Hellhunters Neo - Chapter 22 The Fall

Riku stood across from Saku as the lightning flashed across the sky. Blinded slightly by the flash it took him a ten of a second to realize Saku had already started moving. For these two passing the transcendence of time was achievable but only in short bursts. Riku slipped into their flow of time that made it seem like the world around them wasn’t moving. Even the lightning in the sky came to a standstill.

Riku rushed at Saku with the Dazimuse in tow as they all but flew across the sky. They both swung at each other only to miss by inches nearly removing a limb from one another. Saku dodged just like Riku showing how well the two knew each other in combat. With a burst of lightning right at Riku shortly after landing. Riku quickly shifted his blade down blocking the lightning to fly off into the sky. Landing back on a building before bounding off once more on just the tips of his toes. He flew at Saku who had to roll to land due to the pain in his gut. Just as Riku was about to hit Saku’s blade shifted out down and up hitting the blade to the side and slashing Riku’s inner side of his forearm.

Saku’s foot collided with Riku’s chest shoving him away shortly after. Once Riku was pushed away Saku followed shortly after with his blade held up for a downward slash. Riku flew away seeing Saku out of the corner of his eye. He spun himself forcefully in the air to slap his hand against the ground. He pushed off flipping over to swing out at Saku. Saku’s reaction was just as quick blocking Riku’s blade with his own. The lightning and thunder rang out from their blade causing a burst of energy. The sky seemed to react as time returned to normal for their clash. Just as quickly time returned the two slipped right back into the realm of slip time.

Slip time realm was using their magic over lightning to vibrate the cells in their bodies to a level of speed that time its self could not keep up. This was a special trait that both unparalleled but deadly to the user. The reason why is without a large supply of life force the body would age at the time that they moved. Thus meaning a few seconds would be like months of their life. This power had its limits even for these two who were born with the skill engraved into their own beings.

As the two entered the slip time, Riku was the one to strike first. His power over thunder was more then just a weakened version of lightning. While Saku trained to learn the explosive power of light, Riku wanted the tranquil power of sound. Riku’s hand flicked as if playing a piano while his other hand held out the Dazimuse as if it were the piano. As Riku’s fingers tapped lightly on the blade invisible waves of energy flew towards Saku. Saku’s hand lifted his sword up to prepare for Riku’s attack unsure of what he was playing. Riku’s attack wasn’t new to Saku but each time Riku attacked it followed a random tune. Without knowing the pace of Riku’s attack it made it near impossible for Saku to defend.

Just as Saku was trying to see what Riku was playing the first burst of energy exploded on the right side of his ribs. Riku’s sound magic were waves of energy that flew forwards and exploded causing a burst of music that broke the sound barrier. The music rang out due to the time they were in being faster then the speed of sound. This made Riku’s attack rang a melodic tone into Saku’s ears. Normally Riku’s attack had a fast pace making it easy to catch the beat. Only this time Riku’s song played through his magic was Beethoven’s 14th the Moonlight Sonata. Just after a few rounds of attacks, Riku let up taking this chance to rush Saku.

Just as Riku was about the slash down on Saku a bolt of light shot right past Riku’s shoulder. The shot was fired from between bursts of sound. The bolt tore through Riku’s shirt and put a large gash that threw back a few feet. he rolled to his feet lifting the sword in time to block Saku’s downward strike. While the energy exploded forwards lightning fired down all around Riku. Saku’s lightning attacks always had a second wave should his sword not finish. In this case those bolts of lightning broke the floor below Riku causing the roof to cave in. As Riku fell another two slashed appear on his legs before he could jump back. As time returned showing the destruction of the building roof. Riku managed to use the rubble to cover his movements. He dove out one of the broken windows slipping back into the slip time.

Saku being wiser already figured Riku’s plan and dove into the slip time catching him running up the side of the building. Riku stopped on the other side as the wounds in his body made him come to a stop showing the glow of being in the slip time to fade. Saku was about to rush over when the pain of his broken rib caused him to lose his slip time as well. The two stood across from each other on opposite sides of the street. Riku leaning on the sword as his blood was dripping onto the ground from all over his body. Saku on the other hand was hurting all over but his ribs were the most painful. Riku’s attack may have not had finishing power but the ability to break Saku’s reinforced ribs was a feat of its own. The two knew their attacks had to finish the other in this next strike otherwise this battle would end with them both dying.

The two couldn’t use slip time with how badly they were injured meaning Riku knew he was at a disadvantage. He focused all of his energy to attempt to match Saku’s movements that the two flew at each other. The force of their movements broke not only sound but at the speed of light. two similar flashes of light one blue the other black. As the two got close Riku could feel his energy wasn’t enough that he barely managed to block Saku’s sword. As the two swords clashed one last time Saku’s foot landed square in the middle of Riku’s chest. He flew down towards the ground slamming into the ground with such force that a crater formed around him. Blood spewed from his lips as his body was nearly mangled. He laid there in the crater a moment before steam began to form from his cuts.

He slowly began moving as his body began to spark with a golden light. The energy was similar to lightning only it was more solid and slower. Its energy bounced across Riku’s body as his mind was focusing on one simple task. He had to beat Saku in that moment. Riku’s entire life since he came to the demon world was focused on how he wasn’t as great as Saku. How Saku was the better son and prodigy to Shindow’s empire. Now here he was losing just as everyone predicted. Riku hated the idea that just because he was a half-demon he was considered inferior to Saku in anyway. This moment was Riku trying to prove otherwise. His power was rising at an alarming rate that Saku knew exactly what was to come.

The Chaos burst is a build up of energy of one of the finest forms of life force. This was a form of life force that not only severed its target from the lifestream but burned away any life force around it. Since Riku was the user his body was being protected by the energy but anything it touched was being torn apart.

Saku slowly started building up his own energy that was considered a polar opposite of Riku’s. While Riku’s outputs life force to destroy everything around him. Saku’s oblivion or void magic draws in the life force around him to destroy. As the two energies formed domes around the two grew more and more powerful before exploding. there was a small crossing point of the two energies that began combining and drawing in the two energies. As the two felt their power being drawn away neither could stop the force. It was as if something was latched to their hearts forcing them to keep pushing out the energy.

As the two fell against the ground Riku’s wounds were nearly closed as his body had undergone an extreme form of healing within the chaos. His body was nearly drained of all of its life force that he was unable to move. Saku was in a similar condition but his body was not able to heal as fast due to the difference between chaos and void. As the two laid there they could only watch as the orb grew to an unbelievable size. The two had inadvertly ended not only sky but from the size of it the world. Just as Riku started to pass out he watched the orb slowly rise towards the sky as a small spec sized flame was pushing it higher.

As the explosion of the white orb reverberated out through the sky, Sky City began to crumble and break. Parts of the city fell towards the surface along with both Riku and Saku. As their bodies flew through the rubble Riku started to regain himself. He noticed that the rubble was falling straight for the city. He slowly moved his body to line up with the falling rubble. His foot kicked of sending the rubble to collide and shatter to smaller pieces. He did this as he bounced around the falling rubble to notice arrows that were shooting larger rubble off course. Riku saw in the distance was Desmond on a small platform that was floating and Edin’s body lying across his lap. As he started to make his way towards his friend he noticed something falling alongside some rubble. Just as he was about to get close an arrow pushed a large rock in his path. He managed to dodge in time before noticing the Saku’s falling body had disappeared from where it once was. He finally reached over to Desmond before the three flew back to the hellhunters.

When they arrived everything happened so fast they barely to register it all. Riku and Desmond had lost their ranks as HellHunters going to be trainees for an undetermined time. Edin had lost his memories and was put under Ti’s care to hopefully nurture them back. Who then decided to put him as a trainee alongside the others. As for Saku he was considered MIA and was told to the public that he had gone on a long mission. To hide the cause of the Sky City fall they claimed it was a rock demon trying to attack the city. As for the sky it wasn’t until the next day did everyone see the real sun for the first time. The white orb explosion broke the seal that hid their world as the moon to earth. now there was the demon world and earth parallel and exposed to one another.

Chapter end