Chapter 8-Round 2

Shin laid there, dead.

His fresh corpse laid there on the rubble.

Lana and Rika stared at Shin. Rika would tear up, weeping over the death of Shin. Lana's eyes glowed purple and turned towards the creature. The creature was held its jaw, cracking it. It then opened its mouth, fire came out. It then spoke in a hostile male voice,

"This blood, it tastes disgusting..."

Lana's rage was building up, Frost spoke to the creature,

`What is your name, creature...`

"My name? I don't have one, but if I gave myself one. It would be...Apex." His eyes would glow purple as he gained his energy back. Apex would chuckle, grinning.

"Now, let the bloodbath begin." Apex extended his claws and dashed at Frost. Frost flapped her wings emitting a breeze, the rubble would start freezing. Apex noticed it and engulfed itself in black and purple flames. Apex slashed its claws at Frost but was blocked by Lana. Apex noticed that Lana was faster than normal and her ominous aura was visible. Apex backed away from them.

"You bastard!!!" Lana's rage had taken over and she'd instantly teleported in front of Apex. Apex swiftly slashed at Lana as she swung her scythe at Him.

'CLANG'

Apex's Claw collided With Lana's Scythe. Apex then grinned and kicked Lana away. Lana skidded across the rubble. She got up, taking deep breaths.

"Don't think I only use my claws to fight."

Apex snapped his neck at Frost who had her jaws wide open, ready to bit Apex. Apex dodged, leaving afterimages and caught Frost by her leg. He then grabbed her by the wings and sliced them off. Frost yelped and ran towards Lana's direction. The two stared at Apex, who was laughing his head off.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA... weaklings, you insects will never match up to my strength."

Lana gritted her teeth. Frost then turned towards Lana.

`Summon the Cerberus, I don't think I can hold up anymore.`

Frost then planted down and slowly faded away, returning to Rika's finger as a ring.

Lana turned back towards Apex. She had no choice but to receive back up from her familiar.

"COME OUT!!!!!"

The Cerberus shaped tattoo on Lana's neck would glow white. Lightning and fire would surround Lana. The floor around her would freeze. The lightning and fire would travel into the air and then land directly on Apex.

'BOOM!!!'

A huge explosion erupted. Apex backflipped away from the explosion just in time. It landed, then lifted its head. The smoke cleared away and in front of Apex appeared a huge, three-headed hellhound. Each head held 1 element. There was lightning, fire, and ice. The Cerberus stared down at Apex. The middle head spoke, which possessed the ice element, spoke,

`You who injures my master...you will feel...`

The left head, which possessed the fire element, yelled,

`PAIN AND BURN BY MY FLAMES!!!`

The right head spoke in a monotone voice,

`You will be punished...`

Apex chuckled as he looked at the Cerberus. Apex would let out a horrifying shriek.

'SHRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!'

Spikes would form on the back of Apex. His claws extended a bit further, and his eyes and flames changed from purple to white. It would grow twice as large as its original size. Apex's voice became deeper.

"Time to die..."

His spikes and eyes glowed white.

The left head would then fire a fireball at Apex, which he effortlessly dodges. As he floated in mid-air, the right head blasted waves of lightning at him. Apex took the lightning head-on as he was unable to dodge in midair. Apex skidded back the lightning temporarily stunned him. The middle head would then blow icy cold wind at Apex. Ice formed on Apex's legs and arms.

`Foolish creature, you think you can stand up to me?` The middle head spoke.

"Hehe, you underestimate me..." Apex looked at Cerberus, his eyes flashing white. Apex would engulf himself in flames as if the Ice did not affect him.

`Impossible...`

Apex walked up to the Cerberus, showing off his claws.

"My turn..."

Apex disappears, leaving only his afterimage. The three heads looked around, finding no trace of the reptilian. Apex then appeared on the Cerberus's back, using its claws, it cut the middle head off.

As the middle head disconnected from the main body. The other heads let out a dying screech as they lost the middle head. The middle head and the main body would slowly fade and turn into spiritual energy. The Cerberus tattoo returned on Lana's neck.

"Weak, you didn't even put up a fight..." It said, dissatisfied.

Lana got up. Her spatial storage had opened up next to her. She pulled out a bottle and drank it. It was a restoration potion that fully recovers the player's Vitality and Stamina. Lana swallowed the last of the potion and got up. She then spun her scythe and got into her stance.

"You still think you can beat me?"

"Killing one of us doesn't change anything!"

Apex turned his towards Rika, who had also drunk a restoration potion. She got up wiping her tears, she'd whistle, a portal opened up behind her. Then from the portal, a white pegasus came out, its wings expanding. Rika mounted the pegasus and her aura would emit. Apex looked at Lana, then Rika.

"Hehehe..." Apex's eyes glowed and his claws extended.

Lana would appear in front of Apex, swing her scythe at him. Apex jumped back, Rika with her pegasus appeared behind Apex and Rika attempted to drive the blade into Apex. Apex grinned as he dodged the blade and stabbed the horse by the side. The pegasus neighed in pain and Rika fell off of the winged horse. Lana and Rika were shocked that the reptilian knew what the weakness of the valkyrie's ability was. How could this creature possess so much intelligence?

"Cmon...I'm not satisfied..." Apex taunted them, sharpening his claws.

Rika stood up enchanting her blade. She then dashed at Apex, trying to pierce him in the head. Apex evaded the blade, moving only his head. Rika would follow his movement at shifted her sword towards his head. Apex ducked and swept Rika's feet, then he punched her in the gut. Rika spat out blood and she was kicked towards the wall. She hit the wall and landed on the rubble.

Lana would dash at Apex again and they engaged in a melee fight. Lana swung her scythe at Apex multiple times and Apex dodged them flawlessly, leaving his white glowing afterimages. Lana then performed an upper slash, then she performed a spiral slash, spinning around in the air swinging her scythe. Apex dodged Lana's attack and skidded in the shadows, his white glowing eyes would fade away. Lana cautiously looked around, scanning her environment.

The huge reptile was nowhere to be found.

`Where the hell is it...`

A growl would be heard. Lana looked over her shoulder and the reptile's claws were right in front of her face. Just as Apex's claws were about to pierce her face, Lana instantly appeared behind him. Apex's eyes widened, seeing the huge scythe being brought down onto his face.

'DING...'

***

"Very disappointing..." Damien said as he facepalmed. All the other parties except Shins had come back from their raids. Only 1 group had passed while the other 5 failed. Damien stared at the lone portal, he narrowed his eyes as he turned towards the console. Then suddenly, the blue portal that Shin, Rika, and Lana had entered, became a red portal.

"This energy..."

Damien looked at Sakura.

"It's a B-ranked. Go save them, they can't handle it."

Sakura nodded and flames surrounded her feet. She then ran into the red portal.

Damien rubbed his chin,

"That explains why they were taking so long..."

***

'DING...'

Lana and Rika's eyes widened. Lana's scythe, which struck the creature's neck, had only caused a tiny scratch on its scales.

`Impossible...how?!`

Apex then sank his claws into Lana's left shoulder. Then he grabbed her by the collar of her coat and pulled her closer, whispering into her ear.

"I forgot to tell you, my scales are harder than your weapons."

He then flung her towards the wall. Lana landed on her back, she backed up towards the wall as Apex slowly walked up to her. Sharpening his claws once more.

'SHINK! SHINK!'

His spikes, claws, and eyes glowed. Apex grinned as he approached Lana. Lana was shivering in fear.

As Apex approached Lana, he was suddenly hit by multiple rays of light energy. Few of his scales fell off, he turned towards Rika who had fired the beams at him.

"Wait for your turn, I'll kill you after I kill her." He warned her.

Apex stood in front of Lana, his huge figure towering her. He would emit a dark aura. He raised his hand up, ready to cut Lana with his razor-sharp claws.

`I'm sorry mother, I can't fulfill my promise. Competing in the Terminal Battlefield...it won't happen...`

A tear trickled down Lana's cheek. Apex's grin grew larger, raising his right arm. He chuckled,

"Say goodbye..."

Apex then swung down his arm and just as Lana was about to be struck,

'SNAP!!!'

'CRASH!!!'

Apex's right arm was suddenly ripped off, the arm landed beside Lana's feet.

Apex looked at his severed right arm and then turned his head towards the cloud of smoke that had appeared in the corner of the wall.

In the corner, a pillar of light would emerge from the rubble. There stood a black figure in the middle of the light. The figure then walked out from the pillar of light.

`What?!` Both Rika and Lana were mystified and astonished at the same time.

Apex's grinned had faded away. His growl would become more menacing and hostile.

"You..."

Apex's right arm would regenerate and he turned towards the figure.

The figure emitted an immense amount of energy. Its eyes glowed neon blue and its aura was blue and red. Rika and Lana's eyes then widened. That figure was none other than,

Shin.

Chapter 9-The Devil Awakens