Gozzu, the Keeper of Kings

As Azazel reached talons towards Emma and the demons crumbled around them, the land shattering apart, Emma could feel the cold, sinister aura Azazel gave off. It was a horrible, dreadful thing, like shards of ice gashing across your lungs.

"Hello.." Azazel hissed, "your nullification ability working for you? Doesn't seem like it..."

Azazel raised his talons into the air.

"Emma!!" Inari cried, but as the talons were about to pierce Emma, Onoma appeared before her, holding her in his arms as the talons skewered a gaping hole in his back.

"Oh, how brave." Azazel mocked, aura rising from his hand. "Now you both die."

"Azazel boys." Came a voice.

Azazel turned, confused. "Is that..?"

The small figure of Gozzu appeared on the ground, grinning a toothy grin up at Azazel. The two foot tall demon seemed so pathetic it was sad.

"So you are still alive." Azazel hissed, withdrawing his talons, Onoma dropping to the ground. Azazel no longer seemed interested.

The Demon God leaned over, extending a hand towards Gozzu.

"It's been a while old friend. You still loyal to your king?" Azazel asked.

Gozzu reached a small hand towards Azazel's. "Yes, I is very loyals." Then a sudden lurch ran through Azazel's body as he was wrenched into the air, then swung over and slammed to the ground, the stone splitting apart as the air was knocked out of him.

"Gah... it would appear.. you still got it.." Azazel hissed. He slowly stood to his feet, brushing off his shoulder. "Well, if we are gonna do this, you might as well get serious.. Gozzu."

"Pah. Fines." Suddenly Gozzu's muscled began to shift and his body began to become disproportionate as he grew larger, his skin hardening into what appeared to be stone scales. He grew a longer snout, his eyes became smaller, his ears thinner, massive wings grew from his back and the sound of stone grinding on stone emitted as his arms grew longer and he grew a tail and he suddenly stood over Azazel. Gozzu was now a ten foot tall gargoyle.

Demonic markings were carved into Gozzu's body that hummed and gave of black light. Gozzu had the innate ability to absorbs external auras, not quite like Akuro did though. It was more like the stronger his opponent was, the faster, bigger, and stronger Gozzu became. So, since he was facing a being with galactic and almost infinite power, Gozzu was now one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

The pressure that then began to clash between Gozzu and Azazel was so intense it caused the ground to shatter as massive rocks floated into the air and the air around them became static and flowed like streams of violently churning wind as Gozzu leaned over Azazel, the two glaring one another down in a face off. Two of the strongest beings in existence were about to do battle.

•

•

•

Darius did what he could to keep distance between him and Akuro, who didn't even bother moving. He still didn't understand anything about the situation, what was going on? Why the hell was Akuro going berserk suddenly and where did he get all of this insane power from?

The earth began to shake then and, in the distance, a massive explosion of magma and aura burst from the earth, painting scarlet across the sky.

"Wha-" Darius began, but then in that singular instant Akuro had covered the distance between them and was now face to face with Darius.

Even though he was untouchable, he still panicked, caught off guard by the motion. Akuro struck out his hand, his palm stopping and hovering against Darius's forehead as aura began to condense into the hand. Acting on instinct, Darius attempted to leap away, but it was too late either way as a shockwave of shadowy black aura burst outward. The aura simply passed through Darius, having no affect as it then transferred through the mirrors at his back, but when the aura collided with its origin, it caused a strange hum to echo through the air as everything began to vibrate violently.

The thin layer of Aura Mirrors about Darius's body began to tremor and rattle until they suddenly shattered. As soon as his mirror armor was destroyed, the waves of black aura began to tear his body asunder, ripping him apart limb from limb as blood splattered into the air, flowing slowly as though it were in low gravity.

When the aura finally began to fade out, Darius's body crashed to the ground. His wounds were not healing fast enough enough for him to do anything.. he was out of aura.

Akuro began to approach him then, kneeling at Darius's side.

"An insect.." Akuro spoke, "should never challenge a god."

•

•

•

Gozzu leaned down over Azazel, his breath hitting against the Demon God's face. The tow stared one another down for a long moment, their aura levels alone causing the earth to break apart and causing gravity to simply stop working.

"Get.." Azazel hissed, "out of my face." In a sudden burst of impossible speed and strength, Azazel's fist crashed into the bottom of Gozzu's jaw, sending a shockwave through the air as the Gargoyle was sent into the sky, where he then spread his wings wide, hovering, as black aura shifted about his markings and gathered in his mouth and the center of his wings before massive beams of black light were sent forth, unleashed in chaos and oblivion across the land. The attack carved deep gashes into the land as the beams chased Azazel's image as the Demon God dashed to and fro.

Then, as a blast of shadow sent stone through the air, Gozzu's image became a blur as it flashed down like a meteorite straight towards Azazel, but amidst the dust and smoke Azazel popped up and his talons wrapped about Gozzu's throat, flipping him over and slamming him to the earth onto his back, sending shockwaves through the ground as a crater was forged into the land.

Massive stone claws clasped Azazel's head and a horrendous *SQUEELCH* emitted as Azazel's skull was torn from his body before a massive ray of black aura blasted the Demon God's body into nothing, the aura beam shooting into the sky and splitting the clouds asunder, rays of light shining through the singular opening in the shadow.

Even though his body had been completely brutalized, Azazel healed and continued to keep Gozzu pinned, raising a hand into the air as aura gathered into his palm before he crashed it down on Gozzu. Three shockwaves blasted from the impact as a massive three mile wide crater was then forged into the land as the tectonic plate was split.

Gozzu planted his taloned foot against Azazel's chest before launching the Demon God into the air. Gozzu then leapt high above Azazel, wings spread, before exploding downwards, his stone talons ripping into Azazel's flesh as they slammed to the earth, massive cracks shattering through the ground as rubble flew into the air from the impact.

Gozzu threw back his head, aura gathering into his mouth, orbs of multicolored aura condensing down into a singular point before he unleashed the attack. The blast sent quivers through the land as an impossibly deep and massive ravine was carved into the earth. The blast forged a completely new landscape into the ground, the destruction creating a gash in the earth deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Gozzu stood, his body rising and falling as he breathed. Smoke trailed up from his mouth as aura could be seen being absorbed into Gozzu's markings. The land was covered in smoke, and as the opening in the clouds began to close and darkness fell Over the land once more, the figure of Azazel could be seen, deformed and misshapen as his body twisted unnaturally, reforming itself. White eyes flared through the smoke and dust, never leaving Gozzu.

"You literally carved a new landmark into the face of the earth, Gozzu. Aren't you proud of yourself?" Azazel mocked. "You are much stronger than I had first expected, I'll admit that. But it still isn't enough to defeat me."

Gozzu was still recovering from that last attack, breathing heavily.

*CRACK*

Azazel's head cocked to the side. "Someone out of energy..?" Black spikes jutted out from the earth, skewering Gozzu's shoulders and pinning him. "How sad."

•

•

•

Akuro stood over Darius, glaring down at the deity without any sign of humanity left in his eyes.

"Akuro.." Darius said, pleaded. "Please.. stop this bullshit.. this isn't you.." Darius knew he couldn't win. He had nothing left. In the distance the sounds of combat could be heard like thunderclaps in the sky while the earth shook. Begging was the only thing he could do now.

Akuro put a hand above Darius. Again, Darius felt that sense, the cold shiver through his spine, the knowledge that his soul was about to be shattered.

Darius sighed, letting his head hit against the ground. He could feel the tremors from some intense battle not that far away. He was almost curious as to who they were fighting. But in reality what did it matter anymore? He was going to die. He would cease existing.

He could feel the pressure being applied to his soul.. he knew he was about to disappear... he'd be gone soon.

Then a sudden turquoise light could be faintly seen laden across the ground, then the sound of steel on steel. This seemed familiar, but what could it be?

Akuro looked up and suddenly a dozen swords planted themselves through Akuro's body, impaling him at odd angles as turquoise light emitted from them. Darius's eyes widened and he sat up, almost fully healed now, as he looked to see a familiar face, but a new form.

A figure stood a ways off, vibrant swords dancing around his body in a storm of glimmering metal. The figure was shrouded in a Japanese style Aura Cloak armor that was completely solid, the metal plates giving off blue-green light while horns grew from his head and a second pair of arms hung from his back. Thin cloth ribbons were intertwined between his arms and about his back as golden shields surrounded his body and two golden swords were held in his back hands.

"Sedori..?"