When Day Breaks

Taking hold of the weapon, she hurriedly rose it in front of her, blocking the dreadfully fast claws by imbuing the blade with gold, the sword was surprisingly able to withstand the infusion.

Superstes was forced back as the monster's claws weren't harmed in the least by the golden blade, instead somehow digging into the energy as though it was physical matter.

Not only was Axio's current strength overwhelming, she only had one arm to manipulate a normally two handed weapon, blocking the strike as forced her to bend her knees, she was unable to move away before Axiolypito knocked her blade away.

Slashing once with each of his hands, he left an X-shaped, bleeding wound with all of his claws on her chest, somewhat digging into her ribs as she tried to step away.

She didn't even have time to feel the stinging pain of his razor sharp claws digging into her flesh before Axiolypito already struck again, punching her in the guts whilst sticking his thumb out, slicing through her stomach.

Spilling out part of her guts before stopping his incision with her sword and once more moving away, pointing the tip of her blade forward, she put her utmost focus into not getting torn apart every single instant.

The best she could manage was getting torn to shreds little bits by little bits, still, even though she was getting bloodier by the seconds, Axiolypito was getting slower and weaker, clearly, the residual gold inside of his body wasn't a mere speck.

His claws began to break, the bright brilliance of gold seeping out from the cracks, his durable body was weakening by the second.

"This is no perfection, this is barely scratching the surface" his abyssal blood was becoming increasingly tainted by gold.

'And she is not dying!' each of his attacks were meant to be lethal, yet, coupling the fact that he was constantly weakening and Superstes's unrelenting resilience was proving difficult to crush with his poor Perfection.

He struck her in the chin and slashed her across the face, painting a dashing image of the good old Lost Hunter, although he only ripped out one of her eyes, it was stuck on one of his claws.

Twisting his body, he flung the hundreds of tendrils of all sorts protruding from his back, diggin into her skin and injecting the most potent toxin doubled with a hefty dose of Abyss for extra measure.

She still wasn't going down.

He felt his legs wobble.

Both of them fell to the ground like card castles, staring at each other, one leaking gold as his entire body was no beginning to fall apart, the other dying in the most overt of ways, her skin turning a corpe-like dark whilst her veins glowed a dark blue.

In unison, they stood back and began to make their ways toward the other, both moving like zombies.

One last hit.

They had just enough in them left for a singular attack, one of pitiful strength, a wet firework to put an end this monumental fight, though the spectacle provided was of no importance.

Superstes rose the nagamaki, only for it to fall to pieces in her hand.

Axio tried to grow undamaged claws but only for a similar result.

If before they were on their last legs, then this was their last leg.

The instant they got within reach of one another, they moved hastily, one readying her broken fist and the other twisting his body to land a high-kick.

A bright flash of gold intertwined with a burst of Abyss as they both failed to push one another away, colliding like two metal bars, unshaken for an instant.

Both remained stuck in place, fist against leg, leg against fist.

Gold against dark.

The green eyes against the deep purple eyes.

They seemed evenly matched, and in that instant at least, they were.

Both of their attacking limbs was broken into a bloody mess, they stumbled past one another and fell to the ground.

That last golden glow had used up the last of Superstes energy.

Axiolypito's perfection was dispelled, returning him to his original form, garbed in a mundane mantle and without a crown, he appeared unhurt at a glance, the shell of perfection had shielded his true self from damage.

But as he began to fall apart like a porcelain doll, the dark Abyss dwelling within was blown away by the golden radiance.

Not quite ready to call it quit, they both forced themselves up to their knees and stared one another down, probably hoping that looks could kill.

"Superstes... I am impressed, really, you have defeated, god" he breathed heavily, not having any more blood to vomit.

He admitted defeat but smile defiantly anyways as he rose his arm, placing one finger on her forehead.

"You wanted to kill me, and you've done it! How do you feel? Happy? I wonder if this is what your parent's imagined what you would turn into when they looked at you" he laughed at her.

"Why don't you... Smile? Rejoice! You have accomplished your one goal in life! Why don't you go and see what remains of your little friends down there? They are going berserk about their king being in bad shape, my little subjects I mean" he laughed so hard his skin and flesh began to peel off even further.

One of his eyes began to melt, his teeth falling out of his mouth.

For some reason, he absorbed the residual toxin and Abyss he had inflicted on her, pinching her cheeks as if she a child, he mimed a smile on her bloody and torn face.

"Not only will I get to live in your little head for the rest of your long, long life... I am of Mov"

"I won't ever die, remember this as you live miserably without my existence to chase" he shook her head and stopped laughing.

"Hone your skills Superstes, when you die, I am certain you will join me in a new, endless cycle, just my guts speaking though" his eyes grew bleak as his body began to split.

"A god never dies" he spoke to himself, he had done it, he had surpassed everything else.

He had escaped the cycle of mediocrity his species had destined him to on the first place.

Breaking the laws of the world, breaking fate and destiny, becoming a true god.

His ego felt gratified, so much that he only felt joy, looking forward to what awaited him now.

Axiolypito exploded into a shower of blood and guts, his corpse beginning to burn with a purple flame, consuming all that remained of him, leaving nothing behind.

Only his simple mantle remained on the ground, tattered by the strikes he had endured during the fight.

'...'

Superstes looked at the spot where he had stood.

"Ah..." she wanted to burst out laughing, cry from joy but only a small, empty noise came out of her throat.

Her grand vengeance brought her nothing.

She was hollow.