[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/sQS3iLL.png[/img][/center][h2][color=maroon]                                    Nyx[/color][color=green]                       Verdant Grin[/color][/h2][hr][center][hider=BGM][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1b6mSdz_iI&t=31s[/youtube][/hider][/center]
While moving to his ironically defensive position lower on the golem’s back, a singularity opened up between Nyx and Verdant Grin and pulled them both in, along with whatever caltrops hadn’t settled yet.  As such, the two enemies were caught floating in grappling range of each other with sharp spikes flying in every direction, a true recipe for disaster.  Both fighters were now slowly being bled to death thanks to the combination of abilities, and this would likely come down to whoever could rip attacks off quicker.

[color=39b54a]“You’re a real fucking jerk, you know that,”[/color] muttered Verdant Grin, kicking at the Red player while in midair. Had the idiot had some basic knowledge of his abilities, he’d realize that Minion Gate would spare him from all of the damage taken, Nyx’s precious bullets wasted on some half-ass, low level demon Grin had chosen at random on the field. But whatever. At least he would pay for it in full now that the Green King was kicking Nyx’s face in.

For all the flailing Verdant had made in the last few seconds, two of the kicks connected well with the assassin that had made an attempt on his life.  The first got him in the stomach and the second in the face, damage reduced thanks to the mask that covered his face.  [color=maroon]”Alright buddy, you could’ve laid down and died, but we can do this the hard way.”[/color]  He decided to make use of the temporary lack of gravity by giving the Green King a swift kick across the face, hoping to both stun him and catch him at least slightly off guard.  Who knows, maybe that level disadvantage would end up playing out in Nyx’s favor.

Oh, the kick connected alright. But perhaps not in the way Nyx may have wanted, Grin slamming his face forward while his hand snapped around his ankle. With a manic smile befitting his name, he unlatched the knife that served as his weapon before moving to stab at his leg. But of course, there was this annoying black hole thing that kept them in the air. No doubt it had some use besides pulling enemies in…

Figuring that, Verdant Grin stabbed, stabbed, and stabbed, all the while shoving Nyx’s body closer to the epicenter of the storm. [color=39b54a]“If I’m going to get my ass melted off, you’re going to at least get a leg into it well buddy,”[/color] the Green King snarled, already thinking two steps ahead.

[color=maroon]”Oh shit…”[/color]  Right when that kick connected, Nyx regretted it immediately.  And now his leg was being stabbed into repeatedly and he was being pushed closer to the center of the singularity.  His vision was slowly growing more red with the loss of health at each shank, though he was more than prepared to break a few eggs, so to speak.  With the action he had in that moment, he decided to break physics for a moment and swing himself around, throwing the King closer to the epicenter of the oncoming explosion.

[color=39b54a]“Oh fuck you-”[/color]

Grin’s words were drowned out by the sound of the explosion taking hold, encompassing both Players in a miniature wave of white. Once sight and sound settled, the battlefield that was the Red Guild’s territory had a noticeable crater in the middle of it. And one would think that both Avatars would have been damaged by the attack. One would think…

[color=39b54a]“You son of a bitch,”[/color] Grin snarled, lunging at wherever Nyx had fallen to with knife in motion, hands moving like a possessed demon to slice the Red Player apart. If Nyx would notice, he’d see that in the middle of the crater was a fading demon, erased from the game and destroyed. [color=39b54a]“Ahah, you thought you’d be the hero and take on a King, did you? That’s fine. Makes it better for me to turn your skin into cow leather!”[/color]

That explosion hurt, absolutely destroyed the assassin’s health bar.  It would’ve taken a butterfly to land on him to finish the job were it for Euphoria ticking and restoring a small amount of his health to give him slight viability for the next few seconds.  Out of left field came Verdant once again, swinging wildly with what looked like a dull knife.  [color=maroon]”Oh for the love of… we get it, you hate everyone.”[/color]  For as monotonous as he sounded in the face of slow butter-knife death, he jumped up into action with knife in hand and met one of the blows, locking crossguards with the superior foe.  [color=maroon]”Long as you keep swapping with minions, I stay alive.  So you might as well puss out now.”[/color]  To capitalize on his point, he gave Verdant a swift headbutt.

While the headbutt connected, taking a dent out of Grin’s health, his tenacity didn’t. By tanking the blows head on, his momentum never stopped and he sliced a clean cut from the other Player. [color=39b54a]“Check my health dipshit,”[/color] he said, having used Vampiric Fang to drain some of Nyx’s health and replenish his own; hopefully enough to end this loser.

And, in his most desperate moment, Nyx vanished from sight.  With a grand total of 1% of his health left and the caltrops finally wearing off, it was time to retreat from direct combat with the Green King to fight another day in a more isolated corner of the city.  However, he did give Verdant a parting message.  [color=maroon]”I’ll have a friend come and visit you in a few.  Her name’s Lodestar, you might know her.”[/color]  For all intents and purposes, Nyx had taken that loss, but he still had all the XP to his name he walked in with.  Not a total loss.