In an instant, Orlok cuts his cheek, and a massive amount of blood bursts forward, which then forms into arrows that surge forward towards Dragoste, yet as another laugh reigns out from the creature's mouth, all the arrows of blood surge and fall towards the ground.
And moments later, Orlok falls to the ground as well, as he says, "I got heavier? Dragoste, you're the one with the ability to increase our weights."
Deep within his body, he shifts around an encased box which he slowly feeds the blood Orlok sent into his body as he swings his head back and forth like an uncontrollable child, then moments later, one of Balaurs bones moves and sharpens itself as it swings towards Orlok. Unable to move from where he sits, he holds his sword up and takes the blow, knocking him down right through the one he stands on, sending him towards the ground.
"NOT YET!" Orlok shouts as he extends blood from his body in high pressure to wrap around the bones of Balaur, and forcefully pulls himself up.
Yet in the air as he flings towards the bones, Dragoste appears and sends another large flurry of bones towards Orlok, who releases a powerful swing, sending Dragoste flying.
He quickly lands on Balaur and hears the sound of one of the Behemoths' bones crashing right into the castle above. He tenses his muscles to rush forward despite all of his weight, yet from underneath him, a series of smaller bones rush out towards. He makes light steps back while keeping eye contact with Dragoste in front of him, who has already recovered from the attacks sent towards him. The crazed mutant in front of hims release bones, after bones, after bones, and as they surge towards him, Orlok says, "Sacred Storm battle arts; Wave!"
Then, with a single high-power slash, he sends the wind forward at such intense speed that it shatters the bones in front of him. Yet the instant they vanish, they reappear right in front of Orlok, who quickly makes a shield of blow to protect himself. As the bones push against his shield, forcing him to slide back, Orlok says, "This isn't just my decrease in speed, but the rate at which his attacks are growing is faster. This is unnatural."
Another strike hits the castle, and Orlok's face calms, as he says, "Sorry, old friend, I am going to harm you unfairly."
He removes his barrier and allows all of Dragoste's bones to hit, yet despite all their force, they only make tiny holes on his body no bigger than a splinter.
Yet from them all massive amounts of blood rush out that soon keep spreading across Balaur's bones, covering them completely. Orlok holds his sword up and says, "Blestadrac battle arts; Severance."
He swings his sword, and in that moment, all the blood around Balaur's bones disappears as everything in front of him is filled with an innumerable amount of cuts that shatter then into fine dust. Reducing both Balaur's bones and Dragoste's to dust.
Then in an instant, Orlok falls to the ground, as the stability of Balaurs bones fades, and soon many of the objects they stand upon them start to shake, as the force moves all through the gigantic wonderbeast.
Looking toward the bones, Orlok says, "I used up 4 years of blood with just that attack. It's been so long since I have used any that I forgot how much strength that it takes away, but still it seems it has at least vanqui-."
From underneath his body, a large bone burst through the ground, carrying him upwards, and as he moves, Orlok says, "Are you immortal?" while looking at Dragoste's body completely revived in front of him.
-Break-
Location: Outside Soarele Blestemat
ΦStaring down towards the battle between Orlok and Dragoste, Angra says, "Curses are incredibly strange, because they are what happens when the spiritual permanently becomes the physical. Through the idea of legacies, regalias, spirit arts, and even spirits themselves, one can access the immaterial into the physical world, for a brief time, but curses last forever. They impact people on a biological level in a way that never fades. The most incredible part of existence itself is curses.
For Dragoste as an example, every aspect of his body, from his blood to his nerves to his organs have all become completely integrated into his body due to the over crystallisation of his soul. But at the same time, they now fall under the regeneration effect of his curse. So right now he can regenerate his body, which in turn increases the amount of crystalised spirit energy in his body, which in turn increases his cure, which in turn increases his regeneration. An infinite, endless loop of power, only made possible by combining what does exist, the physical, with what doesn't, the spiritual. If he were to keep at this, he might become something akin to a God.
Yet another wonder of curses happens to be legacies themselves. Don't you wonder where all that mass comes from when you activate your legacy? It happens when the second soul within you sends large amounts of it's own spirit energy to the specified location and crystalises massive amount of it's own spirit energy essentially doing what I did to Dragoste to you own body temporarily.
That's why it increases your strength; that's why, despite being a spiritual phenomenon, it isn't counted as spirit energy mostly, but unlike normal curses it can be turned on and off at will. A legacy might be thought of as a perfect generational curse, if so, why does the Messiah allow the souls of the dead to come back, just to haunt us? The question this gives me makes my heart boil with excitement, and one day I wish to find the answer to them all, so why don't we get started, Cyrus?"
Turning his head, Angra looks at the body of Cyrus, completely slumped against a crater in the castle, with wonder and burns across his body. As the young dragon breathes in and out, Angra says, "You really tried your best, didn't you. To overcome me, but it is pointless to fight with a divine and exalted being like myself."
Cyrus, using his tail and his sword force himself up, causing Angra to say, "No way? You're really doing this?"
He quickly moves over to Cyrus's side in a flash, and floats around him while saying, "You weren't even able to bruise my body, yet you still want to try? Crazy, insane, absolutely wonderful. But still it doesn't matter."
Cyrus activates his legacy, then swings a sword spurting darkness towards Angra, who holds out his fist, then says, "Holistic battle arts; Spirit Cannon," then shoots a blast of spirit energy, knocking Cyrus deeper into the crater.
"With that output, you won't even harm me. Like I said, there are only a few ways to exert more force in terms of output. First is the use of the special fighting style developed by the Yugaku, Holistic battle arts, to combine flesh and soul, allowing for intense spirit energy output. Second is an inhumane level of training till you essentially force your body to increase its output again, and again, yet you'd need to force yourself to the point of death again, and again, and again, which is a near impossible task for any normal being. Finally is to develop a Regalia. Unlike normal spirit energy, you can just keep using as much spirit energy as you want to activate your regalia, so you can increase its output through sheer numbers."
Cyrus stands up again and swings his sword toward Angra, who says, "So if you actually had any one of those options."
Dodging, Cyrus blow he strikes the dragon in the stomach and says, "You could actually damage me, but it is too late for that. Blame your laziness, blame your weakness, blame your inferiority for doing this to yourself."
Pulling away from Angra, Cyrus swings his sword down as he produces a surge of darkness from the other side of his blade, which propels his sword downwards. With his anger rising, Angra says, "YOU CALL ME WEAK, YET YOU NEED MY BODY! Well, at least that's what you're thinking in that small little head of yours."
He smashes Cyrus with his two ears in his neck before kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying backwards. "You see, this state I am in isn't really ideal. Being purely spiritual like this allows me to access Holistic battle arts to an extreme level, yet it makes me incredibly weak to people who have the ability to interact with souls. If that little Hiruko was making better use of the curse placed upon her, she would be able to instantly defeat me. So it's far better to simply become a legacy and take over someone else's body. Besides, my ability to interact with souls directly is a physical gift few Yugaku were ever born with, and not having a body is making me forget how it feels. So let's become one Cyrus."
Standing up again, Cyrus activates his legacy on his tail and swings it towards Angra as he says, "No, way."
Grabbing Cyrus's tail, Angra says, "It's funny that you think your consent is needed."
He squeezes his tail, then walking forward, Angra says, "Your mind is still a bit too pieced together for my liking, so let me break it down a bit."
He grabs Cyrus by the face and smashes his body into the ground, then says, "Now feel the turmoil in your soul run wild."
Some of Angra's spirit energy flows into Cyrus, and he starts spasming as he roars. "All of the hate, sadness, despair you've ever felt, that has ever embedded itself in your soul shall be resurrected today, now enjoy."
His roars soon bring tears with them as he continues to turn and move in pain as the smile across Angra's face continues to extend further and further until Cyrus's legacy activates on Angra's tail, forming a large cocoon of darkness around Cyrus's body.
Seeing his hand slip further into the darkness, Angra tighten his grip, blowing all of the darkness away as he says, "Ah, ha, haaaaa. The sure density of the spirit energy that makes up this hand is far too much for you to absorb, Zahhak. Still, the mere attempt was an insult enough, so I shall let you both suffer together, interconnected as legacy and man. Enjoy the despair of the Dark Night Dragon, Cyrus."
ΦI hurts yet I don't feel anything across my body, across the shell that has always helped me deal with pain. The pain surpasses all reason and strikes deep within, so deep that I don't even know where it could be. This is too much, this is hell, I can't do this, I can't stop this, someone please save me!
You made a decision that day, young man, and I know you'll keep struggling. Yet your heart feels weak right now, so if only for a moment, accept this brief escape I shall give you.
-Break-
Continent: Dragon Continent Avesta
Location: Great Soaring Castle Saena
On the 126th year of athbhreith beithíoch calendar, all the dragons in Avesta celebrated throughout the continent, their joy, their happiness, their hope was refilled no matter were they where.
In Avesta, they all bowed their heads to one of the four Dragon Kings. The Dragon King of Truth, The Dragon King of Destruction, The Dragon King of Enlightenment, and The Dragon King of War.
And on this joyous occasion, the Dragon Kings of Truth and War were about to welcome their 2nd child onto the lands. Throughout the continent the flew on the back of the living castle on the Behemoth known as Saena as the people prayed up towards them, sending their hopes and aspirations onto the new child to be born.
And soon all their prayers would be answered as from the Dragon King of Wars womb, a young Dragon was born, one whose name would forever be ingrained into the minds of those who knew him, Zahhak.