[IC] A Hero Tale {Complete}

[SuperFlash]

"Eh, can't blame a guy for trying. You're still kinda boring me so I can't help but act a little childish." The sage's voice mocked from the wind as the Fake Rajaka that was shot down seemed to deflate like a balloon and the other Jeff just merely faded. "And I wouldn't worry about Bruce, he's needed for the real threats. Not whatever this joke you're trying to pull yourself as."

Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere by just using tricks, Jeff downright this time came out of hiding with a nanoblade slash which came out at Rajaka's left arm by using his right nanoblade to with a swift horizontal swing. He would quickly follow up the movement by quickly strafing around the now slightly slimmer yellow man and swinging his left arm's wind cannon out towards him acting like he planned to fire a special attack from it. The sage would then follow up by aiming his left hand's wind cannon down like as if he was to be shooting something that was down bellow him like if he was activating a trap of some sorts, or at least that what it seemed like he was doing. Truth be told, the wind cannon he swung around was actually another nanoblade which he had covered up with a mirage to look like his regular wind cannon and he had used the aiming motion to do a swift unsuspecting downwards slash at Rajaka, hoping to catch him off guard with it and land a blow against his chest. The sage remained on guard throughout the attack ready to back away and vanish into the wind to dodge if Rajaka tried to throw out any of his light speed attacks.

[tex]

Rajaka furrowed his brow and scoffed as Jeff's silhouette neared him from one side. At the first slash came out, he was barely able to react in time, pulling himself away and raising his arm to let the blade pass near his armpit. His followup was fast enough to catch the somewhat frustrated Lok'Sha off guard. His immediate reaction wasn't defensive, however. Rajaka didn't care about traps or tricks, and immediately rushed towards Jeff to finally unleash a physical counter. But as he flung his fist forwards, Jeff brought his cannon up quickly. He knew the brunt force of Jeff's wimpy little attack wouldn't hurt, and that there would be just enough of a delay on any of his ranged attacks to land a hit first. But it wasn't his cannon.

Rajaka's hand ended up clasped around Jeff's fist like a handcuff, stopping it from getting any further than it already had. A few drops of blood soaked through Rajaka's mask, but he was smiling ear-to-ear. Now that he had a hand on Jeff, in his mind, the fight was over.

Jeff's nano-blade was stuck inside of Rajaka's Chest, pierced through one of his hearts. Although the wound that cut in from his waist, all the way to the center of his abdomen was bleeding, a bright yellow light kept his blood loss to a minimum. It was like his body bled sheer Ki. He immediately crushed Jeff's wrist with his overbearing strength, shattering the bones and armor in an instant while he locked Jeff's body in place with a surge of weakened Ki. More blood surged up from his throat, forcing Rajaka to rip his mask off with his free hand, revealing his face, scarred to ribbons, with a distinct yellow tattoo under his right eye. One of his eyelids had been completely missing, his left cheek was torn open to reveal the tongue inside his mouth, and several lines traced through his flesh, filled in by the blood that welled up from his throat. The blood coming from his mouth was red, despite his aura, but he still smiled through it all, staring Jeff down face-to-face in the air.

"Gaw-chyea," He grunted, his voice slightly disoriented by the removal of his mask and the blood in his throat. Dropping the black fabric that he ripped away, he rose his free hand towards Jeff's face, amassing a great deal of energy in the center of his palm. Jeff, upon initially being grabbed by Rajaka, had his Ki flow and Arcane control utterly paralyzed. His body was now under the effects of Rajaka's Cataclysm Ki, disallowing most movement and control. He would be lucky if he could still talk. The only thing he had left, was the ability to think. "Goo' figh' Ki'doh. Aym gun'a Eraz' yoo' now." With energy gathered in the palm of his hand, Rajaka was about to finish Jeff off. Although the damage he'd just received was *Significant* and didn't heal immediately like his earlier wounds, it didn't stop him.

"Des' Iz' Wha' i' feels lie' to tay' a 'it!"

[SuperFlash]

Upon feeling his wrist get crushed by Rajaka the sage screamed out in pain, or well... he would have if his body wasn't completely paralized by the surge or ki that Rajaka had surging through his entire body.
Was this it? Was this how he was beaten, even after managing to finally catch him offguard with that hidden mirage strike? And with that, such a brutal blow that even he didn't expect. 'No.. stay determined Jeff...' the sages voice echoed overcoming the hindreds of thoughs flowing in his mind 'you're not without options yet...'

Rajaka's, "Aym gun'a Eraz' yoo' now.", Brought the sage back to reality as he glance over and saw Rajaka aiming one final attack to try and finish him off. While it might seem like he waa royally fucked, he could still feel some of his arki and did hia best to focus it into his broken arm which Rajaka held onto. Then by using the chip that was installed into his brain to give him persice nanocontrol, he began to focus.

Jeff waited for the right moment, specifically right when Rajaka said, "Des' Iz' Wha' i' feels lie' to tay' a 'it!".

Using the remainimg will power Jeff was able to mutter out one simple "Nah..." before the...

BOOOMMMM!!!

Before Rajaka could make contact with the wind sage, the arm cannon which was attached to Jeff's arm self destructed, creating an explosion which knocked Jeff back towards the ground and seemingly releasing the sage by taking his arm off entirely. Oddly enough, there wasnt any blood as maybe perhaps the nanobots covered his arm as quickly as it removed? For now that would be the least of Rajaka's worries. Going with the momentum brought on by the explosion knockback, his feet were flung into the air where his second device activated, aka his hover boots which blasted a huge burst of air and sound at Rajaka with an ear bleeding pitch which thankfully Jeffs visor automatically acounted for as it blasted him away from Rajaka and hopefully out of dodge of any other attack. While being paaralized, it was safe to say the boots were very tad uncontrolable, as the sage flew through the air in random directions as he tried to pilot with strictly his own focus and no balance to aid him whatsoever.

With the sound blasting at Rajaka however, the next part of Jeff's plan triggered with the nanobots which were latched onto his spine going off in a second wild explosion aimed to shatter the guys back long enough for Jeff to regain his composure and hopefully get his planned finisher. He had hoped to get a few more bombs placed in his body, but this situation was desperate enough, and if he wasnt regenerating, it might actually be enough to end this once and for all.

[tex]

The initial explosion only burned the length of Rajaka's arm, pushing it back slightly as Jeff was launched back towards the ground. "Mother fuck-" He managed to grunt, about to chase after Jeff, when he clasped onto his ears tightly, shielding them from the sound around him. "MOTHER FUCK-" His back rumbled and bubbled and he lurched forwards. Although the explosions from inside of his body didn't break his skin, there was something going on inside of him. He suddenly began to lose altitude, and his body rapidly fell towards the ground. "Mother... Fucker..."

[SuperFlash]

"You though..tt.. I didn't plan for this..?" The sage spoke in bursts as he began to recover moment and his arm reformed from a burst of wind gathering around it, it seemed for the most part that he was able to make his army vanish before the brunt of the explosion, only leaving a rather nasty burn on the side of his arm where his wind cannon use to be, that and his lab coat's arm was completely in taters.

With Rajaka now plummeting, Jeff surged his own ki through out his body as he continued to flail up and about through the air trying to gain enough control back in his body to do what he had planned next. As he did this, the relocated nanoturret that hid in the forest took aim and fire off an explosive a plasma grenade from it attempting to do more damage to Rajaka and keep him down just a tad longer as Jeff finally began to shrug off the paralysis. The turret would continue to fire a shot out every couple of seconds until all 10 grenades were used up, well unless Rajaka was able to stop it.

"Just wait, I'll end this with this next attack..."

[tex]

Rajaka was struck by the first grenade. His body was flung off to the side, through the air and down into the ground. The man tossed and tumbled through the dirt until he finally stopped. His muscles, like balloons, enlarged, and his entire body popped back to its original size. But he didn't say anything. As the next grenade came, he crossed his hands to brace himself, but couldn't move his legs with the literal gap in his spine. "Little punk.." The grenades hit him dead on, one after another, but with each strike, his body was unharmed. He'd regained his earlier resilience, but with it, came a wave of anger. "I' gon'a crush Yoo'.." He propped himself up on one of his arms and slowly rose his hand towards Jeff. But no energy came out. He flailed his arm around angrily, impatiently waiting for his Ki to respond, but he'd lost the composure that allowed him such great Ki control in the first place. The energy in his body began to build, but it dropped again, like tidal waves. Truth be told, all his energy was being diverted to repairing his injuries from earlier. The cut in his side was still bleed, despite scabbing over, and his spine was damaged to a critical point. But it wouldn't be long before he recovered from his injuries. When that happened, who knew what would follow. His anger was starting to bubble to an extreme, inflamed by his frustration at being unable to move. If he was allowed to recover, the planet might not be able to cope with his next tantrum.

[SuperFlash]

"No.. I'll be the one stopping you." The sage spoke as he finally stopped flailing through the air and with the regained composure he focused all his nanobots to his remaining cannon, transforming it into a blade much larger than the one he used earlier. In fact it looked more like a futuristic cross between a long sword and scimitar which Jeff took his burnt arm and began to brush it against the blade infusing it with his one with wind, sage energy causing the blade to glow brightly and distort the air around it as if the blade was ready to slice through it. "One With Wind, Ultimate Blade Technique..."

As he said that, the sage vanished with mirages forming in the spot and charging at him from 4 different angles, aiming to slash at him from above, behind, and both his left and right sides, but before they could even reach halfway to him. The real Jeff appeared in front of him and in an instant vanished once more with a full speed slash aimed right at the angry man's neck. As the blade cut at the neck it would follow up with slicing the air around it too leaving a giant explosive trial with the slash.

"GUILLOTINE NAPALM SLICE!!"

The sage would keep going with the slash and would appear several yards away afterwards.

[tex]

Rajaka rose his free arm and braced with his left, unable to dodge. Without a barrier of Ki, he would take the hit head on. The first strike sliced right through his forearm, redirecting it ever so slightly towards his chest. A wide slice opened him up like a cadaver. An explosive wave of energy erupted from his cut, but was not nearly enough to stop the next four strikes. One after another, cuts opened up across his body. They sealed quickly, but not quickly enough to keep up with the series of injuries that Jeff laid into him. "FUCK-" He cried out, swatting at one of the attacks with his left arm, only to be hit again and pushed against the ground, "-OFF!" The series went on, and on. Rajaka couldn't move, be he just wouldn't die. No matter how many times his limbs were cut, or his neck was slit, or his abdomen was opened, he just wouldn't die.

But as long as Jeff could keep up his assault, he wouldn't be moving, either.

---

~ End Of Chapter 202 ~

[tex]

~ Chapter 203 ~

_{Void To Void: Agony's Burning Flare}

As Oz's consciousness returned, Zelriane hardened himself, panting heavily with his left hand clasping the opposite shoulder. His legs tightened, and he lowered his left hand back down, while only raising his right hand slightly. It was clear there was a persisting injuring somewhere along his right limb. His shoulder, the epicenter of where Oz's body landed on top of him, was cracked in several places. Fortunately for Zelriane, his abnormally durable skeleton made it very difficult to inflict heavy damage with blunt force. Without a knife, killing Zelriane outright wouldn't be as easy for Oz as it might've been for Bruce. But why hadn't he attacked while Oz was down for the count? Perhaps it had something to do with his honor. That, or he was genuinely recovering from Oz's earlier strike.

"That you would take such a risk befuddles me... The fact that you're still breathing comes as quite the surprise as well." He narrowed his eyes and exhaled loudly. "Such durability is unheard of, outside of Rajaka's regeneration. What kind of monster are you?"

[Necrophage]

Oz stabilized himself, rising to one knee. He looked up from the ground to Zelriane with unfocused and glazed over eyes without immediately responding. He no longer shook or showed any expression of pain. The light around him grew strained and blurred. With his excellent eyes Zelriane could perceive the strange shadow that hung over him for the few seconds as Oz responded. His voice rang out as two individuals speaking in unison, one following behind the other just barely enough to distinguish them apart. "What kind of monster indeed?"

The guardian rose to his feet and wobbled with the threat of falling. Steadying himself, he pushed his arm against his neck and stretched. "Hopefully a monster frightening enough to stop your master." Shimmering silver energy danced across Oz's skin. Oz looked at Zelriane straight in the face. The usually kind eyes turned pitch black... And he smiled an unsettling and uncharacteristic grin. He snapped his hand into the expanse between them and clenched his fist tight enough to crack his knuckles. The guardian's hair floated freely around his head as he moved, dragging behind him like he were in free fall. Multiple strands of hair visibly changed to the color black, leaving his hair a mixed variation of blonde and black. He drew in a deep breath and let it out all at once.

The twin voices had finally become one as he continued. "Oho, it is so good to be alive!" He drew in another deep breath like a man who had been drowning moments ago. "Do you know how it feels to die?" His earlier enthusiasm slowed to pace. "Religion has turned death into poetry. A glorious new leg of a grand journey. If only it were that glamorous." As he glanced at the speedster, lights popped into existence within his blackened eyes, swirling slowly into that familiar set of galactic orbs. "Pain isn't the bad part. Pain tells us we are still alive. That we yet feel. The terror is what comes after. Oz examined himself, starting first by looking at his abs before he scanned over his singular arm. "When the claws come and the teeth gnash. When the cold embrace of a soul eating monster finds you. Truth. That's what sets in. The cold nothing after. Something few deserve and most surrender to." The veins across Oz's body began to pulse silver every few seconds.

"I fought it. After you enter the cold dark I hope you do too."

[tex]

Zelriane's posture tightened. "The void pulses within you even stronger still. This isn't possible." He breathed slower, shifting his weight slightly, into a new stance. A cautious stance, his feet poised to brace or retreat, but not in any position to advance. For once, he was totally on the defensive. Then he noticed it. The transformation was no mere power up. Whatever new abilities came with it may have been overshadowed by the real danger he was facing. "Your eyes are different," Zelriane rasped, "No man can change so radically over such a short period of time. This manner of transformation, this energy..." He realized it. "I thought that would-be god deceased. This explains quite a bit... This explains your sudden mastery of Meta energy... This is..." He grunted and shook his head and abandoned his thought process, meeting Oz's eyes with his own.

"You seem to think yourself enlightened. Truly, you've become a creature worthy of acknowledgement, but what of it?" Zelriane cleared his throat. "What of your blathering? Who are you to speak such things in the wake of your assured failure?" He paused and narrowed his eyes again. "What exactly do you think you have become?"

[Necrophage]

The guardian shook his head. "Me, me, me. You act like you understand what I am better than myself." He brushed his arm over the nub on his left shoulder and blew air sharply from his nose. "This one is a disgraceful mess..." He muttered, indicating his missing appendage, as if the situation at hand was only of meager importance. "Man, would-be god, murdered god, martyr, hero. Creator? Maybe. Would it even matter to you? Your belittling will happen all the same. You are a condescending alien after all."

Oz flexed his arm out. Dust that had settled throughout the room rushed to his outstretched grip and melded into a black, woven cloak. He flipped it over his shoulder and it wrapped itself back around his midsection, leaving his functional arm bare while covering the mar on his left side. "The way you address me I would presume you think me the same individual of a few minutes ago." He stood straight and stepped back with his right foot, allowing his left shoulder to point at Zelriane. "Let me correct you. I am not a dead god. I am not a human. I am Zios." An aura of silver energy fulminated around him. "Our world is sick. I plan to heal it and you are part of the disease."

[tex]

Zelriane clenched his jaw angrily. "Preposterous," He grunted, "The outcome will not change with your new form. I will subjugate you all the same." Zelriane tightened his stance even more, bringing his arms close to his body. "But not like this-" In a flare of energy, his entire body was engulfed by a mossy smoke that cycled around him like a miniature storm. Parts of his body were barely visible through the smoke for moments at a time. He bare feet, his eyes... But the display was short lived. Much like a settling storm, the smoke faded and revealed Zelriane, unchanged. At least, that's what it seemed like at first.

"Your services will not be needed," Zelriane gasped while lowering himself to the ground, "We already have access to a very simple remedy to this... All encompassing disease." His skin began to moss over with a green substance. Small patches covered his legs and arms at first, but quickly grew until he was a completely green blur. Zelriane reache down and loosened his belt, ripping his cloak off in one fluid motion. He stood unencumbered, with a tightly fitting pair of black shorts covering his midsection, all the way up to right below his chest. "Chaos."

"Agony Flare"

The green moss that covered his body began to glow brightly in short pulses. Zelriane's body emitted a loud hum with each pulse, but he still stood his ground, reassuring his stance. His eyes tittered uncomfortably in their sockets, but he was as focused as he could manage.

Then he moved, visibly this time, towards Oz with a great deal of weight beneath his steps. His speed seemed inhibited, but he still retained a great deal of agility, and now pulsed with an unknown power. But it was slightly clearer to the educated eye, that his latent Ki, his agony release, was surrounding his body like a dense mist. A deathly aura of sheer pain exuded beyond his moss-covered pores, and along with it, something new began to surface in his body. He was charging Zios head on, with reckless abandon.

[Necrophage]

"Chaos is the disease. Order will be brought to bear!" Zios lifted his arm at Zelriane with his flat palm facing him. An intricate circle projected in front of it with three sigils lining the outside. The energy gathered there was palpable, making the entire room feel like it had become statically charged.

"Neo Ultima!"

A sudden beam, nearly four feet in diameter of mixed silver and black energy, erupted out of the circle.

[tex]

Zelriane cascaded around the beam like an low-orbiting stream of energy, narrowly avoiding direct contact while running up its length towards Zios with his fist drawn back. "Let your power speak-" Zelriane started quickly, arriving at Zios' feet, "-For your claims!" Zelriane brought his mossy fist upwards, aiming for Zios' outstretched wrist with a heft uppercut. The move was compact and precise. Zios only had one arm left, still, making it a priority above all else. Of course, disarming him completely was an obvious ploy. One would expect as much. Zelriane hoped as much would hold through the upcoming engagements.

[Necrophage]

Zios glided up into the air, avoiding the attack to his arm. The Order member was slightly slower than before, or was Zios quicker? Zelriane had gained an aura and perhaps some physical strength in the process. He was trading his strengths around and mixing things up. Zios couldn't help but feel curiosity for how many techniques the Order member had. "Power is all it ever comes down to isn't it? So be it." Ribbons of silver energy cascaded from Zios to the edges of the room forming a large circle. The ribbons weaved in and out of each other like the fibers of a basket as they lined the walls and cut off exits.

"Tartarus."

The room had become nearly blindingly bright with silver strands lining the arena. "What would you and your Order know of fulfillment? Of enlightenment? Put in a position of power you all squander it, searching for that which you cannot find and destroying everything made by others in the process." He raised his hand into the air and slowly clenched his fist. The room hummed in response. "Despicable."

[tex]

Zelriane pulled his arm back quickly and began circling Zios from below, slowly, keeping his eyes on the man as he floated.
"You are mistaken by the very pride that you criticize to be unjust- The hypocrisy of the mortal mind is profoundly idiotic." With his stance still strong, his fists began to glow with speckles of green light. Spores began to emerge from his hands, and float around his knuckles like little fireflies, dancing erratically, but never leaving his 'grasp' for more than a moment. "Ponder it for a moment, if you would humor your own notions as nothing more than those of an arrogant fool- The same preface you place upon Yzeira and myself- My family- With little regard for our history or principals." Zelriane angled his upper body towards Zios slightly. "Principals. That is all you speak from, but what are they worth? Are you not imposing your ideals on me, yours, ideas born from a life no older than a young oak, with your power at the ready? Forcing, forcing, forcing yourself into the wall that we've built in your way, unawares, ignorant, stupid- What have you to say of fulfillment? What is that to you? What does that mean? Why would it mean such a thing? Why would you care? Why should we care? Who's to say who's right and who's wrong? Is it God?" Zelriane launched his left fist towards Zios, and followed it with his right, pulling back his initial thrust. The sparkles that surrounded his hands spat forth like start, and spun through the air towards him.

'Itai Hikari'

[Necrophage]

Threads of energy whipped out from the wall behind Zios and wrapped around him like a wing as they slammed into the side of the attack, forcing the stars to the floor. As the energy conflicted and fizzled across the ground Zios floated back towards the wall of squirming power. "Phase one." He announced, drifting into the wall and vanishing like a drop of water against a still pond. Zios's disembodied voice rang out from the other side of the arena. "Incarceration."

Four ripples occurred from the principle directions. Three-sided pillars erupted from each, launching out near Zelriane and jutting at awkward angles. The pillars were made of some kind of hardened stone and the edges and points ended in razor-like protrusions.

[tex]

Zelriane kissed his teeth as he lost sight of Zios. As soon as the room evolved to a new state, he began running around the room with an unpredictable pathing, leaving a stream of green light behind him as he did so. The light itself faded only slightly. Spores lingered behind him, filling the entire bottom 5 feet of the room with a practical ocean of speckled green that slowly began to float towards the floor, and ultimately, into the ground. He continued like this indefinitely, speaking with a loud, almost omnipotent hum as he maintained the area of danger.

"We squander nothing! It is you, those who stand by while shouting loudly into the cold dark, desires of peace and love and the mundane. Persisting ever louder, to remove spontaneity and chaos, the ever changing integers of reality that give life the energy that makes it worth living. Power, the origin of all emotion, calls to be used to its full extent, whether it be applied forcibly and brutally, or with a cowardice that rivals that of a broken slave, a slave to their own fear and transcendent weakness!"

[Necrophage]

Zios' voice echoed, changing direction every few seconds. "Peace? Love? You misunderstand me." One of the corners caught between the pillars lit up with red as a shape burned through. As it moved the clank of plate on plate could be heard. It or she as it seemed to appear was clad in narrow armor that glowed like metal under heat. She had the motif of a feminine face with beams light like the sun spreading around the helmet. Her eyes gleamed red with no visible pupil. The way she moved lacked personality. She seemed more puppet than person. Another being like Atlas it seemed. She raised her shield which bore a similarly shaped sun on the front and drew a burning sword from her side. "Tragedy breeds change. Which creates things I could never dream of. No. Chaos is necessary. Tests of passion and strength are certain in such conditions."

The burning female knight poised to charge, ignoring the spores around her as she strode forward. Whatever they were, whatever their effect was would become evident in a moment. "Annihilation I cannot however condone. Your Order puts a bad rap on chaos." The knight bent her knees in preparation. "Fotia, end this devoted fool." She swept the blade in an arc, sending a wave of fire across the room in Zelriane's direction.