79 Empyreal Formation

Seth struggled against the shadows that were restricting him, but he was unable to move even a little bit. The flames by the side had died down to reveal two scorched bodies. Ryouma stood up and looked down at the four unconscious Tech Enhancers on the ground. Damien's shadow slowly pulled itself off of the two unconscious guards and began to materialize into an exceptionally handsome man, Teacher Takuma was stunned at, not only his sudden appearance, but also his physical features. She was confident in her looks, but she paled in comparison to the man before her. He glanced in her direction before giving her a casual grin. His eyes went dark as he turned to face Lucian, who had backed himself into the corner of the room. Lucian looked at Hyosuke with a look of disgust.

"The Soldier, Shadowguard of Azrail Sato, the Angel of Death."

Hyosuke grinned.

"Oh, a fan. It is always nice to be recognized. Would you like an autograph, Lucian?"

Lucian spat at Hyosuke.

"As if I'd want anything from some hypocrite from the Sato Clan!"

Lucian began chanting as he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand. Symbols on his left arm began to glow.

"I, Lucian of the Demon, invoke the Rune's within and around me. May the Demon run free."

Hyosuke sensed a surge of power around them. He turned to Teacher Takuma and sent a shadow towards her. It appeared by her instantly and pushed her back. Hyosuke shouted.

"Find Lady Eva!"

As Teacher Takuma was pushed back, Runes around the room began to light up. A powerful barrier instantly covered the entire room. Teacher Takuma was pushed out of the room just as the barrier appeared. She stood up and found that the barrier was covered in a dark mist. This was some kind of Area Entrapment Barrier, releasing some kind of Domain ability within and preventing any external interference. She needed to find someone well versed in Rune Crafting and Formations. Teacher Takuma thought about what Hyosuke had said.

"Lady Eva? Is that not the young girl that was with Eamon?"

Teacher Takuma hesitated for a moment before rushing off to find this Lady Eva. Inside the barrier, the air and the aura of the room had completely changed. Shadowy figures began rising from the ground, floating around the room. They were making moaning and growling noises as they emanated death. Hyosuke looked around with a grim face.

"An Empyreal Formation."

Lucian laughed evilly, his voice now distorted and dark.

"A Demonic Empyreal Formation to be exact. This area has become the domain of the Demonic Realm. Your pitiful powers of Darkness shall be dampened in this Realm. Only those of TRUE evil, those that have taken up the path of the Demons, have free reign here."

The tortured spirits that were floating around suddenly rushed towards Lucian, who had raised his left arm into the air. They gathered around the arm, circling it and creating a cyclone of Demonic Spirit's. Lucian cackled crazily. Hyosuke and Ryouma felt weak, their powers were being absorbed by the environment around them. Seth began struggling and broke through the shadows that were bounding him. The Shadows retreated, weakened. Seth looked at Lucian and the others with a grin. From the shadows, Arata rose up. His face was pale and he was clearly weakened as well, unable to maintain his Night Body.

The Fourth Sempiternal Art: Night Body was used together with the Second Sempiternal Art: Shadow Bind to both hide Arata and restrain Seth. Shadow Bind was a fairly simple ability that caused the shadows to build a formation around a person or creature and seal them in place. It relied on both the Mastery of the user and the Refinement of one's Elemental Reservoir. As they increased, the strength of the seal naturally increased as well. The Empyreal Formation, however, weakened Arata's Elemental Reservoir, causing his abilities to weaken and Seth was able to break through the Shadow Bind.

Arata looked over to Hyosuke.

"What is this?"

Hyosuke grumbled as he did his best to circulate his Energy, trying to ward off the Demonic Spirit's and Energy around him.

"An Empyreal Formation is a 6 pointed Rune Formation that release a Realm's Domain inside it. It will then act as if the enclosed area is a part of the Realm."

Arata's eyes widened.

"So this is equivalent to us entering the Demonic Realm."

Hyosuke nodded grimly. Lucian laughed evilly.

"And now we reign supreme here. Demonic Energy is known for it's devouring nature, eating away at the Energy of those that encounter it. Even those who use it are bound by this nature. But here, our power is amplified while your pathetic Darkness is worthless in this Realm."

Spirit's flew up from the ground and began attacking Arata, Ryouma and Hyosuke. Arata circulated his Energy with much difficulty. He found that the Demonic Energy was restraining his Elemental Reservoir, preventing him from tapping into the Energy around him. As the Demonic Spirit's attacked him, he frantically did his best to ward them off. He took up the Vitality Bestowal stance in an attempt to redirect the Spirit's, but as they came into contact with him, they absorbed his Energy with each clash. Hyosuke attacked them directly, but they absorbed a bit of his Energy each time they touched him.

Ryouma caused multiple explosions of fire around him, but his flames were weakened and were ineffective against the Spirit's. He was unable to protect his Elemental Reservoir as he collapsed on the side, completely drained from the Demonic Energy. Arata was circulating his Energy to keep himself protected as he foughy, but it was becoming a large strain. The Demonic Energy around him wanted to devour his very life force as it ate away at his Energy, while the Spirit's continued Ueda to sap away at his Energy as well. Hyosuke was stronger than he was, but he wasn't doing any better as he struggled to not be consumed by the Demonic Energy. Lucian seemed to be absorbing the power of the Realm as he stared at Hyosuke. Seth saw what Lucian was doing and raised his arm, absorbing the Demonic Energy as well. Lucian grinned.

"The pathetic Sato Clan shall fall under the hand of the Demon."

"And you believe you are qualified to speak on the Demon's behalf?"

A powerful voice, extremely Demonic in nature, sounded throughout the room. Both Lucian and Seth felt their Energies waver and weaken. The Spirits stopped congregating around them and fled from them, as if afraid of being associated with them. Lucian looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on a small young boy. He wasn't circulating his Energy as there was no need, the entire area they were in was his Energy. His Domain. Lucian began to breath rapidly.

"D-Demonic Resonance."

Lucian had a look of excitement as he laughed joyously.

"You filthy Sato Clan lackeys. This is the true power of the Demons! Punishment will be granted to you who falsely walk the path of Shadows. Prepare yourself for...."

Lucian stopped speaking as he felt something wrong around Arata. He felt like Arata was regaining his Energy. The Spirits around him dispersed, allowing him to recover his Energy. Seth noticed this as well as he charged at him, circulating his Demonic Energy into his fist. But as he was running, he suddenly stopped as Demonic Spirit's came and covered him. Seth revealed a terrified look as he tried to fight against them, but he was unable to take them all on and they restrained him. Seth collapsed on to the ground, his Energy drained. The spirits then dispersed throughout the room. Hyosuke began to breathe normally as he straightened up, clearly no longer under pressure, as did Arata. In the corner, Ryouma regained consciousness, slowly pushing himself up. Lucian could see a faint glow around Hyosuke, Arata and Ryouma. He looked around in confusion.

"W-What is happening? Boy, what're you doing?"

He looked at Damien, unable to comprehend his actions. Damien had a blank look on his face. The Demonic voice sounded out as he opened his mouth.

"You taint the essence of the Demons with your words and actions. You are the one that is not worthy to carry this power. You will be the one to receive punishment for walking a false path."

Lucian was in disbelief and fear as he fell to his knees.

"P-Please sire! I-I am a-a-a servant of the D-Demons. I am your servant."

Damien laughed coldly, sending a chill down everyone's spine. Lucian shook in fear at the sound.

"Your words prove my point. The essence of the Demonic power is to take ownership of strength. To make power your own. You speak as if you serve your power when you are meant to make the power serve you. You are not worthy to wield the Demonic Energy."

Lucian shook. He looked like he was angry, sad, hopeless and crazed all at once. He yelled in frustration.

"Then I'll take the power for myself!"

He burst forward in a crazed rush, charging at Damien. He emitted a pulse of Demonic Energy towards Damien. Damien raised his hand, causing the Demonic Spirit's to pass in front of him, absorbing the pulse of Energy. Lucian reached Damien and threw a punch at im. As he entered Damien's space, he seemed to slow as the Energy around Damien was so thick and powerful, it began to oppress his movements. Damien stepped around Lucian's fist and directed a kick into his stomach, sending Lucian flying backwards into the wall. He slammed hard into the wall and fell to the floor. He felt that all his Energy had moved out of the way, causing Damien's kick to hit him full force, without the protection of his Energy or Elemental Reservoir. Damien's kick was also empowered by the Realm they were in, so it was not something that could be easily shaken off.

Lucian showed the strength of his body though, as he slowly stood up even after that attack. But he was instantly slammed back into the ground as Damien appeared above him, sending a wave of Demonic Energy downwards. Lucian howled in pain as he was squashed under the overwhelming pressure of Damien's attack and aura. He tried to push against it, but he was unable to. Damien slowly floated down towards Lucian, his palm faced down as he continued to exert his power over him. A dark light flashed in his eyes as they turned black.

"You have been judged. Receive your penance."

Lucian screamed in horror and pain as the sounds of bones cracks could be heard. Hyosuke had a look of pity on his face as he watched on. Arata sighed softly. Damien released his Energy and walked towards Hyosuke.

"Master Hyosuke. I think it's time to leave. His death won't be able to feed the Demonic Spirit's for long. If we stay much longer, I will kill you all."

There was no emotion in Damien's voice, instead he spoke in a monotonous voice as if he was simply stating facts. Hyosuke nodded as he turned to Arata.

"See if you can find the points of the formation, I'll search his body."

Hyosuke made his way over to Lucian's body and began scanning his crushed body. Arata and Ryouma began scanning the room, looking for the Rune's that made up the formation. They found 3 of the Rune's before Hyosuke called out to them.

"Little Ryouma, come here a moment."

Ryouma looked over and obediently came over. Hyosuke grabbed his wrist while holding Lucian's crippled wrist.

"Draw your blade."

Ryouma hesitated for a second before nodding. He pulled his Kurou no Tatsu from its scabbard. His aura exploded as the blades Energy was released. The Demonic Spirit's screeched loudly as they rushed towards the blade. The Spirits were attempting to absorb the blade and the blade was attempting to absorb the Spirit's. As they clashed, Hyosuke directed a portion of the blade's Energy into Lucian. The Rune's on his wrist began to light up and the field around them shook slightly. Hyosuke let go of Ryouma and pushed the blade back into its scabbard.

"That's all I can do for now. We will need to wait for Lady Eva to come and dispel the formation from the outside. Arata, have you found all the points?"

Arata came over nodding, pointing at one of the edges of the room.

"This is the weakest point of the formation. Lady Eva will most likely use this point to break the formation."

Hyosuke nodded.

"Very well. We will keep away from it to stay clear from when she breaks through. I think our best course of action now is to move to...."

Hyosuke stopped speaking as they felt an oppressive aura fill the room. They turned to see Spirit's spinning around Damien. He had his eyes closed as he did his best to restrain the Spirit's, but there were too many of them. He finally opened his eyes and a heavy weight seemed to slam into Hyosuke, Arata and Ryouma. Damien took a step forward before vanishing. They then heard the boyish voice whisper in their ears.

"I'm sorry."