~91~ Enter; The Glass King

Darius looked Inari up and down in shock. Her appearance had taken an even more drastic change than his, her horns, the kimono, chains, hair, it was almost like she wasn't the same person anymore. Maybe she wasn't.

"Is that.. actually you..?" Darius asked. "You look… so.."

"Different? I could say the same of you." Inari spoke, her fangs visible as her lips moved. "Lilith told me you were going on a rampage. But it seems like you've calmed down a bit." She looked over at the Gatekeeper. "Who is this?"

"Oh, just call me Gatekeeper. I am the one who watches over the gates of Xinoll." The old man spoke.

"Oh, so you can get us back to Fort Arashi?" She asked hopefully.

Darius watched Gatekeeper intently, a knot forming in his throat. He prayed that the Gatekeeper didn't tell her about Akuro.. then again, what god was he praying to anyway?

"Yes, I can. I expect you as well have realized the truth of your situation?" Gatekeeper asked her.

Inari nodded. "Yes. I fully understand why Sedori did what he did, and I forgive him. I just don't know why he didn't warn us first though."

"Because, I doubt you would have accepted this option had he done so. He did what he thought was right, and, as it turns out, it was right." Gatekeeper spoke.

"Fair enough." Darius agreed.

"Before I send you to back to the Midrealm, I warn you," Gatekeeper began, his tone grim, "the battle ahead will be very difficult. The gods that are attacking Arashi are extraordinarily powerful, possibly the strongest gods you've ever faced. They are on par with Moorza, so do not let your guard down."

"What..? Gods? Attack? Battle? What's going on..?" Inari asked.

"While we were gone, apparently, some gods launched an attack on Fort Arashi. And our allies are losing the fight." Darius explained.

"Seriously? Damnit.. I guess we should've seen this coming. They are out for revenge." Inari cursed.

"Are you ready to go then? I have other things to attend, you know." Gatekeeper said.

"Like what? There isn't anyone here." Inari asked.

"Doesnt meant there isn't work to be done. If anything it means there is more work to be done."

"I'm ready." Darius said suddenly. He stood with clenched fists. "I can't sit idly by anymore. I wanna fight.. I wanna get stronger."

"Hmm." Gatekeeper grunted. The. He tapped his staff on the ground. White light illuminated the chamber as the doors began to grind open. "When your battle is over, if you are victorious, return here to me with Sedori and Onoma. Don't ask how I know them. It doesn't matter. Just do as I say."

"What? Why?" Inari asked.

"If you want to get stronger you'll do as I say. Now go. Your battle is waiting."

•

•

•

Onoma glared down at Anubis as the god rose to his feet. The god's aura had increased exponentially from that attack.. but why? He hadn't used any aura! It made no sense.

"Onoma!!" Came Sedori's voice. Onoma turned to face him. "He grows stronger from physical attacks as well!! I also think his sword grows stronger when it cuts someone!"

"So that's what it is!" Onoma said, the pieces fitting together. Then he tried to remember how many times he'd struck Anubis… too many times to count. "Oh boy.."

A tremendous roar sounded from Anubis's opened jaws as his body grew larger. His fur became longer and darker and his snow larger, his teeth bigger and his eyes became that of a beast's. It was like he'd become a werewolf.

Anubis crouched low, readying himself to vault into the sky towards Onoma, but at that moment the ground cracked and red light illuminated the battlefield as the moon turned red.

Countless giant pillars jutted up from the earth as far as the eye could see. Sedori crumbled to his knees. Onoma was knocked out of the sky, plummeting down and crashing to the earth where he was crushed under the tremendous force.

Anubis chuckled, his voice deeper than before. "I see Hecate put her new toy to use finally. Now this will really be easy."

Anubis strode over to Onoma, picking him up by the head and lifting him off the ground. "You gave me a lot of trouble, you know. But I guess I should thank your for the power up, hmm? I must say you have some incredible power for a Deity. But it's not enough."

Onoma wanted to spit in Anubis's face, but his body was being forced downwards violently. He felt like he was being ripped apart between Anubis's hand and the force that pushed him down.

"My only question is.. where are the other two Deities?" Anubis asked. "No matter. Everyone here will soon die." The god raised his hand, black sand and red aura swirling around his talons. "Time to end you."

Onoma couldn't even resist.. at this rate.. he couldn't do anything.. he was helpless. He was going to die..

At that moment black flames erupted from the sky as something shot out of the air and crashed to the ground, the black flames exploding outwards and decimating the souls that were caught in it.

"The hell?" Anubis asked, "another one? Are you one of the Deities?"

A figure rose to their feet, barely visible within the black flames.

"How are you able to move under the pressure?"

"Does it matter?" Came Inari's voice as she walked forward. Anubis's eyes widened as he was able to clearly see her features. He dropped Onoma's body, which crashed to the ground hard.

"I see! So that's what those corpses I saw earlier were about. You became demons! How low you've fallen. Where is the other one?" Anubis asked, facing Inari.

"You should focus on the opponent in front of you." Inari growled.

"Oh, I should warn you, it won't be-"

Black flames suddenly engulfed Anubis's body. The god let out a terrible howl of agony as the flames began to consume him.

•

•

•

Gallatine jumped down to the ground from one of the Hell Spires, the ground cracking at his feet as he landed. The sound of Hecate's voice came as she laughed madly, looking down on the sisters with contempt.

"Look at you, you poor soul. Your sister is dead and you can't even muster the strength to stand. How pathetic." Hecate laughed.

Sallius grit her teeth, rage consuming her completely. She managed to push herself off the ground, her joints grinding loudly as the bones were smashed together under the pressure. The ground cracked at her feet as she sank in, but she managed to be able to stand in her two feet, even if her bones were being grounded to dust.

"Aww. Cute." Hecate said, then kicked Sallius squarely in the chest, sending her sprawling across the ground, her body broken and blood pouring from her.

Hecate let out a psychotic laugh. "No one can challenge me!! I am the strongest there is!!"

"You.." came a voice.

"Eh?"

"You did this..?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Hecate asked, turning around to see a red and black mist rising from a crack in the earth as a figure rose from it. His features were blotted out by shadow, but glowing green-silver eyes could be see through the darkness.

"Answer the question." The figure growled. "Did you do this?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Hecate laughed, "I get it. You are a friend of their's, aren't you?"

"Stop laughing."

"Or what? What the hell do you honestly think you could-"

*KOOM*

Darius flashed at point blank with Gallatine, wrathful eyes locked with his as he they stared one another down.

"You are dead." Darius growled. His body was shifting, turning to glass shards and then back to a physical form.

"Try it."

Darius threw a fist so fast it caused a rift to form in the air that churned for a moment before it burst, exploding between his fist and Gallatine's face. The force of the attack sent Gallatine's body flying end over end through the air.

Darius's body shattered apart like a broken mirror, the shards flying through the air after Gallatine and then reforming above the demon. His hand had formed into a crystalline blade, aura swirling around it as he bolted for Gallatine, his arm skewering his body, a blast wave completely obliterating Gallatine's body and ripping a massive hole in him, removing his right shoulder, arm, head and torso.

Darius then stopped, raising his hand and sending thousands of glass shards flying for Gallatine, the shards piercing his body and burrowing deep. The next moment the shards expanded, erupting into massive glass spikes that shredded Gallatine's body completely.

Darius raised his other hand into the air and thirteen mirrors formed above his head, from them glass chains shot out with spears at the end of each. The chains bolted forward, skewering Gallatine's body as it healed and then the chains, once burrowed into his body, pulled from all directions, locking the demon in place.

"I've already killed you once, so I don't know how you are back." Darius growled, "but it doesn't matter. You die here and now, for good."

Hecate laughed. "I'm not who you think I am, boy.. my name.. is Hecate, and I-"

Darius swung his hand in a vertical upward motion, and from it shot out a wave of aura that severed the earth open as well as completely cutting Gallatine's body in two.

"I don't care."