"It's as I feared... He made me immune to it."
Sozo, meanwhile, was having his body investigated by specialists towards his heart, letting them witness and see such pulses, the liquid ink forming proper veins to carry such magma for blood. The doctors were quick on letting the ink settle back as they ran through the diagnosis live, letting the King of Nihil sit up. "Increased heart rate, extreme temperatures that could melt into the ink-like form, possible monster influence to handle said temperatures... You are indeed a part of Xibal, albeit only a small portion of it." One piped up.
"And that portion is?"
"While your clone carries the main abilities, strength, speed, durability, and physicality traits of the Monster in Calibren, you harness its... er..."
"Immortality? Longevity?" Sozo's patience was wearing thin, his hand gripping on the furniture for his life.
"Essentially, yes. In addition, it seems to carry over its own immunities much like what that Fountain did. You mentioned before how you can't die, but this escalated it. I think this specific level potentially... barred you from reaching the afterlife in the first place." The King's eyes widen in fear as he lunged out, examining the notes, before hearing footsteps coming in. His own soldiers, his Shadow Mages, have returned. "Should we...?"
"Expeditiously. Thank you for your services." He'd watch as the Specialists were quick on leaving, before gripping his own face, holding his anger down as much as possible, as Taro and Khonum entered the fray, a massive pool of gold slowly forming back into Axel's body carrying on in pursuit. "Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth. Disease, Poisons, Toxins, Chemicals. Blunt Weapons, Sharp weapons, Firearms, Explosives. Sealings, Bindings, Psychogenics, The bloody SOUL struck down. All these efforts, all in vain before... I wanted to find an exit so badly, seeing my body adapting and surviving against Death in so many instances. Now!? With this Infernal thing resting in both our hearts!? I fear that Death doesn't even wish to take me anymore... I've attained another Immortal lifespan... all because of a selfish deed in protecting the other...!" He'd remark as he'd be quick to look through the many instances of how he's supposed to be erased. Even spells or styles hellbent on defying magic, whether by disabling his body or neutralizing magic in its entirety weren't enough. His heart beats throughout it. If the King of All is the overwhelming force, then the King of Nihil has become the impossible wall.
"You're stuck, stuck? That can't be right, how does one get double immortality?" Taro asked as he'd investigate the condition to see what kind of Dragon Xibal was, but Sozo was quick to recoil.
"Have you not read 'Journey to the West'!? How a supposed 'Monkey King' was capable of stacking immortality after immortality with boons and blessings by the gods!? This is that! These ways of prevention to death are stacking on top of ME!! ME! THE ONE WHO LEAST WANTS IT!" His hand shakes as he'd watch his heart pulse, maddened and distraught by the situation he's in. "...I need to find that child. The one who inflicted this curse upon me. Maybe if I explain this is part of the prophecy, he would react and take it out...!"
"That would mean having to deal with 'Enenra', now that he's a thing. I doubt he'd be willing to de-claw one of his allies for the sake of freeing you, my Lord." Khonum stated, to which Taro and Axel began to banter a bit.
"Not like that, he won't! I've seen the kid firsthand! He's a lunatic! If he at any point sees a big, scary monster like that, he'd jump at the chance to fight it." Axel remarked.
"Well, that and the notion BOTH were being powered up would be a plausible excuse! A Dragon takes advantage of any and every situation they're in, after all! Surely, if the Wyrm was willing to take that risk against Sozo, He would be putting everyone in grave danger!" Taro added, as he'd let the gauntlet rest on a countertop, watching it sizzle, the heat giving off from the Artifact hard to be held in such furniture.
"Not if it's giving him a stark benefit. Yes, sure, he's posing a greater threat, but with Xibal ingrained in the equivalent of a rebellious teen, I doubt they'd pass on this."
"Not even with some convincin'"
"Not even."
The bickering continued, which slowly became noise to Sozo as he'd shamble away in his new condition, letting his eyes dart to the wall, staring at it mindlessly, wondering what to do now that even his potential weaknesses have been covered too well. His mind drifts slowly in such still madness, his heart possessing a new ache he'd never expect to experience in so long. He wants to go back to the Earth. To be buried away and never be seen again. "Please..." He mumbled. "...Let this be an illusion. A Hallucination. I've already lived so much... I don't want to live even further. Is this not human? To pass peacefully? Why must I be taken away such a right?"
"Why won't you let me Die...?"
Pat
His words were audible, his comfort provided by the three as they'd hear his distress. Even if they'd argue at one another, the soul doomed to wander will always be given something to be cared for. As Sozo was about to speak, a loud CLAP was heard from afar, most likely a meeting with the King of All and Harvard's entourage. He'd take a deep breath as his body shifts, quickly morphing around to not get in the way of his strongest members, before staring out at the window from his medical chambers in his castle. "Regardless... if he wishes to rebel and say to my face life holds purpose, I shall retort back. If he wishes to carry this foolish act, we let him. Soon, he'll understand that nothing matters."
"Not him... Nor I."