Chapter 124-Luciano vs Raven

"WOAH!" Luciano cries as he's dragged into the murky black abyss of his shadow.

Luciano then falls to the ground with a splash of some mysterious black liquid.

Luciano stands up then scoops up the black liquid in his hand, which feels thick and murky, like ink, or black mud.

Luciano then looks around, surveying the shadow world.

Everything it black, pitch black, but not like the lights are off, because Luciano can see clearly. Rather, it looks more like Luciano is standing in a looong room with a ceiling, floor, and walls painted pitch black as far as the eye can see. Although it's hard to call what Luciano is seeing "ceilings" or "walls." Because from Luciano's perspective, it feels more like he's standing on air, with no walls, floors, or roofs to be seen.

Luciano smiles sadly as he looks around.

"It's been a while since I was last here…"

Luciano turns forwards again, where he sees a mound of black goop rise into the air then takes the form of Raven.

"It's been a long time…" both Luciano and Raven sadly say.

"....My husband."

"...My moglie."

"Raven…" Luciano sadly pleas, "Per favore, come back to me!"

The woman -now known as Raven- looks away in shame.

"I'm…too far gone…"

"Don't make me do this…!" Luciano pleads as he places one hand on his hip and raises his other arm in the air. Golden sparks of energy burst and swirl around Luciano's body, like small lights.

Raven says nothing as she turns back to face her husband.

"DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!"

…

"LIGHT CHARGE, LEVEL ONE: SHOOTING STAR!" Luciano cries as he snaps his fingers, and then, orbs of light FLY out of Luciano's golden aura, towards Raven.

In response, Raven reaches behind her and draws two daggers from her belt, then brings them up in a cross. Black sparks of energy burst and swirl around Raven.

"Darkness Charge, Level One: Shadow Drive," Raven says, and right before she could be blasted by Luciano's Shooting Stars, Raven's body begins to turn black then "melt," like dripping candle wax, before merging with the shadows below.

Luciano's Shooting Stars pass by the spot where Raven previously stood then continue flying off into the "night," their golden glow growing duller and duller until they eventually flicker out.

Luciano then hears some sloshing behind him, but before he can turn around to defend, a pillar of muddy shadow goo rises out of the ground. A pair of hands and arms then shoot out of the goo and wrap around Luciano's neck. The rest of the goo then reshapes itself into Raven's body.

Luciano gasps as he feels himself unable to breathe.

"Someone's feeling…kinky…" Luciano weakly cracks as he peers behind him out of the corner of his eye at Raven.

"Shut up…" Raven growls.

"Light Charge…Level Two…" Luciano croaks as he resumes his Charge Stances, "-DIVINE RADIANCE!"

Luciano's body instantly begins to glow a brilliant golden flash, which blinds Raven, who hisses as she sinks back into the shadows.

"The pure beauty of my Light Charge shall extinguish all darkness," Luciano smirks.

"Extinguish this," Raven growls as she pops out of the shadows and resumes her Charge Stance, "Darkness Charge, Level Two: Vampiric Drain."

Two tendrils of goopy shadow muck then rise out of the ground on either side of Luciano, who looks back and forth between the two, before resuming his Charge Stance with a smirk.

As golden sparks of energy swirl around his body, Luciano forms two finger guns then crosses his arms, aiming a finger gun at each tendril.

"Light Charge, Level One: Shooting Star!" Luciano exclaims as he fires off a blast of light from each hand, vaporizing the two tendrils.

But what Luciano didn't notice, is the third shadow tendril that rises out of the ground and wraps itself around Luciano's wrist.

"MERDA!" Luciano cries as his skin begins to pale and his veins turn black starting from where the shadow tendril wrapped around his wrist, crawling its way up his arm.

In order to counter this, Luciano holds a hand into the air then snaps, constructing a sword of light, "Light Charge, Level Three: Saber of God!"

Luciano grits his teeth as he stares nervously at his wrist.

But then, without a second thought, Luciano swipes his sword downwards, cutting his infected arm off at the forearm and thus stopping the spread.

"I don't know if girls will be interested in a one-armed fashion model," Raven taunts.

Luciano flashes Raven a coy smirk as he clutches his stub, blood seeping through his fingers like a waterfall.

"I didn't need that arm, anyway."

"Darkness Charge, Level Three-" Raven begins to say as she resumes her Charge Stance, "-Dread Blades."

Shadows then begin to extend out of the tips of Raven's daggers, forming too short katanas of shadows.

As for Luciano, he grips his light sword tightly with both hands.

And then…they charge.

The married couple charges across the shadows towards one another. Raven swings her dual shadow katana downwards as Luciano swings his light sword outwards, and the three blades clash, in a burst of shadows and darkness.

"You can't beat me…" Raven grunts as she struggles through girt teeth, "Not while we're in MY shadow…"

"I don't need to beat you," Luciano smirks, "I just need to hold you back."

The two then retract their swords then shower one another with another flurry of blows. The two exchange sword strikes back and forth, evenly matched, until...

SPLAT.

Blood explodes from Luciano's chest and douses his wife, and vice versa, causing Luciano's and Raven's eyes to widen.

The two weakly peer down to their chests, where Luciano sees a black sword piercing his, and Raven sees a golden sword piercing hers.

Blood explodes from their chests as Luciano's light sword fizzles out. Raven's shadow swords fizzle out as well, as Raven pulls her dagger free from her husband's chest.

And then…the two fall to the ground on their backs, their blood merging with the shadows below…