Fort Arashi (2)

Tetsuno turned to the sky, staring at the endless shadows. To any one, it would seem like he was just staring off into space, but in reality, he was blind. His senses were much greater than that of any of the other Archdemons due to this, and it allowed him to sense enemies from a great distance as well as feel their intentions, giving the illusion of him being able to read the future in combat. That wasn't the case though, he just had insane reaction time and could sense what his opponent was about to do just through the aura waves they gave off.

Tetsuno has never once been wrong about his predictions, and he has never been defeated by anyone other than Zealous... until Akuro. It threw him off, the kid was able to completely conceal his intentions... no, it's not that he concealed them, it is that his focus to kill is so much that it is overwhelming, making it impossible to tell what he would do next, his aura was just too chaotic. Being the incarnation of war, Tetsuno respected only power. Showing true, overwhelming power was the only way to earn his respect and loyalty, so when Akuro not only defeated him but also every single one of the Archdemons by himself, he had earned Tetsuno's complete allegiance.

A powerful gust of wind blew in from the south, tugging at Tetsuno's cloak. He shifted his feet, bending down into a crouch. He tilted his head, facing to the south. Something was coming.

He held out his hand, a ball of red fire forming in his palm. He shot through the air like a bullet, then spun, loosing the ball of fire from his hand sending it soaring towards the ground in the distance. Upon impact, the forest below instantly turned black, all forms of life being scorched in red flames and being turned to ash in a mere second. The entire forest had combusted into red fire, and as it did, a gust of wind shot up, slamming into Tetsuno, sending him higher up into the air.

To anyone else, it would seem like Tetsuno was attacking nothing, but in reality the wind that had struck him was a wave of aura, and someone invisible was controlling it.

He did a somersault in the air, placing a hand on his mask, and as he did, he lifted it up a small amount, releasing a wave of aura that perfectly imitated his opponent's last attack. A loud rumble ran through the sky like thunder as the waves of aura collided, exploding outwards and flinging Tetsuno downwards towards the barren, empty waste land that used to be New York.

He lowered his mask back down as the air shifted a couple yards away from him, condensing and taking the form of a middle age man. He wore a dark blue robe and was bald with a dark brown beard and large eyebrows. His eyes were a light blue while he held a sickle in one hand and a katana in the other.

"Impressive. You not only managed to detect my presence but also copy my aura..." the man spoke, his voice gruff. "What is your name, demon?"

Tetsuno tilted his head, a hollow hiss sounding from him.

"Not one for talking, huh? Well, no matter. I presume you are one of the Archdemons Aphrodite informed me of." He lifted his chin, looking down upon Tetsuno. "I am the great god of the South Winds, Notus, and I am here to kill you foul beings."

Notus drew back his katana as if he were about to thrust it forwards, and the blade began to vibrate, sending out a soft hum through the field. "Now die." He thrusted the katana, and when he did a burst of wind shot forward, splitting the ground and rushing at Tetsuno, who simply stood, watching the attack grew closer until it skewered his body, blowing a large hole in his shoulder and knocking him back to the ground.

"Humph." Notus scoffed. "Pathetic." The god began to walk forward, stepping over Tetsuno's body, but as he did the air began to vibrate. His eyes going wide, he looked down and saw that Tetsuno had lifted his mask up slightly, a shockwave of wind shooting upwards and rupturing Notus's body, ripping his flesh and sending him up into the air and back to the ground a couple feet away.

As his wounds regenerated, blood spilling over his body, Notus stood, expressionless and unaffected as he got back to his feet.

Tetsuno's body cracked and popped as he awkwardly rose from the ground, his body twitching around as he stumbled upright, his head lulling to the side.

"That mask..." Notus spoke, "you are able to copy my attacks by letting yourself be hit.. I see."

Tetsuno's head snapped to the other side as he lowered his mask. He only ever lifted it slightly, never showing his face.

Notus made a face of disgust. "Also, stop doing that... thing with your head. It's both gross and creepy."

The god took in a breath, then sheathed his katana, pulling back his hand.

"Ha!" He shouted as his fist flung forward, a shockwave of air blasting outwards from his hand and smashing into Tetsuno's upper body, knocking him backwards, but he never fell, his body just bent backwards unnaturally before he stumbled back upright. He raised his hand to his mask, but then Notus zipped next to him, his fist a few feet away from his head.

"I won't let you!" The god called.

Tetsuno bent to the side, his back snapping and, as he lifted the mask slightly, his other fist twisted at an awkward angle, wind swirling around his arm as it flew towards Notus's gut, but the god grabbed the demon's arm, spun on his heel and wrenched it over his shoulder, snapping it backwards at the elbow while flinging Tetsuno over his shoulder to roll across the ground about five yards.

Notus shook his hands, as if shaking off water. "I think you might just entertain me, the way you contort your own body, it makes combat more... interesting."

*SNAP*

*POP*

*CRACK*

Tetsuno stood, his wounds healed and his body leaning to the side, his head cranked to the other side. A ghastly hiss echoed across the field, and a moment later Tetsuno's arm burst into red flames, the cloth burning away as his arm was scorched black all the way up to the shoulder. He then reached back, his hand grasping the hilt of the sword twice his size tied to his back, and as soon as his fingers wrapped around the handle, flames engulfed the blade, burning away the cloth tied around it, revealing an obsidian black blade.