"My brother is up to something.... my mother and sister are too.... I need to figure this all out." ~Katarina, The Sinister Blade
Update: I got both the university and the company to agree on certain things and now I'm just waiting on the final approval.
I was watching JOJO recently. Their fights are more characters outsmarting each other than a straight slugfest (This is the case from Part 2 onward). And I want Darkin battles to be just that. Or I'm trying at least, since every battle is on a timer. Either Gregori stops them before he runs out of blood or they get blood from other sources and outlast him, all while having a different skillset to him.
I don't like having to explain the actions at the end of the chapter but it is a set up for the actions in the next arc. Might sound stupid now but trust me pls.
Enjoy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"PALTRY TRICKS!" Styraatu screeched as the harp shot back to her side, her newly reformed hand moved to strum it.
"Gregori..." Caalyx softly whispered.
Gregori nodded, "I saw it." He raised his shield, preparing to block the incoming attack.
Both of them had instantly recognized it. The newly reformed hand..... at first glance it looked similar to the previous one but it was not the same.
It was weaker. Muscles stretched a little further than they were supposed to. Bones a little less dense. A little weaker but weaker nonetheless.
That was an expected result.
The two of them were on a timer based on how much blood they could burn. And Gregori had the upper hand here. He was a man who dwarfed the girl who housed Styraatu. He naturally possessed more blood. That was enough.
This advantage just widened with him forcing her to regenerate an entire arm.
"We need to whittle her down now."
Gregori didn't reply as he braced for the incoming attack.
BWEEENGGG
An expression of confusion appeared on his face momentarily as the impact never came.
BOOOOM
The ceiling above them exploded as large rocks rained down on him. Cracks and deep grooves on the rocks above him gave way into a larger opening.
He disappeared from his position just as Styraatu's harp fell sideways.
BWEEENGGGG
The rocks fell onto where he once stood with enough falling to make a small mountain, now blocking the exit to the outside.
A single moment was all he needed to understand Styraatu's plan.
She had also recognized her weakness. And unlike Joraal, she retained enough sanity to plan ahead.
"Burying you under rocks and making sure you couldn't dodge with her harp." Caalyx commented humorously, "Annoying isn't she?"
Ignoring his weapon, Gregori threw his spear at Styraatu.
BOOOOM
The spear disappeared from vision.
BWENNGGGG
And it appeared once again. Stopped. By the music.
But it wasn't easily stopped, he could see the strain on Styraatu as she forced it to stop.
He threw his shield sideways and used his magic to pull at both the spear and the shield. In the same movement, he leapt toward Styraatu and pulled his arm back.
Styraatu's seven eyes spun about locking into him and the weapons.
Both her arms moved across the harp.
TWENNGGGGGG
Music played continuously.
The two weapons and the user, all three halted in their positions.
They were locked in a standoff. Styraatu couldn't do anything but play her music without stopping. A single misstep would mean that Gregori could reach her. And if he did. she would have to regenerate. And any more regeneration would make things very hard for her. Not only that, Gregori did not let up on his magic as it constantly pulled toward her.
All he needed was a single moment.
And this fight would be over.
Neither could move but both strained as much as they could.
The standoff continued for a while.
Styraatu had focused three eyes on him and his weapons and an extra in his general area for good measure. The other three eyes constantly spun about around her, stopping anything as soon as her hands moved across the harp.
But unknown to her, Gregori's mind had already figured a way out but he wanted to make her drop her guard down. All so he could force her to falter.
And the opportunity came knocking as Janna materialized beside him. Blue winds took form of a bird that flapped beside him.
And then they stopped flapping as she too was halted in position by Styraatu.
"THAT IS YOUR ALLY?!" Styraatu spoke condescendingly, "A BYGONE WIND SPIRIT?!"
Ignoring her words, Gregori's eyes turned toward Janna, "Something happened above ground."
It wasn't a question.
Janna appearing here was not a risk she would normally take. Something had to have happened for her to come down here.
"The Voidhas fully consumed him. He is not human anymore." Janna answered, "Your children are holding him back..... but they are failing."
Gregori's eyes hardened, "How many enemies?"
"Everyone except for your children and a couple others haven been consumed." Janna answered.
"Number." Gregori replied.
"Over three hundred."
"FUCK!" Caalyx exclaimed loudly.
A couple more of Styraatu's eyes landed on him.
"We need to get up there." Caalyx pushed out, anger evident in his voice, "Gregori..... the Voidcan't be allowed to spread."
"The demon?" Gregori pushed ignoring Caalyx.
"The fire demon is holding them back." Janna answered, "But it won't last long."
Gregori looked up at Styraatu as her last eye fell on him, he took a shaky breath as he mentally prepared himself.
"ARRRGGHHHH!!!" He yelled as he strained harder against his invisible bindings.
His magic flared up as above Styraatu and out of her vision, a jagged rock dislodged itself and fell down. Right through Styraatu's magical core and into her torso, knocking her out of the air and away from the harp.
"YOU!" She yelled as she hit the ground and looked up, her hands reaching for the harp that sped to her position.
But Gregori had moved.
Styraatu laughed, "YOU MISSED YOUR CHANCE TRAITOR!"
Gregori hadn't gotten to where she was in that moment, nor had he used his weapons to harm her.
He had moved to the ceiling instead.
Janna flapped her wings right next to him, "They are right above you."
"You didn't end her." Caalyx muttered and then his voice began to rise, "YOU RETARD! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"
"Shut the fuck up." Gregori replied grimly, "I have a plan. It is the only way we win."
"What are you-" Caalyx began to speak but was cut off.
BWENGGGG
Styraatu sent slashes at Gregori.
BANGGG
He braced himself with his shield as the attacks slammed into him, sending him into the cracks in the roof.
"YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MAGIC!" Styraatu realized as she pushed her advantage, sending wave after wave of her slashes at Gregori, launching him further upward.
Rock and gravel fell through the hole as Styraatu began to fly upward through the same hole Gregori was being pushed up.
"YOU ARE NOTHING NOW!" Styraatu screeched as she continued flying, taunting him as he kept breaking through the rocks. "DID YOU THINK THE TRICKS YOU WERE USING WOULD LAST AGAINST ME! SOME NEW THING YOU LEARNT IN THESE YEARS IS NOT GOING TO MATCH UP TO ME!"
Styraatu had assumed that Gregori had run out of magic when he hadn't attacked her. And sending him upward toward humans where she could get more blood was all she needed to do in order to win. Reaching her full strength would result in her victory.
"Caalyx." Gregori spoke in his mind. "I can count on the Darkin's hatred of the Voidright?"
"You want to make Styraatu fight the Void." Caalyx repeated as he contemplated the possibility, "It would work. Our hatred of the Void is greater than our hatred for each other."
"After fighting Styraatu we will be weakened considering I cannot transform once again." Gregori spoke, "So many enemies would be very difficult and I might be forced to transform once again."
"That would guarantee your death." Caalyx replied.
"That would." Gregori confirmed.
"Therefore you make them fight." Caalyx spoke gleefully, "What better than having two of your enemies fight each other?"