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Keeping Up With The Browns IX

The Solar Slash tore through space and time as it landed upon Huwawa, illuminating the room with a bright-hot light; the pagan god tried to teleport away, but the attack had been made with True Strike activated.

Huwawa's form shimmered and began to phase in and out as he attempted to disappear, yet found his body unresponsive when the magical attack scorched his very skin.

Huwawa was blown away by the inertia of the Solar Slash, sending him rolling away and crashing into the wall of the room. The room quaked with the weight of his body as he fell to the ground and destroyed what little furniture the guards had placed on that side of the room.

Irwin's focus sharpened. He had to finish this quickly before Huwawa could fully recover or retaliate. He was afraid that he had more abilities that the pagan god had yet to use.

As he moved forward, however, he felt his footing a little unsteady, eyes blurry from the sheer consumption of his magical power. Still, he gritted his teeth and waved his left arm forward, ignoring the pain radiating from his upper forearm to his left-most chest.

"Solar Slash!"

Huwawa, despite his surprise, reacted with godlike speed. He vanished from sight, reappearing just to the side of Irwin, intending to catch him off guard. But Irwin had anticipated the move. He adjusted his swing mid-motion, twisting his body with a speed and precision that defied human capability, directing the Solar Slash toward Huwawa's new position.

The blade did not strike true, having lost enough Stamina to feel sluggish. For a split second, the room was filled with an intense flash of light as the Solar Slash connected with Huwawa before the latter disappeared once more. A burning gash marked the door and the surrounding wall as the Solar Slash pierced through the thick wood.

"You... insolent wretch!" Huwawa snarled, his voice filled with both fury and pain. "Look at what you did to me?"

Huwawa's chest had been burned to cinders, a long gash now trailed along his shoulders down to his abdomen. When blood made contact with the smoldering fur, it evaporated into fine pink mist.

"Come and get…it, sucker." Irwin felt light-headed, eyes getting blurry as the seconds passed.

Huwawa roared and pushed forward in all fours, using his limbering legs to achieve higher velocity than what was physically possible. Huwawa smashed into Irwin and the two rolled to the left, with the pagan god clubbing Irwin in the face with his hairy hands.

Irwin thanked God, literally, that he had chosen Wiccan Pugilist as Skeletal Reinforcement came into play in his defense. Extending Irwin's life by protecting his bones from being broken by the ape-like fists of Huwawa, although that protection only extended to his bones as evident by the worsening wounds on his skin.

Huwawa grabbed Irwin by the scruff of his collar and threw him above him, smashing his back on the ceiling before landing face first on the ground. While he was being pounded into oblivion, Irwin noticed Dean sneaking around the room and towards the Angel Blade.

The hunter was swift in retreiving the Angel Blade, and swifter still as he jumped over the nearby table and tried to pierce Huwawa's chest. The monster, however, used another of his abilities. His matted fur hardened and turned into a chrome hue which deflected the sword into sliding off his back.

Still, the force of the blow forced Huwawa forwards and into the reinforced fists of Irwin Bellios. There was a dull pop as Huwawa's ribs broke and part of his chest plate caved inwards.

Dean, having regained his bearings, sliced the Angel Sword at Huwawa's waist, preventing the pagan god from recovering from the attack. The sword expertly carved a shallow wound on Huwawa but that was the extent of it. The latter's furs were still hard enough to prevent Dean from pushing his sword further.

He looked up at Irwin, understanding the desperate situation. "Hey!" he called out, his voice filled with urgency. "Finish it!"

With a nod, Irwin surged forward, the Solar Slash ready to deliver the final blow. Huwawa, realizing the impending danger, raised his arms to defend himself, summoning a barrier of dark energy. The barrier clashed with the Solar Slash, sparks flying as the two opposing forces struggled against each other.

"Solar Slash!"

For a moment, it seemed like the barrier might hold. But Irwin channeled everything he had into the blade, pushing beyond his limits. The Solar Slash began to pierce through the dark energy, cutting a path toward Huwawa's heart.

The god let out a deafening roar, his steel-like fur melting under the heat of the blade of pure light. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the room, shattering the surveillance cameras and causing the walls to crack.

His once-impenetrable fur was now charred and smoldering, the wound from Irwin's strike glowing with a fiery light. The god let out a final, desperate scream as the blade drove into his chest, the solar energy exploding outward, engulfing him in a brilliant light. The force of the explosion sent Irwin flying backward, crashing into the wall with a bone-rattling impact.

Much to his surprise, Huwawa was still alive after the last Solar Slash; barley, that was, with much of his naked body burnt with familiarity.

"Believe me, man. You're lucky your balls weren't fried in the explosion," Irwin chuckled at his state as he fell to his knees in pain and exhaustion. He didn't need his Status subsystem to tell him that he was dangerously low on all three stats; the three dozen cuts and bruises along his arms was evidence enough.

Huwawa raggedly breathed out a dusky pink breath, gushing blood painting his fur wet. His cloudy eyes locked unto Irwin, bestial fear clearly coursing through his body.

"M-mercy." He pleaded softly as Irwin knelt beside him, scrutinizing him with a curious, detached gaze.

"You're weaker than the Jotun." Irwin muttered. While Thrudgelmir masterfully defended against a Prince of Hell for a few minutes, Huwawa couldn't even last against four Solar Slashes.

The only thing that Irwin liked more about Huwawa was that he was civilized–at least to a human–and had a more tactical mind, not only in combat but in social interactions.

Soon an idea formed in Irwin's mind. "You want to live?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Huwawa convulsed in pain as he breathed out, "Yes."

"Then bow." Irwin commanded.

Huwawa's eyes twitched as his burned hands clenched tight and taut.

"Bow." Irwin commanded, leaning back and giving Huwawa space.

Huwawa let out a wrathful roar as he pushed forward, blood dripping from his severed chest. He couldn't stand on his feet and had to stop on all fours, growling in embarrassment and anger.

"Bow."

Huwawa's roar turned into a moanful whimper as his chest gave in and fell back into the ground with his head following soon after.

Irwin grinned as he stood back up, basking in the glory of the legendary Huwawa bowing down to him. "Would you do the honors?"

"Gladly." Dean took command of the Angel Blade and hefted it above his head before demanding the head of Huwawa.

There was no enormous explosion after the swing, no aura of magical power nor a banshee scream that would suggest a release of all the beings Huwawa ate. There was only the sound of a clean slice, a light thud, the rolling of a circular object, and the pagan god who once contested the hero of the oldest recorded story in history had died.

"See you in hell, bitch."

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