Winter: Planning; That Which; Turned Into; Action And; Fighting PT. 6/8

I slowed to a stop, kicking down my stand before glancing at my surroundings.

I was all the way out on the other side of the city, near the hills that were on the way to the beach on the north-east side of the city.

Standing atop one of the hills, gazing out at the sea, was the person most crucial to our plans to save Depra.

I walked up to her, lifting up my visor so she could see my face. She noticed me coming, glancing at me before looking back towards the sea.

"I know why you're here."

I stopped next to, frowning. Lachesis didn't tell her anything as far as I know, right?

"It's must be about him again, it always is. Not that I mind that I always save him, but it would be nice if every once in a while he could do the saving."

I waited silently, and she sighed before her regal purple eyes gazed into my different colored brown ones, her purple hair blowing to her side.

"Take me to him. Take me to see Depra, so that I may save him once more."

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"You got Pandora then?" I asked over my headset.

"Yep, on our way back now. Hopefully we'll get there faster this time."

"We're counting on you, Necessitas." I said, sighing as our plan was officially halfway in progress. Now just comes the hard part.

I watched as Erebus reached Layer Triangle, just one more Layer until Layer Circle, the others still busy fighting their respective opponents.

"I'm counting on you too Erebus. Make sure he doesn't do anything to King, got it?"

"Understood, just leave it to me."

In fact, it's almost time for me to leave as well… I thought, glancing back in the box, only two more pieces of headgear remaining; one being King's crown, and the other being…

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"Still, are you sure you're alright? You're not overexerting yourself, are you?"

"Shadow Slash."

I once more slashed through the guards, sending them scattering as they slammed into the wall from the darkness.

"I'm fine, I have it under control. I've been training for quite some time you know."

"Yeah, using your full power against demons. I'm just worried that it might be a bit difficult to, you know, contain it."

I walked up to the final wall before I would be met with my King, steeling myself for the long fight to come.

"Like I said, I've been training so it doesn't get released. That power within my right eye won't come out so easily, so have some faith."

"I just don't need you to become a murderer."

I chuckled. "Why'd you think I brought the wooden one instead?"

"Shadow Bomb."

An explosion of darkness was released as I put my hand against the wall, and I walked past the final layer, Layer Circle.

It was quite a spacious room, with the ceiling being open up above to the moonless night sky. There was no metal floor beneath me, instead being replaced with brown dirt, not a plant in sight. The walls had the same pulsating blue lights around them like the rest, although they had dimmed considerably since we had entered this place. However, there was something different about these walls, having large metal protrusions inlaid in them, alternating between the faint blue lights.

And sitting in a chair on the far end, his face down as his unkempt black hair covered his face, was none other than my King.

"King," I said softly, gripping my wooden katana tightly within my right hand.

"Shadow-!"

"Well, looks like Meno wasn't able to do anything about you. Did he get caught up in some other fight?"

I watched as a tall man, a little over 7 ft tall, walked out from behind King, his hand on the chair as he gave me a grin that showcased all his teeth.

"Well, no matter. There were too many of you for my sons to fight you all anyway, so as the Father, I'll pick up their slack." He placed his top hat down on the corner of King's chair, his brown eyes gazing upon me.

"That is, after all, what family is for."

"Shadow-!"

"I wouldn't do it if I were you, unless you want to die."

I stopped myself from appearing next to King, glaring at the man.

"I'm here to take him back."

"Honestly, kids these days. Don't mettle within my family affairs. This is, after all, 'our' family reunion, right, Depra?" The man said, speaking directly into King's ear.

"E-Ere-bus…?" King mumbled, and I found myself walking along the dirt, gritting my teeth.

"I'm here to save you King. Just hold on!"

"Why, are you here?" he asked, looking up at me with wide eyes. "Stop, wait, no, go back, I'm fine, please."

"See, even our Key here is saying he's fine. So, why must you try to interfere?" The man said, and I stopped, about a quarter of the way across from the room.

"I'm here cause I wanna be, King. I'm here because you saved me all those years ago, King. I'm here, cause you need rescuing, King!"

"Well, that's no fun, is it, Depra?" The way he said his name sent chills down my spine, and King started to shake his head, horrified by the man.

"After all, you want them back too, don't you? Your family. Together, we can have a big family reunion together, and you can bring them all back at last."

"No, wait, it wasn't meant to happen, I don't know what you're talking about!"

The man sighed, scratching his afro.

"Pierce."

And then King went limp as the man went away, patting him on the shoulder.

"Give it some thought, as you are the one who can truly bring them back."

"What did you do to him!?" I roared out, making my way towards the man once more.

"Tell me, what do you think about family?"

I stopped once more, a third of the way there now. "What about it?"

"Isn't your family worried about you? Going off on late night excursions to infiltrate an armed base to save your friend, shouldn't you be having fun with your family instead?"

My right eye ached with pain as painful memories of the past dredged itself back to the surface.

"I have no need for my family. My birth parents are dead, and my other family only care to use my gifts."

"I see, so you don't understand."

"The only family I need, is King, the boy behind you."

The man stopped ten steps ahead of King, planting his feet firm.

"Useless."

Huh? I could only watch as the man started to scrunch up.

"Family that isn't blood is useless! Friends who consider each other family only run away from what they have. Family is the only one that'll accept you, friends will betray you, family will love you, friends will despise you, FAMILY IS EVERYTHING, FRIENDS ARE NOTHING!"

I tensed up at his words, thundering throughout the room.

"You boy know nothing! I will not allow you to take away 'our family' on this day, the day of our long-awaited Family Reunion!"

Damn, is this guy crazy or something? "I'm taking him back, whether you like it or not."

"Family triumphs over all, Family is the most important thing to a man, and the fact you cannot understand that simple fact is a tragedy," The man said, glaring at me.

"Dodge Erebus, now!"

I tilted my head to the right, feeling something whizz past me as a giant boom echoed throughout the building, and the man let out another grin that showcased all his teeth.

"EXCELLENT! THE SOUNDS OF BATTLE THAT ECHO THROUGH HERE, THE THUNDEROUS BOOMS THAT RATTLE THE VERY EARTH BENEATH OUR FEET, ALL OF IT IS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR 'FAMILY!'"

I pointed my wooden katana at him, gearing up to fight.

"MY NAME IS IAPETUS!" He thundered out, the entire room shaking with his presence as he stood firm against me.

"Shadow Step!"

"PIERCE!"

I was just about to appear next to King, whizzing through the shadows before I was stopped, getting tossed out as I melted back into existence, now on the right side of the room.

"Shadow Slash!"

"Pierce!"

I rushed towards him as I slashed a wave of darkness towards him, only to be stopped mid-slash by an invisible force, canceling out as I get sent backwards, landing on my feet.

"Erebus-!"

"Lachesis, I'll be fine. Focus on the others," I said.

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Step!"

I narrowly dodged out of the way of his attack, still unable to see what he was sending my way as I appeared back in the center, about halfway from King.

Well, not as if this is all I got.

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Block!"

I made a slash upwards with my arm at a right angle, creating a barrier of darkness that protected me from his attack.

I rushed towards him again, leaping up in the air as I let out another move.

"Shadow Bomb!"

"Pierce!"

A large explosion of darkness made its way to Iapetus before getting ripped to shreds as he let out another grin.

"Pierce!"

That's not good, I thought, still midair from previous attack.

"Shadow Dodge!"

I made it back to the ground, his attack piercing through an afterimage.

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Thrust!"

I thrusted my katana towards him, connecting with his attack before ripping through it, sending a thrust of darkness coming at him.

"Pierce."

Once more, my attack was ripped to shreds, this time from the side, and I scowled as I stared at him, Iapetus not having taken a single step since the battle started.

"Is that all you can do, boy?" He asked, a wide smile as he spread his arms wide.

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Dodge!"

I narrowly avoided his attacks, it piercing through my afterimages as I made my way closer, fading in and out of darkness.

"Pierce!"

I leapt backwards as the ground where I was just at got torn to shreds by his attack, once more halfway there to King.

"Damn, if I could just kill him, there wouldn't be a damn issue," I grumbled, encasing my sword in darkness.

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Slice!"

I sliced upwards at his attack, my blade facing upwards as I ripped through his attack with the darkness encasing my blade.

"Pierce! Pierce!"

I tensed up as I ran around him, the ground behind me once more tearing into shreds, leaving large holes in the way as I was once more unable to make any ground.

I ran back some, about a third away from King as I let out breath of air before I kicked forward, my steps causing the ground to rumble beneath my feet.

"Pierce!"

I leapt up in the air before I started to flip faster and faster, the darkness around my sword growing heavier.

"Shadow Slicer!"

"Pierce!"

I ripped through, about to nail him before I was stopped by a spear he had conjured up. Even so…

"I WILL SAVE YOU, KING!" I roared out, using gravity to my advantage to try to push him back, even if only a little.

"You're far too young to face me, boy!"

I got sent flying back, skidding atop the ground before landing on my feet, slamming my katana into the ground as I slid to a stop.

It didn't work, I thought, gritting my teeth as I glared at him with my singular red eye.

"You are quite strong, I will admit that much," Iapetus said, twirling around his spear made of dirt. "But it looks like you are not strong enough to save your precious 'family' after all, boy."

I let out a growl, tensing up my muscles once more.

"Shadow Step!"

"Pierce!"

"Shadow Slash!"

I outmaneuvered his attack, slamming my wooden katana against his spear once more, darkness almost overflowing from my attack.

But once again, I was sent backwards, losing the progress I had made to reach my precious King.

"I'm quite surprised. It's been a while since I've faced an opponent I have yet to hurt at this point in battle," Iapetus said, slamming his spear down into the ground.

"Shut it," I growled out, the darkness around my sword growing even heavier.

"But still, you are thousand years too early to face someone like me, boy!" Iapetus yelled out, reeling his arms back before thrusting them forward.

"PIERCE!"

"Shadow[dark] Absorb!"

I swung my sword in a circle, and all his attacks got absorbed within the circle of darkness I had created. And then…

"Shadow[Dark] Reflect: Pierce!"

His attacks got sent flying back at him, encased within darkness…

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What is with this boy?

"PIERCE!"

I cancelled out his reflected attack with my own, and I frowned as I looked at him. For the longest time, his left eye had been glowing red; his right eye, however…

"Shadow[Dark] Step!"

He appeared in front of me, raising his sword high, and I let out a grin.

"Pierce!"

I stopped his attack once more, and he was sent flying back, and only then did I notice.

The darkness that encompassed his sword was now surrounding him and the entire area, and his right eye was letting out a constant stream of black from his helmet.

"[Dark] Slasher!"

"Pierce!"

I tensed up in surprise as I blocked his slashes with my spear, almost catching me off guard.

"You've been holding back on me, boy," I giggled out, starting to laugh to myself. "That's okay, it let's me have more fun!"

"Pierce!"

"[Dark] Slicer!"

He once more sliced through the air like a buzzsaw, whizzing around the room as he sliced through my attacks as I once more blocked it with my spear, my muscles tensing up as I let out a grin that showcased all my teeth.

"EXCELLENT! USE THAT TO SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE REALLY MADE OF!"

"[shut up.]"

It's as if another being is talking right now, I thought as I finally sent him flying back.

"[Dark] Thrusts!"

"Pierce!"

He sent out thrusts of darkness towards my piercings, which cancelled out with a loud boom that shook the very foundation of the room we were in.

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! MORE, SHOW ME MORE!"

"[i said shut-] ROARGH!"

He clutched his right eye, roaring out as the darkness in the room started to fade, and it was only then that I realized I had felt heavier from the darkness' presence.

"That was unbecoming of me, forgive me," the boy said getting back to his feet as the darkness once more only encompassed his sword.

"You really are strong. Tell me, what is your name, boy?"

He held his wooden katana with both hands before pointing it me, his red eye glaring at me.

"My name is Erebus of the Blazing Red and the Billowing Black, Slayer of Demons."

"Ah! So, you're with the Demon Slayer Corp then! How excellent, Clymene Corporations has been on great terms with you all! Tell me, did they send you here to save the key?"

He shook his head. "I am not here on business with them, despite how much I despise Clymene Corp. I am here simply because he is King, nothing more, nothing less."

"I see, so that's how it is. So, if I kill you, my wife won't be upset that it'll ruin relations between the two of us! Excellent, most excellent information you have offered me today!" I gleefully let out, clutching myself as I could feel my face flushing red.

Suddenly, one of the three doors opened up, and out walked out a boy with silver-grey hair and light blue eyes, and he glanced around the place before he looked at me.

"Peasant."

"Huh? Who the hell are you? Why isn't my one of sons taking care of you?"

"Oh, you mean that Meno guy?" The boy asked, picking out earwax from his ear. "Yeah, I defeated him."

Huh? "I guess he did not place his faith within his family. Very well, I can fight the both of you."

Before I could, another door opened, and another boy walked through with singed blondish pink hair, sparkles darting all around him.

"Oh my, look at you all. I see Tae~Tae beat me here it seems."

Again? "Did my sone also lose to you?"

"Oh, you mean that cutie Promie~!?" he exclaimed out, grinning. "He lost to the power of love!"

So, Prometheus as well… "Three on one, when was the last time I was able to have this much fun in a fight!?" I yelled out, reeling my arms backwards.

But once more, the third and final door opened, and out came two girls, one with skin as dark as the night and hair even darker, the other with golden-yellow hair, who locked onto me.

"Oh look, it's a super tall dude! And how convenient that the doors were open for us too!"

"I can see that. And thanks to you, we're the last ones here!"

"What the hell did my sons do to lose to people like you?" I thought aloud, gazing at the ragtag band of misfits who managed to reach the final layer with barely a scratch on them.

"Oh, that guy? He was freaking out about we were gonna fight, even though I wasn't even gonna fight him. What a weird dude, am I right?"

"He was an idiot who couldn't tell the difference between good and bad fighting. Absolute dumbass."

I see, so my family lost in the end. "Ah well, no matter. Five on one, yes, this will be the greatest fight I've been in such a long time!"