The Lion Stands Alone

Modestly terrified, Midas stood-up and walked out of the room.

"What are you doing?!" Venus called.

"Venus, there's no point in hiding. He can sense our presence. His All-Knowing-Vision is an unparalleled form of clairvoyance."

Venus sighed. He stood up and joined Midas. The both of them then walked around the corner where they were confronted by Overseer Chamuel face-to-face, across the hall.

"Did you do this Venus?" He pointed at the pile beneath him.

Venus grew a smirk. "And what if?"

"Nothing, I'm simply impressed. I see my efforts have not been in vain. You truly are a destructive force not to be beckoned with."

Chamuel's words only further fueled Venus' ego. He elbowed Midas; "Even the man says it. I'm the strongest one here—"

"Though you are nothing close to the destructive force of us Overseers." Chamuel did not smile.

"Huh?" Venus was shocked. He was offended. "You don't know that."

"Yes I do. I'm the reason you have those powers to begin with. Before your hands were imbued with that precious ability, they were nothing but blood-stained."

"What?"

"That's besides the point," Chamuel sighed; "The point is; you were nothing before I brought you in and gave you power. Nothing.''

Venus felt his face heat up. "LISTEN HERE YOU IMBECILE!—" He shot his hand forward. It initiated a forceful blast in Chamuel's direction.

Chamuel ducked, followed by a massive blast breaking the walls behind him.

"Y-You saw my… ability?" Venus' hand trembled.

"Stop underestimating my All-Knowing-Vision. I can see things that you can't, and that includes the invisible air-like nature of your ability." Chamuel brushed dust off his shoulder. "I assume you two are trying to escape? And seeing as the other four aren't with you, I presume that they're in the bay where that irritating alarm is going off, yes?"

The two didn't answer.

"If that's so, I hope you two realize that both Ariel and Jophiel will easily subdue them, just as I will easily subdue you two right here."

The statement angered Venus; "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME YOU IMBECILE!!!"

He pounced forward, engaging dreadful blasts from both his palms. The gusts expanded throughout every inch of the hall, creating a wave of destructive power that propelled the air's atoms in Chamuel's direction.

The attack was completely unavoidable.

Suddenly striking the walls to his left and right, Chamuel's mechanical wings expanded from his back wrapping-up a shield-like formation in front of his body. The defensive move blocked Venus' attack. Then unraveling his wings, Chamuel's gaze met the fingers of a fist that approached his face—Venus'. He leaned his head aside, completely dodging the strike with reaction at an absurd speed. Chamuel immediately followed in pursuit with a counterattack.

"How—?" Venus' confusion was interrupted by a brutal punch to his stomach, launching him upwards into the ceiling. He crashed into its excessively white lights, breaking them, as he fell back towards the ground. But before he could hit the floor, Chamuel's foot instantaneously came into view, as a violent kick to the face sent Venus flying backwards in Midas' direction

"—RGAH!" He slammed into the wall.

"Venus!" Midas rushed over. "You okay?"

Venus shoved him away; "SHUT UP!" He wiped blood that seeped from his mouth. "I don't need your pity. I'm gonna show this imbecile what it means to mess with someone of my standing!"

"Stop it. You keep charging head-on without any idea of his potential power. Chamuel has a massive upper-hand, because on the other-hand, he knows everything about us. That includes our abilities." Midas laid a hand on his shoulder; "Let's try synchronizing an attack. Maybe then we can—" Midas was abruptly slammed into the wall by a violent gust of wind.

"—GUH!" He fell to the floor. Coughing up a bit of blood, he looked up; "What the hell?..." There, was Venus standing with rage; his eyes flaming, and his palm aimed towards Midas.

"Don't FUCKING tell me what to do you imbecile…" His veins popped. "Synchronize an attack?" He laughed; "I don't NEED your help to take down Chamuel. I'll show you what it means to be powerful, because clearly you don't know."

He turned back towards Chamuel. "I see you're as prideful as ever Venus."

Venus grunted in response.

"But that's exactly the way it should be. You see, you don't even know this yourself, but I've hardwired your ability to flourish off your ego. That self-satisfying sentiment you feel from your self-centered pride gives strength to your power," Chamuel expanded his wings. "So come at me with everything you've got, because I expect you to be your strongest right now."

Venus immediately dashed forwards, screaming as he did so. Noticing the debris fallen from the ceiling he'd smashed into earlier, he used his ability to manipulate the air around each piece, controlling their displacement by launching them towards Chamuel. The ceiling's pieces came flying at him like a barrage of bullets. But using his adaptive All-Knowing-Vision, Chamuel instinctively dodged each and every piece; not one glazing his skin.

"GOD DAMNIT!" Venus shot more in his direction.

"This constant stationary action tires me," Chamuel yawned. He waved his right wing over, propelling it outwards as soon as the debris came into contact with it. This smacked all the pieces back in Venus' direction, as if striking a baseball back towards its pitcher.

"Shit—!" Venus' body was scattered with sharp rubble. His skin was repeatedly punctured, bringing about tiny wounds everywhere. Before he could fully recover, Chamuel dashed forward, using the opportunity to shove Venus into the wall nearby. Pinned, Venus was repeatedly struck in the face by a flurry of both Chamuel's hands and wings.

Midas close-by, still coughing hints of blood, watched as his comrade was slowly beaten to death. "VENUS!" He ran towards them.

Suddenly and once again, Midas was sent flying backwards. Venus had forced him back with his ability.

"STAY OUT OF MY FIGHT!—" He was punched in the face. Bloody teeth came flying out.

"BUT YOU NEED HELP VENUS. LET ME HELP YOU—"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" He planted his palms on Chamuel's chest; "DIE!" Chamuel was launched backwards, but quickly recovered the unbalance with his wings.

Venus glared back at Midas, who sat on the ground angered at the repetitive rejection of his aid.

"We agreed on it, didn't we?" Venus was furious.

"On what?"

"That you'd let me take on an Overseer if I were to join you on your escape plan."

The words brought about a memory in Midas; "With that escape plan of yours, you WILL provide me a chance to have a go at one of the Overseers," Venus had said.

"Tsk!" Midas was disgusted by his attitude.

"That's why…" He turned back to Chamuel; "You'll stop fucking interfering with my fight with Chamuel. I'm going to prove to you that you're wrong Midas."

"Wrong about what?"

"Wrong that we need to return to the surface to be superior. I'll show you that we can be superior down here, even with the Overseers. I'll show you that we can be stronger than the Overseers, and that they never were superior to begin with. I'll show you that these imbeciles are truly weak, just like you… I'll show you right here and right now that I AM THE ONLY SUPERIOR BEING IN THIS FACILITY!" Venus shot his hands up. Conceited power drawn from his arms began swelling an immense charge of energy, ready to blast at Chamuel.

Chamuel laughed, "What an unforgiving ideal."

Officially triggered, Venus clenched his palms; "Die."

The ground beneath him ruptured, as his arms willingly released a tremendous synthesis of air-filled energy in Chamuel's direction.