Ch 8: Killing Intent

Locked in combat with Malum, Herald of the Nameless One, Alexander is the first to face the true power of his reawakened abilities. Can he survive against the Duke of Lies himself?

            Moving with fast, powerful, and somewhat whimsical motions, Malum continued to lash out with his icy scythe, and dodging and blocking with two of the eight flaming swords of his Defensor Clementia in it’s Solar Champion form, clad in his tattered coat once more, Alexander was still barely holding his own. Twirling his scythe a moment before striking with a powerful downward slash, as Alexander raised his swords up and halted his scythe’s blade, Malum said, “Don’t you think you’ve dragged this little dance out long enough? I’m a busy individual you know…” Shoving his scythe’s blade away with all his might, Alexander drove Malum back with a swing of one of his flaming swords as he said, “If it’s a matter of my life, I’m afraid I must insist on delaying your schedule indefinitely!” Twirling his scythe in his hand again, Malum frowned as he said, “I’d hoped ambushing you with my Evil Eye would allow me to wear you down easily enough, but your new toy there is proving bothersome. I was planning to reveal all of my newly restored power during my final confrontation with Alastor, but now you leave me no choice.”

            On his guard as Malum’s dark aura flared, Alexander considered his limited options. It was too narrow a corridor to really put the speed boost of his Solar Champion’s Ultimate Blade Effect to good use, and as he considered the fact that the others were no doubt on their way despite his orders to rescue Grey and Saria first, he realized his best chance for survival was to go on the defensive. Tossing a sword aside and dropping into a defensive battle stance, Alexander said, “Lunar Guardian!” As the symbols of his sword changed to crescent moons and the coloring of the weapon changed to blue as well, the second sword he tossed aside and the six others floating at his back vanished. Blue rune circles formed in the air around him as powerful barriers of icy energy formed around his body, and the Ultimate Blade Effect on his sword transferred from Angel’s Embers to Winter’s Might, endowing it with grand blue runes and the power of ice. Alexander’s shift from Solar Champion to Lunar Guardian complete, Malum merely took his own stance and grinned creepily as he said, “Oh my… What have we here?”

            Staring each other down, neither Alexander nor Malum made a move, drawing the battle into an early standoff. Then, his creepy grin widening, Malum suddenly said, “I see. You haven’t the slightest intention of attacking right now, which I can only assume means you’re stalling for time. Shame on you, calling in your friends without my permission.” Gritting his teeth in irritation, Alexander was slightly surprised to be figured out instantaneously. Readying his sword, Alexander made a move, swinging his icy blade as he chanted, “Falcatae Gelu!” An arc shaped razor sharp blade of ice energy surging forth from his sword as he swung it, but swinging his scythe at the exact same time, Malum countered with an arc shaped ice energy blade of his own. The two ice blades met in the air and struck each other, clashing a moment before their energy weakened and they broke apart, the cold they were made of dissipating into the air.

            Unsure how Malum had countered him immediately, Alexander was about to use another incantation, but rushing across the distance between them, Malum lashed out with a powerful strike of his scythe. Barely blocking with his sword, as Malum pressed the assault, Alexander found his movements seemed different now. Not only was he faster and more powerful, but his every move was unpredictable, as though he were able to suppress or hide every readable sign that would allow Alexander to anticipate his actions. Overwhelmed in no time, Alexander was knocked staggering back as Malum landed a powerful slash across his chest, surviving only because the energy barrier around his body had instantly formed a layer of incredibly hard ice across the area where the scythe blade would have torn into him. Nevertheless, he had not come out unscathed against the powerful blow, the tip of the scythe blade having pierced part way through the incredibly hard ice. Clutching the shallow cut it had drawn across his chest as he backed away from Malum, the layer of ice falling away in pieces, Alexander thought to himself, “What was that?”

            Raising his scythe and preparing to go on the attack again, Malum grinned as he said, “I can just see the wheels turning in that head of yours. For a man like you, who’s cheated death for centuries and amassed a thousand years of knowledge and experience, not being able to assess the situation must be maddening. Just like all beings, you fear the unknown…” On his guard, Alexander tried to remain composed and watched Malum closely, simply replying, “I won’t be shaken so easily.” His grin widening, Malum sounded greatly amused as he said, “Is that so?” Suddenly the world before Alexander seemed to shift to black and white for an instant, and his eyes went wide as he felt what he could only describe as an overwhelming bloodlust from Malum, followed by the sensation of countless jagged blades piercing his body. Gasping in agony, Alexander dropped to his knees as he fearfully thought, “He hit every internal organ… There’s no healing this, I’m dead…” As he looked down at his chest expecting to see himself impaled with numerous blades though, he found not a single injury other than the wound from earlier. Sweating and shaking, Alexander’s mind raced as he tried to discern exactly what had happened. Then he looked up as Malum’s voice came from nearby, saying, “Do you still think you’re unshakable Alexander? Do you think you’re above fearing death and the unknown reaches beyond?” Laying his eyes on Malum standing over him, grinning maliciously as he raised his scythe, Alexander’s eyes went wide once again as he felt the overwhelming bloodlust from before. At that moment, Malum seemed like the most fearful thing Alexander had ever seen, and he could not move a muscle as the villain brought down his scythe to finish him.

            Just as Malum’s scythe was about to come down on him, spikes of molten metal rained out from down the corridor, sailing over Alexander’s head and stabbing into Malum’s arm. Losing hold of the scythe, Dux Dolos clattered to the floor, and Malum jumped back as Patch leaped over Alexander and swiped at him with her burning polearm’s molten blade. Landing in front of Alexander, who was still paralyzed with fear, Patch glanced back at him and said, “It seems I barely made it in time.” Seeing the state he was in, she added, “You’re Alexander, Gabriel the Immortal of Angelorum Lux, are you not? Regain yourself, I’ve come to aid you.” Slowly coming to his senses, Alexander rose to his feet and said, “You have my gratitude, but what on earth are you doing here? If I’m not mistaken, you’re the former member of Ala Morte who saved Amy back in Gatria.”

            Pulling the molten spikes from his arm as Patch brought Alexander up to speed, Malum outstretched a hand in the direction of Dux Dolos. Sliding across the floor and rising into the air, the scythe returned to his hand as if drawn to it, and Alexander and Patch quickly put aside their discussion. Resting his scythe on his shoulder, Malum stared at Patch with a serious expression as he thought, “I didn’t sense her killing intent? Was I merely too preoccupied?” Suddenly stepping forward, Patch cut Malum’s thoughts short, leveling her polearm’s blade at him challengingly as she said, “Prepare yourself.” Her polarm’s blade seething with heat, Patch heated it more and more as she pulled her weapon back and prepared to strike. Readying his own weapon, Alexander suddenly felt the extreme bloodlust once again. Standing there with his scythe on his shoulder, Malum seemed a horror beyond all horrors to him, and Alexander was once more unable to move. Yet as though she felt nothing, Patch rushed forth with her polearm’s blade raging with powerful heat and flames, striking at Malum as she shouted, “Raging Fury!” Quickly holding his scythe up before him in surprise, Malum blocked with the weapon’s handle, but erupting from the superheated blade, a surge of pure heat ignited the very air around it. Controlling the heat unleashed, Patch directed the resulting storm of flames at Malum, engulfing him and the entire corridor behind him in a sea of fire.

            Backing off as Malum disappeared in the raging flames, Patch jumped back and dropped into a defensive stance, her shield at the ready. Having watched in amazement as Patch overcame Malum’s inexplicable powers, Alexander wondered, “Did she get him?” As if in answer to his question, the veil of flames parted as Malum swung his scythe through them, walking slowly out of the fire with a displeased expression to stand before them once more. The gloves he wore upon his hands along with the sleeves of his gray coat had apparently been burned away, revealing his arms, which were nothing but bones. Despite lacking any muscle or tendons to control them, he seemed to hold his scythe fine with his bony appendages, making it unlikely they had become that way from the fire. Staring Patch down for a moment, Malum suddenly grinned creepily and said, “To think I’d have the misfortune to come across someone who has already developed their own technique to counter my Killing Intent! Just how do you remain so calm I wonder? Who are you?” Watching him for openings as she tried to assess whether her attack had done any damage at all, Patch answered, “I am Patch, known to many as Fury. My powers to control heat are great, and my temper was once even greater. I finally had to learn restraint, and through training I learned to be calm and in control. I rarely lose myself in anger these days, and my impulses in general are kept in check. Your ability is no more dangerous to me than Magus’ hypnotic waves.”

            The pieces of the puzzle falling into place at last, Alexander finally understood what Malum’s ability was. Controlling his very intentions to kill, Malum had not only shown he could suppress those intentions in order to make his moves unreadable, but he’d also shown the capacity to project his killing intent to instill fear and even create illusions of death. Even the killing intent of others could be turned to his advantage, allowing him to predict his opponent’s moves just as he had earlier when he instantly used a similar ability to counter Alexander’s incantation. The paralyzing fear that had frozen everyone in place during the battle at Lorem Academy had not been the work of Vas Initio itself, it had been Malum’s weakened powers being temporarily strengthened by using Vas Initio’s power as a booster. Alexander grit his teeth in frustration as he quickly realized that he would be little more than a liability to Patch. This was her battle now.

            Rushing at another group of monstrosities as flames swirled around his burning gauntlet, Fox shouted, “Fireflash Combo!” To the naked eye, all the monstrosities disappeared in explosions after a single swing of his fist. Yet moving at high speed, Fox had unleashed punch after punch all in less than a second to create a furious combination attack, at the end of which each point of impact would detonate in a fiery explosion. More monstrosities flying down at him from all sides, Fox smirked and prepared to defend himself. Then as gunshots rang through the air, the bullets fired from Richter’s pistols detonated in the skies around the beasts, crystal shrapnel raining out at them and cutting them all to pieces in no time. The shell casings of the bullets he’d fired clattering to the deck, Richter grinned at Fox and said, “That makes fifty-six for me!”

            Returning his grin, Fox replied, “Not bad, looks like you’re catching up! Still, now that you have to reload to fire those special bullets, isn’t that weapon more of a downgrade?” Crossing his arms and aiming his pistols to his sides as two monstrosities rushed him from both sides, Richter downed them with his normal crystal bullets as he said, “I can still use regular crystal bullets if I need.” Ejecting his magazines, Richter reloaded quickly with new magazines from inside his trenchcoat, and glancing over his shoulder at Serius standing behind him, he said, “Something wrong Serius?” Trying to make contact with Amy through long range telepathy, as Richter called out to him, Serius responded, “I’m attempting to reach her again. We need to know what is going on with the others.” Suddenly speaking within his mind, Amy telepathically said, “Serius? Was that you?” Quickly closing his eyes and concentrating, Serius replied, “Yes. I’ve been trying to contact you. We’ve arrived in the Audentia with the others to help. Fox, Richter, and I are currently defending the Tentrion. The enemy has withdrawn half their forces though, and I’m concerned as to what’s going on in there. What’s the current situation?”

            Typing commands furiously into his mobile computer as he stood in the breached landing bay next to the small airship he’d loaded up with the hover container holding Grey, Dr. Nova in Scott’s body was growing frustrated. Unable to obtain his research from the Vinculus’ computer systems, he angrily muttered, “Even though it’s back up, all my data is locked down! What sort of master hacker is that little girl?!” Entering even more commands, as another error message appeared on the screen a moment later, he grit his teeth as realized he was out of time. Putting away the mobile computer, he turned to the gangplank leading up to the open door of his airship as he thought, “I’ll have to start from scratch. I’ve already encountered anomalies on the way here, and I’ll have worse to deal with if I stay here any longer. I don’t know how the Corrupted EDE interference array I set up could possibly have taken damage even if it took a direct hit from an EDE cannon, but if Alastor can use dark vortexes again, I honestly don’t understand why he hasn’t already escaped Zero to come kill me himself.”

            As Scott hurried aboard, the gangplank retracted and the door of the airship closed, and as he made his way to the pilot’s seat and started to fire up the engines, it seemed that nothing would stop him from making off with Grey. Just then, Amy rushed into the landing bay, panting as she thought to herself, “I’m sorry Alexander, Saria… But before I do anything else, I have to know Grey is safe!” Looking around, Amy spotted the small airship about to take off, and her eyes went wide as she broke into a dash and shouted, “NO!” Sprinting across the landing bay, the airship began to lift off as she drew near, and raising her hands and concentrating, Amy unleashed her psychic power as she exclaimed, “I won’t let you!” Piloting the airship on its way, Scott was surprised as the ship gave a jolt and stopped moving. Looking around, he started to say, “What’s this now? I sense…” Spying Amy using her psychic abilities to hold the ship in place with telekinesis, he scowled in frustration as he muttered, “Damn you Sage of Memories!”

            Spinning and twirling his scythe in deadly strikes, Malum found himself on even level with Patch, unable to read her moves any more than she could read his. Raising her polearm and stopping a downwards strike from his scythe, Patch knocked him away with a kick to the gut, and as Malum staggered back she went on the offensive, lunging after him as she created more molten metal to enlarge her polearm’s blade. Swinging her polearm horizontally, the blade now more reminiscent of a giant cleaver, Patch’s strike was barely blocked as Malum raised his scythe vertically to block with the handle, but the power behind it knocked him onto his back on the floor of the corridor. Unrelenting, Patch leaped up and brought her polearm down to impale him, but flipping backwards up off the floor back onto his feet, Malum narrowly escaped as she stabbed her blade into the metal floor. Swinging his scythe in retaliation, Malum’s strike was deflected by Patch’s shield, and he quickly leapt back as he felt the heat emanating from the floor where Patch had stabbed her blade into it, making another narrow escape as spikes of molten metal came shooting out of the floor all around her.

            Pulling her polearm from the hole she’d made in the floor from melting and absorbing the metal it was made of, as Patch rushed after him, Malum raised his scythe and a blizzard of jagged hail seemed to pour from his scythe’s blade. Holding up her shield as the sharp ice pelted her, Patch heated her weapon’s blade quickly and thrust it before her as she shouted, “Raging Fury!” The intense storm of heat and flame burst forth once more to counter the storm of ice, creating clouds of steam that filled the corridor, and rushing through the steam, Malum struck out at Patch again only to be blocked by her polearm’s handle. Pressing against his scythe’s blade, Patch said, “Did you really think I wouldn’t expect a surprise attack in all this steam?” Suddenly her eyes went wide as she barly saw it and leaped back just in time, suffering a shallow wound to her stomach but avoiding a killing blow as a bladed tendril of dark energy slashed at her. Gritting her teeth, Patch looked at Malum to discern exactly what he’d done, and saw his black demon-like pointed tail emanating the same dark energy. Grinning creepily, Malum said, “My Killing Intent has one final application you’ve neglected to consider! I can use Corrupted EDE to give it form, allowing me to make all manner of weapons out of my very desire to destroy my enemy!”

            Seeing Patch was injured, Alexander felt he could not simply stand by any longer, but the moment he moved to help, he froze up as he once again felt Malum’s Killing Intent. Glancing at Alexander, Malum called out, “Just wait your turn old friend! I haven’t forgotten you…” Heating her polearm’s blade as she held her shield ready to defend against Malum’s weapon of Killing Intent, Patch thought to herself, “This does not bode well…” Standing there in a momentary standoff with Patch, Malum turned his head to side slightly as though glancing through the walls at the battle outside as he thought, “I hadn’t been intending to leave them in charge this long, but I’m starting to wonder if those two dimwits are paying attention anymore. For a while now we’ve been losing great numbers of our monstrosities… Wait, did Alastor withdraw?!” Seeing him leaving himself open, Patch felt this might be her only chance, and she took it. Rushing at him with her polearm’s blade blazing, she was about to strike when Malum’s Killing Intent suddenly lashed out, the tail-like tendril knocking her away as she barely blocked with her shield. As she fell back on her behind onto the floor, Malum raised his scythe with a grin and said, “Sorry, but I have no more time for you.” With that he bolted past her at Alexander, and Patch turned her head back to shout, “Look out, he’s coming!” Yet unable to move in the face of Malum’s Killing Intent, it seemed the end for Alexander as the villain leaped at him with his scythe ready to kill, grinning in triumph.