The Last Dance II

The entire place was filled with silence, only heavy breathing and heartbeat echoed through the ground. Under the bright moon light, the blood that dripped on the ground, shined like reflection.

" You bastard....that was your brother, how can you do this to your own brother, you used him as a shield? " said Abel

" He was useless, he was keeping me down, he always did, I was the weak one, I was older yet I was weak!! " said Rhy

" It is not what you think, you misunderstood him, he was trying to protect you and your mother " said Gorosuke

"SILENCE OLD HAG " shouted Rhy

" It's true, he was protecting you, he took everything on him, from blames to the killings you did, from the pain to the joys, even in his final moments he saved you, despite being the younger one. You're the one who was blind " said Aruma

" NOT ANYMORE, I WAS WEAK BUT NOT ANY MORE " shouted Rhy

The sky above cracked open in jagged red streaks, bleeding light upon the ruined pyre ground. Rhy's flesh was no longer human — blackened veins pulsed unnaturally beneath skin stretched thin, and jagged crimson appendages protruded from his back like skeletal wings. Embedded deep within his chest, glowing with malevolent energy, was the crystal — his heart, his power, his curse, his soul core, the source of his energy. Rhy's hollow eyes scanned each of them, a cruel grin twisting his lips.

" You stand proud, fighting me together but all of this is completely useless, surrender to me, surrender your pride, your ego, your hopes. Hope makes you weak, you know that things are bad and still cling on to life, you still hope good things will happen but they never do, I was broken, weak, depended on others, withered arm, I was mocked, people were scared of me. I begged for mercy, I begged for strength, I kept on begging but no one, no one came to help." said Rhy as his looked up in the sky

" I remember kneeling in the mud, begging the heavens for a gift. Instead, it was the abyss that answered." He spread his arms, blood-tipped appendages arching high. "Now I am the gift. And you? You're my first sacrifice." said Rhy as he took Thum's body and twisted it, drinking up the remaining blood and ripping the useless carcass into two.

" NO MORE PERFORMANCES, NO MORE PAYMENTS, NO MORE CHEERS, THIS IS THE FINAL ACT, MY FINAL MASTERPIECE, THE LAST DANCE...THE LAST DANCE " roared Rhy.

Rhy roared, the sound tearing through the air like a shockwave. He lunged at gorosuke with full force.

Gorosuke was the first to meet him, fists of stone slamming into Rhy's ribs. Bone cracked, but Rhy laughed — a wet, choking sound — and impaled Gorosuke through the stomach with a spike of crimson bone.

" The earth crumbles " said Rhy

Lightning flashed — Hiroshi struck, his body moving like a thunderclap, fists crackling as he battered Rhy's face. For a moment, the demon staggered — then a clawed hand caught Hiroshi's wrist. With a sickening twist, the arm started to crack.

" Thunder breaks " said Rhy

Hiro rushed towards Rhy, with his fists engulfed in fire, he crashed into him but the demon's crystal blazed, as the appendages covered the fists withering simultaneously but in the process extinguished the fire into steam. In a blink, Hiro got of the grip by the appendages. Rhy confused dropped Hiroshi on the ground, focusing on Hiro. Ryu created a sandstorm using his winds, to use as a camouflage temporarily. Out of the sand, Hiro lunged, fire roaring, searing his flesh — but Rhy grabbed him by the throat, and started to squeeze him until Hiro started to bleed from nose.

" The Flame flickers " said Rhy

Ryu, Jetchi and Kazuki charged together, fists like boulders and claws like tigers. They landed blow after blow, but Rhy's monstrous form only grew larger, the crystal in his chest beating faster — hungrier.

" I was weak... because I believed in hope. In limits, I was forced to be dependent on others, I tried but I always failed, the only thing that kept me going was the urge of justice, so I killed those who wronged us." Rhy spat blood. "Now, I am endless. No mercy, no justice, pure revenge " said Rhy

Aruma appeared from the shadows, his attack a blur of fire and darkness. For a heartbeat, Rhy faltered, the strike grazing his crystal. But then Rhy's appendages was around Aruma's throat, lifting him off the ground.

" Remember when we battled for the first time, you and your friend had me but it was your buddy Kae that showered us with mercy, we then fought again but already were powerful demons by that time, and your friend died saving you, You should have killed me when I was weak" Rhy whispered. "Because now... there's no killing me. I am sending you to meet your friend now, tell him I said hello " said Rhy

With a roar, Rhy hurled Arumo onto the ground ruins, stone exploding like paper. Forming a crater that shook the entire land. As he caught Hiro by his throat and others by the appendages, all hope seems lost. One by one, everyone lay bloodied, gasping — their animal spirits shrieking in the ether, overwhelmed by the demon's relentless assault. Abel and Rhy locked into each other. Rhy gazed around and started to grin.

The crystal's glow bathed the battlefield crimson.

Rhy stood tall, triumphant — for now.

"You came to slay a demon. Instead, you woke a god. Now pray for mercy from the heavens, because I won't show you one. Not at all " said Rhy as he started to walk towards Abel

Abel stood, bloodied but defiant,his breathing was ragged, but there was a glint of cruel satisfaction in his eyes as he stepped between Rhy and the others, who lay broken but alive.

" Rhy... the mighty demon, crawling from the mud just to bleed all over the ground again," "Tell me, do you remember your brother? Thum? That poor fool who believed you could still be saved? The one who saved you, the one who took the blame for the murder of the samurai who killed your mother, the one who stabbed his own father's eye to save you " ask Abel

Rhy froze. Just for a second. The crystal in his chest dimmed, but then pulsed violently, like a heart skipping a beat.

" Don't speak of his name " said Rhy

Why not?" Abel wiping the blood of his face, grinned.

"You used him. Hid behind him like a coward. Thum stood tall while you begged in the dirt. And when the death came calling, you shoved him in front of you like a shield. Pathetic." said Abel

Rhy's face twisted into a snarl. "I SAID—"

He charged, the ground fracturing beneath his feet as his crimson appendages shot forward, aiming to rip Abel apart. Abel didn't move. Instead, a faint shimmer surrounded his body — a ghostly reflection of himself — and the moment Rhy's clawed strike connected, a pulse of energy reversed the blow. Rhy staggered back, his own appendage torn clean off, the wound erupting in a spray of corrupted blood.

Abel smirked. "You really should've asked who I am, demon. My body's just the bait." His voice lowered, cold and mocking. "You strike me... and your own strength turns against you."

Rhy roared in fury and charged again, spikes and claws slashing at Abel, but every strike bounced — bones cracking, flesh tearing — his own bones, his own flesh. For every wound he tried to inflict, he suffered it himself.

" Stop… fighting… me!" Rhy bellowed, his form unraveling, dark blood pouring from a dozen wounds.

" No " said Abel as he rushed at Rhy

" FINE " shouted Rhy

Rhy turned around and pulled Hiro, Hiroshi, Gorosuke, and Kazuki towards him using his appendages, and tied them around him.

" You attack me, they die " said Rhy

" Now it's round 2 " said Rhy as he started to grin