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A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jenso's attempt to counter Dacer's Ki was successful. The explosive punch, unlike much of what Jenso had used in the past, shattered the 4 parallel ki waves and left him safe. Jeff, meanwhile, had somehow managed to deflect the attack directed at him. The soundwaves and light, overbearing in nature, forced Dacer's senses into overdrive. His slit-like pupils narrowed and he closed his eyes as a barrage of sound attacked his ears. Jeff's hookshot struck him right in the chest, just as planned, and embedded itself tightly.

Dacer flailed for a moment, pushed all the way to the ground by the lance of energy. With both claws he reached out, and grabbed the chain-linked hook, taking hold of whatever Ki remained in the hook shot, and making it his own. The attack's piercing properties faded as Dacer's feet touched the ground, and with his claws, he shattered the chain. A moment after, he ripped the hook from his chest, revealing a shallow wound that bled beneath his green aura. Dacer panted heavily and looked down at his legs, and then to Jeff, with a sincere fury burning brightly in his emerald eyes. One of his hands began to glow pink, after which, he began to sprint in circles around Jenso, each time his foot landed.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Dacer ignored Jenso and stood up, exerting a cold aura around his feet to somewhat soothe the burn, while simultaneously freezing the grass around where he stood. The flame wall that headed for him suddenly burst outwards and dissipated, showing Dacer with his foot risen, as if he's just kicked at it. The air of the explosion was cold, like a winter breeze. Jenso's words went ignored, and the Gaian charged towards him. His eyes widened for a moment, and he smiled. With one hand, he slashed at Jenso, released a large multi-wave of Ki from his claws, but immediately afterwards, his figure flickered, and he disappeared. Jenso felt his back curve under the weight of Dacer's foot, which sent a frosty surge of energy through his already torn-open back, while also launching him into the waved of Ki that headed towards him from ahead. In the same moments, every single one of Jeff's clones were dispatched, and Dacer's figure appeared in front of him. The catlike man's eyes widened, and he looked down, as if surprised by something. He shrugged it off and slashed at Jeff, point-blank, unleashing yet another wave of energy.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Dacer stopped short of Jeff's attack, and watched as the sniper-shot curved around and collided with Jenso's omega saw. Upon contact, the spinning disk fluttered to a stop, and spread outwards harmlessly in a display of white flames that singed Jenso's hands. Two thick cuts were now lining the center of the hero's palms, but Dacer had something else to deal with himself. As the ground burst up, he jumped upwards, and away from the eruption as quickly he could. Dacer landed nearby, forced to hop from right to left, landing on his feet each and every time as he flipped through the air. It became clear to him that the bottoms of his paw-like feet were burned, as each bounding leap sent a small shock through his soles.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Jeff's spheres were absolutely decimated by the waved of Ki, having no impact on their velocity or composition. Liekwise, the flame saw that fell from the skies was far too fast to notice and react to in time. Jeff's sniper shot missed, but Jenso's Ki coated hands were just barely able to catch it successfully. The saw ground against his hands, piercing through his layer of Ki slightly, and cutting his palms. Of course, the sheer force of the attack prevent Jenso from moving, keeping him pinning down, lest he wanted it to strike him directly. Fortunately, Jeff was able to evade Dacer's attack with ease, but the cat-like Gaian was now on the move towards the pinned-down golden hero, reeling his claws back as he bounded forwards, in an attempt to slice him apart.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Dacer grunted at Jenso's comments and slapped his tail against the ground. "You don't know anything about what happened in Thoris. And, despite whatever the hell you want to believe about my old man, you don't know a thing about him," He hissed, "He's a coward. He didn't even try to fight. All he did was argue and bicker with Master seiner about Ada, all he did was disregard grandfather's warnings. He saw it coming long before anyone else did, before the murders. I saw it too. I saw it, and I knew she was trouble. But he sat there and let her mingle with our people so innocently, chyea! Look what fucking happens when a dumbass old man lets his guard down." Dacer eyed the sky again for the briefest of moments, and flicked his tail downwards sharply. "He could have fought, even in the end when grandfather Seiner was forced to kill everyone- My friends, my teacher, and even my apprentice. All Lark did was cower in his own guilt. He let her live, too. He stepped away from her, after smashing that stupid little display of hers with his own one with Gaia abilities. That's why Ada won, even when surrounded by hundreds of people with access to our sacred blessings. That's why my old man was cut off from Gaia. You're just the same, too much of a goddamn pussy to follow through with anything. All you'll do, even if you get up to big red and scary, even if you do manage to defeat him, is cower. You'll cower, and cower, standing over his defeated body, too terrified to turn him into a bloody fucking corpse, at the expense of the entire universe." Dacer spit on the ground and lashed his tail downwards yet again. "So, no, you can take all of your bullshit and shove it right back up your ass. You don't know a fucking thing about my old man. It's ironic, really, because you're just fucking like him. Just the same, a stain on my people's dying will, and I intend to thoroughly erase you from Gaia's record, you little cocksucker." Dacer's tail slammed against the ground again, and from above, a disk of flaming Ki began to plummet. It had left the planet's atmosphere, now falling towards Jenso at terminal velocity from above like a spinning disk-like comet. A sneak attack of epic proportions, using Jenso's own ability against him. Was Dacer Just stalling? It didn't matter anymore. The fully powered Gaian warrior turned to Jeff and launched a series of Ki-slashes towards him with his claws, one after the other, while jumping in between each with carefully placed bounding hops, so that he could flank the wind-sage.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Chapter 178 ~

_{Ki Overhaul, Dacer's Secret Technique}

Dacer glared at Jeff and Jenso, whipping his tail. His eyes peered up for a moment, before coming back down to watch the two heroes carefully. "Where's Pij, Jenso?" Dacer mocked, "Why not bring her out? I know she's in there. I know that my stupid old man performed Gaia's rites on you." Dacer lashed his tail back and forth, flexing both claws inwards, and then outwards. "Bring her out!"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Vale continued forwards, trembling as he reached the archway of the tower's main entrance. With both hands, he grabbed the side of the rocky doorway and pulled himself past it, into the inner sanctum of the tower's ground floor. As soon as he could, he settled himself down next to the only other door in the room, sitting with his legs splayed outwards. His injuries had clotted by now, but he felt weak. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled one last vial out, and held it carelessly between his legs, eyeing the red ooze inside.

"What am I doing..."

---

~ End Of Chapter 177 ~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Vale didn't falter, and followed through, grasping as Alvios' face and holding it steady, lining up his eyes so that they were looking directly into his. Vale's smile widened, even as shards of Ki tore through his body and embedded themself in his chest. One shard caught his eye, but the other continued to glow brilliantly.

"He assured me of his gaze," Vale gasped as blood began to leave his body once again, "He promised me, glaring at me with those beady red eyes of his, he promised! 'Visual abilities like mine', that's what he said!" Vale focused intently on Alvios, glaring deeper and deeper as if his one remaining eye peered into the man's soul. Vale's smile drooped, and his grasp slowly weakened. Nothing happened. His head spun towards the other side of the battlefield, and he tightened his grip around Alvios' maw once again, as blood poured from every hole that Alvios' shards had made. Nothing happened. His grasp fell loose as he caught something in the distance, and Vale dropped his blade, stumbling back away from Alvios. Nothing happened. "Bah.. Ha..." Vale's body trembled, as he stepped backwards. His head perked up as if he'd just remembered something, and he reached into his coat. But his hand shook. It wouldn't stay steady. He pulled another vile from his cloak, accidentally dropping five or six more onto the ground. They shattered, spilling the blood onto the ground as he popped the cap off the last vile. But his grip loosened too much. It slipped from his hand, and he took another step back. His eyes darted towards Alvios, and in one sudden movement, he tore off his mask, revealing a white tattoo beneath his left eye, before darting off towards the tower's entrance in a full retreat, stumbling and tripping over his own feet while barely managing to keep his body upright.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

The blood trickled down his throat quickly, and in only a few moments, his flesh bubbled and popped, sealing itself quickly, and repairing any damage that had been done. His natural reflex's took control, despite the shards of energy piercing the outer layers of his back, digging at least an inch into his flesh. He shrugged it off, leaning forward only slightly. The vampire looked down, smiled, and sprouted forward, bounding into a leap with his black blade held overhead, and extended to its usual length. He slammed down hard against Alvios' blade, attempting to swat it away with as much power as he could muster, before thrusting his free hand towards the light bringer's face in an attempt to grab it from beneath the nose. By then, his tongue had fully repaired itself, long before the bubbling flesh at the center of his abdomen had settled.

"Enlighten me!" He shouted, his voice raspy and withered.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Vale reeled back as the length of his tongue was shredded, blood beginning to run down the back of his throat, his own blood. He staggered, loosely gripping his sword with one hand. A gurgled chorus of laughter began to bubble past his injuries as he regained his balance, staring intently into Alvios' eyes as best he could manage. One hand reached shakily into the inner pocket of his cloak, and he pulled out a vile of red liquid, struggling to keep from dropping it. With the tip of his thumb, the cork lid that sealed it was popped out, and in a frantic motion, the vampire poured its contents into his mouth, sucking on it desperately, all while keeping his flickering eyes locked with Alvios'.