouted, “Let’s see how smug you are after this! For your sake, I hope your trinket is worth more than an army of a thousand!” Channeling EDE into his katana, as the green aura around it intensified, Grave shouted, “Legion of Hades!” The portals within the enormous archways Grave had summoned around the grounds of Alexander’s estate all began to glow brightly, and shooting out of them came streams of chains. Coming out of one portal only to pass into another, they had rows and rows of skeletons attached to them, and soon a fence of chains bearing lifeless skeletons surrounded the entire area. 

At first one might wonder what Grave was doing, but as soon as the skeletons had been summoned, the damned souls began to swarm them, and the skeletons began to show signs of movement. Unconcerned, Alexander simply began slowly chanting, “Septimo Spiritus…” Willing his claw-like sickle to his side, Grave sent it after Alexander again as he called out, “Don’t think I’ll give you time to chant!” Moving quickly across the short distance, as the sickle reached him and the claws were about to close down, Alexander leaped straight up. Turning his sword in his hand so that he held it upside down, Alexander took hold of the sword with both hands and brought it down to drive the blade straight into the exact spot upon the handle of the sickle from which the pincer blades formed. Stabbing through what was essentially the head of the beast, as he impaled it against the surface of the floating rock, Alexander calmly finished chanting, “Ignis Gelu!” Waves of heat and cold pouring through the sickle’s handle and chain, as it lost it’s structural integrity and broke apart before his eyes, an enraged Grave muttered, “You son of a…! Shadowstep!” Disappearing and reappearing upon the roof of the mansion, Grave raised his hand up commandingly and shouted, “Destroy them all!”

            The skeletons suspended from the chains encircling the entire area began to stir at Grave’s command. Green spiritual auras surrounding them, as their empty eye sockets began to glow with an otherworldly light, they opened their skeletal jaws and gathered power for an energy attack. Looking around at the power gathering within the skeletons, Alexander raised Defensor Clementia and said, “Lunar Guardian.” The gems in Defensor Clementia began to glow blue, as did the symbols upon the blade and the blade’s edges, the symbols also changing to just the shape of a crescent moon. Multiple blue rune circles momentarily formed in the air all around him as powerful barriers of icy energy formed around his body, and Alexander quickly followed up with a unique support incantation, chanting, “Stellis Duo.” 

The blade of Defensor Clementia glowed, and as Alexander concentrated on the targets of the spell in his mind, blue rune circles formed beneath Grey and Scott where they lay unconscious among the storm of floating rocks. Just then, the skeletons unleashed the energy gathering in their open mouths, spraying countless beams of spirit energy across the storm of rocks, decimating the floating battlefield in mere seconds. All the floating rocks had been turned to clouds of dust by the time the skeletons ceased their attacks, and laughing to himself, Grave said, “So much for the supposed ‘Anima Entia’! Nothing but another bad joke!” But his celebration quickly ended as he heard Alexander say, “My turn.” Hovering in the air amongst the clearing dust, Alexander emerged unharmed, and raising Defensor Clementia to the skies, he said, “Solar Champion!” 

Now the gems and blade turned red, the symbols becoming red circular suns. His barrier fading away, Alexander swiftly channeled great amounts of EDE into the sword, and watching the power build within his opponent’s weapon, Grave frantically called out to his skeletons, “Again! Hit them again!” Unleashing the power within the blade, Alexander cried out, “Ragnarok!” Shooting from the tip of the blade, a thin red beam soared into the heavens and disappeared. Before the skeletons could fire again, a glow of intense red light shined like new sun in the sky, and four powerful beams of burning energy shot down, striking the four gateways that Grave had summoned and obliterating them in earthshaking explosions. As the archways collapsed, the gateways closed and the chains bearing all the skeletons fell to the ground.

            His Legion of Hades gone, along with his source of damned souls, Grave looked around at the collapsing gateways and exclaimed, “That isn’t possible! They were protected by my spirit barrier!” Glancing back momentarily to where Grey and Scott lay on the ground below, having been protected from both the fall and the skeletons’ attacks by his spell, Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. Then he flew down to land before Grave on the rooftop, and as Grave quickly backed away from him, Alexander said, “So then, are you quite ready to surrender Grave?” Glaring at him, Grave replied, “Surrender? Even without the gateways, my Scorpio Via has absorbed enough essence to protect me from any attack!” 

Adjusting his signature shades as he laughed quietly, Alexander said, “Like the protection you placed over your gateways themselves? I’m sorry to inform you that Defensor Clementia has the ability to purify EDE outside the elemental table. Your barrier’s structure seems to be especially weak to this ability. I was able to destroy it in almost no time at all.” Standing there silently as Alexander loomed before him, seeming to be out of options, Grave thought to himself, “I’m beginning to wonder if this scan will ever finish or not, and I would sooner be cast into oblivion than lose to this fool…” Raising Scorpio Via into the air suddenly, Grave exclaimed, “Boast all you like, but this isn’t over yet! Even if it kills me, you WILL DIE!”

Author's Note

Originally titled "Defensor Clementia, the Defender of Humanity". Again trying to dodge spoilers.