Chapter 18: The Lust For Life

Rasputin instantly charges at Robert, flinging both sickles at him at high velocity.

Succubus Fangs

Robert rolled out of the way while the monk continued the attack. The blues singer dodged each of Rasputin's reckless attacks.

"Man, what with those attacks? You're just swinging them without any flow," Johnson said with some smoke coming out of his mouth. 

Rasputin laughed, "Flow or not, this is a party, Robert! And when it comes to parties, I LIKE TO CUT LOOSE!"

Twirling the rosaries at high speed, Rasputin advances towards Robert with the blades whirling. Then, he goes for a constant barrage of flying sickles, causing Robert to use his guitar case as a makeshift shield.

"Rasputin is unloading with strike after strike with those sickles, but Robert somehow is evading them?! Not bad for a musician," Hermes announces the action.

While the audience cheers, Met Kalfou summons spirits to serve as his filming crew.

"Alright, everyone, on my mark!"

One of the spirits turns on the camera and sets it to a live broadcast.

Met Kalfou looks at the camera and flashes a million-dollar smile.

 "Ladies and gentlemen, tyrants, killers, and sexual degenerates from all eras! I am interrupting your program for a quick live event. Watch Tatrtarus's own Robert Johnson fight to disgrace the holy pricks of Heaven. So don't touch that remote!"

Then, he glares at the camera with a spiteful glare.

"Or I'll rip your soul from that screen."

Then, Kalfou sits on a director's chair to oversee the fight.

Back in the action, Rasputin wrapped the holy beads around two tombstones and hurled them at Robert. He quickly ducks under the large headstone as cover.

"Hahaha! Come on, Man of the Crossroads! Why do you keep hiding like a трус? Please, let me hear the Devil Blues I've heard so much about," Rasputin taunts while spinning his sickles.

"Heh, you want to hear something, holy man?"

Then Robert pops from his cover and wields a dark metallic magnum with a red handle.

"Hear this."

With a click from the hammer, the revolver fires true and blows a gaping hole between the eyes of Rasputin. The audience gasped in disbelief and horror.

"R-Robert Johnson just blew Rasputin's brains out!" Hermes exclaimed

In the booth, Melinoe looked disappointed that the match was seemingly over.

"Wait, that's it? Wow, I guess the Immortal Monk name was only hype."

However, Aphrodite laughs haughtily at Melinoe's statement.

"For a goddess of the Cythonia, I thought you would know better?"

Melinoe was offended by that remark, especially Nemesis.

"Did you call my wife stupid? Because that would be a massive mistake, Aphrodite," Nemesis hissed, her hands itching to choke the love goddess.

"Oh, calm down," Aphrodite handwaved, "I'm simply stating that this fight is far from over."

Suddenly, a sickle whirled at Robert, much to the man's disbelief. Despite jumping back to try to evade it, the tip of the sickle managed to slash across Robert's chest.

Johnson grunts while the blood seeps into his clothes.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," Rasputin wagged his finger as the gunshot wound in the head mended itself whole.

"It looks like Grigori Rasputin is truthfully immortal, ladies and gentlemen! Not only did he manage to survive being shot in the face, but he landed first blood to Robert Johnson," Hermes announces while both god and human cheer.

Robert sighed as he smoked his cigarette before tossing it on the grass.

"Damn, man, you're going to be a pain in my ass, huh?"

Rasputin shrugs with a condescending smile.

"C'mon now, dear Robert. My holy nature transcends life and death, and my Divine Invocation reflects on perfection!"

Divine Invocation: The Lust for Life

The women in the crowd cheer for the monk with lust and desire in their eyes.

"Go screw yourself, you heretic! You're the reason why the royal family fell!"

All the women scowled at a lanky man in his forties with slick brown hair and clear blue eyes. He wore a Russian WWI uniform fitting of a general.

Russian Aristocrat

Felix Yusupov

Rasputin continues an onslaught of flinging his sickles at Robert. Johnson quickly runs around Rasputin while firing his gun at the monk. However, each time a bullet hits Rasputin, he continues to heal effortlessly.

"You're quite admirable for surviving this long, Robert. Now, let's see how far you can go," Rasputin swung both blades in the air before bringing it down towards Johnson.

 Двойной серп-гильотина (Twin Sickle Guillotine)

Robert barely dodged the attack, and the sickles embedded into the ground. Then, the musician aimed with his revolver and shot the blades of the rosaries. The blades shattered upon impact, much to the shock of the crowd.

"I don't believe it! Robert has destroyed Rasputin's weapon with some well-placed shots," Hermes announced while Rasputin held his remaining rosary.

"Heh, not bad. You're a crafty fellow you are. Quite skilled for a musician," Rasputin said amusingly.

Robert pulls out another cigarette from his pocket before speaking to Rasputin.

"Talk me something, holy man. Have you ever regretted the actions you've done in life?"

Rasputin chuckled haughtily, "Regret? Why have regret when you could live your life how you see fit? After all, when I sin to the point your sins hold no weight, then you have been sanctified from worldly taint!"

Robert lights his new cigarette and smokes in the soot of the bud.

"What a load of crap."

Rasputin raised an eyebrow at Johnson's remark.

"I beg your pardon," Rasputin retorted, a nerve slightly bulging on his forehead.

Robert blows smoke into the cool air before saying with pure snark.

"You can claim that you're a saint. You can claim to be a healer. Hell, proclaim yourself as a god for all I care. But, deep down, you're a wretched sinner like me. And you acting like you're better is pretty sad."

"Hehehe," Rasputin darkly chuckled as he ripped the top part of his robes to show his muscular form. Then he wraps the rosary around his right hand as a makeshift knuckleduster.

"Sad, Да? Okay then, let's see how you feel if I beat you into the dirt!"

Rasputin instantly charged at Robert with a wind-up punch. Before Robert could dodge, Kalfou's voice stopped him from doing so.

"Not so fast, my superstar. The viewers need more suspense for your fight. So be a good chum and take some licks, okay? Good."

Robert clenched his teeth as Rasputin received a fistful of rosary in the face.

Красный Молот (Red Hammer)

Some blood spurts out of Robert's nose before taking another hit to the stomach. Then, the Immortal Monk goes for a myriad of fierce punches onto Johnson.

Залп Красного Молота (Red Hammer Volley)

"Rasputin is hammering Robert Johnson with jab after jab after jab! Aphrodite's champion is showing why he's the odds-on favorite in this fight," Hermes announced with hidden glee.

As the spectators cheered, Aphrodite cheered on her champion.

"WOOOO! Come on, Rasputin! Bring me closer to my throne!"

Anansi, however, could see that Robert was holding back and letting Rasputin pummel him endlessly.

"Kalfou, why isn't Robert fighting back," Anansi mentally communicates with the loa of destruction.

Then Kalfou's voice sighed in Anansi's mind.

 "If you must know, spider, the audience in Tartarus wants quality entertainment. Therefore, I'm broadcasting the action for all the sinners to see. I mean, who doesn't love a good deathmatch?"

Anansi growls under his breath as he is disgusted by Kalfou making Robert suffer for his entertainment.

"This is appalling! Let him fight back. He shouldn't go through this!"

"Bite your tongue!" Kalfou's voice yelled.

"You may be my teacher once upon a time, but now I serve me! Luckily, I have the ratings I need, so watch yourself."

Meanwhile, Rasputin hurled Robert into another headstone, smashing it entirely. Rasputin soaks in the praise and admiration of the crowd.

"Yes! Yes! Everyone's entertained, Да?"

The audience, particularly the women, showed their love for Rasputin. Rasputin turns and sees Robert's battered guitar case on the ground.

"Quite a sturdy case, Robert. I might as well take a peek to see what's inside."

Rasputin picks up the case and opens it. Suddenly, this proud demeanor changes into confusion. The monk searched for a guitar, but unfortunately, he found nothing, not even a damaged one."

"What?! Where is it? I thought the instrument would be here!"

Then, Rasputin heard the forceful chuckle from Robert as he got back to his feet. In his hands is a Gibson L-1 acoustic guitar with a blood-red pick in his left hand.

"I gotta say, holy man, you're pretty strong. But now, my lord gave me the okay to play you an encore."

As Robert tuned his guitar, the atmosphere in the arena shifted. An unexplained heat washes over every being in the arena. The more righteous of gods and humans felt an unholy presence had awakened. As for Rasputin, what he was now before him wasn't Robert Johnson. Instead, what he has seen now is.

"дьявол... (Devil)"

"Now then, holy man. Won't you dance in hell with me?" Johnson said coldly as red mist bellowed out of the guitar.

As the Encore begins, the Match Draws Near...!