[color=f26522][center][u][b]A collab with [@The Man Emperor]

[h1][color=f9ad81]The Grim Reaper[/color] & [color=6ecff6]The Cryophoenix[/color][/h1][/b][/u]
[h3]Image created for me by [url=https://toyhou.se/Adamantine]Adamantine[/url] (I would change my username to match my social media if I could).[/h3]
[img]https://f2.toyhou.se/file/f2-toyhou-se/watermarks/29297724_gKEvft2JR.png?1607812263[/img]

It was when he paused to catch his breath that he felt it, the odd tugging sensation in his soul that spoke of another soul that required his scythe to leave their body. Scowling, he picked his shirt up from where he had tossed it during his workout and headed to his room to don his Demonsteel-plated leather armor. You never knew when you might teleport into the midst of a vicious battle and nearly get your eye stabbed out. He got to his room and began to gear up, strapping his blades to various parts of his body and various hidden sheaths within his armor, and reached into his private pocket void to retrieve his scythe.

He allowed the tugging of the soul to lead him into the spiritual realm, everything becoming a less saturated version where the field of vision was often hazy. The close he got to the soul, the stronger the tugging on his was until eventually, he reached it. He stepped into the mortal realm in a dark alley and looked down at the body of the unfortunate victim, sighing in pain when he saw it was a child, and noticed the raging battle against what seemed to be aliens, shaking his head.

[color=f9ad81][i]I hate it when it's a child,[/i][/color] he thought, and gave a slow swing of his scythe across the child's chest, a blue wispy thing trailing after it; the soul. He guided the child's soul to the afterlife before returning to the alley and gauging how best to help the fight.

Just as Ruyn had reaped the lost child's soul, a blast of cold wind washed over the street right next to the alley, putting out several fired before they spread. The swooping form of the Cryophoenix could be seen overhead, its icy breath relentless pursuing alien intruders that had dared to trespass into this city that had so many metahumans to defend it. 

Then Ivushkin spotted him. One he had worked alongside some time ago, and one he considered a friend and someone he agreed on a lot with. Ruyn. [color=6ecff6]"Attracted by the smell of battle, I see."[/color]

Swooping down, he landed on the dark alley itself, quickly transforming into his human form in order to conserve energy for the time being, as the Phoenix state was quite energy consuming. [color=6ecff6]"If it ain't my favorite soul reaper, hah."[/color] He approached Ruyn before giving him a friendly hug, as they had done before. [color=6ecff6]"Aliens have laid waste to the city. It is good to see you..."[/color]

Ruyn's amber-red eyes lit up at the sight of his old comrade and former teammate lighting down and transforming, returning the friendly contact without hesitation, glad to see a familiar face so soon after the sadness he'd just witnessed.

[color=f9ad81]"Partially the battle, mostly the poor child's soul crying out for his mother,"[/color] he replied pulling away to look the other man over. [color=f9ad81]"No worse for wear than when we last met, I see."[/color] At the mention of aliens, he rose a pierced red brow.

[color=f9ad81]"Are they a race we've encountered before?"[/color] Ruyn thought back to the time a god tried to invade, and how it didn't go so well.

[color=6ecff6]"I do not believe so."[/color] Nikolai shook his head, pointing towards the alien ship in the sky, as well as the myriads of frozen corpses that had shattered into pieces. [color=6ecff6]"We barely know anything about them. All that is sure is that they here to inflict death and have highly advanced technology. And if it is death and destruction they seek..."[/color]

[color=f9ad81]"Then it shall be their death and destruction that occurs,"[/color] Ruyn said, eyes glowing with ferocity. [color=f9ad81]"I'm getting tired of every life form out there trying to take over just cuz we're not interstellar yet. Now, what is our plan? I can shapechange into my dragon again, but if I'm to do that, it has to be just once. The toll it takes on my soul is heavy."[/color]

The Cryophoenix snickered at that, tapping Ruyn at the back. [color=6ecff6]"How about we go, wing by wing, burning or freezing these trespassers? That would be... absolutely livid."[/color]

[color=f9ad81]"Ohhh, fuck yea, mate,"[/color] Ruyn laughed with anticipation. [color=f9ad81]"Let's do it. You take lead, and I'll cover you."[/color]

Ruyn took several steps back, his form shimmering, turning into a cloud of smoke that got bigger until it faded away to reveal a massive skeletal dragon whose body was made of smoke and shadow, it's eyes sockets burning with bloody fire. Ruyn, now in what he referred to as his Grim Dragon form, was about the size of a large tank, his tail twice the length of his body and his wingspan just as wide, if not a bit bigger. Serrated bone spikes lined his spine, and his teeth were serrated as well with long, curved canine teeth. Two curved horns on each side of his head, each one about a foot and a half long.

[i][color=f9ad81]"After you, Cryo,"[/color][/i] his voice emanated from the draconic shape, echoing and dark.

[color=6ecff6]"Give me a moment."[/color] Nikolai winked as he turned around and began to speak the incantation that would turn him into a cryophoenix. He spoke it rather rapidly, as staying in one place too long in a warzone was a bad idea, though the dragon behind him should be able to give him cover. Nevertheless, it didn't take long, as he was enclosed in a storm of ice and snow, out of which emerged a phoenix with a body made from shards of ice that kept itself cold. "Alright then. Let's go."

The Cryophoenix then lifted itself off the ground with his wings of darkened ice, flying out of the alley with a noticeable trail of vapour in his wake. It is time to kick ass.

Ruyn followed, his massive wings trailing black smoke and shadow like tattered black sails, bones glinting in the light.[/center][/color]